Author: Momo Chan

I was blind. For three years, I never knew the boyfriend by my side was my worst enemy. But now, my sight is back. During my three unexpected years in darkness, I spent countless nights trying to picture the face of the man I loved. Now I know. He looks exactly like Blake, the guy who hated my guts. Blake, Serena, and I used to be best friends. That day, Serena asked me for a birthday gift idea for Blake. I suggested the trendy sneakers all the guys were raving about. Serena went to buy them. But as she stepped out of the store, box in hand, a car veered out of control and slammed into her. At the hospital, Blake’s fingers dug into my throat, his eyes blazing red as he slammed me against the operating room door. He roared, “Why did you tell Serena to buy those shoes? If it wasn’t for you, she wouldn’t have been hurt!” “You owe her your life!” Later, Serena went abroad for treatment. I never saw Blake again. All I knew was that at his command, I was forced to drop out of school. Blake’s enraged face was burned into my memory. And today, I looked up, only to meet his smiling, warm gaze. Blake set dishes on the table and called out, “Cassidy, what are you thinking about? Dinner’s ready.” I stood up, startled. My knee accidentally bumped the padded coffee table. Blake gasped, rushing toward me, his face filled with worry. “Why are you in such a hurry? What if you hurt yourself? Why didn’t you wait for me to help you?” His gentle voice and the hoarse roar that had demanded I die were like two completely different people. His warmth spread through my hand, but it felt scalding, making me snatch my hand back. Seven years ago, Blake had forced me to my knees in front of that operating room, demanding an apology from me to Serena. He’d slapped me, hard, three times, telling me to never appear before him and Serena again. Why was he now here, telling me he was Ash, telling me he loved me? Was it to play a trick on me, to deceive me, or just to see my pathetic blind state with his own eyes? I couldn’t figure it out. I just managed a stiff smile. “I forgot.” After dinner, Blake put his arm around me on the sofa. Taking advantage of my blindness, he openly chatted with his friend. “Blake, come out and hang! What’s so fun about taking care of a blind girl?” “You don’t get it,” Blake chuckled softly, “Watching her stumble around…” Blake smiled slightly. “It’s pretty fun.” My heart, which had been in my throat, dropped like a stone. My eyes felt dry and painful, making me close them involuntarily. “What’s wrong?” Ash’s-no, Blake’s-anxious voice filled my ears. “Are your eyes bothering you again?” As usual, he reached out to touch my eyes. But this time, I flinched back, dodging his hand. Blake withdrew his hand from mid-air, his eyes turning dark. A moment later, he typed on his phone. “Lucas, you’re right. Blind girls are pretty boring.” “I’ll be there in half an hour.” Then, Blake squatted in front of me, taking my hand and guiding it to trace his face. “Company dinner came up unexpectedly, I have to go. You be a good girl and go to sleep, don’t wait up for me.” I looked at my hand on his face, not resisting. This was our ritual. Every time Blake went out, he’d take my hand and make me trace his features. He said it was so I’d remember his face, so I wouldn’t mistake him for another boyfriend. But as happy as it was then, it was just as ridiculous now. I pulled my hand away. “Go on, don’t be late.” Late that night, Blake returned, smelling of alcohol. He held me tightly, murmuring softly. I leaned closer, just catching the name he whispered. “Serena.” My blood ran cold. How much longer would Blake play this game of being my loving boyfriend? I didn’t want to play anymore. The next morning, I picked up my phone and calmly said, “Ash, can you find Blake’s contact information for me, please?”

My words wiped the expression from Blake’s face. “Why?” he cut in, his voice strained, “Why would you need to contact Blake?” “I have something…” Before I could finish, Blake waved his hand in front of my eyes. Seeing my usual vacant stare, he let out a sigh of relief. His tone lightened. “I won’t help you with that. Your boyfriend’s right here, and you’re thinking about another guy? I might get jealous.” Even knowing it was all his sweet talk, my nose still stung. I forced myself to keep pushing. “I want to get Serena’s contact info from him. I want to apologize to her in person.” Only when Serena was mentioned would Blake back down. He took my phone, quickly adding his own social media account. His voice held poorly concealed delight. “Cassidy, you’ve finally come around to apologizing to Serena.” “Now that you can’t see, you understand how hard things were for Serena back then, don’t you…” Seeing Blake practically glowing with happiness, a bitter feeling twisted in my gut. I couldn’t help but interrupt him. “Ash, why are you so happy?” Blake froze, his eyes narrowing slightly as he calmed himself. He gave a perfunctory explanation. “Well, Serena was hurt because of you. You owe her.” I owe her? Three years ago, I received a hate letter. It cursed me, “Cassidy, you caused Serena’s car accident, you deserve to die, you deserve to suffer all of this instead!” Holding that letter, I felt so wronged. I’d warned Serena not to rush. But she was worried Blake’s favorite hero character merchandise would sell out, so she dragged me along right after class. Yet everyone blamed me. Serena’s family resented me for hurting their precious daughter, and my family scolded me for offending Serena’s family. Blake forced me to stand at the accident site, clutching those blood-stained sneakers, repeating over and over, “The one who should have been hit by the car was Cassidy.” That day, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I poured out everything to Ash. With tears in my eyes, I asked Ash, “Was it really my fault?” I only heard his low voice, filled with accusation, “Of course. Did you apologize to Serena?” Looking back, I should have known something was wrong then. Blake was still babbling. “Just stop talking, okay?!” I shot to my feet, unable to listen anymore. But I tripped on a lifted rug, falling forward, my forehead slamming against the coffee table. Three years of dependence made me instinctively glance back. I saw Blake frozen, not moving an inch, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. As blood trickled from my forehead, he mouthed silently: “Karma.” We lay in bed, still silent. Blake leaned against the headboard, his gaze on me. His expression was utterly flat. And sometimes, that blankness hurts more than any anger. I couldn’t help but probe again: “Ash, are you really Ash?” The air thickened with silence. Blake froze, scrutinizing me with suspicion. Finding nothing amiss, he slowly said, “Cassidy, what are you talking about? Of course I’m Ash.” “Your Ash, who loves you more than anything.” I looked him straight in the eyes, serious. “If I ever find out you’re lying to me, I won’t forgive you.” A flicker of unnatural light crossed Blake’s eyes, then he gave a confident smile. “Alright, why would I ever lie to you?” “Don’t worry, that day will never come.” He said, then rolled over me, his lips finding my forehead, then moving slowly down. I closed my eyes. A single tear slipped onto the pillow. In Blake’s eyes, searching for a response, I offered a faint smile. “I love you, Ash.” But I only loved Ash. The next day, Blake disappeared. Later, I saw a post on Ins that Serena was back in the country. In a grid of nine photos, Blake was pushing her luggage, looking over at her with a gentle, adoring smile. That evening, Blake came back with the new pastries from ‘The Sweet Spot,’ apologizing, “Cassidy, I was so busy today, I didn’t get to call you.” As he spoke, he reached out to cup my face. “I’m sorry…” I took a step back, cutting him off. “Ash, Serena’s back in town. She invited me to a party. Should I go?”

“If Serena wants you to go, then of course you should go.” Blake didn’t hesitate. I stared at him, a bitter feeling twisting in my gut, unable to hide my hurt. “But I don’t want to.” After Serena’s injury, I became an outcast among all our mutual friends. To get back at me, they forced me to apologize, pressured teachers to revoke my scholarship. They even scrawled the word ‘killer’ in blood on my desk. I didn’t want to go. But Blake’s face hardened. “Will you come with me, please?” I tugged on his sleeve, testing him. Blake, who used to hover over me, afraid I’d trip on a pebble, snatched his hand back. His eyes were dark. “Go by yourself.” I wasn’t ready to give up. “But…” “Tsk.” Blake suddenly frowned, annoyed. “Why do I have to go with you? Are you really that helpless without me? Do you think Serena would actually harm a blind girl?” My heart plummeted, shattering into a thousand pieces. A deafening hum filled my ears, making me gasp for breath. I suddenly remembered something from before. People on the street used to whisper about me. “Look, she’s blind.” “Who cares how pretty she is, she’s still blind.” Blake hated that word more than I did. He’d always clench his fists, his voice filled with barely suppressed fury. “What the hell did you just say?!” “She’s not blind! I am her eyes!” “If I ever hear those words again, I’ll kill you!” But Blake probably never imagined. That one day, he would say those very words to my face. I stared at Blake, tears streaming down my face, no longer able to control them. Blake realized his mistake. His eyes darted around in panic, trying to backtrack. “Cassidy, I mean… you, you’re so sweet, Serena wouldn’t dare hurt you.” I wiped away my tears. I had to admit – the three years I thought were so happy, were nothing but a joke. Blake pulled me into his arms, his thumb brushing beneath my eyes, his voice gentle. “There, there, sweetheart, don’t cry and hurt your eyes more.” A warm touch fell on my eyelids. But my heart felt like a broken window, letting all the warmth drain away. Time passed both quickly and slowly. It was only on the day of the party that I understood why Blake didn’t want to come with me. His fake identity as Ash? He wanted to shed it even more than I did. Blake, with his arm around Serena’s waist, finally strolled in, fashionably late. Like air, I was ignored by everyone. All I heard was them teasing and cheering for the two of them. It wasn’t until dinner began that Serena suddenly called my name. “Cassidy, why aren’t you getting any food?” she asked, too innocently. Her hand, however, brushed against my white cane. The metal cane clanged against the marble floor, a sharp, piercing sound. The private room went silent for a second. The next moment, the room erupted in laughter. My former class president’s voice was mocking. “Serena, you don’t know? Our genius student Cassidy is blind now.” “Yeah, yeah, she caused your accident, so now she’s getting her karma!” Facing everyone’s accusations, I said nothing. I just pretended to grope the floor, picking up my cane. Perhaps finding me a buzzkill, the class president suddenly snorted. “I wonder which hero was playing vigilante justice. I heard someone knocked Cassidy out cold with a stick and left her blind.” Someone slapped their thigh, laughing, “Maybe it was someone secretly crushing on Serena, standing up for her!” “Right, it must have been someone avenging Serena!” “Enough!” Blake slammed his forks down. He slowly twisted the ring on his index finger. His voice was quiet, but it cut through the noise. “If you’re not eating, get out.” Serena’s curled eyebrows straightened, the smile vanishing from her lips. Everyone thought Blake was standing up for me. But only I saw through the act. The way he kept twisting his ring was his sign of guilt.

A piece of my favorite ribs landed in my bowl. Blake’s hand clamped around mine, guiding the meat to my lips. Yet the succulent pork turned into a dry, painful lump in my throat, refusing to go down. When no one was looking, I sent a message to the private investigator. “Please re-investigate the truth behind my injury three years ago.” “Focus your investigation on Blake.” Out of the corner of my eye, Blake was laughing and joking with someone, holding a wine glass. His body unconsciously leaned towards Serena. I watched him, watching his happy expression, and decided to set him free. I opened his pinned chat, staring at the blue fish emoji next to his name, ‘Ash,’ for a very long time. Finally, I sent: “Let’s break up.” Let him go, and let myself go. Buzz! Blake’s phone screen lit up. He reached for it. “Blake!” Serena suddenly called him, pouting and demanding, “Blake, I want ribs too.” Her smile was filled with pure, pampered glee. “Alright.” Blake pulled his hand back to get her food, his voice soft with indulgence. “What else do you want? I’ll get it all for you.” Serena smiled, chewing on a rib, and turned her head to look at me. She made no effort to hide the triumph in her eyes. I pretended not to see, my gaze unfocused. Realizing I was blind, her eyes flickered, and she picked up a wine glass, walking towards me. Amidst the noise, she leaned down to my ear and asked. “Cassidy, how does it feel to be blind?” “Back then, just because your grades were better than mine, everyone said you and Blake were a perfect match. Do you know how much I hated you?” Serena gritted her teeth, then suddenly burst out laughing. “Too bad, huh? The genius girl is blind now. You’re not even worthy of tying my shoes anymore.” I dug my nails into my palms, forcing a smile onto my lips. “What’s it to you?” Serena chuckled. “Still so defiant.” Before I could react, she let out a low shriek, “Ah! Cassidy, what are you doing?” A glass of red wine was poured over her, staining her white dress. It was a classic move, and effective as hell. Blake’s brow furrowed, and he rushed over, taking two steps at a time, asking worriedly, “What happened?” He checked Serena from head to toe as he spoke. Serena’s eyes were red-rimmed. “It’s all my fault. I said something that upset Cassidy earlier, and she knocked over my wine glass.” Blake immediately turned to me, his eyes cold and sharp. He snapped. “If you can’t see, then stop moving around so recklessly!” “What if you hurt Serena? Can you afford to compensate her?” I stared blankly into space, offering no defense. Of course, I couldn’t afford it. I’d already lost my eyes; what else did Blake expect me to pay with? Perhaps my expression was too calm. Blake shot me a glance, then stormed out of the private room with Serena. I waited a few seconds, then followed them. Blake was too consumed with worry for Serena to notice me. I stood silently outside the door, peering through the crack, watching their interaction. Serena’s clothes were strategically disheveled as she pulled Blake to “talk things over.” Tugging at his tie, Serena pouted, complaining, “Why did you get Cassidy food just now? Do you feel sorry for her?” Blake quickly denied it. “Of course not! She’s just blind. How can that compare to what you went through? If I feel sorry for anyone, it’s you.” My fingers dug into the doorframe, white-knuckled, my ears ringing with a deafening hum. I was convinced I was numb, empty. Then, the truth hit me, a crushing wave I couldn’t escape. In my distress, my clothes brushed against the door, making a soft thump. “Who’s there?” Blake turned sharply. Our eyes locked.

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At a class reunion, my husband got drunk. He slumped into my best friend’s arms and called her his wife. “Jade, remember to come early tomorrow night. I bought you some new lace underwear, still your favorite red…” The private room went dead silent. Jade looked horrified, shaking her head at me. “Stella, this is a misunderstanding. Marcus is just drunk, he doesn’t know what he’s saying.” But the next second, Marcus yanked the scarf from her neck. “I’m not drunk! See? Those hickeys on your neck? I put them there. We’ve been going at it for days. And these bite marks on my arm? You did that…” My mind went blank. I had only just returned home today after a three-month business trip. Were the marks of passion on my best friend’s neck left by my husband? The humiliation burned my face, fueling my rage. I stood up and yanked Marcus away from Jade’s lap. “Marcus, what did you just say? Try saying that again?” They say alcohol loosens the tongue and reveals the truth. So a thoroughly drunk Marcus stared at me, his eyes cold and troubled. “I know you’re Stella. If you want to hear it, I’ll say it again: your measurements aren’t as good as Jade’s. You can’t satisfy me, and you’re always too busy making money to spend time with me.” Hah. Hearing that, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. If I just stayed home doing nothing, what would my family eat? How would we survive? By relying on my body to charm a man? Before I could speak, Marcus staggered back over and sat on Jade’s lap again. Jade, startled and flustered, quickly urged Marcus, “Get a grip! Stop it, get up! Stella is your wife!” But Marcus didn’t just stay put; he leaned in, bit Jade’s lips, then reached his hand into her shirt with a smirk. “See? I told you Stella’s aren’t as big as yours.” Gasps filled the air. Everyone held their breath, daring not to speak. My face burned, as if I’d been publicly slapped. The humiliation was absolute, and a sickening green washed over me as the truth hit. Everyone in the room was savvy enough to know. My beloved husband had cheated on me with my best friend. In that moment, both love and friendship had betrayed me. Jade tried to push Marcus away, but he seemed to anticipate her move. He quickly wrapped his legs around her waist, clinging to her tightly. “Marcus, get off me! Stop it, everyone’s watching us!” “But you used to be so gentle with me, Marcus. You even said Stella was a loser. What good is making money if her husband still ends up in my bed?” “Stop moving! You were always on top before. This time, I want to be on top!” I couldn’t take it anymore. I rushed forward and punched Marcus, knocking him to the floor. Jade, still entangled around his waist, fell with him. I could have bet good money that if there were no onlookers, they’d be tearing off each other’s clothes and going at it right there. “So this is how you ‘take care’ of my husband, Jade? By taking him straight to bed? Bravo, truly.” I was trembling with anger. My husband could cheat, but not with Jade. We’d grown up together. Her family was poor, but I never looked down on her. I gave her everything I had. When someone bullied her, I’d fight for her without a second thought, even getting two ribs broken once because of it. After graduation, she struggled to find work, hitting dead ends everywhere. I pulled strings to get her an opportunity at my company. And my dear husband, Marcus? I pampered him, treated him like a king. If he didn’t want to work, I let him stay home. I gave him anything he desired. And yet, after all my selfless devotion, I was repaid with their betrayal.

I pulled Marcus to his feet and splashed a glass of water onto his well-maintained face. “Are you sober now? If you want to make a complete ass of yourself, go home and do it there.” Everyone, fearing I might lose control and attack them both, rushed over to restrain me. “Stella, calm down.” “Maybe Marcus was just drunk and didn’t know what he was saying…” Hah. They thought too much of me. I never hit people. I just wanted to stop him from humiliating me further. “You’ve all been drunk. You know how people act when they’re hammered, right?” They froze, then exchanged knowing glances, falling silent. Their gazes turned to Jade. “You’re really something, too. Calling you an ungrateful snake is an understatement. You know what Stella has done for you. Why would you seduce her husband? Have you no shame, Jade? What happened to your heart?” “Exactly! If it weren’t for Stella, you’d still be looking for a job right now.” “Jade, I despise you. You’re not a good person.” Faced with universal condemnation, the panic on Jade’s face vanished, replaced by a surge of bitter resentment. This resentment seemed to have festered for years. She stood up and kicked the table over, her face contorted. “Shut the hell up, all of you! Stop feeding me that garbage about how ‘good’ Stella was to me! I’m sick of it!” “Ever since we were kids, she always outshone me in everything – academics, grades, even family background. She always had the upper hand. I don’t need anyone’s pity. Her ‘help’ only made me feel more useless, like she was rubbing my face in my own incompetence.” “What makes you so special, Stella? You’re just lucky you were born into a better family. If we’d swapped places, if I’d had your background, you’d know true suffering.” At her words, our other friends immediately burst out in anger. “Bullshit! You think everyone’s as sick and twisted as you are?” “Stella helped us too, but we never felt that way! We were grateful!” “Exactly! Because we have consciences, unlike you, you animal!” The shouting was loud. Combined with the water splashed on his face, Marcus sobered up considerably. But as soon as he cleared his head, he saw everyone taking my side, tearing Jade apart. Marcus exploded. He stood up straight, shielding Jade. “Shut up, all of you! This is between my wife, Jade, and me. It’s none of your business to lecture us outsiders!” “I was just drunk! I made a mistake, I thought Jade was…” I didn’t give Marcus a chance to waffle. I threw my phone at him. “Look at this! A video clip I just pulled from the security footage.” When Marcus saw the video of himself and Jade naked and intertwined, he didn’t show shame. Instead, he angrily smashed the phone to the floor. “Enough! Do you want to scream to the world that you, Stella Brooks, are a cuckold? Can’t we just talk about this at home?” “I wanted to interrogate you two at home! But you were the one acting like a horny dog, clinging to Jade and spilling all your dirty secrets!” I had never felt such pain and fury. My chest ached as if someone were tearing it open. Every breath was agony. I couldn’t stay there another second. I grabbed my jacket and fled like a coward. I ended up at a bar, walking down the quiet, cold street, tears brimming in my eyes. I knew our marriage was over. My best friend and my husband – I wanted neither of them anymore. It was late when I finally returned to the home that once felt so happy and warm. But seeing our wedding photo, faded memories, sharp as daggers, ambushed me, leaving me no escape. I took the wedding photo down and smashed it myself. The noise was loud. Marcus, wearing a flimsy, sheer nightshirt, rushed out. “Stella, that’s enough!”

“Now that things have come to this, you only blame me for betraying you. But what about you? Have you ever thought about your own shortcomings?!” “Where were you when I was lonely and desperate? Where were you when I was scared?” Marcus was a master at clearing his name. Even when he was clearly in the wrong, he always found a way to walk away unscathed. But not this time. My eyes were bloodshot, a sign of extreme fury. “Hah. So you wore this to have Jade beneath you, to let her pleasure you, right?” When he was drunk earlier, and in the security video, he was wearing this same disgusting, sheer outfit to satisfy himself and pleasure Jade. I was so angry my nails dug deep into my flesh, but Marcus seemed oblivious to my rage. “Oh, so you’re jealous of that, huh?” “Come on!” “I’ll make it up to you, let you have some fun too.” He shamelessly lay on the sofa, spreading his legs, looking utterly perverse, as if he wanted me to defile him. I felt an unprecedented insult. Before I could even react in anger, he yelled at me impatiently. “Go on! I’m offering myself to you now, hurry up!” To emphasize his supposed helplessness, he even reached up to tear away the flimsy fabric that barely covered him, revealing his supposedly flawless skin. But it was covered in hickeys and marks left by another woman. Far from feeling desire, I felt sick to my stomach. “Ugh!” I rushed to the bathroom and threw up into the toilet for a long time. My body trembled uncontrollably from the anger. Only then did I realize how shameless and unrestrained a pampered man could truly be. When I came out, Marcus had changed his clothes and was carrying a suitcase. “Stella, I don’t want to fight with you. Let’s separate for a while and cool down.” He didn’t wait for me to speak, just opened the door and walked out, slamming it shut behind him – a clean, swift exit. I pulled out a cigarette and stepped onto the balcony. As I lit it, I saw Marcus downstairs, sprinting towards Jade. They were locked in an embrace, clinging to each other as if they wanted to melt into one. So his idea of “cooling down” was just an excuse to spend the night at Jade’s place. By then, my heart no longer ached for him. Instead, it was terrifyingly calm. Close to dawn, Jade sent me a video clip. I tapped it open and immediately heard the foul gasps and moans of a man and a woman. Then came the sight I would forever despise: Jade had completely thrown away any pretense of friendship, openly turning against me. “See that, Stella?” “You won against me so many times, but this time, I won.” “Your beloved man is beneath me right now. How pathetic and disgusting.” “Hahaha, aren’t you furious? But what can you do? The angrier you get, the happier I am.” But my heart was as calm as still water. Where was the anger from last night? I curled my lips in a sneer. “Jade, I don’t want that man anymore. He’s yours to play with.” “And also, you don’t need to come to work tomorrow. I’m officially firing you. You’re so eager to wear my sloppy seconds, so go ahead and wear him out! A kept man like Marcus isn’t worth my love anymore.” As I was about to put down my phone, Marcus’s angry voice boomed through. “Stella, how dare you talk about me like that?! Fine, I won’t hold back either. You want a divorce, right? I’ll make sure you lose everything!”

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At my wedding, the grand screen meant for our love story video suddenly switched to a private video of me and a stranger. I called my fiancé, who hadn’t arrived yet, for help. But I heard him say coldly from the other end: “Do you like this wedding gift?” “This is payback for you killing Willow!” He then walked down the aisle with my stepsister, holding what he called the wedding of the century. Pushed to the brink, I leaped from a cliff into the ocean. But when he heard the news, he went absolutely insane with regret. To create the wedding of the century for me, Julian Thorne had invited every reporter in the city. Everyone was thrilled to witness the union of the city’s two most prominent families. The emcee excitedly shouted: “Let’s all witness the purest form of love!” The moment he finished speaking, the LED screen flickered twice. The pre-wedding video, which was supposed to play, suddenly turned into a dimly lit clip. In the video, a woman’s face was unnaturally flushed, her gasps tempting. My face instantly went ashen. Because the woman in the video was me. But the man in the video… He wasn’t my fiancé, Julian, at all. And I had absolutely no memory of this video! “Who’s that guy? I always heard Elara was promiscuous; turns out it’s true!” Scandals like this were prime fodder for headlines. Reporters swarmed forward, cameras flashing frantically. “Ms. Vance, are you proud to show a video like this at such a time?” “Ms. Vance, some say you used illicit means to get close to Mr. Thorne. Is that true?” “I didn’t…” I instinctively recoiled. The emcee’s face was chalk-white: “Uh… this might be a technical glitch…” But the reporters had no intention of letting me go. “Ms. Vance, we heard you’re a wedding planner. Was this scandal intentionally planned by you?” “Who’s the man in the video? Is he your new sugar daddy? Does Mr. Thorne know he’s marrying damaged goods?” The venue devolved into chaos, countless cameras aimed at me. They wouldn’t leave me alone. I stumbled backward, accidentally stepping on the long train of my gown. My high heel slipped, and I fell backward. With a crash, the decorative wall behind me shattered. Shards of glass sliced cruelly across my back, and a warm wetness seeped through. The crowd shrieked, but no one reached out. The cameras kept rolling, focusing on my utterly disheveled state. The emcee was terrified, trembling as he pleaded with everyone: “Uh… please maintain order… paramedics…” There were too many people surrounding me. It took a great deal of effort for the paramedics to push through. They finally managed to carry me away from the wedding venue, but blood had already stained my pristine white wedding dress a dark crimson. I sat shivering in the dressing room, bewildered. Before I could even process what had just happened, hurried footsteps burst in from outside. “You’ve completely disgraced the Hayes family!” My father slapped me across the face. “From now on, I disown you! The Hayes family no longer has a daughter like you!” “No, I don’t know…” My father shoved me away brutally. I fell hard to the ground, and more blood gushed from my wounds, making my vision swim. “I wish I had never given birth to an animal like you!” “If any of you dare to help her, you’re going against the Hayes family!” With that, my father slammed the door shut and left. After his words, no one dared to send me to the hospital. They just sighed, shook their heads, and left. Wrapped in my blood-stained wedding gown, I huddled in the corner of the dressing room. My hands still trembled; I could barely hold my phone. I dialed Julian Thorne’s number. “Julian, help…”

Before I could finish, a low chuckle came from the other end. “Help you?” Julian said softly. “Elara, do you still think all of this today is an accident?” I froze, disbelief washing over me. His laughter was deep and chilling, carrying a bone-deep coldness. “Elara, this is the price for you killing my sister.” “And this—” “Is just the beginning.” With a cruel laugh, he coldly hung up the phone. “Julian!!” I screamed his name as reporters rushed back in. Someone deliberately tore off my wedding dress. But they didn’t plan to let me go. After all, a scandal this big would surely get them front-page headlines. I even forgot how I managed to escape. But they weren’t done with me yet. Someone recognized one of the men in the private video as a rising male celebrity. In an instant, his fans erupted in fury. They felt I had tarnished their idol. So they spontaneously joined the reporters in tracking me down. After finding me, they broadcast my location far and wide. When the fans found me, they attacked me, pulling my hair and slapping my face. “You slut! You’re the one who ruined our idol’s career, aren’t you?!” I desperately protected my head, cowering in a corner, trying to find a single glimmer of hope. Amidst the chaos, a bottle of sulfuric acid was flung, burning my exposed skin with a sickening sizzle. I let out a piercing scream, but they showed no sign of stopping. Just then, the police slowly pushed the crowd back, allowing paramedics to lift me onto a stretcher. I grabbed a nearby officer’s uniform, pleading: “I want to report a crime. I didn’t do anything, I’m innocent…” The officer scoffed, saying flatly: “We advise you to keep a low profile on something like this. You’re causing too much of a stir right now, and we don’t want to draw fire ourselves.” As I was led away from the crowd, I finally got the only moment of respite I’d had in two days. I was covered in injuries, but when I called for an ambulance, the paramedics on the phone suddenly received a call. The nurse, who had been trying her best to save me, suddenly stopped and looked at me awkwardly: “Ms. Vance, we have no choice. These are Mr. Thorne’s orders, and we dare not cross him.” Hearing them mention Julian, I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. In the dark alley, I was left all alone. I dialed Julian’s number. But he roared into the phone: “Elara, the moment you killed my sister, our love died! Why wasn’t it you who died in that fire?!” “I told you! That fire wasn’t me…” But the call was already disconnected. Julian had no intention of listening to my explanation. I collapsed to the ground in despair. The fire he mentioned, the one that claimed his sister’s life… That was three years ago.

Julian’s sister, Willow, and I grew up together; we were best friends, envied by everyone. Julian had a reserved and cold personality, but Willow was different; she was always smiling. One time at a party, she secretly snuck out. It was then that the villa caught fire. In the midst of the chaos, Julian searched frantically. “Willow! Where are you?!” Just then, a sharp-eyed guest suddenly pointed at the fire and screamed: “Someone’s in the fire!” In an instant, Julian’s eyes turned red, and he roared hoarsely: “It’s Willow! Willow is still inside!” When I found out, I immediately rushed in. A faint cough came from a corner. I pushed desperately towards it, finally seeing her trapped under a fallen beam. Willow’s face was streaked with ash, her eyes full of tears. She saw me and cried out: “Elara, I can’t get out!” “I came because of the note you left! Why did you try to harm me?!” “I didn’t…” Before I could explain, another burning beam crashed down. I was too slow to dodge and was hit, falling hard. Before I passed out, I thought I saw Julian rushing in… When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital bed. The doctor told me Julian had saved me. And Willow… was dead. After that day, Julian became even colder. My father, to apologize to the Thorne family, decided to have me marry Julian, as an atonement from the Hayes family to the Thorne family. Julian didn’t refuse. On the day of our engagement, I held Julian’s hand and earnestly told him: “Julian, I will find out the truth about that villa fire and get justice for Willow.” I didn’t know then that he had always misunderstood me.

I woke up in a warehouse, hearing a clamor of voices: “I heard that woman is nearby! Don’t let her get away!” “Search quickly! One photo of her is an exclusive!” I shivered with fear. Just then, my phone rang. “Ms. Vance, the video from your wedding has caused public outrage. The board has decided to terminate all partnerships with you. Please return the advance payment for the wedding dress design…” “But that video is fake… I was framed, I can clear my name…” I tried to explain. “Ms. Vance.” The other party cut me off. “We don’t care about the truth; we only care about profit. Also, please pay the penalty for breach of contract.” “Penalty?” “Yes, fifty million.” This amount was astronomical for me right now. Before I could even catch my breath, the fans and reporters, alerted by my phone ringing, gasped: “She’s there!” I ran for my life! “Don’t let her get away! That bitch needs to pay!” “Mr. Thorne said! Get her on the front page, and today’s bonus triples!” They chased me like mad. Stumbling, I fled, not even knowing where I was going. Not far ahead, a couple strolling turned around. It was Julian! And the woman beside him was my stepsister— Seraphina Hayes. Julian… how could you be with the person I hated most…

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The morning after accepting my crush’s confession, I woke up to find myself ten years in the future, lying in a stranger’s bed. The first thing I saw was a little boy with wide, innocent eyes timidly calling me “Mommy.” Then I found wedding photos in a dusty storage room. This couldn’t be real. The groom in the picture wasn’t my crush. It was him. I woke up, ten years in the future, lying in an unfamiliar bed. Just as I was totally lost and confused, a tiny figure suddenly darted in through the door. I instantly froze, pretending to still be asleep. Footsteps slowly drew closer, then a soft little hand rested on my forehead. His tiny voice babbled softly about what he’d eaten and played with recently. Just as I was trying to figure out my relationship with this child, his next words totally scared me awake. He said, “Mommy, you’ve been sick for days, why aren’t you waking up? You don’t like Leo, but Leo really misses you. Mommy, please wake up.” Mommy? This kid called me Mommy! I snapped my eyes open. Right by the bed, a cute kid with big eyes and a small mouth was staring at me in terror. Before I could even say anything, the little boy scampered off. Oh my gosh! I had just gotten together with my crush last night, and now I had a son this big? After the boy ran off, I immediately grabbed my phone to call my childhood bestie, Chloe. I had no idea what I’d been through these past ten years. My phone barely had any messages. My old friends had vanished from my contacts without a trace. The phone rang several times before Chloe finally picked up. “What do you want?” Her voice was colder than I’d ever heard it. I scratched my cheek; her icy tone caught me off guard. When I didn’t speak, Chloe on the other end grew impatient. “Ava, are you going to say something? Didn’t you say you’d never contact me again?” Seriously, what the hell did I do over the past ten years? I thought for a moment and said, “Chloe, I know you’re usually cool and distant, but let’s skip that for now. I just want to ask you, who’s my husband?” That was my most pressing concern. Chloe paused. “Ava, are you off your meds today?” Huh? Ten years later, Chloe’s learned to insult people in a roundabout way. “I’m serious! Are you? Ugh, fine, just wait at home. I’m in line for a PCR test right now; I’ll be over in a bit!” Chloe’s tone was really serious. Was I not time-traveling, but just… sick? And what’s a PCR test? And why do I have to wait in line for it?

Just as I hung up the phone, a housekeeper, Mrs. Davidson, knocked on the door, cautiously asking if I was feeling better and if I wanted something to eat. Looks like my never-before-seen husband was quite wealthy. I nodded, and soon a spread of exquisite dishes was laid out before me. I never imagined that ten years from now, I’d be living the life I’d always dreamed of. I tentatively tried to pry for information about my “husband.” Mrs. Davidson looked a little surprised, only saying that my husband was away on a business trip and wouldn’t be back until next month. That was good news. By the time he returned, I’d probably have adapted to the situation. I immediately grabbed my forks and devoured everything. And I gotta say, it was all my favorite food. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the little boy peeking in from outside the door. Realizing this might be my son, my eyes lit up. I waved him over. “Hey kid, come here.” He flinched, then timidly walked to the side of the bed. Why did this kid seem a little scared of me? Had I become some rich guy’s stepmom, perhaps? I scratched my head, trying my best to sound friendly. “Hi sweetie, what’s your name? How old are you?” His chubby little face crumpled in a pout, looking utterly heartbroken that his own mom wouldn’t remember his name. “I’m Leo Evans! But everybody calls me Leo. And I’m four and a HALF!” Evans? So I guess my ‘male god’ and I never made it to the altar after all. I continued to ask, “Leo, let me quiz you. What’s your daddy’s name?” “My daddy’s name is…” “Leo! There you are. Time to go downstairs for your lessons. Don’t disturb madam’s rest.” Suddenly, Mrs. Davidson appeared at the door, cutting off Leo’s answer. “Madam, I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching Leo closely enough. I’ll take him downstairs now.” Mrs. Davidson nervously came over and led Leo away. I was a bit confused by the situation and could only nod. Ever since I woke up, Mrs. Davidson’s attitude had been strange, as if I were some kind of monster. Since I couldn’t get my husband’s name, I decided to look for clues myself. The bedroom was luxuriously decorated, but there were no wedding photos, nor any signs of another person living there. Was this one of those phantom husbands who only sends money and never shows up?

When I stepped out of the room, I realized this was a charming two-story house. Downstairs, Leo was quietly playing with a puzzle by the floor-to-ceiling window. Sunshine streamed in, illuminating his long eyelashes. He looked like such a sweet, obedient kid, it instantly melted my heart. I zipped over to him, startling him. “Hey son, what are you playing? Mommy will play with you!” Little Leo’s eyes widened. He immediately stood up straight, like he was standing at attention, and mumbled softly, “Mommy.” I pulled him closer and gave him a big smooch on his soft cheek. He touched his face, looking a bit surprised and happy. Seeing his reactions, I could guess that the “me” from ten years ago probably wasn’t very fond of this child. Good thing Leo was young and didn’t hold grudges. I played with him for a while, and soon he was happily sharing his puzzle with me. “Son! Do you only have puzzles to play with?” Kids his age should have tons of toys. Leo looked at me cautiously and said, “Mommy used to get mad when other toys were too noisy.” Oh no, the Ava from ten years ago was seriously messed up. Just then, the doorbell rang. It was Chloe. When Chloe walked in, I almost didn’t recognize her. Was this still my tomboy bestie? She had grown out her hair, styled it in soft waves, and her makeup was flawlessly done. I widened my eyes exaggeratedly and said, “Whoa, beautiful, who are you?” Chloe rolled her eyes at me. Leo, however, seemed very familiar with her. He ran up and hugged her, calling out, “Auntie Chloe.” Chloe ruffled Leo’s hair and said to me, “Come on, let’s talk upstairs.” I quickly led her back to the bedroom. Before she could speak, I quickly told her the whole story. After listening, Chloe frowned and studied me, then she hit me with a question that made me pause: “How do you know you time-traveled and aren’t just suffering from amnesia?” Uh… good point. “I remember the last meal before I time-traveled was beef stew with tomatoes at the school cafeteria-it smelled amazing!” “I remember taking a test two days before time-traveling, and I even remember the questions. If I really had amnesia, I wouldn’t remember details like that for ten years, right?” Chloe raised an eyebrow but still didn’t say anything. She knew me as well as she knew herself. I awkwardly pursed my lips and said, “Okay, fine. The day before, I’d just accepted Blake Thompson’s confession.” Chloe’s mouth instantly drooped, and she let out a cold laugh. Then she rattled off everything that had happened in the past ten years.

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I had to wear Julian down until he finally agreed to be my boyfriend. He was this untouchable, revered genius, and I, a regular girl, had managed to snag him. I wanted to put him on a pedestal. He never met my parents, looked down on my friends, and for the most part, simply dismissed everything about me. My best friend, Harper, exasperated, chewed me out, “How can you act like you never get sad, never feel wronged?” I just smiled foolishly. “I love him, you know?” “Besides, he’s amazing, a golden boy. I’m the one who lucked out.” I genuinely thought Julian was just naturally aloof. That was until the fourth day of our silent treatment, when he announced his new girlfriend online. Later, when we unexpectedly ran into each other, I greeted him politely. But as I was leaving, he suddenly asked, “How did you do it? Just stopped loving me, just like that?” I didn’t answer his question. Instead, I simply said, “Excuse me, my boyfriend’s waiting for me.” …… Julian was wrong. No one just ‘stops loving’ overnight. It’s a slow burn of disappointments, a quiet accumulation of heartbreak until there’s nothing left but to walk away. The reason Julian and I started our silent treatment, in hindsight, was almost laughable. I was out with friends, and I ended up having a bit too much to drink. They started chanting, “It’s so late, and it’s not safe. Have your boyfriend come pick you up.” I hesitantly called Julian. The phone rang several times, but no one answered. He was always busy, and the time he had for me was minimal. Once, when I kept sending him messages, he’d coldly chastised me, “I have experiments to do. Don’t distract me.” My friends were gradually picked up by their boyfriends, walking hand in hand into the night. A few patted me on the back before they left, looking like they wanted to say something but held back. Soon, only Harper and I were left, both single. Just as I was about to give up, Julian’s low, distant voice came through. I asked if he could come get me. There was a moment of wordless silence. I thought the signal was bad, so I pulled the phone away to check, only to realize Julian had already hung up. I couldn’t even get into our apartment. Julian had changed the code. From behind the closed door, his voice was chillingly scornful. “You reek.” “Come back when you’ve cleaned yourself up. Only then will you be allowed into my place.” Rarely, I felt my temper flare. I stubbornly held out for three days, refusing to contact Julian. This was our first real silent treatment. Usually, when he was angry, I’d immediately backtrack and apologize, no matter the reason. I always made the first move to make up, and then I’d comfort myself. But if I didn’t contact him, he never bothered to reach out. Suddenly, I felt so weary. Still, I didn’t last past the fourth day. I found myself standing at our doorstep, thinking that we were close to getting married anyway, why let such a minor thing cause unpleasantness? Besides, one more apology wouldn’t hurt. Harper smacked her forehead, groaning. I weakly argued, “Well, after drinking, I really don’t smell good, you know.” But after I said that, she suddenly went quiet, staring at me intently for a long moment. It took her a while before she said, her voice trembling, “You’re so incredibly stupid.” Julian leaned against the doorframe, tilting his head as he looked at me. “What are you doing here?” “Julian, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come home so late that day, and I definitely shouldn’t have had so much to drink.” I admitted my ‘mistake’ out of habit. Julian seemed to just recall the matter. “Oh, we broke up. You don’t need to apologize to me.” “What…?” “Didn’t you say it yourself when you were chasing me? Unless we broke up, you’d cling to me every single moment.” “You gave me a few days of peace, so I just assumed we were over.” A beautiful girl walked out of the room. Julian put his arm around her waist. “Let me introduce you. This is my new girlfriend, Chloe.” All the blood drained from my face. “I thought we were just having a fight.” I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

The crisp click of the door closing jolted me awake. Harper had just brought me back, and now she was rushing to take me away again. “She experienced a major shock, so she’s temporarily lost her voice,” the doctor explained. I sat on the side, picking at my fingers, only able to make faint wheezing sounds. My phone was flooded with messages, all asking about the nine-picture collage Julian had posted on Ins with another girl. The last time I’d seen Julian smile so brightly was when I proposed to him. “You always say you’re busy.” “You can spare five minutes for a proposal, right, Julian? Will you marry me?” His scolding words about me delaying his experiment came to an abrupt halt, his stern face melting away like ice. I smiled with him then, truly believing he loved me too. Julian’s call came through at that moment. “Stella, there’s still a lot of your stuff here. Come pick it up tomorrow.” Five years we’d been together, and he was always like this. “Stella, be quiet.” “Stella, stop hanging out with your friends. You’re becoming so common.” “Stella, my time isn’t meant to be wasted on these pointless anniversaries.” But Julian, the perpetually busy man, was actually home on a weekday, wearing casual clothes and making coffee for his new girlfriend at the kitchen counter. When I had a fever, Julian only poured me a glass of water before telling me, “Something came up at the lab. I have to go.” A switch flipped off inside my chest, leaving me utterly numb to the world since yesterday. I just robotically picked up items and placed them into boxes. Julian reached out to help me with a box, but I instinctively flinched away, and the contents spilled all over the floor. His expression instantly darkened. “Breaking up wasn’t your choice? Who are you trying to play dumb for?” He didn’t know I literally couldn’t speak right now. Julian was handsome, came from a good family, and was a rising star in the biology field. His enrollment had caused quite a stir. Even though he himself was an impassive iceberg, it didn’t stop others from relentlessly pursuing him. I fell for him at first sight, chasing him all the way through college graduation. At graduation, I was heartbroken, thinking I’d never cross paths with him again. “I won’t bother you anymore.” But when some gossipy people raised their cameras towards us, Julian suddenly took my hand. “Let’s try being together.” “Don’t look at me, look at the camera.” I still remember the thrill that vibrated through me at that moment. When I first got Julian to be my boyfriend, I felt like I’d hit the jackpot. I even thought, “Well, at least he’s so cold, I’ll never have to worry about him cheating.” It turned out to be nothing but empty words. I first saw Chloe’s name when I accidentally picked up Julian’s phone by mistake. His phone was filled with countless chat messages between him and Chloe. They talked about everything from lab progress to everyday gossip. I saw Chloe ask Julian, “Julian, how come you never post about your girlfriend on Ins?” Julian replied, “Nothing worth posting.” It still stung deeply. Julian’s eyes turned cold. “Are you going through my phone?” “Who is Chloe?” He seemed a little impatient. “A new junior in the lab.” “You never told me, and do you two really have so much to talk about?” Julian seemed to just realize I was jealous, and his expression softened slightly. “It’s just a new lab member joining, what’s there to talk about?” “Besides, Chloe and I only talk about lab stuff. If I told you, you wouldn’t understand.” “You could still share with me,” I said, feeling a little wronged. He still had that poker face. “I already told you, you wouldn’t understand. It’s like how I’m not interested in all those plants and flowers you keep.” I owned a flower shop. I remembered how excited I was when I made my first big sale, rushing to show Julian. He just turned away dismissively. “Childish. What’s the point?” His career was noble, my dreams were insignificant. After that day, Julian’s phone, which had always been unlocked, now had a password. Harper’s voice pulled me back. “Stella, don’t be a fool. For him to be with someone else so quickly, it only proves he’d already moved on.” But four days later was the pre-wedding dinner arranged by both families, where they planned to discuss Julian and my wedding arrangements.

By the time I arrived, the scene was already in chaos. Grandma Helen was struggling to catch her breath, visibly furious, while Julian knelt directly in front of her. “Grandma, Stella and I have already broken up.” “This wedding, it’s not happening.” As soon as she saw me, Chloe also dropped to her knees, her eyes red-rimmed. “Miss Davis, I know you and Julian have been together for a long time, but love doesn’t follow a timeline.” “And I heard, Miss Davis, that ever since you graduated, all you do is hang out with friends or run your little flower shop. You can’t offer Julian any help with his career or family!” “We new people in the lab have never even seen you. Other seniors’ partners have visited the lab occasionally, but you? You actually expect Julian to drop his important project to pick you up from a bar?” “Miss Davis, please, I beg you, let Julian go.” She listed off item after item, defending Julian so passionately that the eyes of some relatives, who weren’t closely involved with either family, also changed as they looked at me. My heart, shattered by Julian’s silence, ached. I forced myself to speak through the pain. “The engagement gifts, I’ll send them back tomorrow.” My throat, unused to speaking for days, was hoarse, making my words sound like a choked sob. But my answer didn’t satisfy them. Chloe pressed on, aggressive. “Then write a guarantee letter and send it to everyone.” “Julian’s college roommate told us, everyone in our lab knows, that he only agreed to be with you back then because you relentlessly chased him, and he took pity on you.” “Don’t try the same tricks again!” “I forbid it!” Grandma Helen cried, her finger trembling as she pointed at Julian. “You scoundrel! Stella is the granddaughter-in-law I chose!” But Julian’s face was full of sneering contempt. “Grandma, I know you’re grateful because Stella saved you back then.” “But at that time, she was just following me! She knew you were my grandma, so she ‘accidentally’ found you collapsing and took you to the hospital. It wasn’t because she’s as innocent and kind as you think!” “She had ulterior motives, all to get closer to me.” I stared blankly at Julian. I was just waiting for him on that street; I wasn’t following him. When I helped the old lady, I had no idea she was Julian’s grandmother. No wonder when Julian rushed to the hospital, he only frowned, said “thank you,” and then warned me with annoyance. “Don’t use such methods again next time.” Something in my heart completely crumbled away. I gave a small, sad laugh. “So that’s what you truly believed.” I stared at Chloe, enunciating each word. “I never came to the lab because Julian didn’t want me there.” “You said I never did anything for him? He got a stomach ulcer from irregular meals during his experiments. I found a nutritionist, repeatedly adjusted his gut-friendly meal plans, and made him portable, easy-to-digest meals.” “I loved him for nine years. Can you even count how much I did for him?” All those things, one by one, if the person involved didn’t care, what was the point of repeating them? For these nine years, I played my hand and lost. “Forget it.” “This is where it ends.” Tears, uncontrollable, welled up in my eyes. “Julian, we are officially over.” Julian’s eyebrows twitched, a half-smile on his face. “Stella, you’d better mean that.” “Yes, you don’t have to worry about me bothering you anymore.” But he seemed unconvinced. “Last time we fought, you used a dozen different fake accounts to add me. I’m deleting them all today. Don’t try any other tricks.” I nodded, my posture earnest. “Don’t worry.” “Never again.”

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For our honeymoon, Liam planned a road trip in his brand-new Maybach. The day before we were set to leave, his ex-girlfriend, Ashley, suddenly showed up at our house, sobbing that her husband had been abusive and she was too scared to go home. Liam, utterly heartbroken, immediately decided to bring her along on our trip. Our romantic two-person getaway suddenly became a trio, and with Liam’s childhood sweetheart, no less. I was furious and confronted him, but he lashed out, calling me inconsiderate. He even said, “Why are you making things so hard for another woman? You know she’s been abused, how could you be so heartless as to leave her alone? Are you even human?!” Even my usually kind mother-in-law, Evelyn, glared at me. “Ashley is like a daughter I watched grow up. If she hadn’t stepped aside, you wouldn’t even be my daughter-in-law!” I quietly watched them, then turned to pack my bags. They thought I was giving in, willing to take Ashley with us. They had no idea I was packing to go home. And I was taking the Maybach keys with me. Because I bought that car!

Liam closed the door, trying to reason with me in a low voice: “Ashley married someone far away, and now she’s been wronged and has nowhere to go. We should help her however we can. What’s there to be so upset about?” I stared at Liam, utterly incredulous. “Do you even know what a honeymoon is supposed to be? Who takes their ex-girlfriend on their honeymoon with their wife? Doesn’t that sound absolutely insane to you?!” Ashley married far away, but didn’t I too? Liam frowned, clearly annoyed. “Chloe, why are you acting like everyone else? Ashley and I are ancient history. If her husband hadn’t been abusive, if she wasn’t completely desperate, I wouldn’t even let her stay here. Why are you being so harsh?” Ashley was Liam’s childhood sweetheart. They dated for about six months three years ago, then broke up for some unknown reason. After their breakup, Ashley quickly married a wealthy businessman from out of town in a whirlwind ceremony. Everyone expected Liam to be devastated, but surprisingly, he seemed completely unaffected. In fact, he dove even deeper into his studies and work. I found Liam handsome and incredibly driven, and I was drawn to him. But I was too shy to make the first move. It was Liam who added me on SnapChat and actively pursued me. I once asked him if he had anyone he couldn’t forget. He told me I was his future. But now, Liam was willing to have a massive fight with me just to bring Ashley along. I took a deep breath, asking one last time, “So, you’re dead set on bringing Ashley?” Liam hesitated for a moment, then said, “It’s not that I’m dead set on bringing Ashley; it’s that she can’t be left alone right now. Can’t you see she’s terrified of being with any man? Only I can make her feel safe.” As he spoke, a flash of pity crossed Liam’s eyes. “She’s in such a state, how can I possibly leave her here alone? Besides, there’s plenty of room in the car, and Ashley even offered to pay for all the expenses for the trip. What else do you have to complain about?” The highest form of love is empathy. And Liam was clearly brimming with empathy for Ashley right now, completely oblivious to how I, his wife, was supposed to feel. I looked at Liam, disappointed, as if I was seeing him clearly for the first time. Seeing my silence, Liam’s tone grew impatient. “I’ve said everything there is to say, both good and bad. What exactly do you want?” I tried to find a trace of apology or guilt on his face, but his eyes held only impatience and disgust, as if I were some wicked witch stopping him from reaching his princess. The stubborn hope in my heart suddenly faded. I looked at him coldly. “Fine, take her then.” Liam froze for a second, then his face lit up in surprise. He hugged me tight. “I knew you wouldn’t be so petty! I’ll go tell Ashley right away!” I pushed Liam away. “Have a great time. I’m not going.” Liam frowned, grabbing my wrist. “What do you mean?” “Exactly what it sounds like.” Just as Liam was about to speak, the door burst open. Evelyn stood there, her face disapproving. “It’s your wedding honeymoon, you two! What kind of sense does it make for you not to go? What will people say about our family? You have to go!”

I sneered at Evelyn. “So, what exactly are you suggesting?” Evelyn said, as if it were obvious, “Of course, all three of you should go! My son is up for that huge promotion, you know. Don’t cause any trouble!” Ah, so that’s why she suddenly butted in. She was afraid that if I didn’t go, rumors about Liam and Ashley would spread. I smiled, radiating fake innocence. “I understand, Evelyn. You’re worried people will talk about Liam, right?” Evelyn shot me a sideways glance. “You know that, yet you’re still causing a scene! Hurry up and pack your bags. My son hasn’t been on a vacation in ages. As his wife, you should be more considerate!” Liam stood beside his mother, nodding in agreement. Birds of a feather, indeed. Their united front was truly unwavering. I put down the clothes I was holding. “If you’re so worried about rumors, then don’t bring Ashley! You’re home, Evelyn, you can keep her company.” Ashley was scared of men, and Liam’s mother wasn’t a man. What could possibly happen with two women together? It was clearly the best arrangement, but Liam immediately objected: “I told you, Ashley only feels safe with me! We’ll all go together. Are you really worried something will happen between her and me?” “If I wanted something to happen with Ashley, would I have married you?!” It felt like a blade had pierced my chest. My eyes burned, threatening to spill tears. I looked up at the ceiling, my heart turning to stone. “If you want to take her, go ahead. I’m not going.” Evelyn glared at me, complaining, “Why are you so ungrateful? Ashley gave me her gold bracelet the moment she arrived yesterday, and she promised to pay for all the honeymoon expenses. What more could you possibly be dissatisfied with?” Evelyn was wearing a leather jacket I had bought her – an expensive Hermès winter piece. She’d mentioned once that she’d never owned anything nice and got cold easily, so I’d spent eight thousand dollars on that jacket for her. I told her it was only two hundred, and she scolded me for wasting money, for not thinking about our little family. When I said I bought it with my own savings, she just laughed and said: “It’s better to save that money for renovations. Your marital home still needs a lot of furniture!” The living room had a ten-thousand-dollar sofa set, hundreds of thousands in renovation costs, and Liam’s daily high-end suits and shirts – which of those didn’t I pay for? But in Evelyn’s eyes, all of it was simply her son’s due. Ashley’s one, possibly fake, gold bracelet had completely swayed her, making me feel pathetic and laughable. Looking at Liam and Evelyn’s hostile faces, I didn’t get angry. Instead, I laughed. “You’re right, I’m ungrateful. If Ashley wants to go, then let her. Whatever I say, you won’t listen anyway.” They wanted a threesome, but I definitely didn’t. Whoever wanted to deal with this weird family could have them. This kind of trash? Not for me. Liam, thinking I was giving in, lowered his voice. “We’re not ignoring your wishes, we’re discussing it with you.” I looked at Liam with derision. Discussing? Had they ever given me a chance to say no? The moment I even thought of saying no, they, mother and son, would immediately condescendingly accuse me of being unreasonable and overly jealous. They called that discussing? Liam sighed. “Okay, my tone was a bit harsh earlier, but aren’t you also to blame? If you weren’t so jealous, we wouldn’t be fighting.” “Let’s let this one slide. But don’t do it again.” He was the one making the outrageous demand, yet somehow, it was all my fault now. Before, whenever we fought, Liam would yell and scream, then eventually back down, magnanimously admitting he had issues, only to then flip it around and say I had issues too. The old me was so naive, always thinking that in any argument, both sides bore responsibility, and I’d always blame myself and reflect. Looking back now, my brain must have been completely fried. Liam was clearly the problem. I wasn’t wrong at all!

The next morning, Ashley got up early and cooked a huge breakfast spread. All kinds of dishes, everything imaginable. Evelyn’s eyes lit up, and she praised non-stop: “Ashley is truly a woman who knows how to keep a home, unlike Chloe, who can’t even cook rice without turning it into mush.” Ashley cast a shy glance at Liam. “My dream used to be cooking for the man I loved, so I often researched how to make meals.” I sat down expressionlessly, picked up my forks, and started eating. If some people loved to cook, then let them. After all, not everyone was destined for a life of leisure. Some people were just born to work their fingers to the bone. Liam saw my sour face and immediately got annoyed. “Chloe, Ashley got up so early to cook, you could at least thank her!” Seeing him so eager to defend Ashley, I let out a snort. “She’s staying at my place and hasn’t paid rent. Why should I thank her? Go online and check how much a night at a luxury hotel in downtown Manhattan costs.” Ashley’s eyes immediately welled up. “It’s my bad luck to have married a jerk. I know I’m a guest here, but Chloe, isn’t what you’re saying a little too much?” I rolled my eyes at her. “Too much? Did I force you to come to my house? Or did I force you to cook?” Evelyn slammed her forks down. “What’s all this fuss about?!” The atmosphere instantly grew tense. The three of them sat on one side, making me feel like an outsider. When Liam spoke, she didn’t care. When Ashley spoke, she didn’t care. But the moment I opened my mouth, she slammed her forks. Before I got married, Evelyn had promised me repeatedly that she would treat me like her own daughter. Was this what she meant by treating me like her own daughter? Anyone who didn’t know better would think Ashley was her daughter-in-law! I put down my bowl and forks, ready to go back to my room, when Ashley suddenly grabbed my arm: “Chloe, it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been abused by my husband, I wouldn’t have had to hide at your house. Please, you and Liam, don’t fight because of me.” “I’ll just leave now, no matter if that man beats me to death, I will never break up your marriage!” Ashley said she would leave, but her eyes never left Liam. Liam, true to form, didn’t disappoint. He pulled her into his embrace, full of concern. “Chloe! Why are you being so aggressive? Ashley isn’t staying here forever. Can’t you even tolerate her for a little while?” “Her husband’s company went bankrupt, and he took it out on Ashley. Now you’re upset and taking it out on her too. What makes you any different from that abuser?” Ashley snuggled further into Liam’s arms, weeping tearfully as if she’d won. I chuckled. Who was being aggressive here, really? Evelyn also chimed in, “Always fighting, fighting, fighting! You’re going to chase all the good luck out of this house!” Looking at the trio across from me, I suddenly wondered if they’d be so loving and united without me. I nodded. “You’re right. I’m not generous enough. You two go and have fun. I won’t be going. I hope you have a wonderful time.”

A flicker of triumph crossed Ashley’s eyes, but she still feigned concern. “How can that be? You’re Liam’s wife, don’t say things you don’t mean.” Liam stared at me, displeased. “What nonsense are you talking about? Go pack your stuff! Don’t say hurtful things.” I turned and walked back to my room. As I left, Ashley was still cautiously asking: “What if Chloe really won’t go out of spite? You two have always wanted to go to the beach, haven’t you?” Liam snorted. “Impossible. She’s been looking forward to a trip with me for ages. Even if we drive off first, she’ll find a way to follow us.” A cold laugh echoed in my heart. He knew this was my long-awaited honeymoon, huh? The man who, when he was chasing me, would panic and lose his appetite for an entire day if I even frowned. Now, knowing I was furious, he was still stubbornly determined to bring another woman on our honeymoon. This was intentional, and it was a challenge. If I agreed, next thing you know, I’d probably end up changing diapers for her baby! This kind of compliance test wouldn’t work on me. So, when Ashley and Liam sat in the car, ready to leave, I remained in my room, not moving a muscle. Liam pounded on the door. “Chloe? Are you ready yet! Come out now! If you don’t come out, we’re leaving without you. You can figure out how to get to Hawaii yourself!” Ashley said softly, “Chloe, stop being difficult. If we leave any later, we’ll hit traffic.” I completely ignored them, silently opening my phone to play Candy Crush. Liam tried to open the door, only to find it locked from the inside. He tried coaxing me softly for a few moments, but I still didn’t respond. He then shouted, “Chloe, don’t you dare regret this! If you’re not coming, we’ll go by ourselves!” I scoffed. Just a few minutes later, they were back. This time, Liam’s tone was much softer: “Chloe, do you have the Maybach keys?” After finishing a game, I glanced at the car keys I’d tossed on my bedside table, and quietly sent a message to my best friend, Sarah, who was a divorce lawyer: [I want a divorce. Help me draft an agreement.] Sarah replied instantly. I still didn’t acknowledge Liam, which made him pound on the door even harder in frustration. Perhaps due to his male pride, Liam suddenly kicked the door, shouting, “Chloe, what’s gotten into you? You’re not coming yourself, and you’re stopping us from going? How can you be so vicious?!” I had paid a fortune for this door; it didn’t even budge. Evelyn also cursed and knocked. “You’re not going, and you’re delaying my son’s trip! How can you be so heartless, woman?!” Ashley sounded equally annoyed. “Chloe, Liam worked hard to buy this car. Why are you holding onto the keys?!” Hearing that, I was genuinely stunned. My parents gave me this car before we got married. When did it become Liam’s? Did she really think Liam had become successful on his own, and now she wanted to reel him back in? The thought suddenly made the situation much more interesting. I got up and opened the door, looking at Liam. “Are you absolutely set on bringing Ashley?”

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My ex-husband, Asher, and I ran into each other at a friend’s bachelorette party. My friend playfully asked me: “Hazel, have you ever experienced betrayal?” Whether I had or not, my ex-husband knew better than anyone. “Hazel…” Asher shot me a look, clearly terrified I’d answer that question. In the five years since our divorce, he’d become infamous for doting on his wife. Everyone knew he and his current wife were madly in love. But no one knew that Asher’s picture-perfect family? I paid for it with half my life. In the dimly lit private room, with music thumping. The noise was constant. Yet, when that question was asked, Everyone held their breath. Even Asher beside me. His breathing hitched. No one knew that his current wife used to be his secretary. And the woman who broke up our marriage. His mistress. “Why did I even ask that? If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to…” My friend saw my silence and didn’t press further. But I calmly raised my head. And smiled. “I have. But… it’s just petty, messy stuff that’s too embarrassing to even talk about.” My casual words. Made Asher’s face go a shade paler. His knuckles, gripping the wine glass, went white. The way he looked at me. Gone was the contempt and disdain from five years ago. Instead, I saw a flicker of brokenness and helplessness in his eyes. My answer instantly piqued everyone’s interest in the room. Someone remarked, “I thought only those less fortunate in looks struggled to find true love. Never thought someone as stunning as you would suffer betrayal?!” “Who was it? Do we know them?” Maya, my best friend, seized the moment, leaning in with a furious glare. “Are you kidding me, Hazel? Why didn’t you tell me any of this?” she hissed, practically biting my ear. I opened my mouth, about to say something. Then she added, regretfully, “Didn’t you used to have a huge crush on Asher? Why didn’t you confess after graduation? Instead, you ended up with someone else?” “Look how much he dotes on his wife now! Good men like him are practically extinct. Hazel, you messed up!” Hearing her words, I swirled my glass. A bitter memory surfaced: Asher and his secretary, entangled in our marital bed, five years ago. I was six months pregnant then. Seeing that, I snapped. Rushing in, I grabbed our wedding photo and hurled it at them. Asher shielded her tightly in his arms, covering her body with *my* nightgown. Then he actually *scolded* me: “Are you done making a scene? If so, get out and close the door.” I cried, asking him why he was doing this to me. Asher showed no remorse. Instead, he pulled Layla closer by the waist. He said, “Hazel, just look at those stretch marks on your belly – they’re like worms. Don’t you find them utterly repulsive?” “Stop making a fuss. After you have the baby and get your figure back, I’ll break it off with her.” I had thought the stretch marks on my belly were proof of our love. But I never imagined it would become a dagger aimed straight at my heart. I calmed down, little by little. And quietly said, “You don’t need to break up with her. We’re getting a divorce.”

He didn’t respond to my words. He just quietly informed my parents. They showed up quickly. My mom, though, *scolded* me. “What rich man isn’t a playboy? As long as he hasn’t asked for a divorce, you just enjoy being a wealthy wife! What good would divorce do you?” My mom even stood on the balcony, threatening me, “If you dare divorce him, I’ll end myself right here!” And Asher? He just looked at me with disdain. I was forced to compromise, no longer mentioning divorce. Now, at the party, Maya didn’t get a response from me and gently nudged me. “What are you thinking about? Are you regretting not confessing to Asher? It’s too late to regret it now, though. He’s already got a wife.” I *was* regretting. Regretting confessing to Asher right after college graduation. Regretting staying with him from a cramped, rundown apartment to a luxurious villa. Regretting being foolishly naive back then, asking for nothing when we married, and agreeing to keep our marriage a secret. My stomach churned uncomfortably, and I slowly set down my glass. But Asher moved my glass to his side. Then pushed a plate of peeled oranges in front of me. I love oranges, but I hate peeling them. He always used to peel them for me, then place them in front of me. I didn’t eat the orange he offered, instead picking up some grapes. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. “Hazel, you used to hate grapes, didn’t you?” His abrupt question snagged Maya’s attention. Maya asked curiously, “How do you know Hazel dislikes grapes?” Instantly. All eyes in the room turned to us again. He opened his mouth, then closed it, holding back his words. Just then, his phone rang. Then Layla’s shrill voice cut through the air. “Asher! Where are you? Why aren’t you home yet? Are you with some slut behind my back? You’d better get your ass home, *now*! If I find out you’re messing around, I swear I’ll make you both pay!”

The buzzing crowd went dead silent the moment he answered. Asher’s face became incredibly grim. One of Asher’s friends quickly leaned towards the phone. “Layla, this is a totally legit get-together, just friends. I swear Asher hasn’t spoken to any other woman!” That made his face twist even more. He didn’t say anything, just hung up the phone. Maya said, “Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s call it a night. You all better be on time for my wedding tomorrow!” The party broke up. Maya and I strolled out, but saw Asher, who’d left earlier, standing by his car. Seeing us emerge, he strode towards us. “I’ll drive you home.” I was about to refuse, but Maya beat me to it. “Oh, sure, that would be great! Thanks! Your wife won’t get mad, though, right?” Asher froze, glancing instinctively at me. “No, she won’t. Get in.” I didn’t refuse, just shrugged and got into the back seat with Maya. As soon as we were in the car, Maya couldn’t stop asking questions. “You said you were betrayed earlier. What happened? Why didn’t I know?” I clearly caught Asher’s guilty expression in the rearview mirror. Then, I casually recounted the past, events I’d almost managed to forget. The second time I asked Asher for a divorce was when I was eight months pregnant. Layla brazenly moved her bags into *our* marital home. I couldn’t stand it. I lunged at her, ready to throw her out. But Asher pushed me away. My heavy, pregnant body tumbled uncontrollably down the stairs. In a matter of minutes, my baby was gone. The child who never got to be born. His own father had personally snuffed out his hope of life. I woke up in the hospital. I touched my belly, no longer feeling the life within, and broke down sobbing. He knelt before me, consumed by guilt, slapping his own face, over and over. “Hazel, I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault, I didn’t mean to. Can you please forgive me?” For the first time, I saw guilt on his cheating face. But I couldn’t tell how much of his guilt was genuine. I didn’t want to see him anymore. I grabbed the vase from the nightstand and hurled it at him. I screamed and yelled. “Divorce, Asher! I want a divorce!” That very night. My parents came again. They once again pressured me not to divorce. I looked at them, numb, and got out of the hospital bed. My mom, thinking I’d caved again, her eyes brightening, smiled and said, “Hazel, I knew you’d listen to me…” She hadn’t finished speaking. I stepped into the cool autumn night. Climbed over the balcony. And let myself fall, emptying my mind as my body plummeted. Finally, I broke a leg. In exchange for a cold, hard divorce certificate.

As I recounted the past, my heart no longer held any emotion. But Maya beside me was crying. She choked out, “How… how could they? How dare they… do that to you?” Maya and I had known each other since elementary school. During the years Asher and I were married, she had moved abroad with her parents. I’d wanted to reach out to her countless times, to find some solace. But when I saw her online, holding her baby, with her loving husband beside her, I hung up the phone again. Asher, in the driver’s seat, his eyes bloodshot, gripped the steering wheel tight, desperately trying to suppress his emotions. I chuckled lightly, casually patting Maya’s back as she sobbed uncontrollably. “It’s all in the past!” “No, it’s not! This isn’t past! Who was that jerk? I’m going to kill him! How dare he treat you like that?!” Maya cried and yelled, then dissolved into endless self-blame. She looked at me, choking, “You must have been so heartbroken then. I wish I had been there.” Maya’s husband and child were still waiting for her at the hotel. I told her to go back to the hotel first. Watching her get out and walk towards the hotel, I opened my car door and stepped out too. “Hazel, this isn’t your hotel yet…” Asher got out urgently, trying to grab my hand. I quickly dodged him, taking a step back. “You should go back. If you’re any later, she’ll start a fight with you,” I said. “No, I can’t leave until I see you home safely. I’m worried.” Asher dropped all pretense, begging, “I know you still hate me, but… can you give me a chance to make amends?” I looked up at him, my eyes flashing with sarcasm. “Asher, save your ridiculous, cheap attempts at appeasement. It’s disgusting.” With that, I didn’t look at him again, turning to walk towards a taxi parked on the side of the road. The next day, Maya and I arrived at the wedding venue on time. Asher was also there early. Someone joked, asking why he hadn’t brought his wife. He seemed to truly dislike bringing up Layla. When she was mentioned. A clear flicker of impatience crossed his eyes, and he brushed it off. “Something came up at home. It wasn’t convenient for her to be here.” I didn’t pay attention, continuing to chat with Maya. After what I told her last night, she was even more clingy. I couldn’t help but chuckle, “You’re a mom now, why are you still so clingy? Aren’t you afraid your kids will tease you?” Then, Asher, dressed sharply in a suit, took the seat next to me. Maya raised an eyebrow, about to say something. Then, a shrill, piercing voice ripped through the air behind us. Before I could react. Someone grabbed my hair and yanked me to the ground. A stinging slap landed instantly. “You shameless slut! Why did you come back after you left? Are you trying to seduce my husband again?” “Everyone, look! The ‘Goddess Hazel’ you all praise? She’s absolutely shameless, a known home-wrecker!”

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Right after I found out I was pregnant, my husband’s first love went to the rooftop and threatened to jump. She sobbed to my husband, Liam Sterling: “You promised me, Liam! No kids with *her*.” “I don’t need a title, but the next Sterling heir absolutely cannot be hers!” Liam rushed to reassure her: “Anya’s pregnancy was just an accident, I swear. Don’t worry, I’ll make her go to the hospital and get rid of it right away.” “Chloe, I know I’m married to Anya, but you know my family forced this business alliance on me. You’re the only one I truly love. Please, don’t do anything stupid!” Then, Liam whirled around, his face a mask of furious urgency, and roared at me: “What are you standing there for? Go to the hospital and get that abortion! If anything happens to Chloe, I swear I’ll never forgive you!” Liam’s shameless words made me laugh, a bitter, hollow sound. Forcing *me*, the ‘Investment Queen’ who controlled the Sterling family’s wealth, to get an abortion? Who gave him the guts?

Liam and I arrived at the hospital’s entrance. Chloe was standing on the balcony, threatening to jump. A crowd had already gathered in front of the hospital, all craning their necks to stare at Chloe, perched on the rooftop edge, weeping. Many uninformed onlookers started whispering. “So young, and already giving up on life?” “I heard she just found out she’s pregnant, then discovered her husband has a mistress. She just can’t face it anymore.” “That’s wild! Is it really true?” “Absolutely. That woman saw the same specialist as me. She’d just finished her check-up when she started crying and calling her husband, threatening to jump…” Listening to the crowd’s gossip, I cast a meaningful glance at Liam. Liam, however, was completely focused on Chloe, oblivious to the whispers from the street below. He anxiously grabbed my arm, dragging me toward the main building’s rooftop. On the roof, several high-ranking hospital officials were present, their brows furrowed as they tried to reason with a sobbing Chloe. The police had also arrived, cautiously attempting to comfort Chloe while slowly approaching her. Chloe’s face was a picture of wronged sorrow, as if she were completely broken. She cried out to the police and hospital officials: “Don’t come any closer!” “If you take another step, I’ll jump right now!” Liam rushed forward, yelling at the police and others: “Don’t go near her! If anything happens to her, I swear I won’t let any of you off the hook!” Then, Liam turned to Chloe, his face etched with frantic worry: “Chloe, please don’t do anything foolish!” “Just come down, and we can talk about anything you want!” Watching Chloe clutch the railing with such desperation, I knew this woman wasn’t really planning to jump. It was just a performance. I spoke calmly: “It’s pretty windy today. You better hold on tight. If you accidentally slip, no one’s gonna save you then!”

Before Chloe could respond, Liam glared at me, his eyes spitting venom, and roared: “Anya! Are you serious? At a time like this, you’re still being sarcastic? Do you have any conscience?!” The hospital officials and police also frowned, looking at me with clear disapproval. Chloe shot me a vicious glance, then turned back to Liam, sobbing with righteous indignation: “You promised me, Liam! No kids with *her*.” “I don’t need a title to be by your side, but I absolutely cannot tolerate her carrying your child!” “I’m pregnant too! You swore to me that the next Sterling heir could only be *my* child!” Liam hurriedly tried to explain: “Anya’s pregnancy was just an accident, I swear. Don’t worry, I’ll make her go to the hospital and get rid of it right away.” “Chloe, I know I’m married to Anya, but you know my family forced this business alliance on me. You’re the only one I truly love. Please, don’t do anything stupid!” Then, Liam spun around, his face contorted with rage, and screamed at me: “What are you standing there for? Go to the hospital and get that abortion! If anything happens to Chloe, I swear I’ll never forgive you!” The hospital officials and police watching were stunned, staring at Liam and Chloe in disbelief. The conversation between this pathetic, cheating duo must have completely shattered their preconceived notions. Meanwhile, Liam and Chloe’s shameless remarks just made me laugh again, a colder, sharper sound this time. I spoke to Chloe, my voice icy: “Liam and I are legally married. You’re nothing but the other woman, the one who inserted herself into our marriage. What right do you have to tell me not to have children?” “I’ve met plenty of audacious people, but a mistress who stages a suicide attempt to force me into an abortion? That’s a new low, even for me!” Before Chloe could retort, I turned my cold gaze to Liam, my voice dripping with scorn: “Didn’t you claim Chloe was just like a sister to you?” “Is this how you ‘take care’ of your ‘good sister’? So much so that you got her pregnant?” “Do you think the world’s gone crazy, so now you want her to pop out a kid to take over the Sterling empire?” “Liam Sterling, what a master schemer you are!” “What do you take me for?” “I’m making this clear right now: even if we divorce, there’s no way I’m getting rid of this baby!” The moment my words left my lips, Chloe’s eyes flashed. Then, she started sobbing even harder, as if she’d been subjected to the deepest insult and grievance. She put on a show of being so emotionally distraught she might jump at any second. Liam, meanwhile, yelled urgently at me: “Anya, shut up!” He whispered quickly: “This is a life at stake! I was just saying that to calm Chloe down, afraid she’d actually jump. “Just play along for now, and I’ll explain everything later!” I scoffed. “I’m not interested in playing along with your little charade, you pathetic cheating duo!” “Liam Sterling, we’re getting a divorce!”

Chloe ultimately didn’t jump. Feigning exhaustion, she pretended to faint. Liam darted forward, his face etched with concern and urgency, scooping Chloe into his arms. The hospital officials and police breathed a sigh of relief. I, however, simply turned and walked away. The moment I declared I wanted a divorce from Liam, Chloe’s goal was achieved. Naturally, she no longer needed to pretend to be heartbroken and perform on the rooftop edge. Back home, I started packing my personal belongings. When I said I wanted to divorce Liam, I wasn’t joking. Though we’d been married for less than three months, I’d seen Liam Sterling’s true colors. A man like that isn’t worth a lifetime of commitment! This kind of relationship needed to be severed quickly. When faced with a betrayer, if you don’t act fast, you’re only going to get hurt worse. I’m not the type of woman who just cries or complains when faced with relationship problems. It’s like investing; if the returns aren’t satisfactory, I cut my losses immediately. Looking at our wedding photo in the living room, a self-mocking smile touched my lips. Love is blind! I once thought I’d found the right man to spend my life with. Only now do I realize I was blind. This emotional investment was probably the biggest loss I’ve ever taken. But Liam Sterling and that Chloe won’t win either. I’ll make sure they understand the consequences of betraying me! As I finished packing and pulled my suitcase, ready to leave, Liam returned. With him were several Sterling family elders. Clearly, Liam was once again bringing his family members to beg for mercy. Just like the time he spent our entire wedding night with Chloe, he’d brought them to plead my case then too. Seeing my packed suitcase, the Sterling elders immediately swarmed me, trying to talk me out of it. “Anya, we’ve given Liam a severe dressing-down. He knows he messed up. Just forgive him this once!” “Chloe will absolutely not threaten your position in the Sterling family. If she weren’t also pregnant, we’d have taught her a harsh lesson ourselves.” “You’re pregnant too now, so you absolutely mustn’t get upset!” “Anya, you’re a reasonable woman. You know Liam is the Sterling family’s only child. Now that Chloe is pregnant too, even though she made a mistake, the child in her belly is, after all, a Sterling descendant. Just be magnanimous and let it go!” “Don’t worry, after Chloe gives birth, we’ll have that child recognize you as its mother. We’ll send Chloe abroad and make sure she never returns.” I had expected the Sterling elders to beg for Liam’s forgiveness as they had before. But when they uttered those words, I finally understood their true purpose in coming here. I said, my voice cold: “You want to protect a bastard child born to a mistress who destroyed another’s family?” “It seems you never cared about my feelings at all!” “Do you think the Sterlings are doing so well lately that you’ve grown arrogant and forgotten how your family almost went bankrupt?” “Back then, would any of you have dared to say these things to me?” My words instantly made the Sterling elders’ faces flush with shame, and their gazes toward me turned much colder. Liam frowned and said: “Anya, how dare you speak to your elders like that? What’s with that attitude?” “My family is only thinking of our best interests, you…” I cut him off directly, a cold laugh escaping my lips: “They’re thinking of *your* best interests!” “Liam Sterling, you’re not a child anymore. You mess up, and then you drag your family here to watch the circus? I honestly don’t know what’s rattling around in your head!” “Alright, I’m done wasting my breath on you. I’m getting this divorce, and no one can talk me out of it.” “You and your family are so attached to the child in Chloe’s belly? Then let *her* child be your Sterling heir! “From this day forward, I want nothing to do with the Sterling family!” The moment I spoke, the Sterling elders dropped their pretense, revealing their ugly true colors. “You ungrateful wretch! Do you really think the Sterling family can’t survive without you?” “You ignorant fool from the sticks, no upbringing at all! I’ve disliked you from the start.” “If we hadn’t thought your Rockwell family could benefit us back then, why would we have ever pushed you and Liam together? You weren’t even good enough!” “Don’t threaten us with divorce! Anyway, your Rockwell family’s assets have already been absorbed by the Sterlings. If you divorce, we’re not the ones who’ll suffer the loss.” “Liam, don’t hesitate. If she wants a divorce, give it to her. Chloe is much more compliant than her. After you divorce her, go marry Chloe and let this one regret it till she cries blood.” The Sterling elders’ words were vile. Liam’s voice dropped, firm now: “Anya, I’m giving you one last chance, you…” I simply cut him off: “Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear a word I just said? If you don’t want a quiet divorce, I’ll take you to court!” “Marital infidelity. Based on that alone, how do you think a judge will rule?” Liam scoffed furiously. “Fine. If you’re determined to divorce, I won’t stop you.” “However, I have two conditions: one, you leave with nothing!” “And second, the child in your belly will have no relation to the Sterling family from this day forward. Don’t even think about trying to claim a share of the Sterling family assets as my illegitimate child after it’s born.” Liam’s shamelessness made me laugh again, though it was a humorless sound. I couldn’t be bothered to say more. I simply nodded. “Fine!”

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The moment I stepped into my office, my assistant burst through the door and slapped a resignation letter onto my desk. I paused, genuinely confused. “I just gave you a raise. Why are you quitting?” Skylar scoffed. “Who cares about your pathetic raise? You know who Richard Sterling is, right?” I nodded. The tech-delivery mogul, a billionaire. Of course, I knew his name. “That’s my dad! I’m his long-lost heiress! Now that we’ve reconnected, do you really think *I* would keep working for a small-time boss like you? You’re not even in my league!” Before I could fully process her words, she called out again. “Mark, come in!” My husband walked in, and to my absolute shock, he took Skylar’s hand and pulled her into a hug right in front of me. Skylar lifted her chin at me. “You probably don’t know this, but Mark and I were college sweethearts. We dated for four years.” “You stole my boyfriend back then. Now, *I’m* going to steal your husband!” Watching the despicable duo, a chill spread through me, followed by a strange sense of amusement. Should I tell them my dad is the one who *made* that tech mogul?

“Sign it, now!” Mark threw a divorce agreement at me with a look of pure disgust. The words I’d been about to say died in my throat, replaced by a self-deprecating laugh. Without hesitation, I picked up the agreement and started reading. A man whose heart had changed wasn’t worth keeping. One year of dating, three years of marriage – I guess I just wasted four years of my life and heart on him. Soon, my brows furrowed. “I’m supposed to leave with absolutely nothing?” “That’s right.” Mark said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You broke Skylar and me up back then, you destroyed my happiness.” “After we got married, you were always so overbearing. You made me miserable for three years, causing me immense emotional distress. So, you’re the one at fault here.” “What’s wrong with you leaving empty-handed?” “Ha!” His absurd logic made me laugh out loud. Three years ago, wasn’t he the one practically begging me to marry him? After we got married, I’d countless times urged him to find a job, but each time he’d just sweet-talk me, calling me a “power woman.” He’d say a good relationship needed one strong and one weak partner to balance things out. Now, suddenly, it was all my fault? *Rip!* I tore the divorce agreement right down the middle. “Divorce? Fine. But you’re the one leaving with nothing.” Mark was about to retort when Skylar, looking impatient, cut in. “Why are you wasting time with her? Her pathetic little bit of money isn’t worth my time.” She then opened a large tote bag and roughly shook it out. “And these! Take them back!” My face turned colder as I saw my designer bags, luxury watches, and other familiar items scattered across the floor. I’d been wondering where these things went, some of them had vanished into thin air shortly after I bought them. Mark had always claimed I must have lost them. Turns out, he’d stolen them all to impress his mistress. “And this card.” Skylar handed me a bank card, a mocking sneer on her face. “Over the past three years, Mark gave me over five hundred thousand dollars.” “This card has six hundred thousand. Plenty more than what you gave him!” “I don’t care about your stuff or your dirty money!” My breath hitched in anger. Just as I reached for it, her hand loosened, and the card dropped to the floor. She stepped on it, crossed her arms, and looked down at me. “Get on your knees and take it.” My anger flared. Before I could speak, Mark’s voice was syrupy sweet. “Honey, I’ll handle it.” The next second, a searing pain shot up my calf as he brutally kicked me, sending me to my knees. “Hahaha!” Skylar burst into triumphant laughter and planted a fierce kiss on Mark’s lips. “Mark, I adore you! I just love your initiative!” “I’ve already told my dad about you. He said he’s coming to Brighton City in a week for a grand family announcement party for me, which will also be our engagement party!” “Really?!” Mark’s eyes lit up. He passionately held up three fingers. “Skylar, I swear, I’ll cherish you and love you forever, just like I always have!” Watching them walk away, my teeth ground together. I was on the verge of being consumed by fury and humiliation. After a long while, I slowly pushed myself up and dialed a number I hadn’t touched in years. “Dad, I forgive you.” On the other end, after a few seconds of silence, a shaky, emotional voice replied. “Good… good!” “Riley, I’m currently overseas. But Rich Sterling is holding a family announcement party in Brighton City in a week and invited me to attend.” “I’ll come pick you up then, and bring you home!” I paused, then a subtle, knowing smile curved my lips. I nodded. “Okay.”

That evening, back home, Mark, who had just ended an endless chat with Skylar on FaceTime, glanced at me with disdain. “What took you so long? Running away won’t solve anything.” “I’ve drafted a new agreement. We’ll split the assets fifty-fifty. That’s the most I can compromise.” I stared at him coldly, but he met my gaze without flinching. He scoffed. “I don’t care about your money, I just don’t want Skylar to be inconvenienced.” “I’ll give my half of the assets entirely to Skylar. It’ll make her look good, and I won’t lose face with the Sterling family.” My head buzzed. I couldn’t even follow his twisted logic. He cheated on me, and now, to marry his mistress and save his own reputation, he expected me to pay for it? Could he be any more disgusting? When I first met him, he was just a delivery driver, apologizing profusely for a late order. Seeing him drenched in rain, I casually gave him twenty dollars as a tip, but he stubbornly refused, saying he only earned what he deserved. His apparent sincerity touched me, and before long, I accepted his proposal. Now, looking back, I felt like such a fool for not seeing through his pathetic act to get close to me. “You can’t divorce!” A sudden shout ripped through my thoughts. Brenda, Mark’s mom, stormed out of the bathroom. “Son, look what I just found in the trash! She’s pregnant!” Mark saw the two lines on the pregnancy test in his mother’s hand, but there was no joy, only a curse. “Damn it! This kid couldn’t have come at a worse time!” “But Mom, we can’t let a baby ruin things between Skylar and me, can we?” “It’s fine!” Brenda insisted. “We’ll keep it from Skylar for now. Tomorrow, I’ll take her to the hospital for a check-up.” “If it’s a boy, we’ll give her two thousand dollars, and she can have the baby. I’ll take it back home to raise.” “Son, Skylar is a rich heiress now. She might be headstrong and not want kids. But our family name can’t die out, can it?” Then Brenda glared at me. “Where we come from, two thousand dollars is enough to pop out a whole litter of kids! You wouldn’t be losing out!” My perception of reality shattered again. They wanted to kick me out but still use me as a breeding machine? Two thousand dollars for a baby? That wouldn’t even cover a good birthing center! Like son, like mother! I immediately pulled out some medical records from my bag and threw them at them, a cold smile on my face. “You don’t need to worry about the baby.” “I had an abortion.” “What?!” Brenda’s eyes widened in fury. She started wailing, beating her chest. “Oh, my precious grandchild!” Mark finally noticed how pale I looked, but there was no concern in his eyes, only a look of pure relief. Then he fake-roared at me. “That’s my child! What right did you have to abort it?!” “How dare you have an abortion without my permission! You won’t even get half the assets now!” “Oh, really? Then let’s drag this out.” “A week will fly by. When Skylar’s billionaire dad arrives, I’d love to see how a married man attends his own engagement party.” As I said that, I felt a pang of nervousness. I wanted to get rid of him quickly, not drag things out. But he seemed even more nervous than I was. After a series of facial expressions, he finally signed the agreement I’d offered, the one that made him leave with nothing. He must’ve thought, no money, no money, who cares if the Sterling family will look down on me. The priority was getting Skylar. Just then, Skylar called again. He answered, hurrying out the door. “Skylar, the divorce agreement is signed!” “Let’s celebrate, same place?” “Heh heh… Don’t worry, baby, I chugged a whole bottle of something special. I promise to be on fire all night long!” The next day at the company, my employees, who had been huddled in hushed whispers, suddenly went silent. They looked at me strangely. I was puzzled. As I walked into my office, I saw Skylar sitting in my executive chair. She had a cigarette between her fingers, legs crossed, a triumphant smirk on her face.

“Is this seat for you to sit in?” “Get out!” Skylar chuckled, blowing a puff of smoke at me. “I’ve been busting my ass working for you, and the more I think about it, the angrier I get. So, today I’m just enjoying a taste of being the boss.” “From now on, you can be my assistant. Name your price, what do you say?” I was both furious and amused. “You want to play role reversal? You’re not good enough.” “Oh, really?” “This isn’t up to you.” She snapped her fingers, and all the company employees filed in. Resignation letters rained down on me, and then everyone bowed in unison to Skylar. “Good morning, Director Sterling!” No need to ask. This was a mass exodus! My face instantly turned cold. “I’ve always been good to you, haven’t I?” “I paid you top-tier salaries in the industry, and you received generous annual bonuses! Is this how you repay me?” At my words, they all scoffed and started retorting. “Don’t act like you did us some huge favor. Get it straight, *we’re* the ones who’ve been keeping you in business!” “You’d be nothing without us working our butts off to make you rich!” “Ms. Sterling is willing to take you on as an assistant, that’s an honor! And you’re still complaining? You’re clueless!” “…” Every single word was like a knife, repeatedly stabbing my increasingly cold heart. Without another thought, I approved all their resignation letters. I also glanced at the employment contracts they’d signed with Skylar. All the streamers were offered six-figure annual salaries! Even some administrative staff were getting thirty thousand a year! With over forty streamers and employees in various departments, Skylar was committing to at least five million dollars in salaries! Was she insane? Even her father, Rich Sterling, would feel the pinch. I asked, my voice filled with doubt, “Have you all received your annual salaries?” They shook their heads, then plastered on sycophantic smiles. “Director Sterling’s status speaks for itself. How could we not trust her?” “Director Sterling said that the recognition gift alone at her family announcement party will be fifteen million dollars! Our salaries are just pocket change to her!” I smiled. Well then, you all just wait. Skylar’s outrageous antics continued. She called the building management of this office complex. She directly offered one million dollars to rent the entire building for a year. “Director Sterling is so badass!” “Seriously, there’s no comparison. Next to you, Riley Vance is practically a pauper!” “Tch, she has nothing now. She’s not even a dirty beggar!” “…” Amidst a chorus of flattery, Skylar left triumphantly. Before she walked out, she didn’t forget to glance at me. She smirked arrogantly. “I’ll keep the assistant position open for you for a few more days, but…” “The condition is that you provide me with kneeling service every day.” “Heh heh heh…” A thought sparked in my mind. Kneeling service? Hmm, that actually sounds like a decent idea. I just wonder, in a few days, who will be kneeling to whom! Fresh off an abortion and having just witnessed a mass exodus of my employees, my mind and body were at their absolute worst. That evening, I went to my usual luxury spa, hoping to relax. The moment I stepped in, the receptionist stopped me. “I’m sorry, Ms. Vance, but you’ve been blacklisted from our spa. No entry.” I froze, before I could even ask what was going on, Skylar and Mark walked down the stairs, intimately arm-in-arm. The receptionist explained. “Ms. Sterling just deposited five million dollars with us. She’s now our only Super VIP.” “Ms. Sterling said she doesn’t want to see you around, so to ensure her comfort, our establishment had no choice but to blacklist you.” “The fifteen thousand dollars remaining on your card has been refunded to your account. Please leave.” Skylar smiled sweetly at me, hoping to see embarrassment or anger on my face, but she was disappointed. I simply gave her a sarcastic thumbs up, then turned and walked away with a smile. *Go on, make a scene, I thought. Make an even bigger scene!* Skylar’s smile faltered. When she saw me get into a Porsche sports car, she frowned and turned to Mark. “Honey, I don’t want to see that woman still living such a cushy, fabulous life.” “What should we do?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “303636”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #重生Reborn #励志Inspiring #校园School

The moment I stepped into my office, my assistant burst through the door and slapped a resignation letter onto my desk. I paused, genuinely confused. “I just gave you a raise. Why are you quitting?” Skylar scoffed. “Who cares about your pathetic raise? You know who Richard Sterling is, right?” I nodded. The tech-delivery mogul, a billionaire. Of course, I knew his name. “That’s my dad! I’m his long-lost heiress! Now that we’ve reconnected, do you really think *I* would keep working for a small-time boss like you? You’re not even in my league!” Before I could fully process her words, she called out again. “Mark, come in!” My husband walked in, and to my absolute shock, he took Skylar’s hand and pulled her into a hug right in front of me. Skylar lifted her chin at me. “You probably don’t know this, but Mark and I were college sweethearts. We dated for four years.” “You stole my boyfriend back then. Now, *I’m* going to steal your husband!” Watching the despicable duo, a chill spread through me, followed by a strange sense of amusement. Should I tell them my dad is the one who *made* that tech mogul?

“Sign it, now!” Mark threw a divorce agreement at me with a look of pure disgust. The words I’d been about to say died in my throat, replaced by a self-deprecating laugh. Without hesitation, I picked up the agreement and started reading. A man whose heart had changed wasn’t worth keeping. One year of dating, three years of marriage – I guess I just wasted four years of my life and heart on him. Soon, my brows furrowed. “I’m supposed to leave with absolutely nothing?” “That’s right.” Mark said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You broke Skylar and me up back then, you destroyed my happiness.” “After we got married, you were always so overbearing. You made me miserable for three years, causing me immense emotional distress. So, you’re the one at fault here.” “What’s wrong with you leaving empty-handed?” “Ha!” His absurd logic made me laugh out loud. Three years ago, wasn’t he the one practically begging me to marry him? After we got married, I’d countless times urged him to find a job, but each time he’d just sweet-talk me, calling me a “power woman.” He’d say a good relationship needed one strong and one weak partner to balance things out. Now, suddenly, it was all my fault? *Rip!* I tore the divorce agreement right down the middle. “Divorce? Fine. But you’re the one leaving with nothing.” Mark was about to retort when Skylar, looking impatient, cut in. “Why are you wasting time with her? Her pathetic little bit of money isn’t worth my time.” She then opened a large tote bag and roughly shook it out. “And these! Take them back!” My face turned colder as I saw my designer bags, luxury watches, and other familiar items scattered across the floor. I’d been wondering where these things went, some of them had vanished into thin air shortly after I bought them. Mark had always claimed I must have lost them. Turns out, he’d stolen them all to impress his mistress. “And this card.” Skylar handed me a bank card, a mocking sneer on her face. “Over the past three years, Mark gave me over five hundred thousand dollars.” “This card has six hundred thousand. Plenty more than what you gave him!” “I don’t care about your stuff or your dirty money!” My breath hitched in anger. Just as I reached for it, her hand loosened, and the card dropped to the floor. She stepped on it, crossed her arms, and looked down at me. “Get on your knees and take it.” My anger flared. Before I could speak, Mark’s voice was syrupy sweet. “Honey, I’ll handle it.” The next second, a searing pain shot up my calf as he brutally kicked me, sending me to my knees. “Hahaha!” Skylar burst into triumphant laughter and planted a fierce kiss on Mark’s lips. “Mark, I adore you! I just love your initiative!” “I’ve already told my dad about you. He said he’s coming to Brighton City in a week for a grand family announcement party for me, which will also be our engagement party!” “Really?!” Mark’s eyes lit up. He passionately held up three fingers. “Skylar, I swear, I’ll cherish you and love you forever, just like I always have!” Watching them walk away, my teeth ground together. I was on the verge of being consumed by fury and humiliation. After a long while, I slowly pushed myself up and dialed a number I hadn’t touched in years. “Dad, I forgive you.” On the other end, after a few seconds of silence, a shaky, emotional voice replied. “Good… good!” “Riley, I’m currently overseas. But Rich Sterling is holding a family announcement party in Brighton City in a week and invited me to attend.” “I’ll come pick you up then, and bring you home!” I paused, then a subtle, knowing smile curved my lips. I nodded. “Okay.”

That evening, back home, Mark, who had just ended an endless chat with Skylar on FaceTime, glanced at me with disdain. “What took you so long? Running away won’t solve anything.” “I’ve drafted a new agreement. We’ll split the assets fifty-fifty. That’s the most I can compromise.” I stared at him coldly, but he met my gaze without flinching. He scoffed. “I don’t care about your money, I just don’t want Skylar to be inconvenienced.” “I’ll give my half of the assets entirely to Skylar. It’ll make her look good, and I won’t lose face with the Sterling family.” My head buzzed. I couldn’t even follow his twisted logic. He cheated on me, and now, to marry his mistress and save his own reputation, he expected me to pay for it? Could he be any more disgusting? When I first met him, he was just a delivery driver, apologizing profusely for a late order. Seeing him drenched in rain, I casually gave him twenty dollars as a tip, but he stubbornly refused, saying he only earned what he deserved. His apparent sincerity touched me, and before long, I accepted his proposal. Now, looking back, I felt like such a fool for not seeing through his pathetic act to get close to me. “You can’t divorce!” A sudden shout ripped through my thoughts. Brenda, Mark’s mom, stormed out of the bathroom. “Son, look what I just found in the trash! She’s pregnant!” Mark saw the two lines on the pregnancy test in his mother’s hand, but there was no joy, only a curse. “Damn it! This kid couldn’t have come at a worse time!” “But Mom, we can’t let a baby ruin things between Skylar and me, can we?” “It’s fine!” Brenda insisted. “We’ll keep it from Skylar for now. Tomorrow, I’ll take her to the hospital for a check-up.” “If it’s a boy, we’ll give her two thousand dollars, and she can have the baby. I’ll take it back home to raise.” “Son, Skylar is a rich heiress now. She might be headstrong and not want kids. But our family name can’t die out, can it?” Then Brenda glared at me. “Where we come from, two thousand dollars is enough to pop out a whole litter of kids! You wouldn’t be losing out!” My perception of reality shattered again. They wanted to kick me out but still use me as a breeding machine? Two thousand dollars for a baby? That wouldn’t even cover a good birthing center! Like son, like mother! I immediately pulled out some medical records from my bag and threw them at them, a cold smile on my face. “You don’t need to worry about the baby.” “I had an abortion.” “What?!” Brenda’s eyes widened in fury. She started wailing, beating her chest. “Oh, my precious grandchild!” Mark finally noticed how pale I looked, but there was no concern in his eyes, only a look of pure relief. Then he fake-roared at me. “That’s my child! What right did you have to abort it?!” “How dare you have an abortion without my permission! You won’t even get half the assets now!” “Oh, really? Then let’s drag this out.” “A week will fly by. When Skylar’s billionaire dad arrives, I’d love to see how a married man attends his own engagement party.” As I said that, I felt a pang of nervousness. I wanted to get rid of him quickly, not drag things out. But he seemed even more nervous than I was. After a series of facial expressions, he finally signed the agreement I’d offered, the one that made him leave with nothing. He must’ve thought, no money, no money, who cares if the Sterling family will look down on me. The priority was getting Skylar. Just then, Skylar called again. He answered, hurrying out the door. “Skylar, the divorce agreement is signed!” “Let’s celebrate, same place?” “Heh heh… Don’t worry, baby, I chugged a whole bottle of something special. I promise to be on fire all night long!” The next day at the company, my employees, who had been huddled in hushed whispers, suddenly went silent. They looked at me strangely. I was puzzled. As I walked into my office, I saw Skylar sitting in my executive chair. She had a cigarette between her fingers, legs crossed, a triumphant smirk on her face.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “303635”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #重生Reborn #励志Inspiring #校园School