Author: Momo Chan

The day my daughter went into anaphylactic shock, my husband blocked the ambulance and told me I was exaggerating. He cared more about his sister’s graduation than our child’s life. In my last life, he poisoned me for exposing the truth. I died without clearing my name. This time, I returned to the same day. He lies again to stop the hospital from helping us. But I am no longer the woman he controlled. I fight back. And I will make him face every consequence he escaped. My daughter is allergic to peanuts, yet my sister-in-law deceived her into eating something with peanuts. Without a moment’s hesitation, I flagged down a car to rush to the hospital. In a previous time, when my daughter had an allergic reaction, I called my husband in a panic. Although he was reluctant, he hurried back from my sister-in-law’s graduation ceremony. Unexpectedly, that night, my sister-in-law was attacked by a criminal and tragically lost her life. My husband calmly handled her funeral and told me it was just her ill fate. A year later, on the anniversary of her death, my husband poisoned my food. As I lay dying, I heard his spiteful words: “You wicked woman, you made our daughter have an allergic reaction on purpose to stop me from attending my sister’s graduation.” “You deserve to die, go and atone for her!” My daughter and I died with our grievances unresolved. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of my daughter’s allergy incident. I clutched my daughter, tears blurring my vision. The situation was critical, leaving no room for delay. I hurriedly carried my daughter downstairs. She was having a severe reaction, breaking out in hives and quickly going into shock. It was just like before. In my panic, I called my husband. He initially refused to return, insisting it was just a common cold. But my desperate cries eventually brought him back, though unwillingly. That decision led us to a dead end before. This time, I didn’t seek his help. Instead, I flagged down a car on the street. Halfway to the hospital, we encountered an Audi parked in the emergency lane. Other drivers avoided it upon hearing there was a patient inside, but this one wouldn’t budge. The driver honked furiously, but the Audi stayed put. “Damn it, this person is doing it on purpose,” the driver cursed. I was drenched in sweat from anxiety, my daughter looking ghostly pale. I could only provide her with some basic first aid. Then my phone rang. It was my husband, Ethan. “Aren’t you the schemer? Not calling me this time? Well, enjoy being trapped in the car!” I froze. The Audi blocking the way was Ethan’s doing. “Ethan, are you insane? That’s your own daughter in there, fighting for her life! Are you human or a monster?” He chuckled coldly on the other end, “Stop pretending to be pitiful. You think I don’t know your plan? Just trying to ruin my sister’s graduation, right? I’ve had enough of women like you!” My sister-in-law’s voice chimed in. “Sis, can’t you let me enjoy my graduation? I promise to give my brother back to you after this.” “Bastards!” I shook with rage. “We can’t move because of the car you called to block us. If you have any humanity left, move it!” “Spare me the act. You’re not getting your way today. I want you to feel what it’s like to be manipulated.” Ethan hung up. I looked at my unconscious daughter, tears streaming down my face. The driver was anxious, “Your husband did this? Tell him to move the car.” I wiped my tears and continued calling Ethan. This time, my sister-in-law answered. “Sis, my brother’s busy. Talk to me.” “Put him on.” “No can do, he’s really busy.” I screamed, “Tell him to move that Audi now.” She laughed softly. “No can do. He said you’d ruin my graduation if you got out. Just stay put.” With that, she hung up. The driver was desperate, trying to push past the Audi. But the Audi stubbornly stayed put, reversing into us. The driver cursed, “Son of a b*tch.” Left with no choice, he called the traffic police, but they were slow to arrive. I grew more frantic. “We can’t wait any longer. My daughter’s condition is critical. If we don’t get help soon, it’ll be too late.” Tears fell uncontrollably. In that previous time, my daughter made it to the hospital. Could things turn out worse this time? With no other option, I got out to confront the Audi driver. I ran over, knocking on the window. It rolled down, revealing a familiar face. It was Ethan’s childhood friend, Liam.

“Liam, please move the car. My daughter’s in danger.” He chuckled, shaking his head. I anxiously reached to pull him, but he rolled up the window, trapping my hand. I screamed in pain. “Are you trying to scam me?” Liam laughed maliciously. The other drivers were watching. Some began to speak up for me. “There’s a patient in the car behind, move yours!” “Yeah, you’re endangering lives.” Liam opened his door abruptly, causing me to stumble and fall. He enjoyed watching my misery. “Folks, it’s not that I don’t want to move. This lady’s daughter is fine.” “Her daughter just has a cold. She’s making a big deal to fight with her sister-in-law, using her daughter as a pawn.” After his words, others looked at me with disdain. I couldn’t bother explaining, trying to drag him to see for himself. He pushed me off with force. “Disgusting, don’t touch me. Why Ethan married a jealous woman like you, I don’t know!” “No, she’s really allergic. If you don’t believe me, go see.” I pleaded from the ground. The driver came down. “Move the car, the kid looks really bad, as pale as a sheet.” Liam frowned, then smirked knowingly. “I underestimated you, got someone to act with you.” His stubbornness and malicious assumptions made me furious, tears uncontrollably flowing. “Liam, this is a matter of life and death. How can you be so heartless? This is a living, breathing life. Aren’t you afraid of karma?” The crowd sided with Liam, some accusing me of wasting public resources. “People these days, making a scene over small disputes, using their kids as actors, it’s morally corrupt.” “Exactly, it’s too much.” I was desperate but couldn’t defend myself. My daughter’s condition worsened with every passing second. Yet, I was stuck here arguing with Liam. The driver pleaded with him, “Sir, you’ve misunderstood. The child really looks serious. Any more delay could be fatal.” Perhaps the driver’s earnestness made Liam doubt. He called Ethan. “What’s going on? Are you sure she’s not allergic?” “Of course not. I saw her coughing this morning. If she were allergic, would I leave her?” To convince Liam, Ethan lied. Liam nodded, satisfied, and hung up. He turned to us with more disdain. “Ha, you two act well. You think I’ll move the car? No way!” I lost control. Frantically, I tried to drag Liam to see my daughter’s dire state. “Go see her, see how bad it is.” Liam didn’t budge. Just then, a police car sped over with its siren blaring. The traffic police finally arrived. They quickly got out.

Understanding the situation, the officer sternly told Liam, “Sir, move your car immediately.” Liam tried to argue, pointing at us, “Officer, they’re scamming me, saying the kid’s allergic. It’s just a cold, they’re wasting medical resources.” The officer frowned, then looked at me. With tears streaming down my face, I pleaded, “Officer, please believe us. My daughter’s in critical condition. It’s urgent.” Realizing the gravity, the officer ignored Liam’s nonsense. He commanded other officers to tow the Audi from the emergency lane. Liam was taken away for obstructing traffic. Finally, we sped to the hospital. But upon arrival, I received devastating news. The allergy emergency equipment was under maintenance and unavailable. This sudden news hit me like a bolt from the blue, plunging me into despair. This didn’t happen before. Ethan must have had a hand in this. He’s one of the hospital’s investors. “How can this be? What about my daughter? She can’t wait!” Desperate, I clung to the doctor’s arm, voice breaking with tears. The doctor was anxious, “I… there’s nothing I can do.” I felt like I was falling into the deepest pit of hell. I rushed to the hospital, only to be met with devastating news. The hospital’s emergency allergy equipment was undergoing a comprehensive inspection and was currently out of service. This news struck me like a lightning bolt, plunging me back into a pit of despair. This never happened in my past life. Ethan must be behind this; he’s one of the hospital’s investors. “How could this happen? What about my daughter? She can’t wait!” I cried out, grabbing the doctor’s arm in desperation, my voice cracking with tears. The doctor was just as anxious, “I… I don’t have a solution.” It felt like I was suddenly trapped in a living nightmare. The doctor continued, worried, “We can try some basic medications to start an initial anti-allergy treatment for the child to ease her symptoms, but it’s just a temporary fix. Her condition is still very critical.” I looked at my daughter, unconscious on the hospital bed, her breathing shallow. Heart heavy with worry, I nodded in agreement. The doctors quickly got to work, frantically attending to my daughter. During this time, I made an urgent call to the relevant authorities. To make them take it seriously, I falsely claimed that the hospital was withholding the allergy rescue equipment deliberately because I had offended them. The department took immediate action, promising a swift investigation and a prompt response. Upon hearing this, I finally felt a glimmer of hope. Time crawled by, each second feeling like an eternity. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Ethan. “How does it feel to be played for a fool?” “Why are you doing this? You know our daughter has allergies.” Ethan’s low laugh echoed with malice, like a devil’s whisper. “So what? She’s a bastard. Don’t think I don’t know she’s not my child.” I was stunned. I had gone through so much to have this child through IVF, and he’d never believed she was his. No wonder he was so ruthless to me and our daughter in our past life. I pleaded in despair, “She is your daughter. Save her!” “Shut up, you witch. My sister secretly did a paternity test. That little bastard and I have no relation.” His sister, always his sister. Does she hate me and my daughter that much? Tears streamed down my face, a mix of anger and despair. “Ethan, do you really trust your sister that much?” “I only trust evidence. How can a paternity test be wrong? You and your bastard daughter can fend for yourselves!” He hung up. I collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by sorrow. Just then, the doctor rushed out from the emergency room. The doctor looked serious, “The child’s situation is very critical. If we still don’t have the allergy emergency equipment, she might…” The doctor didn’t finish, but I understood what he meant. As I was sinking into despair, my phone rang again.

I numbly picked it up and pressed the answer button. “Is this Ms. Beatrix? I’m with the City Health Department.” My heart leapt. “Yes, it’s me…” “We’ve launched an urgent investigation following your complaint. We’ve found that the hospital indeed has an unreasonable equipment inspection schedule.” It was like rain falling in a desert. I was speechless, only nodding through my tears. “We’ve ordered them to immediately allocate allergy emergency equipment from another hospital. It should arrive in 15 minutes.” I hung up and silently prayed, hoping the 15 minutes would pass quickly and my daughter would be safe. During those 15 minutes, I paced back and forth in front of the emergency room. Finally, I heard hurried footsteps. Several medical staff rushed in with a brand-new allergy emergency device. I quickly made way for them. Watching the equipment being pushed into the emergency room, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. Another half-hour passed, and the emergency room door slowly opened. The doctor came out, looking tired but relieved, “The child is temporarily out of danger, but she needs to be observed in the ICU for a while.” I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I almost fainted, tears flowing again. I couldn’t stop thanking the doctor, my hatred for Ethan and his family deepening. While my daughter was hospitalized, I stayed by her side day and night. I looked at her pale little face and silently vowed to make those who hurt us pay. After being discharged, I took my daughter to my parents’ house. Then I started gathering evidence against Ethan and his sister-in-law. My daughter’s allergy was because the sister-in-law tricked her into eating peanut candy. I already knew this in my past life. But by then, the sister-in-law was dead. Not wanting to dwell on a dead person, I never mentioned it to Ethan. It wasn’t hard to find surveillance footage of the sister-in-law coaxing my daughter. In the video, my daughter was on the phone with her sister-in-law. At the time, I was in the bathroom. The sister-in-law kept coaxing my daughter, saying the candy in her bedroom was strawberry-flavored. My daughter loved strawberry-flavored candy, so she didn’t hesitate to eat a piece. But she clearly ate a peanut candy. … I watched with a heavy heart, my hatred for the sister-in-law and Ethan deepening. Not trusting the nanny, I had secretly installed surveillance in the living room. Even Ethan didn’t know about it. I didn’t tell him because he never cared about our daughter. Then I picked up my phone and started contacting a lawyer friend. “Hi, Liam Parker, it’s me. I need your help. This time, I’m going to make Ethan and his sister pay…” I explained the whole situation to him, my tone firm and resolute. Liam thought for a moment after listening. “Don’t worry, what they did was too much. We’ll make sure they face legal consequences. Keep your phone on and cooperate by providing necessary information.” I hung up and looked at the setting sun outside the window. I silently vowed: Ethan, sister-in-law, your good days are over. In the following days, I took good care of my daughter while working closely with Liam. Meanwhile, my sister-in-law thought she had pushed my daughter and me to the brink and continued dreaming her sweet dreams. During this time, Ethan and his sister-in-law didn’t come home. Based on her social media, they had gone to Norway for a vacation. They were having a great time, their updates filled with photos together.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “309495”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #后宫Harem #重生Reborn #励志Inspiring

I thought I had just woken up from the car accident. But Zane showed me a wedding ring, a divorce agreement, and a three-year-old child— and told me we had been married for four years. The problem is simple: He hates me. The child is afraid of me. And I don’t remember a single moment of this marriage. Worse—every piece of evidence says I used to be the “bad wife.” At my graduation ceremony, I finally summoned the courage to confess to Zaneary Warren, my long-time crush. On the other side of the crosswalk, Zane was standing there, looking sharp in his graduation gown, taking photos. I got so excited that I dashed toward him, completely missing the fact that the light was red. There was a loud crash. I was hit by a car, and everything went black. The next time I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the blinding white ceiling. And there he was. Zane, standing by my hospital bed. Still as handsome as ever. This might be the first time we’ve been this close. Zane was looking up at the IV drip, but his gaze slowly shifted to my face. I accidentally noticed the ring on his left hand. I’ve had a crush on him for so long. So, he’s already taken? Suppressing the bitterness in my heart, I forced a smile and greeted him, “Zane, what are you doing here?” As I tried to sit up, I noticed that my arm was wrapped in thick bandages. The next second, Zane sat on the chair beside my bed, his voice cold and distant. “Avery, you’ve really mastered the art of manipulation. Risking your life just to push for a divorce?” I stared at Zane, completely confused. What is he talking about? Divorce? I haven’t even graduated yet, let alone gotten married. Where is this divorce thing coming from? Just then, a nurse came into the room, holding a tray for bandaging wounds. “Dr. Williams, you’re still here? Miss Niles, you don’t realize how lucky you are. You were hit by a car, but thankfully Dr. Williams happened to be nearby. He gave you emergency care right away. Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be a broken arm you’re dealing with.” The nurse bent down and carefully disinfected my wound. After she rested my hand on the side of the bed, I noticed… I was also wearing a ring on my right hand! And it matched Zane’s ring. A couple’s ring! A wave of fear and uncertainty washed over me. After the nurse left, I grabbed Zane’s sleeve in a panic. “Zane, you graduated from NYU Medical School in 2018, right?” He frowned, clearly annoyed. He shook my hand off and looked at me coldly. “Since you’re awake, let’s go over the divorce agreement.”

This is absolutely ridiculous! I was on my way to graduation, got hit by a car, and now I’m being accused of “faking an accident” to force a divorce from Zane? Either I’ve lost my mind, or Zane has. “Wait, Zane!” Before I could finish, a little kid suddenly ran into the room, jumping right into Zane’s arms. Me: ??? Wow, this kid is so adorable. I reached out with my good arm to pinch his cheek, but he immediately hid behind Zane, clearly scared. “Sorry, little guy. You’re just too cute. I couldn’t help myself.” Zane shot me a disapproving look. It suddenly hit me that I hadn’t even gotten to the main point. “Zane, this might sound crazy, but I don’t remember anything you’re talking about. All I recall is being on my way to the graduation ceremony…” Before I could finish, Zane cut me off impatiently. “So, you’re telling me you’ve lost your memory?” Amnesia? Yes, that must be it. Amnesia is the only explanation for why I don’t remember any of this. I nodded sincerely. Zane’s icy expression didn’t soften. He pulled a document from his bag and tossed it onto my lap. “This is the divorce agreement. The terms are exactly as you requested. If you have no objections, just sign it.” I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. The little boy in Zane’s arms looked sad, his lips trembling. “Zane, shouldn’t we avoid discussing such topics in front of a child? It’s not good for his emotional well-being.” “How considerate of you, Avery,” Zane sneered. “That’s our child.” … “And yet, when you were having dinner with another man, did you ever think about how that might affect his emotional well-being?” I hadn’t even processed his first sentence when the second one hit me like a ton of bricks. I stared at the little boy in disbelief. So, I didn’t just get married—I have a child too? But the little guy paid no attention to me. He buried his face in Zane’s neck, refusing to even look my way. Too much information. My brain couldn’t handle it. I was officially out of commission.

It took me a whole day to wrap my head around everything. It seems I really did lose my memory. I’m still me, and Zane is still Zane. The only difference is—we’re married, and we have a kid. But that divorce agreement sitting on the bed speaks volumes: there’s clearly a problem with our marriage. The problem is… did I cheat? No way, right? Why would I cheat on Zane? He’s good-looking and smart. I must’ve been crazy. So, what went wrong? How can I get my memory back? I scratched my head, completely frustrated. “Mommy.” A tiny voice came from the door. I looked up to see a small face peeking through the slightly open door. “Daddy said you need to disinfect your hand. Here’s the iodine. He said you should do it yourself.” The little boy held a bottle tightly in his tiny hands. I gestured for him to come closer. “Mommy’s hand hurts. Can you bring it over for me?” The boy hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded and shuffled over to the bed, placing the iodine on the bedside table. I pulled him onto my lap and studied his features. His eyes were big and round like mine, his nose straight like Zane’s, and his face… a perfect combination of both of us. This was our son. I couldn’t resist hugging him tight and planting a big kiss on his cheek. He smelled so sweet and innocent—absolutely irresistible. When I looked up, his face was bright red. He froze for a moment before wrapping his little arms around my neck and hugging me back tightly. He leaned in and whispered in my ear, “Mommy, you smell nice.” This little guy is the sweetest thing ever. As I basked in the joy of my son’s affection, the door opened again. Zane entered, his familiar presence filling the room. “Daddy!” The little boy immediately ran to Zane and held his arms out, waiting for him to pick him up. Zane had just showered, wearing casual loungewear, looking effortlessly sexy and relaxed. His hair was still slightly damp, with droplets running down his neck and disappearing into his collar. I swallowed. This man was dangerously attractive. As he came closer, my heart started racing. But then Zane’s words shattered my moment of bliss. “Avery, don’t you think it’s a little late to start being a good mom to Cooper?” “I… I didn’t mean to…” I tried to explain, but the look on Zane’s face told me he wouldn’t believe a word I said. So, I stayed silent. “Whatever. Do what you need to do. I’m heading out.” As I left the study, Cooper peeked out from Zane’s neck and gave me a glance. Watching the two of them so close, a wave of sadness washed over me. What good are a husband and child if my husband doesn’t love me? Even my son seems closer to him. I started questioning everything. Why did we get married in the first place? Why did we have a child? Outside, the full moon hung high in the sky. The night breeze blew through the balcony, scattering my emotions. Nothing has changed. Except for me.

The master bedroom had only one large bed. The entire room was decorated in a minimalist black, white, and gray palette. Apart from that, it was immaculately tidy, with a light scent of gardenias floating in the air. I recognized it instantly—it was my favorite fragrance. I headed to the walk-in closet, looking for my pajamas. But all I saw was a row of black clothes. And they were all men’s clothing. … I had no choice but to knock on the door of Zane’s study. “Zane… I mean, honey, sorry to bother you.” Zane looked up from his laptop, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. His whole demeanor was both tempting and distant. “Do you know where my pajamas are? I looked through the closet in the master bedroom but couldn’t find them.” Zane stared at me for a few seconds without saying a word. Just as I was about to give up and leave, he suddenly stood up and walked toward me. He towered over me, standing at six foot one while I barely reached five foot five. I felt like a child standing in front of him. Zane smirked, slipping his hands into his pockets. “So, are you planning to carry on with this amnesia act?” I gulped, unsure of what to say. The truth was, even if I told him the truth, he wouldn’t believe me. Thankfully, he didn’t make things difficult this time. He walked past me, heading toward another part of the house. I stood there, confused and not sure what to do next. He glanced back at me from the corner of his eye. “Well? Aren’t you coming?” I immediately followed him, keeping a safe distance. “Thanks.” Two minutes later, I eagerly opened the closet door in the guest bedroom to grab my pajamas. But the moment I saw what was inside, I slammed the door shut, my face flushed with embarrassment. Oh my God! “This is…” I didn’t even finish my sentence, but I knew Zane understood. He stood by the door, arms crossed, silently watching me with a look that said, “Keep going, I’m just here to watch the show.” … Taking a deep breath, I slowly reopened the closet door. Inside were outfits so revealing, they looked like they belonged on a nightclub dancer. Tiny scraps of fabric—there was hardly anything to cover up with! Was this how I dressed after graduation… I mean, after I got married? Had my style become this… provocative? To make things worse, Zane didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving. I ignored his piercing gaze and continued searching through the clothes. But I couldn’t find anything even remotely “normal.” … I sighed inwardly and, for some reason, turned to Zane and asked, “Honey, which one do you like seeing me in?” His eyes immediately darkened, and without a word, he turned and walked out of the room. The door slammed shut behind him, and the sound made me jump. Why did he get mad? They say women are hard to understand, but men are even more of a mystery. I grabbed some pajamas and headed to the bathroom. A wild thought crossed my mind: could our impending divorce have something to do with… issues in the bedroom? After my shower, I wrapped myself in a robe and headed to Cooper’s room. The nursery was cozy, and it was clear Zane had put a lot of thought into it. Everything was designed with care. I tiptoed over to his bed. Cooper was fast asleep, clutching a little stuffed animal. I gently tucked the blanket around him and wiped his thumb, which he had been sucking on. For the first time, I felt a real connection to being a mother. But I still didn’t know how old he was. I looked over at our marriage certificate. It was dated four years ago. That meant Cooper must be around three. I ruffled his hair and quietly left the room. Just as I closed the door, I turned around and saw Zane standing right in front of me. We were so close that if I looked up, I could bump into his chin. My back pressed against the door, and Zane didn’t seem to realize—or care—that he was invading my personal space. My heart raced so fast, I thought it might leap out of my chest any second. “Are you done?” “Yeah.” The air was thick with awkwardness. I had no idea what to say next. “So… are you going to bed now?” Zane didn’t respond or make a move. I tightened the robe around me, making sure he couldn’t see the revealing pajamas underneath. “Okay, I’ll go to sleep first, then.” I stepped aside and practically bolted to the master bedroom. Without a second thought, I jumped into bed, pulled the covers over me, and lay still. Moments later, the bedroom door opened, and Zane walked in. He paused when he saw me lying in bed, seeming a little surprised. He stood there, just staring at me. His gaze made my scalp tingle. “Honey, which side do you usually sleep on?” No answer. Has Zane always been this strange? He’s so quiet, always just staring coldly, without saying a word. Frustrated, I got out of bed and stood by the side. “You pick first.” Zane finally moved. He walked to the other side, lay down, and shut off the bedside lamp with a loud click. … Now we were in total darkness. Great. Thankfully, I don’t have night blindness, or I’d really be angry right now! I fumbled in the dark, trying to get comfortable under the covers, but I couldn’t sleep. My mind was a chaotic mess, and to make matters worse, my arm, which was still sore from the accident, started to hurt again because of the way my robe was pressing against it. I shifted slightly, but Zane didn’t react, so I sat up and tried to remove my robe. As I finally managed to shrug it off, rubbing my sore arm, Zane suddenly opened his eyes. Before I could react, he rolled over and pinned me beneath him. I gasped, my breathing instantly becoming erratic. In the dark, I couldn’t see him clearly, but I could feel how close he was—so close that our breaths were mingling. “Jenny, what are you doing?” Zane asked, his voice low. “What do you mean?” “You wanted to get married, you went through so much trouble to get a divorce, and now you’re lying next to me, trying to seduce me. Avery, I don’t have time for your games. What do you want?” “Seduce you?” I stared at him, completely stunned, when suddenly I felt a chill across my chest. Looking down, I realized that my pajamas were way more revealing than I thought. No wonder Zane thought I was trying to seduce him. “I… I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry.” I reached for the robe I had tossed onto the floor, but Zane had already had enough. He got up from the bed, clearly done with the conversation. “Avery, I don’t care what you’re thinking. I don’t have any feelings for you anymore. I hope you understand that. Whether you’re faking amnesia or trying to seduce me, it doesn’t matter to me.” “I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight. Do whatever you want.” Zane left. And now, I was alone in this big room, with nothing but my sadness.

I couldn’t sleep. I just lay there, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling until dawn. Around 7 a.m., I heard Zane’s voice outside, speaking to a woman who kept saying “okay, okay.” It was probably the nanny, I guessed. A little while later, the front door closed, and I heard the sound of the car engine starting. Zane had gone to work. I stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling while my mind raced. I’ve never been an outgoing person—if I were, I wouldn’t have been crushing on Zane for so many years without saying a word. But now, not only had my crush succeeded, but I had also become his wife. Along with the shock, there was a sense of joy I couldn’t suppress. I thought this was my one big chance from fate, but it turns out I played my cards terribly in this marriage. Emotional intelligence really is my weakness. As I was lost in thought, the bedroom door suddenly opened. A woman in a nanny uniform walked in. The moment she saw me, she apologized repeatedly. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t think anyone was in here.” “It’s fine, I was just about to get up.” I smiled at her, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she slowly walked into the room. “Mr. Warren left for work. I assumed no one was here since you usually slept in your own room.” My own room? Suddenly, memories from the day before came rushing back. There was definitely a bed in that other room where I grabbed my clothes. So, I had been sleeping in a different room all this time? Does that mean Zane and I had been living separately? It all made sense now—Zane’s strange behavior yesterday. Oh no, this is embarrassing. I buried my face in my hands, and a flood of regret washed over me. Hearing our conversation, Cooper came running to the bedroom door, his bare feet thumping against the floor. He stood there looking at me with big, expectant eyes, but didn’t dare come in. “Cooper, come to mommy.” I gently called to him, holding out my arms. The little guy’s face lit up with excitement. He sprinted across the room and jumped into my arms, knocking me onto the bed. He flashed a big smile, his tiny teeth showing. “Mommy,” he said, nuzzling his head against my chest. My heart melted. No matter how much Zane might hate me right now, Cooper is still my baby. I would always love him. After saying goodbye to the nanny, I took Cooper out for some quality time together. We went shopping. I bought him a bunch of cute clothes and treated myself to some more “normal” outfits. Honestly, the clothes I wore after getting married were a bit… much. Holding Cooper in my arms, I watched as he happily ate his ice cream, his face smudged with cream. I gently wiped his mouth. “Cooper, what was Mommy like before?” Cooper pouted, his voice soft with a hint of sadness. “You didn’t like Cooper.” Then he added, “You were always so mean.” Kids don’t lie. Hearing this broke my heart. So, I really had changed that much, to the point where even I wouldn’t recognize myself? Then why did Zane marry me? Was it out of love? If so, he sure had an interesting taste. “Mommy, I want that!” Sitting in my lap, Cooper pointed at a McDonald’s poster advertising the latest family meal. Well, kids will be kids—can’t resist the temptation. Me: “Let’s buy it!” An hour later, Cooper and I sat side by side on the couch in Zane’s office, looking like two children who had just been caught misbehaving. What had caused this uncomfortable situation? The family meal sitting on the coffee table, filling the room with its delicious aroma.

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They called me a girl who seduced men for attention. They used fake messages, edited photos, and a staged scene to destroy my reputation. I begged them to stop, but no one listened. I died carrying those accusations. Then I opened my eyes and returned to the moment before everything happened. This time, I will not explain anything. I will not protect anyone. I will let their plan run its course and hit them instead. And I will make every person who hurt me face the truth they created. After school, there weren’t many people left in the building. I took deep breaths of fresh air, trying to calm my emotions after being suddenly pulled back from the hatred and fear of my death. Lydia was handing Colin a bottle of water. It contained an aphrodisiac that would inflame his desires. In my past life, I had accidentally discovered Lydia pouring an unknown white powder into the water. I exposed her on the spot. But Colin didn’t believe me. He insisted on drinking the water anyway. He even asked if I was jealous because Lydia was prettier than me, and that’s why I was always targeting her. This time, I didn’t try to stop him. After taking the water, Colin instinctively looked at me. “You’re not going to try to control even my drinking water, are you?” “Do whatever you want,” I said with a wave of my hand. Lydia couldn’t miss any opportunity to attack me. She immediately chimed in: “Avery, your possessiveness over Colin is too much. Doesn’t he even have the freedom to make friends?” With those words, the few classmates who hadn’t gone home yet gave me strange looks. Colin’s face darkened even more. “She’s nothing, just a bookworm,” he muttered. I gripped my pen tightly, hatred surging in my eyes. “Are you two done? I haven’t said anything from start to finish, have I?” I retorted. Colin was taken aback and fell silent, his face stony. Lydia continued to stir up trouble. “You might not have said anything, but your face looks very unhappy. I just said a few words to Colin, and you’re already scowling.” Hearing this, Colin shot me an annoyed glare. As if to spite me, he drank the entire bottle of water. In my past life, I had knocked the bottle away, so he only took one sip. But even that one sip was enough to make him lose control. I couldn’t imagine what would happen now that he had drunk the entire bottle. I found myself looking forward to it, in a twisted way. Seeing him finish the water, Lydia could barely contain her excitement. She grabbed Colin’s hand. “Colin, walk me home?” Of course, Colin wouldn’t refuse. The two of them left the classroom hand in hand. Ten minutes later, Harper, our class monitor, burst into the classroom, her face flushed red. By then, I was the only one left in the room. Harper stammered, clearly struggling to say something difficult. “What’s wrong? Did something happen to Colin and Lydia?” I asked proactively. Harper grabbed my hand: “Yes, yes, it’s them… they… they…” “What happened?” I asked, looking directly into Harper’s eyes and pretending I knew nothing. I used to trust Harper implicitly. She wasn’t just our class monitor, but had been my desk mate for all three years of high school. I thought we were best friends who could tell each other anything. But I never imagined she would stomp on me so hard after the incident. She told everyone that I had a crush on Colin and drugged him myself. She even started a livestream to denounce my actions. “I was her desk mate for three years, I always knew she liked Colin. I just never thought she would actually do something like this.” “Avery is a sex addict. She… she once called ten male escorts in one night.” “I tried to advise her, but she wouldn’t listen. She also had an unclear relationship with the old widower next door…” This livestream pushed the whole incident to its climax. I was completely cast into the abyss, and the school persuaded me to drop out. Later, I ran into her by chance. By then, she had already climbed to a high position. “Thank you. If it weren’t for your incident, I wouldn’t have been able to take your spot for early admission to the top university and end up where I am now.” As the memories flooded back, I stared hard at Harper. In my past life, she and I had discovered Colin dragging Lydia into the bathroom together. I rushed in to stop him, while Harper said she would go call for help. But she just hid to the side to watch and record videos… Seeing that I wasn’t in a hurry, Harper became flustered and incoherent. “Colin dragged Lydia into the men’s bathroom. Lydia kept crying, Colin… Colin is trying to assault Lydia.” “But don’t they like each other? How do you know Lydia isn’t willing?” I asked. Hearing me say this, Harper was stunned. Everyone in our class knew that Colin and Lydia were flirting, just short of making it official. Harper anxiously grabbed my wrist. “But they’re still students, they can’t do this!” “Come on, let’s go take a look. We can’t just ignore this.”

The calculation in Harper’s eyes was about to spill over. She just wanted to ruin me to get the early admission spot to the top university. I didn’t say anything more and followed her downstairs. On the way, I secretly sent pre-written SOS messages to the principal and other school leaders, as well as contacting some influencers who were livestreaming nearby. Lydia was the principal’s daughter, after all. In my past life, when persuading me to drop out, the principal had utterly humiliated me, saying I was damaged goods that had been ridden by thousands. This time, I wanted the principal to get a good look at the show her daughter was putting on. As we approached the bathroom, we could hear ambiguous sounds coming from inside. “Colin, baby, more, I want more.” “Colin, you’re so good.” The woman’s moans and the man’s grunts were nonstop. Harper’s eyes darted around: “Avery, you go in first to stop them. I’ll go find someone to help.” “No, I can’t go in. Let’s just wait here for the teachers,” I said, shrinking my neck and pretending to be scared. Harper glared at me in annoyance. She forced down her temper and lowered her voice: “If you don’t go in now, they’ll go all the way. Do you really want to let Colin go to Lydia?” The bathroom’s outer door wasn’t fully closed. Through the crack, I could see Colin pressing Lydia against the wall. Lydia was half-undressed, exposing herself. Colin was frantically tearing at Lydia’s uniform, biting all over her body. Lydia pretended to struggle, but wasn’t actually using any strength. Her coy resistance only made Colin more uncontrollable. I pressed my lips together tightly, pretending to be conflicted: “Okay, you’re right. I’ll go in now.” Just as I was about to push the door open, I turned back to Harper and said, “Hurry and find a teacher. I can’t hold out for long.” Harper nodded eagerly. She turned and ran. But after rounding a corner, she came back. She gleefully took out her phone, started recording, and wedged it into the door crack. Inside was chaotic, with lewd sounds coming out unabashedly. After doing this, Harper finally went to find teachers and security guards, feeling very pleased with herself. When a group of people rushed to the teaching building, the couple inside were still going at it vigorously. Harper covered her face and cried, blocking the principal. “Teacher, I… I don’t know why they’re doing this!” The principal’s face was dark with anger. She didn’t know her daughter Lydia was inside. Harper hadn’t clarified who exactly was in there. Harper wanted to ruin not just me, but Lydia as well. After all, in her eyes, we were both her competitors. Today, education bureau officials happened to be visiting for an inspection. Now, a group of education officials were following the principal to “catch people in the act”. The scene couldn’t be more dramatic. The principal was shaking with rage. With education officials watching, it seemed her chances for promotion were likely ruined. I guessed the principal probably wanted to kill the adulterous couple inside right now. The principal tried to move forward. Harper blocked the principal again, crying and wailing, “Principal, inside is… is is…” She pretended to be reluctant. The principal grabbed her shoulders, “Who is it?” Harper acted like she had been frightened to tears, and said between sobs, “It’s Avery.” The principal naturally knew who I was. My grades were always top of the year, and I was the most promising candidate for early admission to the top university. The principal’s eyes bulged with rage. “That sl—” She abruptly cut off the insult she was about to hurl. The education officials were still watching, so the principal couldn’t speak too harshly at this moment. The people inside were still lost in their passion, completely unaware of the commotion outside. The lewd sounds coming from inside grew even more unbridled. Harper covered her chest and cried: “Avery, how could you be so foolish! Why can’t you control yourself? Are you really that desperate for men?” With those words, the education officials’ expressions turned extremely unpleasant. They considered themselves respectable people and didn’t want to barge in at a moment like this. A group of people with varying expressions waited downstairs, looking at each other awkwardly. “Me? What about me?” I finally emerged from my hiding place in the shadows.

“Why are you here?” Harper cried out in shock. The principal eyed me suspiciously, “It’s not you? Then who’s inside?” I shrugged, “I don’t know. I didn’t see clearly who it was.” Since Harper deliberately concealed it, I naturally had no reason to expose it. At this moment, several influencers who had received my message barged in, ignoring the school security guards trying to stop them. “Wow, the students at your school are so open, having sex in broad daylight.” “Yeah, Principal, aren’t you going to take us for a look?” “Principal, what are your thoughts on this? Chat with the viewers in our livestream.” The principal’s face turned ashen. She clenched her jaw and said nothing. Harper stared at me intently, finally losing it. She grabbed my hand: “Didn’t you go in? Then who went in just now?” “I was scared and didn’t dare go in,” I said, trying hard to squeeze out tears and acting like a coward. Harper was so angry she raised her hand to slap me. Just as her palm was about to hit my face, she stopped herself abruptly, glaring at me fiercely. The influencers’ cameras zoomed in. Comments in the livestream were scrolling rapidly. [666, this is so exciting.] [You can tell how intense it is just from the sounds.] [Streamer, hurry up and go in to record. Let us bros feast our eyes.] The influencer chuckled, “I wouldn’t dare. If I went in, my stream would get banned immediately.” I turned away from the camera and flashed a smile at Harper. She stared at me in shock, her eyes wide. “You…” “What’s wrong, class monitor?” I asked innocently. An education bureau official’s face had turned red. He pointed at the bathroom: “Old Lin, go talk some sense into your students!” This incident could no longer be covered up. The principal was so angry her face was twitching. “Good, good, good. These students are really something.” As the principal charged towards the bathroom, I ran over crying and grabbed her. “Teacher, you’d better not go in.” The principal shoved me away forcefully. “Get lost! Why are you all trying to stop me? What are you up to?” Everyone frowned as they looked at me. Harper had finally reacted by now. She hid in the crowd, staring at me unblinkingly. She must have thought of something, because she suddenly ran over. “Avery, stop interfering with them. I know you like Colin, but he deserves this,” she said. She acted like she was looking out for me as she pulled me away, her voice full of pain: “We’re just students. We shouldn’t get involved in the teachers’ business.” Seeing that I still wanted to block the way, the principal pushed me aside forcefully. I cried my heart out, wailing to the livestream cameras: “But there are so many people here. If this gets out, what will happen to the people inside?” I pretended to be very concerned about the people inside. On camera, of course I had to act like I cared about my classmates. This time, I was the only one occupying the moral high ground. Hearing this, the principal paused. The education officials also looked troubled. On camera, they couldn’t just barge in to “catch people in the act” like this. If it caused the students involved to do something drastic, they couldn’t bear that responsibility. So the group of people hesitated about 30 meters away from the bathroom in the teaching building. We weren’t very close, but we could still clearly hear the sounds from inside. The influencers tried to get closer to film, but were blocked by the security guards. And so, the group waited outside like cats on hot bricks. It took a full two hours before the noises inside finally died down. The bathroom door opened. But to everyone’s surprise, the satiated-looking man who walked out wasn’t a student from our school. The man was burly and strong, with a scar on his face. Seeing so many eyes staring at him, he spat in disgust. “What are you looking at? Keep staring and I’ll gouge your eyeballs out.” Seeing it was some thug, the principal visibly relaxed. As long as it wasn’t students involved, it would be easier to handle. But then someone cried out in shock, “Holy sh*t, inside…”

An influencer seized the chance to rush over. The bathroom door was wide open, revealing the chaotic scene inside. It made everyone gasp. Colin and a disheveled Lydia were lying naked on the floor, with unknown fluids dripping from their mouths. Several men were standing around them. “This kid was even better than a woman, felt so good.” “Such a sl*t, even the few of us brothers couldn’t satisfy him.” “This woman was useless, passed out after a while. The boy had much more stamina.” The men leisurely put their pants back on. Seeing the door open, they reluctantly came out. I recognized a few of them as construction workers who had come to build a new building at our school. Colin seemed to have lost his mind, still mumbling: “More, I want more…” The drug’s effects were much stronger than in my past life. Lydia slapped Colin hard. “Get away from me, you’re disgusting. Don’t touch me.” Her voice was hoarse. This slap brought Colin back to his senses a bit. He gritted his teeth: “You say I’m disgusting? Who was having such a wild time with those men just now?” “Was I as wild as you? I had no strength left, but you were still grinding on them.” Lydia felt sick just thinking about it. The scene of the two attacking each other was clearly recorded by the opportunistic influencers. They had been going at it enthusiastically, but Harper suddenly rushed over. She cried as she blocked Lydia: “Lydia, I’m so sorry. I didn’t manage to stop Avery, that’s why she…” Harper didn’t finish her sentence, but everyone present understood what she meant. The principal reacted first. She rushed over like a madwoman and slapped me hard. “It was you, you framed my daughter.” Lydia reacted quickly too. She clutched her clothes tightly, crying her eyes out, “Yes, it was her. She wanted to hurt me.” Colin pinched himself to stay clearheaded. He shook his head, “Avery, it was you…” Everyone pointed at me. The situation seemed to have reversed in an instant. The influencers turned their cameras on me. “Was it you? Come on, classmate, say something. Did you do it?” Before Harper could say anything more, I hugged her directly, sobbing. “Desk mate, I know you mean well.” “But you shouldn’t have led those workers over just to get revenge for me.” Hearing this, Lydia whipped her head around to look at Harper. Lydia had only told Harper about drugging Colin. Could it really have been Harper? “It was you?” Lydia looked at Harper like she was looking at a dead person. Harper broke out in a cold sweat and shook her head frantically. In her panic, Harper pointed at me: “You’re talking nonsense! I wanted you to go in, not—” Harper’s words cut off abruptly. Seeing the scrutinizing gazes around her, Harper was drenched in cold sweat. The principal’s face changed from red to white, then from white to green. Perhaps the principal had already guessed some of what happened. She had security guards drive the influencers out of the school, then used threats and bribes to barely manage to put an end to the incident.

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Ten years after I married my brother Eric’s fiancée, he suddenly reappeared. The whole family stared, frozen in stunned silence. He yawned, his voice laced with a casual indifference. “Thirteen countries in ten years. I’m exhausted.” “So, where’s Lily? Why hasn’t she come out to greet me?” Lily is Eric’s daughter. Years ago, on his wedding day, he faked his own death, abandoning both his child and his wealthy fiancée, Aurora Sinclair. My parents were terrified of offending the Sinclairs, so they forced me to marry her instead. I took in Eric’s arrogant posture and allowed myself a slow, cold smile. “My wife took our daughter out.” Hearing that, my brother Eric’s brow furrowed in immediate annoyance. “Didn’t I make it clear I was coming home? Did you even tell Aurora I’m back?” I sipped my tea calmly. Years of quiet perseverance had changed me. I wasn’t the shadow under his spotlight anymore. My silence completely infuriated Eric. He shot to his feet, his voice sharp. “Adam Miller! What the hell is your problem? Or have you forgotten? I’m the one who was engaged to a Sinclair! Now that I’m back, you think you can keep that title?” I glanced at him, a faint smile on my lips. “Eric, I have no idea what you’re talking about. My wife and I are perfectly happy.” Over the years, I’d accompanied Aurora to countless charity galas and business events. Our reputation as a devoted couple became a strategic asset. Aurora expertly leveraged it to win over partners. Perhaps there was no passionate love between Aurora and me. What bound us was a connection far stronger than romance. It was mutual benefit. That’s why I was so confident. Eric’s face twisted in disbelief. He thrust a finger toward me, his voice rising to a shout. “Adam! Do you have no shame? That’s your sister-in-law!” I set my teacup down, my composed smile not faltering in the slightest. “No, we’re legally married.” My gaze was steely. I rose to my feet, done with this charade. Mom and Dad stood nearby, looking utterly lost. Eric lunged forward, grabbing Mom’s sleeve. “Mom, Adam’s lost his mind! Aurora was my college sweetheart! Without me and the Sinclairs, our business would be nothing.” My parents had always coddled Eric. But this time, Mom secretly observed my expression, her voice soft. “But… you left your wedding. You faked your death. We didn’t hear from you for years.” “There was no groom! If Adam hadn’t helped, the Sinclairs would have been humiliated. They would have ruined our company!” Eric’s face froze for a moment. “I… I wasn’t ready to get married!” he stammered. “But I’m back now!” “And the Sinclairs always looked down on us. I was supposed to be a live-in son-in-law! I would have been bullied!” My eyes were cold. “So why are you back now?” Eric looked utterly self-righteous. “They accepted you, so they’ll accept me. It’s perfect.” “I’ll move in with Aurora today. I’m sure her family will treat me well now. And Lily… she can finally know her real father. It’s good for everyone.” With that, he stepped forward, seized my hand in a tight grip, and looked at me with feigned earnestness. “Adam, you’re free! You can go find your happiness now.” I stared into his eyes. They held the spoiled, cruel naivety of someone who had always been favored. He was so sure I would sacrifice everything for him. I sneered and pulled my hand away. “I’m perfectly happy with my life, Eric. You need to face reality.” Then I turned and left that cold house behind.

I didn’t know how Eric felt, but I was sure it wasn’t good. And I knew his stubbornness too well. He wouldn’t give up. I dragged my exhausted body back to the Sinclair estate. These past few days, I’d been swamped with projects, almost working late into the night every day. I entered the house, rubbing my temples. Then I remembered the text from my parents an hour ago: “Eric is back.” At the time, my body had frozen. I always knew he might return, but the news still shocked me. I hung up my bag and saw high heels on the floor. I paused, then put on a polite smile. “You’re back?” A gentle voice asked. I turned. Aurora stood there, draped in a black lace nightgown. It was modest, but hugged her alluring curves. Her fair skin and exquisite features were framed by a soft smile. She frowned with concern. “You look so tired. Haven’t you been sleeping well?” I smiled. “It’s just work. Did you have a good time? How’s Lily?” Aurora stepped into my arms, her face against my chest. Her fingers gently stroked my back. “Lily had a great time. She’s already asleep. She just wished you were there. Next time, we all go together.” “I missed you,” she whispered, her voice laced with an intimate, almost possessive warmth. I kissed her soft hair, but inside, I felt nothing but a cold void. I felt a soft touch on my lips, and my body stiffened. My mind was filled with what Eric had said to me earlier that day. I didn’t respond to her as I usually would. Instead, I slightly resisted, using my hands to create some distance between us. “I…” My words trailed off, because I distinctly felt Aurora’s body stiffen for a moment. I keenly sensed that she was displeased. After a pause, Aurora smiled and picked up my words. “You are tired. Go take a shower and get some good sleep.” It was an excuse, offered for my benefit. Then, she kissed my lips lightly. I nodded and went upstairs. Behind me, the woman in the shadows had a dark, unreadable look.The pressure around her solidified as she watched my back. The next day, I left for work as usual. The moment I stepped out of the apartment complex, I saw a familiar figure. My hand clenched the steering wheel, my brows furrowing tightly. Eric saw my car too. He suddenly rushed in front of it, forcing me to stop. The cars behind me honked furiously. It was peak rush hour. The security guard eagerly tried to pull Eric away. But Eric was relentless. Even as he was being pulled back, he desperately shouted. “Adam! Don’t play dead with me! You’re occupying my wife, do you have no shame?!” His sharp, piercing voice drew everyone’s attention. I pulled my car to the side, ensuring I wouldn’t block anyone or anything, then got out. I stared at him with a cold expression. Eric flashed a smug smile, running a hand through his messy hair. He chuckled. “What? Embarrassed? Or scared Aurora will leave you when she finds out I’m back?” My voice was ice. “Eric, you are a plague upon my life. This is your final warning. Do not seek me out again.” He ignored me. A determined smile spread across his face. “Stop pretending. You’re just scared. You’ve always been in my shadow. Of course you’re jealous. Of course you want to be me.” His voice paused, then he took a few steps closer and whispered in my ear. “Too bad, a cuckoo in a nest will always be driven out. I’ll wait right here. When I see Aurora, I’ll explain everything clearly, and she’ll forgive me.” “And Lily, she’s my daughter. We have an unbreakable blood connection. You’ll never be able to replace me!” I didn’t say anything, just turned and got back into my car. This time, Eric didn’t stop me. In the rearview mirror, I saw him standing there, smiling faintly as he watched me go. An icy dread trickled down my spine. Eric was spoiled and never faced consequences. Anyone who crossed him was met with the full, destructive force of his tantrums. I took a deep breath, forcing my mind to let him go. I had spent years building my marriage and my career. A divorce now would shatter me. And it would deal a devastating blow to everything Aurora and I have built. Aurora had her family to fall back on. But I had only myself.

I sat in my office, my thoughts drifting far away. In elementary school, every summer and winter break, Eric loved to go out and play basketball like crazy. By the time school started, his homework would be untouched. He was terrified of being scolded by the teacher, so he’d try to pass my homework off as his. My parents always had an excuse: my grades were good, , so even if I missed an assignment, the teacher would likely let it slide. Eric was different. If he didn’t do his homework, he’d be scolded in front of the class. A boy’s pride, they argued, was everything. So, for the sake of Eric’s pride, my efforts could be casually erased. From then on, every holiday, I knew better than to argue and wrote two sets of homework. In high school, Eric started dating. He’d flamboyantly chase the prettiest girls, get into dramatic fights, and expertly schmooze with all his teachers Although his grades weren’t good, he was outgoing and naturally had many friends. From childhood to adulthood, all his whims were always covered for him. He always had a safety net. While I, on the other hand, had to live carefully, weighing every step. After college, he met Aurora at a music festival outside of school. They played in a temporary band at a local bar with live music. For two months, while I was shuttling between various part-time jobs to earn tuition, they were wildly indulging their youth on stage. I originally thought that after graduating from college, I would save enough money to completely escape my dysfunctional family. Until that night, Eric came home very late, reeking of alcohol. My parents got up in the middle of the night, cooking him porridge and taking off his clothes. The whole family revolved around him. But Eric, in his drunken state, uttered a sentence that shocked everyone. He was going to be a father. During that time, the entire house was frighteningly silent. My parents were flustered by the sudden news. I was busy working part-time during the holidays to save for tuition. The most carefree person in the whole family was surprisingly Eric. He seemed completely oblivious to the change his identity was about to undergo. To cover up the scandal, my parents made him stay at home, confined indoors. On the other side, my family and the Sinclairs had already discussed the marriage. After the baby was born, a paternity test would be done, and then the wedding would be held. Everything had been agreed upon. The Sinclairs were forced to accept the marriage out of necessity. If this scandal were to be exposed, the Sinclair family’s reputation would be ruined, potentially even affecting their company’s stock. The night before the wedding, I took a four-hour train ride home. But the next day, Eric had vanished. The house was left with only baby Lily in her swaddling clothes and the furious-looking Sinclair family. Aurora’s face was grim. My parents stood awkwardly, then their eyes slowly shifted to me. Mom seemed to grasp a lifeline. “We have another son! He’s never even dated! Consider it our apology!” Dad immediately chimed in, “That’s right! Adam! Hurry! Your brother is gone, now you have to step in!” I stood there, stunned, my mind not yet processing what was happening. My parents already had their hands on me, pulling each of my arms, ready to drag me into the dressing room to change into a suit. I struggled desperately, my heart freezing to the core. Anger and disbelief intertwined within me. My first twenty years had been spent living in Eric’s shadow, and now my latter half of life would also be sacrificed for him. Resentment filled my heart, and my nose burned. That was the first time I truly broke down. I argued loudly, shaking off the hands that held me captive. “Why?! Why do I have to be responsible for his recklessness?! This is his business, it has nothing to do with me!” Dad, hearing that, slapped me hard across the face. “That’s your brother!”

I staggered a few steps, feeling a burning pain on my cheek. Mom cried, tears streaming down her face. “Your brother certainly went too far, but you can’t just stand by and watch our family fall apart! The guests are all waiting for the groom now!” My face was ashen. Finally, I gritted out a few words through clenched teeth: “I’m not doing this! I won’t marry her!” No matter how they tried to persuade me, or even resorted to force, I remained stubbornly defiant. I held a knife to my throat, my eyes red, and said, “Anyone who tries to force me, I’ll kill myself!” With that, everyone present froze. I didn’t know if they were afraid I would die, or if they were afraid of the greater trouble of a death on their hands. Whatever the reason, I didn’t care anymore. I’d graduated. I believed a job would be my ticket to freedom. The standoff ended when Aurora asked to talk to me alone. Everyone left us in the dressing room. Half an hour later, the door opened. I walked out in a tuxedo, my face blank as I took Aurora’s hand. With a smile that never reached my eyes, I played my part in the entire wedding ceremony. The memory dissolved, pulling me back to the present. I stood by the window, looking down at the city. I had fought for ten brutal years to reach this position. A cold emptiness washed over me. Then, a pair of arms wrapped around me from behind. I was startled, but the sweet scent of cherry blossoms filling my nose relaxed me. “What are you thinking about? You didn’t even notice me come in,” a light voice whispered in my ear. I chuckled. “Just the investor gala tomorrow.” Aurora took my hand and smiled. “I believe in you. Your capabilities speak for themselves.” A smile touched my lips. “What brings you to the office? I thought headquarters was keeping you busy.” “It’s manageable. I came to pick you up,” she said. “And to tell you that Lily wants to see that new movie tomorrow.” I nodded absently. Aurora leaned down and kissed me. I reached up, gently ruffling her hair in response. The house was quiet when I got back. Eric was nowhere to be seen. I figured my parents had locked him away again to protect the family, just like last time. I was utterly exhausted and fell asleep as soon as I went to bed. In the night, a soft figure held me from behind. The next day, I navigated the crowd at the investor gala before slipping away to the back room. Lily was waiting for me, sitting quietly on the sofa. Her eyes lit up when she saw me. “Daddy, are we seeing the movie after this?” I smiled and tapped her nose. “Of course, sweetie. Have we ever broken a promise to you?” My answer made Lily giggle. Her happiness eased my worry a little. A sense of dread had been coiled in my gut since the gala began. I took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the banquet hall. My eyes scanned the crowd, landing instantly on a familiar silhouette. My body went rigid. There, not far away, Eric was speaking to Aurora. Her back was to me, shielding her expression from view. Then Eric saw me. He pointed at me, his face twisted in a sneer. “I am your husband!” he shouted at Aurora. “He is the one who shamelessly stole you and my daughter from me!” In an instant, every conversation died. The weight of a hundred stares converged on me.

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Right after dropping my daughter off at kindergarten, I got a call from her teacher. “Lily’s mom, please come to the hospital. Your daughter injured a classmate.” When I rushed to the hospital, I saw a fruit knife sticking out of Lily’s stomach, blood pooling on the floor. Meanwhile, the other child only had a scraped finger. I demanded to know what happened from the teacher. She stammered, refusing to tell the truth. It was only after I checked the school’s surveillance footage that I understood. The other kid had called Lily a “bastard child of a whore,” and when she protested, he stabbed her with the knife. Faced with such clear evidence, the other child’s parents were still arrogant. “A bunch of whores raising a little slut, if she died, she died. Is her life as precious as my son’s?” “The Vance family owns stakes in every hospital in this city. If she dares hurt my son, she won’t leave here alive today!” But she didn’t know that after Lily’s parents sacrificed their lives, she became the pride and joy of our army. Everyone fought to be her mother, and even General Maxwell doted on her like his own granddaughter. And now, she was being called a whore and a slut? I immediately called the military command. “Lily’s injured, and she’s being called a little slut. Cancel all leaves. Everyone not on active duty, report to the hospital now!”

The words barely left my mouth when my phone was violently knocked to the ground. Tiffany Vance, who introduced herself as the richest man’s daughter-in-law, scoffed, looking at me as if I were trash. “What? Did you hear I’m a Vance, and now you’re calling all your hooker sisters to back you up?” “Heh, birds of a feather flock together, don’t they?” “Sluts like you, who get by seducing men, raise unruly little bastards who even dream of seducing my son!” The fury in my chest was about to explode. I was just about to stand up when I heard Lily’s faint voice. “Mommy… Mommy isn’t a hooker…” Her small face was pale, eyes closed, her whole body trembling. “My mommy… is a hero.…” My heart instantly clenched. I quickly gripped her cold little hand. “Mommy’s here, baby, don’t be scared. Lily’s mommy is a hero who protects people, she’s—” “She’s lying!” Tiffany’s son, Brendon Vance, shrilly interrupted me. “Different women drop her off at kindergarten every day. How can one person have so many moms?” “She’s just a bastard from a whorehouse, no one knows which man spawned her. Her mom can’t possibly be a hero!” Brendon’s face was chubby, his features squeezed together, wearing an insolent expression far beyond his age. “She lies all the time and never listens to me. I have the right to punish lowly people!” “My mom said our family runs this city. Even if she dies, someone will clean up the mess for me!” I couldn’t believe a five-year-old child could utter such venomous words and act so maliciously. I looked at Tiffany. “Is this how you teach your child?” She, however, looked proud, lifting her chin. “Isn’t it the truth? Am I wrong?” “A child getting dropped off by different women—what else is it if not a whorehouse?” “What’s wrong with me teaching my son to recognize the true nature of society’s bottom-feeders early on?” She stepped closer, almost pointing a finger at my nose. “Let me tell you, in Emerald City, what the Vance family says, goes!” “My son punishing her was giving her face. She dared to resist and hurt my son. Even if she dies, she deserves it!” “The lives of people like you, combined, aren’t as precious as a single strand of my son’s hair!” I clenched my fists, wanting nothing more than to rip apart her foul mouth. Lily’s parents had both died in service to the country one after another when she was one. Both their families were generations of decorated heroes, and she was their only remaining kin. We didn’t want to send her to an orphanage, so we raised her in the army. The reason different people dropped Lily off every day was because she was so loved and cherished. Everyone on leave fought for the chance to take her. It was finally my turn today, and I never expected something like this to happen. If anything happened to Lily, I didn’t know how I would explain it to my sisters in the unit and to General Maxwell. In the end, reason won over fury. I am a soldier. My actions represent the country. Knowing it was useless to reason with someone like her, I stepped back, my eyes cold as I stared at Tiffany. “The Vance family, huh?” Good. I’ll remember that. Some debts, we’ll settle them later. No point in wasting more breath on her. Saving Lily was the priority now.

The nurse had just said there was a major car accident on the highway, and many injured people were being brought in. The hospital was short-staffed. Luckily, I always carried the special military-grade painkiller and coagulant General Maxwell had given for Lily. I’d already given it to her, so for now, her life shouldn’t be in immediate danger. But time was precious. I was about to pick Lily up and switch hospitals when a doctor rushed over. “Where’s the injured child? What’s the situation?” I immediately moved aside. The nurse clearly reported. “The child is five years old. A fruit knife was inserted into her abdomen. Depth unknown. She’s currently conscious but has lost a significant amount of blood.” Dr. Carter quickly examined the wound, then used a flashlight to check Lily’s pupils and complexion. “Thankfully, initial assessment suggests no major organs were damaged, but blood loss is the primary issue. We need to clean and stitch the wound immediately to stop the bleeding.” He frowned deeply. “But all operating rooms are full. Patients from the major car accident are lined up. No choice, we have to perform emergency stitches here first to stabilize her vitals.” He immediately turned to the nurse beside him and shouted. “Prepare the wound cleaning and suturing kit, anesthetic, and blood bags!” The nurse acknowledged and was about to run off but was yanked back by Tiffany. “Wait!” She forcefully pushed Brendon in front of the doctor. “Treat my son first! His finger is broken, and he’s bleeding a lot too!” Dr. Carter glanced at Brendon’s index finger, which merely had a tiny scratch, the blood already congealed. His frown deepened, and his expression turned severe. “Madam! Please stop this nonsense!” “Your son only has a minor surface injury. He doesn’t even need stitches. Have the nurse apply some antiseptic solution.” “Move aside, quickly! Hospital resources are stretched thin right now. Severely injured patients take priority. That’s a basic principle!” Seeing the doctor dare to contradict her, Tiffany raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face. “Principles? I am the principle here!” Everyone was stunned by her sudden action. She pointed at the bewildered doctor, screaming. “A attending physician, daring to yell at me? Do you know who we are?!” “I am the Vance family’s daughter-in-law! This is the Vance family’s golden grandson! Your director has to be polite to me. How dare you speak to me like that?!” “My son’s finger touched the blood of this little bastard, he might catch some nasty disease!” “I order you, now, immediately, to give my son the most detailed full-body examination! From the top of his head to his toenails, don’t miss a single thing! Otherwise, I’ll have you kicked out of this hospital today, and you’ll never work in the entire medical field again!” Dr. Carter clutched his face, his eyes filled with humiliation and rage, but more so, with disbelief at the unreasonable woman before him. “You…” The surrounding crowd couldn’t help but murmur condemnations, but Tiffany ignored them. She directly ordered the bodyguards behind her. “Take him to examine my son! A doctor’s duty is to save lives, not to save some rat from a gutter!” Two men in black suits immediately covered the mouth of Dr. Carter, who was still trying to argue, and forcefully dragged him away. Tiffany turned back triumphantly, casting a cold, mocking smirk my way. My blood boiled with rage. I wanted to rush forward to stop her. But the nurse beside me held my arm tightly, urgently whispering. “Mom, calm down! We’ll be the ones to suffer if we clash with people this rich and powerful. Saving the child is what matters!” My eyes were bloodshot with anger. “The doctor’s been kidnapped! Who’s going to save my child? Can money and power mean you can do whatever you want?!” After roaring, I took a deep breath, trying to control my emotions. The nurse was right. Lily’s life was more important than anything. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t yelling at you.” “Where’s the nearest hospital? I need to transfer her!” I bent down, intending to pick Lily up and transfer her immediately, but the nurse stopped me again. “There are too many seriously injured patients from the highway accident. All the major hospitals in the city are completely full right now. Transferring her now would mean waiting, and the child would be in even more danger!” “The child has lost too much blood and needs an immediate transfusion, but… the blood bank is definitely low right now. You need to find someone to donate blood quickly. I’ll get the child hooked up for now to stabilize her vitals!”

My heart plummeted. I unhesitatingly extended my arm. “Take mine. Lily and I are both B positive!” The nurse shook her head. “Close relatives cannot directly transfuse blood; it can easily cause graft-versus-host disease, which is very dangerous.” “I’m not her biological mother!” I practically yelled, my voice trembling with suppressed emotion and pleading. “She’s the child of fallen heroes! Her parents both sacrificed for the country! Please, I beg you, save her! Take my blood!” The nurse hadn’t expected Lily’s background and immediately began preparations. In the blood donation room, I watched as the dark red blood flowed through the tube into the blood bag, feeling time pass agonizingly slowly. Every second, Lily was fighting for her life. I pulled out my phone with its cracked screen and saw messages constantly popping up in the unit’s private SnapChat group. “What happened? Why is she suddenly injured? We’re on our way!” “How is Lily? We’re bringing a combat medic!” “Tell Lily not to be scared, her dads from the Second Combat Division are coming too, about ten minutes out!” My sisters and comrades, along with a combat medic, were on their way, which brought some stability to my racing heart. Just as the 400cc of blood was drawn and the nurse removed the needle, preparing to send the life-saving blood for processing, a hand adorned with bright red nail polish suddenly reached out and snatched the blood bag. “Isn’t there blood right here? You lied to me about the blood bank being low!” “Quick, give it to my son! He was startled and now has low blood sugar, he needs nutrients!” I suppressed the dizziness in my head and stood up, staring intently at her. “Put the blood bag down!” Tiffany was momentarily intimidated by my gaze but quickly regained her arrogant composure. “You… what are you going to do? This blood belongs to the hospital now. I can give it to whoever I want!” The nurse, unable to stand it, bravely stepped forward to reason with her. “Mrs. Vance, that little girl is the child of fallen heroes. Her parents sacrificed their lives for the country, and she’s all that’s left…” “Please, for goodness’ sake, just return the blood. Save a child’s life!” Tiffany remained unmoved. Instead, she roughly pushed the nurse away. “Fallen heroes? Ha, telling so many lies to gain sympathy, aren’t we?” “Who knows if that’s even true? And even if it is, what does it have to do with me? My son’s health is the top priority!” If I hadn’t steadied her, the nurse would have hit her head on the corner of a table. I stopped wasting words with Tiffany. With a swift, precise grappling move, I instantly locked onto her wrist joint. She cried out in pain, her fingers involuntarily loosening. The still-warm blood bag steadily dropped into my hand. “You… you dare to hit me?!” Tiffany shrieked, yelling at her bodyguards. “Are you all dead?! Teach her a lesson!” Two bodyguards quickly surrounded me. Their steps were steady, clearly indicating they were professionally trained fighters. Since they wanted to fight, the long-suppressed anger and frustration within me instantly found an outlet. “Watch this.” I placed the blood bag into the nurse’s hands. Almost simultaneously, I lowered my center of gravity, sidestepping the first bodyguard’s incoming punch. My right leg, like a cannonball, shot out in a fierce, rapid side-kick, striking him hard in the abdomen. “Ugh!” The bodyguard had completely underestimated my speed and strength. He was sent flying backward. Seeing this, the other bodyguard’s eyes hardened. He attempted to choke me from behind and to the side. I abruptly dropped my body, avoiding his arm while my left leg supported me. My right leg executed an incredibly swift back-spin kick, my heel precisely connecting with his chin. The second bodyguard’s eyes rolled back. He fell straight to the ground, unconscious. The entire process took mere seconds. The corridor fell silent. I slowly turned around, taking one step after another toward Tiffany, who was already frozen in terror. She watched me approach, the color draining from her face, backing away repeatedly. “You… what do you want? Don’t… don’t think I’m scared just because you can fight!” “I’m telling you, I’m the Vance family’s daughter-in-law! If you dare to hurt a single strand of my hair, the Vance family will never let you get away with it! You won’t have an easy time either!” I looked down at her face, twisted with fear, and grabbed her by the neck.

“Cough… Let… let go of me!” I leaned closer to her, staring into her terrified eyes. “You should be grateful you were born in a time of peace, protected by the law.” “Otherwise…” My fingers tightened slightly, letting her know I wasn’t joking. “Just for what you did, I’d rearrange your face so badly you wouldn’t be able to string a sentence together!” Tiffany trembled under the undisguised killing intent in my eyes, forgetting even to struggle. Just then, Brendon’s gloomy voice came from behind. “Let go of my mom, or you’ll regret it.” I turned around, and when I saw the sight before me, the blood in my veins seemed to freeze. Brendon, I don’t know when, had dragged Lily, with the help of two bodyguards, right off her hospital bed. She was like a rag doll, her arm being dragged across the rough floor, leaving a vivid trail of blood. The simple bandage on her abdomen was stained red with blood. Her small face was contorted in pain, emitting faint whimpers. “Mommy… it hurts…” My heart felt like it was being pricked by countless needles, a dense, throbbing ache. Brendon was only five! How could he dare?! Was he a devil?! “You little monster! Let go of Lily!” I let out a gut-wrenching roar. Just as I was about to charge, Tiffany grabbed my hair from behind and yanked hard. While I cried out in pain, she quickly retreated to her son’s side. She looked at Lily, painfully curled on the floor, a flicker of sadistic pleasure and indulgence in her eyes. “See? This is what happens when you mess with us! My son is destined for great things!” Hearing his mother’s praise, Brendon’s small face showed a twisted, smug grin. He even stretched out his leg and kicked Lily. Tiffany pointed at me with haughty pride. “Now, get down on your knees and apologize to us! Otherwise, if my son ‘accidentally’ hurts her anywhere else, it won’t be our problem!” The sight before me made my eyes burn with fury. An arrogant, inhuman mother. A naturally evil, cruel son. They were actually threatening me with a critically injured child. I clenched my fists tightly, my nails digging deep into my palms. Lily was in their hands. I had no choice but to compromise. All my pride and dignity were worthless in the face of a child’s life. I slowly knelt down. “I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have used force.” “Please, have mercy and release the child. She’ll die like this… I beg you.” Seeing me bow my head and admit fault, Tiffany’s face contorted with triumphant pleasure. “Heh, now you realize your mistake? Too late!” She had her bodyguards snatch the blood bag from the nurse and threw it on the ground… “Weren’t you so tough just now? You dared to fight me for this pathetic bag of blood?” She said, then stomped her high heel down on it with brutal force. “No!” The nurse and I cried out simultaneously. Tiffany watched the bloody mess on the floor and our pained expressions, her smile growing more twisted and malicious. “You want me to let this little bastard go? Fine.” “You strip those clothes off right here, right now! Let everyone see the cheap, nasty slut you really are underneath!” Tiffany saw me hesitate and keep glancing at the door. “What? Still waiting for your other hookers to save you? I’m telling you, if they show up, I’ll make them strip naked too!” “You won’t strip, huh? Then I’ll have to help you!” With that, her hand slowly reached for the handle of the fruit knife still embedded in Lily’s abdomen. If not for a doctor’s careful handling, pulling the knife out like that would instantly cause massive hemorrhage, and Lily would surely die. “No! Stop it!” I screamed, forgetting everything else. “I’ll strip! I’ll strip! Just don’t touch her!!” Just as my fingers touched the first button, Tiffany’s wrist was struck by a slingshot projectile. The impact made her cry out in pain, clutching her hand as she fell to the ground. At the same moment, a thunderous roar echoed from the corridor entrance. “I’d like to see who dares touch them!”

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Five years after my fiancé died, I suddenly received a wedding invitation from him. I escaped the mental hospital, desperate, heading for the wedding venue, only to get into a car accident. Through a blur, my best friend Chloe’s figure appeared. “What are you doing here?!” “Liam is alive.” I clutched her wrist, “He sent me an invitation. I’m going to his wedding.” “How is that possible? He’s been dead for 5 years.” Chloe flashed a moment of surprise. But faced with my stubbornness, she gave in. “Let’s go. I’ll drive you.” Five years, Liam. This time, I’m bringing you home. The red light ticked down, second by second. I tapped my fingers anxiously, shaking off the raindrops clinging to the window. Chloe’s sigh broke the dead silence. “To think, back then, you and Liam were a renowned forensic expert and a genius who solved countless cases.” “Who would’ve imagined you’d be stuck in a mental hospital now, and Liam… whether he’s alive or dead is anyone’s guess.” At the mention of ‘dead,’ my nails dug into my skin, drawing blood. Chloe choked, then stiffly changed the subject. “While you were hospitalized, I got my license as a psychological therapist.” “Can you tell me what really happened back then? Maybe I can help you heal.” “At least get you out of this place.” The next second, the light turned green. The car lurched forward with the flow of traffic, and my mind drifted back to twenty-eight years ago. My family and Liam’s family were old family friends. Our parents were practically soulmates, and our houses were only about thirty feet apart. Plus, Liam and I were born on the same day, same month, same year. Besides ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad,’ the first words we learned were each other’s names. Because of this special connection, our parents informally ‘betrothed’ us, almost like a childhood promise. From birth, Liam seemed destined for greatness. With a privileged background, striking looks, and a charming personality, he was loved by all our classmates. His photographic memory and ability to absorb any knowledge instantly made him the teachers’ favorite student, the one they always praised. In any crowd, Liam was always the center of attention, the one who stood out. He thrived under the spotlight, as if he were born to be the focus. Until that day, when Liam’s mom frantically picked him up from school. Soon after, rumors spread like wildfire through the class. Some said Liam’s dad had abandoned his family, fleeing out of guilt. Others said Liam’s family was involved in some seriously shady business, living off dirty money. Overnight, he went from the golden boy to a public pariah, scorned by everyone. It was a month later before I saw Liam again, and with his return came the news of his father’s death. He’d lost weight, silently staring at the table covered in red, hateful graffiti aimed at him. Classmates looked at him with disgust, and even the teachers moved his desk to the darkest, most isolated corner of the classroom. His former confident chatter was gone, replaced by a solitary boy with hair obscuring his eyes. Even in gym class, Liam, once everyone’s first pick, was now an outcast. He quietly walked to the steps, silently waiting for the bell to ring. Three minutes later, I appeared before him, holding a deflated soccer ball. Before I could speak, Liam spoke first. “Get close to me, and you’ll get dragged into it…” “I believe Mr. Davies, and I believe you.” I cut him off. “There has to be a misunderstanding.” Under the setting sun, Liam looked up, revealing eyes red and swollen from trying to hold back tears.

That was the first time I’d ever seen Liam cry. He muffled his sobs, burying his face in my shoulder until class ended. Liam said he’d never forget my belief in him. My gesture didn’t change much. Liam remained a loner, his grades steadily dropping to average. It wasn’t until two years later that the city brought in a new team of forensic experts to re-examine old cases. They unexpectedly found a note written in permanent ink inside Mr. Davies’ body. It detailed the distribution and precise map of an illegal manufacturing facility the police had been searching for years. After Mr. Davies’ name was cleared, everyone’s attitude towards Liam’s family flipped again, as if all the previous harm had just been a nightmare. His tombstone finally bore Mr. Davies’ name. Honors and medals poured into their home. Every child who had bullied him was, without exception, beaten black and blue by their parents and dragged to their door, crying apologies. When I heard about it, I couldn’t wait to find Liam. But all I saw was the lifeless, vacant look in his eyes. “Avery,” Liam said softly, “I contacted the forensic team the week Dad died.” “They turned me away, saying they were short-staffed.” “They told me they needed to prioritize their resources for more urgent cases.” I held his slightly trembling hand. Those three casual sentences revealed the most painful two years of Liam’s life. Even with all the financial compensation now, it couldn’t soothe the pain he had endured. That night, we solidified our future paths. Liam chose to enroll in the police academy, taking on his father’s badge number. I enrolled in the nation’s top medical school, specializing in forensic science, vowing that no death would remain silent on my watch. In our junior year, Liam took on a case, a dangerous and highly classified mission. The day he left, he didn’t say anything extra, just smiled easily. “Avery, if I die, remember to use your forensic skills to speak for me.” After he left, I started to fear that under every shroud, I’d find Liam’s face. Night after night, I had nightmares, dreaming of an endless stream of Liam’s bodies being brought to the morgue, piling up into a small mountain. I needed sleeping pills every night to fall asleep. The day Liam returned, he wore a baseball cap and a mask, his skin noticeably darker peeking through the gaps. His team successfully took down the core of the operation, the main hideout. Having fulfilled his father’s dying wish, a smile, long-buried, finally bloomed on his face. When he saw me, his movements were stiff with nervousness. He pulled a diamond ring from his chest pocket and asked softly, “Avery, will you marry me?” After a moment of stunned silence, I immediately nodded, raising my hand for him to place the ring on my left ring finger. “I bought this ring before I went on the mission.” Liam lowered his head and kissed the ring, “I was afraid something dangerous would happen, that I’d become a burden to you.” “Thankfully, I came back safe and sound…” Before he could finish, I kissed him, my eyelashes fluttering. Our wedding date was set for the day his father’s name was finally cleared. Liam said he wanted to get married with his father’s hopes and legacy in mind. We personally handled all the wedding arrangements. Making sure every detail was perfect, with no oversight. On the wedding day, I woke up early. Every detail had been rehearsed, everything was foolproof. Yet my nervous heart still pounded. The clock ticked by, and my mood slowly shifted from nervous excitement to anxious unease. The time for him to pick me up had long passed. I hadn’t seen a shadow of Liam. The door burst open, my parents’ faces ashen, and they struggled to speak. “Avery, Liam, he… he seems to have run away.” I dragged my wedding dress to Liam’s front door; the pristine white gown was now stained with mud, trailing on the ground like a ragged cloth. Sweat had smeared my once-perfect makeup and hair, sticking grimy to my hairline. Before I could even raise my hand to knock, the door opened from the inside. A real estate agent, seeing me like this, jumped in surprise. He stammered, “Can I help you?” “Mr. Davies has instructed me to rent out this house.” The festive wedding banner by the door had fallen, trampled under messy black footprints, its cheerfulness long gone. I couldn’t hear the end of the agent’s sentence, only felt a sudden dizzy spell, and collapsed onto the ground.

A screech of brakes ripped through the air. Chloe looked at me, her eyes wide with shock. “So the reason your wedding was canceled was because Liam ran out?!” I lowered my gaze. Yes. After confirming Liam had run out, I fainted and was rushed to the hospital. Our home was in chaos. Finally, Dad settled on a plan. The reception proceeded as planned, using Liam’s ‘sudden mission’ as an excuse to cancel the actual wedding ceremony. Everyone thought it was just a minor hiccup due to Liam’s unusual profession. No one knew Liam had truly vanished from the venue. The moment I opened my eyes and saw the hospital ceiling, I ripped out my IV, desperate to confront Liam for an explanation. Dad had someone lock me back in my hospital room. He looked at me, only able to sigh. “No one can reach Liam, not even the department says he’s taken extended leave.” “You get some rest. I swear I’ll drag that jerk out of hiding.” But by the time I was discharged, no one had seen Liam again. I locked myself in my room, squatting on the floor. My phone, glowing beside my feet, was filled with countless unsent texts I’d drafted for Liam. The tone shifting from demanding answers to desperate pleas. Begging him for a reason. Begging him to just let me know he was safe. The man who once responded to every single word I said never replied to a single message. I felt the heat of burning photographs before me. Liam’s face was slowly consumed by the flames. It wasn’t until they were almost ashes that I snapped out of it. I only managed to salvage one photo, barely recognizable as Liam. The acrid-smelling remnants were soaked with my tears, turning into a wet, clumpy mess. I gasped for air, frantically trying to calm myself down. In over twenty years, I had never once imagined Liam would willingly walk out of my life. During our wedding rehearsal, his eyes were only for me. Liam held me close. He said marrying me was his greatest dream, his biggest wish in life. Afterward, we walked hand-in-hand down the street, dreaming of all the wonderful things our married life would hold. We had so many memorable moments together. Why did he suddenly act as if seeing me was repulsive? Controlling my trembling body, I went to Liam’s house. The real estate agent was showing Liam’s house to someone; seeing me, his expression grew strange. “Ms. Avery, you can’t go in.” I stared at him blankly, tears silently tracing paths down my cheeks. “You can reach Liam, right?” “Tell him I’ll be waiting here for him.” At that moment, I would have rather Liam showed up with another woman, claiming he’d fallen for someone else, than endure this abrupt, unexplained ending. A month passed, and I was still there, waiting outside his house every day. Suddenly, Mrs. Peterson from next door rushed over, frantic. “Avery, why are you still here?!” “Your dad’s in trouble! He got a call and just collapsed! Go, quickly!” My head buzzed. As I started to move, my phone suddenly rang. An unknown number, but Liam’s familiar voice came through. “Avery, don’t be so pathetic.” “I don’t want you anymore, why are you still clinging on? You’re acting so desperate, it’s embarrassing.” “If you don’t stop harassing me, your family will be completely ruined and forced out of this city.” “I always keep my promises.”

When I arrived at the hospital, Dad was still in the ICU. The rhythmic beeping of the machines grated on my nerves. Mom was sobbing by the door; seeing me, she clutched my sleeve. “Avery, your dad’s company just had its funding completely cut off!” “What are we going to do?!” My vision blurred with white spots, but I still tried to comfort Mom. During Dad’s time in the ICU, I ran around to countless factories. Begging them to take on our family’s orders. But soon, the identical, hesitant excuses from every owner made it clear: Liam had already pulled strings, making sure no one would help us. This sudden disaster that struck our family, it was all because of me. Self-blame, guilt, and a constant wave of nausea rising from my stomach overwhelmed me. The cold wind bit into me. Countless times I dialed that unfamiliar number, desperate for Liam to give my family a break, but I was always met with a busy signal. Finally, things took a turn. Dad was safely moved out of the ICU. His connections, cultivated over so many years, finally paid off. A small company agreed to secretly help us fulfill some orders. This bought us some breathing room. Things were steadily improving. Just as I was about to head to the factory to oversee production, a crowd had gathered at our community entrance. When they saw me, they all scattered, shouting and fleeing quickly. I stepped closer and saw Liam’s wanted poster, starkly displayed in the center of the community bulletin board. His features were clearly printed. The words ‘EXTREMELY DANGEROUS’ were highlighted in red. The former detective became a wanted fugitive overnight, and no one knew what Liam had done. Everyone who had any connection to Liam became a target of public scorn. The red spray paint yelling ‘GET OUT OF THIS COMMUNITY’ on our front door was scrubbed off countless times, only to reappear. Our business partners shook their heads, backing out mid-agreement, saying they couldn’t risk getting involved in such a mess. Our family, having barely survived one crisis, plunged back into rock bottom, every breath tight with tension. We were forced to move out of the community, ending up in a dilapidated house on the outskirts of town. The severe blow caused me to develop emotional issues. In my dreams, I often revisited our engagement day, each time screaming and recoiling from the ring that once symbolized infinite happiness. Later, the news of Liam’s death arrived. All my lingering obsessions and hatred were rendered meaningless, and I was admitted to a mental hospital. Until now, receiving his invitation. My memories ended there as the car pulled up to the venue entrance. “Are you sure you still want to go to his wedding?” Chloe rolled her eyes, a sarcastic smirk playing on her lips. “Who knows if it’s even Liam? Didn’t everyone say he was dead?” “Maybe it’s just a sick prank.” “How can a dead man come back to life?” I lowered my eyes, looking directly at Chloe. “I just want to know the truth.” “Why did he do this to me, try to utterly destroy my family?” “I won’t let him get away with it.” “I need closure. And I need retribution.” Chloe swung her legs out of the car, lifted her chin, and a long-lost smile returned to her lips. “Let’s go. I want to see what kind of wedding a dead fugitive can even throw.” The moment we pushed the door open, a tension settled over both of us. The door creaked open, slowly revealing the full extent of the venue. The carpet was strewn with fresh flowers, intertwined with ribbons tied in delicate bows. The crystal chandeliers refracted the lights into a dazzling array of colors. The melodious piano music played on without pause. My eyes blurred slightly. I wanted to make out the figures on stage, but found only blank cardboard cutouts. Looking closer. It wasn’t just the stage. The entire lavish and grand venue was utterly deserted…

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It was my wedding to Lucas, and there, amidst the guests, stood our maid, heavily pregnant. That’s when I found out: after every intimate moment Lucas and I shared, she would steal the used condoms from our trash. She’d then use the residual fluid to conceive Lucas’s baby. Lucas, full of misplaced pity, said, “Let her have it! It’s a life after all.” Later, while I was deep asleep, the maid brought a portable gas heater into my room, sealing off all windows and the door. In the sweltering 104-degree heat, I was slowly cooked alive, suffocating to death. After my death, the maid spread rumors that I had committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. And then, she married my fiancé. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the moment she first tried to steal a used condom. This time, I’d already ordered ten used condoms online and dumped them into the trash. A crushing, suffocating pain squeezed my chest. My eyes snapped open, and I gasped, sucking in ragged breaths. Beside me, Lucas slept soundly, his face serene and cool. Without a second’s hesitation, I grabbed my phone, found a SnapChat group, and flash-bought ten opened condoms. The person on the other end replied quickly, “Ten? Woah, ma’am, you got some wild tastes.” “Cut the crap. One hundred thousand bucks. Are you selling or not?” They replied instantly, “Sold!” Half an hour later, I had the package. Holding back a wave of nausea, I dumped everything into the trash can by the bed. Then I scrambled back onto the bed. The moment I lay down, the bedroom door creaked open. A slender figure sneaked in, ghost-like. She paused, frozen, when she saw the ten little balloons tossed in the trash. Then, she clenched her jaw, cursing under her breath, “You shameless hussy, trying to get Lucas to mess around! Aren’t you afraid of the consequences?” A cold laugh bubbled in my chest. Anyone listening would think she, Scarlett Reed, was Lucas Hayes’s girlfriend! But the truth was, she was just a charity case I’d taken under my wing because I felt sorry for her. Yet, behind my back, she repeatedly tried to seduce Lucas, even secretly applying to be our housekeeper under the guise of ‘repaying my kindness.’ She used her position to steal Lucas’s used condoms while cleaning, then secretly underwent IVF. I couldn’t comprehend it. I offered her a hefty sum to terminate the pregnancy, but she twisted it, claiming I was insulting her and her baby, throwing a tearful tantrum and threatening suicide. Lucas, of course, immediately chastised me for overreacting and being heartless, all to protect Scarlett. Lucas and I had a huge fight. Scarlett, seizing the opportunity, locked me in my room. Then she brought in a small, portable gas heater, sealed my windows and doors, and left it running, ensuring the room would fill with deadly carbon monoxide, cooking me alive in the sweltering 104-degree heat. After my death, Scarlett faked my suicide. Armed with Lucas’s supposed child, she replaced me, marrying into the Hayes family and becoming the envied Mrs. Hayes. Now, reborn, fueled by burning hatred, I peeked open one eye. I watched Scarlett hesitate, then pick up the condom with the most visible fluid residue. “Once I’m pregnant, I’ll make sure Lucas kicks you out!” she hissed venomously, turning to leave. I stayed hidden under the covers, a chilling smirk spreading across my face. Oh, she wanted to be pregnant, did she? Then I’d grant her wish. I just hoped Scarlett wouldn’t cry when the truth finally came out. 2 The very next morning, my assistant, Derek, called. “Aurora, it’s bad! Sterling Corp. is canceling our deal!” “What?” The Sterling Corp. deal was a major project I’d poured six months into, sacrificing countless nights to secure. We were on the verge of wrapping it up. Why would they suddenly cancel? A knot of unease tightened in my stomach. When I arrived at the company, I saw Scarlett. Gone was her usual timid demeanor. She stood in the conference room, yelling at our business partner. “What if I hit you? You deserved it! Dressing like that to secure a deal, obviously trying to seduce Lucas, aren’t you? Not on my watch!” She patted her belly, which wasn’t yet showing, as if cradling a priceless treasure. “My baby’s daddy is a very powerful man. Do you really want to disrespect me?” With that, she grabbed a cup of coffee and splashed it right in the business partner’s face. “Scarlett!” Seeing that, I trembled with rage. I lunged forward and slapped her across the face. “This isn’t your playground!” Suddenly, a large, boisterous woman, dripping in gaudy gold jewelry like she’d just won the lottery, burst in and slammed into my lower back. “You bitch! How dare you hit my daughter!” I stumbled, falling to the floor, my forehead hitting the sharp edge of the table. Amidst the chaos, a cool, detached voice suddenly cut through. “What’s going on?” Lucas, his long hair simply tied back, dressed in pristine white, exuded an ethereal detachment that felt completely out of place amidst the chaos. Scarlett’s eyes instantly lit up. She burst into tears and threw herself at Lucas’s feet, clinging to his leg. “Lucas, you always preach about equality, but Aurora here, just because she’s from a rich family, treats us common folk like dirt! She hits and curses at us ordinary employees!” “Just because I’m pregnant, Aurora got jealous and deliberately teamed up with our business partner to target me and harm my baby!” “Is that true?” Lucas frowned, his gaze sweeping over the crowd of onlookers outside the conference room. Everyone exchanged glances, unsure how to respond. Lucas, misinterpreting their silence as fear of me, immediately frowned, his expression hardening. “Scarlett has a tragic past. I only hired her to give her a chance at a livelihood, but you grew jealous, Aurora, and took advantage of her. You’ve truly disappointed me.” “Aurora, apologize to Scarlett!” I couldn’t waste time arguing with them. I quickly stood up and blocked the furious business partner from leaving. “Ms. Sarah, please, let me explain. This is all a misunderstanding…” Ms. Sarah was a young woman, beautiful and exceptionally capable. And now, she was branded by Scarlett as someone who had slept her way to the top. “Some people in your company…” Her gaze swept over the messy conference room. She shook her head. “I’m afraid I cannot condone this behavior.” 3 After Ms. Sarah left, Lucas still maintained his detached, almost ethereal composure. “So the deal is off. Money and power are fleeting, Aurora. Your greed is insatiable.” I took a deep breath. I still couldn’t understand how Lucas’s parents, notorious for their cunning and manipulative nature, could have produced such a weak-willed son. Meanwhile, Scarlett’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Reed, were still wailing, demanding an explanation from me. “Our innocent daughter came to your house and somehow ended up pregnant! How is she supposed to live now? You must give us an answer!” Bystanders gathered, watching the scene. I couldn’t help but sneer. “She shamelessly got pregnant out of wedlock! It’s clear the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree – you raised a delinquent daughter, what does that have to do with me? And Scarlett, you’re fired!” Scarlett scoffed, clearly prepared. She pulled out her phone and aimed the camera at me. “You can’t fire a pregnant employee! I’ll sue you! ‘Sterling Enterprises, heartless corporation, fires pregnant employees! Aurora can’t have kids, so she forces her staff to get abortions!’” Using the name of Sterling Enterprises, the live stream was instantly flooded with viewers, commenting wildly: [What’s wrong with being pregnant? Can’t pregnant women work?] [Hayes Corp. needs to learn some laws! Firing pregnant employees is illegal!] … I almost laughed. Mr. and Mrs. Reed thought I was out of options, pushing me to find the man who got Scarlett pregnant. I nodded, agreeing readily, then pulled out my phone, pretending to live-stream a “search for the baby daddy” for Scarlett’s unborn child. Scarlett suddenly shoved her parents away. “Idiots! What do you know? This is the baby I worked so hard to get! Once I give birth, I’ll marry into a rich family!” She turned to me, her eyes glinting with a secret mix of defiance and triumph. She was probably imagining kicking me out of the Hayes household once her baby was born. Mr. and Mrs. Reed were stunned. Their eyes darted around, then they suddenly proposed that I should personally take care of Scarlett’s baby-to-be. “You also need to give us another sum of money to cover the cost of our daughter’s pregnancy!” It sounded as if Scarlett was pregnant for me. Lucas nodded too. “It’s our responsibility to care for the vulnerable.” I pondered for a moment, then suddenly nodded. “Fine.” “Scarlett is my employee, after all. Since she’s pregnant, of course I’ll take responsibility.” Right in front of them, I not only arranged for Scarlett to move back into the villa but also called a doctor, ordering the highest level of prenatal care for her entire pregnancy. Scarlett thought I was caving in because of her baby. She swelled with smug satisfaction, bossing me around. “You! Go make me some bird’s nest soup! The best golden blood swallow!” The many housekeepers stared at her in astonishment. “Scarlett, what’s wrong with you? That blood swallow was specially bought by Lucas for Aurora! How can a mere employee like you eat it?” Scarlett sneered. “So what if I’m an employee? My belly is far more precious than hers!” “…What’s there to be proud of, being pregnant and unmarried?” Everyone else thought she’d lost her mind, but I wasn’t angry in the least. Instead, I smiled sweetly and personally brought her a bowl of the blood swallow. Scarlett grew even more smug. “At least you know your place.” She put on airs, tasted the bird’s nest, then turned to boss the housekeepers around, hitting and scolding them if she was even slightly displeased. She even secretly ordered a wedding dress identical to mine. I let her do as she pleased. Six months passed, leading up to Lucas and my wedding. Business magnates arrived in droves. The officiant, as per tradition, asked, “Lucas, do you take Aurora to be your lawfully wedded wife?” Lucas delicately pursed his lips, just about to say “I do,” when a voice suddenly cut through. “I object!” 4 Scarlett, also dressed in a wedding gown, stood at the end of the aisle, her voice ringing clear. The officiant, likely encountering this for the first time, asked in astonishment, “Who are you? On what grounds do you object?” Scarlett, nearly six months pregnant, looked triumphant, as if she were about to crush me underfoot. “Because I am the future lady of the Hayes family, and I am carrying Lucas’s child in my belly!” The words caused a ripple of shock throughout the entire hall. In front of everyone, Scarlett vividly recounted how she had stolen the little balloons, gone to the clinic, and undergone IVF. Then, she dropped to her knees before Mrs. Hayes, her voice brimming with eagerness. “Mom! My belly carries the Hayes family’s only grandchild!” Mr. and Mrs. Reed, behind her, chimed in. “That’s right, dear in-laws, our daughter is a great hero for your Hayes family! How can a hero only be a mere maid!” They pointed at me. “It’s all that malicious woman’s fault! She can’t tolerate our Scarlett. Dear in-laws, you must uphold justice for our daughter!” Mrs. Hayes’s face flushed with embarrassment. She instinctively glanced at me, then at Scarlett, who was proudly displaying her belly. She was caught between a rock and a hard place. After a moment of thought, still considering the Sterling family backing me, she spoke coldly. “Guards! Get this crazy woman who’s spouting nonsense out of here!” Scarlett’s wails froze. She stared at Mrs. Hayes, dumbfounded. She failed to consider that Lucas and his mother were originally just one of Mr. Hayes’s many illegitimate children. He only became the Hayes Corp. heir because I had taken an interest in him. To Mrs. Hayes, how could an unconfirmed baby outweigh the influence and power of my Sterling family? Seeing the security guards approaching, Scarlett gritted her teeth and suddenly lunged towards a window. “Lucas! This is your child in my belly! If you don’t acknowledge him, I’ll jump from here!” Amidst the uproar, I clearly saw a flash of amusement in Lucas’s eyes. “Aurora, she’s pregnant and carrying a child. Why are you so aggressive?” Aggressive? I scoffed. It seemed this rose was too tempting; even Lucas, who usually feigned aloofness, couldn’t help but be swayed. Too lazy to engage with him, I finally spoke. “Scarlett, are you absolutely sure the baby in your belly is Lucas’s?” Scarlett nodded without hesitation. “Just because you can’t get pregnant, you think no one else can? My baby is absolutely, genuinely, a Hayes family bloodline!” “Oh~” I drew out the sound, the smile in my eyes deepening. The next second, the main doors suddenly burst open. A middle-aged man rushed in, grabbed Scarlett, and shouted, “Honey!”

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At the class reunion, Ashley Adams, the prettiest girl from our year, got wasted. Someone asked her what the worst thing she’d ever done was. She pointed at me, tucked away in a corner, and laughed until tears streamed down her face: “It was back then, when Dempsey Thorne was showering. I used his phone to delete his broke girlfriend’s desperate plea for help. And I texted back: ‘Get lost!’ You wouldn’t believe it, that poor girl waited out in the torrential rain all night. It was absolutely hilarious…” The club erupted in laughter. Dempsey’s wine glass shattered in his hand with a sharp *crack*. Blood mixed with red wine streamed down his fingers. He stared at me, his eyes burning. I calmly offered him a tissue. “Mr. Thorne, long time no see.” The city’s most exclusive private club was booked solid tonight. Word was, a new magnate in the venture capital scene, worth hundreds of millions, was back in town and wanted to flaunt his wealth in front of his old classmates. When Mr. Dawson, the manager, handed me the gilded wine list, his eyes held an unreadable hint of pity: “Chloe, that private room tonight… if you don’t want to go, I can arrange someone else.” I glanced down, adjusting my ill-fitting waitress uniform, and smiled faintly. “It’s fine, Mr. Dawson. That’s our highest-spending room. The corkage fee alone means decent tips. I need the money, you know that.” Mr. Dawson sighed, said nothing more, just patted my shoulder. As I pushed open the heavy door, a wave of heat, expensive perfume, and cigar smoke assaulted me. That scent… it was the smell of burning money. On the leather sofa in the center of the private room sat the man I hadn’t seen in seven years. He’d changed so much. The memory of the clear-eyed, stubborn boy in his faded school uniform was gone. In his place was a business elite who exuded an air of absolute power. He was listening to someone beside him, his head tilted slightly, a cold smirk playing on his lips. And nestled beside him was Ashley Adams, the campus beauty who had snatched him away from me all those years ago. Ashley wore a white Chanel haute couture dress tonight, her diamond necklace flashing blindingly under the lights. She swirled her wine glass, looking like a proud swan. “Oh, Dempsey’s main reason for coming back is for me, really. He’s moving his company’s focus back here because, well, we’re getting engaged, you know.” Immediately, a chorus of compliments broke out. “The campus queen and the CEO, what a match made in heaven!” “Mr. Thorne is a finance magazine cover star now, Ashley, you’re so lucky!” “*This* is what you call happiness. Unlike some people who were gold diggers back then. I bet they’re kicking themselves now, huh?” Someone dropped a pointed comment, and the air in the room froze for a second. Everyone’s gaze, as if on cue, shifted to me, standing in the corner, opening a bottle of wine. I moved like a senseless puppet, expertly uncorking the bottle. “Bordeaux Left Bank. Optimal taste after twenty minutes of decanting.” I poured the perfectly decanted wine into the crystal glass in front of Dempsey, my movements flawless. Dempsey finally looked up. What kind of look was it? Disdain, disgust, hatred, and a sliver of deep-seated contempt. He didn’t take the glass, letting me hold it. My wrist, sore from holding the tray for so long, trembled slightly. “Chloe?” He finally spoke, his voice deep and hoarse. “I heard you dropped out of college? What, that rich guy got tired of you and dumped you? Now you’re reduced to serving people in a place like this?” The room fell silent instantly. Everyone was waiting for the show. Ashley covered her mouth dramatically, feigning surprise as she looked at me: “Oh my goodness, it really is Chloe! How could you… how could you be dressed like this?” “If you’re short on cash, you should tell me. Even though you dumped Dempsey for money back then, we’re still old classmates. I’m sure I could arrange a cleaning job for you, no problem.” She deliberately emphasized the words “dumped Dempsey for money.” A ripple of mocking laughter spread through the room. “Serves her right. Dempsey was so good to her back then.” “That’s karma for you. Look at Mr. Thorne now, worth billions. And her? Waiting tables.” “Tsk, tsk, how the tables have turned.” I listened to their harsh words expressionlessly, as if they were talking about someone else’s story. Seven years. I had long since built an impenetrable shield around myself. Living in the darkest corners of this city. Washing dishes in restaurant kitchens, hauling boxes in cold storage, getting drinks splashed on me by drunk customers, being yelled at by landlords for being a pauper. Dignity, that thing, had shattered into a million pieces on that torrential rainy night, leaving nothing but dust. “Mr. Thorne, your wine.” I repeated myself, my voice calm. Dempsey stared into my eyes, as if searching for a trace of regret, shame, or tears on my face. But he was disappointed. There was nothing in my eyes. Only endless numbness and exhaustion. This disregard seemed to infuriate him. He suddenly raised his hand and violently knocked the wine glass from my grasp. “This wine is too cheap. I’m not used to it.” Dempsey pulled out a tissue, wiped his hands, his eyes icy. “Get another bottle. Something with age. Like the one from seven years ago.” He was humiliating me. Seven years ago, he was a broke kid. To celebrate my birthday, he’d scrimped and saved for three months to buy a cheap bottle of red wine. We sat on the campus lawn, sharing sips, our faces flushed, promising to be together forever. Now, he was using this to remind me of the price of betraying him. Ashley giggled beside him, chiming in: “Oh, don’t make it hard on her. This bottle costs tens of thousands. She couldn’t afford to pay for it even if she sold herself. Hurry up and apologize to Mr. Thorne, and clean up the wine on the floor. Then we’ll let it go.” I knelt, took out a cloth, and meticulously wiped the wine stains from the carpet. Glass shards pricked my fingertips, a piercing pain. But I didn’t even flinch. I was just calculating in my head: the commission for this bottle was gone, plus I’d have to pay for the broken glass. Tonight’s shift? All for nothing. Maybe even half a month’s salary gone. This was my life now. No emotions, just endless calculations of prices and debts that could never be repaid. As for love? That was a luxury only the rich could afford. “I’m sorry, Mr. Thorne.” I finished wiping the last bit of wine, stood up, and maintained my humble posture. “I’ll ask the manager to bring the finest wine we have.” Dempsey looked at the beads of blood welling from my fingertips, his pupils constricted slightly, then immediately returned to their cold state. “Get out.”

I didn’t get out. Because Mr. Dawson said the guest tonight specifically requested my service. If I left, the twenty thousand dollar tip would be gone, and even my base salary would be docked. I really needed the money. Mom’s dialysis fees for next month weren’t settled yet, and the landlord had messaged again,催促asking for next quarter’s rent. So I went to the restroom, quickly dealt with my injury, and returned to that suffocating private room. When I pushed the door open again, the atmosphere had changed. After several rounds of drinks, the elites began to shed their pretenses, revealing the rawest human depravity. They were playing Truth or Dare. It was a cliché but eternally effective game, especially when fueled by alcohol; it was the best tool to tear away humanity’s fig leaf. The table was covered with empty bottles—Louis XIII, Hennessy Richard, Ace of Spades… The combined price of those bottles was enough for me to buy a small bathroom in this city. Ashley was clearly drunk. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was practically draped over Dempsey, her eyes hazy and fervent. She was the star of the night, and the biggest winner. About to marry Dempsey and become the envied Mrs. Thorne—this made her smug, even a little bit floating. “Come on, come on! Next round!” Mike, the class rep, slurred, egging them on. “Who does it land on this time?” The empty wine bottle spun rapidly on the polished marble table, making a teeth-grinding sound. Everyone held their breath, staring at the bottle’s neck. Slowly, the bottle stopped. Its mouth pointed directly at Ashley. “Whoa—! The campus queen’s a winner!” “Truth or Dare?” Ashley giggled, waving her hand with drunken eyes: “This lady chooses Truth! There’s nothing I’m afraid to say!” Mike rubbed his hands with a sly grin, his gaze darting between me and Ashley, clearly wanting to stir up some trouble. “Alright then, let’s ask something juicy. Ashley, what’s the most disgusting thing you’ve ever done in your life?” At that question, the private room instantly quieted down a notch. Everyone was an adult; who didn’t have a secret they wanted to keep hidden? But since it was a game, the thrill was the point. Dempsey, who had been resting with his eyes closed, merely lifted an eyelid nonchalantly when he heard the question, making no move to stop it. In his opinion, Ashley was a pure and kind rich girl. Though a bit spoiled, she would never do anything truly awful. Ashley hiccuped, her gaze suddenly cutting through the crowd and landing on me, pouring water for guests in the corner. A malicious smile curled on her lips. Alcohol numbed her brain, but also amplified the jealousy and malice deep within her. “The most disgusting thing, huh…” Ashley swayed as she stood up, her finger pointing straight at me. “It was seven years ago, on that stormy day, I went to Dempsey’s rental apartment to find him…” At the words “seven years ago,” my hand suddenly shook, and the hot water in the kettle almost spilled. Dempsey’s body stiffened slightly too. Ashley laughed, her whole body shaking, as if telling an incredibly funny joke: “Dempsey was in the shower that day, his phone on the table. And wouldn’t you know it, this broke girl, Chloe, texted him.” “Guess what she sent? Hahahaha… She said: ‘Dempsey, please save my dad, I beg you, just fifty thousand dollars… I’ll definitely repay you later.’ ” “Tsk, tsk, tsk, so pathetic, so pitiful.” “At the time, I thought, Dempsey is so exceptional, how can he be entangled with someone so poor? He belongs to me, to a broader future, not to be dragged into the mud by someone from the bottom!” “So…” She paused, a crazy glint in her eyes. “I replied to a text for Dempsey.” “I deleted that plea for help, then, pretending to be Dempsey, I texted back two words: ‘Get lost, leave me alone’!” “Hahahahaha! You wouldn’t believe it, that poor girl actually waited out in the pouring rain all night! I watched her from behind the window, soaked to the bone like a stray dog, watched her fall to her knees crying in despair. It was absolutely hilarious!” “Oh, don’t you think I did a great thing? If it wasn’t for my move, how could Dempsey have gotten rid of that burden? How could he have achieved what he has today? Dempsey, you should thank me…” Ashley’s words were cut short by a sharp, shattering sound. The stemmed glass in Dempsey’s hand had been crushed by his own grip. Glass shards pierced deep into his palm; blood mixed with red wine dripped through his fingers onto the pristine tablecloth, a shocking sight. But he seemed to feel no pain. He just stared at Ashley, his normally cold eyes now bloodshot. “What did you say?” Ashley hadn’t realized anything was wrong. She was still basking in her self-congratulation: “I said I helped you get rid of that broke…” “Shut up!” Dempsey slammed his hand on the coffee table in front of him, overturning it. The loud crash made Ashley shriek, half-sobering her up. She looked in horror at the man before her, like a raging lion, stammering: “What’s wrong with you? I was just joking…” “Joking?” Dempsey swayed as he stood up, advancing on Ashley step by step. “Are you saying, that night seven years ago, she didn’t run off with that rich guy, Jason? She didn’t text to say she hated my poverty and wanted to break up?” “Are you saying, she was at the hospital? She was begging me for help?” His voice grew louder and louder, until he was practically shouting. Ashley, terrified by his intensity, collapsed onto the sofa. Dempsey ignored her. He spun around abruptly, looking at me in the corner. “Chloe…” He called my name, his voice trembling, almost a sob. “Is what she said true?” “That night… were you waiting for me?” The entire room fell silent. No one dared to breathe. I put down the kettle, calmly looking at the truth that had arrived seven years too late. My heart felt surprisingly unmoved. Too late. It was really too late. I took a tissue from my pocket, walked over, and offered it to him. “Mr. Thorne, wipe your hands. They’re covered in blood. It’s messy.” Dempsey didn’t take the tissue. He grabbed my wrist. “Answer me! Chloe! Tell me it’s not true!” I looked into his bloodshot eyes and smiled faintly. “What if it is true, Dempsey?”

Dempsey’s hand trembled. He stared fixedly at my face, searching for any hint of “you’re lying.” Even if it was hatred, even if it was revenge, even if I was deliberately fabricating lies to make him suffer, he could accept it. But he couldn’t accept *this* truth. Because if it was true. Then all his hatred of the past seven years, all his struggle, all the motivation that had pulled him out of the mud, would become a joke. A complete and utter joke. “If you were truly in trouble, why didn’t you call me? Why didn’t you come find me? Why did you send that text saying you’d fallen in love with someone else?” I looked at his broken expression, finding it utterly absurd. “Call you?” I gave a light laugh, but no mirth reached my eyes. “Dempsey, that night, I called you thirty-seven times.” “Thirty-seven times.” “The first call was when the doctor gave the critical condition notice. You didn’t pick up.” “The tenth call was when I was kneeling at a relative’s door begging for money and got kicked out. It was hung up.” “The twentieth call was in the pouring rain, I was soaked to the bone, with nowhere to turn. Your phone was off.” “The last time, after I desperately sent that plea for help, I received those two words: ‘Get lost, leave me alone’.” I took a deep breath, those long-buried memories resurfacing. “You ask why I didn’t come find you? I did.” “I stood downstairs from your rental apartment all night. I knew you were home because the lights were on. I watched Ashley’s shadow on the curtains, watched you two laughing and talking.” “I thought then, if only you’d come down to see me, even if you said you had no money, even if you just hugged me and told me not to be scared, I could have grit my teeth and held on.” “But you didn’t.” “You told me to get lost.” Dempsey’s face was ashen. He let go of my hand, staggering back two steps. “It wasn’t me… I didn’t…” He clutched his head, groaning in agony. “My phone was missing that day, I thought I lost it. Later, Ashley said you ran off with Jason, the rich kid. She said you texted that you didn’t want to live a hard life anymore.” He suddenly turned to Ashley, his eyes fierce enough to devour her. “My phone! You took my phone?!” Ashley was terrified now. She had never seen Dempsey so out of control. In her memory, Dempsey was always composed. “Dempsey, please let me explain…” Ashley cried, tears streaming down her face, trying to grab Dempsey’s sleeve. “I loved you so much then, I didn’t want to see you dragged down by her. Her dad was a bottomless pit! I did it for your future!” “For my good?!” Dempsey backhanded her, a brutal slap across Ashley’s face. *“CRACK!”* The blow was heavy; Ashley fell directly to the floor, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. A gasp went through the room, but no one dared to intervene. “You did it for yourself!” Dempsey’s eyes were bloodshot, his finger trembling as he pointed at Ashley. “How dare you make decisions for me! How dare you delete that text message!” “Do you know that was money to save a life?! Do you know what that meant to her?!” Dempsey seemed to go mad, sweeping all the remaining wine bottles off the table. He remembered that night, seven years ago. He came out of the shower, found his phone missing, and Ashley was sitting on the sofa, looking a little flustered, saying she didn’t know where it was. Later, he didn’t think much of it, assuming it was lost. The next day, the whole campus was spreading rumors that Chloe had run off with Jason, the rich kid. He went to confront Chloe, but only saw her back as she withdrew from school. He thought she was guilty, ashamed. “Chloe…” Dempsey turned around and dropped to his knees with a thud onto the shattered glass. His knees instantly pierced, blood soaking his expensive trousers. But he seemed to feel nothing, only crawling towards me, reaching out to grab the hem of my skirt. “I’m so sorry, I truly didn’t know…” “If I had known, even if I had to sell a kidney, sell my blood, I would have saved your dad! How could I have let you face all that alone?” “Your dad? How is your dad now? I’ll get him into the best hospital, bring in the best specialists, I’ll pay any amount!” He spoke incoherently, his eyes gleaming with a hopeful light, as if with money, everything could be undone. I looked at the man sobbing on his knees before me, my eyes still calm. Some mistakes can be remedied. But some mistakes cost a life. “Dempsey, save it.” I coldly interrupted his fantasy. “My dad died.” Dempsey’s body stiffened abruptly. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. “It was just a week after that rainy night.” My voice was flat, as if telling someone else’s story. “Because we couldn’t gather enough for the surgery, we missed the optimal window for rescue. He lingered in the ICU for seven days, and then he died in pain.” “Before he died, he held my hand and told me not to blame you. He said you had it hard, and not to make things difficult for you over money.” “Dempsey, you say you want to save him?” “Are you going to save him in heaven?”

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When my wealthy mom and dad divorced, Mom wanted to take me with her, but I insisted on going to Grandma Rose’s house out of town. Everyone thought I was crazy. But what they didn’t know was that this was the third time I’d answered that question. The first time, I joyfully moved into a big, beautiful new house with Mom. But when I accidentally messed up one of Matteus’s drawings, she fractured three of my ribs. “I never wanted to take you!” she screamed. “Why are you so shameless, clinging to me like this?” With my broken ribs piercing my organs, I gasped my last breath in despair. Reborn, I smartened up. The next time, I let Mom take my younger brother, Matteus: “Matteus is younger, he needs you more than I do. I’ll just stay with Dad!” But after she took Matteus, she tricked me into coming to her house anyway. She locked both Matteus and me in the basement, where we slowly starved to death. “I didn’t want to take your brother,” she hissed. “Why did you have to meddle?” Now, I’ve been reborn again. Watching Mom’s gentle smile, a chilling dread spread through me. Who was it, really, that she wanted to take with her?

“I don’t want to go with Mom, and I don’t want to go with Dad. I want to go to Grandma Rose’s place out of town!” My whole body trembled as I spoke those words. But I forced myself to look up, meeting Mom’s gaze directly. Mom’s face instantly twisted, her eyes turning red. She grabbed my hand, her voice thick with tears: “Chloe, why? Did I do something wrong? Don’t you like me anymore?” Her hand was soft and warm, but I violently pulled away, afraid to look at her again: “No!” “I just miss Grandma Rose!” “That kid must be out of her mind!” Aunt Brenda’s sharp voice pierced my ears: “Not going with her mom is one thing, but not even going with her dad? What kind of life will she have out in the sticks?” “Exactly, Chloe, your exams are coming up. Don’t be so stubborn!” Aunt Margaret also tried to persuade me. A bitter laugh echoed in my mind. Whether I went with Dad or Mom, I couldn’t escape the fate of being tormented to death. So this time, I had to find my own way out! Ignoring the chaos around me, I turned and ran back to my room. I emptied my piggy bank into my backpack, and without a backward glance, I secretly slipped out of the house. It wasn’t until I was on the bus heading out of town that I finally let out a sigh of relief. Scenes from my previous two lives flashed through my mind like a nightmare. In the first life, when Mom asked that question, I agreed without hesitation. Happily, I went with her to that big, beautiful new house. I foolishly believed Mom hadn’t abandoned me, just moved to a different place. Until that day, when I accidentally knocked over a glass of water, staining a crayon drawing Matteus had made for Mom. When Mom found out, her eyes changed instantly. She snatched up the golf club beside her and swung it fiercely at me, her previous gentleness completely vanished: “Who told you to touch it! I never wanted to take *you* when I divorced!” “I just asked as a courtesy, why are you so shameless, clinging on just to live a good life!” She shattered three of my ribs, causing internal bleeding, but Mom made no move to call an ambulance. After drawing my last breath in despair, I was reborn, returning to the moment Mom said she wanted to take me. This time, I was smarter. I immediately pushed elementary-aged Matteus towards Mom: “Mom, please take Matteus. He’s still small and can’t be without you. I’ll be fine with Dad!” Mom’s face immediately darkened, her eyes chillingly sinister, but in the end, she took Matteus. I thought I was safe. But less than a month later, Mom tricked me into going out, saying she’d take me to the amusement park. Instead, she locked both Matteus and me in the villa’s basement. Through the iron grate, Mom screamed like a madwoman: “Why are you forcing me? I never wanted him! Chloe, why did you have to meddle?” There was no water, no food in the basement. Matteus cried until his throat was raw. I held him close, and in the darkness and hunger, I lost consciousness once more. Now, it was my third life. Clutching my backpack, tears streamed down my face. Mom, who exactly do you want to take with you? Are neither Matteus nor I what you want?

Grandma Rose saw me and was both surprised and overjoyed. She quickly pulled me inside, looking me up and down: “Oh, my sweet girl, why did you come back alone?” “Are you hungry? Grandma will cook for you!” Looking at Grandma Rose’s gray hair and her concerned eyes, a lump formed in my throat. In this world, Grandma Rose was probably the only one who truly cared about me. That night, I snuggled beside Grandma Rose, listening to her chatter about how much money she’d saved. It was all for my college education, she said, telling me to settle in and not worry. My heart felt both warm and terrified. I was scared that even hiding here with Grandma Rose, Mom wouldn’t easily let me go. Right now, I had to figure out who Mom truly wanted to take, and why she was doing all this. Otherwise, it would just be putting off the inevitable. On the day I went to handle my school transfer paperwork, I secretly snuck off to Matteus’s school. Matteus saw me and jumped in surprise: “Chloe, why are you back? Mom came to school yesterday looking for me, asking if I knew where you were.” I pulled him into a corner and lowered my voice: “Matteus, tell me the truth. Have you felt like something’s wrong with our family lately?” Matteus’s eyes suddenly changed, filling with fear. He looked left and right before whispering: “Chloe, I had a really scary dream. I dreamt we both died!” My whole body stiffened! “In the dream, Mom and Dad divorced, and she wanted to take you, but you pushed me towards her! At first, she was really nice to me, but then one day, I accidentally messed up a photo of you…” Matteus’s voice choked with tears: “Mom saw it and became a different person. She hit me hard with a hanger, saying I wasn’t worthy of touching your things. Later, she tricked you into coming, and she locked both of us up…” The more I listened, the more alarmed and confused I became. This was too strange. In the first life, I was beaten to death by Mom for ruining Matteus’s drawing. At that time, I thought Mom loved Matteus and wanted to take him. But in the second life, Matteus was punished by Mom for messing up my photo. Mom seemed to love both of us siblings, yet she also seemed to love neither. What was going on? “Matteus, when you go back, secretly observe Dad.” I instructed Matteus: “See if he’s acting strangely. I have a feeling Mom and Dad’s divorce wasn’t as simple as it seemed!” After settling things with Matteus, I used the money I’d saved to hire a private investigator, asking him to focus on the real reason for my parents’ divorce. My gut told me that the person Mom truly wanted to take was closely linked to the reason for their divorce. A few days later, the detective told me my parents had divorced peacefully due to irreconcilable differences, and the property division went smoothly. Neither of them had been cheating. However, the detective mentioned an old secret. My Aunt Sarah, who had died in a car accident many years ago, had apparently been with my dad before marrying Uncle Daniel. But she was gone, so that lead seemed dead. I comforted myself, thinking that in this life, neither Matteus nor I had gone with Mom, so she should have no reason to go crazy again, right? However, I was still too naive. That day after school, as I walked out of the school gates, I saw Mom standing by her car, smiling and waving at me. She was holding a fancy cake box. A chill shot down my spine.

“Chloe!” Mom hurried forward, her eyes red: “You just left without a word, kid! Do you know how worried Mom was?” She reached out to grab me, and I instinctively took a step back. Her smile faltered, but quickly softened again: “Look, Mom brought you a cake. Why don’t you come home with me for a couple of days?” “Mom also bought you lots of new dresses, and your room is all decorated, it’s your favorite princess style.” If I hadn’t died twice, I almost would have been fooled by her again. I eyed her warily: “I’m fine, you don’t need to worry. Grandma Rose is taking good care of me.” “Chloe, why are you being so disobedient!” Mom’s voice took on a tearful tone: “Mom is doing this for your own good. How can the education in the countryside compare to the city? You’ll fall behind in your studies!” Just then, the back door of the sedan opened, and Dad and Matteus surprisingly got out of the car. Dad looked a bit awkward. He adjusted his glasses and said: “Chloe, your mom is right. Go back with her. Grandma Rose is getting old and can’t take care of you properly…” Matteus stood behind Dad, head down, not daring to say a word, his small hands nervously clutching his shirt. My heart sank. Dad’s attitude was off! In the previous two lives, while he didn’t object to me going with Mom, he certainly didn’t push me away so eagerly! And his gaze, when he looked at me, was somewhat evasive. Mom saw I wasn’t speaking and reached for me again: “Come on, Chloe. Mom even had Aunt Maria cook all your favorite dishes…” Just then, a figure suddenly rushed over and pulled me behind her. It was Grandma Rose! Her face was flushed with anger as she pointed at Mom and scolded: “Eleanor Vance! Have you no shame! You’re divorced, and you’re still harassing my granddaughter!” “I wondered why Chloe wasn’t home so late. Turns out you ambushed her here!” Mom’s face went pale, then green, then white again: “Mom… I’m doing this for Chloe’s own good…” “Who’s your Mom!” Grandma Rose wouldn’t listen: “My granddaughter is doing perfectly fine here! Do you think we need your fake concern?” “Now get lost! If you dare to bother Chloe again, I’ll call the police on you!” Seeing the two of them, a ridiculous thought suddenly popped into my head. Mom treated me so badly in the previous two lives—could it be because she had a bad relationship with Grandma Rose? And since I resembled Grandma Rose, maybe she transferred her hatred for Grandma Rose onto me? Mom seemed intimidated by Grandma Rose’s presence and backed down. She took a deep breath, picked up the cake box, and her tone softened: “Alright, I won’t take Chloe. But this cake, I made it myself.” She said, opening the cake box. Inside was a beautiful cream cake, but it was covered with chopped walnuts. My brow furrowed. I never liked walnuts, even as a child. Mom was here to convince me to come back, so why would she specifically make a walnut cake that I hated? This made no sense at all! And it wasn’t my birthday today, so why make a cake? “Chloe, have a bite! Mom made it especially for you.” Mom held a small spoon out to me, her eyes full of expectation. I didn’t take it. Instead, I looked up at her: “Mom, you know I don’t like walnuts, so why did you make a walnut cake?” Mom paused, then a look of helpless, doting affection appeared on her face: “Silly girl, of course Mom knows you don’t like walnuts, but walnuts are good for your brain! Mom is just thinking about your health!” Her eyes were clear, and her explanation was perfectly reasonable. For a moment, I even wavered. Maybe I was the one who did something wrong, causing Mom to torment me like a madwoman in my previous lives. She remembered all my preferences, had been meticulously caring for me since I was little, would braid my hair beautifully, and would stay up all night when I was sick. Dad traveled frequently for work, so Mom was often the one taking care of Matteus and me. Even though she was busy, she always had patience for us. When did she start changing?

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“A size Small?” My gaze zeroed in on the bikini tucked inside Derek’s suitcase. I wore a Medium. This was definitely not mine. When he walked out of the bathroom, I asked him, “Company retreat to Bali with your colleagues?” “Yeah, the company organized it,” he said, his smile easy. I smiled too. “Are you sure the company will reimburse you for the $17,000?” His hand froze. “Wh-what $17,000?” “A double ocean-view suite, $1,170 a night, for seven days. Do the math.” Derek’s face instantly drained of color. The towel wrapped around him dropped to the floor. And those two scratch marks on his butt? Definitely not from me. “You… you checked my credit card?” “It’s a joint account, Derek. I checked *my* card.” I leaned against the doorframe, watching him. He bent to pick up the towel, rewrapping it around his waist. “That was… that was just me paying upfront. I’m getting reimbursed tomorrow.” “So, what about the bikini?” “Oh, my assistant must have grabbed the wrong luggage for me.” He avoided my gaze. I didn’t say another word, turning and walking out of the bathroom. I heard him call out from behind me, “Don’t overthink it, Elara. It really was just a company trip.” Overthink? I walked back to the bedroom, closed the door, and grabbed my phone. The credit card statement – I’d just received a pre-authorization notification this afternoon. A five-star hotel in Bali, a honeymoon suite, seven days. A pre-authorization of $8,200. I zoomed in on the booking screenshot. The order showed two names: Skylar and Derek. I’d met Skylar before – that 25-year-old girl from his office. I’d delivered some files to his company once. She’d called him “Mr. Peterson,” smiling sweetly. And yes, she was a size Small. My fingers trembled a little, but I forced myself to stay calm. I couldn’t alert him. He was leaving tomorrow for seven days. I had seven days. The next morning, Derek wheeled his suitcase out the door. “Honey, be careful on your trip.” I stood at the door, waving with a smile. “Mmm, you take good care of Leo at home.” He kissed my forehead. “I’ll be back soon.” “How many people are going on this company trip?” “About ten, I guess. The core members of the department.” “Is Skylar going too?” He paused. “Yeah, she’s my assistant, so she has to.” “Oh,” I nodded. “Well, have fun then.” The elevator doors closed, his smile still plastered on his face. I shut the apartment door, and my smile instantly vanished. Walking back to the bedroom, I pulled out his spare phone. He thought I didn’t know the password, but I’d seen him type it in several times. I opened the photo album, then ‘recently deleted’. Eighty-seven photos. The first was a Bali beach. Skylar, in a bikini, beaming. Around her neck, a diamond necklace. It looked familiar. I walked to my dresser, opening my jewelry box. The necklace Derek gave me last year for my birthday, the one he said cost $5,200? The one I’d treasured and worn constantly? Now, it looked fake. The real one was around Skylar’s neck. I scrolled through all the photos. Holding hands by the beach, feeding each other in restaurants, embracing in the pool, kissing in the hotel. Each photo twisted a knife in my gut. But I didn’t cry. I screenshotted them, saved them, then put the phone back exactly where I found it. I walked into the living room. Leo was playing with his toys. “Mommy, where’s Daddy?” “He’s away on a business trip.” I squatted down, stroking his hair. “Do you miss him?” “No. Daddy’s never home anyway.” My three-year-old had already gotten used to his father’s absence. “Mommy, can we go to Grandma Eleanor’s house today?” “Okay.” I picked him up, grabbed my phone, and sent Chloe a SnapChat message. “Can you help me with something?” “What is it?” “Can you look into someone for me? Skylar, 25, works at Derek’s company.” Chloe instantly replied: “He’s cheating?” “Yeah.” “Evidence?” “I have some, but it’s not enough.” “What do you need me to do?” “Her background, social media, recent movements.” “Consider it done.” I put down my phone and took Leo out. At my parents’ house, Eleanor was cooking. “What brings you here?” “Derek’s away on a business trip, so I brought Leo to stay for a few days.” “Derek’s away again? Didn’t he just go last month?” “Work’s busy.” Eleanor gave me a look but didn’t press it.

I handed Leo over to Arthur, then walked into the bedroom, giving Eleanor a meaningful glance. “Mom, I need to transfer my $27,600 to your account.” “Why?” “Nothing, it’ll just be safer with you.” Eleanor stared at me. “You and Derek…” “I suspect he’s cheating,” I whispered, “but I don’t have concrete proof yet. I need to secure my money first.” Eleanor’s face paled. “That jerk!” “Mom, please don’t make a scene. I need to deal with him slowly.” “You’re going to divorce him?” “Yes. But I need to get the evidence first, otherwise Leo and I will get nothing.” Eleanor squeezed my hand. “My dear, you’ve suffered so much.” “I’m not suffering. I just regret.” Regret what? Regret that five years ago, when he said, “Just be a stay-at-home mom, I’ll take care of you,” I believed him. Regret quitting my job, staying home full-time with our child, losing my financial independence. Regret that after we got married, his “I’ll take care of you” turned into “You’re spending *my* money.” But there was no point dwelling on that now. I had to get back what was mine. That night, I sat on my parents’ balcony, opening Derek’s credit card statement. Bali, 32 transactions. A total of $17,000. Last year, when my dad was in the hospital for stent surgery, I asked Derek for $6,900. He said: “The company’s cash flow is tight right now. I can only give you $690, the rest we’ll discuss at the end of the year.” $690. I *begged* him. He transferred the $690 and then told me, “Your dad has his pension. Don’t always come to me for money.” I remembered that day, standing in the hospital corridor, looking at the $690 on my phone, wanting to smash it. Later, I used all my pre-marital savings to pay for my dad’s surgery. $20,700, money I’d saved for eight years. When Derek found out, all he said was, “You’re so filial.” And that was it. Now, he was spending $17,000 on his mistress in seven days. An average of $2,400 a day. I took a deep breath and continued scrolling through the statement. Chloe sent a message. “Found her. Skylar, born in 1999. Parents run a business out of state. She joined Derek’s company two years ago as an assistant. Monthly salary, about $1,100.” “Recent movements?” “Her social media has most people blocked, but I have my ways.” Chloe sent several screenshots. Skylar’s Ins post, three hours ago: a Bali sunset by the ocean, captioned, “The most beautiful scenery is having you by my side.” In the photo, she wore a long dress, and that necklace sparkled in the setting sun. The comments section had seven or eight likes. One read: “With your boyfriend?” Skylar replied: “Yep, he’s great to me.” *Boyfriend*. I chuckled. “Can you connect me with a lawyer?” “Divorce lawyer?” “Yes, a specialist. Someone who’s handled a lot of divorce cases.” “Okay, I’ll get you a contact tomorrow.” “Also, can you connect me with a private investigator?” “You want…” “I want concrete evidence. The kind that’s admissible in court.” Chloe didn’t say anything. A moment later: “Any budget?” “No, I have $27,600. I’ll use it all.” “Alright, leave it to me.” I put down my phone, looking out at the night. Derek, you probably expect me to cry, to make a scene, to corner you like some whiny mess. But I won’t. I’ll calmly collect the evidence, then I’ll strip you clean in court. Every single penny you spent on Skylar, I’ll make you cough it up, principal and interest.

On the third day, Chloe brought me to meet Ms. Harrison. Ms. Harrison was in her late 40s, had handled hundreds of divorce cases, and had a 92% win rate. “Ms. Elara, I have a basic understanding of your situation.” Ms. Harrison flipped through the documents I’d brought. “What are your demands?” “First, divorce. Second, full custody of my son. Third, division of assets – I want what’s rightfully mine.” “What are the assets?” “Joint marital assets include a house, valued at $385,000, with an $110,000 mortgage remaining, so a net value of $275,000. Savings: $69,000 in his name, $27,600 in mine. Stocks and funds, about $41,000. Total, around $413,000.” Ms. Harrison nodded. “If we can prove he committed adultery and used marital assets to purchase expensive items for a third party, you can request a larger share.” “How much?” “Normally it’s 50/50, but with sufficient evidence, you could get 60-70%, which would be $247,000 to $289,000.” “I want 70%.” “Then you’ll need to provide sufficient evidence.” Ms. Harrison looked at me. “What do you have right now?” I pulled out my phone and showed her the screenshots. “Matching outfits, credit card statements, hotel bookings, phone photos, the third party’s social media posts.” Ms. Harrison reviewed each one. “These are all good, but they’re not enough.” “Not enough?” “In court, the other side could claim the photos are doctored, the statements are for business expenses, and the social media posts are coincidental. You need more direct evidence.” “Like what?” “For example, intimate videos of them, or a recording of him admitting to the affair, or a third-party witness statement.” “Third party?” “For instance, his company’s HR. Someone who can confirm that this wasn’t a company retreat at all, but his personal annual leave.” My eyes lit up. “Right, I can ask HR.” “And the private investigator. If they can get intimate videos of them, that would be irrefutable proof.” “I’ve already contacted one.” Ms. Harrison nodded approvingly. “Ms. Elara, you’re very smart and remarkably calm. Many people in this situation are emotionally shattered and can’t do anything.” “Because I know crying won’t solve anything.” I looked at her. “I want results, not an outlet for my emotions.” “Good, then let’s start preparing.” Ms. Harrison pulled out a document. “This is a template for a divorce agreement. Take a look. Our strategy is to collect evidence first, and once it’s sufficient, then file for divorce.” “He’ll be back in seven days. I have seven days.” “That’s enough,” Ms. Harrison said. “In these seven days, you need to do a few things: First, contact his company’s HR to confirm if the company trip is real or not. Second, have the private investigator go to Bali to get videos. Third, recover his deleted chat logs; there’s bound to be a lot of useful information there.” “How do I recover chat logs?” “I have specialists who can recover deleted data from phones.” “How much?” “$1,400.” “Okay, I’ll pay it.” Ms. Harrison extended her hand. “A pleasure working with you, Ms. Elara.” “A pleasure working with you.” Back at my parents’ house, Leo was already asleep. I sat in the bedroom and called Derek’s company HR. “Hello, Human Resources.” “Hi, I’m Derek Peterson’s wife. I wanted to confirm the dates for the company’s Bali retreat, if you could.” “Bali retreat?” Ms. Evans’ voice sounded confused. “Our company didn’t organize a Bali retreat this year.” My heart hammered. “No?” “No, our annual team-building event is next month, in a different location, not Bali.” “So Derek’s trip to Bali was…” “Oh, Mr. Peterson took annual leave. Seven days, November 15th to 22nd.” *Annual leave.* I closed my eyes. “Okay, thank you.” “You’re welcome.” I hung up, leaning back in the chair. Annual leave. He told me it was a company trip, but it was actually his personal annual leave. Seven days of annual leave, taking his mistress to Bali, spending $17,000, all with our family’s money. I opened my phone and sent a SnapChat to the private investigator. “Can you go to Bali?” “Yes, when?” “Now. As soon as possible.” “What do you need me to film?” “Intimate videos of them. The clearer, the better.” “Understood.” “How much?” “Round-trip airfare and hotel, about $2,800. Service fee $1,400. Total $4,100.” $4,100. My pre-marital savings were $20,700. I’d saved another $6,900 over the past five years, making a total of $27,600. I spent $20,700 on my dad’s medical bills, leaving $6,900, which I transferred to Eleanor for safekeeping. Now, I needed to take out $4,100, leaving only $2,800. But it didn’t matter. As long as I got the evidence to make Derek walk away empty-handed, this $4,100 was worth it. “Okay, I’ll transfer the money.” “Received. I’ll depart tomorrow.” I put down my phone, staring at the ceiling. Derek, we’ve been married for five years. You went from “I’ll take care of you” to “You’re spending *my* money.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “308966”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #后宫Harem #重生Reborn