Author: Momo Chan

I died on the day Adrian proposed to Melissa. As the lead detective, he stepped over my body at the crime scene, his only concern covering Melissa’s eyes. He whispered, “Don’t look. It’s disgusting.” He said I was disgusting. My heart had been carved out. My blood drained dry. I was nothing but a discarded rag doll. Later, I became a ghost. I watched him burn every trace of me to win Melissa’s favor. Watched him move into the house I bought. Watched him sleep with my killer in that very room. I hated him so much that I wanted to kill him. Until the wedding day. The day he pulled the knife from Melissa’s chest and drove it into his own heart. In a pool of blood, he reached toward an empty corner. Tenderly. “Natalie, am I worthy to see you now?” Natalie’s POV Seven days after my death, Adrian brought a woman home. I floated in midair, looking at my own portrait, then at Adrian’s garish wine-red shirt. Melissa clung to his arm. She was the heir to Lincoln Medical Group, the woman he’d shielded at the crime scene, afraid she’d see something disgusting. I didn’t have much family left. My uncle stood off to the side, his hands trembling with rage. “Adrian, today is Natalie’s funeral. You dress like this and bring a stranger here. Do you want to break her heart?” Adrian laughed. He casually adjusted his cuffs without even glancing at my portrait. “She’s dead. How can she be heartbroken? Superstitious nonsense.” Melissa leaned coquettishly on his shoulder, covering her nose and looking at my casket with disgust. “Adrian, the smell is too strong. It’s making me dizzy.” Adrian immediately wrapped his arm around her waist, his hand caressing places he’d never touched on me. “Then let’s not stay. I didn’t want to come anyway. Just going through the motions.” My uncle grabbed the flowers from the table and hurled them at him. Adrian tilted his head. The flowers smashed against the doorframe, turning into a pile of mush. His eyes instantly went cold. I knew that look well. It was the one he used on criminals, the look that could devour a person. But now he was turning that viciousness on one of the few family I had left. “You son of a bitch. You looking for death?” Adrian lunged forward. My uncle stumbled back, terrified. I desperately wanted to rush down and stop him, reaching out to push against Adrian’s chest, but my hand passed straight through his body. No sensation whatsoever. I’d forgotten. I was already dead. Of course Adrian didn’t hit my uncle. He simply grabbed my black-and-white portrait. “Adrian! What are you doing!” my uncle shouted. “This photo looks unlucky.” Adrian flicked his wrist. Crash! The frame hit the floor, glass shattering everywhere. The photo I’d chosen so carefully, where I smiled my brightest, was torn to shreds by the sharp glass. Melissa clapped and laughed beside him. “Adrian, use this one instead. This one’s prettier.” She pulled out a photo she’d prepared in advance. It was her photo. She wore white lace, smiling radiantly. Adrian took it and casually placed it where my portrait had been. I almost laughed from sheer fury. At my funeral, displaying his mistress’s photo? Adrian, you really are capable of anything. “Done. Spot’s taken.” Adrian dusted off his hands and turned to Melissa with a gentle smile. “Let’s go home. It’s cold in here. Don’t want you getting sick.” My uncle trembled with rage, pointing at Adrian’s retreating back and cursing him as a bastard. Adrian didn’t even pause. I floated behind him, staring hard at his back. Adrian, how can you be so heartless? We were married for three years. You once ran all over the city to buy me a discontinued toy. You once had tears in your eyes just because I cut my finger. You said you’d protect me for a lifetime. Turns out that lifetime was this short. They walked out and got in the car. Melissa sat in the passenger seat, touching up her lipstick in the mirror. “Adrian, you were so fierce back there. You scared me.” Adrian started the engine, steering with one hand, his tone casual. “If I’m not fierce, those poor relatives will think they can extort money from me. Natalie’s dead. All she left behind worth anything is that house. Can’t let them get their hands on it.” “Then just sell the house.” “Sell it? That location’s prime real estate. Keep it for appreciation.” I sat in the back seat, listening to them calculate my inheritance. That house was left to me by my parents, and I’d used my savings from journalism to barely pay off the mortgage. Now it belonged to him and his mistress. Melissa seemed satisfied with this answer and leaned over to kiss his cheek. “You’re so practical. Oh, and that dead woman’s stuff isn’t all cleared out yet, right? I don’t care. It all has to go tonight, or I’m not going in.” “Whatever you want.” Adrian agreed too quickly, without a second’s hesitation. The car drove into the night. Streetlights flickered across his face as they passed. I looked at this profile I’d once loved so deeply and felt only strangeness. When they reached the apartment, Melissa got out first. Adrian was locking the car when his movements slowed. I saw his hand on the car door trembling. He looked down at his right hand. His index and middle fingernails were broken, flesh exposed, blood dripping from his fingertips. I froze. When had that happened? Then I remembered. At the funeral home, when he turned to leave, his fingers had dug into the doorframe. He’d had his back to everyone then. No one saw his expression, no one saw how hard he’d gripped. He stared at the wound for a moment, expressionless, then wiped the blood on his pants, cleaning it off. Then he put on a smile and headed upstairs. “Coming, babe.” He called out in the stairwell. I floated in place, looking at those few drops of blood on the ground. Adrian, are you in pain? Does your fingernail hurt, or is it something else? No. I quickly dismissed that ridiculous thought. A man like him couldn’t have a heart. If he had a heart, he wouldn’t be bringing his mistress home just days after my death.

Natalie’s POV Back at the apartment, Melissa truly began to make good on her promise. Spring cleaning. “What is this? So ugly.” Melissa yanked my trench coat from the closet-the birthday gift Adrian had given me last year. Back then he’d held me and said, “You look most elegant in this.” Now he leaned against the doorframe, cigarette in hand, glancing at the coat. “Throw it out.” “What about this? This bag’s all worn. Aren’t you embarrassed?” That was my interview bag for reporting. I’d used it for four years, carrying it to countless crime scenes. “Throw it out.” “These books are all yellowed, and this pile of notebooks…” Those were my interview notes, containing leads on every case I’d investigated, including the dirt on Lincoln Medical Group that led to my death. I rushed over in a panic. “You can’t throw those away! Adrian! Those are evidence! Evidence I was going to give to the police!” I tried to grab the notebooks. But Melissa’s hand passed right through me as she stuffed all the notebooks into a black trash bag. Adrian walked over and bent down to lift the heavy bag. “Just waste paper taking up space.” He carried my life’s work, my entire life, and turned to leave. “Adrian! Look at them! Just open one and look!” I followed him, screaming. If he’d just open one page, he’d see what I’d found out. He’d know how I died. But he didn’t. He walked to the hallway and dumped the trash bag straight into the garbage bin. He even dusted off his hands as if they were dirty. When he came back, Melissa was shrieking in the bathroom. “Adrian! Look at this!” I floated over. Melissa pointed at a small box on the sink. Inside lay a simple ring. Our wedding ring. When we got married, Adrian had nothing. I used three years of savings to buy those rings. I didn’t care that he was poor. I said we’d build a life together. Back then, he slid that ring onto my finger, crying like a child. He’d said, “Natalie, from now on, everything I have, I’ll give to you.” Now Melissa held it between her fingers, disgusted. “This is your wedding ring? Not even worth much. Why leave it here to bother people?” Adrian leaned in the bathroom doorway, his gaze falling on the ring. Just a moment’s pause. “It is pretty bothersome.” He walked over and took the ring from Melissa’s hand. I thought he’d put it away. Even if just for show. But he didn’t. He walked to the toilet and opened his fingers. “Clink.” The sound of the ring hitting the water was piercingly clear. Then came the sound of the flush being pressed. The rushing water swept the ring away, and with it, my last shred of hope. I stood in the cramped bathroom, watching the whirlpool disappear, watching the calm water surface. My heart felt completely emptied by that flush. “Out with the old, in with the new.” Adrian pulled Melissa close and kissed her cheek. “Tomorrow I’ll take you to pick out a big one. With diamonds.” Melissa smiled happily. “That’s more like it. That cheap ring wasn’t worth anything anyway.” “Yeah, worthless.” Adrian agreed. They walked out of the bathroom laughing, turning off the light. Darkness swallowed me instantly. I crouched by the toilet, staring at that pitch-black drain. Adrian. That was three years of savings. That was money we’d saved eating dry bread in our rental apartment for so long. That was what you knelt down and put on my finger when you proposed. You said it was worthless. Yes. If the person wasn’t worth anything, what was a ring? That night, Adrian slept on the couch. Melissa refused to sleep in the master bedroom because I’d used the mattress. She insisted on replacing it tomorrow before she’d sleep there. Tonight she took the guest room. Adrian didn’t object. Late at night, the house was quiet. I floated in the living room, watching Adrian on the couch. He wasn’t sleeping. He held his phone. The screen lit up his face. He was looking at stocks. Or some other financial news. Definitely not at photos of me. Suddenly, he pressed his phone against his chest and let out a long breath. That sigh was deep and heavy. Like exhaustion suppressed for too long. He sat up and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from under the coffee table. He lit one. The red ember glowed in the darkness. He didn’t smoke it, just held it between his fingers, watching the smoke curl upward. The ash burned down to his hand, but he didn’t move. I watched him. I’d watched him smoke countless times in the middle of the night before. Back then he worried about cases. I’d walk over, take away his cigarette, pour him a warm glass of milk. He’d pull me close by the waist, burying his face in my embrace like a child. Now I couldn’t even touch him. “Natalie.” He suddenly spoke. His voice hoarse, especially clear in the silent night. I jolted. “You stupid woman.” He laughed and stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray. “Won’t give me peace even after death.” For that instant, I thought he regretted it. I thought he was thinking of me. But the next second, he picked up his phone and made a call. “Hello, Mr. Lincoln. She’s asleep…Don’t worry, I cleared out all her stuff. Yeah, I’ll handle the transfer tomorrow. Right, I want the house under Melissa’s name as soon as possible..” I floated in midair, listening to him calmly settle my affairs. So that sigh was him calculating how to please his new masters faster. Stupid woman. Yes, I was really stupid. Dead and still being cursed in his mind. Adrian. If ghosts could really kill people. I’d strangle you right now.

Natalie’s POV Early the next morning, an uninvited guest arrived. Kyle. My brother. After our parents died, Kyle was my only concern. He was in college, normally living on campus. He must have heard about my death and rushed back like crazy. The door was kicked open. Kyle gripped a fruit knife, his eyes bloodshot, like a wounded beast out of control. “Adrian! I’m going to kill you!” He charged into the living room and lunged at Adrian, who was eating breakfast. Melissa shrieked, spilling milk everywhere. Adrian didn’t even change his sitting position. The instant before the blade touched his chest, he shot to his feet and kicked Kyle’s wrist. The fruit knife clattered to the floor. Then with a grappling move, Kyle was slammed onto the coffee table, face pressed against the cold glass, unable to move. “Let go of me! Adrian, you bastard! You killed Natalie! It was you!” Kyle struggled desperately, screaming. I floated beside them, frantic. “Kyle! Run! You can’t beat him!” But he couldn’t hear me. Adrian held Kyle’s neck down with one hand while leisurely pulling out a tissue with the other to wipe the milk that had splashed on his hand. “Natalie died of heart failure. The medical examiner’s report is already out.” “Bullshit! She was perfectly healthy, how could she have heart failure! It was definitely you! You and this bitch killed her!” Kyle spat toward Melissa. Melissa shrieked and dodged, pointing at Kyle and cursing. “Adrian! He tried to murder someone! Call the police! Or… cripple him!” Melissa’s eyes were vicious. The two bodyguards behind her were already reaching for their waists. I knew. Those were guns. The Lincoln family did shady business. Their bodyguards carried guns at all times. If Kyle kept making trouble, he’d really die. “Adrian! Please! Let him go!” I knelt before Adrian, though I knew he couldn’t see me. Adrian’s eyes shifted. He glanced at the two bodyguards, then at Kyle still struggling beneath him. “Cripple him?” Adrian laughed softly and picked up the fruit knife from the floor. He spun it in his hand, the blade flashing cold light. “For something this small, I’ll handle it.” Before the words finished, the knife in his hand plunged down hard. The sound of blade entering flesh. “Ahh-!!!” Kyle’s agonized scream filled the room. That stab went straight through Kyle’s thigh. Blood gushed out instantly, staining the carpet red. I collapsed to the floor, watching my brother’s face contort in pain, watching that blood pour out continuously. “Kyle…” I tried to cover the wound, but my hand passed through the warm liquid. Adrian pulled out the knife, bringing with it a spray of blood drops. He stood up, looking down at Kyle curled in pain. “This stab is to teach you a lesson. Learn to be smarter. Don’t stand up for Natalie again. Her life was short-you want to follow her?” Kyle was drenched in cold sweat from the pain but still stared at Adrian. “Adrian… even as a ghost… I won’t let you go…” “Fine, I’ll wait.” Adrian threw the bloody knife on the table and pulled out a wet wipe to clean his hands. “Call 911. Drag him out.” He told the bodyguards. The bodyguards glanced at Melissa. She seemed pleased by the bloody scene and nodded. Kyle was dragged out like a dead dog. A long trail of blood remained on the floor. I chased after them, following until the ambulance arrived. Watching Kyle being loaded in, the paramedic said no artery was hit, just flesh wounds that would heal in a few months. I slumped by the roadside. No artery hit? Adrian had stabbed so viciously, straight through the thigh, yet just happened to miss the artery? Was it coincidence? I floated back to the apartment. Bodyguards were cleaning the blood from the carpet. Melissa nestled in Adrian’s arms, her finger tracing circles on his chest. “Adrian, you were so handsome just now. That stab was so clean.” Adrian looked down at her, a smile on his lips but no warmth in his eyes. “As long as you’re happy.” Melissa pulled a document from her bag and handed it to him. “This is a gift from my father. He says from now on, the Deputy Director position at Lincoln Group’s Security Department is yours.” Adrian took the document and flipped through it. “Thank Mr. Lincoln for me.” He closed the document, his gaze sweeping over where Kyle had bled. His eyes were as deep as stagnant water. In that moment, I suddenly felt I couldn’t read him. To curry favor with the Lincoln family, to climb the ladder, he could even be ruthless to Kyle. But that stab… why did it specifically avoid vital areas? If it was the old Adrian, that sharpshooter detective captain, he knew human anatomy inside and out. He did it on purpose. Deliberately stabbed where the flesh was thick-looked scary but wouldn’t kill. Why? Was it to avoid suspicion? Or to spare Kyle’s life? Those two bodyguards had their hands on their guns. If Kyle hadn’t gone down, would that bullet have blown his head off? I shook my head. Natalie, have you lost your mind? He stabbed your brother like that, and you’re still making excuses for him? He’s a bastard. A complete and utter scumbag.

Natalie’s POV On the fourth day, Adrian accompanied Melissa for a checkup. The location was a high-end private hospital inside Lincoln Group’s headquarters. I knew this place well. When I was alive, I’d disguised myself and snuck in several times to investigate the Lincoln family’s dirty secrets. Security here was tighter than the police station, with cameras and patrol guards everywhere. Adrian dressed very formally today, following behind Melissa like a dutiful kept man. He bossed around the doctors and nurses. “Be gentle, didn’t you see Miss Lincoln frowning?” “This water’s too cold. Get hot water.” The doctors were submissive, their eyes showing contempt-they probably all knew he was a gold digger who’d sold out his wife to move up. Adrian didn’t care at all. He even seemed to enjoy this borrowed authority. Melissa went in for a “maintenance” treatment. This was a very mysterious procedure, only for VIP clients, conducted in a special ward on the top floor. I floated in after them. The room contained only one bed, surrounded by precision instruments. Melissa lay on the bed. Several doctors in sterile suits wheeled in a small cart. On the cart sat several vials of red liquid. Was that blood? The color was brighter than normal blood, with an eerie, vivid redness. The doctors skillfully injected Melissa. As the liquid entered her veins, Melissa let out a satisfied sigh. The skin on her face seemed to instantly become more radiant, her whole body relaxing. I drifted closer. A strange smell entered my nose. Not the smell of disinfectant. It was a… sweet, cloying smell mixed with a faint metallic scent. This smell was so familiar. I remembered. I’d smelled it at the funeral home. It was that high-grade embalming fluid smell-used for corpse beautification to prevent decay and preserve the appearance of the living. Why would a living person smell like this? And it was coming from that red liquid. I felt a chill run through me. What exactly was this stuff? Just then, Adrian walked in. “Done yet?” he asked. The doctor quickly blocked the empty syringes. “Almost, Mr. Bennett. This is a sterile area, you…” “I’m her fiancé. What can’t I see?” Adrian strode over, casually pulling out a pack of gum from his pocket, tossing two pieces in his mouth. “Melissa, how do you feel?” Melissa opened her eyes, her gaze hazy. “Wonderful. Adrian, this is good stuff. You should get these injections too.” “Sure, as long as it keeps me young, I’ll pay any price.” Adrian smiled, his hand resting on the cabinet by the bed. No one noticed that in the instant he turned, he stuck his chewed gum under a hidden spot beneath the cabinet. Inside that gum was a black chip no bigger than a fingernail. A listening device. My eyes widened. That was the newest micro-surveillance device, rare even in police departments. Adrian… what was he doing? Hadn’t he been suspended? Hadn’t he married into the Lincoln family for money? Why would he plant a bug where Melissa was getting her treatment? When the doctors wheeled the cart out, they nearly bumped the cabinet. “Be careful.” Adrian steadied the cabinet. “Sorry, Mr. Bennett.” The doctor hurried away in panic. Only Adrian and Melissa, who hadn’t yet recovered, remained in the room. Adrian looked at Melissa’s glowing face, and something like disgust seemed to flash in his eyes-almost imperceptible. “Smells nice.” He leaned close to Melissa and sniffed. “Really?” Melissa laughed coquettishly. “That’s the smell of money.” Adrian smiled. “Yeah, smells like… embalming fluid.” He said it very softly. Even I had to strain to hear it. Melissa didn’t catch it. “What did you say?” “I said, it’s an intoxicating smell.” Adrian straightened and walked to the window, hands in his pockets. I floated beside him, looking at his reflection in the glass. His eyes were cold as ice. In that moment, my hatred wavered slightly. What exactly was he trying to do? If he’d really sold himself to the Lincoln family, why plant a listening device? Could it be… No. I couldn’t trust him so easily. Maybe he was just digging up dirt on them to get a bigger cut later. After all, he was greedy now. Lustful. He even stabbed my brother. Who knew what kind of game he was playing.

Natalie’s POV That evening, Melissa brought Adrian to a private dinner party. Everyone present was a “business partner” of the Lincoln family. Partners-really just a pack of wolves in human skin. That smuggler Mr. Wallace, and that underground casino owner Mr. Reed, both had been on wanted lists. Adrian fit right in among them. He lit cigarettes for this one, poured drinks for that one, calling everyone “bro” with such warmth. Who would have thought that half a month ago, he’d been the detective captain who wanted nothing more than to throw all these people in jail. After several rounds of drinks, the conversation turned to women. Melissa was drunk, leaning on Adrian, pointing at his nose and bragging to everyone. “You all said he used to be a hard case, that’s just because no one knew the right approach. Look at him now-doesn’t he obediently play my dog?” Everyone laughed. Mr. Wallace teased, “Adrian, I heard your ex-wife just died a few days ago. You got together with Miss Lincoln this quickly?” Adrian held his wine glass, a standard fake smile on his face. “You’re joking, Mr. Wallace. People climb up, water flows down. Besides, how can a dead woman compare to a living one?” “Well said!” Melissa seemed excited. She sat up straight, looking at Adrian through drunken eyes. “Tell them about the night that bitch died.” I floated in midair, my body going rigid. That night. It was the nightmare I could never forget in this life… no, even as a ghost. “That night…” Adrian swirled his wine glass, his tone as casual as discussing the weather. “That night she had a heart attack, right there in the bedroom. I was in the living room.” “She pounded on the door, begging for help. Even through the door, you could hear it crystal clear.” Melissa laughed viciously. “So why didn’t you go in and save her?” Adrian took a sip of wine. “I was busy picking out a gift for you then. How could I be bothered with her?” Roaring laughter filled the room. “Damn, Adrian! Your wife was dying in there and you were out here picking gifts for Melissa!” Melissa laughed until tears came, slapping Adrian’s face. “Adrian, I love this ruthless streak in you.” I stared hard at Adrian’s face. I wanted to find a trace of guilt on his face, a hint of reluctance. Even a flash of pain would do. But there was nothing. He laughed with those people, laughed until crow’s feet appeared at the corners of his eyes. “Her life, how could it compare to Melissa’s smile?” he said. I felt a chill rise from my feet straight to the top of my head. Even as a ghost, I felt that heart-wrenching pain. That night, I desperately pounded on the door inside, my fingernails breaking. I’d called out, “Adrian, save me… the medicine… the medicine’s outside…” I heard his footsteps outside the door. He stood right there. I could even see his slippers through the crack under the door. I thought he’d rush in. But he didn’t. He just stood there. Stood there for a full ten minutes. Until I had no strength left. Until my heart stopped beating. He stood just one door away, listening to me die bit by bit. So that’s what he was doing then-picking out gifts for Melissa. “Adrian! I’m going to kill you!” I screamed and lunged at him, hands wrapping around his throat. I wanted to strangle this heartless man, this murderer. But my hands passed through his neck. He felt nothing, still laughing, still clinking glasses with the person next to him. Suddenly, Adrian’s expression changed. He set down his glass and covered his mouth. “Sorry, had too much to drink. I need to use the restroom.” He stood up and walked away quickly, his steps somewhat unsteady. I followed. As soon as he entered the bathroom, he rushed into a stall and vomited into the toilet. Vomited violently, almost bringing up bile. He buried his head in the toilet, his body shaking violently. I stood beside him, watching coldly. Serves you right. Getting your karma, aren’t you? After a long time, he finally stopped.He pressed the flush button and slumped to the floor, leaning against the partition and gasping for breath. He closed his eyes. A tear slid down from the corner. I froze. A tear? He was crying? Just then, the scene before my eyes suddenly flickered. Like a memory playback. I saw the night I died again. But this time the perspective wasn’t from inside the bedroom-it was from the living room. I saw Adrian standing at the bedroom door, his hand gripping the doorknob. His whole body was trembling, veins bulging on the back of his hand, almost crushing the doorknob. In his other hand he clutched his phone tightly. The phone screen was lit, showing a call interface. No sound, but I saw a picture message on his phone. It was Kyle. Kyle was tied to a chair, mouth gagged with cloth, a gun pressed to his temple. And from the bedroom came my weak cries for help. Adrian’s face was twisted in agony. He tried to open the door. His hand moved slightly, then something seemed to come through the phone. His whole body went rigid. He stood there in that extreme torment, turning himself into a statue. One second, two seconds… ten minutes. Until there was no more sound from the bedroom. He slowly slid down to sit on the floor, burying his head in his knees, letting out a suppressed whimper. Like a severely wounded beast that didn’t dare cry out. The vision disappeared. I returned to reality. In the bathroom, Adrian wiped the tears from his eyes and stood up, walking to the sink to rinse his mouth. He looked at himself in the mirror, forcing out a smile uglier than crying. “Adrian, you’re doing great.” He said to himself in the mirror. “Just hold on a little longer.” I floated behind him, looking at that pale, bloodless face in the mirror. What I just saw… was it real? Kyle had been kidnapped that night? Kyle’s life traded for mine? If he’d saved me, Kyle would have died? My mind was in chaos. If that was true, then what he’d said at dinner just now… “Her life, how could it compare to your smile?” Was it to make Melissa believe him? Was it for the mission? I wasn’t sure. Maybe I was just making excuses for him. But that tear…it burned hot enough to make my soul tremble.

Natalie’s POV On the sixth day, Adrian ransacked the house. Melissa sat on the couch doing her nails. “Haven’t found it yet? That bitch definitely left insurance. My dad said she dug up a lot of dirt. If it gets out, we’re all finished.” “Still looking.” Adrian was drenched in sweat. Finally, his gaze locked on the safe in the bedroom. That was my private safe, where I usually kept important documents and my journalism earnings bank cards. “Open it.” Melissa ordered. Adrian walked over and entered the password. “Incorrect.” He’d entered our wedding anniversary. I sneered from the side. “Changed it long ago.” Ever since I’d noticed something wrong with him, I’d changed the password. “What? Can’t open it?” Melissa walked over impatiently. “She changed the password.” Adrian frowned. “Try my birthday.” Melissa said casually. I looked at her like she was an idiot. My safe, using her birthday? Dream on. Adrian hesitated, then pressed several numbers on the keypad. Beep. Green light. The door popped open. I was completely stunned. How was that possible? I clearly remembered changing it to… to my parents’ death anniversary! When had it become Melissa’s birthday? Unless… I looked at Adrian. Unless he’d secretly changed it when I wasn’t paying attention. Melissa burst out laughing and threw her arms around Adrian’s neck. “Adrian, you fell for me that early? You even changed her safe password to my birthday?” Adrian laughed dryly. “Wanted to surprise you.” Melissa couldn’t wait to dump everything out of the safe. Several bank cards, property deed, and some jewelry. “That’s it?” Melissa rummaged through them. “Where’s that notebook? Or a USB drive?” “Nothing.” Adrian shrugged. “Impossible! That bitch must have hidden it here!” Melissa turned the safe inside out, even reaching in to feel the interior walls. “There really isn’t anything, Melissa. Maybe she didn’t actually find any solid evidence. We were worrying for nothing.” Adrian tried to persuade her. Melissa reluctantly kicked the safe. “Fine. Since there’s nothing, let’s go. There’s a party tonight.” Melissa turned to change clothes. But Adrian didn’t move. He crouched in front of the safe, his back to the doorway. I saw his hand quickly reach into a tiny crevice deep inside the safe. That was a maintenance access left by the manufacturer. Most people wouldn’t know about it. But he knew. Because he’d gone with me to buy this safe. He’d read me the instruction manual. From that crevice, he extracted a black SD card. Only as big as a fingernail. That was my backup. I knew paper notes weren’t safe, so I’d deliberately stored the core evidence here. He knew after all. He got the SD card but didn’t hide it in his pocket. He was afraid of being searched. The next second, I witnessed something that shook my soul. He put the SD card in his mouth. No water. He just dry-swallowed it. The pain of the hard plastic card scraping down his esophagus made his whole face turn red, veins bulging in his neck. He clutched his throat, dry-heaving twice, then forcibly covered his mouth and swallowed it down. Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes. “Adrian? You done yet?” Melissa called from outside. Adrian took a deep breath, wiped away the tears, and stood up. “Coming.” When he turned around, he’d restored that carefree smile. “See, even the password is your birthday. I fell for you long ago.” He walked out and put his arm around Melissa’s waist. I floated in place, staring at the empty safe. So he’d changed the password. All so he could open the safe right under Melissa’s nose and take the evidence. He’d swallowed it. That was his only way to survive and also his only path to death. If it didn’t pass. If the card got stuck. If it perforated his stomach… Adrian. What exactly are you planning?

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My best friend died during surgery. I was devastated. Then my husband’s company went under. He filed for divorce and left our son with me. Creditors swarmed us, demanding payment. They even crippled my son. Finally, they dragged us to a villa district. I saw with my own eyes my supposedly dead best friend wrapped in my ex-husband’s arms. Her daughter sweetly called him “Dad.” Then the creditors ended both our lives. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my best friend told me she had cancer. “Chloe, I have cancer. I don’t have much time left.” She hung her head, crying like a delicate flower, beautiful enough to make even another woman’s heart ache. Sure enough, my husband Vincent spoke up, righteous and firm. “Serena, you’re Chloe’s best friend. We won’t abandon you. Don’t worry, we’ll cover all your medical expenses.” Serena looked up, tears glistening. Hope flickered in her eyes as she gazed at us. When I didn’t respond, Vincent pulled me aside and lowered his voice. “Chloe, I know she’s your best friend. It’s fine, we can afford this.” Yes. In my past life, they’d performed this exact scene right in front of me. I believed Serena really needed the money. I was grateful for my husband’s concern, his understanding. But not long after, huge sums started moving from our account to Serena’s. Just as I was about to confront Vincent, I was told Serena’s surgery had been moved up. We rushed to the hospital. Less than an hour later, they told us the surgery had failed. We should see her one last time. Serena grabbed my hand. “Next life, let’s be best friends again. I’m trusting you with my daughter.” I cried until my voice gave out, nearly collapsed, completely missing Serena’s clumsy acting and obvious lies. After the funeral, we brought her daughter home to live with us. Just as life was getting back on track, Vincent’s company went under. He said he didn’t want to drag me down and filed for divorce. Our son would stay with me. He took Serena’s daughter with him. My son and I left the city. Later, the creditors found us. They didn’t ask questions, just started smashing everything in the house. When my son tried to stop them, they broke both his legs. Twisted his hands into something unrecognizable. I begged them through tears to spare us. Promised we would pay back every cent. Finally, they gave us some breathing room. I worked while taking my son to countless doctors, trying to settle the debt. Just when we’d finally paid it all off, the creditors came again. They dragged us to a villa district. My son and I were confused. They forced us to our knees and made us look through the iron gates. There she was. My supposedly dead best friend, smiling sweetly, whispering sweet words to Vincent. Her daughter looked at Vincent affectionately and called him “Daddy.” They saw our wretched state clearly and showed expressions of contempt. Then they waved their hands slightly, and the creditors ended both my life and my son’s. My son and I harbored overwhelming resentment. Perhaps heaven had eyes and gave me a second chance at life. So you like to fake your death? This time, I’ll let you taste what real death is like!

I agreed just like in my past life to give Serena money for treatment, but this time every payment would come directly from my account. They exchanged glances. Their expressions turned stiff, but they still nodded. That evening, we found our son Dylan in low spirits. Tears burst from my eyes. I pulled him into a tight hug. Normally, he’d complain I was being too dramatic. But today, he didn’t. Instead, he hugged me back. Just as tightly. That’s when I knew. My son had been reborn too. Just like me. Vincent sat on the sofa like he owned the place, yelling at Dylan. “I heard that you’re competing with Raven for the Stanford scholarship?” Dylan emerged from my embrace and looked his father in the eye. “This is the result of my hard work. I deserve it!” Vincent slapped our son hard across the face. Blood trickled from the corner of Dylan’s mouth. “You little bastard, don’t you know how to be humble? Her mother is still lying in the hospital! Raven needs this spot more than you do. Listen to me, call your teacher right now and give the spot to Raven. Besides, this was your mother’s idea too, right?” Vincent frantically shot me meaningful looks. To curry favor with Serena, he was truly generous. He was even disregarding Dylan’s future. What kind of father was he? I walked to Dylan’s side, carefully wiping the blood from his face, and gave my husband a clear answer. “We’re not giving it up. Why should we? If she really has what it takes, she doesn’t need us meddling.” I stared directly at Vincent, my eyes showing no weakness. He slapped my hand away and said, “Are you being foolish too? Didn’t you say everything comes after your best friend? Besides, she’s a girl. What’s wrong with Dylan being a gentleman?” I shook my head and pointed to the trophies on the bookshelf. “See those? Dylan earned every one through his own efforts. You don’t know how important this opportunity is to him!” “What you’re doing will break your son’s heart!” Dylan stood by my side, gripping my hand tightly. We stood facing my husband, both thinking the same thing. “This time, no matter what, we won’t let the tragedy of our past life happen again.” Vincent sensed our firm stance and stormed off to his room, cursing.

After Vincent left, Dylan pulled me seriously into his room. He asked me nervously, “Mom, do you know Serena’s illness is fake?” I closed my eyes and nodded heavily. Serena’s illness came suspiciously and she died quickly. Besides my husband, someone else must have helped her. I was lost in thought, completely failing to notice my son’s emotional state. He knelt on the floor, tears in his eyes, making me a promise. “Mom, divorce Dad. As soon as you can. I’ll protect you. I swear.” His eyes were determined. They reminded me of his final moments in my past life. Even with his body broken, my son had used his last bit of strength to shield me. His blood sprayed across my face, my neck. Warm. Everywhere. Until his very last breath, he kept saying, “Mom, if there’s a next life, let me be the one to protect you.” Blood and tears mixed together as he closed his eyes in front of me. My son’s rebirth was completely unexpected. But this time, nothing had happened yet. Less than half a month later, Serena showed up at our door with the weeping Raven. She certainly knew how to pick her moment-my husband Vincent happened to be home too. Serena’s face was pale but not sickly. Even from a distance, you could clearly see the heavy powder on her face. When she saw me, her face was full of grievance mixed with anger. She silently looked around, and after discovering Vincent sitting not far away, she began her performance. “Chloe, my days are numbered. What worries me most is my daughter. Please, as my dying wish, let Dylan give the scholarship to Raven.” As she spoke, she made as if to kneel. Before I could move, Vincent rushed forward to support her. “Don’t kneel at the drop of a hat. We can discuss this. Chloe isn’t that cold-blooded.” Serena nodded and leaned weakly against Vincent. I rolled my eyes and called Dylan out from his room. As soon as Raven saw Dylan, she threw a tantrum. “Why are you taking my spot!” I knew Raven’s grades. They weren’t terrible, but they were only average. With her grades, getting into Stanford was pure fantasy. In the end, she just couldn’t stand seeing Dylan succeed and wanted to interfere.

Dylan said coldly to Raven, “Who says I’m taking your spot? Even without me, you’d never get that scholarship.” Serena clutched her chest and pointed at Dylan. “How can you bully our Raven like this?” “You two grew up together. Can’t you just talk it out?” Vincent chimed in from the side. “Exactly. Dylan, you’re older. Giving it to Raven is no big deal.” The moment he finished, Serena turned her attack on me. “Chloe, I’ve done so much for you. This is my daughter’s future. Can’t you repay me just a little?” I thought to myself, “She climbed into my husband’s bed. Had a child the same age as my son. I haven’t settled that score yet, and she wants me to repay her? Dream on.” Seeing that neither of us would budge, Serena closed her eyes and fainted. I could tell at a glance she was faking. She collapsed into Vincent’s arms, her hands still wandering. Raven immediately shrieked at the sight, “Mom, don’t scare me!” “Chloe, I can give up this scholarship, but you can’t bully my mom!” What a heavy accusation to pin on me. I couldn’t let them have their way. I crouched down and dug my sharp nails into the flesh at Serena’s waist. A few seconds in, she couldn’t take it anymore. Her eyes snapped open. Raven was standing in front of her, so Serena naturally assumed her daughter had done it. “You little bitch, why are you pinching me?” Raven shook her head, confused, and pointed at me. “It’s her, Mom! It had to be Chloe!” I stared straight at her. She faltered. “Guess I don’t have much time left. I keep fainting these days.” Vincent looked at me, then at Serena, stammering. “I’d better take you to the hospital. Your health can’t wait.” Then he turned to me, all righteous. “Chloe, don’t worry. I’ll talk to her. You take care of Dylan. I’ll drive her to the hospital.” The moment the door closed, Raven flashed Dylan a smug smile. I knew it. The real show was about to begin.

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My girlfriend smashed the engagement ring I gave her, looking at me with utter contempt. “A cheap piece of junk worth a few thousand bucks? You think that’s going to lock me down?” At the same time, Dylan Morrison, a rich trust fund kid, slipped a massive diamond ring onto her finger and mocked me: “There’s no secret to winning over beautiful women. Money is everything.” I grabbed Emma’s arm, trying to stop her. “He doesn’t love you at all. I’m the one who truly cares about you.” Emma shoved me away. “He’ll pay me a hundred thousand just to sleep with me once. How much is your ‘true love’ worth?” Ten years later, Dylan brought Emma to our class reunion to humiliate me again. But they had no idea—I was now part of New York’s elite. Ten years after graduation, I had made it. I was near the top of New York’s rich list. But I kept a low profile and didn’t flaunt my wealth. Very few people knew my true identity. That day, I was at a private club negotiating a deal. I’d just closed a contract worth over a hundred million when my secretary handed me my schedule. “The next person waiting to see you is the heir to the Shaw Group, worth tens of billions. He’s been waiting in Private Room 9 for quite a while.” I nodded. I owed him a favor, so I went downstairs personally to meet him. When I pushed open the door to the private room, I realized I’d walked into the wrong one. Inside weren’t the Shaw Group heir, but a bunch of old classmates. Dylan was surrounded by a group of people. The people around him were the same suck-ups who used to cling to him back in college. When I saw them, I turned to leave. But Dylan called out to me. “Aren’t you Liam Carter? You see old classmates and don’t even say hello?” That condescending attitude of his—exactly like it was ten years ago. Ten years ago, he’d taken a massive diamond ring and stolen my girlfriend Emma. I’d actually forgotten about it, but seeing him now reminded me—it was time to teach him a lesson. I stopped in my tracks and looked them over. “Class reunion? Why didn’t anyone give me a heads-up?” A female classmate nearby laughed. “Liam, don’t blame us for not telling you. We were actually doing you a favor. Your family’s so poor, we were afraid you’d feel out of place at this kind of high-end venue.” I toyed with the car keys in my hand. “You’re overthinking it. I come here all the time.” Everyone froze, looking somewhat incredulous. Dylan sneered. “You work here, right? As a waiter? Or maybe a stripper?” Following his question, the room erupted in laughter. A female classmate said, “Liam, you’re pretty good-looking. What a shame you’re so poor. No wonder Emma dumped you back then. I bet you haven’t even touched a woman in years. I could be your sugar mama—it’s better than being a male escort here.” With that, everyone laughed crudely again. My eyes turned cold as I looked at the woman’s obese figure. “You’re Emma’s best friend, right? What was your name again?” The female classmate introduced herself. “Grace Lin. Remember my name—I might be your biggest client someday!” I picked up a bottle of alcohol and walked over to her. “If I remember correctly, you were the one who talked Emma into breaking up with me, weren’t you?” Grace showed no shame and admitted it openly. “Yeah, that was me. I was the one who put Emma in Dylan’s bed. I was doing her a favor, finding her a sugar daddy. A woman that beautiful—you couldn’t afford her. Forget about her and pour me a drink.” I lowered my eyes submissively and said, “Sure.” Then I raised the bottle and smashed it over her head! The bottle shattered, dark red liquid mixed with blood covering her face. Grace let out a pig-like squeal! She wiped her face with her hand and pointed at me, cursing: “Liam! You’re asking for death! I was being generous letting you serve me, what are you acting all high and mighty for?” I laughed coldly, my eyes full of murderous intent. “You think you’re worthy?” Grace refused to back down, threatening me. “Apologize to me right now, and it’s not too late!” I grabbed a wet wipe and cleaned my hands. “And what if I don’t apologize?” “Then you might not walk out of this room today!” Grace sneered, looking toward Dylan. Dylan understood immediately and snapped his fingers. In an instant, everyone surrounded me.

“What’s this about?” I held a broken bottle neck, looking at them calmly. Dylan stood up, acting like he was passing judgment on me. “Liam, you hurt someone. Shouldn’t you apologize?” The others chimed in: “Liam, you classless poor person, do you even know how to respect women?” “You should kneel and apologize to Grace, lick her shoes clean!” “And pay medical expenses! Otherwise we’re calling the cops!” My face darkened. “Lick her shoes? Pay money?” Grace looked at me smugly and extended her high heel toward me. “Smart move! I know you don’t have money for medical bills. Here’s the deal—you kneel down and lick my high heels clean. Then, spend the night with me. We’ll call it even!” My voice turned icy. “You sure about that?” Grace wiggled her foot, her expression as vulgar as a pig in heat. “Consider yourself lucky, since you’re good-looking!” Without hesitation, I raised the broken bottle and stabbed it into Grace’s foot! The sharp glass pierced through her shoe and into the top of her foot. Blood gushed out. Grace let out a scream! “Liam, you’re refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a penalty! I’m going to kill you!” She grabbed a bowl from the table and hurled it at me. I dodged skillfully. The bowl hit Dylan behind me instead! Instantly, his forehead started bleeding. “Grace, are you blind?” Dylan roared. Grace quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, Dylan.” “I was trying to hit Liam, definitely not you.” Dylan yelled, “If you can’t fight, don’t embarrass yourself!” “There are so many men here—is it your turn to make a move?” Grace nodded and bowed. “Yes, yes, you’re right.” Then she looked at me venomously again. “Liam hitting me is like slapping everyone in the face!” “Everyone, get him! Beat this broke loser to death!” Dylan waved his hand at everyone. “Go!” Instantly, all the male classmates at the table grabbed empty bottles and swarmed toward me. I pressed the intercom button on the table and gave an order. “Room 6, we have troublemakers. Send security!” Everyone paused, hesitating as they looked at me. Dylan laughed contemptuously. “We’re VIP guests, very familiar with the club owner!” “Calling security won’t help. The owner will only protect the customers and fire you!” Then he snapped his fingers again, urging everyone on. “What are you afraid of? He’s just a powerless club boy!” “Even if you beat him to death, nobody would care!” With his encouragement, everyone became arrogant again. They approached me with malicious intent. Just then, there was a commotion outside the private room door. I thought it was security arriving, but to my surprise, Emma walked in! She was so beautiful that everyone’s attention focused on her, momentarily forgetting what they were doing. A flash of jealous hatred crossed Grace’s eyes, and she started reminding everyone again. “Get him! Why are you staring at Emma?” “Emma belongs to Dylan alone. Looking at her won’t do you any good!” Dylan’s eyes showed pride as he beckoned to Emma. But Emma ignored him and looked at everyone. “What are you all doing? Fighting? Everyone stop right now!” With that command, everyone hesitated again. A male classmate smiled obsequiously. “Emma, Dylan told us to beat him up. Liam went too far—he hurt Grace twice!” Emma looked at Dylan, clearly displeased. “If you brought me here to watch you fight, I’m taking my son and leaving.”

Only then did everyone notice the little boy hiding behind Emma. The boy was about four or five years old and seemed timid. Dylan called Emma and her son to sit beside him, shooting me a smug glance. Then he said to everyone, “Emma doesn’t like violent scenes.” “For her sake, we’ll settle this score later.” Everyone immediately put down their bottles. “For Emma’s sake, we’ll let Liam off for now!” I laughed sarcastically. So they were married and even had a kid together. Dylan looked at me, his eyes full of contempt. “Liam, remember ten years ago when you proposed with a ring worth a few thousand bucks? Absolutely ridiculous. You thought a few thousand could buy Emma’s heart.” “Do you know how much the diamond ring I gave her cost? A hundred thousand dollars!” Grace chimed in. “If it were me, I’d choose Dylan too.” Dylan glanced at Grace. “You wouldn’t qualify. Too ugly. Hahaha.” “But if I had a momentary lapse in judgment and liked you, I’d still give you a ten-thousand-dollar ring.” “I wouldn’t be like Liam, giving someone a three-thousand-dollar piece of trash.” Grace’s eyes clearly flashed with displeasure and jealousy at those words. But she didn’t show it and continued flattering Dylan as usual. “That’s true. I know my place. I can’t compare to our beautiful Emma.” “She was really sought after! As soon as she started college, several rich old men wanted to be her sugar daddy.” “Wasn’t it my keen eye that got her drunk and sent her to Dylan’s bed?” “Otherwise, her husband now wouldn’t be the young, handsome Dylan.” “As her best friend, I helped her make the right choice.” Hearing this was disturbing. I instinctively looked at Emma. She was grabbing a drink and pouring it down her throat continuously. She seemed unhappy. Grace snatched the glass from her, sounding displeased. “Emma, shouldn’t you be thanking me right now?” “If it weren’t for me, your fate would’ve been getting used by nouveau riche guys hundreds of times.” “Your body would’ve been ruined, then you’d marry some poor sucker like Liam to take over.” Emma clenched her fists, biting her lip until it bled, but still said nothing. But I couldn’t take it anymore. I raised my hand, showing my diamond ring. “You’re all overthinking it! I’m not interested in secondhand women! I wouldn’t even look at debutantes and heiresses. See this ring? I bought it when I got engaged to my fiancée. It matches hers—a pair worth twenty million!” The moment I finished speaking, the room erupted in laughter. They looked at me like I was an idiot. Only Emma’s face went deathly pale, looking deeply hurt. Dylan doubled over laughing. “You? Afford a twenty-million-dollar ring? Liam, ten years later, you’re still this pathetic! Buying cheap knockoffs to fool little girls!” Grace laughed mockingly, leaning in close to look at my hand. Suddenly, her expression changed! “Isn’t this the ‘Stars of Heaven’ that was in the news recently?”

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Half a month before my wedding to Ethan Quinn, he invited his friends over to our house. During the meal, Ethan kept touching my thigh under the table. I thought he was deliberately flirting with me, which made me feel both shy and excited. After dinner, I went to make tea for them. When I returned with the teacups, I overheard Ethan’s private conversation with his friends. “Ethan, Lyra is so hot. I touched her just now, and damn, her body is so soft it nearly drove me crazy. If you don’t mind, after she’s done paying off your debt, how about letting us have some fun with her?” one of his friends said lecherously. Ethan chuckled softly and said nonchalantly, “Sure, I don’t mind. I’ve been sleeping with her for so long, I’m already bored. Just be careful not to let her find out. Actually, forget it—she’s blind anyway. She won’t notice.” I stood silently at the door, my heart completely calm. After two years of dating, I had taken care of Ethan meticulously, yet he sent me to other men’s beds, using my body to pay his debts. Of course I knew that for the past year, the man who had been intimate with me every night wasn’t him. And the child in my belly wasn’t his either.

I had just stepped out of the shower when a burning hot male body embraced me from behind. He kissed me from my ear all the way down to my neck, leaving dense kiss marks. But it seemed like that wasn’t enough for him. He turned me around, wrapped one arm around my waist, pressed the other hand against the back of my head, and kissed me deeply. His kissing technique was still so skilled. After a year of nightly intimacy, he knew all my sensitive spots like the back of his hand. I gradually went limp in his arms. When I noticed his hand sliding down inappropriately, about to lift my skirt, I immediately started struggling. The man’s movements stopped. He bit my lip lightly, his tone somewhat reluctant. “What’s wrong? Don’t want to tonight?” I knew he was confused—after all, I had never refused him when it came to physical intimacy. “The doctor said no intercourse during the first three months of pregnancy.” The man’s breathing hitched, and the arm holding me trembled slightly. “Aren’t you happy to hear you’re going to be a father?” “No, I’m very happy. So happy. I never thought I could…” He was incredibly excited, carefully carrying me back to bed and lying on his side to protect my belly. Seeing my exhausted expression, the man turned off the light and stayed quiet. I smiled slightly. I had always been highly fertile. If anything, I was surprised it took this long to get pregnant. As for Ethan, he always used protection when we had sex. Even if he accidentally forgot, he would make sure I took the morning-after pill afterward. The next morning, the man beside me had disappeared. I went downstairs and ran into Ethan. His breathing was heavy. I could feel his gaze fixed intently on me. “The marks on your neck…” Was he jealous? I smiled. “It’s all because you were too rough last night, Ethan. My legs still hurt. You must have left those marks then. Why do you seem so confused?” “…I’m just worried it might look bad if you go out like this. Remember to cover them up.” I answered noncommittally, not bothering to point out that as a blind person, how exactly was I supposed to cover them myself? Ethan hastily ate a couple bites of breakfast, then left, claiming he had something to do. I felt my way upstairs and turned on the listening device connected to his phone. Ironically, this was something Ethan’s grandfather had installed when I first arrived, hoping it would help us communicate and develop feelings for each other. Who knew it would now serve as evidence of his betrayal?

He quickly arrived at a noisy place—it sounded like a bar. Through the earpiece came a woman’s sweet, cloying voice. I recognized it—Miranda Lin, Ethan’s first love. “Ethan, everyone’s been waiting for you forever. What took you so long?” The sound of clothes rustling—he must have hugged Miranda. “Probably got held up by that seductress at home. Ethan, you better make it up to Miranda.” “That’s understandable though. With Lyra’s face and that body, damn. When will Ethan let us have a taste?” A chorus of grating laughter erupted. Ethan spoke casually. “Sure, after Lyra finishes paying off the debt, you guys can have your turn. I won’t forget about you.” “That’s our Ethan! That audio you sent to the group last time—Lyra’s moans, damn. I couldn’t sleep well for a week.” I listened to them fantasize about me without restraint, until Miranda’s voice rang out. “When are you going to tell her the truth, Ethan? You’re not seriously planning to marry her, are you? She’s been used by so many men.” “How about we play her video at the wedding? Let her become famous. Then we can give her to some thugs to play with. That’d be doing a good deed.” “No!” Ethan’s voice suddenly rose, unhesitatingly rejecting Miranda. The atmosphere on the other end went silent. Seeming to realize his reaction was excessive, Ethan explained. “My grandfather is obsessed with Lyra for some reason. If he finds out about this, he’ll take away my inheritance, and then Miranda, you’ll suffer too. After we’re married, it’ll be much better to trade Lyra for some jewelry for you. The guys are all willing, right?” “Yeah, Miranda, tell us what you want. We’ll calculate how long we need to sleep with Lyra to make it worth it. Last time Ethan bought you that tiara, he traded Lyra for a whole year.” Miranda laughed again, her voice sweet and soft. “Then I’ll have to think carefully. She’s really getting off easy. She’s probably enjoying it anyway.” They erupted in laughter again. I listened to them talk, my mind drifting. I came from a peculiar village where all the women were beautiful and extremely fertile. Ethan’s grandfather somehow discovered our village. He donated a golden statue to our village’s Saint Mother, asking only for the woman with the best constitution to bear a child. And I was the unlucky one chosen. Mr. Quinn wanted Ethan to marry me, solely because Ethan had been diagnosed as infertile. Ethan treated me well at first, taking me out to parties every night. I thought he used protection because he wanted to wait until after marriage to have children. Little did I know I was just a tool for him to vent his desires when Miranda wasn’t around. When Miranda returned, he couldn’t wait to offer me as a gift. My feelings for him became a complete joke. Too annoyed to listen anymore, I turned off the monitoring device. Ethan didn’t come home all night, but that man came in the evening. Even though we couldn’t have sex anymore, he still showed up. This child must be truly important to him. I pretended not to know and drank the soup he made for me. Ethan would never cook. “Ethan, when should we announce this baby?” The man’s breathing grew heavier for a moment. He touched my belly. “Soon. I’ll make sure my child has a legitimate status.” I smiled with satisfaction. From the very first day they switched, I knew Ethan had deceived me. Although I was born blind, years of blindness made my sense of smell and hearing exceptionally sharp. That day when I returned to the room, someone eagerly embraced me. I initially thought it was Ethan, but when I turned around and smelled something different, I knew it was a stranger. I struggled, refusing to let him succeed, and the man truly didn’t touch me again. But the villa had excellent security—how could such a prowler get in? So the next day, I tested Ethan. “Ethan, why were you so impatient yesterday? My period wasn’t even over yet.” Knowing I’d been taken advantage of by a stranger, Ethan should have been furious. But he paused for a moment, then admitted it. “It’s because you’re too tempting, Lyra. I couldn’t control myself…” I understood then. Ethan knew. That man was someone Ethan had let in.

Holding back my tears, I put on a fake smile in front of him. So this was what it felt like to have your sincerity betrayed. Ethan’s grandfather’s deal with the village only lasted until I gave birth. But he never said who the child had to be with. Since Ethan gave me to someone else, I wouldn’t refuse either. So the next evening, when the man appeared again. I no longer reacted strongly. I walked over actively, leaned into his arms, and took off my clothes one by one. “Ethan, we don’t need protection anymore. Let’s have a baby.” Day after day, this deceptive relationship between me and this man continued for a whole year. I pretended not to know he wasn’t Ethan. He pretended to be Ethan. During the day it was Ethan, at night it was this man. They worked together so seamlessly that they never appeared in front of me at the same time. Every time Ethan and I held hands during the day, that night the man would exhaust me even more, making it impossible for me to get out of bed the next day. He forced me to say I loved him over and over in bed, and he would respond each time saying he loved me too. He wouldn’t let me call him “Ethan Quinn.” He only let me call him “honey” at night. I heard his whispered words when he thought I was asleep. “Why marry him? Do you love him that much? You can’t even tell the difference.” Actually, I wanted to ask him the same thing. Why deceive me along with Ethan? I didn’t even know who he was. When I treated him as Ethan, what did he see me as? I was afraid to hear that he also just saw me as a tool. I didn’t dare ask. The next day, Ethan came home early. He said his grandfather’s banquet specifically required my presence. I was dressed up like a doll, and finally Ethan helped me into the car. As soon as the door closed, my body stiffened. There was another person’s breathing in the car. The sweet, pungent smell of perfume—it was Miranda, wasn’t it? Was she really this impatient? Halfway through the drive, sticky kissing sounds started, followed by Ethan’s muffled groan. The zipper on his clothes was being pulled down. This made it impossible for me to pretend nothing was happening. After all, I was only blind, not deaf. “Ethan, are you not feeling well? I heard you make some sounds.” “No… ah… Lyra, you heard wrong… I… mm… might have a slight cold.” I knew Miranda wanted to provoke me, but I really didn’t want to listen to a live sex show. “Did you catch a chill last night? I told you not to do it with me by the window…” I pretended to be shy. Ethan’s side went quiet. He pushed Miranda away. Well, no one would feel good hearing they’d been cuckolded. We soon arrived at the banquet. Mr. Quinn pulled me around introducing me. Most people were just polite before leaving. I knew they looked down on me—I came from nothing and was blind on top of that. “Mr. Quinn, you have excellent taste. This young lady is very beautiful.” A male voice spoke. My pupils trembled. It was that man. “Mr. Quinn, who is this?” I pretended to ask curiously. Mr. Quinn laughed heartily. “This is the head of the Foster family, Frederick Foster. Lyra, let me tell you, Frederick is extremely capable. At the same age as Ethan, he’s already taken the Foster family to new heights. If Ethan could learn from him, I’d have peace of mind.” Frederick seemed to just be saying hello. After some pleasantries, he left. Midway through the banquet, I followed a server to the restroom. But when I came out, the server was gone. Unfamiliar with the route, I felt my way forward. Just as I reached a corner, someone grabbed my waist. A large hand covered my scream. I smelled his scent—it was Frederick Foster. “Did I scare you? Can’t even recognize your own husband anymore?” He was truly bold, daring to impersonate Ethan at such a crowded event. Seeing I didn’t respond, Frederick simply chuckled and kissed me.

He didn’t release me until I was dazed and disoriented. “I really hope this baby is born soon. He’s kind of getting in the way of our relationship.” I raised my eyebrows slightly. Didn’t he only buy me for a year? What, was he planning to renew? “Take me back downstairs. If I don’t return soon, Mr. Quinn will worry.” Frederick reluctantly hugged me a bit more, then called over a server. “I’ll have him take you back. I have some things to handle, so I need to leave first.” Of course he didn’t dare appear. This debt-repayment game should end. After the child was born and the transaction ended, I would be free. Whether Ethan or Frederick, I didn’t want to be deceived anymore. The server led me from the garden back to the main hall. In the garden, I happened to run into Ethan and his friends. Seeing me, Ethan’s voice changed completely. “What happened to your mouth?” Looks like Frederick smeared my lipstick. He really was terrible. “Didn’t you just kiss me, Ethan? Are you done with your business?” I couldn’t see Ethan’s expression. I only heard his friends’ suggestive laughter. “Alright, stop laughing. Don’t let her notice something’s wrong!” Ethan scolded his friends in a low voice, but he obviously didn’t expect my hearing to be this sharp. “I didn’t expect this side of you, Ethan. But Miss Lyra, you should be careful. Since you can’t see, don’t let others take advantage of you without knowing.” Miranda’s voice rang out softly, full of malice. “That’s none of your concern. Ethan and I are getting married soon. You’re welcome to attend. I wonder when Miss plans to get married—you shouldn’t keep hanging around men for too long. It’s bad for your reputation.” “You!” Miranda became furious, choking back a sob before running away. “Did I say something wrong? I’m so sorry. Ethan, you should go check on her. I hope Miss doesn’t have any problems.” I looked innocent. Ethan ended up chasing after Miranda. Over the next few days, Ethan didn’t come home again. I knew he was busy comforting the angry Miranda. Instead, Frederick came every single day without fail. Even though I ignored him, he didn’t get angry. Now that I was pregnant, I was too lazy to maintain appearances. When Frederick tried to kiss me, I pushed him away. “Are you in a bad mood because of the pregnancy?” He started appearing occasionally during the day too, cooking, giving gifts, trying every method to make me happy. Seeing I remained unmoved, he worried and wanted to take me to the hospital. I was also afraid something might be wrong with the baby, so I obediently let him take me. At the hospital, I was examined from head to toe. The results were normal. I was healthy, and the baby was developing well. But I still didn’t smile. Frederick squatted in front of me and asked. “Why are you unhappy, Lyra?” “Tell me, and I can fix it.” I opened my mouth, not knowing what to say. What should I say? That I knew he wasn’t Ethan? Ask him why he kept deceiving me? Even now, I couldn’t be sure whether he valued me or the child in my belly. I just sat in the hospital garden listening to him criticize himself, but he still didn’t come clean. In the distance, I seemed to hear Miranda and Ethan’s voices too. The footsteps grew closer. Miranda also saw me. “Isn’t this Miss Lyra? What are you doing at the hospital? What’s that in your hand…” Her voice stopped abruptly. The pregnancy test report in my hand was too obvious, and Ethan suddenly shouted. “You’re pregnant? Why would you be pregnant!”

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My brother Kael is the Alpha of Blackthorn Pack. He treats me like a precious treasure, and specifically asked his best friend, Cain, the Alpha of Hale Pack, to look after me. On the night of my 18th birthday, when I first completed my wolf transformation and lost control, Cain and I had a passionate one-night stand, and from then on, I became his secret lover. For an entire year, I stayed by his side through every vulnerable period, gave up a top European medical program for him. I always thought he loved me. Until I went to the tennis court to get my brother’s racket, and caught him and his fated mate Lila having sex in the locker room. “Zara is just a tool for releasing desire. Now that you’re back, she’s useless.” Through the crack in the door, his casual words to comfort Lila were like a poisoned silver blade, stabbing deep into my heart. At the welcome party the next day, he publicly humiliated me for his true love. I smiled, deleted all his contact information, then called my brother and finalized my trip to Europe. Since you don’t love me, I’ll set you free.

The door to the women’s locker room at the tennis court was slightly ajar, suppressed gasps escaping through the crack. “Cain, not here, someone might come…” “Shh,” the man’s voice was low and amused, his fingertips caressing the back of the woman’s neck, “let me hold you properly.” My feet felt nailed to the cold tile floor. That was Cain’s voice—the man I’d been in a relationship with for an entire year. Half an hour ago, my brother Kael had called, asking me to grab his custom racket that he’d left in the locker room. I never expected to walk in on something like this. Through the crack in the door, Lila was pressed against the lockers, her blouse unbuttoned, Cain standing in front of her, one hand gripping the back of her neck, the other buried between her legs. He bent down to kiss her neck, leaving wet marks on her collarbone. Those eyes that were always cold and distant with me were now curved with a smile, so tender they could melt. “I haven’t seen you in a year. I’ve thought about you every single moment.” Those words were like a poisoned dagger, stabbing straight into my heart. I’d been with Cain for a year. Every night when he lost control during his vulnerable periods, I was by his side. But he only ever gave me a slight nod and a cool “thanks.” Even in bed, he always kept me at arm’s length. Never once had he shown me this kind of unguarded tenderness. “What about that little follower of yours? The Blackthorn girl from the medical school?” Lila’s voice came in broken fragments, mixed with suppressed moans. “I heard after I left, she’s been clinging to you, getting really close?” Cain’s movements paused, his tone instantly becoming indifferent. “Zara? She’s just Kael’s little sister.” “I heard she’s been following you around for quite a while?” Lila laughed softly, her voice dripping with smugness. “So, you don’t feel anything different for her at all?” “She’s just a naive little girl,” his voice carried undisguised contempt. “She thinks sleeping together a few times means we’re dating. She’s just a tool for releasing desire. Now that you’re back, she’s useless.” A woman’s coquettish laughter echoed from the locker room. My ears were ringing. The keys slipped from my hand, clattering loudly against the tile floor. The locker room door was yanked open. Cain stood in the doorway, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar, still carrying the lingering scent of arousal. When he saw it was me, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly before returning to his usual coldness. “What are you doing here this late?” I bent down to pick up the keys, my fingertips white from gripping them so hard, but my voice was surprisingly steady: “Getting my brother’s racket. Didn’t mean to interrupt your fun.” I walked past him, straight to the locker at the far end, grabbed Kael’s racket, and didn’t look at him once. As I passed by him, he reached out and grabbed my arm. “Come to my cabin in the woods this weekend. Clear out your things,” he said flatly. “Lila’s moving in. You can stay in the empty apartment on the west side. I promised Kael I’d look after you.” I looked at the hand gripping my arm and suddenly laughed. When I was eighteen, I completed my first shift. During my out-of-control heat, we had intense, passionate sex. For the year that followed, I let him mold me in bed into exactly what he wanted, all to make him happy. I always believed that if I was obedient enough, even if we weren’t fated mates, I could eventually warm his cold heart and make him see the love in my eyes. Turns out, from the very beginning, it was all just charity—given out of respect for my brother.

“No need, Cain.” I pulled my arm free. “I’m an adult now. I can take care of myself.” I turned and walked out of the locker room. The late autumn wind hit my face with a bitter chill. The composure I’d been forcing shattered completely the moment I stepped out of the tennis building. My chest ached with a suffocating pain. I walked to a bar near campus, planning to drink myself numb. I downed one glass of hard liquor after another. The burning liquid scorched my throat, and tears streamed down uncontrollably. Before long, I heard familiar male voices from the booth next door. I turned to look—it was a few of Cain’s close friends. I was about to go say hi, but just as I started to stand, I heard their conversation. “Tomorrow’s welcome party at the club is insane. Cain really went all out for Lila.” “She’s his fated mate, of course he cares. As for Zara—she’s completely useless now.” Another one snickered, his tone dripping with mockery. “Remember when Cain bet us he could get Zara within two months?” My hand froze around the glass. “Man, I almost forgot—that guy won a car off me!” “I gotta say though, I didn’t expect Cain to close the deal in just over a month.” The laughter grew louder. “Zara’s pathetically naive. She actually thought Cain was into her, followed him around like a puppy for a whole year—no title, no status, didn’t even dare to be seen with him in public.” “Exactly,” another voice chimed in, even more cutting. “He only kept her around as a time-killer, out of respect for Kael. And I heard she turned down the cardiac surgery program in Europe for him. Hopelessly stupid.” “She probably still thinks Cain actually cares about her!” The mocking laughter was deafening, each word hammering into my heart, crueler than anything Cain had said in that locker room. The feelings I’d treasured—turns out they were nothing but a carefully designed bet from the start. All my sacrifices, all my compromises—in their eyes, just stupidity. I gripped my phone, walked to a quiet corner outside, and dialed Kael’s number with trembling hands. He picked up after two rings, his cheerful voice coming through: “Got the racket? Thanks, sis. I’ll bring you your favorite strawberry milkshake later.” “Kael,” I sniffled, forcing down the lump in my throat. “That cardiac surgery program in Europe you applied for me six months ago—is it too late to sign up?” Silence on the other end for two seconds, then an explosion of excitement: “You changed your mind?! Weren’t you dead set against going before? Said you couldn’t leave your mysterious boyfriend?” “I’m over him now.” “Really? That’s amazing! Listen, the program director is Nikolai Voss—the youngest cardiac surgery authority in the werewolf world. He’s had his eye on your talent for a while! I’ve been holding your spot. You can leave anytime!” I listened to my brother ramble on with instructions, my eyes slowly welling up. For Cain, I’d given up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in werewolf medicine. Given up my dream of becoming a cardiac surgeon. All just to see him one more time each day. But my love, in his heart, was nothing more than a bed warmer who threw herself at him.

The next day’s welcome party was extravagant—Cain had spared no expense. To celebrate Lila’s return, the entire club had been renovated. Warm golden string lights wrapped around every pillar. White roses—Lila’s favorite—filled the entrance. Even the club’s signature black and gray leather sofas had been replaced with the cream-colored fabric ones she preferred. I stood in the crowd, my fingertips white from clenching. I remembered how I’d begged Cain for three whole months to hang one of my oil paintings on the empty wall of the club. He’d refused, saying it was too much trouble. But for Lila, who’d just returned, he’d practically rebuilt the entire place. The deafening music suddenly stopped. Cain walked onto the stage with his arm around Lila’s waist. As the most prestigious Alpha in the entire academy, the moment he stepped up, the room fell silent. All eyes were on them. “I only have one thing to say tonight.” Cain looked down at Lila beside him, his eyes overflowing with tenderness. “My fated mate, Lila, is back. She is the only love of my life. All the foolish mistakes of the past end here. From now on, she will be the future Lady of Hale Pack.” Cheers and whistles erupted from the crowd. I watched them on stage and felt like a complete joke. “Foolish mistakes? He’s talking about Kael’s sister, right?” “She followed Cain around for almost a year, turns out she was just a plaything?” “Well, she’s not his fated mate. No matter how much she debased herself, she was never getting into Hale Pack.” My blood ran cold. Just then, Lila walked over holding two glasses of champagne. She looked me up and down, a smug smile playing on her lips. “So you’re Kael’s sister?” She paused deliberately. “The bed warmer who’s been clinging to Cain, hoping to climb the ladder?” I ignored her and turned to leave. She suddenly let out a sharp scream, her body falling backward. The champagne glasses crashed to the floor, shattered glass scattering everywhere. “Ah!” She clutched her twisted ankle, tears instantly streaming down her face. She cried out to Cain as he rushed over: “Cain, she pushed me! She’s jealous of me!” Cain’s eyes instantly turned red. The crushing pressure of a top-tier Alpha slammed down on me. He stared at me with a low growl: “Zara! Get the hell out! She’s my only mate—how dare you touch her!” He bent down, scooped Lila into his arms, shielded her head protectively, and strode out of the club without looking back at me once. Every eye in the room was pinned on me like nails—some pitying, some mocking. I straightened my back and slowly walked out of the club. Back in my dorm, I dug out everything connected to Cain. One by one, I threw them into the fireplace. The orange flames licked at the paper, burning all that desperate, humble love into ash. Just like my feelings for Cain—once burned out, nothing remained. I opened my laptop and sent a confirmation email to the European medical program. Kael had already handled all the paperwork. Tomorrow morning’s private jet would take me straight to Europe. I packed my bags—just a few everyday clothes and my textbooks. Everything related to Cain, I left behind. My phone suddenly buzzed. Cain’s name popped up on the screen, message after message: 【What you did at the party was way out of line.】 【Come to the club tomorrow morning. Apologize to Lila in person.】 【I’ve been taking care of you for Kael’s sake. Don’t throw a tantrum with me.】 I looked at these messages and could only laugh. Even now, he still thought I was that girl who would chase after him no matter how cold he was, always smiling and coming back for more. With one tap, I blocked and deleted his number, his social media, every single way to contact him. At dawn, I dragged my suitcase out of the dorm and got into the car heading to the airport. As the car pulled away from campus, I didn’t look back once. Goodbye, my foolish and pathetic year. Goodbye, Cain. Just as I was saying goodbye to my brother, he said something mysterious: “My dear little sister, I’ve prepared a surprise for you in Europe.”

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My husband is the city’s ace crisis negotiator, having rescued countless hostages from criminals. But when our daughter was kidnapped, his negotiation failed and the kidnappers killed her. I collapsed on the floor clutching my daughter’s blood-stained toy, while he calmly organized his negotiation materials, preparing to leave. “Rachel, the kidnappers weren’t following any logical pattern. Their demands kept changing. Anyone would have struggled with this negotiation. I really did my best.” But late that night, his assistant Bailey posted on Snapchat. [First time assisting with a negotiation and I said the wrong thing, making the kidnapper angry. Almost got the hostage hurt. So scared. Thank goodness my mentor helped me and told me not to worry~] [He said he’ll teach me all his techniques from now on. Is this a special privilege just for me? Getting kind of excited about it~] The bracelet on his wrist was identical to the birthday gift our daughter had woven for him with her own hands. With trembling fingers, I commented: [No need to guess. I’ll answer for him as his wife—yes, it’s your special privilege.] The next second, my phone rang. Adrian’s usually calm voice was laced with fury. “It was just a joke from my assistant. Do you have to blow it out of proportion? This will ruin her career!” “You’re emotionally unstable right now. Don’t say things you’ll regret. Delete that comment immediately, or we’re…” I hung up immediately. Why should the person who killed my daughter get to enjoy life with a smile? …

An hour later, I had over twenty missed calls from Adrian. I didn’t answer a single one. A text came through: “Since you insist on blaming her, then there’s no point continuing this marriage. I’ll have the divorce papers sent to the house. Just sign them.” I stared at the screen for a moment, then replied: “Fine.” No response from him after that. No follow-up questions, no additional words. I packaged up screenshots from Bailey’s Snapchat—group dinner photos and audio clips of her saying the wrong things that provoked the kidnapper during the negotiation—and sent them to him. “Adrian, our daughter is dead. Does she really bear no responsibility at all?” The message failed to send. He’d blocked me on Snapchat. When I refreshed my feed, Bailey’s post had changed. The previous content was deleted, replaced with a new one: “Too nervous on today’s mission with Captain Hayes. Said the wrong thing and almost messed things up. Fortunately Captain Hayes reacted quickly and covered for me. The team dinner afterward was because Captain Hayes was worried I’d develop PTSD, so he spent the whole time counseling me. Sorry for any misunderstandings everyone.” The photo attached showed her with head bowed, hands forming a prayer gesture, looking utterly innocent. Adrian commented below: “Don’t be afraid. Learn from your mistakes. I’ve got your back.” A flood of comforting replies appeared beneath: “New people make mistakes all the time. Captain Hayes is so protective of his subordinates.” “Isn’t someone being too sensitive? The child’s death is unfortunate, but you can’t take it out on others.” “Bailey is so lucky to have such a great mentor.” I pulled at the corner of my mouth, mentally noting each of these names. I’d pulled every string I could to get him into the elite negotiation unit, wanting him to achieve his potential. I’d used all my resources to help him build his case portfolio and establish his reputation. Now he was an industry legend, and naturally those around him basked in his glory. Even this rookie assistant dared to step all over me. They probably thought that without him, I’d be nothing—that I’d just have to swallow my grievances. Bailey replied to every comment with a shy emoji, and to Adrian with an animated starry-eyed face. When someone knocked on my door, I was organizing my daughter’s old photos and toys. Outside was one of Adrian’s colleagues, holding a document envelope and a small box. “Captain Hayes asked me to deliver these,” he said awkwardly. “This is the divorce agreement, and… Bailey said you might be emotionally distressed lately, so she sent this to help calm your nerves.” “The box says it’s some kind of brain supplement for stress.” “Though honestly, ma’am, you seem pretty calm to me.” I shoved the box back into his hands. “Tell her I’m perfectly calm.” I closed the door and opened the envelope, writing my name on the signature line of the divorce agreement.

My phone buzzed with a message from the negotiation unit’s director. “Rachel, reconsider this. The others are one thing, but how can you transfer Adrian and Bailey to a conflict zone?” “I understand you’re in pain over your daughter and upset with Adrian. But don’t let emotions affect work decisions. This isn’t a small matter. You’re not just ruining two top negotiators—think of all the hostages waiting for negotiation to save them.” I replied calmly: “You’re right. I almost forgot about you. You’ve been suspended. Upper management will send someone to take over your duties.” Then I called the oversight department directly and had them take full control of the negotiation unit’s personnel assignments. “Anyone who pleads on behalf of Adrian or Bailey gets transferred to conflict zone rotation. Those who refuse pay the team training compensation as per contract.” I stroked my daughter’s favorite stuffed rabbit, enunciating each word clearly. Those team members defending Bailey in the comments—I’d pulled strings to recruit every one of them. I’d trained them in mock negotiations, analyzed cases with them, taught them everything they knew. Now they only knew how to circle around Adrian, forgetting who gave them their opportunity. Birds of a feather, all with the same sycophantic faces. People with corrupt hearts can’t be crisis negotiators. They needed to go to the most dangerous places to practice courage and learn what responsibility and principles truly mean. After hanging up, I noticed Adrian had called me over twenty times. Finally, desperate, he sent a friend request with the verification message: Answer the phone immediately! I was still looking at it when a new call came through. The moment I answered, his roar crashed down on me: “Have you lost your mind?! I’m about to be certified as an international negotiation expert, Bailey’s about to join the core team, and you’re transferring us to a conflict zone!” “Rachel, what happened to our daughter was an accident! I’m suffering more than you!” “Those kidnappers were psychotic from the start. No negotiator could have succeeded. It’s not mine or Bailey’s fault!” “I’ve explained this to you countless times, but you won’t let it go. I didn’t let you access the recordings because I was afraid you’d break down even more! But you went ahead and spread rumors anyway, and now you’re abusing your authority to transfer her out!” His usually calm voice now trembled with rage. I asked quietly: “When you left in such a hurry that day, was there really an emergency negotiation? Bailey said you were just providing her psychological counseling, that it was an innocent mistake. Is that true?” “Or did you two plan it all along—using work as an excuse to go on a date?” His breathing on the other end suddenly stopped. After two seconds of silence, he forced himself to sound composed: “What are you talking about… This is completely unreasonable…” Then came Bailey’s soft, delicate voice: “Captain Hayes, don’t argue with your wife. We rarely get time to relax, don’t let this ruin it. When we get back, I’ll apologize to her in person. I’ll accept whatever punishment.” The call was immediately disconnected. Presumably, he didn’t want such trivial matters spoiling his mood. I held my daughter’s stuffed rabbit as tears poured from my eyes. “I’ll get justice for you.” I don’t remember when I cried myself to sleep, only that when I woke, my head was pounding. The next day, I came downstairs rubbing my temples, wanting some iced coffee to clear my head. Adrian walked into the living room carrying a storage box. When he saw me, he paused, his expression deliberately gentle: “You’re up? I organized Emma’s drawings. Take a look and see if this works.” “I know these matter to you, so I didn’t let anyone else touch them. Came back overnight to do it myself.” I was about to say I’d do it myself when I saw a figure wearing my loungewear emerge from the guest room. It was the matching couple’s set Adrian had specially bought—we only wore it at home. She held a cleaning cloth and quickly approached Adrian: “Captain Hayes, let me take over. I’ll wipe the table. If you don’t mind, ma’am, I can help organize things too?” Adrian stepped aside to avoid her hand, his tone somewhat unnatural: “No need. Her mother will handle it herself.” He turned to explain to me: “It was raining when we got back. Bailey’s clothes got splashed, so I told her to go back to the dorm and change, but she insisted on helping to make amends. That’s why I found some of your clothes for her to wear temporarily.” Bailey twisted the cloth in her hands, saying softly: “Ma’am, I’m so sorry about yesterday. I didn’t dare touch Emma’s things. Just wanted to help dust a bit. Please don’t take it to heart.” “Enough, don’t bring up the past.” Adrian cut her off, his tone softening as he looked at me. “Rachel, she means well. Don’t overthink it.” He paused, then added: “I cleared next week’s assignments. I’ll stay home with you for a few days. After Emma’s funeral, we can talk about work.” I didn’t respond, my gaze falling on a corner of paper visible in the storage box—Emma’s drawing of our family portrait, where she’d deliberately drawn all three of us holding hands tightly together. As Bailey wiped the table, her elbow accidentally bumped the storage box. Several drawings fell out. She hurried to pick them up but lost her footing and stepped on the family portrait, her heel leaving a clear mark on the paper. “Oh!” She cried out, her face instantly pale. “I’m so sorry, ma’am! I really didn’t mean to!” Adrian’s brow furrowed sharply, but not at Bailey—he turned to me: “Look at you, why didn’t you put the box somewhere safe?” He bent down to retrieve the drawing, rubbing at the mark with his finger, his tone impatient: “Forget it. I’ll find a frame for it later. Once it’s matted, you won’t see it.” I watched him dismiss it so casually, my whole body trembling. “That was her last drawing.” My voice shook. “You told her not to touch anything. Didn’t she understand?” Bailey was still frantically wiping at the paper, tears falling and creating small water stains on the drawing: “I really didn’t mean to… Captain Hayes, I…” “Enough!” I watched the drawing blur more and more, then shoved her away. “Who gave you permission to touch my daughter’s things!” Bailey stumbled and fell to the floor with a thud, tears instantly streaming down. “Ma’am… I…” “Rachel! Have you lost your mind?” Adrian shouted, rushing over to help Bailey up. “She just got a drawing dirty, and you’re physically pushing people?” His eyes held poison as he looked at me: “Emma’s gone, and I’m suffering just as much as you, but you can’t treat everyone like they’re your enemy!” He pulled Bailey toward the door, throwing back one last line: “Remove mine and Bailey’s names from the transfer list, or I’m divorcing you immediately!” I stared at the soiled drawing, my nails digging deep into my palms. From the day my daughter died, I stopped wanting him.

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After cleaning my mother-in-law Ruth’s body, I scrolled across a post titled “What’s the Ultimate Way to Spoil Your Wife?” “Of course it’s finding an old woman to keep at home to serve your parents~ My husband does exactly that. He married that woman, and now she has to stay home wiping my mother-in-law’s ass and piss, serving his half-paralyzed father-in-law, and he doesn’t even have to pay her. He gives me $50,000 a month, and all I need to do is stay beautiful~” Many people questioned whether she was just a kept mistress. But the blogger posted a wedding photo: “That woman is the mistress! I’m the legal wife!” Looking at that photo, my heart clenched violently. Wasn’t that my husband Ferdinand? The blogger continued showing off: “My husband threw that woman a fake wedding that only cost six thousand dollars—the same price as our dog. What a bargain!” My hands trembling, I called my brother, whom I hadn’t contacted in ages: “I regret it.” “What are you dawdling for! Hurry up and make dinner!” Ruth sipped her tea while impatiently giving orders. But this time, I didn’t submit meekly. Instead, I turned and went back to my room. Ruth froze for a few seconds, then cursed furiously, spittle nearly hitting my face. “Doria, are you deaf! Didn’t you hear me!” “Your father-in-law ate too much and shit the bed again. Get over there and change his clothes! What are you doing messing around in here!” She kicked over my suitcase. I didn’t even look up. “It’s New Year’s. I’m going to bring Ferdinand some things and surprise him.” Panic flashed through Ruth’s eyes as she stuttered a rebuttal. “Wh… what surprise! You just stay home obediently and take good care of us for Ferdinand’s sake. That’s more important than anything!” A voice came from the next room—my father-in-law. “Exactly! At New Year’s, Ferdinand’s company must be swamped. Why are you causing trouble for no reason?” My hands paused. I raised my head and met Ruth’s panicked gaze. So they all knew. They knew Ferdinand had another wife he treasured outside. The whole family had conspired together, letting those two live freely outside while using moral obligation to bind me, making me waste my entire life at home, day after day cooking, washing clothes, and dealing with their shit and piss. I clenched my fists and said nothing, then headed to City Hall. The clerk took the marriage certificate and frowned slightly. “This certificate is fake. The system also shows you as unmarried.” My mind exploded with a buzzing sound, leaving only a sharp ringing in my ears. Ten years ago, Ferdinand and I were tied for first place in our university’s finance program. During college, we won countless awards and secured investment from top financial firms. After graduation, when his parents had back-to-back accidents, I willingly stepped back to support him, letting him pursue his entrepreneurial dreams without worry. The day he proposed, he cried like a child, his voice trembling. “Doria, I will make you the happiest person in the world.” I believed him. But where did it all go wrong? I stumbled out of City Hall, whispers following behind me. “Young women these days are so gullible, getting used for nothing.” “Maybe she’s the mistress on the side!” I couldn’t wait any longer. The next morning, at the crack of dawn, I left without telling Ferdinand’s parents. No matter what, I needed an explanation from Ferdinand. But as soon as I arrived at the company, security stopped me. “Who are you? Do you have ID?” I said expressionlessly, “I’m Ferdinand’s wife.” The moment the words left my mouth, harsh laughter erupted around me. “You? Ferdinand’s wife? Why don’t you piss and look at yourself in the reflection!” “Everyone in Las Vegas knows Ferdinand’s wife is our company’s director. The two of them are lovey-dovey all day long, even planning for a third kid!” The guard held a cigarette in one hand while pointing inside with the other. “See that? That’s the real Mrs. Ferdinand, head to toe in designer brands! One necklace alone is worth $200,000!” “Looking like a beggar and trying to scam us? Get lost!” I said nothing, just stared at the woman’s back. The moment she turned around, my heart was viciously wrenched. It was her. Christiana.

Six years ago, she broke her right leg. Ferdinand told me she was a distant cousin and asked me to take good care of her. During those days, loving him meant loving those around him. I willingly washed her underwear, made nutritious meals with variety every day, and served her for over half a month. Before she left, worried that a young woman alone might not be safe, I even gave her five thousand dollars. Five years ago when Christiana had a baby, three years ago when her child got sick—Ferdinand sent them both to me to take care of. His reason? Her husband was gone, and single mothers have it hard. So the child was his. It was all an excuse. They’d been involved all along. Then what was I? A caregiver or a nanny? I clenched my fists, my nails digging painfully into my palms. Ferdinand, what right do you have to treat me this way? Tears slid from the corners of my eyes. I rushed forward regardless. “Everyone move aside. I need to see Ferdinand.” The guard laughed mockingly. “Are you crazy! Are mistresses this brazen now?” “Someone get her out of here! Don’t disturb Ferdinand and Christiana’s good mood!” With that, he was about to forcibly throw me out. “What’s going on?” A sickeningly sweet voice came from inside. Christiana wore an expensive gown, her figure graceful. Seeing her, the guard immediately bowed and scraped. “Director, why did we disturb you? This crazy woman says she’s Ferdinand’s wife. I was just about to throw her out!” Christiana smiled brightly, waving her hand magnanimously. “Oh, it’s Doria. I know you’ve liked Ferdinand for a long time, but… but after all, today is the company’s New Year party. It’s not very appropriate for you to come cause trouble, is it?” The guard frowned. “Director, you know this person?” Christiana spoke gently and generously. “She’s an acquaintance. The housekeeper from our hometown, specifically hired to take care of Ferdinand’s parents.” Hearing this, everyone began talking, looking at me with contempt. “So the housekeeper wants to climb the ladder! The real wife is standing right here! How shameless!” “Girls these days don’t study hard, just want shortcuts!” My heart felt like it was being stabbed by millions of needles. I wanted to refute, but when even the marriage certificate was fake, what could I say? Bitterness spread through my heart, but I had no words. Christiana continued graciously. “Everyone don’t worry. I trust Ferdinand. He won’t do anything to betray me.” With one casual sentence, she nailed me to the pillar of shame as the mistress. Everyone fawned and flattered. “Exactly! Ferdinand treasures you like a precious jewel! Not just anyone can insert themselves!” “She doesn’t weigh her own worth, thinking she can climb high branches. Pure delusion!” Facing everyone’s mockery, I held back the tears threatening to spill and asked calmly. “Christiana, where’s the money?” “What?” “I mean, the salary.” I raised my head, meeting her smug gaze, my tone calm. “Since you say I’m the housekeeper, where’s the salary? Seven years taking care of two elderly people—surely Ferdinand isn’t too poor to pay?” Hearing this, Christiana’s face turned from green to white. The next second, she suddenly smiled and came forward, grasping my hand, whispering. “Doria, I advise you not to cause trouble.” “Otherwise, it’ll only make Ferdinand hate you more.” Christiana completely revealed her true nature, her eyes full of undisguised provocation and smugness. “He’s the one who wronged me!” I pushed her away without hesitation. But before I even touched a hair on her head, Christiana screamed and stepped back, finally stumbling into Ferdinand’s arms. “Who dares touch my wife?” The man was full of anger, about to settle accounts with me the next second. The moment he saw my face, Ferdinand visibly panicked. “Doria? How did you get here?” I stubbornly raised my head, staring into his eyes and demanding. “Ferdinand, you tell me, what am I? A housekeeper or a caregiver?” “And what is Christiana to you? Your wife?”

A flash of guilt passed through Ferdinand’s eyes, but he said nothing. His silence was like a bucket of cold water, chilling me from head to toe. Christiana quickly emerged from his embrace to smooth things over. “Alright Ferdinand, I’m fine, aren’t I?” “Doria is just too lonely, that’s why she came looking for us.” “How about this, Doria—John from the security team lost his wife two years ago. Why don’t I introduce you two?” “John is divorced, but he’s the security captain. He makes good money!” Hearing this, everyone covered their mouths and snickered. “A housekeeper matched with a security guard—perfect match!” “The director is doing you such a favor, and you’re not grateful!” The mocking laughter drilled into my ears. I bit my teeth and roared. “Using a security guard to humiliate me—Christiana, is this what you call class!” Seeing my barely contained tears, Ferdinand’s expression wavered for a moment, then he gripped my wrist and threatened in a low voice. “Enough, Doria. I’ll talk to you about this when we get home.” “Go back first. Mom just had surgery two days ago, and Dad’s still half-paralyzed. You’re leaving them unattended—are you even a qualified daughter-in-law!” He looked at me coldly, his words piercing like ten thousand arrows. To this day, he felt no guilt for what he’d done, still using that same rhetoric about being a dutiful daughter-in-law to control me. At this moment, Ferdinand still pretended to be the perfect husband. When we first married, I mentioned trying for a baby, but he said: “Doria, the company is just starting. I want to give you and our child a stable life. Can we wait a few more years?” I waited seven years, while he had three children with another woman outside. Tears blurred my vision. I was wrong. I should never have broken with my entire family for this kind of person. I mentally slapped myself hard twice for my poor judgment. I wiped my tears and stubbornly raised my head. “Misunderstanding, Ferdinand. I’m not here looking for a man. I’m here for my salary.” “Taking care of two elderly people, $10,000 a month isn’t unreasonable, right?” “Twelve months a year, seven years—that’s $840,000 total. Cash or transfer?” At these words, the entire hall fell silent. Ferdinand’s face turned black as the bottom of a pot. “Doria, must you humiliate yourself here!” Me, humiliate myself? Should I just be kept in the dark my whole life, being their family’s unpaid labor! Just then, Christiana stepped forward again, biting her lip and righteously accusing me. “Doria, how can you extort us? Moreover, you stole their family heirloom last time, and I didn’t even report it to the police!” At her words, the scene exploded again, countless insults flying at me. “So she’s a thief too. How could you keep someone like that in your home?” “Director, you should send her to jail!” Christiana nestled in Ferdinand’s arms, tears in her eyes. “I took pity on her poverty and couldn’t bear to fire her…” Hearing this, everyone gave her thumbs up, praising her kind heart. Christiana smiled while accepting everyone’s flattery. I couldn’t take it anymore and raised my hand, slapping her hard across the face. “Ahhh—” Her cheek instantly swelled red, tears falling in large drops. Two children rushed over, desperately beating my shins. “Bad woman!” “Daddy! Kill this bad woman!” Everyone pointed at me, their eyes full of disgust. “Ferdinand is such a good person. How did he end up with this housekeeper?” “Good people really get no reward!” Ferdinand turned to look at me with a vicious expression. “Doria, apologize to Christiana.”

I gritted my teeth stubbornly. “Want me to apologize? Give up that dream!” Smack! He slapped my face, making me stumble backward. “Someone make her kneel and apologize!” A guard kicked the back of my knee. With intense pain, I was forced to kneel on the ground. Christiana’s son raised his wine glass and smashed it hard against me. “Bad woman! I’ll kill you!” Blood flowed from my forehead down my cheek, but I felt no pain. Glass shards pierced my body, staining the floor crimson. Ferdinand frowned and ordered sternly. “Enough. Take her away so she stops embarrassing herself here.” But the next second, with one look from Christiana, those guards rushed over, looking at me with lewd, greasy eyes. “Not bad looking. Feeling lonely? We’ll keep you company!” I used all my strength to raise my head and spat at the man. “Get lost!” The lead guard became furious and slapped my face. “Well, quite the temper!” Then they covered my mouth tightly, leaning close to my ear and threatening in low voices. “Bitch! Already been played by everyone, still pretending to be virtuous!” “Today we’ll show you what we’re made of!” Ferdinand frowned slightly. “Just teach her a lesson.” The guard bent over, squeezing out a fawning smile at him. “Don’t worry, the guys know what to do.” But the next second, they showed disgusting expressions, their rough hands roaming over my body. Before leaving, Christiana looked down at me condescendingly, her eyes full of smugness. “Doria, everyone has their fate. You should just go back and obediently serve Mom and Dad. Stop hanging around in front of us—it’s an eyesore.” She turned and picked up the two-year-old child, her face full of triumph. “Son, let’s go! Daddy and Mommy prepared presents for you!” My vision kept going black. I was about to pass out. Just as I was being dragged away, more than a dozen Maybachs suddenly raced over, stopping steadily at the entrance to the hall. The next second, a bullet pierced through the lewd man’s palm. Blood splattered, and heart-wrenching screams echoed throughout the entire hall. My brother rushed to me, held me, and asked with heartbreak: “Doria, who did this?”

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My fiancée’s childhood friend, Derek Hayes, loved playing pranks. The first time, he dyed my custom-tailored suit fluorescent green. He blinked innocently. “I just thought white was boring. Wanted to add some color for you.” The second time, he tampered with my wedding invitations, changing the venue from a five-star hotel to a cemetery in the suburbs. When I caught him, he said: “This is way more interesting! You should thank me for planning such a unique wedding!” The third time, he put industrial-strength hair removal cream in my facial cleanser. A week before the wedding, I lost almost all my hair and eyebrows. Every time, my fiancée Summer Whitmore would tell me: “Derek just likes joking around. He doesn’t mean any harm.” Because I loved her, I endured it all. Until our wedding night, when Derek’s gift was a blood-stained bedsheet. The moment I saw Summer shielding Derek, I knew it was time to end this relationship. The blood on the sheet was still fresh. I had just tossed it aside when Summer came through the door in her wrinkled wedding dress, surrounded by a crowd of people. The one with his arm around her was Derek. I stepped forward quickly, about to take Summer from him, but she instinctively pulled away. Summer realized her rejection was too obvious and awkwardly explained. “You reek of alcohol. Just let Derek take care of me.” Hearing this, I laughed in disbelief. After the wedding reception, I’d been forced to drink by Derek’s group of friends. As my wife, she hadn’t even been there, and now she had the nerve to complain about me? I lowered my gaze and noticed Summer’s weak legs, her body limp, her eyes unfocused. Combined with that still-damp blood-stained sheet, I suddenly understood where Summer had disappeared to for those hours—she had slept with Derek right before the wedding! “Where were you just now?” I asked, suppressing my rage, wanting to give Summer one more chance. She pressed her lips together, about to speak, when Derek cut in. “We just got married and you’re already this controlling with Summer?” Summer had always hated being interrupted. Once when I went to her office without knocking, she lectured me for a full thirty minutes. She even gave me the cold shoulder for half a month after that. But after Derek spoke, not only did she not get angry, she affectionately pinched his nose. “You’re always defending me. Be careful, or Logan might hold a grudge against you.” After hearing this, Derek shot me a provocative look. “You two are just a business marriage. Even if you’re married, she can only love me!” As he spoke, he pulled a lace thong from his pocket: “Summer, don’t forget your stuff. Otherwise he’ll just use it to start drama with you again.” Summer blushed and threw the underwear onto the bed, pouting coyly: “Derek, if you keep saying things like that, I’m going to get mad.” Her light fist landed on his chest. This wasn’t punishment. It was flirting. Derek grabbed her hand and planted a playful kiss on her fingertips. “Summer, you’re the best. You felt sorry that I’d never had a girlfriend, so tonight you finally showed me what a woman feels like.” Summer didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with fooling around with another man on her wedding night. She looked up at me. “Stop with the cold face. It’s supposed to be a happy day. I don’t want to fight with you.” “Fight?” I stared at the hickeys on her neck, my eyes turning red with fury. “Am I the one who wants to fight? Today is our wedding day, and you ran off to another man’s bed. Have you ever treated me like your husband?”

Summer didn’t take my anger seriously. She frowned impatiently. “What century is this? Is virginity really that important to you? If you care so much, I can just go to the hospital and get it fixed.” Seeing her indifferent attitude, I was completely disappointed. She was the one who’d told me her family was traditional and wouldn’t allow her to have sex before marriage. So for three years of dating, I’d held back and never actually slept with her. “By that logic, this wedding isn’t that important either. Since you don’t care, then find someone else to marry!” At this, Derek immediately put on an innocent expression. “Don’t fight because of me. I’ll just leave now.” He started walking toward the door. As he left, he didn’t forget to deliberately bump his shoulder into me. With a bang, the door closed, and Summer slapped me across the face. “Are you done? Do you have to drive Derek away before you’re satisfied?” “Do you have any idea how heartbroken Derek is that I’m marrying you?” “He’s already stepping aside for us. Can’t you be a little more gracious?” My throat tightened, my face stinging hot. At that moment, I couldn’t understand how the pure girl I’d fallen for had become this unreasonable. Summer grabbed her phone, preparing to leave. Before going, she didn’t forget to threaten me. “Let me tell you—if you want me to stay married to you, stop going after Derek!” After Summer left, the festive bridal suite fell into silence. Her parents somehow got word and rushed over. Seeing only me there, Summer’s father’s face showed frustration. “Logan, I failed to raise my daughter properly. I’ll go discipline her right now.” I looked up. “No need. The alliance between the Whitmore and Carter families is cancelled.” Summer’s father nearly collapsed to the floor. I had pursued Summer for three whole years. Global first-release designer bags always went to her first; When she wanted to hold an art exhibition, I bought the most luxurious gallery in the museum; When she wanted to act in movies, I bought an entertainment company just to serve her alone. To be with her, I moved my company’s headquarters to Riverside City. I even did business with her family at a loss just to please her parents. With my support, her father’s small company became a top 100 national enterprise. I thought I’d done everything I could for Summer, but there was always a Derek by her side. I remember the first time I met Summer’s parents, Derek walked out of Summer’s room wearing shorts. He sat on the couch and casually asked Summer. “Summer, how long are you planning to string this one along?” His attitude showed he didn’t consider me worth noticing at all. When Summer said I was her future fiancé, the look Derek gave me turned particularly cold. From then on, Derek targeted me relentlessly. On dates with Summer, he would secretly order food I was allergic to. Watching my entire face swell up, he’d laugh in my face. Every time he pulled a prank, Summer would say Derek was just joking. I kept thinking that after we got married, maybe she’d finally keep her distance from Derek. But Summer took my tolerance as permission and completely crossed the line. I called my secretary. “Cancel all cooperation with Whitmore Group. Withdraw all our investments in their company. From now on, whatever projects Whitmore Group wants, acquire them at any cost.”

“Also, the Hayes family’s company—I want to hear news of their bankruptcy within three days.” After the call, I took a photo of the blood-stained sheet. Then I posted it on Instagram. **[Thanks to my ex-fiancée’s boyfriend for the wedding gift.]** The next second, my phone exploded. Summer’s calls came in the most. “What’s that post supposed to mean? Don’t you know Derek is applying to Ivy League schools? What you posted could ruin his chances!” I didn’t respond, hung up decisively, and blocked her number. At 3 AM, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. I opened my phone and saw Derek had updated his Instagram. He posted a bar photo—Summer leaning against Derek’s shoulder, her cheeks flushed. Caption: **What’s a husband compared to a friend? May our friendship last forever!** The comments were full of likes. One friend, unhappy with their behavior, commented: “Summer’s about to get married. You two should keep your distance!” Summer replied directly in the comments: “It’s just having drinks with a friend. If Logan can’t even handle that, we just won’t get married.” Expressionless, I liked the post. After taking a few sleeping pills, I finally felt drowsy. That’s when my phone rang—a friend calling. “Logan, this is bad. Summer’s causing a scene at the bar. Come help!” My head was fuzzy. It took me a moment to process what he’d said. “I’m not going. Why would you call me? Just call the cops.” “If you don’t come, Summer’s going to get hurt!” my friend urged. Summer’s screams came through the phone. Even though I’d decided to cut ties with her, we had dated after all. I couldn’t just let her get hurt. I dragged myself out of bed and headed to the bar. The moment I pushed open the bar door, a bucket of red wine poured down from above. Seeing me drenched and pathetic, Derek doubled over laughing. “Logan Carter, you’re such an idiot. All it took was a made-up excuse to get you here.” Summer sat on the couch, confidently raising an eyebrow. “See, Derek? I told you Logan is just a lovesick puppy who won’t leave. No matter what I do, he can’t bear to walk away from me.” Derek sat back down next to Summer. “I lost the bet. How are you going to punish me?” The crowd egged them on. “How else? Kiss her!” Summer blushed. “My fiancé is right here. You guys are too much.” Her mouth said no, but her body leaned honestly against Derek. I walked up, grabbed an open champagne bottle nearby, and poured it directly over their heads. Summer shrieked at me. “Logan Carter, have you lost your mind?!” Derek’s curly hair was plastered wetly to his forehead, making him look like a drowned rat. Summer immediately grabbed tissues to wipe him off, full of concern. She glared up at me. “Logan, Derek just likes pranks! He doesn’t mean any harm! Why are you being so petty!” I scoffed. “So sleeping together was just a prank too?” Summer’s face turned crimson. Finally, she stood up and shoved me hard. The champagne tower scattered across the floor. I fell onto broken glass, pain shooting through my back.

“That’s enough! Interrogating me like a lunatic—what’s the point?” I braced myself against the wall, watching Derek lean intimately against Summer’s shoulder, and suddenly felt completely drained. But I refused to back down. “What? You had the nerve to make me a cuckold, but not the guts to let me call you out?” Derek tugged at Summer’s sleeve, looking pitiful. “Summer, forget it. It’s just getting a drink poured on me. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have pranked him.” When I got drenched in red wine, Summer laughed and called it a prank. But when Derek got his hair a little wet, Summer couldn’t wait to defend him. Summer looked at me with disappointment. “Derek is younger than you and more forgiving! Can’t you learn something from him?” I sneered. “Learn what? Learn to sleep with someone else’s fiancée?” Before I could finish, Summer punched me in the face. “Apologize to Derek!” I swallowed the blood in my throat. “In your dreams!” Derek pretended to be frightened and stepped back. “Logan looks so scary. What if he ends up abusing you later?” He tested the waters: “Summer, since my friends are all here, maybe I should teach Logan how to be a considerate husband?” Summer heard this and gave an almost imperceptible nod. The next second, fists rained down on me. Derek stepped on my face, bent down, and whispered in my ear. “Logan Carter, so what if you married Summer? The most important person in her heart will always be me.” I struggled to get up in fury. Derek picked up my car keys from the ground and said to Summer: “Summer, I haven’t had a car lately. I’ll just take this Maybach.” Summer nodded, not giving me a second glance. All these years, whenever Derek asked, even my most prized possessions had to be handed over. I pushed myself up against the wall, trying to get my things back. But Summer thought I was going to hit Derek, so she had her friends surround me. A kick sent me back to the ground. My head slammed against the table corner, and suddenly everything went red. Seeing this, Summer rushed toward me in panic. “Logan! I—” Derek dramatically blocked her path. “Logan! You’re so manipulative! You poured wine on your own head just to trick Summer!” “Summer, don’t fall for it. He’s faking. How could anyone bleed this much?” Summer actually believed him and stopped in her tracks. “Logan Carter, think about what you’ve done!” With that, she led everyone out of the private room. I lay in a pool of blood, my vision swimming. I picked up my phone and numbly dialed a number: “The video I recorded earlier… you can release it now.”

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On my wedding day, my wife brought her lover to crash the ceremony. She secretly showed me their intimate videos, and her lover mocked me, saying I wasn’t as good as him in bed. In my rage, I hit her lover. But she joined forces with my family and had me committed to a psychiatric hospital. Even my own parents, wanting to give my company to my brother, testified to the police that I was mentally unstable, even producing plenty of evidence. On the wedding day, almost everyone with a name in New York showed up. I arrived early at the venue, warmly welcoming friends and family. But Lena was two whole hours late. When she arrived, her face was flushed, with hickeys on her neck. Her wedding dress looked like it had been torn, her long hair was disheveled, and when she lifted her skirt, even her white stockings were ripped. The moment I saw her, everyone—including me—was shocked, and then their gazes gradually turned knowing. She didn’t come alone. She brought Tony with her. This Tony was her childhood friend, supposedly they almost got together once. It was only because Tony went abroad that they didn’t end up together. Recently Tony had returned, and they’d been meeting up frequently. I’d questioned her about it, but she said she and Tony didn’t have that kind of relationship. Honestly, I didn’t really believe her, but my company was too entangled with her family. This marriage had to continue. So I endured it. After Lena got on stage, she didn’t even glance at me. Instead, she snatched the microphone from the officiant and said, “Everyone, the wedding will proceed as planned, but I want to change the groom.” Her words caused an uproar throughout the venue. I saw Tony smirking at me maliciously. Lena walked up to me, held out her phone in front of my face, and said, “See for yourself.” On the screen, she was wearing her wedding dress, engaged in vigorous combat with Tony. She’d deliberately left the sound on, so even though others couldn’t see the screen, they could hear the audio and naturally knew what the video contained. I took a deep breath and asked as calmly as possible, “You know how important this marriage is. Do you really need to make a scene like this?” Lena smiled faintly. “If Tony hadn’t come back, I could have reluctantly married you and then flown overseas to sleep with Tony. But now that Tony’s back and agreed to marry me, why would I marry you?” I nodded. “So when you kept saying you were going abroad for business, you were actually going to see Tony?” Lena smiled and nodded. “That’s right. I saved videos every time. Want to watch them?” I shook my head and smiled. “I’ll pass on that. It’s just that sort of thing anyway—not like I haven’t seen it before. But I’ll give you some advice: let’s continue the wedding and deal with the aftermath after we’re married.” Tony scoffed and said loudly, “Torres, stop dreaming about marrying Lena. You’re too weak. I’m way better than you. Lena finds being with you disgusting. Don’t you get it? Compared to me, you don’t even count as a man!” “Why do this?” I shook my head with a bitter smile. “Why make such a scene? How are we supposed to resolve this?” As I spoke, I threw a punch. Tony immediately fell backward, his mouth full of blood, spitting out several teeth. I stepped forward again, raised my foot, and stomped down hard on Tony’s vital area. He screamed—the sound almost feminine. Lena rushed at me and pushed me. “How dare you hit Tony?” I glanced at the guests below and smiled faintly. “I had to. Otherwise, the whole city will know I’m weak, and I won’t be able to do business anymore.” Lena swung her hand to slap me, but I caught her wrist directly. I shook my head and smiled. “I never hit women, but I have one flaw—sometimes I can’t tell men and women apart.” I struck her across the face, sending Lena flying.

At that moment, Lena’s sister Mira rushed onto the stage with people and had me restrained by a group. My parents and my brother also immediately rushed over. My dad shouted, “Someone come quick! My son’s having another mental breakdown! Take him to the psychiatric hospital!” My mom cried out, “My life is so hard! How did my perfectly good son become mentally ill? I don’t even want to live anymore!” My brother Alex hugged my waist and shouted, “Torres, please snap out of it! Today is your wedding day—you can’t have an episode!” Mental illness? Fine. On my wedding day, betrayed by everyone close to me, is that it? I let out a sinister laugh, lowered my center of gravity, unified my stance, and suddenly raised my knee, slamming it hard into Alex’s groin. “Ahhhh!” Alex screamed and instantly collapsed to his knees before me. But no matter how good a fighter I was, I couldn’t take on dozens of people. Before long, they had me captured. Then I was sent to a psychiatric hospital. They used many straps to bind me to a chair. Only my family remained in the room, along with the sisters Lena and Mira. As for Tony, he seemed too severely injured and was in the hospital. Oh right, Alex had also gone to the hospital. I looked at them almost maniacally and said, “Why are you doing this to me?” No one spoke. I continued shouting, “After all these years, haven’t I been good to you?” “You only have your current success because Alex gave up his studies so you could go to college!” My mom shouted. I laughed. “He failed every single subject since childhood. In the end, he got expelled for getting into a gang fight. Is it my fault he couldn’t go to college? And I went to college on student loans and scholarships from the school and government. Did I spend a single cent of yours?” My dad roared, “If you’d given that money to Alex to invest in cryptocurrency, he’d be a multimillionaire by now!” Just as I expected, no matter what, they always favored Alex. Lena covered her swollen face and sneered, “Torres, I’ll be honest with you. Today’s scene was all planned by us. Mira was the mastermind. The goal was to get you committed to a psychiatric hospital so Alex could take over your company. And the marriage alliance with my family will now be between Alex and Mira.” I glared at Mira. “I really underestimated you. You look so small and sweet, but you have the most vicious heart of all!” Mira gave me a sweet smile. “It’s all about money. You can’t blame me for that.” Then she took out her phone and showed me many videos. These videos all showed me losing my temper and smashing things. Each time I lost my temper, it was because my parents deliberately provoked me, or because Alex had lost money gambling in Las Vegas. But now, these would become evidence that I was mentally ill. Lena closed her phone. “Oh, by the way, I’ll have the doctor inject you with a certain drug. Even if you’re not mentally ill, you’ll be diagnosed as such.”

They left, and I really did become mentally ill. At first, Lena and my parents would occasionally come to see me. Of course, they weren’t visiting—they were checking to see if I’d completely lost my mind. Each time they came, they would beat me, because Tony and Alex were now crippled. I’d hit their vital areas too hard, and it would take a long time for them to recover. As a result, even Alex and Mira’s wedding had to be postponed. But Lena still proudly boasted that my company was now under Mira’s control. Apparently, they’d worked things out with the board of directors and pushed Mira into the CEO position. Each time I cursed them out, but the more I cursed, the more excited they seemed. Later, they became too lazy to visit, but Mira came every day. She would provoke me daily, making me extremely depressed and agitated, then record videos and share them in their group chat. Eventually I started breaking down, begging them to let me go. My breakdown excited them even more. They’d come frequently to humiliate me and enjoy my suffering. Tony, who’d been discharged from the hospital, hadn’t fully recovered but could move freely. He sat across from me, his arm around Lena, and said, “Torres, beg me. If you beg nicely enough, maybe I’ll let you go.” As he spoke, he tried to kiss Lena. But Lena dodged, and he missed. Tony looked embarrassed, then threw things at me to vent his frustration. Alex also tried to kiss Mira, but she slapped him across the face. Mira looked as cute as a Lolita, but her eyes were ice-cold. “You pathetic waste. Even though we’ve announced our engagement, it’s just a business marriage. Do you really think a loser like you can touch me?” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Alex, oh Alex. A loser is a loser. No one will ever respect you.” Alex rushed at me like a mad dog and threw a punch. But I headbutted him. Though my hands and feet were bound, I bit down on his neck. “Ahhhhhhh!” Alex screamed, but didn’t dare struggle. Because I was biting hard. The more violently he struggled, the more it would hurt. I shook my neck like a wild animal, tearing off a chunk of flesh and skin, then spat it out. Alex covered his bleeding neck, already crying from fear. He’d even wet himself. Lena said coldly, “Torres, you’re already like this and you’re still acting tough?” I smiled at her. “Lena, you all want my company. You think making me mentally ill is enough? Do you know how complex my company’s equity structure is? Even if I died, the company wouldn’t fall into your hands.” Lena looked at Mira in surprise. Mira sighed and nodded. “The company’s equity structure is extremely complex, one layer nested within another. There are even some funds involved. In short, it’s very complicated. I don’t have a particularly good solution yet.” “Useless!” Lena cursed angrily. “Mira, have you forgotten who you are? If it weren’t for my parents, you’d be an orphan. Now I’m asking you to do something and you can’t even manage it. Why don’t you just die?” Mira hung her head, not daring to speak. I laughed heartily. “Good, good, good! Dogs turning on each other!” “Shut up!” Tony shouted, then said to Mira, “Mira, is there really no way at all?”

“There is a way, but it requires capital injection.” Mira sighed. “No matter how complex his equity structure is, it doesn’t really matter. As long as we change the legal representative, then inject capital to dilute the shares, we can get the major stake. But being the legal representative carries great risk too.” “Mira, don’t say another word!” I shouted. Seeing my agitation, Lena quickly said, “First figure out how to change the legal representative!” Mira nodded. “It’s not difficult. After all, Torres is already mentally ill. Changing it to Alex should be no problem.” But Alex shook his head vigorously. “I don’t want to be the legal representative. I just want money!” He was afraid of being the legal representative because the risk was too great—he’d be the one taking the fall. Lena looked at me, then at Mira, and suddenly smiled. “How about this—I’ll arrange for you and Torres to get a marriage certificate. Then you can be the legal representative.” Mira’s eyes widened. “Lena, you’re setting me up!” Lena sneered, “If you want to know who your biological parents are, then listen to me. Otherwise, you’ll never know in this lifetime!” Tony also threatened, “We know where your biological parents are buried. If you don’t agree, we’ll dig up their graves!” Mira collapsed to the floor, hugging her knees and crying, but she nodded. She could only nod. This psychiatric hospital was funded by Mira, and everyone inside listened to her. So changing my medical records was very easy. They first altered my records, had Mira and me get our marriage certificate, then changed the records again. This way, Mira and I were legally married. Then Mira used my mental illness as grounds to change the legal representative. Next, Lena’s family and Tony’s family basically bet everything they had, obtained cash flow, and injected capital to dilute the equity. In just half a year, Mira already held forty-five percent of the shares. Another half year passed, and they’d also recovered much of the equity from the board shareholders. In one year’s time, Mira already held sixty-five percent of the shares. And on this day, they actually let me out and brought me to the company’s main conference room. They even dressed me in a suit, making me look presentable. Lena sat like a queen in the chairman’s seat, with Tony beside her, while Mira could only stand behind her. Besides them, my parents, Lena’s parents, Tony’s parents, and the shareholders who still had stakes were all there. Especially those shareholders—when they saw me, they couldn’t help but sigh. Darren, who’d started the business with me, sighed. “Torres, back then it took us just three years—only three years to build this company. Who could have imagined it would come to this?” I smiled bitterly, saying nothing. Lena laughed coldly. “Torres, you don’t even know that when I first pursued you, it was all to drain you dry. I never expected you’d be so shrewd in business, yet so impulsive that you’d let this waste Mira scheme you into mental illness, and even lose your company to us.” I smiled bitterly. “So you never loved me, did you?” Lena laughed loudly. “I never imagined that even at this point, you’re still thinking about romance. You’re such a pathetic waste.” I sighed and continued, “If I’m not mistaken, since all the shareholders are here, they’re already on your side, right? Since that’s the case, at least let me die knowing the truth. I want to know exactly how you planned all this.” Lena smiled faintly, looking very smug. “Since you want to know, I’ll tell you everything!”

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I had been secretly in love with Anderson for five years when he finally saved up enough money to propose ending our arrangement. “Let’s end this. I don’t want to live like this anymore. Besides, I’ve found someone I like.” His spine was ramrod straight, his eyes filled with determination as he looked at me. In my past life, I was stung by his coldness. In a fit of rage, I tore up his money. I trampled him underfoot and toyed with him even more recklessly. So much so that later, after lying low for years, the first thing he did after achieving success was to destroy my family’s business. He kept me captive in a basement, torturing me in every way imaginable. In the end, unable to bear it any longer, I fled in panic when he came to bring me food. I ran headlong into traffic and died right in front of him. So in this second life, I smoothly took his money. Lifting my chin, I said, “Have a good trip. I won’t see you out.” Anderson froze, his eyes full of wariness. As if to say, “What are you up to now?” I simply pulled out his suitcase. Almost urgently, I stuffed his clothes inside. A flash of embarrassment crossed his face as he snatched the coat from my hands. Coldly, he said, “I’ll do it myself.” I let go, crossing my arms and letting him handle it. Anderson had been a famous genius in New York since childhood. Handsome and from a well-off family, the girls who wrote him love letters could fill the busiest street in town. And I was one of the most unremarkable among them. Anderson had never paid me any attention. So when his family fell on hard times and he went from a wealthy young master to an impoverished student, I instinctively rushed to “lend a helping hand.” After all, no one could resist the chance to possess a star. “Babe, are you bored with him already?” My friend suddenly linked arms with me affectionately, excitement flashing in her eyes. “If you’re done playing, can you give him to me?” Instantly, the room fell deathly silent. Anderson’s body tensed, his handsome profile cold as a sculpture. I was silent for two seconds, then shrugged. “If he’s willing, sure.” This was what he had said to me in my past life. After keeping me locked up for nearly a year, he once whispered drunkenly while choking my neck: “Why won’t you speak? I’m bored with you anyway. How about I give you to someone else?” I trembled all over, kneeling and begging him through my tears. “Please, don’t give me to someone else. I’ll do whatever you say.” He was very satisfied then, pulling me into his arms with a low laugh. But a few days later one evening, a man broke in. His naked gaze fixed on me in my thin clothing. In the end, I resisted with all my might. I held on until Anderson burst in. That day, the man was dragged out covered in blood. But I hated Anderson desperately, slapping him repeatedly like a madwoman. He didn’t fight back, just silently scrubbed me until I was nearly raw. Only when I begged hoarsely for mercy did he let me go. Pulling my thoughts back, Anderson suddenly turned around, his ears and neck flushing red. As if both ashamed and hurt. Without finishing his packing, he grabbed his nearly empty suitcase and stormed out. In the night, a female voice spoke eagerly at the door. “Anderson, I’m here to pick you up.” Milia stood waiting at the door in a faded dress, her eyes bright. She was Anderson’s current neighbor, sometimes helping to look after Anderson’s mentally unstable mother. In my past life, after Anderson rose to power, she naturally became Mrs. Anderson. When I was running a food stall, she would constantly bring friends to harass me. In the moonlight, Anderson’s retreating figure was resolute. But as he got in the car, he suddenly paused, turning back with turbulent darkness in his eyes. “Linda, every second with you makes me utterly disgusted.” With that, he drove off without waiting for my response. I leaned against the doorframe, my indifferent face showing weary fatigue. The word “disgusted” – he had said it many times before. When we went out together. When he was forced to get a tattoo of my name. Even when we were in bed. No matter how closely our bodies pressed together, we were like two coiled snakes that never trusted each other.

After sending Anderson away, I returned to my carefree life. I attended classes as usual during the day, and in my free time played sports and drank coffee with friends. But one day after a shopping trip to Paris, I suddenly realized the birthday necklace my mom gave me was missing. After thinking hard, I guessed it most likely fell into Anderson’s suitcase that day. After much hesitation, I still made the trip to his place. Because the location was remote and narrow, I had to park my car at the entrance and walk into the alley. When Milia saw me, she immediately rushed over, blocking my way with a wary expression. “What are you doing here! You’re not welcome here, leave now!” She pushed me forcefully. As we struggled, an O-shaped chain with blue crystals at her neckline flashed by. That was my missing necklace. My mind buzzed as I reached out to grab it. Suddenly, Anderson’s mother ran out. Milia excitedly said to her: “This is the bad woman who bullies Anderson!” Anderson’s mother was already mentally unstable. Incited by her words, she immediately started hitting me frantically. “Bad woman, you’re the one who made Anderson stop talking! Made him cry! I’ll beat you to death!” She had tremendous strength. My face instantly turned red. But as I struggled to grab her hand, we both fell to the ground. “Mom!” Standing at the alley entrance, Anderson’s eyes widened as he ran over with long strides. Anderson’s mother instantly became like a wronged child, throwing herself into his arms. Milia cried, her expression frightened: “Linda came here for no reason to cause trouble for us, and even hit your mother.” The fall had caused my ankle to swell up badly, now throbbing like needles. But hearing her complete lies, I grabbed her collar and pulled out the necklace. Suppressing my anger, I said: “This is mine! You’re a thief, and I didn’t hit anyone!” Milia’s face flushed red as she bit her lip pitifully: “I found this. If you had just said so, I would have returned it. Why did you have to hit people?” “I didn’t hit—” “Enough!” Anderson coldly interrupted me, scooping up his mother. Looking down at me: “Linda, stop making excuses.” With that, as if even looking at me was disgusting, he turned and left. Milia smugly lifted her chin at me, following Anderson inside. A heavy door slam was like a slap across my face. I pretended not to care, but my eyes still burned. After sniffling, I slowly got up and shuffled out, supporting myself against the wall. The sky darkened. This area was a mixed bag, and passing men looked at me with ill intent. Finally, seeing I was helpless, a man reeking of alcohol approached me. “Hey beautiful chic, need some help?” His large hand reached toward my face. I backed away, my fingers trembling as I reached for my phone. But just as I was about to call the police, The man suddenly screamed and fell to the ground. I looked up sharply to see Anderson, who had just thrown a punch. Full of hostility, he approached me. I nervously swallowed. “What are you going to—ah!” Before I could finish, my body was lifted into the air. He silently carried me on his back, walking out quickly and steadily. My body stiffened, my eyes suddenly wet, my mind uncontrollably flashing to scenes from before. A year ago, after fighting with him, I fell and got injured while hiking in the mountains. I held tightly to Anderson’s back and gave in: “Please don’t leave me behind. I won’t fight with you anymore.” “There are bugs and mosquitoes and snakes here! I’m so scared…” Perhaps my submissive appearance was too funny. Laughter kept escaping from his throat, his body trembling slightly with it. He carried me on his back for an hour on that path. When we got down, he was soaked through. But he never put me down for a single second. Anderson walked very fast. When we got to the car, he roughly shoved me inside. His tone seemed angry yet lecturing. “Are you out of your mind? Wearing a dress and running to a place like this! Do you know what kind of people are here? I—” He rambled on for a while before realizing he’d said too much. Abruptly stopping, he irritably ran his hand through his hair. As he turned away, his eyes darkened: “Linda, don’t come here again.” “This isn’t a place for you.” The last sentence was both light and heavy, quickly merging with the night. I didn’t want to listen anymore, pathetically starting the car in a hurry, afraid that if I stayed any longer, I’d expose my reddened eyes. After returning, I came down with a high fever. Mom kept me at the family home, and I lay sick for three whole days.

By the fourth morning, I couldn’t take it anymore, so I made dinner plans with a friend. William drove over in a flashy sports car and took me to our usual restaurant. “Linda, you’re really not cool. Why is it so hard to get you out?” William pulled out my chair while teasing me. I rolled my eyes at him and leisurely ordered. “Pan-seared sole, French terrine…” As my words fell, a familiar voice responded. “Right away, please wait.” I froze, looking up to see Anderson’s cold face. As if he didn’t recognize me, he served dutifully and professionally. My fingers twitched involuntarily, vaguely recalling scenes from my past life when I fought with him because I couldn’t bear him working part-time. “I’m giving you money, why do you still need to work? Just focus on school, and spend the rest of your time with me!” But he just looked coldly at me losing it, then stubbornly said: “Linda, I’m not your pet canary.” I was hurt by his expression and spoke without thinking: “Haven’t you spent my money? Even the clothes on your back are what I bought you!” Without a word, Anderson started stripping off his clothes in the street. “I’ll give it all back to you. What else do you want? Tell me!” Scared, I threw myself at him, immediately compromising and soothing him. “Never mind, calm down.” In the three years we were together, although he seemed controlled by me on the surface, he was always the one with the upper hand emotionally. A snap of fingers suddenly sounded in front of my eyes. William’s handsome face, full of spirit, enlarged before me. His tone melancholic: “He’s already gone, what are you daydreaming about?” My face suddenly flushed as I pushed my hand against his face. William yelped and fell back with the force. “Babe, give up. Your parents will never approve.” Thinking of something, he leaned forward slightly, his eyes showing a hint of seriousness. “If you really want to get married, what do you think of me?” My movement of drinking paused, my eyes shifting slightly. As my gaze fell on William’s striking features, my heart suddenly pounded. Even though I’d seen this face for over twenty years, it was undeniably handsome. But… “Your order.” A cold, mechanical male voice suddenly interrupted my thoughts. Exposed to Anderson’s gaze, I awkwardly raised my glass to drink. William didn’t care, raising an eyebrow casually. Fortunately, Anderson left after serving the dishes. But William wasn’t going to let me off, continuing his earlier proposal. “Our families are well-matched in status, we have an emotional foundation, and as for looks, well, you’re getting the better deal…” I burst out laughing at his joke. The server bringing soup seemed startled and spilled it all over my hand. “Ah!” William’s expression changed instantly. He pushed that person away and checked my hand. Milia fell to the ground, her crying immediately drawing a crowd, including Anderson. My hand started blistering. The restaurant manager immediately took me to run it under cold water. William couldn’t swallow this insult, pointing at the still-crying Milia: “Not even an apology. Fire this server.” Anderson’s face turned iron-gray as he stood in front of her. Looking at me, he said word by word: “I’m sorry. I’ll apologize for her, is that enough?” His impatient tone made it seem like I was the instigator. William sneered, openly sizing him up for a few seconds. “Doesn’t she have a mouth?” The atmosphere became tense instantly. Though William usually joked around with me, he’d been pampered since childhood and couldn’t tolerate being challenged. I took a deep breath and blocked William. “Go buy some medicine for me. I can handle this myself.” He glanced at me, reluctantly pulling at the corner of his mouth, but still dutifully headed out. After William left, I calmly said to Milia: “You should apologize to me.” Milia’s eyes were very red, her voice weak: “I didn’t mean to, it’s because you laughed so loud—” I interrupted her: “Whether it was intentional or not, you burned me. You should apologize, shouldn’t you?” Milia cried again. The manager was also getting impatient. “If you don’t apologize, don’t bother coming in tomorrow!” Milia’s face went pale. She looked at me tremblingly, like a little white flower swaying in the wind. Anderson couldn’t watch anymore and grabbed my wrist. His voice low: “Enough, Linda!” “She’s from a poor family. She relies on this salary to make ends meet. Why are you being so aggressive?” So asking for an apology had become me being aggressive. Anderson was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled. Lifting his eyelids to look at me. “It’s all because of me that you’re making trouble for Milia, isn’t it?” I shook my head: “You’re overthinking it.” Anderson suddenly stepped closer, his eyes shooting cold light. “Still denying it? Going to my house, coming to my workplace – don’t you know what you’re up to!” “You just want to force me back, don’t you? Linda, you—” “You’re really overthinking it.” I decisively cut him off. Dying miserably in the street in my past life was warning enough. I wasn’t shameless enough to insist on him. Seeing Anderson’s obvious disbelief, A flash of William’s proposal crossed my mind. So I looked at him calmly and said: “Anderson, you can rest assured, because I’m getting engaged.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “361498”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #魔幻Magic #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn