Author: Momo Chan

I loved Brandon for ten years. Loved him so much I was willing to let him personally remove my memories. He said, “Alice, forget the things that hurt you. Let’s start fresh.” The surgery was a success. I forgot who Scarlett was, forgot why I cried myself to sleep every night. Until I found a hidden compartment in his study. Inside, an entire wall of surveillance screens, all focused on my hospital room. And Scarlett, wearing my nightgown, leaned into his arms, laughing softly. “Brandon, once she’s completely gone, those shares from the Brown family will be ours.” At that moment, my excised hippocampus throbbed violently. I remembered. I was never sick. He was driving me insane, little by little! Brandon pushed the door open. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Does your head still hurt today?” I shook my head, instinctively leaning into his embrace. In the three months since the surgery, Brandon had been unbelievably good to me. He’d cancel all his business meetings to be there for my rehab, and he’d hold my hand all night when I had nightmares. But there was always this empty void inside me, just a dull ache. “Brandon, did I used to love you a lot?” I suddenly looked up at him. Brandon’s fingers, which were tidying my hair, paused. “Of course.” He smiled, gripping my hand. “You loved me so much you’d do anything for me.” It sounded like a declaration of love. But I inexplicably shivered. Just then, the sound of an engine drifted in from outside the window. A car door opened, and a woman took off her sunglasses, looking up. A sharp pain suddenly stabbed my temple. “Who is she?” I clutched my head in agony. Brandon drew the curtains, his voice flat. “Just someone unimportant. Don’t worry about it.” But that night, I dreamt again. The dream was full of fragmented scenes. A woman’s laughter, Brandon’s cold profile, and my own hysterical crying. I woke up covered in cold sweat. Brandon wasn’t in bed. Against my better judgment, I found myself walking into his study – the one place he never let me enter. The password for the lock was my birthday. I paused, a faint warmth spreading through me. Until I opened the hidden compartment behind the bookshelf. An entire wall of screens lit up. Sixteen feeds, from the bedroom to the bathroom, from the living room to the garden. Three hundred and sixty degrees, no blind spots. And in one of the feeds, Brandon was sitting in a hospital monitoring room, staring expressionlessly at me on the screen. Beside him stood the red-lipped woman from earlier that day. She leaned on his shoulder, her fingers suggestively tracing his Adam’s apple. “How much longer until she completely loses her memory?” The woman asked curiously. Brandon stared at the confused me on the screen, his voice detached. “Soon.” “Once she signs the share transfer agreement, we can send her to a mental institution.” I stumbled backward, knocking over a photo frame on the bookshelf. Inside the frame was a picture of Brandon and me. I was smiling brightly in the photo, but Brandon’s eyes were looking off-camera. I picked up the photo from the floor and instinctively flipped it over. “Scarlett Jensen” was written on the back. When Brandon rushed into the study, I had already turned off the screens. “Alice?” He tried to take my hand. I sharply pulled it back, staring at him warily. “Those cameras… what do they mean?” My voice trembled uncontrollably. Brandon’s face froze. He was silent for a few seconds, then his tone changed when he spoke again. “For your safety. You’ve been prone to self-harm after your surgery. I was worried.” What a perfect excuse. If I hadn’t overheard his conversation with Scarlett, I almost would have believed him. “Who is Scarlett?” I demanded, staring into his eyes. Brandon’s pupils constricted almost imperceptibly. “A business partner.” He shifted his gaze, his voice turning cold. “You don’t need to know.” “But I feel like I know her!” I insisted. “My head hurts so much when I see her.” “That’s a normal post-surgery reaction.” Brandon put on his gentle facade again, reaching out to rub my temple. “Don’t overthink it, Alice. Your most important task right now is to recover.”

After that day, Brandon assigned more people to look after me. Nominally for protection, but in reality, it was surveillance. Even when I went for a walk in the garden, two bodyguards followed me every step of the way. The next time Scarlett came, I didn’t hide. She carried a fruit basket, smiling innocently. “Miss Brown, I heard you were ill, so I came to visit.” I stared at her face, trying to recall any memory. “Did we know each other before?” Scarlett paused in peeling an orange. She looked up at Brandon behind me, her eyes subtly shifting. “Didn’t Brandon tell you? We were college classmates.” Brandon frowned, sharply rebuking her. “Scarlett!” “Oops, I guess I let that slip.” Scarlett covered her mouth with a light laugh, but there was no apology in her eyes. “But Miss Brown is like this now, she probably won’t remember anyway, right?” My nails dug into my palms. At dinner, Brandon tried to feed me soup. I turned my head away, not wanting to look at him. “Throwing a tantrum?” Brandon put down the bowl, a hint of impatience in his voice. I looked at him, suddenly feeling exhausted. “Brandon, if I never remember anything, will you always be this good to me?” He paused. Then he took my hand, kissing it to his lips. “Yes, I’ll take care of you forever.” That night, I dreamt again. This time, a boy appeared in my dream. He stood under a sycamore tree, waving at me. I wanted to walk over, but a pair of large hands gripped me tightly. I turned to see Brandon’s sullen face. “Alice, you shouldn’t remember him.” I woke up, my pillow soaked with tears. Such sweet words. But I knew that his “taking care” was just a pretty way of saying “imprisonment.” Scarlett started coming to the villa frequently. She always chose to come when Brandon wasn’t around. Today, she brought a bottle of perfume, claiming it was Brandon’s favorite scent. Tomorrow, she’d deliver a nightgown, impossibly sexy. “Brandon picked these out.” She didn’t hide anything, smiling as she looked at me. “He was too shy to give them to you directly, so he asked me to.” I looked at the almost transparent lace nightgown in her hand. My stomach churned. “Take it away.” My voice was flat. Scarlett placed the nightgown on the sofa, leaning close to me and lowering her voice. “Alice, is faking amnesia fun?” My breath hitched. “I know you’ve remembered.” She stared into my eyes, triumph sparkling within them. “But what good is remembering? Brandon trusts me now.” She stood up, looking down at me. “Those shares your parents left you, they’ll be ours eventually. As for you?” She paused, her smile brilliant. “I’ve already picked out a mental institution for you. It has a wonderful view.” I grabbed the glass of water from the table and threw it at her. Scarlett shrieked, dodging, but the water splashed her skirt. Just then, Brandon pushed the door open. He saw me holding the glass and Scarlett retreating in disarray. “Alice!” Brandon rushed over, snatched the glass, and smashed it on the floor. Glass shards scattered, cutting my ankle. But he didn’t even look. He turned to help Scarlett. “Are you alright?” Scarlett shook her head, her eyes red-rimmed, but deliberately showed her reddened hand. Brandon’s gaze suddenly turned cold. He looked at me as if I were a strange lunatic. “Apologize!” I stood still, blood dripping from my ankle onto the floor. “I didn’t do anything wrong.” I heard my voice trembling. “She provoked me first.” Brandon released Scarlett, stepping closer to me, one by one. He grabbed my chin, his grip so strong it felt like he might crush my bones. “Alice, you’ve been increasingly disobedient lately.” He leaned close to my ear, his voice so low only I could hear it. “Isn’t it time for a follow-up check-up?”

Hearing those words, I felt an instant chill throughout my body. “I was wrong.” I heard my own voice surrender. “I’m sorry, Miss Jensen.” Scarlett, behind Brandon, gave me a victorious smile. That night, Brandon didn’t return to the bedroom. I stood on the balcony and saw the light in the guest room across the way stay on all night. The curtains weren’t fully closed. Through the gap, I saw two overlapping figures. Scarlett’s nightgown slipped from her shoulder. Brandon’s hand was around her waist. I turned around, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. Moonlight fell on the floor. I suddenly remembered many years ago, Brandon confessing his love to me under the moonlight. He said, “Alice, I’ll love you forever.” The next morning at the breakfast table, Scarlett sat in my usual seat. She was wearing my slippers, using my favorite coffee cup. “Alice, you don’t mind, do you?” She tilted her head, her eyes full of provocation. I looked at Brandon. He was looking down at financial news, as if everything before him had nothing to do with him. “I don’t mind.” I heard my own voice. The housekeeper gave me a new set of cutlery. Halfway through eating, Scarlett suddenly covered her mouth and rushed into the bathroom. I heard retching sounds. Brandon finally put down his newspaper and followed her inside. I sat at the table, continuing to drink my porridge. After a long time, Brandon helped Scarlett out. Scarlett’s face was pale, tears still clinging to her eyelashes. Leaning into his embrace, her voice was delicate. “Brandon, I think I’m pregnant.” The spoon in my hand clattered into my bowl. Brandon looked at me, his eyes complex. “Alice, Scarlett needs rest. For now, please move to the guest room.” Listening to his words, I suddenly laughed. “Brandon, do you still remember why I lost my memory?” He frowned, clearly not expecting me to ask that. “What are you trying to say?” “Three years ago, Scarlett hit me with her car.” I stared into his eyes, speaking each word distinctly. “When I was lying in a pool of blood, where were you?” Brandon’s face changed. “You were celebrating her birthday.” I answered for him, my eyes full of scorn. “You said there was an emergency at work, but you were actually celebrating her birthday.” “I lost my first child in that car accident, but you didn’t even come to the hospital because Scarlett said she was scared and needed you to stay with her.” Scarlett shrieked. “You’re lying! Brandon, she’s crazy, she’s hallucinating again!” Brandon closed his eyes. When he opened them again, there was only cold indifference. “Alice, let the past be the past. What you need now is treatment, not dragging up the past.” “Treatment?” I stood up and walked towards him. “Brandon, tell me, what kind of treatment requires removing the hippocampus? What kind of treatment requires twenty-four-hour surveillance?” “Are you trying to cure me, or are you trying to shut me up forever?” Brandon seized my wrist, his grip so hard it felt like he was crushing my bones. “Enough!” He suddenly roared, his eyes terrifyingly cold. “Look at yourself! Suspicious, aggressive, what’s the difference between you and a crazy person?” I looked at the face of the man I had loved for ten years. Suddenly, he seemed terrifyingly unfamiliar. “You’re right, I am crazy.” “Otherwise, how could I believe that someone who personally sent me into surgery loved me?” Brandon let go. He took a step back, as if he couldn’t bear to look into my eyes. Scarlett seized the opportunity to cling to him, linking her arm through his. “Brandon, my stomach hurts!” Brandon gave me one last look, then helped her turn and go upstairs.

Brandon still made me move to the guest room. The housekeeper carelessly stuffed my belongings into a suitcase. The guest room rarely saw sunlight, and the air was thick with a musty smell. “What, reluctant to leave?” Scarlett leaned against the doorframe. She wore a silk robe, the neckline plunged low, and a suggestive red mark adorned her collarbone. I turned to leave. “What’s the rush?” She blocked my path, lowering her voice. “Alice, guess what Brandon told me last night?” I didn’t answer, just looked at her. “He said once you sign the share transfer agreement, you’ll have an ‘accident’ and fall down the stairs.” My fingers clenched fiercely. “You think I’ll believe that?” “Believe it or not, it’s up to you.” She chuckled, her eyes sparkling with triumph. “But do you know why your surgery was scheduled at St. Mary’s Hospital?” “Because Brandon has controlling shares there. They can write your medical records however they want.” She turned, smiling sweetly at me. “The car accident three years ago? I personally arranged it. Brandon knew all about it, he even helped me delete the dash cam footage.” “You’re lying!” I heard my voice tremble. “Whether I’m lying or not, you know the truth deep down.” She walked back to me, her eyes filled with pity. “Alice, the man you loved for ten years, from beginning to end, only loved your money and the shares your parents left you.” “His pursuit, his marriage, his tenderness – it was all an act.” I staggered backward. A sharp pain shot through my hippocampus. Fragmented images flooded my mind uncontrollably. The necklace Brandon gave me on our anniversary, with a miniature listening device hidden in its pendant. The “vitamins” he gently coaxed me to take, which were actually drugs slowly damaging my nerves. … “Remembered now?” Scarlett’s voice pulled me back to reality. “Too bad, remembering won’t help. In everyone’s eyes now, you’re just a lunatic. Who would believe anything you say?” The sound of a car engine drifted up from downstairs. Brandon was back. Scarlett immediately put on a fragile expression. She quickly walked to the top of the stairs, then suddenly “slipped.” “Ah!” With a shriek, she tumbled down the stairs. “Scarlett!” Brandon rushed through the door, his eyes bloodshot at the sight. He ran over, scooped up Scarlett, and looked up at me, glaring. “It wasn’t me. She fell by herself.” “Enough!” Brandon roared, taking the stairs in a few strides and grabbing my throat. “Alice, I really regret not letting you die on the operating table!” He gritted his teeth, his fingers tightening. From behind, Scarlett’s wail pierced the air. He hastily let me go and rushed her to the hospital. Watching his anxious departure, my heart was suddenly devoid of any love. I walked back to the bedroom and locked the door. Then, from the bottom of my closet, I pulled out a metal box. I had hidden it before my surgery. Inside was an old phone, a bank card, and a photo. The photo was of me and the boy under the sycamore tree. On the back was a small line of text: “Alice, if you ever get lost, remember to come home — Liam!” Seeing the name, I trembled all over. I remembered everything. He was the only one who reached out to me when Brandon abandoned me. I turned on the old phone; the battery was on its last bar. There was only one number in the contacts. My trembling fingers pressed the dial button. The waiting tone rang three times, then connected. “Hello?” I covered my mouth, afraid I would cry out. “Liam, come get me.” Silence on the other end for two seconds. Then, an urgent voice. “Send me your location. Wait for me!”

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Ever since I was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder three years ago, no one in my family had smiled. My dad, David, was always on the go. After his office job, he’d pick up odd shifts on construction sites to save money for my treatment. My mom, Sarah, not only took care of me but also went to the hospital every day to look after my grandma, who was paralyzed. My five-year-old sister, Chloe, already did most of the chores at home and always watched my mood nervously. Today was Chloe’s sixth birthday. I’d started taking my medication on time a week ago, hoping to be in good spirits to celebrate her birthday. But the moment Mom brought out the cake, my head suddenly began to throb intensely. It was the warning sign of an alter switch. I tugged at Mom’s sleeve, telling her I felt terrible. My usually gentle mom suddenly slapped me hard and locked me in the bathroom. “If you feel so bad, then just die!” “Have I not been good to you? Why do you have to steal Chloe’s attention at a time like this?” “You’re crazy! You’re a lunatic!” Mom screamed hysterically at me, slamming the bathroom door shut. The moment she closed the door, the alter switch began. The part of me that was desperate to die, my alter, One, finally took control.

I was like an observer, only able to watch as One controlled my body. For the past three years, every time One took over, my body would try to die in various ways. Jumping from a window, that was when I was eight. One climbed onto the balcony while Mom and Dad were at the hospital with Grandma. Luckily, Dad came home early and grabbed me, but he fell to the ground, spraining his ankle, and couldn’t get out of bed for half a month. Cutting my wrist, that was last winter. One found a piece of broken glass and made a gash on my wrist. When Mom found me, she cried hysterically, rushing me to the hospital that very night and stayed by my bedside for three days and three nights without closing her eyes. Drowning, that was in the bathtub. One filled it with water and submerged my head. Chloe noticed something was wrong and frantically called Mom, which saved me. One had tried most ways to commit suicide, but my parents always managed to save me. When I opened my eyes, I would often see my parents’ and Chloe’s tear-streaked faces. “Lily, I’m begging you, please don’t try to die again.” “Are you going to harm our whole family until you’re satisfied?” “Are you okay? Dad and Mom are so worried about you.” From then on, every time I felt an alter switch coming, I would take a lot of medication to stay normal. Even if the pills made me dizzy and nauseous, I didn’t want to see my family’s tears again. But this time, I had no more medication. One could finally fulfill his wish. One looked at the eyebrow razor on the vanity, carefully tucking it away. In my mind, I screamed and struggled, trying to regain control of my body. But One’s strength was too great. I was trapped, like in a cage, unable to do anything. Outside, Dad’s confused voice suddenly came through. “Sarah, where’s Lily? Isn’t she coming to celebrate Chloe’s birthday?” Mom’s voice, almost breaking, full of long-suppressed resentment, answered. “She’s pretending to be sick again. Usually, I’d let it slide, but today is Chloe’s birthday.” “I don’t want Chloe’s birthday to be ruined again. She’s never had a proper birthday.” Dad sighed, his voice full of weariness. He told Mom, “Let her cool off then. Her temper needs to be curbed.” “You and I will celebrate Chloe’s birthday. The child has never had a proper birthday since she was little, let’s not disappoint her again.” One laughed at me mockingly in my mind. “See? Mom and Dad don’t love us anymore. Why should we live?” “After that incident, I told you, death is the only escape. But you insisted on enduring for the family until now. Is this the result you wanted?” I wanted to deny him. Mom and Dad clearly loved me! They had sacrificed almost everything for me! But then I remembered Dad’s shoulder injury, Mom’s dark circles under her eyes, and Chloe’s ingratiating smile. To pay for my therapy fees, Dad often worked on construction sites until his lower back gave out, and on rainy days, the pain would almost keep him from getting out of bed. Mom had to take care of Grandma and then come back to care for me, her sick child. She only slept three or four hours a day. To avoid upsetting me, Chloe was always well-behaved and gentle around me. Even at just five years old, she’d learned to wash dishes and do chores. If I died, maybe everyone would be happier. I gave up struggling, letting One turn on the faucet, fill the tub with hot water, and then climb in. Without a moment of hesitation, One used the eyebrow razor to cut my wrist. The wound was deep enough to see bone, and blood instantly flowed out. The water in the tub gradually turned crimson, and my soul felt lighter. This was finally coming to an end. Dad wouldn’t have to put on pain patches every night; he could get a good night’s sleep. Mom wouldn’t have to rush around every day, taking me to doctors. Chloe could finally have a normal childhood. My family would finally be free of me, this “lunatic.” In the last moment before my consciousness completely faded, my original personality switched back. Looking towards the door, I whispered my last words. Mom, Dad, Chloe, I’m sorry. If there’s a next life, I’ll never be a burden to you again.

When I opened my eyes again, I was floating near the dining table at home. Dad was covering Chloe’s eyes, and Mom carefully carried a fruit cake. “Happy 6th Birthday to our darling Chloe!” Chloe opened her eyes and smiled in surprise. “Mom, Dad, I’ve never seen such a beautiful cake!” My eyes welled up instantly. Chloe was still young when I got sick. Because of me, she’d never had a proper birthday growing up. Every birthday, I would have an episode, then be rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. Mom and Dad had no time to spare for her. Come to think of it, this might be the first time Chloe had ever seen a cake. Mom turned her head to wipe away a tear, then cut Chloe a large slice of cake. “Eat more if you like it, Chloe.” But Chloe took the cake and ran straight to the bathroom. She raised her hand and gently knocked on the door, whispering, “Come out and eat cake, Lily! I remember you love sweets the most!” I wrapped my arms around her small body, wanting to tell her. I’m sorry, Chloe. I can’t eat cake anymore. It’s my fault. I’ve brought bad luck to your birthday. But my hand passed right through her body, unable to touch anything. Chloe didn’t get a response for a long time. She walked back dejectedly. “Mom, is Lily mad? She won’t talk to me.” Mom hugged her, a hint of anger in her voice. “Don’t mind her. She just loves to act up and pretend. Haven’t we always saved her from suicide attempts? This time must be fake too.” “Today is your birthday, don’t worry about her.” As Mom spoke, she caught sight of the food Chloe had saved for me on the table. It was food Chloe had specifically asked Mom to make extra for me. Her temper flared up again. She swept the plate of food into the trash can with a clang, and the plate shattered on the floor. “If she doesn’t eat, she doesn’t eat! Don’t let her act like everyone owes her something every day. Haven’t we sacrificed enough already?” I wanted to shout at her, Mom, I wasn’t pretending! I was in so much pain and misery every day, with two voices constantly fighting in my head! I only lived this long for you! I know you sacrificed a lot, that’s why I died, so you wouldn’t have to sacrifice anymore! Chloe looked anxious and flustered, contradicting Mom. “Mom, don’t talk about Lily like that! She’s just sick! She’s always so nice to me.” Dad patted Chloe’s back and told her, “Chloe, your sister can be quite selfish sometimes.” “She’s always thinking about how miserable she is, never caring about what the rest of the family thinks.” “Mom and Dad work so hard to earn money, but Lily just stays immersed in her own world all day.” “Mom and Dad are so tired they can barely straighten their backs, but she just keeps trying to kill herself.” He seemed to have forgotten that I was just a ten-year-old child. Floating in the air, I looked incredulously at Dad, the dad who used to dote on me the most. When I was seven, Mom and Dad left me to play at a neighbor’s house, but the neighbor’s elderly relative did something terrible to me. During those most painful days, my body activated a protective mechanism. Whenever I thought about that day, my consciousness would blur, and One would emerge to re-experience those scenes over and over again. Since then, I developed Dissociative Identity Disorder, and One’s constant desire to die stemmed from that very reason. Dad had knelt beside me back then, crying and saying he was sorry, promising to take care of me for life. Dad, didn’t you say you’d love me forever? Even though I was now a spirit, my heart still ached. Their guilt and love had been worn away by daily exhaustion, leaving only impatience and resentment. I became the sinner who burdened the whole family. I kept Mom and Dad tied down to me every day. My pain, in their eyes, had become an act, a show. Even my death became a means to gain sympathy.

Mom angrily pushed Dad, her voice filled with a mix of anger and pain. “What are you saying? Lily might be a bit delicate, but she’s a poor child too.” As she spoke, Mom’s eyes reddened. “She was only seven back then, and that old pervert… My heart aches, I wanted to tear that bastard apart.” “Later, Lily kept trying to die. I knew she was hurting inside. But today is Chloe’s birthday, we can’t let her act out.” Mom wiped away her tears and lovingly stroked Chloe’s head. “Chloe, you didn’t make a wish when you went to give Lily the cake. Make one now.” Chloe’s childlike face lit up with joy. She closed her eyes and made a sincere wish. “Chloe wants to be with Mom, Dad, and Lily forever.” This sentence pierced Mom’s heart like a needle. Mom suddenly covered her mouth and rushed into the bedroom. I faintly heard her muffled sobs. In those sobs, there was guilt, heartache, and an indescribable helplessness. Dad’s eyes also reddened. He silently put a crown on Chloe’s head and stroked her hair. “Dad promises you, our family will always be together.” I hugged Dad and Chloe, thinking silently to myself. I’m sorry, Chloe, your wish can never come true. But without me, you, Mom, and Dad will be happier. No more worrying about medical bills, no more living in fear, no more living such a tired life. After tucking Chloe into bed, Dad gently called my name from the bathroom door. “Lily, please come out. It’s cold in there. Come out and Dad will make you dinner.” “Don’t you love Dad’s steak the most? Dad will make you a big plate, just for you.” But the only answer was dead silence. Dad, I’m okay. Lily can’t feel the cold anymore. I can’t eat your steak either. Seeing that I didn’t make a sound, Dad went back to the bedroom and quietly asked Mom. “Why did you lock Lily in the bathroom for so long?” “Her mental state is unstable. Maybe we should go check on her?” Mom was silent for a moment, then shook her head. “I didn’t even lock the door. She can come out whenever she wants.” “There’s only an eyebrow razor in the bathroom. How much force would she need to cut her wrist? She’s just a kid, she wouldn’t do it.” “Lily is sick, but we’ve also spoiled her a bit too much. Let her think about it herself.” I stomped my feet in frustration, wanting so badly to tell Mom that I really did cut my wrist with that eyebrow razor. And I wasn’t spoiled, One did it! I was Mom’s good child! Dad finally sighed, no longer insisting. He started discussing the month’s expenses with Mom. This month, my therapy with a private specialist cost almost ten thousand, and Grandma’s medical bills at the hospital were astronomical. Mom covered her face, her sobs escaping her throat in low bursts. “Honey, when will this life end?” “Lily still can’t go to school normally. We’ll have to support her for life. I’m afraid we won’t be able to bear it.” Dad patted Mom’s hand and pulled her into a hug, comforting her. “Since we brought her into this world, we have to be responsible. No matter what, Lily is our child. We didn’t protect her well, so supporting her for life is fine.” “After I finish my shifts at the construction site, I’ll drive for Uber to earn more money. We have to cure Lily, and things will slowly get better.” I looked at Dad’s graying temples and Mom’s tears, and suddenly felt that I shouldn’t have died. Mom and Dad had already included my life in their future. They had planned to support me for life. Mom and Dad loved me, after all. I reached out to wipe away Mom’s tears, but my hand passed through her. Mom, don’t cry. Lily left quietly on her own. You won’t have to worry about me anymore.

That night, Dad stayed up half the night in the living room, constantly glancing towards the bathroom, hoping I would come out. Mom tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep all night. By dawn, the dark circles under her eyes were even heavier. I floated beside them, watching over them all night, my heart a mix of sorrow and bitterness, filled with unspeakable guilt. As dawn just broke, a faint clatter of dishes and forks came from the kitchen. Mom, with bloodshot eyes, stood in front of the stove, making breakfast. It was my favorite bacon and eggs. When I was little and sick, Mom always made this to cheer me up. But since I got sick, Mom hadn’t made it for me in a long time. She made it with extra care. Two strips of bacon, one egg. Just the way I’d mentioned wanting it so many times. It smelled so good. I wished I could eat Mom’s cooking, but I never would again. Carrying a plate of bacon and eggs to the bathroom door, Mom’s voice was hoarse, tinged with compromise. “Lily, stop acting up.” “Mom made you bacon and eggs, it’s hot. Come out and eat before you take your medicine.” “Yesterday, Mom was wrong. I shouldn’t have hit you, shouldn’t have said harsh words.” “Chloe is waiting to play with you. Come out, let’s be good.” Inside the door, there was dead silence, not even a breath. Mom’s patience ran out. Her brows furrowed, and her tone hardened. “Lily, don’t be ungrateful!” “Do you think pretending to be dead will get you sympathy? Haven’t we suffered enough for you?” “Come out now, or I’ll dump this food out and starve you for a day!” She waited for a moment, only the faint sound of wind through the door crack. “This child is really disobedient. After making her food, I still have to take Chloe to kindergarten and go to the hospital to take care of Grandma.” Mom muttered to herself. Just as she was about to turn around, a dull thud came from the living room. Immediately followed by Dad’s muffled groan: “Sarah… my chest… hurts…” Mom’s face changed drastically. She dropped the plate with a clatter at the door and rushed out. I floated over to see Dad clutching his chest, squatting on the floor. His face was pale, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat. I was frantic, but I couldn’t help at all. “David! What’s wrong!” Mom’s voice trembled with panic as she rushed to help him. Dad swayed, almost falling. His fingers dug desperately into his chest. “Pain… can’t breathe…” Mom screamed for Chloe like crazy. “Chloe, quickly call the neighbors! Call 911! Hurry!” Chloe, terrified, cried and stumbled out to knock on the neighbors’ door. The neighbors quickly arrived, helping Dad and frantically dialing 911. Mom stayed by Dad’s side, tears streaming down her face, but she forced herself to remain calm. She pulled out her phone, wanting to call a contact at the hospital first, but her hand was shaking too much to dial accurately. She kept muttering, “Don’t let anything happen, please don’t let anything happen. We still have to raise Lily and Chloe, you can’t be gone…” Within minutes, the ambulance sirens wailed closer. Paramedics rushed in with a stretcher, quickly checking Dad’s blood pressure and attaching electrodes. “Preliminary diagnosis is acute arrhythmia, caused by long-term overwork. He needs to be taken to the hospital immediately!” Hearing that, my heart felt like it was being tightly squeezed by a hand. It’s all my fault! If it weren’t for earning money for my treatment, Dad wouldn’t be working two jobs every day, he wouldn’t be sick. Even in death, I’m still causing them trouble. I’m such a useless child! The paramedics quickly loaded Dad onto the stretcher and pushed him out. Mom stumbled, wanting to follow, but then looked back towards the bathroom. She paused, her mind a mix of urgency and confusion. On one side was her critically ill husband, on the other, her sulking daughter. She gritted her teeth, asked the neighbors to help look after Dad, and turned to run back home. She still couldn’t stop worrying about me, afraid I was hungry, afraid something really happened. Even though she was angry with me just moments ago, what she worried about most was still me. When she got home, it was already bright. Chloe was squatting by the bathroom door. Seeing Mom return, she immediately rushed over. Her small hands tightly clutched Mom’s clothes, her voice choked with tears. “Mom, Lily fell asleep in the bathtub.” “I called her so many times, but she won’t wake up, no matter how much I call.” “She listens to you the most, Mom. Please make her wake up and eat birthday cake with me.”

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I was abandoned five days after I was born. But for some reason, my biological mother left me on the doorstep of a local criminal organization in Ravenwood City. To survive, even while still in my swaddling clothes, I instinctively cried “Dad” when a group of hardened criminals glared down at me. The rough men instantly frowned. “Maybe… maybe we should keep this kid?” From then on, I gained 108 dads. But our home was truly a den of outlaws—every single one of them was on the most wanted list. So, to avoid causing trouble for my dads, I lived a low-key life for over a decade. That was until high school, when I encountered school bullying. Tiffany, the queen bee, and her cronies cornered me in the restroom, splashing me with cold water, tearing my clothes, and even filming me with her phone. “Why are you staring, you scholarship student? How dare you glare at me?!” But they hit me so hard that I grabbed her and we fell from the third floor. When I woke up, the teacher in the nurse’s office was scolding me. “She hit you, so you tried to kill her? Is that it? You’re absolutely vicious! Call your parents immediately! I want to see how your parents raised you!” My hair stood on end. I meekly asked, “Ms. Davison, are you sure you want to call my parents?” 1 As soon as the words left my mouth, a sharp slap echoed. Mr. Albright, Tiffany’s father, struck me across the face, his eyes burning with menacing fury. “You brat! You will call your parents to apologize to me!” I was instantly knocked to the ground, half my face throbbing with pain. Ms. Davison, however, acted as if she hadn’t seen a thing. She immediately fawned over Mr. Albright, nodding and bowing. “Mr. Albright, please rest assured, the school will handle this very seriously and show no leniency!” She turned to me, yelling directly into my face. “Stella! Look what you’ve done to Tiffany! Call your parents right away to pay for her medical expenses!” I hung my head, my nails digging deep into my palms. A metallic taste of blood spread in my mouth. “No, it was Tiffany. She was the one who first cornered me in the restroom, splashed me with cold water, and tore my clothes. I just…” But I couldn’t finish my sentence. Tiffany started to cry weakly from her hospital bed. “Dad! She’s lying! I was just passing by, and Stella suddenly went crazy and pushed me down the stairs… She’s just a scholarship student, jealous that our family has money. She’s always hated me!” “It was clearly you…” I immediately retorted. But Ms. Davison didn’t give me a chance to speak. “Shut up, Stella! The facts are clear—you deliberately hurt her!” She grabbed me and dragged me out of the medical room. Roughly pulling out my phone, Ms. Davison slapped it against my face. “I don’t want to hear your nonsense! Now, immediately! Call your parents! Tell them to get over here and pay up!” Suddenly, the gaze of various teachers and students in the hallway focused on me, a mix of curiosity and schadenfreude. But I clutched the cold phone, staring at the bustling contact list, yet I couldn’t bring myself to make the call. I had 108 dads. But Dad 1 was a syndicate boss, Dad 3 smuggled weapons, Dad 15 lent out high-interest loans, and Dad 78 ran an illegal casino… Though they always loved to give me black cards and then pat my head, saying: “Stella, don’t stir up trouble out there, but if anything happens, always come to us. If anyone lays a finger on you, Dad 1 will make their whole family disappear from the face of the earth.” “Right, anyone who dares to make you suffer, Dad 3 will come for them with a pair of knives!” But they were all Ravenwood City’s most wanted criminals. A shiver ran through me. I remembered them always leaving early and coming home late, their bodies covered in knife scars and the smell of blood, grumbling about running into the cops again that day. I remembered the news channels constantly featuring their wanted posters. I couldn’t risk putting them in danger. Looking up again, I tried one last struggle. “Ms. Davison, my dads… they’re all working out of town, very far away, they can’t come.” “Could we… I’ll write an apology, I’ll apologize publicly, I’ll accept a disciplinary record, anything. Just please don’t call them, okay?” Ms. Davison let out a sneer. “Working out of town? No wonder you turned out to be such a shameless child! And they can’t come?” “Tiffany’s medical exams, her emotional distress compensation—that’s a lot of money. Can a kid like you pay for it? Call them quickly, don’t waste my time!” She looked at me with utter contempt. “How much money? I can…” I was about to say I could pay for it myself, as my dads had given me black cards I hadn’t even touched. But Mr. Albright emerged and immediately handed Ms. Davison a bank card. “Ms. Davison, here’s fifty thousand. It’s a donation for the school.” “My demand is simple: get her parents here to compensate us and admit guilt.” “Otherwise, I’ll just call the police! I’ll charge her with aggravated assault! Once she has a criminal record, she can forget about ever going to college!” Upon seeing the bank card, Ms. Davison’s eyes instantly lit up. She turned to me, her tone becoming incredibly stern. “Stella, did you hear that? This is your last chance!” “Either call your working-class parents now to pay and apologize!” “Or get a criminal record and forget about ever going to college for the rest of your life!” Criminal record… Those two words felt like needles piercing my mind. I couldn’t have a criminal record. I still wanted to go to college, to earn money and support my dads in their old age. Looking at that bank card, looking at Ms. Davison’s snobbish, ugly face. Tears instantly welled up in my eyes. My trembling fingers finally lit up my phone screen. “Ms. Davison, please don’t! Don’t call the police. I’ll call my parents.” 2 My hand trembled as I tapped “Dad 1” at the top of my contacts. Although he was a syndicate boss, he was still the most “normal” among all my dads. I hoped, I hoped he could pretend to be an ordinary person and get through this. “Beep beep…” The call was answered the moment it went through. Dad 1’s warm, smiling voice came from the receiver: “Stella?” “Dad 1,” I said, pressing my lips together. “The teacher wants me to ask you to come to school. I…” “Go to school?” He instantly sounded excited. “Oh, is my daughter winning another award? This is the first time you’ve asked me to come get a certificate! Wait up, I’m coming now!” “No…” A pang of sadness hit me. I was about to say no. But then, a clear gunshot suddenly rang out from the other end of the line. Followed by a strange man’s scream and a series of dull thuds. I froze instantly. I faintly heard a very soft “clean it up.” Childhood memories flooded back. Dad 1 always came home with blood on him, but he would lie and say it was ketchup. His breathing seemed a little unsteady, but when he spoke to me again, his voice was still gentle. “No… what, sweetie?” Thinking about whether he was doing something dangerous, whether he was hurt, my heart pounded. The words on the tip of my tongue hardened into: “N-nothing… it’s fine. I can get the award myself. You’re busy, I’m hanging up.” “Hey! You didn’t even say anything, why are you hanging up!” Hearing this, Ms. Davison shouted and reached for my phone. I instinctively dodged, quickly ending the call. But the next second: “Slap!” Another harsh slap landed on my face. Ms. Davison’s face was distorted with rage. “You’ve caused such big trouble and you’re still trying to hide it from your parents!” Mr. Albright slammed his hand against the wall, pointing at my nose and yelling: “Don’t think you’re getting away with this by hiding it from adults! I’m telling you, in this part of Ravenwood City, I’m the local big shot! I have connections at the police department! If you dare touch my daughter, I’ll make your whole family of working-class nobodies disappear in a minute!” Tiffany limped out, mocking me: “You’re so pathetic you don’t even dare call your parents. I bet your family is too poor to put food on the table, right? So where did you get the guts to push me? So ridiculous!” I lowered my head, my voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum: “My dads really can’t come… I’m sorry, Tiffany. It was my fault, I shouldn’t have pushed you.” “I can bow down and apologize to you in front of the whole school, be your errand girl for a year, or you can hit me back. Just please don’t call the police, okay? I don’t want to get expelled…” Tiffany scoffed contemptuously, but Mr. Albright roared and reached for my phone. “You’re trying to negotiate now?” “Give me your parents’ number—I’ll talk to them myself!” Ms. Davison immediately chimed in: “Stella, give Mr. Albright your phone to call! Don’t resist, you need to show an attitude of wanting to solve the problem!” The man lunged forward to snatch it, but I clung to my phone, backing away repeatedly. Finally, I stumbled and fell awkwardly to my knees. My knees hit the cold tile floor, making tears stream down my face from the pain. But I kept bowing, begging: “…Please, please don’t involve my dads. Tiffany, please, I’ll do all the apologizing and making amends I just mentioned, you can hit me back, just please don’t call my parents, okay?!” Dull thuds echoed on the floor as I bowed repeatedly until blood smeared my forehead. Only then did a look of triumphant pleasure appear on Tiffany’s face. Stopping her dad, she raised her voice: “Alright then, just apologizing in public isn’t enough. Tomorrow, you’ll have to bow one hundred times, touching your forehead to the ground, until I’m satisfied! Only then will I not call the police.” “Okay.” Clenching my fists, I agreed to all her conditions. My heart bled with humiliation, but I felt it was worth it, as long as my dads weren’t implicated. But that evening, when I returned to the small apartment Dad 2 rented for me, wearing a baseball cap and feeling exhausted. I saw three men bustling around in the kitchen, cooking. It was Dad 66, Dad 79, and Dad 93. Seeing me return, they immediately gathered around me happily. “Stella’s home!” At the dining table, Dad 66 smiled and pinched my cheek. “Stella, I heard you’re getting an award at school? Why didn’t you let one of us go get it for you? By my calculations, it should be my turn, right?” Dad 79 skillfully massaged my shoulders, refuting him: “Nonsense, it’s my turn!” Dad 93 pushed a bowl of soup in front of me: “Drink up, it’s good for your brain. You’ll get into a great college.” My nose stung, and I almost cried. But I forced a smile and explained: “It’s just a small award, no need to trouble yourselves. I’ll call you for the big awards next time.” “Alright, we won’t argue. You eat first, sweetie.” They excitedly served me food. As I was eating, Dad 66 suddenly looked serious and answered a phone call. I faintly heard a few words. “That shipment… being watched again… jumped into the river… damn, this money is really hard to earn…” Instantly, my heart tightened again. Fearing they would be arrested, I took a deep breath and put down my fork. “Dads, could you… in the future… stop doing that kind of work? I’m grown up now—I’ll get into a good college and support you.” “So, could you get some stable jobs?” The three big men froze simultaneously, then, overcome with emotion, they hugged each other and cried, promising they would. Two hours later, the three of them gave me a few more instructions, left me three black cards, and then left in a hurry. I stood at the door, watching them disappear down the hallway, my eyes stinging. “Remember to change jobs!” “We know!” But the moment the door closed, Dad 66 looked at his brothers beside him, puzzled. “Strange, our daughter doesn’t like my nuclear submarine development…?” The other two also looked bewildered. And as I closed the door, I looked at the “My Family (108)” group chat on my phone. The messages were already 999+. My dads were all asking: “Is Stella tired from studying today?” “Do you have enough money? Don’t skimp—I have plenty of money!” My eyes welled up again. I sniffed and finally typed a line in the chat box. “I’m fine, everyone. Don’t worry. Dads, you’re busy with work, please also pay attention to safety.” Send. The next second, staring at the constantly popping up messages of concern on the screen, I made up my mind. I would never cause my dads any more trouble. Stella, you must hold on. Everything will be fine after the SAT. 3 At the school assembly on Monday, a sea of students filled the field below. I knelt on the ground, mechanically confessing. “It was because I harbored resentment that I pushed Tiffany down the stairs… I was jealous of her, I am a wicked person…” My voice echoed across the sports field, but every word felt like a knife slicing my throat. Tiffany sat in a wheelchair, pushed to the very front by several classmates, watching me triumphantly. Her eyes were filled with excitement as I knelt, bowing repeatedly and apologizing. Below, the murmurs converged into a buzzing noise. “I heard her family is really poor, she’s here on a scholarship.” “Such a wicked mind, jealous of rich people, I guess.” “Look at her pathetic, poor self, she deserves it.” “A kid with a mother who didn’t raise her, no upbringing at all.” All the malicious words felt like needles pricking my flesh, a bone-chilling pain. But I was already numb. After finishing, I slowly bent at the waist. “Thud.” The first bow, my forehead hitting the cold podium. … Fifty bows, one hundred bows, I bowed again and again, my forehead going from numb to agonizing pain, then to a warm stickiness. Blood streamed down my brow, blurring my vision, plunging everything into darkness. The ground was covered in crimson blood. The confession finished, I walked off the stage, my face covered in blood. The crowd parted for me as if I were carrying a plague. Tiffany, surrounded by her cronies, deliberately walked past me. She spoke in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft: “Ugh, some people are just born pathetic. Just an apology won’t cut it, will it? From now on, when you see me, call me ‘Grandma,’ got it?” Clenching my fists, my nails dug deep into my flesh. I said nothing. I just silently returned to my seat, took out a wet wipe, and tried hard to wipe the red words off my desk. But the paint had already seeped into the wood grain, making it more smudged with every wipe, like ugly scars. The entire day, I was surrounded by malice. Until the dismissal bell rang, I couldn’t hold it in anymore and rushed out of the classroom. Afraid to use the main entrance, I took a detour through the secluded alley behind the school. But after only a few steps, Tiffany and her three cronies were blocking the alley entrance. She stood up from her wheelchair, stretched her limbs, and walked toward me step by step. “Didn’t you say you’d be my errand girl? The boss hasn’t left yet, and you’re running off so fast. Are you playing games with me, Stella?” “Sorry, you didn’t call me…” “Whether I call you or not, you’re supposed to be my dog!” Tiffany took out her phone, aiming the camera at my disheveled face. “Come on, apologize again. Say, ‘I, Stella, am a worthless piece of trash, I shouldn’t have forgotten to be Tiffany Albright’s dog.’” I bit my lip, motionless. Tiffany became more energized, directly starting a new round of torment. Cold mineral water poured over my head, my soaked school uniform was torn, and lipstick was smeared haphazardly across my face. Tiffany held up her phone, laughing wildly. “Come on, smile. Say ‘Thank you, Tiffany, for the lesson,’ otherwise I’ll call the police and let your disgraceful dads have a good chat at the police station, hmm?” My mind buzzed. I stared at her, disbelieving. Did Tiffany know about their situation? But I couldn’t risk it. I could only endure my constant trembling, repeating her words in a hoarse voice. “Thank you, Tiffany, for the lesson.” It wasn’t until I had said it dozens of times that Tiffany finally smiled, satisfied, kicked me, and left. “Wouldn’t it have been easier if you were this obedient earlier? From now on, come here every day after school and wait for me, got it? Whatever I want you to do, you have to do it!” “Okay.” She left with her cronies. Instantly, I was alone in the alley. I don’t know how long passed, but I slowly crouched down. On the ground, a soaked math test, with a bright red “100” score, was particularly glaring. Desperately fighting back the welling tears, I reached out to pick up my mud-stained books and test papers. However, just as I looked up. At the alley entrance, four or five men had appeared. Leading them was Dad

And behind him followed four or five other dads. At this moment, their faces were dark and grim, all staring intently at me without saying a word. The air in the alley seemed to solidify. 4 After a long silence, Dad 1 crouched down, his rough fingers wiping away the bloodstains on my face. “Who did this?” I turned my face away, not daring to meet the anger in his eyes, and whispered, “No… I just fell.” “Fell?” Dad 5 snatched the mud-stained math textbook from the ground, pointing at the dirty shoe prints on it, and roared: “This is ‘fell’? This is being stomped to death!” Dad 3 adjusted his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses as sharp as a knife. “Stella, speak. Just tell us to blow up Ravenwood City and kill those people, and it’s done?” But I bit my lip hard. I couldn’t say anything. Mr. Albright was rich and powerful—Tiffany even said the Ravenwood City police listened to her family. My dads were all wanted criminals. I couldn’t risk putting them in jail. I stubbornly shook my head, but tears welled up in my eyes against my will. Time ticked by. Finally, Dad 1 sighed, gently holding my cold hand with an undeniable strength. “Stella, do you remember that year when you were five, the chubby kid from the next street stole your candy, and you cried all night when you came home?” “The next day, that chubby kid’s whole family moved out of Ravenwood City.” “We dads aren’t good people, but our family rule is: whoever touches you, dies!” The wind in the alley instantly stilled. Seeing my dads silently surrounding me, their eyes filled with suppressed rage and heartache. All the grievances, fear, and humiliation of these past days instantly broke through my taut nerves. “Dad—” I flung myself into Dad 1’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably, stammering out everything that had happened: “It was Tiffany… her dad is Mr. Albright, he owns mines… she said Ravenwood City was all her family’s territory… she bullies me every day… today she even took a video…” Dad 5’s brand new phone was crushed in his hand with a “snap,” the screen shattering! “A mine owner, how dare he!” “Damn that Mr. Albright! When I helped him get started back in the day, he was licking my boots!” “He’s lost his mind! How dare he touch our Stella!” My dads’ angry curses rose and fell, but I listened, stunned. Dad 1 simply patted my back gently, then pulled out his phone and dialed a number, his voice cold as ice. “Send out the word. All brothers, drop what you’re doing.” “One hour. Everyone to Ravenwood City.” “Our daughter was bullied!” The next morning, Dad 1 told me to go to school as usual. I nodded, and went alone. Sure enough, at the school gate, Tiffany was waiting beside that flashy luxury car. Seeing me, she deliberately raised her voice, her face full of sarcasm: “Oh, isn’t this the one who was on her knees bowing to me yesterday…” But before she finished, I walked straight past her, my eyes calm, as if she were just thin air. Tiffany froze instantly. “Stella!” She rushed forward in a fit of rage, grabbing my backpack tightly. “Did I tell you to leave? Didn’t learn your lesson yesterday, did you? You worthless piece of trash!” She raised her hand, ready to slap me. “I gave you a chance—” But remembering Dad 1’s words, I felt an unprecedented confidence inside me. The next second, her wrist was caught firmly in mid-air by my hand. Looking into her astonished eyes, I said each word coldly: “I said, let go.” “You little brat! You’ve lost your mind!” But Mr. Albright angrily got out of his car and shoved me hard! Staggering back a few steps, my back hit the school wall with a painful thud. “You pathetic pauper! Still refusing to learn, are you?” Mr. Albright grabbed my collar, spitting saliva on my face: “If I don’t finish you off today, I’ll take your damn name—” However, the next second. “Rumble rumble—” A tremendous roar filled the sky. One, two, dozens of helicopters instantly darkened the sky, circling above the school. Following that, came the heavy, dull thud of tracks grinding on asphalt. One, two, three olive-green tanks, their cannons aimed squarely at the school entrance. And countless media reporters, carrying long and short lenses, swarmed in, their camera flashes lighting up the scene. Mr. Albright was frozen in place. Then, countless armored vehicles appeared, and figures descended from the helicopters. One, two, ten, fifty… Exactly one hundred and eight men emerged from various corners, forming an impenetrable human wall that completely surrounded him. Then, in Mr. Albright’s terrified eyes, one hundred and eight voices, like thunder, boomed across Ravenwood City: “Dare to touch our daughter again—just try it!!!”

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On my wedding day, my best friend Marcus sent me a sex tape of him and my wife, Isla. Furious, I ignored Isla’s desperate pleas. I turned and left, moving to another city with my friend Clara. Isla, with her extreme and obsessive personality, was so enraged she put out a global manhunt for us both. In the end, unable to find work, I died sick in a basement apartment. On my deathbed, Marcus looked down at me from above. “Lucas, you’re such a fool. That video I sent you? AI-generated. And you actually believed it?” “Perfect. Now that you’re dead, Isla will only marry me!” He laughed triumphantly. Understanding everything at last, I wanted to slap him, but my arm fell weakly. When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn! Seeing that intimate video in front of me again, I truly realized I had been reborn. The embarrassingly explicit sounds echoed in the room. I studied the video carefully and finally spotted what was wrong. Marcus had left too many flaws in his work—he’d even forgotten to remove the AI watermark in the bottom right corner. In my past life, I’d been too angry to notice this crucial detail. Isla thought I’d abandoned her and fallen for Clara. She went after us relentlessly, trying to make me give in. I was stubborn too. Even at death’s door, I refused to yield or even ask her about it. That’s how Marcus found his opening, successfully infiltrating high society and living the life of luxury he craved! Reborn, I would never let him manipulate me again! The wedding proceeded as planned. Under the officiant’s direction, Isla and I exchanged rings and kissed, becoming the focus of everyone’s attention. Below the stage, Marcus watched with such jealousy that his fists clenched tight, his nails digging into his flesh without him even noticing. Seeing the ceremony nearing its end, Marcus couldn’t sit still any longer. The moment I stepped off the stage, Marcus frantically pulled me aside. He said excitedly: “Lucas! You two can’t be together!” “She’s a cheater! You can’t marry her!” “You haven’t signed the marriage certificate yet—break up with her now! Or you’ll regret it later!” He put on a serious expression, acting like he had my best interests at heart. I straightened the hem of my suit jacket and said coolly: “Oh? You know my wife better than I do?” Marcus didn’t catch the sarcasm in my words and continued: “Of course! You’re my best friend. Anyone who wants to marry you has to pass my inspection first, right?” He leaned close and whispered in my ear: “Lucas! You have to believe me! She’s a bad woman!” “Did you watch the video I sent you earlier?” I shook my head with feigned surprise. “Huh? Video? What video?” “I was busy getting married to my wife. I didn’t have time to check my phone.” Hearing this, Marcus looked like he’d had an epiphany. He pulled out his phone from his bag, held it in front of me, and personally opened it for me to see. “Here, watch it now!” “After you see it, you’ll know I’m right!” Just as the video started playing, Isla called out from the doorway. “Honey, you two have been in there long enough, haven’t you?” “Today’s our wedding day. If you stay any longer, I’m going to get jealous!” Her tone was full of playful resentment. I smiled and replied: “Alright, I’ll be right out!” Then I looked at Marcus with a teasing smile and said: “Well, Marcus, I don’t need you recording these private moments for me.” “Isla and I are already quite familiar with each other.” With that, I winked at him and walked toward the door.

Marcus stood frozen in shock at my words. “Wait, how… how can he not tell that’s me and Isla?” He looked at the video again carefully, unable to understand why I could remain so calm after seeing my wife’s alleged cheating video. I walked slowly, reaching the door just in time to hear his words. Seeing his confused expression, I let a cold smile cross my face. Isla was already waiting impatiently at the door. The moment she saw me, she eagerly grabbed my arm and hurried toward the car. I felt her closeness, smelled the faint fragrance that belonged only to her, and said softly: “Isla, let’s go sign our marriage certificate right now, okay?” Marcus’s words had actually reminded me. Isla and I hadn’t officially married legally yet. It would be safer to complete the legal formalities. Isla’s face lit up with joy at these words. She’d asked me countless times to complete the legal registration. She knew I had a female friend I’d grown up with. But because of my friend’s words, I’d always refused her. This was the first time I’d actively suggested it to her. She immediately nodded in agreement. She pulled out her documents and dragged me to city hall, afraid I’d change my mind the next second. She said I was her most beloved treasure, now, in the future, in the next life, for all eternity! After signing the marriage certificate, Isla held the document, excited to post about it on social media. I immediately stopped her. “Don’t post yet. I’ve got a good show I’m waiting to watch!” Though Isla didn’t understand what I meant, she still did as I asked. “Okay, I’ll listen to my husband!” Seeing her obedient appearance, I couldn’t help but kiss her forehead. I must have been out of my mind in my past life! A woman whose heart and eyes were full of me—how could I not have trusted her? This lifetime, I would treat her well and make her the happiest woman in the world! After marriage, Isla treated me wonderfully. After our honeymoon, she went straight to the company to handle business while I slept at home until sunset. Marcus, who’d come by several times without finding me home, finally caught me on a day I woke up at noon. The moment he entered, he couldn’t help but look around the villa’s decorations, his eyes full of ambition. I saw through him but didn’t call him out. I adjusted my loungewear and said casually: “Marcus, married life is pretty comfortable, you know.” “You should hurry up and settle down with someone too.” At these words, Marcus laughed awkwardly, then frowned and scolded: “Lucas! You’re being way too careless!” “You only had a ceremony—you haven’t completed the legal registration yet! How can you move into her house?” “Listen to me! Rich people like Isla are just playing around with you! Don’t get in too deep!” I raised my hand slightly, revealing a large, dazzling diamond ring on my ring finger and a diamond-studded bracelet on my wrist. “Just playing around? She’s investing quite a lot for that, isn’t she?” Marcus’s eyes went straight, nearly drooling with jealousy. He grabbed my hand and urged desperately: “Lucas! I’m your closest friend!” “Would I ever hurt you?” “Listen to me—break up with her as soon as possible!” “Otherwise, when she divorces you and kicks you out with nothing, you’ll only have yourself to cry to!”

I tilted my head in confusion and asked: “Why do you keep badmouthing her?” “I’m very happy now. Shouldn’t you be happy for me?” “Why do you keep cursing me?” I looked at him coldly, and the atmosphere dropped to freezing. Seeing I wouldn’t break up, Marcus’s chest heaved violently with anger. His eyes reddened as he glared at me through gritted teeth. “Lucas! I’ll tell you the truth!” “Isla and I already knew each other! We were already at the point of discussing marriage!” “If I hadn’t fought with her and broken up, do you think you’d have had a chance?” “Isla only loves me. She married you just to make me jealous!” “Otherwise, why would she only have a wedding ceremony with you—making it known to everyone—but not complete the legal registration? Isn’t it just to make me jealous?” Marcus spoke with such vivid detail that if I hadn’t already signed the marriage certificate with Isla, I might have actually believed his lies. Seeing I remained unmoved, Marcus pulled out that intimate video again. He held it in front of me and said triumphantly: “Look! This is proof we were together before!” “We love each other so much. As long as I change my mind, she’ll immediately dump you and throw herself into my arms!” Hearing this, my expression instantly soured. Before, I just thought Marcus was stupid, but now I found him disgusting! I looked at him coldly and said flatly: “Who doesn’t have an embarrassing ex?” “As long as she has me in her heart now, that’s all that matters.” “Besides, if she’d really get back together with you over one sentence, then go ahead and find her yourself!” “Why waste so much effort here telling me all this?” I played along with his story, pretending I believed him. Seeing I believed him, Marcus’s expression softened somewhat. He raised his eyebrows smugly and said: “Fine! You said it yourself—don’t you dare regret it!” “Out of friendship, I wanted to convince you to bow out gracefully!” “Since you don’t know what’s good for you, just wait to be kicked to the curb!” With that, Marcus angrily turned and left. That evening when Isla came home, she heard from the butler about what happened during the day and hugged me with a wronged expression. “Baby~ I swear, from beginning to end, I’ve only had you. I only love you alone.” “I don’t know why your friend would say such things. I haven’t done anything to betray you!” She anxiously tried to prove her innocence, nearly in tears from frustration. I reached out and stroked her head, comforting her with a smile: “Of course I believe my wife~” “That guy just can’t stand seeing me happy. He deliberately wants to break us up.” I buried my head in her shoulder and said softly: “Isla, you have to promise me too—no matter what happens in the future, you’ll believe me, okay?” “Don’t get to know me through other people’s words. If there’s a problem, ask me directly, okay?” In my past life, I fell precisely because of the issue of trust. If I’d trusted Isla just a bit more, perhaps the ending wouldn’t have been like that. This time I didn’t fall for Marcus’s trap, but there’s no guarantee he won’t try to manipulate Isla instead. Hearing my words, Isla nodded firmly and raised her hand to swear to me. “I, Isla, swear to trust Lucas and cherish Lucas for a lifetime!”

I held her hand and said with a smile: “You don’t need to swear. I believe you!” The next day, my phone was blown up with calls. Looking at over a dozen missed calls, I was somewhat dazed and called back. “Mom? What happened?” I thought something had happened at home and immediately got nervous. An angry scolding voice came through the phone. “Lucas! You’ve really gotten bold, haven’t you?” “Breaking up other people’s relationships—I can’t believe you’d do such a thing!” “Having a son like you, I really…” I was completely confused and asked in bewilderment: “Mom, what are you talking about?” “I don’t understand.” My mother laughed coldly. “Hah, you don’t understand? If your friend Marcus hadn’t come crying at our door, I wouldn’t have known what kind of person you are!” Hearing the key word “Marcus,” I immediately understood what was going on. Marcus must have gone to my parents and added fuel to the fire with his version of events. I sighed, wanting to explain. I’d barely started to say “Mom” when I was cut off. “Come home right now. Before you’ve completed the legal procedures, break it off! Don’t go destroying other people’s relationships!” With that, Mom hung up directly, not even giving me a chance to explain. Left with no choice, I could only drive home to explain face-to-face. Just reaching the door, I heard Marcus’s crying coming from inside. “You have to help me!” “I treated Lucas like a real brother, and he stole my girlfriend!” My mother was comforting him nearby: “Don’t worry, I’ve already talked to Lucas.” “I’ll make them break up right away. He won’t compete with you!” When I walked in, this was the scene I saw. Marcus sat on the sofa crying his eyes out, snot and tears everywhere, while my parents handed him tissues and fruit. When he saw me return, a flash of triumph crossed his reddened eyes. My mother saw me and immediately pulled me into the kitchen for a stern lecture. “Lucas! You’re being foolish! Even if Isla is rich, you shouldn’t insert yourself into someone else’s relationship!” I frowned, looking displeased. “I didn’t insert myself. Isla and I had a wedding ceremony, and we married with both sets of parents as witnesses! How is that destroying someone’s relationship?” Seeing I showed no remorse, Mom raised her hand to hit me, but held it in mid-air before lowering it in frustration. “You… if I’d known you’d do this, I would never have agreed to your marriage!” She kept saying I was the third party. I knew Marcus must have brainwashed her. More words would be useless—she wouldn’t believe me anyway. I directly pulled out the marriage certificate from my bag. “Mom, look clearly! Isla and I have completed legal registration. We’re the legal married couple!” “Even if Marcus and Isla dated before, that’s all in the past! Isla’s legal spouse is me now. Stop siding with outsiders, will you?” I thought taking out the marriage certificate would make Mom settle down, but instead she got even angrier. Her face turned iron-blue as she pointed at me and said: “Break up! Break up right now!” I frowned in confusion, wanting to ask why. Mom took a deep breath and pulled out several photos from her pocket. “Marcus has shown proof! These photos… look at them! This is evidence that Isla was with him!”

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On the day of my wedding to Julia, her “best friend” Mike suddenly appeared before me. He held a marriage certificate, his eyes red-rimmed as he said, “Matthew, you have everything. Could you just let me have Julia? She… she’s already registered her marriage with me…” I tossed my wedding ring to the ground, my posture contemptuous. Turning around, I saw the panic in Julia’s eyes. I thought—she must have remembered our contract. If anything went wrong with this wedding, all her assets would become mine. Julia and I had known each other for five years, from a campus romance to marriage. Countless people envied our relationship. Coming from similar family backgrounds, we looked perfectly matched—the ideal couple… I’d heard this so many times I’d stopped counting, but I never took it to heart. Because I knew Julia had someone else in her heart. She and Mike had known each other for ten years—five years longer than me. Strangely, she and Mike always called themselves best friends, as if their bond was so pure it hadn’t been tainted by even a trace of romantic love. Later, they got into the same university, the same major. But for some reason, during her freshman year, Julia pursued me—someone from a completely different department. Back then, I still had some romantic notions about college love. Julia was beautiful, good-tempered, refined and polite. So, after two months of her pursuing me, I agreed. After a week of bliss, I noticed someone extremely suspicious around her. Mike—a decent-looking guy with a tall build. He’d call me “Matthew” while draping his arm over Julia’s shoulders, saying, “Julia, look at you! Finding such a handsome boyfriend so quickly. Got any tricks you could teach me?” Mike was a head taller than Julia. When he draped his arm over her shoulders, his chin naturally came close to the top of her head. The distance between them was intimate. Yet Julia seemed completely accustomed to it, not caring at all. I saw it once, then naturally there was a second time, a third time. I couldn’t understand why Julia would have such an intimate male friend even after getting a boyfriend. At first, I thought I was overthinking it. I brought it up with her privately a few times. What I didn’t expect was Julia’s response, which left me speechless. “Mike and I have been best friends for five or six years. We’ve always been like this. I can’t just distance myself from him because I got a boyfriend—that would be an insult to our pure friendship!” I also confronted Mike. His answer made him seem utterly unreasonable. “What are you talking about? Julia and I have been friends for so many years. How does that become a complicated relationship in your mind? That romantic relationship stuff is only suitable for Julia to have with guys like you!” Mike paused at the end of that statement. Tsk, fine. Your pure friendship—I’m staying out of it. I broke up with Julia soon after.

I’d thought we’d part amicably and never see each other again. Who knew this woman would refuse to accept the breakup no matter what. “Are you crazy? I said breakup—breakup, BREAKUP! Why are you still coming to my building to block me every day?!” “Ha! You blocking me alone would be one thing,” I pointed at Mike and voiced my genuine confusion, “but why are you bringing your so-called best friend? Are you brainless? Can’t think for yourself and need him to come up with ideas for you?” I said all this in one breath without a single pause, showing just how angry I was. Julia pretended to be innocent, scratching her head. “I… I thought since you’re both guys, he’d understand your emotions better, so I…” Mike stood behind her and spoke up: “Yeah, Matthew, please don’t misunderstand Julia…” “Misunderstand what!” I was in gym class at the time. My head got hot and I threw the basketball in my hand straight at Julia. Fate can be truly wonderful sometimes, and unfortunate encounters are no exception. When my parents brought me to apologize to Julia, what a coincidence—the two families actually knew each other. “Matthew! You’ve grown so much. I even held you when you were little. Do you remember me? Mr. Jones.” Turns out my dad and Julia’s dad had been old friends since college. If the Jones family hadn’t gone overseas to start their business, maybe our parents would have thought we might become in-laws! But my mom looked at Mr. Jones strangely. She moved to hide behind my dad, unusually silent. Yet my innocent, naive father didn’t notice at all. After some polite conversation, our parents quickly learned about my relationship with Julia. “Matthew, my daughter isn’t good at expressing herself and doesn’t really know how to maintain a relationship. If she does something that upsets you, you should tell her.” Mr. Jones gently touched Julia’s injured forehead. “Maybe this will teach her a lesson. But—” He changed his tone. “Don’t let anyone else affect your happiness!” I stood in that hospital room with its strong smell of disinfectant, my eyes full of irritation as I stared at Julia grinning foolishly at me. Was I blind back then? Actually thinking she was decent-looking. She really looked just like her dad! I looked at Mr. Jones again. He was dignified and polite, except for his gaze— Like a predator secretly eyeing my mother! That night, I went to my mom’s room to find her. She sat alone in the spacious luxury bedroom, gazing at the moon and silently crying. “Mom, what’s wrong? You didn’t say a word during dinner. That’s not like you.” My dad had gone out to socialize again. Now in this mansion, only I could have a heart-to-heart conversation with my mom. “I’m fine,” Mom wiped away her tears and smiled at me. “Just thinking about some sad things from the past. Don’t worry about me. Go back to bed early. Don’t you have an early class tomorrow?” I took my mother’s hand, my tone gentle. “Mom, I saw everything today. Jones—” The moment I mentioned the surname “Jones,” my mother’s whole body trembled. “Don’t… don’t say anymore!!!” Later, I only left after watching my mother fall asleep.

Julia and I got back together. Under the bizarrely enthusiastic matchmaking of her father. I don’t know if her father said something to her, but Mike started appearing around us less and less. Valentine’s Day arrived. Julia ordered me a huge bouquet of roses. “Thank you!” I naturally wrapped my arm around Julia, then gently kissed her cheek. In the corner of my peripheral vision, Mike was looking in our direction. His lips pressed tight, his eyes red-rimmed. Ha, was he feeling sad watching us from the shadows? My gaze fell on the roses in my hands. I’d told Julia I didn’t like roses. So who liked roses and suggested buying them? “Matthew, I bought two movie tickets for the latest sci-fi blockbuster. Want to go see it?” I cooperatively nodded, my tone gentle: “Sure, you arrange this date however you want.” Julia hugged me happily, smiling like a child. “Matthew, you’re so good to me!” I looked toward where Mike had been standing. He’d turned and left. In the dim theater, Julia went to buy popcorn. I checked the flowers at the front desk. Turning around, I ran into Mike at the corner. Ha, unexpected, yet perfectly reasonable. He was with a group of friends who usually hung out with Julia. “Is this Julia’s boyfriend? He’s gorgeous—like my dream guy!” The group stood opposite us, making a fuss. Mike casually brushed the hair from his forehead. “Matthew, you’re here to see a movie with Julia too? Which showing?” Just then, Julia came back. Both groups compared tickets. What a coincidence—same showing, and our seats were even adjacent. Mike casually took the popcorn from Julia’s hands, then distributed it to the other friends. “We’ll share this popcorn~ The movie’s about to start and we don’t have time to buy any.” The group laughed and walked into the screening room. Julia held the remaining box of popcorn, looking at me cautiously. “Why is Julia looking at me? Let’s go in too. The movie’s starting.” I took her hand and walked inside. The dim lighting hid my eye roll.

I don’t know if it was intentional or coincidence, but Mike’s seat was right next to Julia’s. Mike held the popcorn with a grin. “Hehe, perfect—we can all go to dinner together after the movie.” My gaze drifted vaguely forward. I didn’t want to talk to him. Maybe this movie was the type these people usually liked to watch. By the later part of the film, Julia had gathered with those friends, discussing quietly. And I was yawning from boredom. Seeing them chatting happily, I decided to take a quick nap. Who knew that when I opened my eyes again, even the ending credits had finished playing. Our group walked out. Mike was enthusiastically discussing the plot with Julia. The two got more and more absorbed in conversation, and soon walked far ahead of us. Leaving me with Julia’s friends awkwardly looking at each other behind them. Maybe my silence made everyone think I was upset. Someone searched for jokes to tell me, someone bought me drinks and snacks. “Matthew, don’t take offense. Mike and Julia have known each other so long, their interests and hobbies are pretty similar. Usually when they start talking, they can go on for ages. None of us dare interrupt.” I replied with understanding warmth: “I know. Old friends with a close relationship.” By the time Julia realized she’d left me alone with her friend group, half an hour had passed. She ran back quickly to sincerely apologize. “Matthew, I’m sorry, I—” I waved my hand, cutting off her excuse. “It’s fine, it’s fine. Julia and Mike haven’t seen each other in a while, right? Taking some time to chat is no big deal. I’m not that petty.” I handed the snacks and drinks to the friend group, then intimately linked arms with Julia. “Julia, I’m hungry. Let’s go eat!” I swear, in all my life I’d never used such a gentle tone with anyone. Of course, the effect was excellent! Julia’s face turned completely red. Her friend group was lively, each one quick-witted and never holding back their teasing. Only Mike stood to the side, fists clenched, looking away, not saying a word. Completely different from his talkative, lively demeanor just moments ago.

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After sleeping with my childhood sweetheart once, he insisted on taking responsibility for me. My best friend praised him as a good man. But only I knew that after marriage, he never had sex with me again. He wouldn’t even kiss me. I took the divorce agreement to him, wanting to set him free. Instead, I discovered the porn he kept treasured on his phone—it was footage from the night we first had sex. Turns out he had installed countless hidden cameras at home and was watching me all the time. I never imagined he was that kind of person! And I fucking love it! I immediately threw the divorce agreement into the trash! After sleeping with Ethan Reed once, he said he had to take responsibility for me. We got married. But after the wedding, he never touched me again. I knew he didn’t like me. The morning after, the first thing he did was rush into the bathroom and vomit violently. After throwing up, he showered several times. He thought I was still asleep, but I had woken up long before. He found me dirty—his disgust was plain in his eyes. The only reason he took responsibility… was out of consideration for our childhood-sweetheart history of growing up together. For half a year after marriage, he kept his distance and never touched me. But I have high emotional and physical needs. One time in six months, no kisses, no hugs—I really couldn’t stand it anymore. I didn’t want to make things hard for him, or for myself. There are plenty of men out there—why hang myself on one tree? I went into Ethan’s room and tossed the divorce agreement onto his bed. As I turned to leave, I noticed the phone I had given him. It wasn’t the one he usually used. Curious, I opened it. The screen showed a man and woman naked and tangled together in a highly explicit scene. At first I thought it was regular porn. Then I realized it was me and Ethan. I gasped. He had secretly recorded our first night. In the video, Ethan pinned me against the headboard, his muscles taut and powerful, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead—so damn sexy. I was moaning softly under his teasing, my sounds mixing with his heavy breathing. My face grew hotter, my body burning up. I quickly switched to the next video. It was me on a date with Jake Wade. I fed him food; he bent down to tie my shoelaces but sneaked glances at a big-chested woman behind me. There were also clips of me showering at home, sleeping, even using the toilet. I scrolled through a dozen more—all of them secretly filmed, tracking and watching me. Ethan had been spying on every aspect of my body and my life. I clenched my teeth, slammed the phone down, and picked up the divorce agreement again. I never expected Ethan to be this kind of person. And I fucking love it. Only someone like this can satisfy my high needs. Childhood sweethearts for so many years, yet he pretended to be restrained in front of me. Clearly obsessed with me. I threw the divorce agreement into the trash. I decided to personally peel back the other side of this twisted childhood sweetheart. … That evening, I changed into a black strapless dress, sprayed his cologne, and went to the restaurant. He had originally booked it to celebrate my birthday. At the time I was already planning divorce, so when he invited me out for my birthday, I refused. Ethan, rejected, remained expressionless as always. He stared straight at me for a few seconds, said “Okay,” and walked out. His attitude at that moment only strengthened my resolve to divorce. Who could have guessed that this usually restrained, calm, and rational man was secretly spying on me?

When I arrived at the restaurant, Ethan wasn’t there. Instead, I ran into my ex-boyfriend Jake Wade, Sophie Snow, and a bunch of his good buddies. Seeing me, Jake’s close friend Sam Shaw spoke first. “Lily, birthday with no Jake to keep you company, so you had to come eat all alone? That’s just too pitiful.” Jake glanced at me, then quickly looked away. It was obvious someone had reminded him that today was my birthday. “What’s so strange about it? She’s been on her own since school days. If Jake hadn’t taken pity on her and hung out with her, who would even bother? Always walking around with that cold face like someone owes her millions.” Sophie, arm looped through Jake’s, cut in. Back in school, Sophie had always harbored resentment toward me. She loved messing with people for fun—told Jake to pursue me, then dump me, just to watch me fall apart and enjoy the show. But when Jake actually ended up dating me, she was the one who broke down. After graduation, she became Jake’s secretary, and he couldn’t resist the temptation—he cheated. Jake still wore that same arrogant look. “Lily, you came here on purpose to wait for me, right? Last year for your birthday I brought you to this exact restaurant. Why are you so hung up on it?” He hesitated, then added in a patronizing tone: “Fine. Since it’s your birthday today, come join us and eat. But just this once—don’t wait for me anymore after this.” I ignored him. Seeing Ethan walking toward me from a distance, I smiled. “Who said I was waiting for you? I got tired of you ages ago. I was actually worried I wouldn’t be able to get rid of you—good thing someone else stepped in.” Back when I first realized Sophie and Jake were playing me, I actually felt excited. Getting played while turning the tables on them is way more interesting. I looked up what type Jake liked, acted pitiful and fragile, made him completely addicted to me. Once I had him, it felt boring. When I noticed him getting flirty with Sophie, I quickly broke things off. Afraid that if I waited too long, I wouldn’t be able to dump him. Jake frowned as he watched me walk arm-in-arm with Ethan into the private room. I hadn’t told Ethan I was coming to the dinner, yet he still showed up. While Ethan was ordering food, I deliberately tugged the strapless dress a little lower, making my figure stand out more. “I thought you’d be mad and not show up after I turned you down. Good thing you still came—we really are so in tune with each other.” Ethan’s gaze dropped to my chest for a split second before he awkwardly shifted it back to my face. For one brief moment, I caught a dark, churning shadow rise in the depths of his eyes, but it disappeared in an instant. “I had an appointment to discuss work. I saw you here, so I rescheduled with the other person.” I pressed my lips together. Still pretending. Ethan handed me the birthday gift. It was a very delicate bracelet. I opened it right there and put it on. Ethan said quietly, “It suits you very well.” Then he lowered his head and continued eating. During the meal he mentioned that in two days he’d be going on a business trip for a week and wouldn’t be able to see me, so I should take good care of myself. I smiled inwardly. Isn’t he watching me every single moment already? Suddenly I felt curious—what would happen if I didn’t take good care of myself? After we finished eating and were about to head home, just as I was stepping out, Ethan pulled me back. He draped his suit jacket over me. “You’re dressed very inappropriately today.” I didn’t want to wear it, but his attitude was firm and left no room for argument. He covered up my exposed shoulders completely. Wrapped up tightly like that, I went home. I had thought being in the private room might finally make him show his true colors. Instead, the male waiter next to us looked at me with eyes far more blatant than Ethan’s ever were. Back in my room, I took off Ethan’s suit jacket and stomped on it twice in frustration to vent. Then I noticed my lace underwear fall out of his pocket. My face instantly flushed red-hot. He really knows how to play dangerously!

I stared wide-eyed, hardly able to believe it. Ethan wasn’t just secretly filming me—he was also stealing my intimate clothing. I grabbed his suit jacket along with the lace panties and went to find him. I wanted to see how he would explain this. When I reached his door, it wasn’t fully closed. I heard strange sounds coming from inside, and my name being called. “Lily… Lily…” The voice was deep, sexy, husky. I instantly realized what he was doing. I couldn’t resist peeking through the crack in the door. Ethan was sunk deep into the sofa, shirt unbuttoned and open. His skin flushed with a light pink sheen. My face burned and my heart raced—I didn’t know whether to go in or not. After hesitating for a while, I finally pushed the door open. Ethan saw me and was startled for a split second. Then, face still flushed, he hurriedly paused the video. When he turned to look at me, his usual calm, restrained, almost ascetic expression was back in place. He slowly buttoned his shirt back up perfectly neat. There wasn’t the slightest trace of shame or panic at being caught. “Why didn’t you knock before coming in?” His voice was calm and low. Completely different from how he’d sounded moments ago. “The door wasn’t closed. What were you watching just now? I want to see too.” “Nothing. Just a movie.” “I heard the sounds. It definitely wasn’t a normal movie. Let me watch and learn from it.” “No. It’s not something you should see.” I held the lace panties out in front of him. “Then is this something you should be carrying around in your pocket? If I’m not mistaken, these are mine.” Ethan’s face remained expressionless. “You washed them and they fell on the floor. I picked them up intending to return them to you. Since you’ve seen them, just take them.” “Return them? Then why carry them in your pocket all the time? Besides stealing my underwear, have you stolen anything else?” Ethan lowered his gaze to the floor. “Lily, don’t make trouble out of nothing. I didn’t steal them.” “You didn’t steal them, but you looked at them. These are a girl’s private things. So what’s wrong with me watching a video with you? I can learn from it—might come in handy later.” I sat down on Ethan’s bed, waiting for him to play it for me, while slowly peeling off my stockings. I’d heard men have zero resistance to black stockings. Ethan averted his eyes without a word, then suddenly scooped me up and pushed me out the door. I was so angry I wanted to kick the door down. I’d already sat on his bed and started taking off my stockings, and he still didn’t react. Yet he was willing to get hard watching videos of me. Was the problem with me, or with him? I stared at the closed door and seriously started doubting myself. … Ethan and I grew up as childhood sweethearts. He helped me chase after so many guys. Only after breaking up with Jake did I realize that over all these years, while the people around me kept changing, Ethan was the only one who never left. I wasn’t sure what his feelings for me were. So I told him about my breakup with Jake, wanting to test his reaction. When he heard Jake had cheated on me, he offered to cooperate and pretend to be my boyfriend to make Jake jealous— to make Jake realize my value and come back to win me over. I was furious that he wanted me to reconcile with another man. But I still agreed to his plan. Fake couple turning real isn’t impossible, right? In front of Jake, Ethan would hold my hand while walking, feed me food, wipe my mouth, even kiss the corner of my lips. The kind of nervous excitement I felt with him was something I’d never experienced with any other man. I found the feeling fresh and assumed Ethan liked me too. But the moment Jake was out of sight, he would immediately let go of me, put distance between us, and apologize. His tone was so sincere—it didn’t look like he had any improper thoughts toward me at all. Finally I couldn’t hold back anymore. I asked him to drink with me, planning to confess while drunk. I’d never been timid in front of other men. But with Ethan it was different—I was terrified of rejection. In the heat of the moment I kissed him, and he kissed me back. His voice was hoarse when he said, “I’m sorry.” Then he pressed me down onto the bed. The next day he insisted on taking responsibility, so we got married. After marriage, he treated me very well. He came home early from work. Grocery shopping and cooking were all on him. Whatever I wanted, he bought it. Even things I only glanced at twice and didn’t plan to buy would eventually appear at home. You could say he was extremely good to me. Except he refused to have sex with me. Not even the most basic hugs or kisses.

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My mom has bipolar disorder, but ever since my dad committed suicide because of her, her moods have actually gotten better. What I didn’t expect was that she’d have an episode on my wedding day. When my husband offered her a toast, she pulled out a dagger and plunged it straight into his heart. Before we could even react, she killed my in-laws too. When I demanded to know why, all she said was, “You should die too.” With those words, she pushed me off the edge. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the wedding. This time I grabbed my husband and in-laws and got them away from her as quickly as possible. Just when I thought being reborn had changed everything, my mom came looking for us. The same words again: “You all deserve to die.” We died by her hand once more. And I was reborn for the third time. This time I was back at the wedding scene again, and I finally understood why my mom wanted to kill us all. “Mom, don’t…” I opened my eyes and screamed at my mom, then grabbed my husband and rushed off the stage. My husband looked at me in confusion, but I kept my eyes locked on my mom. Meeting her furious gaze, I confirmed this was my third rebirth. “Let’s go, we’re leaving. We don’t need this wedding. Let’s go right now.” I’d escaped once before. I was sure I could do it again this time. But we’d barely taken two steps when I saw my mom smile in the direction of my in-laws’ seats. Before I could react, I heard screaming from the crowd. “Ahhh…” The next instant, the ceiling light came crashing down. By sheer coincidence, it landed right on top of my in-laws. My husband froze, standing there in shock for what felt like forever. The sudden turn of events left me stunned too. This was different from the previous two times, but I was certain it still had something to do with my mom. Because right then, instead of running out scared like everyone else, she was heading toward my in-laws. Seeing how furious she looked, I could easily imagine that if they weren’t dead, she would kill them herself. At that thought, I rushed over to my in-laws in long strides, while shouting at my husband, “What are you standing there for? Call 911! Get them to the hospital!” As I spoke, I looked at my mom. “Mom, can’t you just leave us alone?” “What nonsense are you talking?” My mom shot me an indignant look, then turned to my husband. “Nathan, call the police quickly.” “Yes, yes.” My husband finally snapped back to his senses. While he made the call, I kept staring at my mom. She seemed perfectly normal, but the moment I turned my head, I saw her watching us with a sinister expression. “Mom, why?” “Why what?” My mom looked at me with hurt in her eyes, tears about to fall. “I raised you all these years just so you could interrogate me on such an important day?” The moment our eyes met, I hesitated too. My mom was still my mom, but I’d died three times—could it really all be just hallucinations? Before I could say anything, my husband pulled at me in displeasure. “Of all times, why are you interrogating Mom? This was an accident. What does it have to do with her?” “Go calm down the guests. I’ll wait here for the ambulance.” Knowing my husband was there, I felt a bit more at ease. So I turned to see off the guests. Halfway through, I looked back and saw my husband wasn’t by my in-laws’ side—only my mom was there. She had a knife in her hand, pointed at my father-in-law’s chest. I was dumbstruck. “No, don’t…”

I rushed over to my mom with quick reflexes, pushing her to the ground without a second thought. “Ahh…” My mom hit the ground hard. I didn’t even look at her, just immediately checked on my in-laws. Only after confirming they were okay did I breathe a sigh of relief. But when I looked up, I met my husband’s grief-stricken expression. “Mia, what the hell are you doing?” Nathan shook his head at me in disappointment, then helped my mom up. “Mom, are you alright?” My mom shook her head pitifully. “No, I’m fine.” When I looked at my mom again, there was no knife in her hand—just a belt. “Mia, I just saw your mother-in-law bleeding and wanted to help stop it. What on earth are you doing?” This time my mom actually cried. “From earlier until now, you’ve been acting paranoid. What exactly are you guarding against?” “I raised you all these years just for you to treat me like this?” “Do you think I’m trying to hurt you?” Meeting my mom’s devastated eyes, I truly didn’t know what to say. The knife—where did it go? Why was it gone? My mom was wearing a formal dress. If she really had a knife, there’d be nowhere to hide it. Was it just my panicked reaction? Just as I thought this, the ambulance arrived. Nathan quickly got my in-laws onto the ambulance, then looked at me and my mom. “Mia, take Mom home.” “Okay.” I came back to my senses and nodded at Nathan, then watched them leave. After things were settled at the hotel, I finally remembered about my mom. But I couldn’t find her anywhere. Though I kept dying at my mom’s hands, she had raised me all these years. Not being able to find her, I was still somewhat worried. So I called my mom’s phone, but it showed she was on another call. With no other choice, I kept searching. When I got to the waiting room door, I happened to hear my mom’s voice. I was about to push the door open when I heard my mom say, “Don’t worry. Even if they don’t die, they’ll be disabled. I’ll make my move when I visit them.” “No need. I’ll do it myself.” “Mia is already suspicious of me. We might as well get rid of her first.” At those words, a chill ran down my spine. Yes, yes, that was right. This was the mom from my past life. She was still the person determined to kill us all. I quickly turned and ran. As I passed where my in-laws had been earlier, I finally saw the knife. No wonder I couldn’t find it—my mom had hidden it under the table. I barely made it to the car before I could breathe again. I pulled out my phone to tell my husband to take good care of my in-laws, but the car door opened. It was my mom. She smiled coldly. “Planning to leave on your own?” “No, no! I was just about to call you!” My panic made me stumble over my words. My mom calmly settled into the passenger seat. “Drive.” Compared to my panic, my mom was much more composed. I didn’t know when she would strike, so I was extremely nervous. Yet my mom kept scolding me for ruining our wedding. “Actually, if you didn’t want to marry Nathan, you could have told me. There was no need to make such a mess of things.” My mom’s questioning gaze bore into me. I instantly felt guilty.

Of course I wanted to marry Nathan. Though we hadn’t been dating long, I truly loved him deeply. So when my mom had asked me, “Do you really need to get married so soon?” I had nodded very firmly. My mom had frowned. “Alright, if you’ve thought it through, I won’t stand in your way.” But then the accident happened at the wedding. Those bloody scenes still haunted me. I’d even died three times and still hadn’t found the reason. So I asked my mom back, “Mom, do you not want me to marry Nathan?” “It’s not about wanting or not wanting. Since you like him, then go ahead and get married.” My mom’s bland response gave me no insight into her true feelings. Finally, I got my mom home safely. After she got out, she asked me, “Stay here tonight?” “No, I need to go to the hospital to check on them.” “Alright. I’ll bring you lunch tomorrow.” “No need, Mom. You’ve worked hard these past few days. We can manage. I’ll call you if we need anything!” After speaking, I looked at my mom nervously. Only when she nodded did I relax. I quickly drove to the hospital. By then, my in-laws were already out of surgery. The doctor said they weren’t in life-threatening danger, but needed to stay for observation. Their injuries were serious though—at least a month in the hospital. My in-laws had already taken their medication and were asleep. When my husband saw me, he pulled me directly into the hospital corridor. “Mia, don’t you have anything to say?” “Say what?” I didn’t know what Nathan was asking about. But he got angry. “A perfectly good wedding ruined like this, my parents injured—don’t you think you owe an explanation?” “I…” Seeing Nathan so angry, I hesitated for a long time. Finally, I looked up at Nathan seriously. “Do you trust me?” “Of course. As long as you tell me the truth, I’ll trust you.” “Okay. My mom wants to kill us…” I didn’t mention being reborn. I just said I’d had a dream that was exactly like what happened today. And at the end of the dream, my mom wanted to kill us all. After hearing my words, Nathan froze completely, unable to react for a long time. I knew this sounded absurd, but I felt I had to say it. After what felt like forever, Nathan nodded at me. “Alright, then we’ll…” “Mia, you’re not making all this up because you want to back out of the marriage, are you?” I couldn’t believe it. Of all times, that’s what he was thinking about. I quickly raised my hand and swore. Nathan reluctantly believed me. From that day on, we tried to avoid contact with my mom as much as possible. My strategy was simple: until we figured out how to break this cycle of my mom wanting to kill us, we shouldn’t provoke her. If she could kill us three times, she could certainly kill us a fourth. Just to be safe, Nathan and I agreed to take turns watching over my in-laws at the hospital. We weren’t counting on my mom’s help. Several times my mom wanted to visit the hospital, but I turned her down. Half a month passed like this, and both Nathan and I were exhausted. Running between home and the hospital every day, unable to focus on work—finally, when I went home to cook that day, Nathan couldn’t take it anymore. But he didn’t contact me. Instead, he answered a call from my mom.

When I arrived at the hospital with food, my in-laws weren’t in the room. An ominous premonition washed over me. I quickly called Nathan. “Where did you take Mom and Dad?” “I’m at the office. Mom and Dad aren’t in the room?” “You’re at the office? Nathan, have you lost your mind? I told you someone had to be in the room at all times…” I lost it. Nathan’s words became jumbled too. “Your mom went over there.” “My mom?” My voice got even louder. Nathan went silent, but I could hear his breathing getting heavier. “Nathan, you’re absolutely insane…” He’d said he believed me. I’d actually thought he believed me. I didn’t say anything more and quickly hung up. Then I frantically tried to contact my mom, but she wouldn’t answer my calls. From the hospital security footage, I saw that ten minutes ago, my mom had walked out of the hospital with them. I quickly drove home, but they weren’t there. With no choice, I called the police. When the police and I found my mom, she was shopping for groceries at the market. Meanwhile, the hospital called to say my in-laws were back in their room. Seeing me arrive with the police, my mom was devastated. “Mia, you…” My mom fainted from anger. We all ended up at the hospital together. Nathan came too. According to my in-laws, my mom had just taken them home for a bath. The reason she hadn’t answered her phone was that the battery had died. After learning I’d called the police, Nathan thought I was sick. He even said, “You know, I almost believed you…” I couldn’t miss the blame in his tone. And after my in-laws learned I suspected my mom of wanting to kill them, they looked at me strangely. In that instant, I felt like I’d become some kind of heinous criminal. I didn’t even know what to say to defend myself. Nathan told me to calm down, so I left first. Early the next morning, I went to my mom’s room first. She wasn’t there. Right after, I heard Nathan’s heart-wrenching screams. I rushed over to see my father-in-law was already dead. My mother-in-law was lying on him, crying. My heart sank. Was it my mom? The police came that day but determined my father-in-law had simply died of a heart attack. And my mom hadn’t been to their room at all that day. After the police left, my mom shook her head at me in disappointment. “You still suspect I killed your father-in-law? Mia, I don’t have a daughter like you anymore.” Nathan was tired too. “Mia, I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but I need to handle my dad’s funeral. I really don’t have time for this.” With no choice, I stopped saying anything. For the next few days, Nathan handled his father’s funeral while I stayed at the hospital to watch over my mother-in-law. During this time, my mom was discharged. We completely stopped talking. I thought this time would be different. But on the third day, when Nathan came to the room, I had fallen asleep, and my mother-in-law had stopped breathing. “Mia, tell me what’s going on.” “How did my mom die?” I was completely dazed. I’d been watching the room these past few days. I was sure no one had come in. And I’d only been asleep for five minutes at most. The nurse testified that no one had entered. But my mother-in-law was dead. My mom came too. Seeing my mother-in-law dead, she was visibly relieved. I instantly caught the meaning in her eyes and rushed over to confront her. “It was you, wasn’t it? Why are you doing this? Why did you kill them? How did you do it?” Faced with my interrogation, my mom just shook her head helplessly. And Nathan looked at me like I was crazy. I desperately tried to expose my mom’s crimes, so I grabbed her sleeve and started pulling her outside. But because I used too much force, I tore my mom’s clothes. Instantly, I saw a scar on my mom’s arm. In that moment, countless images flooded my mind. Tears fell as well. Seeing me like this, my mom smiled. She smiled and then cried. “You remember?” And in that moment, I finally understood why my mom wanted to kill us.

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I was seven months pregnant, but my husband Ethan kept making detours every day to drive his female coworker to work. “Just take an Uber to the office yourself. Charlotte doesn’t drive, and the subway is inconvenient for her. I need to give her a ride.” Watching him rush out the door yet again to pick her up, I blocked his way: “Is a coworker really more important than the safety of me and our baby?” Ethan’s face showed irritation: “She’s the CEO’s niece. I can’t afford to offend her. It’s not like I’m not giving you money for an Uber. Can’t you just be understanding about my situation?” My morning sickness, my swelling, my sleepless nights—who cared about my difficulties? In a fit of anger, with my belly protruding, I went straight to his company lobby and made an announcement over the PA system: “Miss Charlotte, hello. I’m Ethan’s wife.” “He’s been picking you up and dropping you off every day, making my commute in the third trimester extremely difficult. Could you please be considerate and get to work on your own?” 1 The moment the words landed, the lobby fell into dead silence. Ethan burst out of the elevator and grabbed my wrist: “Victoria, what the hell are you doing?” I gasped at the pain but didn’t struggle. Charlotte followed behind him. When she saw me, her eyelashes trembled, and her eyes instantly reddened. “Ethan, is this because of me?” “This has nothing to do with you.” Ethan didn’t even turn around, just stared at me intently. “You go upstairs first.” “But she…” Charlotte took half a step forward with a fake apology. “I’m sorry, this is all my fault.” “Had enough of the performance?” I cut her off. “Every morning at seven, he makes a twenty-minute detour to pick you up. I ask him to come with me to prenatal appointments, and he says he needs to take you to meet clients. Now you cry a few tears, and he thinks I’m the one causing problems. Charlotte, don’t you have any shame?” Someone in the crowd gasped. Ethan’s face turned livid: “Victoria! Charlotte is the niece of the CEO, Mr. Harrison. Taking care of her is Mr. Harrison’s instruction! Can’t you be reasonable?” “Did Mr. Harrison tell you to pick her up and drop her off every day?” I shot back with a smile. “Did Mr. Harrison tell you to change your phone password to her birthday? Did Mr. Harrison tell you to get her perfume on your shirt collar?” His Adam’s apple bobbed. He couldn’t speak. Charlotte’s tears fell one by one onto the floor: “Victoria, you’ve misunderstood. Ethan and I are completely innocent…” “Innocent?” I pulled out photos from my bag and threw them at Ethan’s chest. The photos scattered all over the floor. Screenshots from the dashcam, with time and location, crystal clear. Charlotte in the passenger seat, smiling like a flower. “These past three months, you’ve picked her up and dropped her off sixty-seven times.” My voice was calm. “Twenty-three of those times, you stayed parked in front of her building for over half an hour. The longest was two hours and seven minutes. Ethan, tell me, what were you two talking about in the car all that time?” Dead silence. Ethan stared at the photos, his lips trembling. Charlotte suddenly rushed over and grabbed my arm: “Victoria, please don’t do this.” I shook off her hand—not with much force, but she dramatically fell backward, screaming as she hit the floor. “Victoria, what are you doing!” Ethan rushed over to help her up, his eyes looking like he wanted to kill me. Charlotte leaned against him, tears streaming down her face: “Don’t blame Victoria. I just didn’t stand steady.” Watching this scene, I suddenly laughed out loud. “Nice performance.” I clapped. “But unfortunately…” Before I could finish, Ethan suddenly let go of Charlotte and stepped right in front of me. “Slap!” The crisp sound of the slap echoed through the lobby. I froze, my cheek burning with pain. Shocked exclamations came from all around. “Have you caused enough trouble!” he roared, his eyes bloodshot. “Are you not satisfied until you’ve destroyed my career!” My ears were ringing, and the world seemed to lose all sound in that moment. I looked at his furious face—that face that once smiled at me tenderly—and suddenly it felt so unfamiliar. Tears finally broke free, not from the pain, but because my heart had died. The elevator doors opened. I walked in and pressed the close button. In the final second, I saw Ethan holding Charlotte, looking at me with complicated eyes. As the elevator descended, the person in the mirror had bloodshot eyes. I told myself, hold on, Victoria. For the baby’s sake, just hold on a little longer. Once she’s safely born, we’ll leave. Leave forever. My phone buzzed. Ethan had transferred $5,000 with the note: Stop making a scene. Come home. I accepted it. Since I couldn’t get love, I might as well get money. Walking out of the building, the sunlight was blinding. I raised my hand to shield my eyes and suddenly remembered many years ago. He rode his bike carrying me through the shade of plane trees. The wind was gentle, and he said: “Victoria, I’ll always be good to you.” Forever turned out to be so short. 2 After that day, Ethan stopped picking up and dropping off Charlotte—at least not in ways that I knew about. We rarely spoke, like strangers living under the same roof. I focused on preparing the hospital bag, organizing baby supplies, scheduling prenatal checkups. Every kick from the baby made me more determined to leave. Until that night. Ethan stumbled onto the bed reeking of alcohol. The strong smell of liquor mixed with unfamiliar perfume made me nauseous. “Ethan,” I pushed him, “go take a shower.” He mumbled an “mm-hmm” but didn’t move. I turned on the light to wake him, but my gaze froze on his neck. A small, fresh red mark. My mind went blank for a few seconds. I reached out, my fingertip touching that patch of skin—it was still warm. The touch woke Ethan. He opened his eyes groggily: “What…” “What’s this?” My voice was trembling. He touched his neck in confusion, then his whole body stiffened. The alcohol had worn off. He sat up abruptly, his eyes darting around. “It’s a mosquito bite!” “Mosquitoes in winter?” I questioned shakily. “Ethan, your eyes drift to the right when you lie.” His mouth opened, but no sound came out. “Was it Charlotte?” I asked with terrifying calmness. “No!” He grabbed my hand urgently. “Victoria, listen to me. Tonight Mr. Harrison hosted a birthday party. I drank too much, and when she helped me, it was an accident.” “An accident that left such an intense mark?” “It really was an accident!” His eyes reddened. “I swear, you’re the only one in my heart. Please believe me…” I looked into his eyes, full of panic and guilt, but no honesty. Seven years. I knew him too well. “Let’s get divorced,” I said. He froze like someone had hit pause, staring at me motionlessly. After a long time, he finally squeezed out words: “What… did you say?” “I said, let’s get divorced.” I enunciated each word. “Are you crazy!” He grabbed my shoulders. “Just because of a mark? Victoria, Charlotte and I have nothing going on! I drive her to and from work, accompany her to business events—it’s all for work!” “So you let her leave her mark on your neck?” I laughed. “Ethan, are you treating me like a fool, or yourself?” “Then what do you want me to do!” He suddenly shouted, eyes bloodshot. “Get on my knees and apologize? Write a guarantee? Victoria, I’m tired enough of acting like a doormat at work—you’re going to push me at home too?” So my waiting, my patience, enduring morning sickness and prenatal checkups alone—all of that was me pushing him. “Fine,” I nodded, throwing off the covers to get out of bed. “Then I won’t push anymore.” The moment my feet touched the floor, my lower abdomen suddenly tightened, like a hand viciously twisting my insides. I let out a muffled groan and had to lean against the wall to keep from collapsing. “What’s wrong?” Ethan finally noticed something was off. “Nothing.” I gritted my teeth. “I won’t die.” But the pain grew fiercer. I bent over, my forehead pressed against the cold wall. “Victoria!” Ethan rushed over to support me. “Why is your face so pale?” His phone rang at that moment. Charlotte’s name flashed glaringly on the screen. He glanced at it, then at me, his fingers trembling slightly. “Answer it,” I said through the pain. “Maybe she also has a stomachache and needs you to take her to the hospital.” “Don’t be like this…” He held his phone, at a loss. When the phone rang for the third time, he finally answered: “Hello? What’s wrong?” “Don’t cry, speak slowly… You fell? How bad is it? Okay, I’ll be right there.” He turned to look at me, his expression conflicted: “Charlotte fell down the stairs. Her leg might be fractured. She lives alone…” “Go ahead,” I cut him off. “She’s more important than me and the baby. I know.” “That’s not what I mean! Wait for me, I’ll take her to the hospital and come right back…” “Don’t bother.” I looked into his eyes. “Ethan, we’re done.” 3 He stood there, looking at me, then at his phone. Finally he said: “Wait for me half an hour. I’ll be right back to take you to the hospital!” He rushed out the door, didn’t even change his shoes. The security door slammed shut with a “bang” that shook the entire place. I slid down the wall to sit on the floor as warm liquid gushed out between my legs. My phone had fallen into the corner earlier. I crawled over and shakily dialed 91

Another wave of intense pain hit, my vision went dark, and the phone slipped from my hand. All I could hear was my own hoarse cry for help: “Save me… and my baby…” The ambulance siren tore through the silence of the early morning. When they lifted me onto the stretcher, everything beneath me was already soaked. The contractions came in waves, as if trying to tear me apart. The nurse pushed the gurney at full speed, the wheels screeching against the floor. “Family! Where’s the family!” the nurse shouted as she ran. I opened my mouth but couldn’t make a sound. The delivery room doors opened and closed. I was moved onto the operating table, my legs raised. After the examination, the doctor’s face grew grave: “The cervix is dilating too fast. Premature birth. The fetus is too small. We need family to sign the surgical consent form!” “I’ll… sign it myself…” My consciousness was fading from the pain, but my hand desperately clutched the doctor’s sleeve. “That won’t work. It must be immediate family!” The nurse panicked. “Where’s your husband? Phone number!” They retrieved Ethan’s number from my broken phone. The long dial tone, then his lowered voice: “Victoria? I’m in the ER. Charlotte has a fracture and needs surgery. I can’t leave…” “This is the maternity ward!” the nurse interrupted him. “Your wife is having a premature birth with severe hemorrhaging. She needs immediate surgery! Please come sign the papers right now!” A few seconds of silence, then he said: “I… I really can’t leave right now. Charlotte also needs a family member to sign, and her uncle hasn’t arrived yet…” “Can Victoria sign herself?” The nurse froze and looked at me. I closed my eyes, my voice ice cold: “Tell him to go to hell.” The call ended. I took the consent form and pen, my hand shaking too much to write. The nurse held my hand and guided it stroke by stroke to write “Victoria.” The surgical lights came on, so bright they made me cry. “She’s out!” the doctor called. No crying. My heart jumped to my throat. A few seconds later, a weak cry sounded. “It’s a girl. Premature. She’s going to the ICU.” The nurse brought the baby to my face. “Take a look.” She was so tiny, all wrinkled, eyes closed, her little mouth quivering as she cried. I reached out, my fingertip just touching her warm skin before she was carried away. “Baby…” I called out hoarsely. The incubator door closed, shutting out all sound. I spent two hours of post-op observation alone in the recovery room. As the anesthesia wore off, the incision burned with pain. The door opened. Ethan rushed in, hair disheveled, eyes red. “Victoria!” He lunged to the bedside trying to grab my hand. “I’m sorry, I came too late…” I pulled my hand away and looked at him. He’d changed clothes, but the red mark on his neck was still there. “Is her surgery done?” I asked quietly. He stiffened and nodded: “Yeah. Her uncle arrived, so I rushed over… Where’s the baby?” “Incubator.” I said. “Premature. Lungs underdeveloped. She might not survive.” His face instantly turned deathly pale: “How could… what did the doctor say?” “The doctor said family needed to sign.” I looked into his eyes. “But you couldn’t sign earlier, could you?” “Victoria, I didn’t mean…” “Ethan,” I interrupted him. “Do you know what I was thinking when my water broke?” He shook his head, tears falling. “I was thinking,” I said slowly, “if I died today, would you regret choosing to take her to the hospital instead of me.” “Don’t say that…” He choked up. “You won’t die, and neither will the baby…” “But we already did die.” I turned to look at the ceiling. “From the moment you rushed out that door, the Victoria who loved you for seven years died.” The nurse came in to wheel me to the ward. Ethan tried to follow but was stopped at the door. “Family members need to handle admission procedures,” the nurse said coldly. He stood there bewildered, at a loss. On the seventh day, the baby was taken off the respirator. The nurse said it was good news, but seeing the IV catheter in her little wrist, my heart still ached. That afternoon, Ethan came. He stood outside the glass looking in for ten minutes, then said to me: “I’ve thought of a name. Let’s call her Lily.” “Her last name is Morgan,” I said. He froze: “What?” “Her name is Hope Morgan. Nickname Hope.” I repeated. “My daughter. She takes my last name.” “You really want to do this?” He frowned. “The child belongs to both of us.” “She belongs to me alone.” I cut him off. “Did you sign the papers? Were you there during the surgery? How much time have you spent with her these seven days?” He was speechless. I handed him the divorce agreement: “Sign it. I get custody, you pay child support, and we split the assets fifty-fifty.”

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The night before our engagement party, I discovered my boyfriend Adrian kept recordings from his first night with his childhood sweetheart, even the bloodstained sheets. When I confronted him through tears, his response was ice-cold: “I just had too much to drink that night. Vanessa gave me her first time—I need to take responsibility for her.” At the engagement party, when I tried to call off the wedding, Vanessa deliberately spiked my drink with formaldehyde. I vomited all over the floor in front of everyone, but Adrian only had eyes for Vanessa’s bleeding hand. “She’s the one who got hurt, and you’re still putting on this act!” He rushed his childhood friend to the hospital, leaving me alone on the floor in that mess. Fine then. I’ll let you two have each other. Later, as I walked toward another man in a pure white wedding dress, Adrian knelt at my feet with a diamond ring: “Ella, please give me one more chance.” Watching Adrian’s determined figure walk away, I picked up my phone and called my mom: “Mom, I’m willing to marry Theo.” “Oh sweetheart, I know you’ve been wronged. I’ll arrange the wedding right away.” Before the engagement party even ended, an ambulance took me to the hospital for a stomach pump. The burning sensation in my mouth and throat kept assaulting my nerves. After giving my mom instructions through the pain, she immediately had someone notify the Richardson family to set a date for our wedding. Theo had been pursuing me for five years, proposing to me every birthday. But back then, my heart only had room for Adrian. I never accepted his affection. Even though I’d decided to leave, my heart still ached unbearably. I smiled bitterly and shook my head. Better a short pain than a long one. I’d get used to it. After the stomach pump, I was lying weakly in the hospital bed when the door suddenly burst open. Adrian rushed in with red-eyed Vanessa. “Ella Hayes, how long are you going to keep pretending to be sick?” “Vanessa just grabbed the wrong glass—what gives you the right to make her kneel and apologize to you!” His whole body radiated hostility, veins bulging on his face like a lion pushed to the edge of fury. “When did I ever tell her to kneel?” “Still making excuses.” He shoved Vanessa’s phone in my face. After seeing the message on the screen, my eyes went wide. “I never sent this.” I pulled out my phone to show him the chat history, but he slapped it out of my hand. “Who else could it be!” He wouldn’t listen to my explanation at all, throwing my phone violently to the side. In that moment, I suddenly didn’t want to explain anymore. He always took Vanessa’s side anyway, using the sharpest words to wound me. Whether I did it or not didn’t matter anymore. “Adrian, it’s all my fault. I’ll kneel and apologize to Ella.” Vanessa, her hand wrapped in bandages, held back the furious Adrian and bent down as if to kneel. “Ella, are you done with this tantrum!” Adrian pulled her up immediately, and Vanessa nestled in his arms, tears falling like broken pearls. “Adrian, it’s okay. Every time Ella gets angry, I’m the one who apologizes first anyway. As long as Ella feels better, that’s all that matters.” Adrian tenderly wiped the moisture from the corner of her eyes, then turned to me with uncontrollable rage. “Ella, I already told you that night was just an accident. Why do you keep making things difficult for Vanessa!” “If you’re angry, take it out on me, but if you bully Vanessa again, I won’t let you get away with it!”

Watching him desperately protect Vanessa, the pain in my heart spread to every organ. Five years together, and he made a vow in front of my father’s memorial photo, saying he would take care of me for life. After that, Adrian really did treat me with meticulous care. Even my mom praised him constantly, saying he was a man worth entrusting my life to. We had agreed that once I finished mourning my father, we would get married. But then I found the recording and bloodstained sheets from his first night with Vanessa hidden in the closet. In that moment, my world collapsed. Adrian, you never touched alcohol—how could you lose control while drunk? So our thousand-plus days and nights together couldn’t compare to one night of pleasure with her? My throat burned with pain. Overwhelmed by grief, I couldn’t help vomiting all over the bed. Adrian’s furious expression changed, and he frowned with some concern. “Ella, are you really not feeling well?” I didn’t want to answer him. Everything spun around me. In the last second before losing consciousness, I saw him rush over to catch me. Suddenly, I felt a sense of relief. This kind of life would finally be over soon. “Ella, you’re finally awake. It’s all my fault for not being by your side when you had this accident.” When I woke up, my mom sat by the hospital bed, haggard, worriedly holding my hand. I smiled at her and told her to go home and rest properly. The nurse was here watching me—nothing serious. As soon as my mom left, Adrian rushed in accusing me: “The doctor said your condition isn’t serious. Why did you pretend to faint?” “Do you know Vanessa’s wound reopened because she was so worried about you? Ella, I never thought you’d become so manipulative!” I looked silently at Adrian, suddenly losing the strength to defend myself. Whenever Vanessa got hurt, it was always somehow my fault. What was the point of explaining? Disheartened, I thought of all our memories together. He once said I was the most innocent and kind girl in the world, that he would cherish and protect me forever. But after Vanessa appeared, he started taking her side without limits, stabbing my heart again and again with the cruelest words. Three people in love was too crowded. I was truly exhausted. If that’s how it is, then I’ll let you two have each other. After Adrian left, I lay exhausted in the hospital bed and made a call. “Mom, have you picked a wedding date?” “Ella, Theo’s coming back from abroad at the end of this month. Let’s set the wedding for early next month.” “Okay.” I put down my phone and fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up, my phone was flooded with messages. “Ella, Adrian is so romantic. After all these years, he’s still devoted to you.” “I’m so jealous, Ella. You must be the happiest woman in Northbridge today.” Confused, I opened my social media. Adrian had set off a huge display of pink fireworks by the river. But the woman he was holding in the video wasn’t me—it looked exactly like Vanessa. Under the blooming sky, they kissed intimately. I smiled bitterly and closed the video. This firework display called “Ella’s Crossing” was named after me by Adrian. He said he would only make it bloom for me in this lifetime. The fireworks bloomed in the night sky over the river, and my friends all thought he was trying to please me.

But I knew that neither the fireworks nor Adrian belonged to me alone anymore. “Ella, Adrian put so much effort into this for you. You absolutely can’t let him down.” I laughed coldly. Who was letting whom down? In front of others, he always played the model boyfriend. Even when we fought, people would only think I was throwing a tantrum. Suppressing the bitterness in my heart, I replied in the comments: “The fireworks are beautiful. Hope you guys have fun.” In the blink of an eye, that comment disappeared. Adrian, so you do have some shame after all. The nurse came in to tell me it was time for nebulizer treatment. Before she could set up the equipment, my phone rang urgently. “Ella, Vanessa was just starting to feel better. Why did you comment that? Are you deliberately trying to upset her?” I coughed heavily a few times, my voice bleak: “I was wishing you both well. What more do you want?” He paused for a few seconds before his voice came through again, “Fine, I can let this slide.” “But you have to apologize to her. Vanessa didn’t do anything wrong.” I let out a muffled laugh, closed my eyes, and my voice returned to calm. “Apologize? I didn’t do anything wrong. Why should I apologize? Why should I take the blame for something I didn’t do?” I had already compromised to the extreme, but in Adrian’s eyes, I was still the one at fault. Choked by my words, Adrian was momentarily speechless. After hesitating for a few seconds, he still put down harsh words with a firm attitude. “Ella, I used to tolerate your tantrums, but Vanessa is different. She gave me her first time—I have a responsibility to protect her.” “If I catch you deliberately bullying Vanessa again, I won’t be nice about it!” He hung up. I lowered my eyes mockingly, my heart desolate. She gave you her first time—but didn’t I spend my best five years with you? My phone vibrated. Vanessa had posted something new: “Thank you for protecting me. Giving you my first night made me so happy.” In the photo, the two of them were lying in a trailer. Vanessa’s bare shoulders showed little red marks, her face flushed as she nestled in Adrian’s arms. What had happened was obvious. I fought down my nausea and blocked both Adrian and Vanessa’s feeds. I thought I’d feel terrible like before, but now I actually felt somewhat relieved. After leaving the hospital, I went home and packed my things, planning to move back to the Hayes house. Adrian walked in holding Vanessa’s hand. The jade necklace my father left me was hanging around Vanessa’s neck. “Vanessa, who gave you permission to touch my things!” Blood rushed to my head instantly. I tried to grab back the necklace, but Adrian blocked me with his hand. “Ella, what are you yelling about? Vanessa just borrowed it temporarily. Is this reaction really necessary?” He frowned impatiently, shielding Vanessa behind him. “Adrian, you know how important this necklace is to me. Why did you take it without asking me?” My voice trembled uncontrollably. This was my father’s last keepsake, my final spiritual anchor. Adrian froze for a moment, his eyes evasive. “Ella, it’s all my fault. I’ll return it to you right now.” Vanessa carefully removed the necklace. As she handed it to me, she whispered in my ear: “Ella, guess who Adrian will side with?” Her hand shook, and the necklace fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” Vanessa’s eyes glistened with tears as she frantically tried to pick up the necklace. “Don’t touch it!” My sanity finally snapped. In rage, I raised my hand and slapped Vanessa across the face. “Ella, you’ve gone too far! It’s just a necklace—what are you so crazy about!” Adrian tenderly cupped Vanessa’s swollen face and pushed me away.

I stumbled back a few steps, holding back the heartache, and looked up with tears in my eyes. “Adrian, have you forgotten the oath you made in front of my father’s memorial photo?” Back then, he knelt before my father’s memorial tablet and swore he would never let me suffer any grievances. Now, for Vanessa’s sake, he let her destroy my most precious possession. In just three years, this relationship had changed beyond recognition. Adrian’s eyes flashed with reluctance, but looking at Vanessa crying her heart out in his arms, he still scolded me coldly. “Ella, I know you’re upset, but can’t you be more mature? I have a responsibility to Vanessa. I can’t just ignore her.” “Let’s postpone the wedding. We’ll talk about it after Vanessa recovers.” He left those harsh words and took Vanessa to the hospital. I picked up the shattered necklace from the floor and left the Shaw house without looking back. Adrian, why bother postponing? I’m not going to marry you anyway. With only two weeks until the wedding, the Hayes household was checking off wedding preparations, sending invitations, and hosting dinners. Everyone was too busy to catch their breath. After helping my mom finish organizing, I was about to rest when Adrian called. “Ella, why aren’t you home? Where did you go so late?” “I’m at the Hayes house.” “Over such a small disagreement, you run back to the Hayes house to complain?” “Stop this nonsense and come back. Vanessa already knows she was wrong.” Adrian’s tone carried some dissatisfaction, still thinking I was sulking over the necklace incident. “I’m not making a fuss. Weren’t you worried I’d bully Vanessa? Now I’m gone—no one will bully her.” Adrian fell silent for a few seconds, his tone slightly angry. “Ella, why have you become so unreasonable? Vanessa’s hand hasn’t healed yet. Are you deliberately trying to make her feel guilty?” I laughed mockingly. “What does her injured hand have to do with me? Didn’t you say you had a responsibility to take care of her? Then take good care of her.” Adrian, why have I become like this? Don’t you know? Every time we had a conflict, you never considered my feelings, taking Vanessa’s side without limits. Our five years together never mattered as much to you as making Vanessa happy. Well then, I don’t want you anymore either. I hung up, took a comfortable bath, and finally could let down all my defenses and sleep peacefully. The next day at my follow-up appointment, the doctor said my liver, kidneys, and digestive system had recovered well—nothing serious. Walking out of the consultation room, I ran into Vincent accompanying Vanessa for her checkup. “Ella, last time was my fault. Don’t be angry anymore—Adrian was so worried about you he couldn’t sleep last night.” “You two spent last night together?” Realizing her slip, Vanessa tried to explain in a panic. “I had Vanessa stay at our place. Her hand is injured—it’s not convenient for a girl to live alone.” “Ella, you should stop being angry. We’re getting married soon. Suddenly living apart—what will people think?” Even now, he was worried about people misunderstanding Vanessa as the other woman. I didn’t even have the energy to argue anymore. I said coldly: “No need. I have things to do. I’m leaving.” “Ella, how long are you going to keep this up!” I had just turned around when Adrian grabbed my neck from behind…

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My mom was obsessed with doing stand-up. At my wedding reception, she snatched the mic and unleashed a barrage of jokes. “Honestly, I admire my new son-in-law. He’s a quiet, honest man. He knew my daughter wasn’t a virgin, yet he still agreed to marry her!” “I wonder if he’ll be so understanding when he finds out my daughter gives birth to a baby that looks nothing like him?” Immediately, a ripple of shock spread through the hall. My fiancé and his family broke off the engagement on the spot, storming out in a rage. I became the target of everyone’s scrutiny, and no amount of explanation helped. Seeing that she’d completely ruined the happy occasion, my mom grumbled, “Honestly, how narrow-minded! They just don’t understand the art of offense!” My dad, Richard, and my brother, Noah, both nodded in agreement. “Exactly, how can someone with such a narrow mind achieve anything great?” “Good riddance! But we’re not returning the wedding money; it’s for Noah’s future wife.” Only I was left shattered. Under the accusing stares of the crowd, I jumped to my death. When I opened my eyes again, watching my mom, Brenda, spew her nonsense, I gave a cold laugh. The art of offense, huh? I could play that game too!

“First, let me share a little secret with everyone: my daughter hasn’t been a virgin for a long time.” “She’s had more boyfriends than she has fingers!” As I opened my eyes, I heard my mom’s excited, booming voice amplified by the speakers. I suddenly realized I had been reborn, back to the very day of my wedding reception with David! In my previous life, on this exact day, my mom had rushed onto the stage, grabbed the mic, First declaring to hundreds of people that I wasn’t a virgin, Then following up with a dramatic sigh, “Thank goodness she managed to find an honest, simple man to marry her!” Seeing the shocked faces in the audience, she grew more smug and escalated her attacks. She continued to spread rumors that I was pregnant out of wedlock, mocking my fiancé for being a naive man taking on someone else’s baggage. She even hinted that I was promiscuous and had contracted syphilis! I was furious. I stormed onto the stage, telling her to stop her nonsense. But she just widened her eyes and said, with a straight face: “Maya, if you did it, own it. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” “But these things need to be made clear to your in-laws first, so they don’t accuse our family of tricking them into marriage later!” With those baseless lies, she nailed me to the cross of shame. Just like that, my fiancé and his family were enraged. They broke off the engagement on the spot and stormed off. I crumbled to the floor amidst the gossip, completely broken. After causing all that trouble, my mom still cried innocence. My dad and brother also accused me of making a mountain out of a molehill. Finally, consumed by despair and pain, I couldn’t take it anymore. I rushed out to the balcony and jumped… Reborn, I wouldn’t be so weak this time. I’d make my mom feel the sting of her own words! On stage, my mom was still talking with great animation. All the guests’ complex stares were now on me. Last time, listening to those vile slanders, I wished I could crawl into a hole and die. I frantically rushed onto the stage, desperate to drag her down. But I couldn’t. My struggles only confirmed that what she said must have been true, making me look even more guilty and agitated. Thinking of this. This time, with a calm expression, I asked the emcee for a mic and walked onto the stage.

Seeing my reaction, so different from before, my mom looked surprised, even forgetting to continue her “act.” As the guests saw how composed I was, the buzzing gradually died down. My fiancé David and his family, whose faces had been stiff, slowly relaxed. Just as my mom frowned, realizing this wasn’t going according to her plan, and raised the mic to say something else, I spoke first. ” Brenda Johnson, thanks for trying to liven things up, but this ‘act’ isn’t funny at all.” “How about I be your partner instead?” In her astonished gaze, I turned to the audience and said, unhurriedly, “Actually, the charming person with 99 ex-boyfriends that she just mentioned, is my mom herself.” “My mom, even though she’s almost sixty, still has endless charisma!” “Who knows, maybe some of those uncles she’s charmed are sitting right here in the audience!” As I spoke, I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my mom’s TikTok account, listing off several IDs that had frequently liked her posts and left flirty comments, along with the names of a few older men from her regular dance group who were very close to her. “‘LoveNoTrace,’ ‘FatedLover,’ ‘BigPotential,’ are you here for the wedding today?” “And Mr. Peterson, Mr. Harrison, Mr. Johnson from the dance group, are you all here?!” Suddenly, all eyes turned to the table where the dance group sat. Those older men, who usually loved to chime in with my mom and gossip about me, hastily lowered their heads. Meanwhile, my dad, Richard, sitting below, had a face as dark as thunder. My mom was dumbfounded. It took her a while to snap out of it, her face burning red as she snatched my phone, yelling, “You brat, what nonsense are you spewing?!” I smiled. “Mom, and you said you love stand-up! Now you understand, don’t you?” “Stand-up, you see, it’s an ‘art of offense’!” It was the first time she’d been shut down by me. My mom forced a smile, seething with anger, and stepped down. Her murky eyes fixed ominously on my face, she gnashed her teeth, “Well, Maya, you’ve really grown up, haven’t you? You’ve grown wings and become defiant!” See? Some lessons you only learn the hard way. But when the knife falls on them, they’ll know the pain. For as long as I could remember, my mom loved putting on a “stand-up routine.” Whenever inspiration struck, whether it was in the neighborhood, the park, or the square, as long as there was an audience, anywhere became her stage. The only constant was that her target was always me. The more sensational the effect, the more excited she got. The more publicly humiliated I was, the more triumphant she became. At parent-teacher conferences, she spread rumors that I badmouthed teachers behind their backs. When I accidentally fell and bruised my legs, she said my private life was too wild. When David and I planned to get our marriage license a bit later, she said my in-laws disliked me. When I was taking medication for my health, she said I was treating infertility. She even boasted to relatives that I couldn’t have children because I’d had too many abortions… One shocking declaration after another left me mortified and scorned. I couldn’t even stand up straight from the shame. After countless breakdowns, I finally exploded, screaming and smashing everything I could get my hands on at home! But my mom just widened her eyes, fiercely poking my forehead, absolutely furious. “Why are you always so dramatic?!” “If you’re so sensitive, then what about all the comedians who make fun of their partners? Do you think they’d still be alive? Go ask any professional comedian if they’d mind!” My dad and brother looked impatient, chiming in to criticize me. “You’re just too precious. Does being talked about a little make you lose weight or something?” “Yeah, wait until Mom makes it big on a national comedy show, then you’ll regret it!” And so, insecurity and hypersensitivity accompanied my entire childhood. It wasn’t until later, when I went thousands of miles away for college and met my emotionally stable husband, That I could finally hide my scars and live somewhat like a normal person…

Back to reality. Knowing my mom, she wouldn’t let things go easily after being outmaneuvered. Sure enough, during the toast, she spoke to my in-laws, her voice as loud as a bell, “Oh, I truly have nothing but good things to say about David!” “Although I don’t approve of getting pregnant before marriage, or having to rush a wedding…” “But for you to accept that Maya contracted syphilis, that truly shows responsibility!” Whoosh. The surroundings fell silent. Everyone’s ears perked up, their expressions a mix of gossip and surprise as they stared. My in-laws, who had been smiling warmly, instantly changed their expressions. My fiancé David stared at my flat stomach in disbelief! I took a deep breath. ” Brenda, the stand-up portion is over. Please stop making such jokes.” David also snapped back to reality, shielding me. “That’s right, Brenda. Even if you’re trying to rush us to have kids, don’t joke like that.” “Maya and I aren’t in a hurry to have a baby.” “You didn’t know she was pregnant?” My mom didn’t take the hint. Instead, realizing David’s “ignorance,” she brightened, instantly raising her voice excitedly. “Could it be that the child isn’t even yours?!” Seeing David’s face stiffen, the buzzing around us growing louder, and my in-laws’ expressions becoming increasingly grim, her eyes lit up even more, her mood soaring. “My goodness! My poor David, aren’t you being a naive man taking on someone else’s baggage?!” “That’s enough, Brenda Johnson!” I couldn’t hold back anymore, sharply shouting, “How can you say such things?!” “First pregnancy, then syphilis! What kind of mother spreads rumors about her own child?!” At that, my dad immediately bristled. “Maya, how dare you talk to your mother like that?! Show some respect!” At this point, many relatives who had watched me grow up began to speak up for me, interjecting with advice. “Brenda, it’s Maya’s big day today. Stop talking nonsense.” “That’s right, you can eat anything you want, but you can’t just spread rumors about someone having a disease!” This really got my mom riled up. She yelled at the top of her lungs, stomping her foot, “Look at what you’re all saying! I’m her mother; would I ever wrongly accuse her?!” “Fine, then let me show you all what these are!” Saying that, she frantically pulled out several photos from her phone! Everyone craned their necks to see. She had captured me frequently entering and exiting the hospital’s obstetrics department. She had photographed a stack of appointment slips and a tube of syphilis medication in my drawer. She had images of my phone, showing my online inquiries about syphilis. She had even hastily taken pictures of a pregnancy test result and a syphilis diagnosis report on my phone! At this point, my mom stood with her hands on her hips, looking triumphantly at me. I stood there, dazed, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over me. I never thought she would secretly follow me, or even go through my drawer and phone!

With undeniable evidence laid out, everyone exchanged glances, forced to believe the facts. “This… you really never know someone’s true nature!” “Her private life is so messy… this is truly disgraceful!” “If it were my daughter, I would have disowned her by now!” “The most pitiful ones are the groom’s family; they almost got tricked!” Amidst the murmuring. David’s face was livid, his eyes full of disappointment and suppressed anger, his voice trembling. “Maya, is all of this true?!” But I desperately clung to his hand, refusing to admit anything. Seeing this, the old witch urgently added more fuel to the fire. “It’s too late to argue now, I have witnesses!” “The entire dance team saw you leaving the hospital that day, carrying a folder.” “And Dr. Miller, you’re a doctor, tell them, did I fake these reports?” The older men and women from the dance team hastily nodded their heads in confirmation. Dr. Miller also gave me a troubled look. “The reports… they are genuine.” With this irrefutable evidence, Brenda spoke with even more conviction. “See? She really is that kind of person! I haven’t wronged her one bit!” I became the target of everyone’s scrutiny, enduring their pointing fingers. At this moment, I clenched my fists and looked at Richard and Noah, who had been mostly silent, asking in a trembling voice, ” Richard, Noah, you know me well. What do you say?” The two exchanged a glance, then quickly looked away. “I don’t understand all this nonsense between you and your mother.” Richard spoke first, his tone impatient. “But Maya, if you want to argue, argue. If the wedding can proceed, fine. If not, then just cancel it.” “There’s no need to argue with your mother here and make a spectacle for everyone!” As soon as he finished, Noah also gave a strange look around the room. Seeing Chloe’s family present, and clearly not wanting to escalate things further, he quickly chimed in, ill-temperedly, “That’s right, Maya, stop causing trouble!” “These aren’t big deals. You can talk about whatever you need to with David behind closed doors.” “Why do you have to pick a fight with Mom here?” Suddenly, a massive sense of absurdity washed over me from head to toe. I laughed humorlessly. “Small matters? She’s practically trying to kill me, and you call that a small matter?!” “All these years, you two knew full well who was right and who was wrong, yet you always pretended to be ignorant, even helping her bully me.” “If she’s the murderer who killed me, then you two are her blatant accomplices!” Those words hit a nerve with Richard. He slammed his hand down on the table and stood up. “You’ve gone too far!” He glared at me, raising his hand to strike! Brenda, watching from the side, looked utterly gleeful, practically clapping her hands. I covered my burning cheek, my heart sinking in despair. My last shred of hope for my so-called family was completely shattered. If that’s how it was, then let’s all go to hell together! Taking a deep breath, I slowly calmed my racing chest, and nodded peacefully. “You’re right, things need to be cleared up.” “But the pictures Brenda just showed aren’t complete. Let me do it.” With that, I took out my own phone and projected the stored files onto the large screens placed throughout the banquet hall!

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