Author: Momo Chan

### My sister-in-law has an unhealthy obsession with dramatic, over-the-top “tragedy fiction.” After giving birth, she refused to breastfeed the baby because the baby smiled at the nanny. She claimed the baby was an ungrateful little backstabber who would never love her. When my brother had to leave for an emergency meeting, he reminded her to take care of herself and not catch a cold while recovering postpartum. The moment he left, she filled the bathtub with cold water, sank herself into it, and stayed there until she was bleeding uncontrollably. She ended up in the hospital. One day, my brother’s assistant dropped by the house to deliver some documents. My sister-in-law sat calmly on the couch, her face a mask of sorrow and resignation. “You don’t have to flaunt your victory,” she said with a tragic air. “If you want this man, take him. I’ll step aside.” At the baby’s one-month celebration party, a family friend—a woman who grew up with us—came to congratulate them. My sister-in-law threw a glass of red wine at her, staining her expensive dress. “A mistress with no shame,” she sneered. “No designer gown can hide the ugliness of your soul.” My brother and I tried to reason with her, speaking as kindly as we could. But that night, she left without a word, vanishing into the darkness. All she left behind was a signed divorce agreement. “I don’t want you or the baby,” it read. My sister-in-law, Claire, has always been a fan of fiction. When she got pregnant, she stopped going out much, and reading novels became her favorite pastime. I’d even introduced her to the reading app she used, where friends could see each other’s bookshelves. One day, I opened the app and was hit with a flood of tragedy fiction recommendations: “Your Friend is Reading: ‘After Mom Faked Her Death, Dad Finally Regretted Everything.’” “Your Friend Just Reread: ‘Divorced and Abandoned, But Now My Ex-Husband and Son Begged Me to Come Back.’” “Your Friend Liked: ‘My Husband and Son Saved His First Love During the Flood, Leaving Me to Die.’” I only had one friend on this app—Claire. When I clicked on her bookshelf, it was packed wall-to-wall with these melodramatic, soap opera-style tragedy novels. My first reaction? My brother cheated on her! I immediately called my brother, Dylan. “Hey, what did you do to Claire?! Did you cheat? I swear, if you did, I’m calling Mom and Dad to break your legs!” Dylan sounded completely panicked. “What are you talking about? I would never cheat on Claire! I’m loyal to her, 100%. The only women I even talk to are you and Mom! Who’s been spreading these rumors?” My brother has always been a terrible liar, so I knew he was telling the truth. I relaxed a little. “Oh, okay,” I said casually. “I was just testing you. Congrats, you passed. Keep being a good husband, alright? Bye!” Maybe Claire just liked these kinds of novels. Maybe I was overthinking it. But it wasn’t long before I realized her obsession with tragedy fiction was way more intense—and way more concerning—than I’d thought. It all started after Claire gave birth. Thanks to Dylan’s constant attention during her pregnancy, everything went smoothly. On the day she went into labor, Dylan noticed her contractions were more frequent than usual. Without missing a beat, he grabbed the pre-packed hospital bag, alerted the medical team, and had their driver speed to the private hospital owned by our family. Since Claire didn’t have any parents of her own, my parents and I rushed to the hospital to support her and cheer her on during delivery. The birth itself went perfectly. Claire had been cared for so meticulously during her pregnancy that both she and the baby were in excellent shape. Before long, the sound of a baby’s cry filled the delivery room. Claire had given birth to a healthy baby boy. Following Dylan’s “support guidelines” for family members, we disinfected ourselves thoroughly before entering the room. We barely glanced at the newborn, instead gathering around Claire, who looked pale but radiant. My mom grabbed her hand, tears in her eyes. “Claire, sweetheart, you did such an amazing job. We’re so proud of you.” My dad, as always, was quieter with his affection. He simply slipped a black AmEx card under her pillow without a word. Dylan, on the other hand, was an emotional wreck. Gone was the ruthless businessman who dominated boardrooms—he was now a teary-eyed, doting husband. Claire, her voice soft and weak, said, “Let me see the baby.” A nurse gently brought over the tiny bundle, placing him in Claire’s arms. Claire leaned in close to the baby’s face, her eyes filled with warmth and love. “It wasn’t easy,” she whispered, “but it was worth it to bring you into this world.” The doctor, who had been monitoring the situation, smiled and reassured her. “You’re being too hard on yourself, Mrs. Stone. Your delivery went exceptionally well. Your family’s quick response, combined with the support of our team, made everything as smooth as possible. You didn’t even need stitches—no tearing, no complications. You did great.” But instead of looking relieved, Claire’s expression darkened. The warmth in the room evaporated. My parents, Dylan, and I all exchanged nervous glances. Claire’s voice was icy. “So what you’re saying is, it was easy for me to give birth? That my child will grow up thinking his mom didn’t even suffer for him? That I didn’t make any sacrifices?” The doctor froze, sweat beading on his forehead. “Mrs. Stone, that’s not what I meant at all!” I jumped in, trying to defuse the tension. “Claire, you carried him for nine months and brought him into this world. Of course, he’ll know how much you’ve done for him!” But Claire just frowned and leaned back against the bed. “Hmph. Who knows? Maybe one day he’ll grow up, call someone else ‘Mom,’ and forget all about me.” What?! None of us knew what to say. Seeing how exhausted she looked, we decided not to push the conversation further. To make sure Claire had the best postpartum care possible, my mom had started interviewing potential caregivers months in advance. She ended up hiring four top-tier postpartum nannies, a chef, and a nutritionist to take care of both Claire and the baby. We even had thick carpets installed throughout the house to reduce noise, and Claire’s bedroom was equipped with soundproof walls to ensure she could rest undisturbed. Dylan canceled all his work-related social events and delegated most of his responsibilities to his assistant so he could stay home and take care of Claire full-time. My parents were fully on board with this. “The company will be fine without you for a while,” my dad said. “Right now, Claire and the baby need you more than anything.” “The doctor said postpartum hormones can make emotions unpredictable,” my mom added. “You need to keep an eye on her and make sure she stays in good spirits.” Even I tried to help, scouring every store I could think of to find snacks and little gifts that might cheer her up. But no matter what we did, Claire remained distant and melancholy. 2 Under the care of the nanny, the baby grew more lively and adorable with each passing day. His big, sparkling eyes and soft, porcelain-like skin made him look like a little doll—impossible not to love. One afternoon, I was playing with the baby alongside the nanny, holding up toys and making silly faces to get him to laugh. He giggled nonstop, his tiny mouth spreading into the sweetest smile. That’s when Claire, my sister-in-law, walked into the room. She froze in the doorway, her face pale, her lips trembling. “He’s never smiled at me like that—not once. But he’ll laugh so easily for a stranger. In the end, he’s just an ungrateful little traitor…” The baby, unaware of the tension, blinked his wide, innocent eyes at us, confused. I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Claire, he’s just a baby! He doesn’t even know what’s going on. How can you say something like that?” But Claire only shook her head, looking heartbroken. “You don’t understand.” Dylan, my brother, rushed over with a blanket, draping it over her shoulders. “Claire, don’t overthink it. The baby loves you the most—of course he does!” Claire gave a faint, bitter smile. “Better to let go now than wait for him to resent me later.” From that day on, she made up her mind. She took medication to stop producing milk and refused to breastfeed the baby again. “It’s fine,” Dylan said through gritted teeth, watching the nanny prepare formula. “The baby will grow up healthy on formula. Claire’s mental health is the most important thing.” But the baby cried inconsolably, his tiny face red with tears, unable to understand why the comforting warmth of his mother’s arms and milk was suddenly gone. Claire, unmoved, glanced at him coldly. “See? Just like the novels said—pain teaches regret.” She turned to the nanny, her expression indifferent. “Take him back to the nursery. I need to rest.” I clenched my fists, struggling to contain the anger that had been building inside me. Finally, I pulled Dylan out of the room. “Don’t you think Claire might have postpartum depression?” he asked, running a tired hand through his hair. “She was fine before the baby was born, but now… she’s like a completely different person.” My anger instantly faded, replaced by a pang of guilt. He was right—Claire wasn’t herself anymore. It had to be the hormones, and she was likely struggling more than any of us realized. “You’re right,” I admitted. “She’s at her most vulnerable right now. We need to help her through this.” “By the way,” I added, “you might want to take her phone away for a while. Those novels she’s reading aren’t helping. The last thing she needs is more drama from those over-the-top tragic stories.” It didn’t take long for my warning to come true. One day, Dylan’s assistant called to say there was an urgent issue at the company that required his personal attention. Dylan spent hours trying to resolve the problem remotely, but nothing worked. “Claire,” he said gently, “I have to run to the office for a few hours. I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Claire barely looked at him. “Go ahead. Don’t worry about me.” Dylan leaned down and kissed her forehead, tucking the blanket snugly around her. “You’re still recovering—make sure to stay warm. I’ll bring back that cake you like from your favorite bakery.” With that, he hurried out the door. When he returned a few hours later, cake box in hand, the house was shrouded in darkness. “Claire?” he called out, his voice tinged with panic. After searching every room, he finally checked the security footage and confirmed that she hadn’t left the house. Following the sound of running water, we found her in the bathroom. Dylan flipped the light switch, and there she was—sitting in the bathtub, fully clothed in a thin white dress, her body submerged in ice-cold water. Her expression was distant, her eyes glassy, like she wasn’t even there. “Claire!” Dylan shouted, rushing to pull her out of the tub. The icy water shocked him so badly he shuddered, but he didn’t pause for a moment. “Claire, what are you doing? You’re still recovering! You can’t expose yourself to cold like this—it’s dangerous!” Claire slowly blinked at him, then let out a bitter laugh. “Dylan, stop pretending. If you really cared, you wouldn’t have left me alone when I needed you most.” “You chose your company over me,” she added, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “So why does it matter what happens to me?” Dylan’s face turned pale, his lips trembling, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he called the hospital, his voice cracking as he demanded an ambulance. The red velvet cake he’d brought back for her lay discarded at the bathroom door, crushed and forgotten. Claire spent the next seven days in the hospital. The prolonged exposure to cold during her postpartum recovery caused her to develop a fever and relentless bleeding. She lost so much weight during her stay that she was almost unrecognizable when she was finally discharged. Dylan stayed by her side the entire time. He didn’t shave. He barely slept, dozing off in a chair by her bed, terrified she might disappear if he looked away. When my parents learned what had happened, they both sighed heavily. None of us could find the right words to say. As they walked out of the hospital room, Claire watched them go with an unreadable expression. Then, she said quietly, “I knew this day would come.” “When I’ve accumulated enough scars from all of you, I’ll leave, too.” “No one in this world truly needs anyone else.” I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Claire, what the hell are you talking about?” I snapped, pointing an accusing finger at her. “This family bends over backward for you! We’ve done everything to support you, to make sure you’re happy and healthy. And what do you do? You ruin your own body, push everyone away, and act like we’re the ones to blame. What’s your goal here?!” 3 Claire stubbornly turned her head away. “Your so-called concern, arriving late as always, is worth less than dirt. I don’t need your cheap sympathy.” “Claire, what are you talking about—” My parents, who had just returned to check on her, froze in the doorway, stunned by what they’d overheard. Claire’s expression faltered for a moment, a flicker of panic flashing in her eyes as she looked at them. But my mom simply sighed, her tone heavy with disappointment. “Claire, just rest. Your health is what matters most. We’ll leave now.” Claire pressed her lips together tightly, saying nothing. Seeing the pleading look in Dylan’s eyes, I swallowed my frustration and left with my parents. After that incident, Claire must have realized she’d gone too far. She quieted down for a while, and things between her and the rest of the family started to ease up. With Dylan’s encouragement, we gradually let go of the tension and resentment. When their baby boy, Nathan, was finally named and started to grow, the house slowly returned to its once-harmonious atmosphere. That is, until the day a new intern from Dylan’s company showed up to deliver some documents. To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, Dylan had been working from home, arranging for his male assistant, Jack, to deliver paperwork that needed his signature. Jack would drop off the documents, Dylan would handle them, and Jack would take them back to the office. But on this particular day, Jack called in sick, and the task fell to a new intern. The intern, a young woman who’d just graduated, arrived at the front door in a professional-looking suit and carrying a large work bag. She politely handed the documents to Dylan, who silently signed them without saying a word. Not a single unnecessary exchange occurred between them. Unfortunately, Claire happened to walk in at that exact moment. The intern, sensing the tension, immediately greeted her politely. “Good evening, Mrs. Stone. I’m so sorry to intrude. I’m an intern at the company—my name is Lily. I was just here to deliver these documents for Mr. Stone.” But something twisted in Claire’s expression. It was as if she’d been struck by lightning. Her face darkened, and then, like a storm rolling in, she wore an expression of grim certainty. Dylan, noticing her look, quickly explained, “Jack couldn’t make it today, so Lily had to bring the paperwork over. She’s leaving as soon as I’ve signed them.” Claire, however, didn’t seem to hear him. She gave Lily a strange, almost pitying smile, and then calmly dropped a bombshell. “There’s no need for you to leave. I’ll step aside for the two of you.” Lily froze, completely confused. “I’m sorry… step aside? What do you mean?” I immediately sensed disaster brewing and quickly stepped in, grabbing Claire’s hand. “Claire, let’s not joke around like that! Dinner’s ready—it’s your favorite fish soup. Let’s eat, okay?” I shot Dylan a look, silently begging him to step in. Dylan caught on and shoved the papers into Lily’s hands. “I’ve signed everything. Take these back to the office right away.” But Claire pulled her hand from mine, her face filled with tragic determination. Her voice trembled as she spoke. “You don’t have to pretend anymore. Isn’t this exactly what you wanted? You’re here to flaunt your victory, aren’t you? Fine. Take him. He’s yours.” Lily looked horrified. “Mrs. Stone, I think there’s been a misunderstanding! I have a boyfriend—I’m just here to deliver paperwork!” But Claire wasn’t listening. She was lost in her own spiraling imagination, her lips curling into a bitter smile. “Oh, sweet girl. I was young once, too. I remember those promises of eternal love, those grand gestures. Don’t get too comfortable—you haven’t won anything. The only things you can take are the things I no longer want.” Dylan finally lost his patience. “Claire, stop this nonsense! Lily is just an intern! She has nothing to do with me!” Claire stared at him in disbelief, tears spilling down her cheeks. “You’re yelling at me? For her? What’s next? Are you going to call me irrational and accuse me of making things up?” Her voice broke, trembling with a mix of anger and heartbreak. “I knew it. Those novels I read—they were right. They’re all just reflections of reality! If I hadn’t walked in on you tonight, how much longer were you planning to keep this a secret from me?”

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My in-laws were so biased. Three years ago, when I married Ethan, my in-laws claimed they had no money. They couldn’t afford a house or even a wedding gift. So Ethan and I simply registered our marriage, hosted a small dinner for our friends, and called it a wedding. But the following year, when Ethan’s younger brother, Ryan, got married, things were drastically different. My in-laws bought him a three-bedroom apartment. Not only that, they gave his wife a wedding gift worth 180 thousand dollars and a lot of gold. I was furious. “How can you treat your daughters-in-law so differently?” I demanded. Their response left me speechless. “It’s not the same,” they said. “You and Ethan fell in love and got married out of feelings. Talking about money would tarnish that. “But Ryan met his wife through an arranged marriage. Without a house and a wedding gift, no one would agree to marry him.” Their words felt like a slap in the face. I exploded, arguing with them until they couldn’t defend themselves anymore. And when they ran out of excuses, they turned nasty. “Our money, our choice,” they spat. “We can give it to whoever we want. “We love Ryan more because he’s obedient and considerate. “And honestly, you’re shameless. You practically paid to marry Ethan!” I was stunned and burst out crying. All the understanding and generosity I’d shown them suddenly felt like self-degradation. That night, I packed my things, and went back to my parents’ home. From that day on, I refused to speak a single word to Ethan’s parents. It was Ethan who eventually coaxed me into returning. He made a promise. “From now on, it’s just the two of us. Anything you didn’t get before, I’ll make up for it. I’ll make sure you never feel wronged or unloved. I’ll always protect and cherish you.” I was naive and deeply in love, so I believed him. To his credit, Ethan kept his word. He treated me well, and slowly, my resentment eased. But I could never fully forgive his parents. I didn’t stop Ethan from maintaining contact with them, but as for me? The idea of honoring and respecting them was out of the question. Last year, when I gave birth to our daughter, Ethan called them to share the news. But they didn’t even bother to check on me or their granddaughter. It was my mom who traveled from out of town to take care of me during my recovery. Later, I found out that Ryan’s wife was also pregnant. My in-laws doted on her like she was royalty. Everything she or the baby needed was top-quality, and they paid for all of it. Sometimes, I genuinely wondered if Ethan was adopted. Why else would they treat us so differently? But over time, I let it go. Whatever they did to me, I would do the same to them.

I never expected it, but Ethan’s father fell ill. Even worse, his parents wanted to live with us, claiming that our place was closer to the hospital. It started with Ethan casually bringing it up during dinner the night before. “Zoey, we have an extra room. Can my parents stay with us for a while? It’s closer to the hospital,” he said, testing the waters. I refused without hesitation. After all, Ryan’s place was also in the city. The only difference was that it was an hour away from the hospital, whereas ours was just thirty minutes. But Ryan and his wife had a spacious three-bedroom apartment, while Ethan and I were crammed into a small one-bedroom unit. Plus, that extra room wasn’t meant for guests; it was for our nanny. Ethan and I both worked full-time, and my parents, given their age and health, couldn’t help with childcare. So, we hired a nanny to look after our daughter, Lily, during the day. If Ethan’s parents moved in, where would the nanny stay? And more importantly, who would look after Lily? I certainly didn’t expect his parents to lift a finger. “Why can’t they stay at Ryan’s?” I asked pointedly. Ethan hesitated before mumbling, “It’s Ryan and Emma… They don’t agree. Emma’s worried about Dad’s illness being contagious. Little Josh is just over a year old, and his immune system is still developing.” Josh was Ryan and Emma’s precious son. Hearing that made my blood boil. “Oh, so their child can’t risk getting sick, but ours can? Ethan, have you forgotten how they treated us? “Why is it that they get the comfort and we’re left with the burden? Are we just here to be taken advantage of?” I couldn’t hold back my anger and let Ethan have it. He eventually apologized and promised he wouldn’t make any decisions without my agreement. That managed to soothe me for the moment. But I had a gut feeling this wasn’t over. Sure enough, the very next evening, I came home from work to find three unexpected figures in our living room: Ethan’s parents and Ryan. For a moment, I thought I was seeing things. After all, it had been years since I last laid eyes on them. But a closer look confirmed it, and they were indeed here. Ethan looked up as I entered, clearly uncomfortable, and tried to play it off. “Zoey, you’re home. My parents and Ryan are here.” I nodded curtly, my mind racing. Did they just show up uninvited? Or did Ethan neglect to tell me? As I debated whether to greet them or not, my gaze landed on his parents, sitting on the couch like royalty, clearly expecting me to bow and scrape like a servant. Remembering all the times they treated me poorly, I simply turned on my heel and headed into the nursery. Inside, our nanny was putting Lily to sleep. She looked up as I entered and couldn’t help but vent. “Zoey, your in-laws are something else. That’s their granddaughter out there, and they didn’t even glance at her.” She shook her head in disbelief. “Lily didn’t recognize them and started crying. Your mother-in-law even complained about it being bad luck. I had to bring her in here right away. “Don’t worry. I’ve sanitized the room.” I didn’t tell her about Ethan’s father’s sickness. She probably overheard it when they discussed it this afternoon. My heart sank further when the nanny added, “I overheard them talking earlier. Sounds like they’re planning to stay here for a while.” I felt even more irritated. Before I could respond, Ethan walked in. “Zoey, can you make dinner? My parents and Ryan haven’t eaten yet.” The nerve of it all pushed me over the edge. How dare they ask me to cook for them? “Order takeout,” I snapped. The sharpness in my tone made me regret it immediately. It wasn’t polite, not in the slightest. But Ethan just blinked and replied, “All right.” That wasn’t good enough for Ryan, though. “What’s her problem?” he sneered. “Doesn’t seem like we’re welcome here. What kind of attitude is that? Who does she think she is? “Honestly, Ethan, how do you let her walk all over you? “No wonder Mom and Dad don’t like her.” I hadn’t planned to argue, but hearing Ryan’s increasingly obnoxious remarks, I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Oh? And who exactly do you think you’re talking about?” I stormed out of the nursery. “You came here to stir up trouble, didn’t you? Did I invite you? If you don’t like it here, you’re free to leave!” Ryan bristled. “This is my brother’s house. What does it have to do with you?” I laughed in disbelief. “And whose house do you think this is, genius? My husband’s house is my house. So yeah, it has everything to do with me.” Before I could unleash more, Ethan stepped in. “Zoey, that’s enough.” Enough? I wanted to scream. Why should I stay quiet while they disrespected me in my own home? But one look at Ethan’s conflicted face made me bite my tongue. Then, Ethan’s father cleared his throat and started theatrically lamenting, “What a disgrace. Truly a disgrace. Ethan, how could you let your wife behave this way? We’re your parents, not your enemies.” His mother chimed in, “If we’re not welcome, we’ll leave.” “By all means,” I thought. “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” But Ryan, as always, played the loyal son. “Come on, Mom, Dad. Just endure it for now. Emma’s worried about Josh getting sick with you both going to the hospital every day. Once you’re better, I’ll come get you right away. “Ethan, take care of Mom and Dad.” And with that, Ryan bolted, leaving Ethan and me to deal with the fallout. I looked at them and felt utterly speechless. Ethan eventually managed to pull his parents back to the couch, promising them they could stay. His mother even threw me a pointed look and said, “Ethan, you wouldn’t turn us away too, would you?” “Of course not, Mom,” he assured her. Meanwhile, I turned and walked back into the nursery. Out of sight, out of mind.

Eventually, Ethan ordered takeout for his parents. I brought a separate portion to our nanny in the nursery. I wasn’t hungry. I’d already eaten at work, so I sat on the bed, mulling over the situation. I was not a heartless person. Sure, I had a sharp tongue, but I couldn’t bring myself to kick two sick, elderly parents out of my home. Even though they had treated me poorly, they were still family, and his father was seriously ill. If I turned them away now, my conscience wouldn’t let me sleep at night, and it might even put a strain on my relationship with Ethan. Because as much as Ethan’s parents had shown blatant favoritism, and as much as it had created distance between him and them, he was still their son. He was softhearted, and I knew he couldn’t bear to see them suffer. But our home was just too small. It was barely 850 square feet. Ethan and I shared one room, and the nanny occupied the other. What was I supposed to do, ask his parents to sleep in the living room? I decided to discuss the matter with Ethan. Maybe we could rent an apartment for his parents near the hospital. But there was no way I’d shoulder the cost alone. Ryan and Emma would need to split the rent with us. However, things took an unexpected turn. Ethan’s father was diagnosed with kidney failure. I looked it up online. It was not an easy illness to manage. The treatments were expensive, time-consuming, and grueling. He’d need dialysis three times a week, each session lasting four hours, a stopgap at best. The only real solution was a kidney transplant. And that would cost hundreds of thousands, not to mention the challenge of finding a suitable donor. For an average family, it was a devastating blow. A sense of dread settled in my chest. I had a sinking feeling that our household was about to be thrown into chaos. On the day of the diagnosis, Ethan was unusually quiet. That night, he stood on the balcony, chain-smoking. By the time he came back inside, his eyes were bloodshot. “Zoey,” he started, his voice trembling. “What am I supposed to do? My dad… he’s sick.” And then, before I could respond, the tears came. It was the first time I’d ever seen him cry. I didn’t know what to say, so I simply wrapped my arms around him and held him close. The idea of renting an apartment for his parents suddenly felt impractical. I sat down with our nanny and worked out a compromise. She would continue to come during the day to help with Lily but would sleep at her own home at night.

Ever since Ethan’s father fell ill, they’d been staying at our place. Three times a week, without fail, he’d go for dialysis. Ryan showed up a handful of times at the beginning, but his visits grew less frequent as the weeks went by. By the end of the first month, he had barely been around. He was clever, though, always sending sweet messages to their parents, keeping them smiling and in good spirits. But when it came to money, there was only dead silence. Neither Ethan’s parents nor Ryan brought up finances as if they had a tacit agreement to play dumb. Two months in, every single expense for Ethan’s parents, their food, shelter, and medical bills, had fallen squarely on us. I calculated it: we’d spent over 100 thousand. That was basically everything we had. After all, we’d only been married for a few years and had no financial support from anyone else. On top of that, we had to pay for our mortgage, car loan, and the nanny’s salary. With our daughter now in the picture, we also had to buy formula, diapers, and other baby essentials. We were barely breaking even each month. If this continued, we’d go broke. I told Ethan to ask his parents for money. He hesitated. I told him to ask his brother for help. He hesitated again. Watching him hem and haw, I snapped. “Are you going to ask them or not? If you don’t, I will. “This is ridiculous! All the assets went to Ryan, and now the burden of their illness is dumped on us? “Is your whole family just pretending not to notice because they think they can take advantage of us?” Despite Ethan’s protests, I called Ryan myself. As expected, the moment he realized I was asking for money, he started playing the victim. “You know Josh is only a year old. This is such an expensive time for us. My wife and I just aren’t as capable as you and Ethan. Can’t you two cover Dad’s medical costs for now? We’ll pay you back when we can.” I was speechless at the sheer audacity. “Ryan, let me remind you: your dad has two sons, not just one. When you got married, your parents bought you a house and a car, while we got nothing. Are you seriously suggesting that we bear all the responsibility now that he’s sick? “Since he fell ill, you haven’t contributed a single cent. Ethan’s the one taking him to every hospital visit. “If this is how it’s going to be, I’ll tell Ethan to drive his dad back to your place tomorrow.” That got him. “Please don’t! My wife will kill me if Dad comes back here. And you know how fragile Josh is. What if he catches something from the hospital germs? We can’t take that risk.” Unbelievable. How could these two be so selfish and stupid? So, only their child deserved protection while mine didn’t? I stood firm: no money, no deal. Ryan eventually transferred 20 thousand dollars. It wasn’t much, but at least it covered immediate needs. I thought I’d done a good deed. But instead, I ended up on Ethan’s parents’ blacklist again. It turned out Ethan’s parents were upset with me for asking Ryan for money. How had this become my fault? When I got home from work, Ethan’s father was sitting on the couch, his face dark as a thundercloud. His mother was pacing and sighing dramatically. “Oh, poor Ryan. He’s already struggling, and now he had to scrape together 20 thousand. What’s he going to do? “They don’t even have proper jobs. How could they possibly afford this? “It’s been so long since I’ve seen Josh. I hope the little boy is doing alright.” I ignored her muttering, but my silence seemed to embolden them. Their behavior only escalated as if they thought I was someone they could walk all over. That evening, I didn’t have time to stop by the store, so dinner was simple: two vegetable dishes, one meat dish, and some sliced sausage. I thought it was perfectly reasonable given the circumstances. But Ethan’s father didn’t agree. The moment he saw the table, he threw his fork down in disgust. “If you want us gone, just say so! No need to starve us with this garbage.” I was stunned. What was going on? “Can’t you cook something else? These taste awful, and they’re barely nutritious. You did it on purpose, didn’t you?”

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### In my previous life, my wife attended her childhood best friend’s wedding. On her way back, she decided to race down the highway, pushing her car to its limits. The result? A massive pile-up that left four people dead and one severely injured. When the police called to inform me, I raced to the crash site. The scene was chaos—flames roaring into the night sky, the air thick with smoke and the sound of sirens, distant wailing, and panicked shouting. I waited there for an excruciating 24 hours as the responders worked to clear the wreckage. Finally, a detective approached me, his expression heavy with regret. “We couldn’t recover your wife’s body,” he said. “It’s likely she was consumed by the fire.” For the funeral, I had nothing but a handful of scorched debris to place in her urn. But even before I could arrange a proper service, the families of the victims were at my doorstep, demanding answers. In the blink of an eye, I wasn’t just a grieving husband—I was the man responsible for four lives lost. Four lives and millions in damages that I had no way of paying. Desperation took over. To appease the victims’ families and buy their forgiveness, I threw myself into work. From the age of 30 to 48—eighteen long years—I worked nonstop, pouring every ounce of energy into paying off the compensation. Finally, I cleared all the debts. Finally, the families of the victims forgave me. But by then, my body had given out. Overworked and exhausted, I suffered a stroke that left me bedridden, spending my remaining days confined to a hospital room. And then, just as I thought my suffering couldn’t get any worse, I saw her. My wife. The same wife who had “died” in that fiery crash eighteen years ago. She was standing in the hospital corridor with her childhood best friend—the one whose wedding she’d attended—and a young boy who looked just like her. They were laughing, cheerful, the picture of a happy family. I stared, my mind reeling as the truth hit me like a freight train. The accident. The deaths. The debt. My ruined health. It was all a lie. She had faked her death. All these years, I had been nothing more than a pawn in her twisted game. Rage consumed me. Blood rose in my throat, and I collapsed, choking on it. I died right there, in that cold, sterile hospital room, my vision fading to black with the sound of their laughter echoing in my ears. But when I opened my eyes again, something was different. I wasn’t lying in a hospital bed anymore. I was back. Back on the day of the crash. The day everything began. 0

“Hello, is this Mr. Ryan Chase? This is Officer Daniels from the Highway Patrol. Your wife was involved in a serious accident on the interstate. Please come to the scene as soon as possible.” The officer’s heavy voice echoed in my ear, and I froze for a moment. “Sir? Are you still there?” The officer repeated my name a few more times before I snapped out of it. Memories from my previous life came flooding back like a reel of film. In my past life, I had received this exact same call. I had rushed to the crash site, panic-stricken, only to be greeted by a scene of devastating fire and chaos. I’d cried until my throat was raw, only to find that there was no body to recover. My wife’s remains had been declared destroyed in the blaze. I blamed myself for years, haunted by guilt and sorrow. But in the end, I discovered the truth: her body wasn’t missing because she died in the crash. No, she was alive. She had orchestrated the entire thing to fake her death, steal my money, and run off with her lover. Not this time. This time, I won’t let those two snakes get away with it. I hung up the phone and immediately contacted my lawyer, explaining the situation in detail. To unravel this scheme, I’d need to: Prove my wife, Lily, is still alive. Gather evidence of her cheating so I can protect my assets in the divorce. Hold her accountable for fleeing the scene of an accident that killed four people and injured one. That alone would land her in prison for years. Taking a deep breath, I steadied my emotions. Just as I was about to leave, the front door flew open. Lily’s mother stormed in and threw herself into my arms, sobbing dramatically. “Ryan! Did you see the news? Did the police call you too?” Her voice cracked as she wailed, “What am I going to do? She’s my only daughter! If something happens to her, how will I go on?” In my previous life, this scene had played out exactly the same way. Back then, I had spent hours comforting her, reassuring her that everything would be okay. Looking back now, it was all so ridiculous. What kind of mother cries her heart out but doesn’t shed a single tear? If I hadn’t been so blinded by grief, I might’ve noticed the cracks in her performance. She already knew Lily was fine. She even knew about Lily’s affair. This whole family was rotten to the core. Just thinking about them made me sick. They had lived off me for years, eating my food, drinking my wine, and now they wanted to take everything I had. Not this time. “Ryan, why are you so calm? Lily was in a car accident!” I raised an eyebrow. “The police haven’t confirmed anything yet. Why do you sound so certain that Lily… didn’t make it?” 0

“Are you telling me you somehow know more than the police?” Lily’s mother froze for a moment, her expression betraying a flicker of guilt before she quickly plastered on a defensive look. “I’m just worried!” she snapped, then immediately turned the blame on me, raising her voice. “Ryan, what are you trying to say? Are you hoping my daughter’s dead or something?” “How could you let her drive back to her hometown alone? You’re her husband! Isn’t it your job to keep her safe?” Her words brought back memories of the argument Lily and I had before she left. She had insisted on driving back to her childhood friend’s wedding, even though I told her it wasn’t a good idea. I was swamped with work, trying to finalize a deal with a major client, so I suggested we send a gift instead and visit her hometown together later—maybe even bring her mom along. But no matter how much I reasoned with her, she wouldn’t budge. She blew up at me, yelling over something as trivial as a wedding. In the end, she ignored me completely, grabbed the car keys, and hit the highway without another word. That wasn’t like Lily. She was usually so calm, so sweet-tempered. Looking back, it should have set off alarm bells. But in my past life, I had been blind to all the warning signs. “Ryan, why aren’t you saying anything? Did I hit a nerve?” “Mom,” I said, my tone soft and full of sorrow. “You’ve seen how I’ve treated Lily over the years. I love her—I’d never want anything bad to happen to her.” I reached out and took her hands in mine, squeezing them gently, my face the picture of grief. “I want nothing more than for Lily to come back safe and sound. I’ve already made arrangements. Let’s head to the crash site now.” The moment the words left my mouth, her entire demeanor shifted. The anger and grief she’d been putting on vanished in an instant, replaced by a suspiciously bright smile. It was almost as if she’d forgotten her daughter was supposedly fighting for her life. We left together, her walking ahead of me to the car. Before following, I made a quick call to a private investigator I’d hired earlier. “I need you to keep an eye on the house,” I told him. “If Lily shows up, get photos—anything that proves she’s alive.” Once we were in the car, Lily’s mom kept her back to me, frantically typing away on her phone. “What are you doing?” I asked, glancing over casually. “Just checking the news,” she replied, her tone a little too quick. “I want to see if there are any updates about the crash.” I didn’t call her out on the lie, but I knew exactly what she was doing. She wasn’t looking at the news. She was texting Lily, feeding her updates on my every move. Meanwhile, just outside the house, Lily was already waiting in the shadows with her so-called “best friend,” Nick. Dressed in hoodies and baseball caps, they looked like a couple of amateur thieves. “Who’s that lurking around the front door?” Lily whispered, narrowing her eyes at the stranger near the entrance. “I’ll go check it out.” She started forward, but Nick grabbed her arm. “No! If you show yourself now, it’ll ruin everything. Do you want to blow the whole plan?” She stopped in her tracks, her face twisting with frustration. “What am I supposed to do? My jewelry is still in there—all my valuables!” Nick shook his head, keeping his voice low. “Don’t worry. We’ll get another chance. Besides, if you’re ‘dead,’ Ryan will still have to take care of your mom. Just have her ask for more money later. Problem solved.” Her expression softened, and she let out a small laugh. The two of them slipped away into the night, still clinging to the delusion that they could live off me forever. In my past life, by the time I got home from the crash site, the house had been ransacked. Jewelry, cash, family heirlooms—gone. I had been too overwhelmed by grief and the chaos caused by the victims’ families to even report the theft. Not this time. This time, I was ready for them. I had the investigator watching from the shadows, documenting every move they made. Even if Lily had changed her name and tried to reinvent herself, her face was still the same. One photo of her sneaking around my house, and her entire scheme would come crashing down. This time, Lily, you’ve already lost. By the time I arrived at the crash site, the fire had just been extinguished. The wreckage was still smoldering, the burnt-out remains of several cars charred beyond recognition. The moment Lily’s mom stepped out of the car, she ignored the police and firefighters yelling at her to stay back and ran straight into the wreckage. And somehow, as if guided by some supernatural force, she went directly to Lily’s car. She collapsed to the ground as soon as she got close, wailing like her heart was about to give out. I noticed her phone lying on the ground, clearly dropped in her frantic rush. I bent down to pick it up, and just as I did, a notification popped up on the screen. It was a text from a contact with a gray, anonymous avatar: “We checked the house, but came up empty. Mom, see if you can squeeze more out of Ryan.” My grip tightened on the phone. Lily and her lover, Nick, were shameless. They knew I wouldn’t abandon her mom, no matter what happened. They were using my love for her to milk me for everything I had. I thought back to the last life, to the years after Lily’s “death.” I had been drowning under the weight of lawsuits and compensation claims from the victims’ families. Even then, I still sent her mom $1,000 every month to help with her “living expenses.” Whenever I had a little extra to spare, I sent more. Turns out, every cent of that money must’ve gone straight into the pockets of those two snakes. “Mr. Chase, please help calm her down,” a firefighter called out to me. “We’re doing everything we can to rescue your wife.” “Of course,” I said, carefully setting the phone back where she’d dropped it. I jogged over to Lily’s mom and gently helped her to her feet. “Mom, let’s not get in the way of the rescue team. People might start thinking Lily’s… already gone if you keep crying like this.” She looked up at me, her bloodshot eyes narrowing in suspicion. “What’s that supposed to mean, Ryan? Are you wishing for my daughter’s death?” “Of course not,” I replied calmly. “Every second counts during a rescue. I just want to make sure Lily has the best chance possible.” She seemed unconvinced, but she stood up anyway. I reached out to steady her, but she stumbled, nearly falling back toward the wreckage. “Mom!” I shouted, grabbing her arm just in time. “Are you okay?” She yanked her arm away, glaring at me like I’d insulted her. “Don’t touch me.” Without another word, she wiped her face dramatically and stormed off toward the edge of the police barrier. Her anger didn’t surprise me. She wasn’t upset because I was “wishing ill” on Lily. No, she was mad because I’d interrupted her plan. She’d been trying to plant Lily’s phone in the wreckage, hoping it would be found during the rescue. That phone was full of photos of Lily—and more importantly, sentimental recordings and messages from her to me. In my past life, I had been so consumed by grief that when I finally got that phone back, I spent hours restoring its data, desperate to hold on to any piece of her I could. One of the recordings had shattered me. It was Lily’s “farewell message,” filled with declarations of love and regret. She talked about how much she’d miss me in the next life, how she hoped we’d meet again someday. Every word had cut into me like a knife. I had believed her so completely that I spent the rest of my life carrying the burden of her “death,” paying her family’s bills, and never even considering moving on. But this time, I wasn’t going to let her mom pull the same stunt. I made sure she never got the chance to plant that phone in the wreckage. The rescue operation lasted an entire day. By the end of it, a police officer approached me and Lily’s mom with a somber expression. He handed over a bag of Lily’s personal belongings. “I’m sorry,” he said. “We couldn’t recover a body.” He explained that the damage from the crash was so severe that it was possible her remains had been obliterated in the explosion or consumed entirely by the fire. “Please accept our condolences,” he added. I clenched his hand tightly, tears streaming down my face in large, uncontrollable drops. Behind me, Lily’s mom collapsed to the ground in a dead faint. I knew she was faking it, but just like in my past life, I called for an ambulance and personally took her to the hospital. Back then, I had done the same thing. After dropping her off at the hospital, I had gone straight to a funeral home, bought an urn, and returned to the crash site to collect a handful of ash to put in it. This time, I followed the same steps—except instead of heading to a cemetery afterward, I went straight back to the hospital. As I approached her hospital room, I heard voices coming from inside. “…You were right, Lily,” her mom said, laughing. “Ryan fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. He looked like a ghost when they told him you were dead. What an idiot.” “Don’t worry,” she continued. “I’ll make sure to bleed him dry. He’s too soft to ever say no to me.” “And I’ve already sent someone to stir up the victims’ families,” Lily replied, her voice cold and calculating. “Once they start causing trouble, Ryan will be too busy putting out fires to notice anything else. You can grab whatever’s left at the house while he’s distracted.” My hands curled into fists, my nails digging into my palms as I listened. Five years of marriage. Five years of loyalty, of love, of trust. And this is what it had all been for. Even the victims’ families—the people who had screamed at me, threatened me, and made my life hell—had been manipulated by them. The truth hit me like a bolt of lightning, leaving me breathless and reeling. But this time, things would be different. If Lily wanted to play dead, I’d make sure it became a reality. The good times for them were officially over.

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### On the day of the company’s IPO, the CEO—my fiancé—was supposed to make our relationship official. I thought this would finally be the moment I got the recognition I deserved. But during her big speech, right in front of the entire company, she called someone else on stage. Her real love. A man who had only been with the company for three months. Standing side by side, their fingers intertwined, Jason—her smug, ever-present shadow—looked right at me from the stage and raised an eyebrow, a cruel smirk curling at his lips. “I didn’t plan to make our relationship public so soon,” he said, his voice dripping with mockery. “But… someone around me has been so eager for me to make things official. So, here we are.” My girfriend turned to him, her face glowing with affection. She didn’t deny it. She didn’t call out his lie. If anything, her eyes were filled with love, like she couldn’t care less about how humiliating this was—for me. And then, as if that weren’t enough, she announced that she was giving my shares—the ones I’d worked years to earn—to her “true love.” “Without you, this company wouldn’t exist,” she said, her voice dripping with gratitude as she handed over everything I had built. “I hope, Jason, that from now on, you’ll lead our team to even greater success!” The two of them stood there, playing their perfect little act, while the crowd below erupted into applause, cheering them on like they were the perfect couple. And me? I just sat there, quiet, unmoving. I didn’t argue. I didn’t cry. I simply watched. Let them celebrate. Let them enjoy their moment. Because I want to see how they plan to “achieve greater success” without me—this company’s biggest investor and the one who built it from the ground up. Let’s see how far they get without me. 0

When Penelope handed over the stock transfer documents to Jason, I was completely stunned. For a moment, my ears rang so loudly I thought I was dreaming. But as the applause erupted around me, I realized this was all too real. “Wait, what’s going on? Wasn’t Evan supposed to be her fiancé? How did it suddenly become Jason?” “Jason’s only been with the company for what, three months? And now he’s hit the jackpot? Man, he’s set for life now!” “Exactly. Poor Evan, though. Years of blood, sweat, and tears, and he walks away with nothing.” The applause died down, replaced by hushed whispers rippling through the crowd. But none of them made any effort to hide their gossip from me—the person they were clearly talking about. I knew what they were doing. They wanted to humiliate me, to curry favor with the new shareholder. Jason, ever the opportunist, wasted no time. He looked over at me, tugging on Penelope’s sleeve like a child begging for attention. “Evan, are you… upset with Penelope’s decision? Or maybe you’re not happy about me getting the shares?” His voice was dripping with fake humility, like he was trying to play the victim. “I know I haven’t been with the company long, so it’s understandable if you’re not impressed with me. But I’ll work hard to earn your respect. I just hope you can be genuinely happy for me today.” Jason’s little monologue left me speechless. I hadn’t said a word. I was just sitting there quietly, and yet he was acting like I was the villain in his story. It was almost laughable. “Which eye of yours saw me not being happy for you?” I finally asked, my tone calm and sharp. “Evan, what’s with your attitude?” Penelope cut in coldly, her voice laced with irritation. “Jason was just being considerate, and this is how you respond? Don’t forget—he’s your superior now.” Her words hit me harder than I expected, but it wasn’t the first time she’d sided with him. “Superior? A guy who can’t even get basic data right? I’d rather not.” “Shut up!” Penelope snapped, her voice icy. “The last time there was a mistake, it was you who handed Jason the wrong files. He only made an error because of you! Stop blaming others for your carelessness. Why don’t you try taking responsibility for once?” I stared at her silently, the woman I had loved for five years. Her face was the same, but her words… they cut deeper than any knife ever could. In the two months Jason had been with the company, he’d made countless mistakes—three major ones that cost us contracts, and more minor errors than I could count. Every time, Penelope somehow found a way to shift the blame onto me. And now, she was still convinced Jason was some sort of genius. That I wasn’t even worthy of being in the same room as him. Jason, of course, played his part perfectly. He tugged on Penelope’s hand, his voice trembling with fake guilt. “Penelope, please don’t fight with him because of me. I’m just a newbie—if Evan’s upset, it’s my fault. I don’t want to cause trouble.” Penelope’s expression softened immediately. She turned to me, her tone sharp but smug. “Evan’s upset? He’s the one who’s caused the company millions in losses because of his constant mistakes. He should be grateful I’m even letting him keep his position.” She crossed her arms, her voice dripping with condescension. “If he can’t handle it, he’s free to leave. Though let’s be honest—there’s no other company that would offer him the kind of salary and role I’ve given him here.” Her words made me laugh. She really thought this company’s success was all because of her? She didn’t know—or maybe she’d forgotten—that this company only went public because of my connections. Because of my money. And now that she’d gotten what she wanted, she thought she could just toss me aside and take all the credit? I stood up slowly. Jason immediately went pale, his face tightening as though he thought I was about to hit him. Penelope’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Why do you both look so nervous?” I said, my voice light but mocking. “If Jason’s so talented, it doesn’t make sense for him to stay in a subordinate role. How about we switch? He can have my position as CEO.” The room fell dead silent. Everyone stared at me, their faces a mix of shock and disbelief. After all, everyone here knew the truth: this company had been built from the ground up by me. I had sacrificed years of my life, pouring everything I had into turning Penelope’s dream into a reality. When the company was nothing but a tiny startup, I was the one working late nights, making every decision, finding every investor. I did it all because I wanted to be her foundation, her support. And now that the company was thriving, everyone assumed Penelope would finally recognize my efforts. That this would be the moment she lifted me up beside her. But instead, she wanted me to hand over everything I’d built. I thought back to the night before the IPO. Penelope had curled up in my arms, talking excitedly about our future. About how we’d finally be able to live openly as a couple. I had stayed awake the whole night, unable to contain my excitement. But when the big day came, the future she had promised wasn’t mine. It was Jason’s. I finally understood: it wasn’t that Penelope didn’t like public displays of affection or grand romantic gestures. She just didn’t like me. The realization was bitter, but it was freeing too. “Fine,” I said simply, brushing past them. Penelope froze, her eyes wide with disbelief. She had expected me to fight, to cling to what little dignity I had left. Instead, I walked out of the room without looking back. Just as I stepped outside, a sleek black Rolls-Royce pulled up to the curb. The driver got out, bowing slightly as he opened the door for me. “Young Master,” he said respectfully, “your father asked me to remind you—it’s time to stop playing around. You need to come home and take over the family fortune.” I smirked, stepping into the car without a second glance at the company behind me. Let’s see how far Penelope and Jason get without me. 0

I’m the only son of the world’s richest man—a name that people can only dream of being associated with. The first time I met Penelope was at the hospital. Her mother had been in a car accident and was in the middle of a messy legal battle with a trust fund kid. As her mom’s attending physician, I got to know Penelope over time. There was something about her resilience, her unshakable determination, that drew me in. But in the end, her mother didn’t make it. Since then, Penelope had harbored a deep distrust of anyone with wealth and privilege. When I decided to pursue her, I made the choice to hide my identity. Later, when Penelope told me she wanted to start her own business, I didn’t hesitate—I quit my job at the hospital and turned down my father’s invitation to return home and take over the family empire. I followed her into the unknown, ready to help her chase her dreams. For five years, my entire life revolved around her. I thought those five years of effort would finally pay off. I thought I’d finally get to hold the hand of the woman I loved, openly and proudly. But when it mattered most, Penelope let me go. “Sir, we’ve arrived.” The driver’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. After stepping out of the car, I told Uncle Ming to head back. “Once I’ve dealt with everything here, I’ll come home,” I said firmly. When I got back home, the first thing I saw was the cake. It was still sitting on the dining table, completely melted. I had bought it to celebrate tonight—what was supposed to be the night we made our relationship public. Now, it just felt like a slap in the face. Fury bubbled up inside me. Before I realized it, I was flipping the table, smashing the cold, untouched food and the ruined cake to the floor. I didn’t stop there. I started packing my things, determined to leave this house filled with memories of her. Just as I opened the closet, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Jason. I opened it to find a photo. In the picture, Penelope was lying on white bedsheets, completely naked. Her face was flushed, and there were unmistakable marks on her neck. My grip on the phone tightened as rage coursed through me. Before Jason could delete it, I saved the photo and took a screenshot. Right on cue, the next message came: “Oops, sorry, Evan. Sent it to the wrong person. Hope you don’t take it the wrong way.” I let out a bitter laugh. He wasn’t even trying to hide it anymore. Ever since Jason joined the company, he’d been sending me photos of him and Penelope. At first, it was little things—a picture of them holding hands, an arm around her shoulders. But this? This was a whole new level. If this had been a few months ago, I probably would’ve stormed into the hotel and demanded answers from Penelope. But now? I didn’t feel anything. I didn’t reply to Jason’s message. What was the point? I was leaving tomorrow, and it wasn’t like we’d ever cross paths again. Without a second thought, I blocked him and deleted the entire conversation. I booked the earliest flight out for the next afternoon. After packing, I grabbed my suitcase and checked into a hotel near the airport. As soon as I settled into my room, my phone started ringing. It was Penelope. I ignored the first call. And the second. And the third. But by the time she called for the fifth or sixth time, I caved. Out of some leftover sense of loyalty—or maybe just pity—I finally answered. “Evan,” she snapped the moment I picked up. “What the hell is wrong with you?” Her tone was sharp, accusatory. “The shares? That was my decision. Jason had nothing to do with it. If you had a problem, you should’ve said something then and there instead of acting like a petty coward afterward!” I stayed silent, letting her rant. “Acting all gracious in front of the employees—who were you trying to fool? And now you’re throwing a fit over a single photo? What are you, a child? Listen to me carefully: you’d better apologize to Jason. If you don’t, don’t blame me for ignoring you from now on!” Her words were so absurd, I actually laughed. A single photo? She really believed Jason’s lies without a second thought. “Apologize?” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Penelope, if anyone’s going to be apologizing, it’s you. Do it now, and maybe you’ll lose a little less in the end.” “Are you delusional?” she screamed. “You’re out of your mind! Fine, don’t apologize. But let’s see if you’re still so smug when you show up at the office tomorrow!” She hung up before I could respond. I didn’t care. What she didn’t know was that my resignation letter had already been sent to HR. By the time she showed up at work tomorrow, it would be sitting on her desk. And as for her company? I wasn’t going back. 0

The next morning, I was jolted awake by Penelope’s incessant calls. “Evan, why aren’t you at work yet?” In the past, whenever we fought, I’d always wait for her at the office, staying late until she cooled off and finally came back. And when she did, I’d apologize first, find ways to cheer her up, and pretend like nothing ever happened. “Are you still mad about yesterday? It’s just some shares, Evan. I’m the majority shareholder—do you really think I’d shortchange you? You’re with me, aren’t you?” Her tone was casual, as if she thought she could brush the whole thing under the rug. “The company is at a critical stage right now. You think it’s just about wining and dining people to secure deals? Jason’s uncle is well-connected—he’s a high-ranking official in the Department of Land Development. Someone like him won’t help us out of kindness alone. I need leverage to keep him on our side.” I knew about Jason’s uncle. For someone like Penelope—who always wanted a piece of every pie—he was the perfect connection. What surprised me, though, was that she was actually explaining herself to me. Maybe a part of me would’ve understood her logic before. But after everything she’d done, I couldn’t justify her sleeping her way to resources. “Evan, we’ve come so far together. Can’t you try to understand my position?” Her voice softened, something I rarely heard from her. After all, I was always the one who gave in first. Before I could respond, I heard her office door open on the other end of the line. There was a pause, followed by the sharp edge of her anger. “Evan, you’re resigning? Who gave you permission to leave? I’m not approving your resignation! Where are you right now? Get back here immediately!” “I’m not coming back,” I said coolly. “If you think Jason is such a valuable asset, then stick with him.” “Evan, what is that supposed to mean? Tell me where you are right now!” Her voice grew more frantic, but then I heard the familiar ding of an elevator in the background. “Penelope, where are you rushing off to?” Jason’s voice. “Track all flights and train schedules immediately,” Penelope barked. “Evan’s trying to quit. We need to stop him.” Jason hesitated for a moment, then smoothly took her phone from her hand. “Evan,” he said, his tone calm and measured, “is this about me? Are you leaving because of me?” He sounded so sincere, but I knew better. “I know you don’t like me,” he continued. “You’ve never approved of me getting the shares, and if it bothers you that much, I’ll give them all back. I just don’t want you making rash decisions.” “You’ve been with the company for years. Now that we’ve gone public, how will it look to the employees if you quit? You’ll cause unnecessary speculation and damage Penelope’s reputation.” Penelope’s voice cut him off sharply. “This has nothing to do with you, Jason. Stay out of it. Evan, I’ll handle this myself. You need to stay right where you are. This company can survive without anyone—but not without you.” I couldn’t help but laugh. Just as I was about to hang up, Penelope spoke again. “Evan, Jason just apologized to you. What more do you want?” “Apologized?” I scoffed. “And one little apology is supposed to justify taking what’s rightfully mine?” “Yours?” she snapped. “This company belongs to me. I can give shares to whoever I want. What’s yours, exactly? Jason was right—you’ve been sitting in your position as CEO for years, resenting me, haven’t you? Were you planning to push me aside and take over as chairman?” “Wouldn’t I deserve it?” I shot back. “Do you think you’d be where you are today without me?” “Evan, that’s enough,” Jason interjected, faking a sympathetic tone. “Sure, you’ve worked hard, but let’s not forget that Penelope’s leadership is what made this company thrive. You were just following her vision.” “Jason, stop wasting your breath on someone like him,” Penelope said coldly. “People like Evan are never satisfied, no matter how much you give them.” She took a deep breath and continued, her voice icy. “Fine. You want to leave? Go ahead. I approve your resignation. Get out of my sight and don’t ever let me see you again.” I could hear the faint smirk in Jason’s voice as he added, “Are you sure that’s wise? Evan has been by your side for so long.” “Don’t worry,” Penelope replied dismissively. “I know Evan better than anyone. He’ll come crawling back. He’s just throwing a tantrum because he doesn’t like my decisions. Give it three days—he’ll be begging me to take him back.” That was the moment I realized Penelope had always known how much I loved her. She’d always known I couldn’t let her go. And yet, she still chose to hurt me over and over again. For the first time, I felt nothing for her. No anger. No sadness. Just… nothing. The call abruptly ended with a sharp beep. But just before the line went dead, I heard someone in the background frantically say, “Penelope, we have a problem! Several of our major investors just pulled out. Multiple projects are on hold, and we’re looking at an estimated loss of $300 million!”

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My mother-in-law demanded that my husband take her for breast enhancement surgery because she believed he was paying too much attention to me. I calmly explained that, at her age, recovery would be difficult and could lead to complications. However, she flew into a rage, yanking my hair, and accusing me of being afraid that she would outshine me and steal my husband away. Behind my back, she secretly went to a small clinic for the surgery and tragically died on the operating table due to an infection. To my shock, my husband blamed me for not preventing her from going through with it. He even spread rumors to the neighbors, claiming I saw her as a burden and encouraged her to go, resulting in her death. Under the weight of everyone’s anger, my husband stabbed me to death at the clinic’s entrance. Suddenly, I found myself back in time, hearing my husband say his mother was coming from the countryside. I quickly set up a video account with the name “Oppressed Ann Summers’ Mother-in-law Daisy Fields, Give Me an Explanation.” 0

“My mom raised me alone in the countryside; it wasn’t easy. Now she wants to visit us. How can I refuse?” “But it’s entirely up to you, honey. If you don’t want her here, I’ll send her back.” As soon as I woke up, my husband was already trying to emotionally manipulate me. Before I could respond, the doorbell rang. My husband’s eyes lit up with excitement as he rushed to open the door. “James, I’ve missed you so much this past year.” A short, plump woman stood outside, laden with bags and kitchen utensils, her flat lips smacking as she spoke. Seeing her long-lost son, she dropped everything and threw herself into James Anderson’s arms, sobbing. “You’ve married and forgotten your mom. How long has it been since you came home to see me?” My husband, distressed at her tears, held her even tighter, patiently comforting her. After a while, she seemed to notice me, “You must be Ann. We only met at the wedding, and I haven’t seen you since. I was worried James would forget me, so I came. You don’t mind, do you?” Hearing the familiar emotional manipulation, I smiled. In my past life, even though I was unhappy about their deceit, I said nothing. I warmly welcomed her into our home and even tidied up the guest room for her, thinking we’d get along well. After dinner, my husband and I went to the bedroom. We were still in the “honeymoon phase,” only a few months into our marriage. He eagerly closed the door, and just as we lay down, the bedroom door swung open. I quickly grabbed the blanket to cover myself. Seeing his mother intrude, my husband frowned, “Mom, this isn’t the village; you can’t just come and go. You need to knock before entering.” Her face fell, and she began to cry, “Since you got married, you’ve stopped caring for me. Your father is gone; I only have you. Now even you treat me this way. I might as well join your father in death.” She moved to hit her head against the cabinet, and I, forgetting my state of undress, rushed to stop her. After scrutinizing me, she squeezed me, making my face flush. I quickly pushed her away. She deliberately collapsed to the ground, “James, you’ve changed since you were a baby nursing in my arms.” My husband’s expression darkened, accusing me, “How could you lay hands on my mom at her age?” “Mom, why are you saying this? I’ve grown up.” “You’ve forgotten me because I’m old and sagging. Is that it?” I couldn’t hold back, “Mom, James and I are married. We need our own private space.” She shouted, “I don’t understand any of that. I only know I have one son in this world, and I must keep him close. Don’t think I don’t see it. You want to monopolize him. I won’t let that happen.” She continued, “I know about breast augmentation. I’ll get one and be better than you. Then your dream will shatter.” I patiently advised, “Mom, you’re older now. Recovery isn’t the same. Surgery can have complications. No reputable clinic will do it at your age…” She yanked my hair, “You just want me dead so you can have James to yourself. I won’t let that happen. I’ll go tomorrow.” Her farm work-hardened hands pulled out a clump of my hair. She snorted, slammed the door, and left. My husband helped me up, “Don’t mind my mom. She’s been like this since my dad passed. Talk her out of the surgery tomorrow. It’s foolish, and people will laugh.” The next morning, I was rudely awakened. “Ann, was this all your plan?” James glared at me. Before I could ask, “My mom died last night at a small clinic. If you had stopped her, she’d be alive.” Someone alive yesterday was dead. My face went pale, “How… how could this happen?” He threw me a harsh look, “Someone like you wouldn’t feel guilty even after killing.” He slammed the door, leaving me stunned. It took me a while to react. I threw on a coat and left. “Isn’t that Ann? Heard she killed her mother-in-law out of jealousy.” “Yeah, poor lady, raising her son alone after her husband died. Then her son’s wife couldn’t stand her and drove her to get surgery that killed her.” “I never thought Ann was like that. So gentle, but you never know someone truly.” Everyone pointed and whispered. I wanted to defend myself. “How do you know?” one curious person asked. “Her husband said it.” I couldn’t believe James could be like this. I rushed to the clinic, seeing James causing a scene. I went to confront him. He turned with red-rimmed eyes and stabbed me, “You killed my mom. If you’d stopped her, she’d be alive.” People screamed and scattered. The clinic manager hurriedly handed James a bank card, “Mr. Anderson, here’s eighty thousand for you.” People backed away, and James kicked me aside, taking the card. I felt a cold, sharp pain in my chest, helplessly watching James walk away satisfied. All I heard was, “She brought this on herself. She urged her mother-in-law to get surgery.” I hated them, that vile mother and son. But now, I heard the moral coercion again. Excited, I took out my phone and registered a video blogger account. I’ll make them pay for their sins. 0

“Since your dad died, I’m just a burden. Now at my son’s house, my daughter-in-law ignores me.” Seeing I didn’t respond, she started her antics, crying to James. Before they could speak, I had registered the account, smiling as I held her hand. “Mom, I’ve been waiting for you. I told James I wanted you to come. I’m thrilled you’re here.” I took her kitchen utensils and tossed them inside. Then I said to James, “Go clean the guest room for Mom. She needs a clean place to sleep. Mom loves your cooking, so make a few extra dishes tonight.” I went back to the bedroom with a smile. At dinner, I came out slowly. Mother-in-law sat with an apron, glaring, “You’ve got some nerve. No man cooks or washes in our village.” “You married James, you should be a housewife. If you don’t cook, you shouldn’t eat.” Ignoring her intimidation, I heard the doorbell and rushed to open it. “Hello, your order of steamed crab, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Boeuf Bourguignon, tomato beef stew, blanquette de veau, Chateaubriand steak, and Bouillabaisse is here. Please give a good review.” I accepted the food, placed it on the table, and took a few bites before remembering, “Mom, did you say something?” “I thought about it and realized you were right, so I’m too embarrassed to eat.” Ignoring my mother-in-law’s attempts to assert dominance, I heard the doorbell and quickly went to answer it. “Hello, your delivery of steamed crab, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Boeuf Bourguignon, tomato beef stew, blanquette de veau, Chateaubriand steak, and Bouillabaisse has arrived. Please leave a positive review.” I smiled as I accepted the food, placed it on the table, and took a few bites before it suddenly hit me, “Mom, were you talking to me earlier?” “I thought about what you said and found it reasonable, so I decided I should apologize for eating.” Seeing that I wasn’t easy to manipulate, my mother-in-law’s face darkened. “Are you trying to chase me away? If you don’t want me here, I’ll leave.” I bit into the crab, enjoying its flavor, “Mom, are you leaving already? At least have a meal before you go. If you have too many things to carry, I’ll call Uber Freight to help with your pots and pans.” My mother-in-law pursed her lips in anger, “You… you just don’t want me here! You’re afraid I’ll take James away, so you’re targeting me?” I ignored her as she began crying dramatically, kneeling before me. “I know you don’t like me, but we’re family now. Why can’t you accept me? I just wanted a meal a day. Now I see I made a mistake coming here, so I’ll leave.” She ended with a gesture of apology, bowing her head to the ground. To gain James’s sympathy, she hit her head hard, leaving a bruise and even some blood. She occasionally glanced up to gauge our reactions. Before James could respond, I quickly took off my slipper and rushed over to her. I pressed her face with the slipper and slapped her a few times. “Alright, whoever you are, get off my mother-in-law.” 0 “Ann, what are you doing?” James stood in shock, seeing my actions and about to intervene. While my mother-in-law was still stunned, I slapped her a couple more times. “Still not coming down? Watch me slap you out.” Satisfied with her swollen face, I stood up. “You dare to possess my mother-in-law? Now you’ll know my strength. Let’s see you act up again.” My mother-in-law lay on the ground, her face red and swollen, pointing at me with trembling fingers before fainting in anger. This little thing sure has a temper. Seeing James looking at me unhappily, I attached a camera to my clothes. “What is that?” I adjusted the lens. “A handy tool.” A handy tool to reveal your true selves.

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I am locked in a narrow, airless basement after my adopted brother Lucas has an allergic reaction, and my three older sisters blame me for it. I pound on the door, begging them to let me out. The eldest sister, a business tycoon, turns around before leaving. Her face is icy as she scolds me, “You’ve been bullying Lucas for ages, but knowing he’s allergic to seafood, you still made him eat it? You did that on purpose to hurt him. Stay in there and think about what you’ve done!” The second sister, a rising pop star, and the third, a gifted artist, both snort in disdain, “You’re so vile, and yet you still try to act innocent. Just stay there and suffer!” With that, they rush off, holding Lucas, who is trembling in their arms, and head straight to the hospital. As the oxygen slowly runs out, I struggle to breathe. Every inhale becomes harder, and I feel myself slipping away in this suffocating basement. Three days later, when my sisters return from the hospital, they finally remember me. But by then, I have already died from oxygen deprivation in this narrow, locked space.

I suffocated to death in that basement. When I woke up, I found myself standing beside my three sisters, watching them from a place I couldn’t reach. They had just returned to the villa. The eldest, Serena Hayes, and the second sister, Celeste Hayes, were holding my adopted brother, Lucas, comforting him like a little prince. “Thank God we got to your hospital in time. That’s the only reason you’ve bounced back so quickly,” Serena said with a soft smile. My third sister, Annalise Hayes, seemed even more concerned, her voice full of care. “The doctor says you’re still weak. You need to really build your strength back up.” As she spoke, Annalise casually grabbed a huge chunk of meat and placed it in Lucas’ bowl. A servant hesitated and then spoke up, “Misses, Mr. Liam hasn’t made a sound for three days in the basement…” Serena scoffed, her patience running thin. “Today’s the day Lucas gets out of the hospital, so why bring up that troublemaker?” The servant tried to speak again but was quickly silenced by the cold, piercing glares from Celeste and Annalise. “That little brat must’ve known Lucas had an allergy and deliberately made him seafood oatmeal. I can’t believe I thought he was finally accepting Lucas—turns out, he was plotting all along!” Serena’s voice dripped with disdain. Lucas, putting on a terrified face, spoke up in a small, trembling voice, “Liam’s being punished because of me. He’s been stuck down there alone for so long… he won’t be angry when he comes out, will he?” Serena’s expression turned cold, but her voice softened as she reassured him, “Don’t worry, Lucas. We were just too soft on him. We never disciplined him properly. After this, he won’t dare mess with you again.” As she spoke, Serena absentmindedly pulled out her phone, refreshing our chat history. But it was clear—no messages from me in three days. Not a single call. Her face darkened. “This brat… It’s been days, and he hasn’t even bothered to check on you? Not even one message?” Serena snapped, barely holding back her anger. At that moment, Lucas reached out, gently holding Serena’s hand, and spoke in a soft, pitiful tone, “Please don’t let Liam misunderstand. I don’t want to take anything from you, I just want your attention.” Serena immediately put her phone down, her expression full of sympathy as she patted Lucas’ head. “You’re so sweet, Lucas. You’re nothing like him. He’s just a heartless, ungrateful little snake.” Celeste, remembering me, cast a cold glance in my direction. “Yeah, this guy would hurt his own family just to get attention? How low can you get?” Annalise agreed with a fierce nod, sneering, “He’s been locked away for three days. Unless he’s ready to kneel and apologize to Lucas, I’ll kick him out of this house myself!” I stood silently to the side, hearing their words. It was almost laughable. But no one noticed me, not even as I stood there, helpless and invisible. Ever since our parents died, my three sisters had focused all their love and energy on me. When I wanted someone my age to play with, they adopted Lucas from an orphanage. I accepted him wholeheartedly, but Lucas, in front of my sisters, repeatedly framed me, causing them to pull away further each time. This time, they didn’t even hesitate. They locked me away in that tiny, suffocating basement. I struggled, but the air in the basement grew thinner and thinner, each breath more labored than the last. I knocked on the door, desperately pleading for them to let me out. But all I received were cold stares and harsh words. “What’s the point of crying out now? This is all your fault. If you hadn’t done what you did, Lucas wouldn’t have suffered so badly. We’ve been too good to you, letting you bully him. Stay in there and think about it!” Celeste sneered. As she spoke, Celeste personally wrapped chains around the door, and Annalise shoved heavy objects in front of it, blocking any last hope of escape. Now, watching Lucas fake a smile at my sisters, I couldn’t help but feel a bitter laugh bubble up from deep inside. The world’s most devoted brother had been killed by his own sisters.

Lucas tugged gently at Serena’s sleeve, his voice trembling as he spoke, “Don’t be mad at him. It’s my fault, really. I’m the one who’s weak, and Liam didn’t mean to hurt me. Please don’t blame him.” Serena’s face went cold as she shot him a sharp look. “This kid… We spoiled him rotten. How did we end up with someone so selfish, so arrogant?” Celeste’s eyes burned with rage. “He’s only getting worse. If it weren’t for him, Lucas wouldn’t be in this condition!” Lucas then intentionally pulled up his sleeve, revealing the faint red marks from his allergic reaction, still visible on his skin. Annalise immediately reached out, gently touching the redness with a soft, concerned expression. “Does it still hurt, Lucas?” Lucas lowered his head, his voice barely above a whisper. “No… it doesn’t hurt anymore…” Celeste’s anger flared. “If we hadn’t rushed him to the hospital, Lucas could’ve been in real danger. And after all this time, Liam hasn’t even bothered to send one message to check on him? What’s wrong with him?” Serena’s anger was almost palpable. “Get that little brat in here now, and make him apologize. I don’t care if he’s too proud. He’s going to apologize to Lucas.” Celeste and Annalise both nodded in agreement, their voices filled with fury. “He wouldn’t dare act this way if he wasn’t hiding behind us. Now he has to pay the price. Make him apologize, or else we’ll take it even further.” When Serena turned to the servant, her voice was sharp as steel. “Why are you still standing there? Go get that ungrateful brat. And bring the punishment stick. If Liam hadn’t put seafood in that oatmeal, Lucas wouldn’t have been in the hospital for three days.” “It’s time to set things straight and remind this family what discipline really means!” The servant didn’t dare argue, rushing off to follow the orders. I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. My sisters didn’t even bother to look into the truth before blaming me. Three days ago, Lucas had wanted some oatmeal, so I thought I’d make him something special. He handed me a small packet of seasoning, asking for that specific flavor. I tasted it, and it was just simple seafood oatmeal. Who could’ve known it would trigger his allergy? Even Serena, the business mogul, couldn’t see through something so simple. Wasn’t that a sign of favoritism? In their eyes, I would always be less important than Lucas. My heart sank further. But it didn’t matter now. I was already dead in that basement. They could give all their love to Lucas from now on. “Miss, we’ve been calling Mr. Liam for a long time. He’s not responding… We can’t hear any breathing from inside.” Serena’s frown deepened. She stood up abruptly, her face a mask of fury. “What’s he playing at now? Does he think he can ignore us just because he’s too embarrassed to apologize? He really doesn’t realize he almost killed Lucas?” Lucas tugged at Serena’s sleeve again, speaking in a fake, sorrowful tone. “It’s okay. I’m just an orphan. I don’t deserve Liam’s apology.” Serena’s anger boiled over. “So this is his pathetic little game to win sympathy? Does he think I can’t see through him? He thinks he can pretend to be mute and get away with it? Looks like my punishment was too light! Go get him, drag him out, and let’s see how he tries to avoid this now. He’s going to apologize to Lucas, and he’ll do it on his knees!”

I couldn’t help but follow my three sisters, each step making my heart sink even further. Their anger was a storm, and soon, we had reached the door to the basement. “Liam, you think you can hide in there and stay quiet and somehow escape punishment?” Serena’s voice was sharp, full of fury. But there was no sound coming from the basement. Celeste’s face grew darker, her voice cold. “Liam, what are you still pretending? Get out here and apologize to Lucas! Don’t think you can get away with hurting him just because you’ve hidden yourself away, turned off your phone, and cut us out!” Annalise’s eyes blazed with anger. “Liam, you’ve really outdone yourself. You can’t stand it when we show Lucas any attention, so now you’re pretending to be silent just to mess with us? You think hiding in that basement is going to make us back down?” Still, nothing came from the basement. Serena turned to the trembling staff, her voice icy and accusing. “Why are you all shaking? Tell me the truth—did this little brat bribe you? Did you secretly let him out?” Celeste scoffed, her tone dripping with disdain. “With his attitude, I wouldn’t be surprised if he couldn’t handle being locked up and had these servants open the door for him the moment we were gone.” Annalise’s expression was filled with deep disappointment. “How could you do this to Lucas? You almost killed him, and now you won’t even own up to it. Is this really the brother I grew up with? Do you really think we only have you to care about?” One of the servants finally spoke, voice trembling, “Miss, we didn’t let him out without your permission. Mr. Liam really has been locked in the basement for three whole days.” Annalise’s gaze flickered to the basement, her unease suddenly apparent. She stepped forward and yanked on the door, but it wouldn’t budge. “Liam, seriously? I’ve unlocked the door, and you’re still refusing to come out?” I stood there, staring at the twisted basement door, bitterly smiling. I had tried to survive by banging on the door, desperate for air, but it was too solid, and I couldn’t get it open. No crack, no escape. I was left to suffocate, trapped in that dark place. Sisters, if you see me like this—my body cold and lifeless—could you at least show me a little love? Could you bury me beside Mom and Dad? Serena grew more impatient. She kicked the door with all her might. The twisted door cracked open, and a putrid stench wafted out. One of the servants, shuddering, spoke in a terrified whisper, “It smells like… a corpse.” Both Celeste and Annalise stormed forward, their faces filled with fury. “A corpse smell? Don’t be ridiculous! That little punk must have snuck out already and thrown in a dead rat to mess with us. Do you think we’re that stupid?” All three sisters kicked the door in unison, shaking the entire basement. With a loud crash, the door finally gave way, revealing the dark, claustrophobic space—and the overpowering stench of decay that followed.

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My boyfriend was hospitalized, so I spent the afternoon making chicken soup and rushed to the hospital to see him. But as I approached his room, I overheard his conversation with a friend: “Your first love is back. Isn’t it time to let that three-year stand-in of yours step aside?” “I mean, now that you’re done with her, let me have a turn. I’ve never been with a woman like her before.” I waited, expecting him to shut his friend down. But instead, Brandon’s voice was calm, almost amused. “Sure, why not? She’s easy enough. Just say a few sweet things, and she’ll jump into bed with you.” That night, while the untouched soup sat cold on my kitchen counter, I found his secret Twitter account. It was filled with years of posts obsessing over his first love, detailing how he had never really gotten over her. I didn’t confront him. I didn’t demand answers. Instead, I quietly booked a one-way ticket to Sea City. On the day of our three-year anniversary, Brandon slipped on the office stairs and sprained his ankle. When I got the call, I rushed to the hospital. He explained that he had been hurrying to the restaurant, worried I’d been waiting too long, and missed a step. I took a few days off work to stay by his side and care for him. On the day he was discharged, some of his friends stopped by to visit. Feeling reassured that he wasn’t alone, I decided to head home and make him some soup. With a warm thermos of freshly made chicken soup in hand, I carefully timed my return to the hospital. The door to his room was slightly ajar, and as I got closer, I overheard voices inside. Brandon’s best friend was laughing, clapping him on the shoulder. “So Aurora’s back, huh? You didn’t have to be that excited about it. Rushing to the airport to pick her up and then falling down the stairs? Classic.” Hearing the name Aurora made my heart skip a beat. Aurora was part of Brandon’s tight-knit college friend group—three guys and one girl. She also happened to be his first love. They dated for two years in college before breaking up when she moved abroad. Even though they ended things, everyone in their circle always talked about how they were “meant to be.” Sometimes, Brandon’s friends would even tease him about it in front of me. In their minds, if Aurora hadn’t left, I wouldn’t even be in the picture. Brandon used to shut them down whenever they brought it up. But this time, maybe because I wasn’t there, he stayed silent. Dylan, his friend, grinned mischievously. “So, your first love is back. When are you planning to kick the stand-in to the curb?” “And hey, once you’re done with her, can I have a turn? I’ve never dated someone like her before.” At this, Brandon finally looked up. He frowned and gave Dylan a light shove. “Chill out,” he said. “Aurora hasn’t said anything yet. Besides, I’m still recovering. I need her to take care of me for now.” My ears were ringing. The world around me seemed to blur as shock gave way to numbness. Dylan didn’t seem to notice. He peeled an orange—one of the ones I had brought earlier—and smirked. “She looks so sweet and innocent, but you’ve told me how wild she is in bed. I’m curious about the contrast.” I clutched the warm thermos in my hands, but the warmth did nothing to stop the icy chill spreading through my chest. I never imagined that the man I loved for three years would talk about me like this behind my back. Brandon’s voice came through the door, cold and detached: “Go ahead if you want. She’s desperate for love—easy to get. I barely had to try to get her into bed.” My chest tightened, the pain sharp enough to take my breath away. Inside the room, they both started laughing, low and cruel. The sound made me feel physically sick. I ran to the bathroom, clutching my mouth, and dry-heaved over the sink. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. So this was what I meant to him. Just a stand-in for his first love, someone he didn’t even respect. I used to think he just didn’t love me as much as I loved him. But now I realized it wasn’t just indifference—it was outright contempt. To him, I wasn’t even a person. I was nothing more than a placeholder, no different from trash on the side of the road. Looking back, it all made sense. His friends had always joked about him and other women, even in front of me, without a care. They treated me like a maid whenever they came over, barking orders while I cooked and cleaned. And why wouldn’t they? Brandon had never stood up for me. Their disrespect was just a reflection of his own. All the “kindness” he showed me was nothing more than an act. I wiped my tears, walked back to the kitchen, and dumped the chicken soup—two hours of effort—straight into the trash. For the first time, breaking up with him felt like the clearest decision I’d ever made. When I walked back into the hospital room, my emotions were firmly under control. Brandon’s face immediately darkened when he saw I’d come back empty-handed. “I thought you said you were making soup for me,” he snapped. “Why are you here with nothing?” Dylan chimed in, clearly enjoying the drama. “Yeah, Stella, Brandon was just telling me how thoughtful you are. Where’s the soup?” His smirk widened as he added, “You know, Stella, there might not be many more chances for you to cook for him. Better make the most of it while you can.” I instinctively glanced at Brandon, half-expecting him to shut Dylan up. But he didn’t. He just sat there, silent, his expression unreadable. Maybe now that Aurora was back, he no longer felt the need to pretend. Or maybe he thought letting Dylan taunt me was a fitting punishment for not bringing the soup. Either way, it didn’t matter anymore.

I stood there silently, my eyes locked on Brandon. This was the man I had loved for three years. I used to think, even if Brandon didn’t love me enough, it would be okay as long as I loved him. Maybe, one day, he’d be touched by my devotion. But now, it felt like the universe was laughing at my naivety. “The soup didn’t turn out great,” I said with a smile, my voice steady. “I already drank it.” I grabbed my lightest bag and walked out of the hospital room first. “Come on, hurry up and pack. Let’s go home,” I added without looking back. I wasn’t going to carry all his stuff like a personal servant anymore. That’s how it always used to be—I’d take care of everything while he walked free-handed. The car ride home was tense. Brandon was clearly upset with me, but I didn’t have the energy to soothe his ego. I needed time to process my own emotions. When we got back to the apartment, one of Brandon’s other friends, Sean, showed up holding a cat. He waltzed in like he owned the place, a smug grin plastered on his face. I froze in the doorway, immediately backing away and covering my nose. “Brandon, didn’t you tell them I’m allergic to cats?” I asked sharply, staring at the fluffy ragdoll cat in Sean’s arms. When I was a kid, a neighbor’s cat had triggered such a severe allergic reaction that I ended up in the hospital for a week. Sean rolled his eyes before Brandon could respond. “Geez, you’re so dramatic,” he said with a smirk. “This is Aurora’s cat. She brought it all the way from abroad—it cost a fortune. I had to beg her just to let me play with it for a few days.” He snorted and added, “Claire, don’t be so difficult.” Brandon, clearly annoyed with me, finally spoke. His expression was cold, his tone sharp. “It’s just a cat. What’s the big deal? You’re not going to die.” His frustration had been simmering all evening, and now, in front of his friend, he let it spill over. Grabbing the cat from Sean, he walked toward me, holding it out like some kind of punishment. “Grow up, Claire. It’s just a little fur. What are you so scared of?” Brandon knew full well how severe my allergies were, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to prove a point, to humiliate me in front of his friend. As I backed away, he kept advancing. The cat let out a sharp yowl, clearly uncomfortable with how tightly he was gripping it, and suddenly, it leapt out of his hands—straight at me. I tried to dodge, but its claws raked across my neck, and I inhaled a mouthful of cat hair. Within seconds, my throat began to close up. My chest tightened, my heart pounded, and cold sweat broke out all over my body. “C-call an ambulance,” I gasped, struggling to breathe. Brandon just scoffed, arms crossed. “Stop faking it, Claire,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. It was Sean who finally noticed how pale I’d become. “Dude, she’s not faking!” Sean said, panic creeping into his voice. “We need to call 911, now!” By the time they finally decided to act, I had collapsed onto the floor, barely conscious. The last thing I saw before everything went dark was Brandon’s panicked face as he and Sean scrambled to call for help. When I woke up, I was alone in a dark hospital room. Because of their so-called “joke,” I had nearly gone into anaphylactic shock and had to be rushed to the hospital. Now, there wasn’t a single person by my side. A nurse came in, turning on the light and quietly changing out my IV. “You have a severe allergy to cat hair,” she said gently. “You can’t afford to be around cats again.” I gave her a weak smile and asked, “Do you know when the people who brought me here left?” She frowned, clearly hesitant to answer. “You mean those three guys?” she finally said. “They left as soon as we told them you were stable.” Her brows furrowed in disbelief. “Honestly, I thought they were just strangers. They didn’t seem very concerned.” I forced out a bitter laugh. “One of them is my boyfriend,” I said quietly. “Though not for much longer.” I picked up my phone and saw a message from Brandon. “We’re heading out for dinner. If you’re fine, just get a ride home.” Twenty minutes ago, Dylan had posted a photo on Instagram. “Reunion with old friends. Feels so good!” The picture showed the four of them—Brandon, Dylan, Sean, and Aurora. In the photo, Brandon was gazing at Aurora with unmistakable tenderness. His eyes held a warmth and longing that he’d never once shown me. They looked like a couple in love, completely absorbed in each other. Staring at that picture, I couldn’t hold back my tears any longer. My chest ached so deeply it felt like I couldn’t breathe. It was time to face reality. Brandon had never truly loved me. Aurora was the one he wanted. She had always been the one. And now that she was back, I was nothing but a placeholder, someone to fill the void until she returned. To him, I had no value beyond that.

It hit me suddenly—Brandon was always typing away on his Twitter app, yet I’d never seen him post anything. A knot of unease twisted in my stomach as a thought surfaced. I began digging through his social media, searching for answers. His own Twitter account was blank, but in his “Following” list, I found an account named  Miss U, Aurora. My hands trembled as I clicked on it. The IP address matched his. The account had been active for six years, with thousands of posts. It felt like I had just opened Pandora’s box. What I found inside left me speechless. Every single post was about Aurora. The words overflowed with obsession, longing, and a love so painfully raw it was almost suffocating. The account began as a diary of their relationship but later turned into a public shrine to his unending devotion to her. “November 9, 2021: I got into a relationship with someone else. I won’t wait for you anymore.” That was the day Brandon finally agreed to date me. I had no idea how many times I’d confessed my feelings to him before he reluctantly said yes. Now I understood why. That was the day Aurora left for Europe. “March 10, 2022: I slept with someone else. What choice do I have when you’re dating someone new?” I remembered that night vividly. Brandon had shown up at my apartment drunk, begging me not to leave, whispering sweet nothings until I gave in. “May 16, 2023: Are you really never coming back? I hate you—I’ll never forgive you!” That was the night he put a diamond ring on my finger. He’d held me so tightly and promised, with a look of tenderness in his eyes: “Claire, I’ll marry you.” My breathing grew shaky, and I couldn’t bring myself to read any further. I scrolled to the most recent post, the one he had written just a few days ago: “I’ve lost to you again. After all these years, I still can’t let you go. I’ll love you forever.” Attached was a photo of him and Aurora, holding hands and smiling. Tears slipped down my face, blurring the screen. I felt like I had been ripped apart, betrayed in the cruelest way imaginable. For three years, I had poured my heart into a relationship that was never mine to begin with. Brandon’s love had always belonged to Aurora. Even after she left him, even after she abandoned him for years, he continued to cherish her. He would have done anything to win her back. And me? I was nothing. My hands shook as the truth settled in. No wonder Brandon never fought with me—he never cared enough to. No wonder he never noticed when I was upset—I was never important to him. No wonder he had been so distracted that he fell down the stairs. It wasn’t because he was rushing to meet me—it was because Aurora’s sudden return had completely consumed him. I forced myself to stay calm as I took screenshots of everything, saving every post as evidence. At least now I knew the truth. If I hadn’t overheard him that day, if I hadn’t stumbled upon his secret Twitter account, I might have spent my entire life believing his lies. I might have kept fooling myself into thinking he had let go of his first love. But now, I was done. I had seen the kind of man Brandon truly was. Beneath his polished, charming exterior was a selfish, deceitful heart. There was no reason to stay in this relationship any longer. As I sat there, my phone buzzed with a call from my boss. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to sound normal as I answered. “Claire, there’s an opportunity to transfer to the Sea City branch,” my boss began. “It’s a director-level role, and I think you’d be perfect for it. The position doesn’t come around often. What do you think?” I hesitated. This wasn’t the first time I’d been offered a chance to advance my career. Last year, I had turned down a dream opportunity in France because I wanted to stay in Riverdale and build a life with Brandon. But now? Now there was no reason to hold myself back. “Thank you for the opportunity,” I said firmly. “I’d love to take the job in Sea City.” For the first time in months, I felt a sense of clarity. The pain in my chest was unbearable, but my brain was screaming at me to save myself. After hanging up, I immediately booked a flight to Sea City for a few days later. When I was discharged from the hospital, I went straight home to pack. I didn’t bother trying to find Brandon. He was probably with Aurora anyway. The next day, as I sat in the back of a cab on the way to the airport, I saw Brandon’s secret Twitter account had been updated again. “Seeing her again, I couldn’t hold back.” The attached photo was another picture of him and Aurora, their fingers intertwined. I stared at it for a moment before scrolling past, my heart aching but my resolve unshaken. A text message from Brandon popped up on my phone: “You were discharged yesterday? Where are you? Why isn’t your stuff here?” I ignored it. He called me over and over, but I declined every single call. Then, just before my flight, a call came in from an unfamiliar number. I answered, and Brandon’s panicked voice shot through the line: “Claire, where are you? When did you come home? What’s going on?” I let out a quiet laugh, the sound bitter and devoid of warmth. “Brandon,” I said calmly, “I know Aurora’s back.” “She’s the one you’ve always loved, isn’t she?” I could almost feel his silence on the other end of the line. “Now that your first love has returned,” I continued, my voice steady, “it’s time for the stand-in to step aside.” The flight attendant’s announcement chimed in the background, signaling takeoff. “Claire, what are you talking about? Where are you?” Brandon demanded, his voice rising in frustration.

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After our honeymoon, my husband and I returned home with hearts full of joy, eagerly anticipating our sweet life together as newlyweds. To our surprise, my mother-in-law had intentions of clearing out my house to use it as a wedding home for my husband’s younger brother. I was shocked and looked at my husband beside me. He mumbled vaguely about “being one family” and even tried to persuade me to endure it for his brother’s sake. “Charlie, hurry up and open the door! I’m exhausted!” I called out. With a click of the lock, the door swung open. The sight that greeted me was the same decoration from when Charlie and I had our wedding. I quickly kicked off my shoes and dashed towards the bedroom, thinking of taking a nice, long nap. But as soon as I opened the door, I saw my mother-in-law and a strange woman sitting in my bedroom. I froze, wanting to question them but not knowing where to start. My mother-in-law was the quickest to react. She stood up and said to me, “Opal, you and Charlie are back so soon! Let me introduce you – this is Jack’s girlfriend, my future daughter-in-law, and your future sister-in-law, Snow.” The woman called Snow blushed shyly. “So you’re my sister-in-law! I’ve heard so much about you from Jack. He said his sister-in-law is capable and beautiful. Now that I see you, it’s all true,” Snow said with a warm smile. Although I was annoyed by their unexpected presence in my home, sitting on my marital bed, I still maintained a friendly facade, following the principle of not hitting a smiling face.

“What? You want her to live in our house?” I suddenly raised my voice, utterly incredulous! My mother-in-law quickly stood up and covered my mouth, “Opal, keep your voice down. Don’t let Snow hear in the next room.” She glanced towards the doorway several times. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down. Trying to keep my expression neutral, I asked my mother-in-law, “Mom, if she lives here, where will Charlie and I stay?” “Opal, Snow came all the way from another state because of her love for Jack. She doesn’t have any friends or family here except us. Whether out of kindness or courtesy, I can’t let her stay in a hotel. It’s my fault for not being capable enough. I haven’t saved much money over the years, I can’t even help my son with his marriage…” Her response only made things worse. She started pouring out her grievances to me. I couldn’t help but feel annoyed. Wasn’t I a new bride too? I glanced at my husband beside me, Only to see him looking at his mother with sympathy, completely oblivious to my discomfort. Great! He’s no help either!

Before I could say anything more, Charlie jumped in: “Mom, please don’t be like this. It breaks my heart to see you this way.” Charlie grabbed his mother’s hand, his face full of concern. I didn’t say anything, just sat quietly watching the scene unfold before me. After a while, Charlie finally convinced his mother to go to another room, Leaving just the two of us in the spacious room. Charlie looked at me, his lips quivering a few times, hesitating before finally seeming to make up his mind to speak, “Opal, you know my family’s situation. I’m married now, I’ve got a good wife. My brother has finally found a girlfriend who’s willing to be with him. I can’t just stand by and watch my brother’s marriage fall apart… Opal, can you bear with it for a while?” Charlie was almost pleading with me. I looked at the man before me, nearly six feet tall, now hunched over like a shrimp, bowing and scraping, I couldn’t help but recall how vibrant and energetic he was when we first met.

Charlie and I met during a basketball game in college, Charlie’s team represented our department in the finals, and we girls acted as cheerleaders to support them. He stood out in the crowd, a tall guy over six feet, with a muscular build. Through his loose jersey, I could even clearly see the abs hidden underneath. He was sweating freely on the court, making one cool shot after another. What girl doesn’t have a crush? The youthful Charlie captured my heart in an instant. Perhaps it was fate, but later I was chosen to be a cheerleader. This gave me the opportunity to interact with Charlie, Later, I found out we were from the same hometown, which gave us even more to talk about, so we often chatted and ate together. We were interested in each other, just never expressed it openly. Until that year, when Charlie’s father suddenly passed away. This hit him hard. When Charlie returned after the mourning period, he was depressed all day, surrounded by a gloomy aura. I couldn’t bear to see him like this, so I stuck by him every day. Until one day, I took Charlie out drinking to drown his sorrows, In his drunken state, Charlie poured out his grievances to me. It was then that I learned Charlie’s life wasn’t as good as it seemed, quite different from the sunny and positive image he always portrayed.

Charlie’s family background was very ordinary, even poor, you could say. Charlie lived with his parents and younger brother in a small house less than 500 square feet in a small town, His father did odd jobs, while his mother was a traditional housewife, taking care of the household and doing mending. So when Charlie’s father passed away, it was as if the sky had fallen on the family… Listening to Charlie’s story, I felt both sympathy and admiration for him. I felt sorry for his poor background, but admired him for working hard to get into this prestigious university despite his circumstances. I was moved by Charlie’s resilience, and I also wanted to help him out of his gloom, So, Charlie and I started dating. We were a handsome couple, the envy of many on campus. I was convinced by Charlie’s resilient and hardworking qualities, So even though his family conditions weren’t good, I was willing to stay with him without hesitation. I had feelings for Charlie, Seeing Charlie in this state now, I ultimately couldn’t bear to refuse his request. However, I made it clear that the house was only for her to stay temporarily, Once she and Jack got married, she should move out and live with Jack, as Charlie and I still needed to live in this house.

When Charlie and I got married, his family was poor and couldn’t afford decent gifts or a grand wedding ceremony, I knew Charlie, as the eldest son, had it tough, so I never pressured him about anything. My parents, worried about my well-being and afraid I might suffer, bought a house for me in full. That house was meant to be our marital home. After the wedding, my parents paid for Charlie and me to honeymoon in Bali, We had just returned today. I hadn’t even lived in this marital home for a few days, and now I was being asked to give it to someone else. Although I was displeased, considering Charlie’s feelings, I didn’t want to say much more. Seeing my agreement, Charlie was moved to tears. He hugged me tightly, saying I was suffering and he would make it up to me in the future. That night, Charlie and I went to his mother’s house to stay for the night, As soon as we entered, I could see the cramped space, The old furnishings, and the smell of cooking oil that filled the entire house made me very uncomfortable. But I looked at Charlie beside me and ultimately held back, saying nothing. After Charlie’s father passed away, as the eldest son in the family, Charlie naturally shouldered more responsibilities. I lay on the slightly loose bed board, covered with a quilt that smelled faintly of mildew, I forced myself to close my eyes and sleep, but the result was a sleepless night. The next morning, I faced Charlie with two panda eyes. He looked at me, wanting to say something but hesitating, Without asking, anyone could see that I hadn’t slept well last night.

After breakfast, Charlie and I hurried to a nearby real estate agency to look for a house, We both knew well that I couldn’t adapt to his family’s environment and couldn’t live there. Through the agent’s introduction, Charlie and I chose a fully furnished apartment that we could move into immediately. Soon, we signed a three-month lease. I thought that no matter what, three months should be enough time for Snow and Jack to settle their marriage, right? So that day, Charlie and I moved into this temporary rented apartment with all our belongings. During this time, I also became quite familiar with my future sister-in-law, Snow. Snow was very kind and warm towards me, always sweetly calling me “sister-in-law” whenever she saw me, Eating, drinking, shopping, and taking walks together, for a while, I felt as happy as if I had gained a sister. Through our interactions over these days, I learned that Snow was an orphan who grew up in a foster home, Looking at this girl who was always smiling, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her in my heart. Snow and Jack met online, and she had traveled thousands of miles to pursue her love and marry Jack. She was a very brave and free-spirited girl. Days passed, and before we knew it, more than a month had gone by, On this day, while the whole family was having dinner together, Jack announced his marriage to Snow, The date was set for the beginning of next month. I glanced at Snow sitting across from me, she was like a white jasmine, smiling shyly.

As the wedding date approached, I could feel Snow becoming more nervous. Out of sympathy for Snow, and out of care for someone who would soon be family, I often spent time with her during this period, Helping her with various tasks, hoping to ease her nervousness and help her relax. On this day, while chatting with Snow, I casually mentioned where she and Jack would live after getting married, Snow looked at me with confusion and said, “We’ll live in the house I’m staying in now, why do you ask, sis?” Hearing Snow’s words, I felt my heart tighten, and I repeated, “You and Jack will live in the house you’re staying in now?” Snow looked at me, though confused, she patiently said, “Yes, sis! Jack said the house I’m living in now will be our future marital home, and he had already decorated it before I came. Jack is such a thoughtful man…” I watched Snow’s face grow happier as she spoke, while my heart grew colder. That evening, as soon as Charlie got home, before he could even change his shoes, I ran up to him, “Charlie, your brother wants to use our marital home as his marital home.” Hearing my words, Charlie was visibly stunned. “Honey, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.” Could it be that Charlie didn’t know about this? Looking at the confused Charlie, I couldn’t help but wonder. “…, That’s how it is. I found out accidentally while chatting with Snow today.” As I explained the situation to Charlie, I observed his reactions, but until I finished, he just frowned and remained silent. My face was cold as frost, “Charlie, whether you knew about this before or not, you should understand the situation now. I don’t care if it was your brother’s or your mother’s idea, you’d better give me a satisfactory answer.” Actually, before Snow finished speaking, I had already guessed that regardless of whose idea it was, the ultimate goal was to give my house to Jack as his future marital home. Charlie seemed unnerved by my stare, “Honey, don’t be angry. Let me go ask Mom and Jack about this.” Without waiting for my response, Charlie grabbed his coat and hurried out the door.

It wasn’t until late at night that Charlie returned, looking exhausted. He turned on the light, only to see me sitting in the darkness, “Honey, why aren’t you sleeping so late? Why are you sitting here?” “Waiting for your solution,” I said, raising my almond eyes to look at Charlie calmly. We stared at each other for who knows how long, Charlie’s mouth opened and closed, not knowing how many times, before he finally seemed to make up his mind and said, “Honey, let’s lend that house to Jack for a while.” “Lend it to him for a while? How long? Ten years or twenty years? Or lend it to him for a lifetime?” My voice carried a coldness that even I hadn’t noticed before. “Honey, I only have one brother, and besides, don’t we have a place to live now? What’s wrong with letting him use it for a while?” Charlie’s tone even carried a hint of taking it for granted. Later, Charlie tried to persuade me for a long time, but I neither agreed nor rushed to refuse. Instead, I told him I would think about it. I don’t know what kind of nonsense Charlie’s mother and brother had fed him, but this Charlie was one I had never seen before. That night, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep thinking about this matter, Then I heard Charlie’s phone buzzing non-stop. Annoyed and distracted, I picked up the phone intending to switch it to silent mode, but accidentally glimpsed a message from his mother to Charlie, “Charlie, how’s it going?” Out of curiosity, I opened the chat history between Charlie and his mother.

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As Emma, my girlfriend, received the Best Esports Coach award, she tearfully said she wanted to thank her love. Just as I was about to step onto the stage, Jack, her newly recruited player, beat me to it. He embraced Emma and taunted me, “Captain, I’ve always respected my seniors, but don’t you think some old-timers should know when to step down?” Emma didn’t refute him. Instead, she praised his ambition and hung the medal around his neck as if they were a couple. The whole audience cheered for this esports power couple. But I just smiled, tossing the captain’s badge directly to Jack. I applauded and said, “You’re right. You’re the captain now. Don’t disappoint everyone at the World Championship.” My words left everyone in the room stunned. They all knew about my injured hand, how I had competed multiple times while on painkillers, risking everything. They also knew how dedicated and responsible I was as a captain. On stage, Jack fingered the edge of the captain’s badge, smirking as he pushed further, “What’s the use of this captain position to me? Ryan, don’t you think you’re too old and slow now? You’re holding the team back.” I knew what he meant. He wanted me to quit the competition altogether. In his youthful arrogance, he believed the team’s successive victories were all thanks to him. But Emma knew better than anyone who had elevated this ordinary team to the World Championship. Yet now, Emma just hid behind Jack, her eyes dark as she silently clenched her fists, not saying a word. Seeing her awkward state, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at myself. Three years ago, I could have become the first person in esports history to lead a team to the World Championship title with an undefeated record. But to save Emma from being hit by a car, I injured my hand, ending my professional career. Some even accused me of faking the injury to avoid competition. Back then, Emma hugged me, crying her eyes out, saying she owed me and would spend her life by my side. From that day on, she said she would be my hands. Six months ago, she asked me to make a comeback. I finally led the team to the World Championship stage, and she successfully won the Best Esports Coach honor. Yet now, at a time like this, she didn’t say a word in my defense, allowing Jack to mock and ridicule me. Coming back to my senses, I took a deep breath, rolled up the sleeve of my right arm, revealing the ugly, centipede-like scar extending from my wrist to the back of my hand. I casually told everyone, “Well, my old injury has flared up. I won’t be holding you back in the competition anymore.” With that, I turned and left the venue. The weather was bad today, and my wrist was throbbing with pain, cold and sore to the bone. To make my comeback, I had trained twice as hard, disregarding my injury. I was already at my limit. I knew that with my current injury, even if I made it to the finals, my hand would be ruined by then. I reached into my pocket, intending to take another painkiller, but my fingers touched a velvet box instead. Taking out the box, inside was a shimmering diamond ring, reflecting tiny sparkles of light. Originally, I had planned to propose to Emma today, but it seems that was all for nothing now. I probably wouldn’t need it in the future either. I lowered my eyes and walked to a trash can, about to throw the diamond ring away. From behind, Jack’s sarcastic voice came: “Oh, come on, you weren’t planning to propose to Emma, were you?” I turned around, facing Jack’s undisguised malice and mockery. “Emma is the Best Esports Coach, with a long future ahead of her. Ryan, what about you? A has-been who should have completely left the esports world three years ago, do you think you’re worthy of proposing to her?” Emma saw the diamond ring in my hand, her pupils suddenly constricting. She was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, “You shouldn’t have quit the competition out of anger. I’ll tell everyone later that you were just joking earlier.” Seeing her evasive expression, I casually stuffed the ring back into my pocket. I changed my mind. Instead of throwing the ring away, I might as well sell it and recoup some of my losses. After all, I had spent over a million dollars custom-making it. Jack bumped Emma’s shoulder, chuckling, “Emma, you insisted he come back to help me win the competition, but now it seems completely unnecessary. I didn’t find him that impressive at all!” I was a bit stunned. So, six months ago, when Emma suddenly proposed my comeback, it was only because Jack needed a stepping stone. Such blatant favoritism. In the past, I might have been upset or angry about this realization, maybe even argued with Emma. But now, I found it utterly boring. I ignored Jack’s provocation and headed home with my head down. Unexpectedly, as I turned a corner, I was suddenly struck on the back with a blunt object. Before I could react, I was kicked hard in the back of my knees. My legs gave way, and I half-knelt on the ground, my knees scraping painfully against the surface. The next second, a sharp pain shot through my right wrist, as if a needle was traveling through my entire body along my blood vessels. The person who attacked me moved in front of me. It was Jack. He was holding a baseball bat, making a couple of practice swings as he said with a smile, “Ryan, since you’re quitting the competition, let me send you off properly. Don’t thank me too much.” I belatedly realized that my right hand had been deliberately broken by the baseball bat. But now, I was covered in cold sweat, my face pale, my chest and back soaked through. I couldn’t utter a word. Suddenly, Emma’s voice called out, “Jack, where did you go? Didn’t you ask me to buy you a drink? How did you end up here!” Seeing me half-kneeling on the ground, cradling my broken hand, Emma dropped the water she was holding. She rushed over in panic, staring at my limp hand with wide eyes, and asked in a lost voice, “Your… your hand?!” My chest heaved twice as I stared hard at Jack, the culprit. Emma looked uncertain, her eyes darting between Jack and me. Jack quickly jumped in, “Emma, a group of people suddenly came out and attacked Ryan. I wanted to save him, but I was a step too late…” He lowered his eyes like a child who had done something wrong, deliberately hiding his hands behind his back. Emma’s attention was drawn away. She straightened up and said urgently, “Are you hurt too? Let me see quickly!” Jack reluctantly showed his hand, which had a few scrapes on it, probably from deliberately bumping into something. Despite the shallow wounds, Emma blew on them gently, then let out a long sigh, almost relieved as she said, “Thank goodness, they were targeting Ryan. You only got scratched…” Seeing the near-relieved smile on Emma’s face, I was a bit dazed. In the past, she had been most concerned about my hand, even more worried about my injury than I was myself. She never let me carry heavy things, and on rainy days, she would stay by my side to keep my hands warm, knitting countless gloves for me. Even when I occasionally did some housework and got a few red marks on my hands, she would cry out of concern, saying she hadn’t taken good care of me. Now, she was condoning Jack breaking my hand. In front of me, Jack held Emma’s hand and reminded her, “Emma, it’s almost training time. I want to practice a few more formations.” Emma nodded. Turning around, she took out her wallet and threw a few bills at me, instructing, “Ryan, the competition is coming up soon, and training is important. I’ll take Jack back to the base first. You go to the hospital to treat your wound yourself, I’ll come find you later.” I watched as she left for the base with Jack without any hesitation. After a long while, I let out a cold laugh and took a taxi to the hospital alone. The doctor told me that my hand had suffered a comminuted fracture, and with my old injury, it was as good as useless. I felt no waves of emotion about this. I had known this day would come, hadn’t I? On the way home, I called Mark, the owner of the team’s club. When I was famous before, I had earned quite a bit of money and invested in this then-unknown small team. On the surface, Mark was the boss, but in reality, I was the one who held the real power of life and death. On the other end of the phone, the boss was so shocked he spat out a mouthful of water, exclaiming, “What? You want to withdraw your investment? But the team is about to win the World Championship, and we’ll be rolling in money then. Isn’t it too much of a loss to withdraw now? Besides, this team is your brainchild!” Yes, all of this was my hard work, and also the beautiful memories I shared with Emma. But now, I didn’t want anything to do with her anymore. I said in a low voice, “I’ve made up my mind. I’ll sign the contract tomorrow.” Mark sighed deeply, very regretful, but could only agree in the end. After discussing this matter, I unconsciously walked to my front door. I felt utterly exhausted and just fell onto the bed, drifting off to sleep. I was awakened by the pain in my hand. Opening my eyes, I saw Emma gently cradling my fixed hand. Her eyes were downcast as she softly kissed my exposed fingers. “I’m sorry, I forgot today was a rainy day. No wonder you were in a bad mood.” This wasn’t the first time. For the past six months, on every rainy day, I was in so much pain that I couldn’t sit still, tossing and turning all night. Now, I didn’t care about any of this anymore. Seeing that I didn’t speak, she didn’t get angry. Instead, she smiled and said, “Ryan, are you hungry? I bought a lot of ingredients to cook you a feast, okay?” With that, she went out on her own. I took out my phone, and the screen was full of news praising how great Jack was and how high the chances were for Jack’s team to win the championship. Before I could scroll through much, I heard Emma calling me for dinner. A table full of delicacies: blanched prawns, steamed crab, a seafood feast. I didn’t touch a single dish because I’m allergic to seafood and hate the fishy smell. Emma urged, “Why aren’t you eating? It won’t be as fresh and sweet if it gets cold.” Seeing that I still didn’t speak, her brows furrowed, and she looked displeased. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Emma went to open it, and the next second, her previously impatient expression turned excited: “Jack, you’re finally here. I’ve been waiting for you for so long.” Jack walked in with his shoes on, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the food on the table. He even hugged Emma directly: “Emma, you really understand me. These are all my favorites!” In an instant, I understood everything. It turned out Emma had mainly cooked for Jack, and I was just an afterthought. I didn’t say anything, quietly leaving the table and walking to the balcony to smoke. Operating with one hand, the lighter’s blue flame was extinguished by the wind several times before I managed to light up with difficulty. In the haze of smoke, I remembered how Emma used to love me so much, able to remember every minute detail of my food preferences. When she took me out to eat, she would even specially instruct the chef for half an hour on how to cook the dishes, how much seasoning to use. Every time, the waiter would praise her for being a top-notch girlfriend, saying I was lucky. But now, everything had changed. The person in her heart had been replaced. Coming back to my senses, the cigarette had burned to its end. My finger flinched from the burn, and the cigarette butt fell to the ground. “Didn’t I tell you to smoke less? It’s not good for your health.” From behind, Emma’s slightly reproachful voice sounded. My heart tightened. Usually, when she said this, it would be followed by a torrent of nagging that would make my ears ache. But the next second, Emma suddenly hugged me from behind, intimate and gentle. Because her head was pressed against my back as she spoke, her voice was a bit muffled as she asked in confusion: “Ryan, are you jealous of Jack? Why?” “Don’t you think Jack is very similar to you? I’m doing all this to make up for your regrets from back then!” “You missed out on the World Championship for my sake back then. Now Jack is trained by me, if he wins, it’s like you winning too!” I rubbed my finger that had just been burned, feeling absurd. Is the way to make up for regrets to let me watch her transfer her love, admiration, and care for me to another man? I once comforted her, saying that even if it happened a hundred times again, no matter the cost, I would still save her in that car accident. It was she who couldn’t let go, couldn’t see it clearly. Now it was clearly she who had a change of heart, yet she was the one acting all righteous and saying it was for my sake. I was about to pull her hands away. But Jack barged onto the balcony, sneering: “Alright Emma, what’s the point of talking to someone like him? I just thought of a new strategy, come back to the base with me and see if we can use it!” This time, I didn’t have to take the initiative. Emma let go of her hands directly. She turned to wipe the grease from the corner of Jack’s mouth with a handkerchief, smiling indulgently: “Okay, I’ll go with you.” As if suddenly remembering me, she frowned slightly and said seriously: “Ryan, think carefully about what I said. Stay at home and reflect on it.” I rolled my eyes inwardly and just mumbled a response. As soon as they left, I contacted a moving company. I had lived here for over twenty years, and I wasn’t about to leave town just because I was breaking up with Emma. More importantly, a new rookie esports team in the city heard that I had quit the competition and contacted me to be their coach. I agreed immediately, planning to move into the dormitory they had prepared for me. I had always loved esports. If it weren’t for helping Emma, I might have opened an esports training school to nurture talent long ago. Tonight, as usual, Emma didn’t come back. Every time Jack came up with a new game strategy, Emma would spend the whole night researching it with him, sleeping directly at the base. In the past, I would worry and sleep at the base with her. Now, I was busy packing. After packing everything, I went to the base to sign the divestment contract with Mark. But as soon as I stepped into the base, I heard a commotion. “As expected of Jack, this is what a true genius is like. Having you is a blessing for our team!” “That’s right! I’ve long thought you should be the captain. That Ryan guy only made it to the World Championship riding on your coattails. He got too cocky!” Emma’s eyes sparkled, looking at Jack’s profile with near infatuation, praising him incessantly: “Jack, you’re truly brilliant. You’re the most outstanding esports player I’ve ever seen.” Catching sight of me from the corner of his eye, Jack deliberately said loudly, “This is nothing, it’s just discovering a better jungling route. How can it compare to our almost-world-champion Ryan?” His tone was full of sarcasm and ridicule. Emma only then noticed me. She came over smiling and said, “Ryan, you’ve come at the right time. Jack needs a training partner, and you’re perfect for it!” I frowned: “No training.” Was she blind? Couldn’t she see my hand was still in a cast? Emma didn’t take my words seriously. She grabbed my injured hand, gently squeezing my fingers, and said in a wheedling tone, “Just this once, okay? Jack really has talent, his potential is even higher than yours. He can go further than you!” I raised the corner of my lips in a mocking smile. In the past, she had said that even if I hadn’t won the World Championship, I was still the perfect esports player in her heart, an uncrowned king. She said the reason she was still in the esports world, striving to be an esports coach, was to make sure people didn’t forget me, to clear my name. But since my comeback, Emma had been treating me like a training tool. My training load was several times higher than others. Several times I was so exhausted I couldn’t lift my hand, yet she never showed any concern. In her heart, Jack, this more perfect, younger player, was much more valuable than me, an already washed-up person. Coming back to my senses, I shook off her hand, still shaking my head in refusal. She clenched her suddenly empty hand, her eyes suddenly turning suspicious as she bit her lip and said, “Ryan, how did you become so irresponsible? Have you forgotten how ambitious you used to be?” “Or is it that you’re jealous Jack is more talented than you, and you deliberately don’t want him to surpass your achievements? How are you any different from those who kicked you when you were down back then!” As soon as she finished speaking, her face turned pale, knowing she had said too much. Indeed, the knife cuts deepest when wielded by those closest to you. Back when I was injured and lost the competition regrettably, everyone said I was faking the injury out of fear of strong opponents. Some even suspected I had taken money to throw the game. Even teammates who had once fought side by side with me mocked me as useless, even giving me insulting nicknames. Being misunderstood and ridiculed had always been an indelible shadow in my heart. Emma had been even more indignant than me, vowing to make those people eat their words. But now, for Jack’s sake, Emma was stabbing me in the heart again. Jack put his arm around Emma’s shoulders, rolling his eyes arrogantly: “Forget it, I don’t want to train with someone like him anyway. When I win the World Championship, I just hope certain people won’t go around bragging under my name!” Emma shook her head, looking at me with disappointment: “Ryan, you’ve disappointed me so much. Do you know what you’ve missed? You’ve missed the chance to win the World Championship. This might have been your last chance.” “With your current age and skill level, do you think you still have the ability to compete in the arena? If we weren’t a couple, I wouldn’t have even recruited you into my team!” Her chest heaved twice, her eyes turning sharp, her voice cold: “Ryan, I’m giving you one last chance. Go be Jack’s training partner, or else, let’s break up!” I laughed bitterly. Since when had Emma started looking down on me like this? Even if my physical abilities had declined, my game sense was still far above all other esports players in the country. Over the past six months, for Jack’s sake, this wasn’t the first time she had threatened me with breaking up. In the past, I would have been terrified, agreeing to all her unreasonable demands, afraid of her leaving me. Now, I said indifferently: “Fine, let’s break up then.” Emma’s previously smug expression froze. She bit her lower lip, her beautiful eyes widening, about to speak. Just as the tension was reaching its peak, Mark came out of the office, asking puzzled: “Ryan, why didn’t you say you were here? Come in and sign the contract!” Everyone present looked a bit confused. Mark smiled and explained: “You don’t know yet? Ryan is an investor in our team.” Jack sneered, jumping in: “How much could he possibly invest? I think someone just can’t face staying in the team anymore and is running away with his tail between his legs.” Others chimed in to mock me: “Jack is the rising star. Our team doesn’t need Ryan’s little bit of money.” “That’s right, Jack can earn that back with just one advertisement!” Mark frowned deeply, about to rebuke them. I looked at their smug faces and curled my lips into a smile. Because I suddenly thought of a better time to withdraw my investment. Before Mark could speak, I interrupted: “Mr. Li, I’ve reconsidered. I won’t withdraw my investment for now.” Hearing this, Mark’s expression changed from anger to joy. He repeatedly praised the decision, rubbing his hands as he said: “Ryan, you’ve finally come to your senses. Our team is about to win the World Championship, we’ll make several small fortunes at least!” Emma’s expression, however, was somewhat unpredictable. Although she didn’t know how much I had invested, she seemed to realize that my quitting the competition and withdrawing my investment, along with our previous argument, was different this time. I was truly angry. Thinking of something, she came back to her senses, took a deep breath, and said softly: “Ryan, you know our team has a promising future. Given that you’ve come to your senses, come back. I’ll have Jack give you back the captain position.” “If you want, I can agree to marry you on the day we win the World Championship.” She knew how to manipulate me, knowing that I had always dreamed of marrying her. But now, I didn’t believe her anymore. I shook my head. “No need for all that trouble. Let’s break up. I’ll leave you the house we live in, consider it a breakup fee.” With that, I ignored Emma’s suddenly ashen face, not waiting for her to speak before turning to leave. Time flew by, and before we knew it, it was the day of the competition. I deliberately dressed in a high-end suit and styled my hair before heading to the competition venue. While retrieving something, I passed by the rest area. Emma was carefully massaging Jack’s hands, helping him relax his muscles. She lowered her head with a serious expression, tirelessly reminding him, “If you get nervous during the match, just take a sip of water, but don’t drink too much.” This scene was just like how she used to treat me before each of my matches. Jack smiled and said, “Emma, you’re so considerate. How about this? After I win the World Championship, I’ll shout your name on stage and confess my love to you. What do you think?” Emma’s face turned crimson. She lightly punched Jack’s chest, coyly saying, “After winning the World Championship, you can’t be as outspoken as you are now. You’ll be in the public eye, with many endorsement deals. A lot of people will be watching your every move!” The others let out a collective “Ooh,” loudly teasing, “Sister Emma, why don’t we get the same treatment as Brother Jack? You’re playing favorites!” “Brother Jack, don’t forget to help us out in the future. When you two get married, I’ll be your groomsman!” I looked away, raising an eyebrow. Laugh while you can. They won’t be laughing for long. … Not long after, the competition was about to officially begin. All the players were seated in their positions, ready and waiting. Just as the host was introducing the team names and participating members, I took one step and jumped onto the stage. The host looked at me uncertainly. Jack took off his headphones and suddenly stood up, frowning as he said, “Ryan, didn’t you quit the competition? What are you doing here? This is not a place for someone like you. Get off the stage!” Emma also emerged from the rest area, grabbing my arm and saying sternly, “Ryan, you chose to quit yourself. Now, no matter how much you beg, I won’t let you compete. This is your lesson. Now get down quickly!” The audience, seeing this turn of events, wore mocking and scornful expressions: “Certain people who faked injuries three years ago and are still faking injuries now should stop embarrassing themselves.” “I’ve never seen someone so thick-skinned. Is he that desperate for esports attention? Someone should just retire already!” I rolled my eyes inwardly. These people sure have active imaginations. I shook off Emma’s hand and laughed coldly: “No need to compete.” Hearing this, Jack sneered: “Who do you think you are? You say we don’t compete and we don’t? Do you know the strength of our Storm team?” Emma frowned deeply: “Ryan, stop disrupting the competition!” Even the host looked at me with confusion, hesitating as he said, “Mr. Han, if you continue like this, I’ll have to call security.” I smiled, pulling out my divestment contract and showing it to the entire audience. “I am Storm team’s largest investor. I hereby announce my divestment, and Storm team is disbanded effective immediately!”

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My wife’s true love had an accident, and she was convinced it was my fault. No matter how much I swore, no matter how many times I begged or provided evidence, Karen refused to believe me. She was certain that I, driven by jealousy, had tried to kill her beloved Michael. So, she made her decision. Cold and decisive, she sent me off to a hellhole of a coal mine to “reflect on my sins.” Life in the mine was brutal. The work alone could break a man, but that wasn’t enough for Karen. She made sure I received “special attention”—round-the-clock torment from the guards she’d paid to oversee me. I didn’t last long. Karen didn’t bother to check on me until three years later. By then, I’d been dead for over two years. Three years ago, Karen accused me of attempted murder and had me sent to a coal mine to reflect and atone for my supposed sins. No matter how much I pleaded, no matter how many pieces of evidence I presented, even if I got down on my knees and begged her, she refused to listen. She was convinced that, out of jealousy, I had plotted to harm the love of her life—Michael. Life in that coal mine was anything but easy. Especially when Karen had arranged for “special care” to ensure my suffering continued day and night. It didn’t take long before I died there. When Karen, her expression cold and her brows furrowed, arrived at the mine with her bodyguards to “check on me,” I had already been dead for two and a half years. “Whether he agrees or not, I don’t care. Tie him up if you must, but get his signature on the donation form!” The visiting room was warm and cozy, but her icy voice cut through the air, making the temperature feel like it had plummeted to the dead of winter. She looked around with irritation, clearly disgusted by her surroundings, and snapped at her bodyguards, “What’s taking so long? Bring him out to see me—now!” After what felt like an eternity, the foreman of the mine finally appeared at the door. But he wasn’t bringing me with him. “Karen, I’m sorry to make you wait, but…” “But what?” Karen’s expression turned instantly colder. The foreman stammered, “It’s just… Daniel won’t be able to come see you.” “Won’t see me? Ha!” Karen sneered. “What’s that supposed to mean? Enjoying himself too much here? Three meals a day without a care in the world while he hides from me?” “Tell him this: as long as he voluntarily donates a kidney, I’ll let him stay here as long as he likes—even until he dies!” She ordered the foreman to deliver the message, thinking it’d lure me out. What she didn’t know was that I was already floating above her, my ghost watching her with a bitter smile. The foreman didn’t move. Karen noticed his hesitation and immediately narrowed her eyes. “What’s wrong? Is Daniel that unwilling to see me?” The foreman shook his head quickly. “No, it’s not that. It’s just… he’s not here anymore. He hasn’t been here for a long time.” Of course. All that was left of me was my invisible spirit. My body had been gone for years. The day I died, they couldn’t stand how gruesome my corpse looked, so they threw me out. By now, I’m sure my body has been reduced to fertilizer by some stray dog out there. Karen, however, didn’t believe a word of the foreman’s explanation. She ordered her bodyguards to keep an eye on him as she began searching the mine herself. Room by room, she went—checking the dorms, the break room, the kitchen. She even scrutinized every name on the employee roster. But no trace of me could be found. Her frustration grew with every passing moment. Rage simmered beneath her icy demeanor as she turned back to the foreman. “I told you no one was to let him leave. Are you deaf, or do you just enjoy defying my orders?” The foreman, who had been nothing but her loyal lapdog, would never have dared to let me go. Three years ago, when Karen’s men tortured me until I was barely alive, I had begged the foreman on my knees to let me out for treatment. He hadn’t even flinched. I had bled, I had wept, I had smashed my head against the ground until it was covered in blood, but the foreman never once relented. Karen sat down, her face frostier than ever, and gave the foreman one last ultimatum: “You have five minutes. Bring him to me.” Cornered, the foreman sighed deeply and finally confessed. “Karen… I’ll tell you the truth. Daniel is… he’s dead.” “He died horribly. His entire body was covered in wounds. The walls and floor were smeared with blood from where he bashed his head and clawed with his fingernails until they were gone. The day he died, we… we threw his body out to the dogs.” Karen didn’t believe him. If anything, her irritation only deepened. “Stop lying to me. What did Daniel offer you to help him escape? Do you think you can deceive me and get away with it?” “Michael’s been stuck in a wheelchair for life because of him. Does he think death will excuse him? Or worse, did you two conspire together to fool me?” The foreman panicked. “No, no! Karen, I wouldn’t dare! You’re my boss—I’d never betray you!” Desperate to prove his innocence, he fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a photograph, placing it on the table. “This is a picture I took at the time. Please, Karen—don’t let anyone else see it…”

Karen cast a doubtful glance at the foreman, her gaze landing on the photo he placed before her. The moment her eyes focused on it, her pupils contracted sharply. The image showed a figure, barely recognizable as human. The body was contorted into an unnatural, agonizing curve, covered head to toe with cuts, bruises, and swollen welts. Blood streaks ran across the face, obscuring any identifying features. The skin was a patchwork of dark purple scabs, with no unbroken area to be found. The fingernails appeared to have been ripped out, exposing raw, bloody tissue beneath, where nerves and flesh were left mangled and torn. From the state of the body, it was clear—the person in the photo was long, irreversibly dead. Karen froze for a moment, her eyes widening involuntarily. But soon, she broke into a cold, mocking laugh. “The makeup job is impressive. For a second, I almost believed this was Daniel.” “Do you really think I’m stupid enough to fall for this? How could he possibly end up like this? All he does here is eat, drink, and work in the mine. What could’ve hurt him this badly?” “And,” she added with a sneer, “if he really was dying, why wouldn’t he be taken to a hospital? No, this is obviously fake!” Her words stabbed at me like knives. Floating invisibly above her, I felt a deep ache in my hollow chest. It was her, after all, who arranged for me to be “taken care of,” ensuring I could never leave. How could I have died here in such misery if she hadn’t ordered it? I remembered the last time they beat me. After that, I couldn’t hold on anymore. I knelt on the ground, begging the foreman to call her. But she had only relayed a single message: “If he’s going to die, let him die quickly. Don’t disgust me with his whining.” Even though Karen had clearly stopped caring about me, my will to survive still burned. I smashed my head against the ground repeatedly, the sound echoing through the grimy room. Blood mixed with dirt, forming a dark, sticky sludge that dripped down in slow, heavy drops. The foreman, perhaps out of some faint flicker of pity, finally spoke to me. “It’s not that I don’t want to let you out. It’s just… what’s the point?” “You got money? The nearest hospital’s hundreds of miles away. How do you plan to get there? And don’t forget, all your ID—everything that proves who you are—is in your wife’s hands.” “Just hold on. If you make it through this, it’s fate. If you don’t… well, that’s fate too. Next time, kid, marry someone kinder.” His words made me laugh bitterly. Fate, huh? I collapsed onto the floor like a deflated balloon, utterly defeated. Blood bubbled up from my mouth, but I swallowed it back down, forcing myself to crawl toward the dormitory. Maybe I could rest there for just a little while. But rest was a luxury I couldn’t afford anymore. Ten minutes later, the foreman had me dragged from my bloodstained bed and thrown back into the coal mine. That was where I finally collapsed for the last time, never to rise again. Karen glanced at the foreman, whose face was filled with unease, and let out a cold scoff. “Enough with the theatrics! Stop wasting my time!” “Tell Daniel to get his ass out here. If he agrees to donate his kidney, I’ll let him go—and I’ll even throw in an extra $20,000.” Floating above them, my spirit felt colder than the bitterest winter wind. So this was it. My kidney was worth $20,000 to her. Less than the cost of one of the designer jackets she’d bought for Michael. Let alone the millions she’d casually spent on that concept supercar for him, a gift she didn’t even blink at. Her indifference? That was reserved only for me. All her love—all her warmth—was saved for Michael. The foreman continued to try to explain, but Karen was stubborn, convinced that I was hiding somewhere and that the two of us were conspiring to deceive her. “You said he’s dead? Then where’s the body? The grave? A single photo isn’t proof of anything!” “I’m warning you—if you don’t hand him over today, I’ll make your life a living hell.” With no other option, the foreman gritted his teeth and led her outside to a barren patch of land. Pointing at a small, overgrown mound, he said reluctantly, “This is where we dumped him.” Karen’s face darkened as she issued a cold, cutting order to her bodyguards. “Dig. I want him found—alive or dead.”

Digging up someone’s grave is seen as a line you simply don’t cross—a vile act, no better than arson or murder. But Karen stood there, cold and detached, watching her bodyguards claw away at my grave with shovels, showing not a shred of sympathy. I hovered above, staring at her in pain and disbelief. I never thought her hatred for me could run this deep. The foreman, perhaps feeling a twinge of guilt, stood off to the side with his hands clasped together, muttering prayers under his breath, as though hoping my ghost wouldn’t come after him for vengeance. But his moment of solace didn’t last long. A bodyguard grabbed his arm and dragged him to the edge of the now-dug-up mound of dirt. The grave was empty. Nothing. No bones. No body. Just cold, barren soil. “Where is he? Where are the bones? Didn’t you say Daniel was buried here?” Karen’s voice was sharp, the kind of sharp that precedes an explosion. She glared at the foreman, her anger bubbling beneath the surface like a volcano about to erupt. “It’s just dirt!” she snapped. “You better not be telling me you got the wrong spot!” The foreman’s eyes widened as he stared into the empty pit, disbelief plastered all over his face. “I… I swear this is the right place! I saw wild dogs sniffing around his body, and I—I couldn’t stand it! That’s why I buried him here myself! This… this doesn’t make sense!” Even I felt a flicker of confusion. My body was here—wasn’t it? Karen, though, had run out of patience. She folded her arms and cut him off with a bitter laugh. “So, let me guess—now you’re going to tell me the dogs dug him back up and ate him?” “Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. All these years, and no one’s ever managed to fool me like this before!” Her voice grew icier with every word. “Daniel. You. All of you. You’re all just great.” The foreman stammered, trying to explain, but before he could get another word in, Karen’s phone rang. The second she saw the name on the screen, her frosty demeanor melted away entirely, replaced by a softness so tender it was almost sickening. “Michael,” she cooed, her voice dripping with warmth. “How are you feeling today? Don’t worry—I’ll make sure Daniel willingly donates his kidney for you!” Michael. Him. The very person responsible for me being thrown into that coal mine. The reason I suffered and died in agony. The one who started it all. On the other end of the line, Michael’s voice was weak, barely above a whisper. “Karen… you really don’t have to go through all this trouble for me. My condition—” “Stop it!” Karen interrupted, her tone suddenly frantic, as though the mere suggestion of giving up was unbearable to her. “Don’t say things like that. I promised you I’d save you, and I will!” “If it weren’t for you donating one of your kidneys to me back then, I might not even be alive today. And now your other kidney is… well, don’t worry. If Daniel’s is a match, I’ll track him to the ends of the earth if I have to!” I frowned. Wait, what? Since when did Michael save Karen’s life? There was a brief pause on the other end of the call before Michael hesitantly asked what was going on. Karen explained the situation—how I had supposedly “disappeared” and how no one could find me. And then, to my shock, Michael said something that made my non-existent heart skip a beat. “That’s impossible,” he said, sounding surprised. “Daniel just called me earlier today. He said he’s leaving the country.” He paused before adding, almost casually, “Oh, and he said he left something for you at the old house. Once you see it, everything will make sense.” What?! I wanted to scream, to yell, to warn Karen not to believe him. He was lying! He was manipulating her, like he always did. But no matter how hard I tried, no sound came out. Even when I floated right in front of her, waving my hands wildly, she didn’t notice me at all. After hanging up the phone, Karen’s expression turned ice-cold again. She shot one last glare at the foreman before turning on her heel and leaving without another word. Half an hour later, Karen arrived at the old house where we used to live. It was a modest two-bedroom place—a cozy little home that had once been our sanctuary, filled with warmth and love back when we were happy. Without hesitation, Karen pushed the door open and stepped inside. Her face was set in a hard, determined expression, but there was a flicker of something else—nostalgia, maybe, or bitterness—as her eyes scanned the familiar surroundings. In the living room, on the coffee table, she spotted an envelope. She picked it up, opened it, and pulled out a single sheet of paper. There was only one sentence written on it. “Karen, you’ll never find me.”

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