Author: Momo Chan

Ever since I moved into my stepfather David’s house, he’d give me a glass of warm milk every night. After drinking it, I’d immediately fall into a deep sleep, only to dream of being tormented by two men. One time, I skipped the milk. Soon after I lay down, the door creaked open. The two men from my dreams appeared. “I’m tired of her being half-asleep. How about we try it with her wide awake tonight?” “What do you say, Rose?” “Rose, drink your milk and go to bed early.” As soon as I got home, David handed me a glass of warm milk, a slightly fawning look in his eyes. David was Mom’s new husband, only five years older than me. I worried Mom was being scammed, so I decided to spend some time getting to know him better. Mom had us move into David’s place. It was close to my office, which was convenient. But Mom’s job was far, so she only came over on weekends. I felt awkward being alone with David, but Mom insisted it was the only way to truly understand him. So, from Monday to Friday, it was just David and me. I finished my milk and went into my room, planning to read a bit. But I barely turned a few pages before drowsiness hit. I slumped onto the desk, drifting off to sleep. In my dream, a man’s hand wrapped around my waist from behind. Two fingers deftly undid my sleepwear, leaving me utterly vulnerable. “Open your mouth.” Another man’s deep voice guided me, close to my ear. At that moment, my throat felt incredibly dry, and I involuntarily opened my mouth. “Good girl, Rose. I’m really starting to like you more and more.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my reflection in the mirror. Two figures, one in front, one behind. I vaguely recognized one man wearing a suit, a silver ring on his finger. Bang! Bang! Bang! A knock on the door startled me awake. I opened my eyes in a daze. I was lying on my bed, still in my sleepwear. “Rose, are you up yet? You’ll be late for work!” It was David’s voice, urging me from outside the door. “Oh, right.” I mumbled, climbing out of bed. The bedsheets were tangled in a mess, and my body felt sticky, as if I’d sweated a lot. I quickly took a shower and headed to the office. During work, I couldn’t help but slack off, posting online about my recent dreams. Replies quickly flooded in. [LOL, OP, are you single? Get a boyfriend, and you won’t have dreams like that. Hehe, or maybe just go on a date?] [My dreams are way weirder. It’s fine, totally normal.] [Aw, sweetie, sounds like you’ve got a crush! Totally normal!] Seeing that I wasn’t the only one eased my mind. “Rose, let’s go to the meeting.” My manager, Brenda, tapped my desk. My eyes widened. “Me?” “Yes, you. What are you staring at? Come on!” Brenda said, striding towards the conference room. I scrambled to follow her. I’d only been interning at this company for less than a month. I hadn’t even touched a project, let alone attended a meeting. Usually, I just did odd jobs. Brenda suddenly taking me to a meeting made me a little panicked. When we reached the conference room, about twenty-something people were already seated. A moment later, two stern-faced men walked in. Brenda whispered in my ear, “Those are our company’s two bosses. The one with the blue tie is Mr. Julian, and the other is Mr. Marcus.” I’d heard colleagues privately discuss how both bosses were incredibly wealthy, handsome, and successful – the total package. But they rarely came to the office. Seeing them in person today still stunned me. They were both good-looking enough to be movie stars. As I was admiring them, Julian’s gaze suddenly swept over. I quickly averted my eyes, startled. That’s when I noticed the silver ring on Marcus’s finger. That ring… It seemed identical to the one worn by one of the men in my dream last night. And their builds, they were so similar to the two men in my dream! Julian’s voice, too, sounded just like the man who told me to open my mouth. But this was my first time seeing them. It had to be a coincidence. “Next, the colleagues whose names I call will be traveling with me to the branch office for a week, starting tomorrow.” “Rose…”

Hearing my name, I shot up, my face flushed with panic as I stared at Julian. Brenda pulled me back down, giving me a disgusted glance. “What are you so excited about? Traveling with the bosses isn’t always a good thing. Perform well, or you won’t even pass your internship.” I lowered my head, mortified. The branch office was in another city. Eleven colleagues were going, and when I arrived, they were already settled in the cars. Both vehicles were packed, and I was assigned to ride with the two bosses. How could something so awkward happen to me? The bosses’ car was an extended luxury van. When I got in, Julian and Marcus were seated on opposite sides. My toes were practically trying to dig through my shoes from the sheer awkwardness. Neither side felt comfortable. Couldn’t they just sit together and leave one side for me? Fine, I bit the bullet and sat in the closest seat, which was next to Marcus. The instant I sat down, I distinctly saw a smirk curl on Marcus’s lips. He even shot Julian a cocky, triumphant glance. Was I seeing things? I looked at Julian. He sat perfectly upright, one leg casually crossed, holding a glass of red wine. “It’s a long drive. Have some snacks, take a nap, and we’ll be there.” Marcus looked at me kindly, gesturing to the food on the small table beside him. I hadn’t had any dreams last night and slept incredibly soundly, which was why I almost overslept today. I hadn’t eaten breakfast either, so seeing the cream cake on the table, I couldn’t resist taking a small piece. Soon after eating, I felt drowsy. The extended van’s seats were incredibly soft, and I leaned back, falling asleep in no time. In a haze, I heard Marcus’s teasing voice. “Rose likes sweets, huh?” “But there’s so much cream left, don’t waste it…” In my dream, I dreamt that Julian and Marcus were feeding me cream, spoonful by spoonful, until my mouth was full… I don’t know how long I slept, but the driver woke me up. Julian and Marcus were gone, and the red wine and cream cake were nowhere to be found in the car. A sweet, cloying scent still lingered in the air. I looked out the window. The car had already arrived at the branch office building. Oh no. I must have overslept. As I started to get out, a damp, sticky feeling made my whole body shiver involuntarily. Damn it, I actually dreamt of eating cream with the two bosses. I wondered if I moved around in my sleep, or if I made any weird faces or sounds… These dreams were getting too frequent. Did I really need to find a boyfriend? My face burning, I pulled my luggage out of the car. I’d be staying in the company dorms for the week. There were fewer people at this branch, so everyone got their own private room, and the environment was pretty good. After putting down my luggage, I got a message from Brenda saying that Julian and Marcus’s personal assistants couldn’t make it, and I was to temporarily assist both of them. When I saw that message, a shiver ran down my spine. Thinking about my fantasies about them in the car, I immediately felt guilty. Soon, Julian called me, asking me to go with him to a business dinner that night. The destination was a Japanese restaurant. Our partner was a fifty-year-old man, and as soon as he walked in, his eyes ceaselessly scanned me. “Mr. Julian’s company truly has a lot of talent. I’d love to poach a few people from your firm if I get the chance.” “No can do. Let’s focus on our partnership, shall we?” Julian said as a server came in to pour tea. I caught a whiff of fragrant matcha and instinctively swallowed. “The wine here is excellent. Shall we eat and talk?” The middle-aged man said, raising his glass. Julian raised his too, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. Feeling a bit flustered, I quickly picked up my own glass. One glass of wine down, a burning sensation. I quickly took a gulp of tea to wash it down. *Ring! Ring!* My alarm clock jolted me awake. I rubbed my eyes, finding myself lying on the dorm bed. “Huh?” I pressed my head, but I couldn’t remember how I got back last night. But I seemed to have had *that kind* of dream again. This time, it was even crazier. I dreamt I was lying naked on a long table, my body arranged like a platter, adorned with food. “Caviar tastes best with a little body heat.” Julian’s deep, magnetic voice echoed in my ear. Then I felt something wet glide across my chest.

It was getting late, so I quickly pushed the absurd dream from my mind and got up to go to work. While waiting for the elevator, Julian walked up. “Good morning.” I greeted him awkwardly. He nodded, his expression cool. The elevator arrived, and we both stepped inside. In the confined space, he stood in front of me. My eyes fixed on his broad shoulders, and my mind couldn’t help but replay last night’s dream. It had felt so real, especially the sensation of skin against skin… “Oh, by the way, Mr. Julian, did I drink too much last night? I don’t remember anything. I didn’t cause any trouble, did I?” I asked softly. Julian turned his head, his dark eyes fixed on me. “It was quite troublesome, actually.” My heart immediately sank. “You drank too much last night and fell asleep on the table. I called a female colleague from the company to send you back to your dorm.” “However, I didn’t expect you to be so… articulate when drunk. Mr. Caldwell really enjoyed chatting with you. The contract was signed smoothly last night, and he even specifically invited us to his hot spring resort tonight. You should pack a swimsuit.” *Ding-dong.* Just as Julian finished speaking, the elevator doors opened. Before I could even process Julian’s words, my gaze met Marcus’s eyes outside the elevator. “Rose, come with me for a bit.” Marcus said, stepping into the elevator and pressing the first-floor button. Julian, who had just stepped out of the elevator, turned his head, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. My heart was doing acrobatics. I was articulate when drunk? “I heard you drank too much last night. Are you alright?” Marcus looked at me, a hint of tenderness in his eyes. “I’m fine, totally fine.” I quickly shook my head and replied. “Good then.” Marcus said, looking down at his phone. I didn’t say another word. I spent the whole day running around with Marcus, and I didn’t have time to buy a swimsuit. When we arrived at the hot spring resort in the evening, I had to pick one from the small shop at the front desk. But all the conservative styles were sold out, leaving only very revealing ones. Thinking that tonight would just be a casual hang-out, and I probably wouldn’t even run into the bosses, I casually chose a dark red swimsuit. After changing, I walked to the innermost pool. The lighting here was dim, and it was my favorite rose petal pool. Soaking in it felt incredibly comfortable. As I was closing my eyes to relax, I heard footsteps approaching. “Ma’am, remember to drink water to stay hydrated.” It was a server, bringing tea and fruit. I was thirsty, so I drank more than half a cup of water immediately. The cool, refreshing grapes also seemed especially sweet. This business trip was truly a treat. I had looked up the prices for this hot spring resort online; a single visit would probably cost me a month’s salary. After eating and drinking my fill, I leaned against the pool again, closing my eyes. The fragrance of roses in the pool filled my nose, and soon I dozed off. In a daze, it seemed someone entered my pool. I heard the sound of water rippling. Then, a large hand scooped my body out of the water. “Don’t move. Let’s try it in the water.” It was Marcus’s voice. “Alright, I haven’t tried that in the water yet.” Julian’s voice chimed in. Then my body was gently lowered back into the water. And the water in the hot spring pool swayed more and more violently. Beneath the surface, two hands seemed to press down on my legs.

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Before I died, I was just a regular college student. A notorious gang leader, Victor Shaw, set his sights on me. He had a classmate lure me out, and during his attempted assault, I accidentally fell and died. My death also took my mother’s life. My rage exploded, tearing through the heavens, consumed by a single desire: revenge. Kaelen Stone, a special agent from the Paranormal Investigations Agency, found me. He guided me to become an investigator, and in the end, he even sacrificed his own life force to bring me back… Predatory student loan schemes had been running rampant on campus, and Victor Shaw, the one controlling our area, had taken an interest in me. I ignored his advances, never imagining he’d use my classmates to set a trap. Seven nights ago, he had a classmate invite me to meet at the library, pretending it was about something important. Naively, I went, only to discover his sinister intentions. He tried to assault me. He even threatened to take explicit photos to force me into his debt. I fought back with all my might, but in his struggle, he pushed me down the stairs. My neck snapped. After I died, my soul detached from my body. I watched Victor Shaw flee the scene in a panic, and I witnessed my own gruesome death. I tried to touch my body, but as a ghost, I couldn’t. I could only hover by my own corpse, with nowhere to go. My parents had been divorced for years, both having started new families. I’d come to this unfamiliar city for college alone, with barely any friends besides a few not-so-close roommates. No one discovered my death right away. I watched Victor Shaw and his thugs sneak into the library three times, meticulously erasing every possible piece of evidence. Seven days later, my decaying body was finally found by a student who came to that quiet corner to study. Instantly, the entire campus erupted in panic. The police quickly launched an investigation, and the media widely reported on the campus murder. My soul followed my remains to the morgue. I saw my father’s remorse and self-blame, and my mother’s heart-wrenching sobs. Their genuine grief brought me a flicker of comfort. They still cared about me, after all. Because Victor Shaw had cleaned up so thoroughly, and there were no surveillance cameras in that corner, the case remained unsolved for a long time. My body was kept in cold storage. I felt the biting chill, yet no one knew my suffering. And so, an entire year passed. Even though the case hadn’t been cracked, my parents eventually went through the procedures, having my body cremated and buried. After being laid to rest, I did feel a little more at ease. My resentment never truly faded, but the intense hatred for Victor Shaw’s deception and attempted assault, for him never being caught, slowly diminished with time. Each year around the anniversary of my death, I would watch my parents mourn and weep by my grave, which slightly rekindled my lingering resentment. I wished for news of the murderer being brought to justice, but it never came. My obsession persisted; I wasn’t willing to move on. Seven years flew by. This year, it wasn’t my mother who came to visit my grave, but my stepfather. He stood before my headstone and said, “Maya, after you left, your mother had restless nights. She blamed herself for not being a good enough mother and kept pursuing the investigation into your killer. She swore she would find your enemy herself to avenge you, but she overworked herself and, in a moment of exhaustion, fell down the stairs and passed away. Maya, so many years have passed, and now your mother is gone too. I wonder if you’ve already let go of your obsession and been reborn.” My stepfather left after saying those words. Learning that my mother had died due to overworking herself because of my case, my slowly settling resentment erupted like a volcano, soaring into the sky. I hadn’t let go of my obsession. All I wanted was revenge! I felt the air around me twist, dust swirling everywhere. When everything settled, I had transformed into a more tangible entity, breaking free from the confines of my grave, able to move far beyond the burial site. “A vengeful spirit reborn, tonight, blood will be repaid with blood!” I growled, flying towards the headquarters of Victor Shaw’s criminal organization.

I arrived in front of a luxurious office building—this was the gang’s main base. I effortlessly phased through the walls and took the elevator to the top floor. Inside the office, Victor Shaw was entangled with a seductive woman. “Honey, I saw this limited-edition handbag…” the woman purred. “Serve me well, and I’ll buy you anything,” Victor Shaw replied with a lecherous grin. I felt a wave of nausea. Victor Shaw using material things to force women to sell themselves was disgusting. This murderer, who had taken my life and indirectly caused my mother’s death, was living so freely and happily. This world was truly unfair! I hesitated no longer. I reached out, channeling all my resentment. A blade, made of pure vengeful energy, materialized in my palm. Just as I was about to hurl it at Victor Shaw, a strange male voice called out from behind me, “Stop!” A searing orb of energy whizzed past, shattering my blade of resentment. I spun around, seeing a man in a black trench coat standing at the office doorway. A colorful knitted pouch hung from his waist. Black with vibrant colors—a truly quirky contrast. In his hand, he held what looked like a talisman, and his entire being exuded an aura that filled me with dread. “You, a vengeful spirit, are you truly planning to commit an irreversible crime?” the man asked in a deep voice. I sensed danger and began to retreat, wanting to escape. But the man simply said, “Thinking of leaving? I’m afraid it won’t be that easy.” With that, he pulled a small jade vial from his knitted pouch. A suction force surged towards me. Before I could react, I was pulled into the vial. Lightning crackled within the vial, and intense pain shot through my entire body. I couldn’t help but scream. “One last chance,” the man said. “Give up your revenge, and I can help you move on. Otherwise, your soul will be completely annihilated.” I wanted to defiantly refuse, but the pain was unbearable. If I remained stubborn, I truly feared my soul would be scattered into oblivion. “I… I give up…” I managed to say. The man seemed somewhat surprised. He then released me from the jade vial. “Since you promised to give up revenge, you must keep your word.” I nodded obediently. He was surprisingly honest, easy to fool, I thought. I felt like I could escape him after all. “Come with me,” the man said, pulling out what looked like a small, plain jug from his bag. “Enter this vessel.” Turns out he wasn’t so dumb. He just swapped me to a less delicate container. Still couldn’t escape easily. While I was still hesitating, the office door suddenly burst open. Victor Shaw stepped out, a look of disdain on his face, clearly disturbed by our confrontation. “Who are you? Dressed so weirdly, showing up in the middle of the night—are you trying to steal something?” Victor Shaw couldn’t see me, but he could see Kaelen Stone. Kaelen Stone’s expression was cold and stern. Dressed in his black trench coat, with the colorful knitted pouch slung across his body, he held the plain yellowish-white jug he was preparing to put me in. “I am a Special Agent from the Paranormal Investigations Agency. I’m here tonight to thoroughly investigate your crimes!” “Paranormal investigation? Don’t try to fool me. Get out!” Victor Shaw, of course, didn’t believe him. Kaelen Stone sneered. He pulled an ancient-looking talisman from his trench coat’s inner pocket, murmured a few incantations, and flicked his finger. The talisman flew and stuck to my soul form. I braced for pain, instinctively closing my eyes, but the anticipated pain never came. Instead, I felt my body suddenly become solid. In my ghostly state, Victor Shaw couldn’t see me. But after Kaelen Stone’s talisman hit me, I fully materialized, appearing right in front of Victor Shaw.

The moment Victor Shaw saw me, his smug face instantly turned ashen, cold sweat beading on his forehead. “Ah, a ghost!” His legs gave out, and he stumbled backward in a panic. I said chillingly, “Victor Shaw, you attempted to assault me and then murdered me. My blood is on your hands! You indirectly caused my mother’s death, and now you still show no remorse…” As I spoke of my grief, my eyes became bloodshot, and resentment surged through me. How could I, a vibrant young woman, have suffered such a cruel death at the hands of this monster? How could I ever swallow this hatred? The air around us seemed to turn blood-red. My enemy was right before me, and I could no longer suppress my desire for revenge. Victor Shaw’s legs trembled uncontrollably. He turned to Kaelen Stone for help. “Aren’t you a Special Agent investigating urban paranormal events? There’s a ghost here, this is paranormal! Catch her quickly! I’ll pay you!” A sliver of fear crept into my heart. Kaelen Stone’s power was profound. If he helped Victor Shaw against me, I wouldn’t stand a chance. Unexpectedly, Kaelen Stone simply stood quietly to the side, making no move. Combined with his earlier declaration to “thoroughly investigate your crimes,” I immediately understood that Kaelen Stone was tacitly allowing me to act. “Hmph, I only said I wouldn’t harm the innocent. I never said I’d let a scumbag like you go!” My eyes blazed. My fingernails instantly grew several inches long, and I lunged at Victor Shaw. “Help me!” Victor Shaw was terrified out of his mind. In his panicked flight, he grabbed the pregnant woman beside him and shoved her towards me. My killing intent was surging. Seeing the woman flying towards me, I truly wanted to tear her to shreds. However, in that split second, through my translucent vision, I clearly saw a tiny fetus in the woman’s womb! Her belly wasn’t noticeably large yet. She was innocent, and she was carrying an innocent life inside her. Even as a vengeful spirit, I couldn’t bring myself to harm the innocent. I flashed past the pregnant woman, and in the nick of time, used my telekinesis to gently guide her onto a nearby sofa cushion, narrowly avoiding a sharp table corner. It was in that moment of distraction that Victor Shaw snatched the jade Buddha pendant from his neck and slammed it hard into my back! “Ah!” I let out a piercing shriek. The immense force knocked me to the ground. My vision blurred, and my body struggled to hold together… Was this what it felt like for a soul to be shattered? “Collect!” In that critical moment, Kaelen Stone pulled the jade vial from his knitted pouch, chanted an incantation, and pointed it at me. The next instant, I was sucked into the jade vial. Before my consciousness plunged into darkness, I couldn’t help but think: *Sure enough, men with such strange quirks are never good news. I knew he had ill intentions… attacking a young woman like me when I was off guard.* I didn’t hear Kaelen Stone’s words after I passed out: “My apologies, I couldn’t save you in time.” When I woke again, I found myself in an unfamiliar room. The lights were dim, but I could see many suspicious figures subtly radiating an ominous aura. I quickly retreated to a corner, fearfully surveying everyone present. No one paid me any mind. They whispered amongst themselves, yet it felt like they were all secretly observing me. The eerie atmosphere only heightened my fear. Just as I stood there, lost, Kaelen Stone reappeared before me. Seeing his familiar figure now, it was like seeing a savior. I quickly rushed forward and grabbed his arm. “Why did you bring me here?” The people around me were just too terrifying. Kaelen Stone cast a helpless glance around, his gaze sweeping over everyone. Their expressions varied, but with a strange synchronicity, they transformed into wisps of green smoke and vanished. This bizarre scene almost made my jaw drop. They weren’t human! No wonder I felt so scared. But I was a ghost too, so why was I still so afraid of ghosts? Kaelen Stone slowly walked to an altar, reverently lit three sticks of incense, and then turned to me. “What’s your name?” “Maya…” I stared blankly at Kaelen Stone, utterly bewildered as to what this mysterious man with peculiar hobbies was really up to… Kaelen Stone gazed at me. “My name is Kaelen Stone. I’m a Special Agent from the Paranormal Investigations Agency. Our agency specializes in handling all sorts of supernatural events. Can you smell the incense? I offered it for you.”

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My Wife Gifted My Estate To Her Secretary. She Paid The Price. My wife actually gifted my private estate to her male secretary. The garden swing was burnt, and my mother’s cherished flowerbeds were ruined. I confronted my wife in a fury, but she just casually replied, “What’s the big deal? You’re a grown man, why are you so hung up on this?” I roared, “Get everyone out by ten, and restore everything to how it was. Or else…” Just like before, my wife blocked me again. So, I immediately called the police, citing illegal trespassing on private property and malicious destruction of private assets. Then, I turned around and donated all her beloved jewelry and designer bags. Since some people don’t listen, I don’t mind teaching them a lesson in ‘boundaries’! I had just picked up my teacup when my phone suddenly rang. It was Seraphina Hayes, the woman who’d just blocked me. “Liam Sullivan, what the hell are you doing? Why did Julian get arrested?!” she demanded, her voice thick with anger. My tone was flat, completely devoid of emotion. “That estate is my private property. I suspected illegal activities were going on, so I had the police confirm.” After a few seconds of silence, Seraphina’s voice softened. “Liam, have you been listening to rumors? Julian is just my secretary. There’s absolutely nothing going on between us.” “And don’t you think you acted too impulsively this time?” I glanced at our wedding photo and let out a laugh. “Seraphina, you drove him home on Wednesday, then gifted him a limited-edition watch on Friday. Don’t you know where to draw the line yourself? And now you’re lecturing me?” She ignored my question and changed the subject. “You have so many properties sitting empty. I was just reasonably utilizing one for a team retreat. Are you seriously going to quibble over that?” “Besides, Julian and I are completely innocent.” Before I could reply, she impatiently cut in again, “Liam Sullivan, don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.” I took a sip from my teacup, a cold sneer twisting my lips. “If Ms. Seraphina is *so* generous, she shouldn’t mind donating some jewelry, right?” With that, I sent her the photos from the auction. The camera showed Seraphina’s treasured jewelry and designer bags being happily taken away by their new owners after being sold. I heard her heavy breathing, then a voice, three words gritted out through clenched teeth: “Li-am.” I knew that tone all too well. Whenever she was furious, she used my full name. I slowly spun the wedding ring on my ring finger. “Next time I see you getting involved with another man, you’ll lose more than just a few pieces of jewelry and some bags.” Without waiting for Seraphina’s response, I ended the call and tossed my phone onto the sofa. Five years of marriage, and I rarely had such explosive arguments with her. But that didn’t mean I’d put up with everything just to maintain a facade of peace. If you give an inch in a marriage, they’ll take a mile. Especially when this marriage was a business arrangement from the very beginning. Back then, the Hayes family wanted to break into the city’s leading families, so they set their sights on my family, the Sullivan’s. That’s how this arranged marriage came about. I remember our first meeting. She wore a white dress, looking gentle and sophisticated. I thought then, marrying someone like her would at least spare me petty arguments and insignificant troubles, so I agreed to the marriage. After we married, we did spend a happy time together, making me believe, for a while, that I’d found love. Later, the spark faded, and life settled into a routine, but that was normal. I never imagined, though, that a third party would intrude. I’ve always had a rule since I was a child: I don’t want anything someone else has touched. If an object has been used by someone else, it goes straight into the trash. And if a person gets involved in something shady, they should naturally be discarded like trash too.

For several days, Seraphina didn’t come home. She always avoided confrontation and gave me the silent treatment whenever her wrongdoings were exposed. That night, my good friend Leo Davis sent me a SnapChat message. “Liam, I called your name a few times, why didn’t you answer?” “But you and your wife are really going all out, coming to the bar together.” I paused, frowning as I typed back, “I’m working late at the office. You must have the wrong person.” “No way! I saw you wearing the suit you had custom-made last week and that prized watch. Seraphina was even holding your arm! Unless…” “Hold on, bro, I’ll snap a front-facing pic for you!” Soon, I received a slightly blurry photo. Seraphina, in a sexy slip dress, was intimately holding the arm of Julian Thorne, who was wearing *my* suit and watch. My face darkened as I stared at the image. Suddenly, another message popped up on my phone from Sarah Miller, my assistant. “Boss, the custom suit you ordered last week was spotted on Mrs. Hayes’s secretary.” Then Sarah sent several screenshots of Julian’s Ins posts. “Just said I wanted to check out the Royal Bar, and Ms. Hayes brought me here! Ms. Hayes is so good to me.” In the photos, he deliberately showcased the custom-made suit and watch, along with a smiling Seraphina. I suddenly remembered: Seraphina never went to bars. Once, a partner insisted on meeting at a bar, and she refused the collaboration rather than go. I guess I’ve been too lenient. She not only brought her male secretary to a bar she’d never been to, but she also let him wear my suit and watch, and even post about it on Ins. My face was grim as I forwarded the photos to her, my voice cold as I demanded, “Seraphina Hayes, can you explain this properly now?” To my disbelief, she blocked me again! Ten minutes later, I took a picture and sent it to Sarah, instructing her to forward it to Seraphina. Soon, Leo’s message popped up: “What happened? Why did Seraphina just storm out of the bar looking furious? What did you do?” I didn’t reply to Leo, because Seraphina’s FaceTime call was already coming in. Her voice trembled, laced with panic and fury. “Liam, put the wallet back. We can talk this out.” I smiled, looking at the wallet in my hand. Inside, neatly arranged, were perfectly preserved items. A few photos, a lock of short hair, a watch. The young man in the photos smiled with a wild abandon. This was Seraphina’s foster brother, Caleb, the man she loved but could never be with, who had died young from an illness. I’d accidentally seen her pouring out her affections for him in her journal. I instantly understood all her recent erratic behavior. It was because Julian had a striking resemblance to Caleb, especially in his eyes. “Liam, don’t touch that wallet!” Seraphina pleaded. “Seraphina, you know I don’t allow anyone to lay a hand on my things.” “Now, tell Julian to take off my clothes and watch.” Silence stretched for a few seconds before she spoke, gritting her teeth. “Liam, you have so many suits you’ve never worn. What’s the harm in him wearing a few?” I scoffed coldly. “Even if I throw my things away, no one else has the right to touch them.” “I’ll give you two choices. Either he changes immediately, or…” I held the wallet over a flickering flame. Then, I ended the FaceTime call.

Leo’s SnapChat messages kept coming. “Liam! What did you do to Seraphina?!” “She just rushed into the bar, face as white as a sheet, and dragged Julian out.” “Wait, they’re back!” “Whoa! Why is Julian wearing a male model’s outfit?!” I curled my lips into a slight smile. “Send me some photos.” Leo instantly replied with a nine-grid collage. Seraphina sat at a booth, her face ashen. Julian was huddled in a corner, his deep-V top exposing his entire chest, hair disheveled, the watch and suit crumpled in a ball in his arms. “The Royal Bar’s policy was no leaving during peak hours. He has to stay in that outfit for two hours.” Leo’s message carried the thrill of gossip. “In just a short while, several groups have already come to harass Julian.” “Seraphina’s face is practically black.” “Julian truly doesn’t know his place, daring to provoke you. He won’t even know what hit him.” When the peak hours ended, Leo sent the last photo. The custom-made suit and watch were lying in the trash can by the entrance. I forwarded the photo to my Ins story with a single caption: “If it’s tainted, it belongs in the trash.” The likes quickly soared past a hundred. Everyone knew that the suit and watch were the very ones Julian had flaunted on his Ins. The message was crystal clear. “Liam, Seraphina must be fuming today. Will she cause a scene when she gets home?” I replied calmly, “No, she won’t. She’s in the wrong, so she won’t dare.” When Seraphina came home late that night, her face was filled with anger. “Liam Sullivan, where’s my wallet?” she asked, her voice hoarse. I leaned back on the sofa, flipping through a financial magazine, without looking up. Seraphina struggled to suppress her churning emotions. “Liam, I admit I was wrong today.” “But I’ve already done what you asked. Can you please give me back my things?” I closed the magazine. “Explain.” She stopped in front of the rug, her knuckles white from clenching. “Julian and I are just superior and subordinate. I brought him to the bar because he closed a big deal, it was a special reward.” I scoffed coldly, put down my documents, and stood up. “Seraphina Hayes, there are a thousand ways to reward someone. Why did you insist on making him wear my personal items?” “You knew that suit was custom-made just last week.” She stammered, “You never wore it. I thought you didn’t like it…” “You’d rather give up a collaboration than go to a bar, yet you went just because he said a word?” As I spoke, I stepped closer. “I heard Julian messed up three collaborations last month. Does that kind of ‘skill’ deserve your special reward?” Seraphina gripped the sofa arm, her knuckles white. After a long silence, she squeezed out through clenched teeth, “He smiles… a little like Caleb.” Caleb, her foster brother’s name. I pulled a leather wallet from the drawer and pushed it toward her, speaking softly. “Seraphina, I know you’re sentimental, but a stand-in will never truly be that person.” “I hope you understand that projecting your regret for a deceased person onto someone else both demeans their memory and betrays me.” Her fingers trembled as she took the wallet. Then, she suddenly lunged into my arms. “Liam, I’m so sorry. I truly made a mistake.” “There’s really nothing inappropriate between Julian and me. I promise I’ll keep my distance from him from now on.” “Nothing like this will ever happen again. Please don’t be angry anymore, okay? Husband!” Her voice softened, laced with a playful plea, as she leaned into my embrace. I sighed helplessly, ultimately choosing to concede. “This is a warning. Remember it well. There won’t be a next time.” She didn’t pull away, but instead held me tighter, her voice muffled against my shoulder. “There won’t be a next time.” I scooped her up by the waist and carried her straight to the bedroom.

After a night of passionate abandon, a large part of the anger in my heart dissipated. The next day, the Royal Bar incident and my insinuation-filled Ins post made Julian the target of widespread ridicule. And Seraphina’s deliberate distancing from him further cemented everyone’s attitude. There’s no shortage of opportunists in the workplace. Colleagues who had been fawning over him just the day before would now be considered merciful if they didn’t kick him while he was down. Someone even anonymously posted photos of Julian in the male model outfit in the company’s main WhatsApp group. In the pictures, he looked disheveled and miserable. Everyone openly pointed and whispered about him: “Look, that’s the one who wore the CEO’s clothes. He probably wants to become the CEO’s male mistress.” Julian’s situation at the company became increasingly awkward. In the break room, someone would “accidentally” spill coffee on him. When he went to the warehouse to retrieve department supplies, the door would suddenly be locked, trapping him inside for an entire afternoon. The most ironic part was that everyone turned a blind eye to his plight. He sent messages to Seraphina for help, only to see a red exclamation mark. When Sarah reported these incidents to me, I shook my head. “Sarah, don’t overestimate my patience, and don’t underestimate his ambition. If he chose the path of climbing the social ladder, he’ll have to endure the pain of falling.” A week later, Sarah informed me that Julian had been absent for three consecutive days. I thought he had finally given up and resigned, but I still underestimated his schemes. That day, Seraphina had a multi-million dollar international collaboration negotiation. Ten minutes into the meeting, her personal phone vibrated insistently. It was a call from Julian. She hung up expressionlessly, but immediately received a message: “Ms. Hayes, I’ve been kidnapped! They want to make me disappear forever. Save me!” Seraphina’s face instantly turned pale. She frantically called back, but there was no answer. She quickly instructed the tech department to pinpoint his location. Then, without a word, she blurted out ‘negotiations postponed’ and rushed out of the conference room. When she arrived at the abandoned factory where the kidnappers were supposedly holding him, she witnessed Julian being pushed from the third floor. Seeing Julian clinging to life, barely conscious, Seraphina felt a sudden rush of dread, as if she were back on the day Caleb died. Seraphina nearly broke down on the spot and rushed him to the hospital for emergency treatment. Fortunately, he was rushed to the hospital in time, and Julian ultimately pulled through. Seraphina’s fury surged when she learned he had been tormented at the company recently. Meanwhile, I was completely unaware of this, clutching my medical report, preparing to leave the hospital. Just as I turned, I bumped into Seraphina hurrying towards me. I instinctively offered a smile, but then a sharp sting erupted on my cheek – she’d slapped me, hard. My smile instantly froze. I stood there, stunned. In all our years of marriage, before Julian appeared, Seraphina had always been gentle and considerate. She had never even said a harsh word, let alone laid a hand on me. But now… “Liam Sullivan, how could you be so vicious!” Her eyes were filled with fury and disgust. “I already cut ties with Julian as you demanded, yet you still arranged for him to be kidnapped and planned to make him disappear permanently.” “He’s lying in the ICU right now, fighting for his life. Are you satisfied?” “The biggest regret of my life was marrying a scumbag like you.” I tried to explain, but she cut me off. She didn’t even spare me a glance, turning and walking away. It wasn’t until Sarah called that I pieced together the ‘truth’ from her furious accusations. Julian had been kidnapped, and Seraphina was convinced I was behind it. “Mr. Sullivan, Ms. Hayes just fired me for abuse of power, and she’s appointed Julian as my successor.” “It’s not just me; every employee who ever had a conflict with Julian has been fired.” Seraphina had made her stance clear in the most absolute way possible: she chose the ‘substitute,’ the man who looked so much like her deceased brother. My nails dug deep into my palm, blood beads trickling onto the floor. I suppressed the rage boiling in my chest, forcing myself to calm down, yet a cold sneer twisted my lips. Seraphina Hayes, since you’ve burned all your bridges, don’t blame me for abandoning all sentiment. The cost of crossing me has never been something you can easily bear. I instructed Mr. Henderson, my butler, to pack my things, and I returned to the Sullivan family estate that very night.

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The moment my breath stopped. My mission in this parallel world was finally complete. My heart went to Mom, my kidney to Dylan, and my spleen to Michael. When I died, beneath the white sheet, both my legs were missing. They were amputated to save Dad when he nearly fell down the stairs. They knew nothing of this. So, when Mom didn’t see me after her surgery, her heart turned so cold she wanted to disown me. Dad immediately canceled my card. Then, a call from the crematorium reached Mom, who was busy preparing Chloe, my adopted sister’s, coming-of-age party. “Excuse me, but your daughter’s body is starting to smell.” “When will you transfer the cremation fee?” … When the call from the crematorium came, Mom was laughing and chatting with guests. In the lavish ballroom, Chloe, wearing a princess dress and looking utterly innocent, stood beside her. Mom had the phone on speakerphone, and the crematorium employee’s words clearly reached everyone present. Mom was startled at first, then her face morphed into a furious glare. “What nonsense are you talking about? My daughter is standing right here in front of me, perfectly fine! And her body is smelling? Scammers nowadays will do anything for money!” Chloe glanced at the phone screen, her expression subtly shifting. “Mom, that looks like Audrey’s phone number. It’s not a scammer.” My transparent body trembled slightly. Ever since I died, I’d been following my family around. They just couldn’t see me. But I never expected Chloe, who always bullied me, to remember my phone number. Mom’s face gradually twisted into horror, and the phone almost slipped from her grasp. Chloe calmly took the phone, her voice soft. “Audrey, stop with the pranks. Mom just had heart surgery, she can’t handle this kind of shock.” “Even though you weren’t there when Mom had her surgery, you’re still her biological child. She won’t blame you.” Mom exploded in a rage, snatching the phone back. “You have the nerve to play pranks? You didn’t even come home for your own mother’s surgery! How could I have given birth to such a heartless wretch? If you want to die, then die outside and don’t ever come back!” She hung up abruptly. Wiping away tears, she helplessly explained to the guests. “Audrey has always been rebellious and unruly, always trying to take Chloe’s things, forbidding us from being nice to her sister, or else she’d throw tantrums and self-harm.” “A kind person donated a heart to me for my surgery, and she didn’t even bother to visit me in the hospital. Her conscience is completely gone!” “Now, to ruin her sister’s coming-of-age party, she’s throwing a tantrum and running away from home, even hiring shady characters to threaten us and extort money.” “I truly wish I had never given birth to this daughter!” “If only Chloe were my biological daughter.” I heard those words, and tears streamed down my face. No, Mom. I was right there beside you when you had your surgery. I wasn’t threatening you, I just… couldn’t be a dutiful daughter to you anymore. Chloe’s coming-of-age party was grand. The gift wall was overflowing. Michael, my eldest brother, a busy lawyer, gifted Chloe a villa in the city, so she wouldn’t feel like an outsider anymore. Dylan, my second brother, who owned a Taekwondo studio, gave her a platinum credit card, with an unlimited spending limit. Dad gave her a 10% ownership stake in his company, so no one would ever look down on Chloe. Mom gave Chloe her most treasured artwork. I remembered that piece; I accidentally stained it a year ago. Mom was so furious she grounded me and didn’t let me eat for three days and nights. But now, that same artwork was so easily given to Chloe. I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe. Chloe and I were a year apart. After I was kidnapped at seven, Mom and Dad adopted six-year-old Chloe. Six months later, the police found me, and I returned home to find I had a younger sister. The System told me it was the butterfly effect of this parallel world, and Chloe was the variable. It also said I’d suffer a bit, but I didn’t care. Just being able to see my parents and brothers safe and sound again, I was content. To ward off disaster for them, I was more than willing. But the surging memories quickly swallowed me. Last year today was my coming-of-age party. Although Mom and Dad favored Chloe over me, they still arranged a grand party for me. But before it even started, Dad twisted his ankle going downstairs, breaking a bone and ending up in the hospital. Michael got into a minor car accident on his way there. Dylan’s phone was stolen while camping, and he lost contact. Mom was so anxious she had a heart attack. I stayed by Mom’s bedside. When she woke up, she displaced her anger onto me, throwing her phone at my forehead. She called me a jinx and told me to get out. Carelessly wiping away the blood streaming down my forehead, I quietly left the hospital room. I curled up on the cold floor by the door, and stayed there all night. My one-in-a-lifetime coming-of-age party, with no blessings, no gifts. All I remembered was Mom’s look of hatred and disgust, and the cold, dark night in the hospital hallway.

The System suddenly appeared, asking me if I regretted it. “If you hadn’t come to this world, in your original world, you would be living a wonderful life, your family had already paved the way for your future.” I came from another world. There, I grew up loved and cherished. But later, for various reasons, they died tragic deaths. I suddenly became an orphan. The System gave me a chance to see my family again. It brought me to this parallel world, to live another life. But it also told me that in this world, my family would also meet tragic ends. Unless someone took the fall for them. Now my mission was over, and they were finally safe. I shook my head, denying, “No regrets. Being able to see them again, to protect them as they once protected me, I’m content.” “I just wish for them to be safe and happy. Even if they hear the news of my death, with Chloe by their side, I’m sure they won’t be too sad.” The System seemed to sigh, “Why are you so silly? Never mind, I’ll apply to headquarters to get you a special benefit.” The System told me to stay in this world for now, waiting for its message. So I lingered, staying with my family. Then I saw my high school teacher come to the house, complaining that I’d skipped class. Dad frowned deeply, and Chloe by his side seemed to hesitate before speaking. “Dad, last Wednesday, I think I saw Audrey and a guy with bright dyed hair go into a hotel.” I froze. Last Wednesday… I was already lying in the funeral home, waiting for cremation. How could I have gone to a hotel with a guy? She was clearly making things up. Even though I was gone, why was she still trying to throw dirt on my name? My family wouldn’t believe such a cheap lie. But I never expected Dylan to immediately burst out cursing. “Going to bed with just any guy at such a young age, how trashy!” Michael, impeccably dressed in his suit, looked displeased and disappointed. He turned to Chloe, admonishing her. “Sister, no matter what you saw, don’t follow your sister’s conduct. Girls need to have self-respect.” I stood there, dumbfounded and incredulous. Chloe pursed her lips, smiled shyly, and pulled out her report card. “Brother, I don’t understand those things about Audrey. I just want to focus on my studies.” Seeing her top grades in every subject, even Mom and Dad, who had been scowling, broke into relieved smiles. Chloe struck while the iron was hot, proposing that she wanted to skip a grade. Dad looked troubled. “The spots in the honors class for seniors are already full.” Dylan looked at Chloe, his face full of concern. “That’s easy, isn’t it? Someone’s just hogging a spot and doing nothing with it, kick her out, and then little sister can go to school!” A sharp pain pierced my heart. I could only look at Mom and Dad with pleading eyes. Mom and Dad knew how much I suffered to get into that honors class. At least, don’t be so cruel to me. But in the end, they disappointed me. Mom and Dad hesitated for only a moment, then nodded under Chloe’s eager gaze. “Then let’s process Audrey’s withdrawal and give her spot to Chloe.” I slumped to the floor, tears splattering onto the back of my hands. Chloe took my spot, beaming as she went to school. In the evening, she came back with injuries. Mom, Dad, and my two brothers looked grave and worried. Chloe, her tears streaming down her face and looking incredibly fragile, refused to say anything. It wasn’t until Dad threatened to call the police that Chloe stammered out a classmate’s name—Riley. I huddled in the corner, slowly lifting my head. Riley. She was my best friend in high school. The next day, Mom, Dad, and my brothers took Chloe to school and summoned Riley and her parents to the dean’s office. Riley was expressionless and refused to apologize. Dad was so angry he was about to call the police right there. Unexpectedly, Riley insolently threatened. “If you dare to call the police, don’t blame me for exposing your daughter’s pregnancy!” Everyone was stunned, looking at Chloe. Chloe was mortified, crying that it wasn’t her. Mom immediately hugged her, comforting her. “Don’t cry, Mom believes you, you wouldn’t do something like that.” Dad also scowled fiercely, glaring at Riley. “You’re an adult now, spreading rumors carries legal responsibility!” Michael acted immediately, directly informing Riley’s parents that they would pursue legal action. Dylan, hot-tempered as ever, stepped forward and kicked Riley. “My sister is so well-behaved and sensible, how could she be pregnant? If you keep throwing dirt on her name, believe me, I’ll kill you!” I bit my lower lip hard, watching this scene, my heart aching. Was I not their daughter too? Why, for the same thing, did they believe Chloe but not me? Riley was enraged and cursed back furiously. “I never said *she* was pregnant! Does your family only have one daughter?” “Can you deny that your sister, Audrey, isn’t at school because she’s hiding away to have the baby?” “If you blow this up, don’t blame me for spreading the shameful news of Audrey’s pregnancy out of wedlock all over the school!” “And you, you like to complain, right? Next time I see you at school, I’ll beat you up!” Chloe’s eyes welled up with tears at this, looking incredibly wronged. “No, you can’t! Don’t tell anyone! I won’t make you apologize, just don’t ruin my sister’s reputation! If you want to hit me, hit me, I don’t care.” Mom and Dad grew even more concerned when they saw this. Their gaze towards Riley became even colder. “Chloe, the good are often taken advantage of. This kind of morally corrupt student is absolutely not suitable to be your classmate.” This farce ended with Riley being forcibly withdrawn from school. To protect Chloe, Mom and Dad pulled strings to have Riley expelled, completely disregarding my reputation. Sure enough, after Riley was withdrawn, the news of my pregnancy out of wedlock spread throughout the entire school. I let out a bitter laugh. Good thing I was already dead. Otherwise, such gossip would have been enough to drive me to death. And those who caused all this were the very family and friends I once trusted the most, those I was willing to give my all for. But a question still lingered in my heart. Why would Riley say I was pregnant? I followed Riley and found that she was secretly meeting Chloe. Chloe, shedding her innocent little rabbit image she presented to the family, leaned against a wall, smoking, and handed Riley a wad of cash. “Well done. This money should be enough for your mom’s surgery.” Watching Riley walk away, I felt a knot in my chest. So, she did it for her mother’s surgery.

But what about Chloe? She already had all the love from my family; what else could she possibly want? After floating home, I became even more quiet and withdrawn. Before, no matter if Mom and Dad could hear me, I would tirelessly share interesting things. Now, I would just curl up in a corner, a silent observer. Chloe had a heart episode. It was said she was provoked at school. Dad investigated and found that my supposed pregnancy out of wedlock had also caused Chloe to be talked about behind her back. And Dad had never hidden the fact that Chloe was adopted. This also led to Chloe being excluded and targeted. Chloe on the bed was pale as a sheet, yet she looked so strong it hurt to watch. I inexplicably remembered when Mom had a heart attack before, Chloe innocently said. “Mommy’s heart is broken? Then I’ll give my heart to Mommy, and Mommy won’t hurt anymore, right?” At that time, when Mom heard it, the pity on her face was almost uncontrollable. And I, being oblivious, just quietly peeled an apple and offered it to Mom. Mom pushed me away, and the apple rolled a few times on the floor, covered in dust. “Look at your sister, and then look at you. You have no conscience at all!” But Mom, I truly was willing to give you my heart. And her heart condition? It was fake. I guessed Chloe faked her heart episode, perhaps to pull another trick. Sure enough, after listening to Chloe’s tearful complaints. Mom and Dad immediately made a decision. They would publicly announce that Chloe was their biological daughter. And I was the adopted one. Michael casually fiddled with the watch I’d given him, fully agreeing. “Chloe is excellent in every aspect. I have no objections.” Dylan’s face, however, was full of sarcasm. “I have no objections either. Audrey did such disgraceful acts, I stopped wanting to acknowledge her as my sister a long time ago. It’s Chloe who makes us proud, always top of her class.” Chloe covered her face with a pillow, feigning embarrassment. “Dylan, don’t say that.” On the sofa, the family of four was warm and harmonious, but I felt a chill. Their faces, in my eyes, began to look strange and distorted. It seemed my existence in this family had long become irrelevant, even superfluous. For the first time, I began to waver. Was everything I gave worth it? After all decisions were made, Chloe wore a sated smile. But at dinner, Michael suddenly suggested bringing me back. The entire family’s forks froze. After a while, Dylan nodded. “Good idea. That girl’s been out causing trouble for so long, she’s probably suffered quite a bit.” I could hardly believe my ears and stood up from the corner. Were they concerned about me? Nearly half a month had passed, had my family finally remembered me? I wiped away my tears and floated closer. I knew it, they couldn’t be that heartless. But before I could even smile, I heard Dylan continue. “Let’s give her an excuse to come back. Have her return as soon as possible these next few days. Once she’s back, we’ll lock her up.” I stumbled slightly, my spiritual body feeling unstable. Lock me up? What did that mean? Soon, Michael clarified it for me. “Dylan suggested this. Chloe’s college entrance exams are coming up soon, and I’m worried that if Audrey keeps not showing up, she’ll cause trouble on the day of the exams and ruin Chloe’s future.” “So, we’ll just coax Audrey back home, lock her up, and prevent her from affecting Chloe’s exams.” As his words fell, the light above flickered for a moment, then returned to normal. I collapsed to the floor, my face numb. Mom hesitated. “What if she comes home and insists on taking the college entrance exams? After all, it was originally her year to take them…” Dylan eagerly interrupted. “Mom, have you forgotten she’s pregnant? That bastard child, we don’t even know how far along she is! Do you want her to go to the exam hall with a big belly? Haven’t we lost enough face already?” Ultimately, the entire family reached an agreement. For the first time since I disappeared half a month ago, they actively called my phone. The call connected quickly; it was an unfamiliar man’s voice. “Hello, this is Evergreen Funeral Home. Are you Audrey’s family? You finally picked up! Please come over as soon as possible!” Dad’s hand, holding the phone, trembled. “What?” Michael and Dylan, hearing this, also uncharacteristically looked flustered and helpless. Chloe subtly raised an eyebrow, a hint of malicious glee in her eyes. Only Mom, exploded in a rage. “Audrey, have you made enough trouble? Isn’t half a month of messing around outside enough? Do you really want me to disown you?” I calmly lowered my gaze, my eyes hollow. Then disown me. Anyway, I had nothing left. I was only grateful now that I was dead, so I didn’t have to live and endure this endless torment. Dad looked at Mom, bewildered. “What in the world is going on?” Mom explained the call on the day of Chloe’s party, then her face tightened with gritted teeth. “How could she be dead? If it were an accidental death, the police would have notified us. This is just her retaliating against us, playing a deliberate prank.” I gave a sarcastic smile. Of course, I didn’t die by accident; it was a premeditated suicide. Because heart donation could only be done after death. At that time, I was naive enough to think Mom wouldn’t accept my heart. So I signed an anonymous donation agreement and arranged for a one-stop service with the funeral home. I was supposed to die quietly, and my parents would discover it later and report my death certificate. But I never expected Dad to cancel my card, which led to my body not being cremated for so long. The funeral home had a thirty-day free storage period. If cremation wasn’t done after that, they would call the police to handle it with the family. Mom took the phone, her face cold. “Audrey, you were shameless enough to get pregnant out of wedlock, bringing endless shame to our family, and now you’re still so inconsiderate, playing such a cruel joke. I’m truly disappointed in you.” On the other end of the line, there was a long silence. The funeral home employee asked, bewildered. “Who’s pregnant? This 19-year-old female body has no reproductive function whatsoever. Are you even Audrey’s family?” “Tomorrow is the final deadline. If you don’t come to pay the fees and claim the body, we’ll have to contact the police to issue a public announcement for identification.” This time, the employee’s tone was very stern, and he hung up after speaking. Mom’s cold expression froze, and she stood motionless.

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Liam married me in a fit of pique with his ex-girlfriend. Five years into our marriage, they unexpectedly ran into each other at a college reunion. They embraced, a long, lingering hug, overflowing with a passion that had never truly faded. Seeing them, everyone started whispering, saying I was nothing more than their pitiable backup. I didn’t get mad at the gossip. I just smiled, calmly covering up their awkwardness. But then, when I accidentally got pregnant, I made a silent, solitary decision to get rid of the baby without telling him. When he found out the truth, he blew up, demanding to know why I was so ruthless. I kept my smile, my voice soft. “Because… I don’t love you anymore.” Everyone knew it. Liam married me only because Stella, his first love, had already married someone else. In the messy fallout of their breakup, Stella, in a fit of rage, chose another man. Liam didn’t try to stop her. Instead, he proposed to me. I put on that wedding dress, one that wasn’t meant for me, and walked down the aisle with the man I’d secretly loved for ten years. The rumors never stopped. Everyone said if Stella ever came back, Liam would kick me out in a heartbeat. But over our five years of marriage, I started to feel Liam’s heart softening towards me. He drove me to work every morning, made me warm breakfast, and sometimes, he’d even get a little soft with me. Our nights were filled with sweetness and passion. Our life was simple and happy, just like countless other ordinary couples. One day, he whispered, “Audrey, let’s start a family.” I didn’t hesitate. “Okay.” I could never say no to him. After a lot of trying, I finally got pregnant. But just as I was filled with joy, ready to share the news, I walked in on him and Stella tangled up together. In that instant, I knew. There was no going back for us. Stella and Liam’s reunion happened the day she divorced her husband. I heard her marriage had been hell, filled with his abuse and insults. That day, Liam was holding my hand as we left the office for lunch when we saw Stella and her ex-husband walking out of the family court. Stella’s ex was threatening her, saying he’d take drastic action if she didn’t hand over half a million dollars within a week. Stella was trembling with fear but nodded helplessly. When her eyes met Liam’s, a complicated flicker crossed her face, then she hurried away, tears in her eyes. Liam squeezed my hand so hard it hurt. I cried out. He quickly let go, looking at me with a flicker of apology in his eyes. I tried to hide the ache of jealousy. “Let’s go check on Stella,” I suggested. “She might be in trouble.” He looked at me, a hint of a playful smirk on his face. “Audrey, aren’t you jealous?” How could I not be? I’d loved him for ten years, and he and Stella had been tangled up for just as long. My heart felt heavy, but he just chuckled. “Babe, I was just kidding. I only love you now.” Our colleagues came out, hearing his words, and started cheering, saying how lucky I was. They had no idea I’d made him a special packed lunch, which I never got to give him because Stella showed up. I raised my hand, gently cupping his face. “I trust you,” I said softly. “Let’s go see Stella together.” Stella hadn’t gone far. She was sitting around the corner, tears welling up. “I’m so sorry,” she choked out. “I really didn’t expect to run into you both.” Before she could finish, the tears spilled over. She buried her face in her knees, accidentally revealing a stark knife wound on her wrist, a chilling reminder of a suicide attempt.

Liam’s brows furrowed. The raw pain inside him was clear, and I knew his heart was breaking. A male colleague behind me quietly asked, “Audrey, who’s that?” “She just got divorced, huh? Man, I never would’ve thought someone that pretty would end up divorced.” “Audrey, if you know her, you should introduce her to me. I’d treat her right, I swear!” Both Stella and Liam heard him loud and clear. Stella sobbed, “I’ll only ever love one man. Without him, I’d rather die alone.” Her gaze shifted to Liam, and his hand, which had been holding mine, suddenly slipped away. Mark looked a bit awkward, laughing it off. “Just kidding, I don’t think I could handle someone like you.” Stella stood up and bid us goodbye. “See you.” Just as she was about to leave, Liam couldn’t hold back anymore. He rushed forward, grabbing Stella’s hand tightly. So tightly that her wound split open and bled, making her wince in pain. Her eyes were bloodshot, but she let him hold her injured wrist. Just then, Stella’s ex-husband appeared. Before he could say a word, Liam punched him, knocking out a tooth. Bystanders whipped out their phones to record. I quickly grabbed Liam, trying to stop him from doing something rash. He turned his head, his voice cold as ice, like a demon’s whisper. “You dare to stop me?” I froze, letting go of his arm. Stella rushed over, shielding Liam, crying as she begged, “Liam, stop! Don’t be foolish for me.” “Liam, he’s a bad guy. He’ll cling to you. Get out of here!” Stella used her slender body to protect Liam, just like she used to protect him. Liam’s heart stirred, and he pulled her close, embracing her as if she were a precious treasure he’d lost and finally found again, holding her so carefully. He carried Stella away in front of everyone, leaving me standing there all alone. That night, Liam didn’t come home. And Stella’s Ins, which hadn’t been updated in five years, suddenly had a new post. “He said, from now on, we’ll face the world together, our hearts beating as one, perfectly aligned.” The accompanying picture was a kissing photo. I didn’t need to guess who the back was in the photo. It was Liam. If your hearts beat as one, then what am I? The post was quickly flooded with comments. Friend A commented: “Wow, congrats to our campus queen on finding happiness!” Friend B said: “Campus queen is campus queen! She just pulled out the ultimate power move!” Friend C confusedly asked: “Doesn’t that back look like Liam? Didn’t he marry Audrey?” Somehow, my finger slipped and I accidentally liked it. Before I could undo it, Stella hastily deleted the post. But it was too late. A classmate had already screenshotted it and posted it in our Whatsapp group. Instantly, the group chat absolutely exploded.

I scrolled through my photos, only to find that pictures of Liam and me together were painfully few. Finally, I picked a really old one. I sent the photo to the group, claiming they were talking nonsense and that we were doing great! Only then did they say they must have been mistaken, that it wasn’t Liam, the campus king. Everyone was curious about who this man in Stella’s post was. Some guessed it was an old classmate who used to have a crush on her, others thought it was a younger guy. After a long discussion, they all started tagging Stella, begging her to satisfy their curiosity. Stella didn’t pop up, but a few minutes later, Liam appeared in the group. He tagged Stella: “Am I someone to be ashamed of?” He openly admitted they were together, completely tearing down my flimsy facade. He had abandoned me for Stella, again. The group was flooded with congratulations: “Congrats to campus queen Stella and campus king Liam on rekindling your romance!” Liam generously sent out a massive amount of cash to the whole group. Only my former deskmate, Chloe, didn’t grab any. Instead, she privately messaged me: “Audrey, sigh! You’ve been married for five years, and he still puts Stella first. Maybe it’s time to dump him! You deserve better!” Yes, I deserve better! Dump him. I don’t want him anymore. I deleted every photo of him from my phone. I wanted to leave. The next morning, I went to work alone. I had just arrived, and Liam walked in right after me, with Stella. He probably couldn’t bear to leave her alone at home after being apart for so long, so he brought her with him. The moment she saw me, she grabbed my hand, acting all sweet. “Audrey, I’m so sorry. Last night, Liam and I hadn’t seen each other in ages, and we drank too much, just messed around.” “He always looks out for me, you know? So he must have caused you some trouble. I’m really sorry, I’ve already told him off.” “And, Audrey, as a good friend, I truly want to thank you. Thank you for taking such good care of Liam all these years, really, thank you…” She smiled at me, tears welling up in her eyes again. I returned a polite smile. “No need to thank me. I’m his wife now; it’s my duty to take care of him.” “Stella, if you still consider me a friend, come directly to me if you’re in trouble…” My unspoken meaning was clear: stay away from Liam. Her expression froze. She looked me up and down for a long moment. “Audrey, you’ve had Liam for five years. Isn’t it time to give him back to me?” “Liam and I are truly in love.” With that, she knelt before me. Her slender body knelt perfectly straight on the floor, her hands clutching the hem of my clothes, her eyes flashing with humble pleading. I felt a surge of annoyance. I stepped back two paces and pulled my clothes away from her hands. Maybe I used too much force; she stumbled back and fell, scraping her wrist. Tearfully, she said, “Audrey, I’m sorry, but Liam and I are truly in love, everyone knows that. Can you please just let us be together?” “You can hit me, scold me, anything! Go ahead! As long as it makes you feel better!” She stood up and rushed at me, grabbing my hand and trying to slap her own face with it. In the struggle, I pushed her away, and she fell again. Just my luck, Liam saw me push Stella. He quickly ran over, gently picking her up, his face filled with concern. Seeing the blood on her wrist, he was furious. He glared at me, his voice icy. “Audrey Knight, did I give you permission to do this? How dare you lay a hand on her!” Stella, her eyes filled with tears, clung to him and sobbed, “Liam, no, it wasn’t her. I just fell.” She was crying so beautifully, Liam was completely heartbroken. He gently stroked her hair, comforting her. “Stella, you’re just too kind. I saw everything. Are you still going to cover for her out of some misguided sense of sisterhood?” He turned to me, his attitude completely changed, looking as if he could devour me whole. “Audrey Knight, apologize to Stella!” I met his gaze, my eyes cold, as if nothing concerned me. I turned to walk away. Liam was enraged by my indifference. He took three quick steps and landed a solid slap across my face. It stung, but I stubbornly refused to let the tears fall. I suddenly envied Stella so much. She had been gone for so long, yet Liam still loved her deeply. He looked at the five-finger mark on my face, a little lost. It was my assistant, Maya, who couldn’t take it anymore. She closed her eyes, pointing at me. “Mr. Hayes! My boss is your wife! Are you blind? Hitting our boss for some green tea bitch!” “What does our boss lack compared to that green tea bitch?” “Have you forgotten how harmonious you were with our boss before? Forgotten how you said you wanted a simple family life with her, just the three of you?” “The way you are now, our boss wouldn’t even want to have your baby!” “Apologize to her! Maybe she’ll still forgive you!” I instinctively touched my stomach. My period hadn’t come this month. Could I really be pregnant? Liam scoffed, his gaze sweeping over me dismissively, devoid of any emotion. “Audrey, maybe I did like you these past few years, but now Stella’s back.” “You know how much Stella means to me. Whether it’s you, or anyone else, you all have to step aside.” I could feel the difference between love and not love, between liking and not liking. He might have liked me once, but with Stella back, his entire heart had no room for me. I stared at him, pulling the ring from my ring finger, slowly, deliberately. It was never truly mine; it was time to give it back to Stella. Liam’s face turned stone cold. He watched in silence as I tossed the ring onto Stella. Maya, my assistant, was furious. “Boss, why are you making it easy for that green tea bitch!” Stella ignored Maya’s outburst. She reached down and picked up the ring. She slipped it onto her own finger, and it fit perfectly. With a delighted gasp, she showed it to Liam. She was so overjoyed she burst into tears, clinging to Liam and playfully whining, “Liam, this is the ring from before, right? Look, it’s back on my hand!” Liam, I don’t want you anymore. Liam didn’t answer, just stared at me. He knew how much I cherished that ring. I didn’t want to argue anymore. Without looking at him, I turned and walked away. It took a long time for the ache in my heart to subside. As lunchtime approached, my assistant, Maya, knocked on my office door, carrying my lunch.

“Boss, time to eat!” she chirped sweetly. I said I wasn’t hungry, but she insisted that food was fuel, and I had to eat. I couldn’t argue with her. As soon as I opened the container and caught a whiff of the food, my stomach churned. I drove myself to the hospital. Just as I expected, I was pregnant. I stared at the confirmation of pregnancy, silent for a long time. At the worst possible time, he came. Was fate trying to make Liam and me work things out? But would Liam agree? Would he abandon Stella for me and our child? I wanted to go home and tell Liam about my pregnancy, but I couldn’t even get inside. Standing at the door of my own home, unable to enter—how pathetic was that? Suppressing the nausea, I called Liam. One call, two… ten. He finally picked up, but the voice that came through was Stella’s. “Audrey, Liam isn’t coming back. He’s living with me now.” “We went to take wedding photos today, it was so much fun. You’ll bless Liam and me, right?” “Everyone said today that we’re a match made in heaven, perfectly suited.” “Oh, right, the password is my birthday. Just go in and get your stuff. Liam’s selling the house…” Hearing the password, I hung up decisively. I opened the digital lock, typed in Stella’s birthday, and the door clicked open. Inside the house, all traces of his life were gone. Our wedding photos lay shattered on the floor, in a thousand pieces… I tried to pick them up, but how can something broken ever be put back together? The vast room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, the atmosphere incredibly heavy. The ring of my phone in my bag broke the oppressive silence. I looked at the caller ID: “Mom.” It was my mother. She told me to go to the hospital with Liam tomorrow; she had something to say. My mother had late-stage liver cancer, and her time was running out. She only agreed to fight the illness in the hospital because she wanted to live for me. Mom loved me deeply, and because she loved me, she adored Liam, too. Sometimes, she seemed more like his mother. These past few years, Liam had always used my mother to get to me. He’d say, “Audrey, if you don’t eat properly, I’ll tell Mom.” “If you keep working late, I’ll tell Mom you kept me up all night…” We were so happy back then. But Stella came back, and I became irrelevant. Liam, if you still care about me, please pick up this call. I prayed to fate. This time, it didn’t disappoint me. Liam’s voice came through on the other end, but it was filled with impatience. “Audrey Knight, aren’t you annoying? Why are you calling me all day long?” I swallowed the bitterness in my heart. “Liam, Mom wants to see us tomorrow. Can you come?” There was silence on the other end. I continued, “Liam, please.” “Okay, I’ll be there.” Then he hung up. It was the first time I’d ever begged him, and it would be the last.

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My son had dwarfism. I quit my job, scouring clinics far and wide, giving him growth hormone shots, and accompanying him through rigorous training in all weather. Finally, I helped him become the youngest world champion. But the moment he stood on the podium, he accused me, his father, of being cold-blooded and selfish to the global media. Faced with an overwhelming wave of online hate and abuse, my wife threw divorce papers at me. She said I wasn’t fit to be a father or a husband, then turned around and married the single dad downstairs who cooked gourmet meals. It wasn’t until I was on my deathbed that I found out my wife had cheated on me with that man the very day I quit my job. My son even helped her hide it, claiming that was the only place he could find a moment of peace. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day my son was diagnosed with dwarfism. “Don’t listen to the doctor’s nonsense. Our son is just a late bloomer. Is bothering my mom the only thing you do all day?” Watching my wife and son look at me like an enemy, I curved my lips into a sneer. Fine, then. No treatment. I’m done catering to you all.

“Your son is seven years old now, and he’s only 3 feet 4 inches tall. He’s severely stunted. If you don’t intervene with growth hormone treatments in time, you’ll miss his growth spurt, and it’ll be much harder later on.” Listening to the doctor’s patient explanation, I felt a moment of dizzying confusion. I wasn’t barely clinging to life, hooked up to machines in the ICU anymore. My body felt light, a sensation I hadn’t experienced in years. I… had actually been reborn? Despite the disbelief, my body trembled with excitement. The doctor thought I was too upset and told me to calm down. Using that as an excuse, I rushed out and crouched by the wall. “I told you you were making a fuss. My mom was raising the kid just fine, but you insisted he was sick. Now look, you’re happy that he’s diagnosed with dwarfism, aren’t you? You believe everything the doctor says, even if it’s just nonsense. They’re only after your money.” “Yeah, Dad, Grandma said I’d be a late bloomer, just like Mom. I’m so smart, I’ll definitely get into college and be successful. You just can’t stand us being comfortable, always messing things up.” Even though I’d heard it once before, facing such doubt and mockery from my own flesh and blood still sent a sharp ache through my chest. I had tirelessly raised him until he was three. My mother-in-law only started helping out when he began preschool, under the guise of lending a hand. She brainwashed him daily, telling him I didn’t love him, and now she was openly accusing me of messing things up right in front of him. In my previous life, he inherited my mother-in-law’s side of the family’s dwarfism. I quit my job and poured all my time into him. I traveled the world to find him treatment. Each shot cost $200, given weekly, for years on end. My wife thought I was wasting money and simply washed her hands of it. I gritted my teeth and persevered through everything alone. I also exercised with him every day, and eventually, he was indistinguishable from his peers In fact, his consistent training gave him exceptional physical fitness, and he was chosen by a coach. After two years of training, he became the youngest long-distance running champion at the Junior World Championship. Yet, despite all that, he hated me. He believed I had tormented him all those years, preventing him from seeing his mother and grandmother, and robbing him of a happy childhood. The most agonizing part was that in my previous life, he already knew about my wife’s affair but helped her conceal it. I only found out when I was diagnosed with terminal cancer and wanted to see him one last time. Instead, I saw him excitedly stuffing his championship trophy and prize money into that lowlife’s hands. They… they had already been a cozy, harmonious “family” for a long time. And I, the one he accused of being a lunatic and a control freak, was subjected to overwhelming online abuse even in my final, dying days. Remembering the pain and despair of my deathbed in the previous life, I absolutely refused to be a foolish martyr this time. Since he also thought I was “messing things up,” then I’d just completely pull away and let things fall apart. Let’s see. Without me. Could he still become a world champion?

“Since you both feel that way, then let’s just go home.” Both mother and son looked surprised at my words. Usually, anything involving the child meant a huge argument. My sudden compliance made my wife think I was in the wrong, and she immediately started lecturing me. “I told you you were making a fuss. Go home and apologize to my mom. She helps with the kid every day and still has to put up with your attitude.” My wife’s words made me sneer. My attitude? For years, I juggled work and childcare. Who do you think handled all the big and small matters in this house? For the four years our son was with my mother-in-law, she extracted countless sums of money from me under various pretexts. Then she’d turn around and tell my wife I wasn’t committed to the family. Now, even my own son has been brainwashed to resent me, and she’s still claiming she has to “put up with my attitude”? She always felt that her marrying me was some great favor. She spent my money, enjoyed the life I provided for her. And she’d constantly play the victim to sow discord between us. I endured it all for the sake of family harmony and my son. But then she let my son develop dwarfism, and my wife still blamed me, saying I was “making a fuss.” Sure enough, back home, my mother-in-law started arguing with me again. “I told you you’re just rich and bored, can’t stand to see others doing well.” “The kid was fine, but you just *had* to take him to the doctor. If our neighbors hear our kid has dwarfism, they’ll laugh us to scorn.” After that, she started crying, wiping her tears, saying if I disliked her, she’d pack her bags and go back to her hometown to grow vegetables, so she wouldn’t bother our family of three. Leo watched his grandma about to leave, and I remained unmoved. He looked at me with a fierce, hateful gaze. “Dad is a control freak, selfish and cold-blooded. That’s why he was abandoned at an orphanage! I don’t want you as my dad. Mr. Jason downstairs is funny and makes great food. I want *him* to be my dad!” Those simple words hit me with unbelievable pain. Sure enough, only the closest people know how to twist the knife most painfully. He knew my orphanage past was my greatest wound, and now he was using it to tear me open. Thinking about everything he did to me in the previous life… Indeed, what kind of seed, what kind of fruit. Nature is unchangeable. I sacrificed my career, all my youth, for his healthy growth, only to be told I was worse than a home-wrecker. Seeing my wife’s deeply approving expression. So, without my knowing, that Jason had already infiltrated my home.

Jason had moved into the first-floor apartment in my building a few months ago. He was divorced with a daughter, tall, handsome, humorous, and a great cook – very popular. Within the first week of arriving, he’d added every well-off married woman in the neighborhood on SnapChat. He called it “exchanging parenting tips,” but his true motives were unknown. In my past life, I was entirely focused on my son’s medical treatment and his studies. I had no time to notice my wife’s odd behavior or Jason’s countless boundary-testing moves. “Alright, if you like him that much, then let him be your dad.” No sooner had the words left my lips than the doorbell rang. My wife, being closest, opened the door directly. Jason stood there, holding a box full of cream cakes and a plate of cola chicken wings. “Yesterday, I heard Leo say he wanted cake and cola chicken wings. I had ingredients at home, so I made some.” As Jason spoke, he naturally handed the items to my wife, then took off his shoes and put on slippers. He walked into the kitchen, took out plates, and started portioning the food. His movements were so skilled and natural, like the man of the house. Because of his arrival, not only my son Leo, but even my wife and mother-in-law, were utterly smitten. They immediately put on beaming smiles and squeezed into the kitchen to help. In my previous life, during the holidays, I’d wake up at five in the morning to prepare nutritious meals for my son. In the evenings, I’d massage and stretch him, leaving me with aching back pain. They only thought I brought it upon myself. Leo wasn’t just reluctant; my wife would spread rumors that I was petty and annoying, always finding something to complain about if I did even a little work. But now, with someone else, why was everything so harmonious? “Oh, Dean, you’re here too. I was so busy packing the cake, I didn’t even see you. I’m so sorry. Don’t get the wrong idea, it’s just that Veronica helped me out a few times, and I felt so bad, so I just made some gifts in return.” Jason acted as if he’d just noticed me, standing there awkwardly and nervously. He even looked a bit wronged and fearful, as if I were bullying him. God knows, I hadn’t said or done anything. “Mr. Jason, don’t mind my dad. He just wants to cause trouble and make us all follow his rules. Come quickly and eat with us!” Leo, while devouring the sugar-laden cake and chicken wings, scolded me. My mother-in-law and wife echoed his words from the side. My son didn’t even consider that his dad had been running around all day and hadn’t had a drop to eat or drink. That huge cake – the four of them didn’t even think to offer me a piece. Finally, Jason was coaxed back into the kitchen to eat cake with them. The warm yellow light in the kitchen shone on their faces, making them look blissfully happy, as if they were a natural family. Well, they were just a perfect match made in hell.

Watching that disgusting display, I found an excuse to go on a business trip and left the house. I urgently needed a quiet environment to clear my head. In my last life, I quit my job to treat my son, giving up a promotion that was practically in my hands. This time, I’m getting back everything that belongs to me. And in my last life, because I was so consumed with my son’s issues, I overlooked my wife’s affair and her attempts to transfer assets. As a result, after the divorce, I didn’t get a single dime and still had to pay child support. Now I’m back. The tables had turned. Let’s see if I don’t mess you all up this time. “Hello, Mr. Hayes, I have something I’d like to consult you about…” “Hi, I’d like to install some home security cameras. Yes, I’ll set the date. I need them with audio recording. Price isn’t an issue.” I hung up the phone, relieved that I hadn’t missed anything. Then my phone started buzzing with notifications for card deductions. I looked closely: an amusement park, a fancy restaurant, a clothing store, and even a watch store – forty thousand dollars in total. This card was one I always kept at home as Leo’s education fund. Every year, no matter how hard or poor things got, I’d consistently deposit two thousand dollars into it. And now, the one hundred and forty thousand dollars in it had dropped by over forty thousand in just one day. I instinctively clicked into my wife’s Ins. She’d posted a picture of her holding our son at the amusement park. Though not fully in the frame, a tall, handsome figure was clearly visible beside her. He even reached out to help my wife adjust her hair. That mechanical watch on his wrist must have been the one they just bought, right? We got married eight years ago. As an orphan, I desperately longed for a family. Even though my wife’s family was poor and couldn’t offer much in the way of a dowry, I still gritted my teeth and saved up for a significant sum for her family. I didn’t just buy all the traditional wedding jewelry, I gave her eighteen thousand eight hundred dollars, and threw her a grand wedding. For that, I worked my ass off for two full years, even taking the riskiest assignments the company sent me to. My wife just took my efforts for granted. She never reciprocated anything. And now, she was generously spending money on another man. “Oh, Veronica, is that your husband next to you? It’s rare for your family to go out, so happy!” “That’s not him at all! He’d just spoil the fun. Won’t let us eat this, won’t let us play that. That’s just a friend.” In my wife’s Ins, our mutual friends were commenting. Everyone thought the man adjusting her hair was me. And seeing that “spoiling the fun,” I couldn’t help but sneer. For years, my wife had stomach ulcers and diabetes from drinking and socializing. If she didn’t control it, she’d get stomachaches and cramps, even risking kidney failure. My son, fed by my mother-in-law, had a weak spleen and stomach; he’d get indigestion if he ate anything wrong, leading to fever, vomiting, and needing IV drips. Every time, I was the one rushing him to the hospital. For their sake, I had to give up my own dietary preferences and join them in eating bland, healthy food. And now she called me “spoiling the fun.” In my previous life, I might have endured it to protect my son’s feelings, but now, I didn’t care. “Why are there transactions on Leo’s card? What did you spend over forty thousand dollars on?” I FaceTimed her directly. I could even see Jason feeding my wife a bubble tea beside her. He was about to smile and say something, then suddenly noticed me. He quickly explained that my wife’s hands were full, so he was just helping her with the bubble tea, telling me not to overthink it. The sleazy vibe was practically seeping through the screen. That careful look in his eyes even held a hint of provocation towards me, but neither she nor my son seemed to notice. “It’s just spending, what’s the big deal? Leo accidentally broke Jason’s heirloom watch, so we had to pay for a new one, right?” I remembered this dialogue from my previous life. When I saw the card activity back then, I specifically asked, and she gave the same excuse. But it wasn’t until later that I found out Jason’s original watch cost him only fifty bucks. They had just made up the lie to appease me and to suck up to him. Then my wife went on about how pitiful Jason and his daughter were. After his divorce, he was left with nothing, and they were struggling. His little girl had never been to an amusement park, never eaten good food, and dressed in ordinary clothes. “So… you were just overflowing with sympathy? You spent the money I painstakingly saved for Leo on another man?” My questioning made my wife choke. As a pharmaceutical rep, she earned over ten thousand a month, which sounded decent, but she had so many social engagements. After all the networking, she not only didn’t bring money home, but I often had to cover her expenses. For years, she drove a twenty or thirty thousand dollar car, living a carefree life. She was out early and back late every day, socializing and charming clients. She never fulfilled any motherly duties, but she sure was quick to spend money. “Dad, why are you so selfish? Mr. Jason is so pitiful, of course we should help him when we have money. And that money was yours to save for me, so I have the right to decide how to spend it. If you keep being unreasonable, I won’t recognize you as my dad anymore.” This line had been used to manipulate me countless times in my previous life. Every time he wanted something I wouldn’t give him, he’d say that, and I’d soften and compromise. Because he was the only blood relative I had in the world; I cherished that connection. But thinking about his hatred for me in the previous life, it seemed he had never shown any warmth to me, his father, since he was a child. So this time, why couldn’t I cut my losses? My father-son bond with him, it was time to break it completely. “Okay, then I don’t want you either. From now on, you can live well with your mom and grandma. If you need anything, find them. I’m going away for a month on business.” With that, I hung up the phone. I immediately went to the bank, transferred all the money out of that card, and closed the account. Looking at the remaining cash, I thought, why shouldn’t I spend it on myself? Not a cent of my money would go to those scumbags. I switched off my personal phone, making sure they couldn’t reach me. First, I dropped two thousand dollars at a detective agency to thoroughly investigate Jason. Know your enemy, win a hundred battles. Then, with the rest of the money, I went to a phone store and bought the latest model. Next, I went to a clothing store and bought all the suits I’d admired for so long but never dared to buy. I even went to a foot massage parlor for the first time – turns out foot massages are incredibly relaxing. I got a two-thousand-dollar hairstyle design. Finally, I went to an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet I’d dreamed of my whole life, priced at $299. In a single day, I bought everything I’d ever wanted but never bought in my previous life. Lying on a five-star hotel bed, looking at the day’s spoils, I checked the cash I had left. Even with such extravagant spending, it was only about ninety thousand dollars. In my previous life, to pay for Leo’s growth hormone and meet his daily needs, I scrimped and saved, not spending a single cent on myself. Thinking about it now, it was laughable. It was time I started loving myself. The next day, I arrived at the company looking refreshed, and went straight to the General Manager’s office. The risk control department I worked in was personally built up by the GM. I was one of the first employees, and I’d always been hardworking and reliable, with excellent judgment—almost none of my chosen investments had ever lost money. He trusted me completely. I pulled out the agreement I’d printed. For the upcoming projects I’d take on, if successful, I’d get 5% of the profit. If not, I’d lose everything and even go to jail to compensate. The GM thought I was crazy, but the newfound confidence and wild determination in my eyes convinced him. “GM, let’s go crazy and make a huge fortune!” “Dean, Leo’s in the hospital with indigestion. You need to come back and take care of him. Mom isn’t feeling well and can’t handle the strain.”

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That year, when I was twenty, Hayes Holdings plunged into a severe financial crisis. Noah Hayes’s parents tragically died in a car accident on their way to seek help. Everyone was circling Hayes Holdings like vultures, pressuring Noah to hand over all his shares. But it was then, without a second thought, that I broke up with him. “Do you still think you’re the untouchable heir of Hayes Holdings?” Right in front of him, I kissed another man, trampling on his dignity. I even threw the ring he’d lovingly made for me into the sewer. He was utterly heartbroken, devastated beyond words, vowing that I was the one person he’d hate most in this life. Five years later, he climbed back to the top, becoming the driving force behind Hayes Holdings. I saw him at a high-end party, being humiliated. He gripped my face, a sneer on his lips. “Regret it now?” I touched the cancer diagnosis in my pocket, a cold laugh bubbling in my heart. No, no regrets. **1.** To scrape together enough money for surgeries, both for my mom and me, I took every odd job I could find. Today, I was working as a server at a fancy business reception. I was pushing a cart when a woman walking towards me crashed right into it. Red wine splashed all over her dress, and she let out a shriek. “Are you blind, you incompetent server? What are you spilling all over me?” “Do you have any idea how expensive this dress is? You couldn’t pay it off in a lifetime of work!” A sharp, cutting voice pierced through the air. Everyone here was super wealthy, so I couldn’t afford to mess up. I just kept my head down, mumbling apologies. Suddenly, the woman stopped talking. She seemed to recognize me. “Well, well, isn’t it Chloe Davis, the famous campus beauty from college? Look at you now, what a mess you’ve become!” I looked up and finally recognized her face. It was Scarlett Vance. I thought our paths had ended five years ago, never imagining I’d see her again. She crossed her arms, sizing me up from head to toe. “Chloe Davis, look at you now, all broken down. If Noah Hayes saw you, he’d probably be ecstatic, wouldn’t he?” “You know, he absolutely despises you for dumping him for money back then.” Five years later, hearing his name again, my heart still ached. Five years ago, Hayes Holdings faced an unprecedented financial crisis. Noah’s parents died in a car accident, and the company was hanging by a thread. But I, heartlessly, broke up with him. It was pouring rain that day. He knelt downstairs outside my apartment building all night. “Chloe, why are you breaking up with me? We loved each other so much.” I held another man’s hand, leaving Noah to brave the storm. “Noah Hayes, get real. I was only with you because you were the Hayes heir, because you could give me what I wanted.” “But now? You’re nothing. Why are you clinging to me?” He trembled, pulling a bank card from his pocket and pressing it into my hand. I knew it was his last bit of savings, a huge sum he’d meant for our life together. “Chloe, please don’t leave me, okay? Trust me, I’ll give you the happiness you want.” I pulled off the plain band he’d personally crafted for me, throwing it into the sewer right in front of him. “A powerless orphan with nothing, why would I ever trust you?” I kissed another man right in front of him, and then I took that man back home. The lights glowed through the window, revealing two bodies intertwined, moving all night long. Noah screamed in agony downstairs, his grief reaching a breaking point. Finally, he passed out. Later, I heard Scarlett had stayed by his side day and night, helping him through those dark times. With his own efforts and Scarlett’s family’s support, Noah Hayes once again became the head of Hayes Holdings. As Scarlett kept pushing, I couldn’t help but snap back. “If he knew that you were the one who used money to force me away, threatening his future and my mother’s life, who do you think he’d hate then?” At my words, Scarlett’s face instantly darkened. Her eyes turned cold and grim as she squeezed my wrist tightly. “Chloe Davis, if you dare to say anything, I’ll use all my connections to make sure your short-lived mother dies. You know I’m capable of it, you’ve seen my methods.” Oh, I’d definitely seen her methods. Five years ago, she’d had my mom thrown out of the operating room, forcing me to leave Noah. If I hadn’t agreed, my mom probably wouldn’t be alive today. **2.** I turned to leave, but she blocked my way. A glass of icy cold red wine was poured over my head, and then she smashed the glass violently, sending shards scattering. I was a total mess, and everyone around seemed to be enjoying the show. “Trying to run off? Did I say you could leave? Is this how impolite your event staff are?” The manager rushed over, and as a leader, he immediately sided with the customer. Before I could even react, I was forcefully pushed to the ground. My knees landed on the glass shards, instantly turning crimson with blood. “Chloe Davis, apologize to Ms. Vance right now! Do you have a death wish?” The person pushing me down was incredibly strong, and the pain was searing. Then, Noah Hayes walked through the crowd, his voice chilling. “What are you doing?” The moment Noah appeared, my gaze was completely drawn to him. His cold, commanding aura was still so captivating. The man who first made my heart flutter still had that power over me. Noah’s eyes landed on me too, but his expression was terrifyingly cold. Noticing some wine on Scarlett’s dress, he carefully draped his jacket over her shoulders. “Don’t catch a cold.” Scarlett clung to Noah’s arm, her voice sweet and petulant. “Noah, this woman hurt you so much back then, and just now she spilled wine all over me. You don’t mind if I punish her a bit, do you?” Noah’s eyes were icy. He just said, “Whatever makes you happy.” Scarlett seemed to take it as a command. She clapped her hands, and instantly, two cases of red wine were brought out. Then, with a smug smirk, she walked up to me, arms crossed. “Chloe Davis, you service staff, isn’t it all about money for you? I’ll give you a chance. Drink this wine. One glass, I’ll give you ten thousand. However many glasses you drink, that’s how much you get.” Then she pulled a wad of cash from her bag and threw it hard in front of me. I desperately needed the money, but I was allergic to alcohol. Once, I accidentally drank some, and I broke out in a rash all over, ending up in the hospital. Back then, Noah had stayed by my bedside, taking care of me for a full day and night. Scarlett wrapped her arm around Noah’s waist, acting all cozy. “Brother Noah, what do you think of this idea?” Not a trace of concern flickered in Noah’s eyes. “Well, then, Yao Yao, you’d better prepare more money. After all, this woman will do anything for money, let alone drink.” I expected a hint of pain in Noah’s eyes, but there was nothing. But then again, I had hurt him so deeply back then. He probably wished I would die; how could he feel any tenderness for me now? Amidst the cheers of the crowd, someone handed me an opened bottle. My eyes were red. Thinking of my mom’s surgery fees and the next round of chemotherapy, I felt a strange flicker of happiness. Even though I had cancer too, being able to treat my mom’s illness made me happy. I raised the bottle, closed my eyes, and prepared to chug it down. Noah’s handsome, chiseled face flashed before my eyes. He gripped the bottle tightly, his eyes radiating a coldness that sent shivers down my spine. Was he feeling sorry for me? “If you kneel down and beg me, maybe I’ll reconsider.” No, he wasn’t feeling sorry for me. He was just thinking of an even crueler way to humiliate me. I pushed away his hand, which was gripping the bottle, and a faint smile touched my lips. “Thank you, Mr. Hayes, I appreciate your kindness. But I can’t miss this opportunity to make money.” I closed my eyes and forcefully poured the wine down my throat. The liquid burned as it flowed down, my stomach churning as if a storm raged inside. It was a fiery, stinging pain. After just two glasses, I threw up. Every organ in my body felt like it was spasming. But I didn’t stop. I picked up another bottle, my eyes bloodshot. Anyway, I was a dying person. My mom’s treatment still needed money. Mixing tears with wine, I chugged glass after glass. Noah grabbed the bottle again and smashed it violently to the ground, letting out an enraged roar. “Enough!” He squeezed my chin hard. Some of the wine from my stomach came back up, spilling onto his hand. “Chloe Davis, you’re still the same as before. You’ll do anything for money. Take this cash and get out!” A rash instantly spread from my neck. I slumped to the ground, carefully stacking the scattered bills one by one. The glass shards dug into my knees, causing excruciating pain, but I ignored it, limping away from the party. Just then, my phone rang. It was the hospital. **3.** “Ms. Davis, your mother just woke up and is looking for you.” I ignored the pain in my knees and the discomfort in my body. I hailed a cab directly to the hospital. The doctors had been saying my mom wasn’t taking her medicine on time lately, so I was worried and rushed over. Seeing my mom still peacefully lying in bed, I breathed a sigh of relief. As soon as I entered the room, she noticed the blood-stained pants around my knees. Her eyes filled with unconcealed heartache. “Chloe, what happened? Why are you covered in injuries?” I shook my head, assuring her I was fine. But thinking of everything that had just happened, my body began to tremble uncontrollably. A tear plopped onto my mom’s hand. This was the first time I’d ever shown such vulnerability in front of her; I was even stunned myself. I hated myself for being so weak. I thought five years would be enough to make me forget Noah, but it wasn’t. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. Tears, like a broken dam, streamed from my eyes. My throat constricted, and I buried my face by my mom’s bedside, afraid to look into her eyes. “Mom, Noah’s back, and he hates me so much. I’m so miserable.” “He has a girlfriend now, and they’re getting married. He really doesn’t want me anymore.” My mom gently patted my back, her voice soft and full of sorrow. “Chloe, don’t be sad. Some things we just can’t force.” “From the beginning, you two were from different worlds. Now, he’s just returned to his own path.” Yes, she was right. Noah and I were never from the same world. When Hayes Holdings faced turmoil, I could only watch, powerless. The only one who could truly help him was Scarlett. And I was dying soon anyway. A broken, failing body, what right did I have to tell him I loved him? After tucking my mom into bed, I got up to buy her some dinner. The moment I stood, a gush of bright red liquid streamed from my nose. I frantically wiped it away with the back of my hand, terrified my mom would see and her condition would worsen. The doctor walked in with my medical chart, carefully calling me out to the stairwell. “Ms. Davis, your mother’s condition is deteriorating rapidly. If she doesn’t undergo a third surgery soon, I’m afraid her life may be limited.” I took the chart and thanked the doctor. My goal now was to earn money as quickly as possible for my mom’s surgery. I turned to leave, but the doctor called out again. “Ms. Davis, about your own health…” I cut him off, my face calm. “Doctor, I know my own body. No matter what, save my mom first.” “Oh, and please keep this a secret for me. I don’t want my mom to know about this for now.” I knew that with my current financial situation, I couldn’t possibly afford two surgeries. My mom had raised me single-handedly since I was three; she had gone through so much. If she knew about my condition, she would definitely give up on herself and insist on treating me first. I wouldn’t allow that to happen. By the time I finished everything, it was late at night. I dragged my exhausted body towards home. As I walked under a dim streetlamp, a large hand suddenly grabbed me, pulling me into a car. It was too dark to see the person’s face, and an unprecedented fear surged through me. I was terrified, helplessly flailing my arms, trying to push him away. Then, a forceful, yet soft, pair of lips covered mine. When that long, slender hand turned on the interior light, I saw that chiseled, handsome face. It was him? **4.** Noah Hayes. How was he here? Five years had passed, and this kiss felt both familiar and strangely new. My hands were clamped tightly in his, and I couldn’t break free. “Noah Hayes, let go of me, you’re hurting me.” I almost choked out those words. He finally stopped, his bloodshot eyes terrifying. I could feel the hatred radiating from him. My eyes welled up with tears as I stared at him blankly. And I could see the glistening tears in his own bloodshot eyes. He contemptuously pulled a wad of cash from his pocket and slapped it hard against my face. “Still scream when you’re hurt? What, seeing this money makes the pain go away?” So, in Noah’s mind, I was just someone who’d do anything for money. Fine. I was dying anyway. Rather than him feeling guilty and carrying painful memories for the rest of his life, it was better for me to be the villain, for him to hate me forever. I looped my arms around his neck and initiated a kiss. He didn’t refuse, cupping the back of my head, deepening the kiss. His kiss was forceful and dominant, leaving me breathless, yet I couldn’t bring myself to pull away. Just as I was lost in that bittersweet memory, he bit down hard on my lip, drawing a trace of blood. I flinched in pain, pulling my body away from his. There was no love in his eyes, only pure hatred for me. “Chloe Davis, you’re still such a bitch. You’ll do anything for money.” Yeah, what else could I do? I couldn’t bear to watch the mother who raised me die. He balled his fist and punched the car window, with such force that the glass shattered. Seeing him like that, I still stammered out, “Um, can I have the money? My ‘service’ must have been satisfactory, right?” He pulled out another stack of bills and threw it hard at my face. “Get out!” While he was in such pain, my heart ached too. I ignored the throbbing pain from my cancer, carefully stacking the money one bill at a time. But then he noticed the necklace around my neck. He grabbed it, and his eyes suddenly lit up. “Chloe Davis, what’s this? Why do you still have the necklace I gave you?” “Do you… do you still love me? Is there something you can’t tell me?” “Just say yes, and I can forgive everything that happened in the past five years. Or just nod, please?” **5.** As he spoke, his voice cracked with emotion. Tears welled in his eyes. He gripped my shoulders tightly, his gaze full of desperate hope. I gently moved his hands from me, forcing a smile I didn’t feel. “Mr. Hayes, you’ve got it wrong. This was a gift from my boyfriend, not from you. My boyfriend is waiting for me at home, so I won’t invite you up.” I scrambled out of his car and ran. The moment I turned away, my tears fell like broken beads. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. I didn’t dare look back, afraid that one glance would make me soft. Noah Hayes, please leave. I, Chloe Davis, don’t deserve you. You deserve so much better. **6.** The next day, I got a call from my best friend, Maya. We’d been inseparable since childhood, so she knew my family situation pretty well. She felt incredibly sorry for me, and as soon as she heard about an art competition, she immediately told me.

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I was the chaotic queen of trending topics, the infamous woman always breaking the internet. Every single day, I’d ditch my kid and parade around in crazy outfits, hawking goods on live streams. Everyone called me an unfit mother, said I was profiting from misery. But instead of listening, I’d pick fights with my son, right there on camera. Netizens would hurl insults, and my son would scream for me to just die. Yet, the overwhelming storm of hate couldn’t stop me from going live for even one day. After a hundred days, I vanished, just like they wanted. But then, their feeds flooded with messages: “Mom, come back!” **1.** It was peak summer. I was draped in a robe made from three bedsheets, a crown of toilet paper perched on my head. Sweat dripped constantly from my forehead, smudging my makeup, making me look utterly ridiculous. I didn’t care, though. I kept up my exaggerated expressions, pushing products. “Don’t miss out, fam! This dish soap has insane cleaning power…” This was day 49 of my live streams. Since I started acting crazy, playing dumb, and wearing wild clothes, my stream finally started gaining traction. But gradually, that wasn’t enough to satisfy people’s morbid curiosity. [Where’s your son, streamer?] [We wanna see your son! Call him over, and I’ll send a Carnival gift!] [Not yelling at your son today?] One time, I accidentally had an argument with my son during a stream. After that, the stream’s popularity surged. Plenty of bored folks would camp out in my live stream, intentionally egging me on to fight with my son. But the traffic was booming, and I was all for it. Seeing someone promise a Carnival gift, my heart soared. I rushed to drag my son from the next room into the camera’s view. “My son’s here! Oh, thank you, big bro, for the gift!” I grinned obsequiously, looking like a complete clown. But Leo pulled away reluctantly, yelling at me, “Aren’t you embarrassed?! I told you I don’t want to be on stream with you!” “Isn’t it enough for you to act crazy by yourself? Why do you have to drag me into it?” Leo shoved me hard. I stumbled up awkwardly, my toilet paper crown falling to the floor. He furiously picked it up, then slammed it back down. The crown was crushed to bits, Leo using it to vent his frustration. I didn’t back down either. For every yell he gave, I fired back with three: “You ungrateful brat! I feed you and clothe you every day, and you make such a fuss just for showing your face on camera?!” “I think you’re just bored and looking for trouble. Apologize to these big brothers right now!” “Do you know how hard it is for me to raise you? If it weren’t for these guys, we’d have starved long ago!” “You’re only ever this loud with me. If you put this much energy into your studies, you’d be successful by now!” Leo’s eyes welled up, but he stubbornly held back his tears, grinding his teeth. “Successful? How could I ever be successful with a mom like you?!” “I hate you! If you couldn’t afford to raise me, why did you even have me?!” A sharp smack cut off the confrontation. Leo clutched his face, glaring at me, hatred undisguised in his eyes. Rage boiled in me. I stormed into his room, grabbed all his comic books and novels, and violently threw them onto the floor. “I guess I’ve been too nice to you! I let you read all these useless books every day!” “They make you dense, with no real skills, just knowing how to argue with your mother!” Leo rushed to pick up the books, cradling them as if they were more precious than me standing before him. Seeing this, my anger flared even more. Without a second thought, I yanked him away and tossed all the books into the trash. Leo screamed, “No!” He charged at me like a feral beast, knocking over the phone I was using to stream. We instantly started wrestling. A mother and son fighting like cats and dogs isn’t a common sight, and it drew a swarm of onlookers. The live stream was instantly packed, with gifts showering in non-stop. The colorful lights of virtual gifts illuminated our faces as we screamed at each other, twisted into grotesque masks. [Oh my god, how can she hit her child?] [Love to see it.] [Subscribed to the streamer. Disobedient kids just need a beating.] [But forcing your kid to stream isn’t right, is it?] The footage of me hitting Leo that day was saved and went viral. People even made parody videos of it and posted them on every platform. In the videos, my viciousness when hitting him contrasted sharply with my fawning gratitude when thanking for gifts. Netizens mockingly called me “Face-Swap Mom.” Suddenly, terms like “Face-Swap Mom stream,” “Face-Swap Mom hits son,” and “Face-Swap Mom memes” shot up the trending topics. So, on the fiftieth day of streaming, I was officially famous. **2.** *“Ugly Acts for Attention, Publicly Assaults and Makes Child Cry.”* A news headline like that instantly ignited the curiosity of the melon-eating crowd, and I was thrust into the eye of the storm. Countless people came forward to condemn me, recounting similar experiences as if drinking poison to quench their thirst. They sympathized with my son, branding me the quintessential failed parent, relentlessly criticizing me. It was as if by defeating me, they could overcome the helpless pain they had to swallow in their own weak moments. I scrolled through their comments about me, then calmly put on a crown I’d woven from leaves. I put on an elf costume made from a long green dress, white plastic bags, and wildflowers, using heavy foundation to hide the dark circles under my eyes. Then I started another live stream. Huge numbers of netizens quickly flooded into the stream, the comments scrolling by so fast that all I could see was insults. But I showed no sign of remorse. Instead, I brazenly scoffed, “My son? That little leech is in the next room.” “Hmph, it’s only because I’m so kind that I’m still raising an ungrateful brat like him. Anyone else would have sent him to an orphanage.” “Thanks for the gifts, fam! Keep those Carnivals coming!” [You don’t deserve to be a mom.] [How can there be a mother like you?] [The child is so pathetic, you should just give him away.] “Pathetic? Have I not fed him or clothed him? Why don’t you pity me?” I rolled my eyes, but the next second, I became incredibly fawning when thanking for gifts. “If you pity him, then buy more stuff and send me more gifts.” “Let me tell you, yesterday I only gave him leftovers. Who told you to insult me? If I don’t sell well today, he won’t even get leftovers!” “Alright, alright, today we’re bringing you a set of dish soap again. It’s still that familiar brand, ten bottles for nine ninety-nine. Get on board!” … [Seriously, she has no shame. Still in the mood to sell stuff?] [If I had your mentality, I’d succeed at anything.] [Face-Swap Mom not hitting her kid today?] [Unfit mother!] [The way she raises her child…] [She’s crazy for money, acting silly every day.] I kept my smile strained, until one comment froze it on my face. [I hate people who abuse children like you the most. Just wait to be doxxed.] A moment later, our entire family’s personal information, from names to home address, was detailed right there on the public screen. It sent shockwaves! Netizens devoured the info, discussing it heatedly. [Turns out it’s a single-parent family. Seems tough.] [Being a single parent doesn’t mean you can hit your child randomly.] [Maybe that’s why her husband left her, she likes hitting people.] [Are you blind? Her husband’s dead!] [Could Face-Swap Mom have killed her husband?] [Y’all are ruthless above! Keep it coming, lol.] … As the comments grew more and more outrageous, I froze for a moment. But then, Leo suddenly burst into my room. “It’s all your fault! Now everyone knows it’s me! Are you happy now?!” I quickly regained my composure and snapped back, “What do you mean it’s all my fault! If you’d been more obedient, would this have happened?!” “You don’t study well day in and day out, and going live with your mom is too much for you? Seeing so many people defend you, you think you’re so tough now, don’t you?!” “If you’re so ashamed, then don’t spend a single cent of my money!” “I won’t! I’m ashamed of how you make your money!” Leo’s eyes widened in fury, his neck stiff as he confronted me. “You never cared about me, but when we argue, you bring up studying. When did you ever go to a parent-teacher conference? You don’t care about me at all, so what are you pretending to be here for?!” He stared at me, enunciating each word: “If only it had been you who died back then, instead of Dad.” I stood frozen, only the booming slam of his bedroom door echoing in my ears. [Fighting again in front of so many people.] [Can someone call the police?] [Doxxing is a bit much, isn’t it?] [Support the doxxer! It’d be a shame not to expose this kind of person.] [Clown, even your son can’t stand you.] [Face-Swap Mom, just die! Don’t drag your son down.] From that comment onward, the entire feed was filled with “Face-Swap Mom, just die.” But I didn’t care if they laughed at me, and I cared even less what they called me. Anyway, I made two hundred thousand dollars from that one live stream. That was money I couldn’t have saved in ten years of toil and struggle. **3.** On the fifty-third day of streaming, I enabled the co-streaming feature, charging an outrageous ten thousand dollars per call. People watching my stream cursed me, saying I was crazy for money, but at the same time, they scrambled to send me gifts for the publicity. The number of co-stream requests was countless, and my pockets were overflowing. [How dare you hit your child? Why do you force him to stream if it’s just your thing? Can’t you get a job with your own two hands and feet instead of making a spectacle? How will your child ever hold his head up at school?] Questions like these were repeated by almost everyone who called in. My answers didn’t disappoint them; I was utterly shameless and without boundaries. “He’s my son, I can do whatever I want with him.” “I haven’t starved him, and I haven’t stopped him from going to school. If you don’t discipline a child, they won’t amount to anything. I hit him for his own good.” “If you care about him so much, why don’t you send me more money? If I’m in a good mood, maybe I won’t hit him.” “Anyway, if you insult me, I’ll take it out on him. What are you going to do about it?” These co-stream clips were cut and reposted endlessly by various influencer accounts. “Face-Swap Mom” became even more infamous. An online frenzy of attacks against me swept through the internet. People, driven mad, tried to utterly destroy me. Takeout piled up outside my door, sent for my son, while wreaths for *me* clogged the hallway, blocking passage. My door and windows were pelted with rotten eggs and vegetable leaves. In the middle of the night, people would knock on my door, yelling insults. My front door was even vandalized with notices. These were all minor annoyances. My photos were Photoshopped into funeral portraits, and even my late husband’s tombstone, buried years ago, was found and splashed with paint. Reporters and busybodies camped outside my apartment building at all hours, everyone wanting to scrape off some profit while I was still trending. I curled up at home like a street rat everyone wanted to beat, and Leo couldn’t even go to school. But even then, I never missed a day of streaming. Yet, I seemed to have overestimated my own strength. The continuous worry and pressure eventually broke me. On day 79 of streaming, during a co-stream, just as I was about to open my mouth to answer a question, a metallic taste suddenly filled my throat. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t suppress it. Large mouthfuls of blood gushed out. I rushed off camera, but the blood sprayed from between my fingers, and I couldn’t stop it. The live stream was silent for only a second before comments started flooding in furiously. [Scared of being insulted, so now you’re going for the pity party persona, huh?] [If you knew this would happen, why did you do it in the first place?] [So scary, what happened to the streamer?] [If she’s really sick, she deserves it. Heaven has eyes and finally punishes the wicked.] [Just die already.] … For a moment, there was no one on screen, but my son’s voice and mine came from the next room. “Stop faking it, okay? If you’re really sick, just go die!” “What if I am faking it? You genuinely want to see your mom get insulted, don’t you?!” “If you hadn’t hit me back then, would it be like this now? You deserve it!” “You little brat, how dare you talk to your mom like that! You’re just like your dead father!” My furious shouts clearly reached everyone’s ears. [LOL, it’s really like a script.] [You have to admit, Face-Swap Mom’s blood pack looks pretty real. Quick, cut that part into a meme too!] [I was just starting to wonder if there was a hidden story, turns out she’s just pure trash.] [Type 1 to wish Face-Swap Mom a speedy death.] [1111] In the next room, I hastily wiped the blood from my hands and mouth, but the stains on my clothes wouldn’t come off. The co-streamer was urging me loudly, so I had to rush back and connect. [Remember me? I hate child abusers the most.] A male voice, distorted by a voice changer, spoke. I immediately realized it was the guy who had doxxed me. [You said you had no money to raise your child, but someone told me that’s not true.] [Your mother-in-law said you took all of her son’s bereavement pay, every single cent. Where did that money go?] I remained silent, my face turning even paler, a storm raging inside me. Seeing my silence, the person thought he had caught me and spoke even more agitatedly. [Putting aside you using your child as a tool to make money, you are shameless enough to hog your deceased husband’s bereavement pay? Have you thought about how your mother-in-law’s family is supposed to live?!] [How can you stomach profiting from misery like that?!] I didn’t respond, simply ending the live stream. But in everyone’s minds, this was as good as admitting guilt, further solidifying my wicked deeds. The anonymous person’s words were like a thunderclap, shaking up the “Face-Swap Mom” incident, which had started to fade with time. People’s attitudes towards me plummeted. The few who had spoken up for me before now turned their backs and joined the attacks. My mother-in-law, Brenda Reed, who had ignored us for eight years, suddenly appeared before various media outlets, tearfully accusing me of my wickedness. She claimed I had swallowed all the bereavement pay, forcing her, at nearly eighty, to pick up bottles just to get by. And now, I was heartless, abusing her son’s only child. In her description, I was a rotten-hearted ingrate, mean, harsh, and greedy—the absolute worst scum. Brenda’s assessment of me, coupled with my own son telling me to die on stream, seemed to confirm everything about me. As an undeniable villain, I deserved to be condemned. The online hate campaign against me intensified, yet I lay on my bed, laughing freely. I was very satisfied; everything was going according to my plan. **4.** On day 81 of streaming, my popularity surged. Brenda was still relentlessly attacking me, fabricating all sorts of nasty rumors: how I stirred up trouble between her and my son, how I disrespected her, how my husband and I had no love for each other… I knew telling blatant lies had always been her forte. But during my live streams, I never defended myself, not once. Not only did I calmly accept all the harsh criticisms, I actually felt their reactions weren’t extreme enough. So, I started actively seeking more trouble. I streamed leaning on a cane, hunched over and dressed like an old woman, but with thick white foundation and pink blush on my face, looking comically grotesque, like a clown from a street parade. Then, with that appearance, I deliberately mimicked Brenda’s actions during her interviews, giggling all the while. I also intentionally read out netizens’ comments about me during streams, then provocatively, sarcastically, mocked them back. I caused mayhem during the day, and at night, I was still busy. I used my main account to jump onto all sorts of platforms, arguing with Brenda, with netizens, with the world. Contrary to what the public expected—remorse and reform—I was trying to provoke public outrage. My chaotic behavior indeed attracted more attention. My popularity climbed steadily, but with it came an even more furious wave of online hate. But this was exactly what I wanted. I needed the popularity, I needed the money, the more the better. However, on day 99 of streaming, just when everyone expected me to make another fortune, I bowed deeply to the camera. Facing everyone watching the stream, I calmly said: “I admit, everything that happened before this was a script I planned myself. Tomorrow, I will tell everyone the truth.” After saying that, I ignored all the questions and quickly rushed to the bathroom, throwing up blood into the toilet. Leo had appeared behind me at some point, sobbing uncontrollably. Tears streaming down his face, he pleaded with me, his words threatening to shatter my resolve:

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I was rushed to the emergency room, hemorrhaging badly from a severe skin condition. My husband, Mark, rushed to my side, seemingly frantic with worry. My eyes burned with unshed tears, wanting to say something, anything, but then a strange overlay of text flashed before my eyes: **[The devoted, foolish wife. Your husband bound a Beauty System to you, for his adopted sister.]** **[All the expensive skincare and supplements you’ve been using? They’re working on HER. And because her private life is a mess, all the skin diseases she gets? YOU’RE stuck with them! How pathetic.]** A shiver went down my spine. My mother-in-law, Martha, hurried in, bringing my work laptop, wiping sweat from her forehead. More text scrolled into view: **[She also bound a Wealth System to you. All the money you slaved away for, painstakingly earning it through your online store, went straight into her adopted daughter’s pocket.]** **[You went from being a stunning business elite to a bankrupt, ugly, penniless mess—and it’s all THEIR fault!]** I froze, stunned. Fury ignited in my chest, a wildfire spreading through my veins. They wanted their adopted daughter to thrive? How DARE they ruin me for it! I instantly canceled my salon membership, shut down my online store, and officially gave up on life. You want to play dirty? Fine. Let’s see who has the last laugh!

“How could you hemorrhage from a simple laser skin treatment? What’s wrong with you! Don’t you care about your body?” Mark stood by my hospital bed, his eyes blazing with barely concealed rage, fixed on my frail, barely conscious form. We were college sweethearts. I was the one who pursued him, and even though he’d always been distant, he agreed to marry me. I thought, deep down, he had to care about me. But the floating text ripped away the illusion, exposing the brutal truth: Mark had never felt anything for me. Not from the start. “Well, whatever. If my skin condition isn’t going to get better anyway, why bother with expensive treatments? I’ll just let it run its course.” I glanced at him, my face expressionless. I took a bag of extra-spicy takeout and a bag of super-hot chips from the delivery guy and started eating. Before, I’d been so afraid of spicy food ruining my skin, I never dared. Mark’s face darkened, his eyes wide with fury as he jabbed a finger at my face: “You HAVE to take care of your appearance! I’m a successful businessman now! What will people think of me if you look like this? Do you want me to be a laughingstock?” “I’ve already booked you for cryotherapy tomorrow for that corn on your foot. If you don’t go, no food and no sleep for you!” I didn’t even spare him a glance. Mark was livid, his hand twitching, ready to strike me. Just then, my “kindly” mother-in-law, Martha, bustled in and grabbed his arm. “I heard the e-commerce sector is booming lately, and new projects are being selected. If you get picked, there’s a million-dollar start-up grant! Serena must be preparing hard for that, right?” “Alright, she’s busy with work, why are you pushing her so hard? Audrey, you got this! Mom’s rooting for you!” A cold, bitter laugh twisted my lips. I gripped the bedsheet so tightly my knuckles turned white, wishing I could rip them both to shreds. Mark was penniless the year he married me. I was the one who told my parents not to ask for a single cent of financial support, and even brought a substantial dowry, so he’d have money to start his business and build it to its current scale. And Martha? A few years ago, she had a stroke and nearly died. It was *me* who flew in a renowned specialist from out of state for her surgery, and *I* personally cared for her for two months—bathing her, emptying her bedpan, feeding her—literally pulling her back from death’s door. Even all that couldn’t compare to Serena, the adopted sister who’d only been with the family for three years. What exactly was her charm, to turn a once loving family against each other? “You two are truly so thoughtful and caring towards me.” A mocking smile played on my lips. “Don’t worry, I’ll repay your ‘kindness’ a hundredfold. I won’t let you down.” Mark looked uncomfortable, but Martha was beaming with a sickly sweet smile, squeezing closer to me. “Audrey, why say such distant things? You married into the Lewis family, and I treat you like my own daughter. If you really want to thank us… how about this? I recently saw a new Hermès bag I really love. Your dad has money, doesn’t he? Can you ask him to buy it for me?” Still dreaming of a luxury bag? As if you deserve it! I got up, nudged her aside with my laptop, and walked out without looking back.

The next day was Martha’s sixtieth birthday. The house was packed with relatives and friends. Mark’s adopted sister, Serena, naturally wouldn’t miss it. She entered wearing a pure white evening gown, looking like a pure angel, delicate as a lily, drawing everyone’s gaze. Three years ago, when I first met her, she was covered in red spots, her face disfigured, too self-conscious to even look at me. She claimed she was my junior from college and admired me because I was such a campus celebrity. Martha said Serena was her best friend’s child, an orphan, and so pitiable that she took her in. I started helping her find dermatologists to treat her skin, taught her the ropes of doing business, and even urged Mark to be kinder to her, telling him to lighten up. But strangely, my own body started breaking out in strange little bumps, sometimes so painful they’d wake me up in the middle of the night. My business plummeted, and even my in-laws’ concern for me dwindled. Now, Serena rushed to me, sobbing, and hugged me. She meticulously scanned my body, a flicker of triumph flashing in her eyes, barely perceptible. “Audrey, are you okay? Yesterday, Mom said you had a hemorrhage from a beauty treatment and ended up in the hospital. I was away on a business trip, and I was so worried I couldn’t eat or sleep. I even cried.” “If you’re really not feeling well, maybe you should just put skincare on hold for a bit. Your life is definitely more important than your looks, don’t you think?” Before I could even speak, the surrounding relatives burst into mocking laughter. “Serena, you’re so beautiful and kind-hearted. Don’t get too close to women like her. Do you know what kind of skin diseases she has? Syphilis, herpes, maybe even HPV! Women like her get sick because they’re loose! It’s disgusting!” “Serena, you’re pretty and you know how to make money. If only we could have a daughter-in-law like you, that would truly be a blessing from our ancestors!” “Audrey constantly spends money on treatments because there’s a beautiful and smart woman like you living with Mark’s family. She feels threatened, of course, afraid Mark will divorce her and choose to be with you. Honestly, Mark is such an idiot. Why keep a woman like her around?” Before this, I’d actually wondered if I’d caught my skin disease from sitting on a park bench. I even felt guilty towards Mark and Martha, and I dared not protest against the relatives’ ridicule. But now, I uncorked a bottle of red wine and sprayed it all over their faces. “How can your hearts be so vile! Instead of cheering for our family to fall apart, why don’t you try being supportive? You’re so full of garbage yourselves, no wonder you see everyone else as trash!” “Alright, everyone, let’s calm down.” Serena stepped in front of me, looking utterly pitiful, trying to shield me. “I know I’ve made Audrey feel insecure and lacking in confidence, but there’s nothing wrong with her wanting to be better. We should respect everyone’s choices and treat everyone around us with kindness.” “But Audrey, the uncles and aunts were just trying to give you friendly advice. It’s wrong for you to suddenly lose your temper. We’re all family, we should live in harmony.” “Live in harmony, how?” My blood boiled. “Have they ever treated me like family? Would family accuse and insult me like this when I’m sick and miserable?” Grandpa Lewis happened to be pushed into the room in his wheelchair. The relatives glared at me resentfully, then immediately fell silent. “You fickle little hussy, still daring to yell at us here.” After the banquet started, Uncle Dave, carrying a bowl of hot stew, “accidentally” bumped into me. The hot liquid spilled all over me, scalding my skin red and raising blisters. I rushed to find a restroom to rinse off with cold water, but every single one was occupied. I lost my balance and fell, knocking out a front tooth. The pain was excruciating, tearing through me, but everyone around me simply grinned, looking pleased. Kevin, Mark’s best friend, disgustedly pinched his nose. “What a drama queen, and she’s not even pretty! Shouldn’t someone just make her leave? Who could eat with her looking like that!”

Martha’s sixtieth birthday banquet invited many industry elites. Now that the new projects were being selected, ordinarily, I would have sought their advice, eager to learn about the new ventures. But ever since the floating text revealed the truth, I no longer wanted to do business. Why earn money only for someone else to spend it? I sprawled on the sofa, pulled out my phone, and started playing Call of Duty. Serena, surrounded by a group of handsome guys, was laughing and chatting, but then she glanced over and saw me playing a video game. Her composure instantly shattered. “Audrey!” She pushed through the crowd of men and walked towards me, disbelief etched on her face: “Aren’t you running an online store? The e-commerce start-up competition is so popular, and so many of our relatives are in that field. Why aren’t you going to learn something?” “I’ve been doing business for so long, and it’s all been a loss. Even if there’s a project, it wouldn’t be my turn to talk about it, so why humiliate myself?” I smirked, continuing my game without even looking up. It was wonderful to play my game in peace, undisturbed. Other relatives and friends looked down on me and didn’t want to talk to me at all. The more I played, the better I got. My hands felt incredible, my shots were precise, my strategies ingenious. I won every round, laughing all the way to the end. My stats were amazing! I skipped the banquet food and ordered a huge feast of my favorite extra-spicy Thai food, eating and watching variety shows, tears of laughter streaming down my face. As I was about to head back to my room for a good night’s sleep, I noticed several pairs of men’s designer shoes placed outside my door. “Audrey, you must be too insecure to approach those big bosses, right? I’ve already prepared gifts for them. Just give them these, and they’ll definitely be willing to share their business wisdom with you.” Serena linked her arm through mine. “Those few pairs of shoes cost two thousand dollars in total. Remember to transfer the money to my account. And an extra hundred dollars for my service fee, send that too.” She smiled, about to go back and chat with the men, but I spun around and piled all the shoe boxes in front of her. She stared at me, astonished, but my face remained utterly calm. “Who told you to prepare these for me? If you want to give gifts, give them yourself.” I’d always spoken softly to Serena, but today my voice was louder, my attitude harsher. She looked embarrassed, her face flushing with anger. “I spent two thousand dollars on these gifts to help you earn more money! What do you mean by returning them now? Even if I earn a lot, my money is still money, isn’t it? How can you be so wasteful?” I responded coldly, “Stop pretending to be a good person. I didn’t ask you to prepare anything for me. You wanted to buy these yourself, what does it have to do with me?” Serena looked at me, utterly desperate, her face a mix of shock and fury. Then, tears started dripping onto the floor, a picture of absolute heartbreak, sobbing uncontrollably. “I’ve always treated you like my sister-in-law, like family. Everything I do is for your own good. If you don’t appreciate it, fine, but to humiliate me in front of so many people? What is wrong with you?!” She collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, gasping for breath. Her pitiful display instantly made outsiders feel an overwhelming urge to protect her. Everyone glared at me, seething. Several wealthy young gentlemen from prominent families even looked like they wanted to rush forward and hit me. “Audrey! So this is how you usually bully your sister-in-law! You’re ugly and your heart is cruel. If I were Serena, I’d beat you to death! You must apologize to her immediately, and give her all your savings from these past years to cheer her up!” Their unbelievable thought process shattered my perception of reality. “She wants to buy and give you shoes? Fine, go ahead and give them. Why drag me into it? It has nothing to do with me.” Martha happened to walk out of the kitchen, carrying a steaming platter of pot roast. “Serena!” She rushed nervously to Serena’s side, quickly putting an arm around her shoulder to check on her, even calling an ambulance. Before leaving, Martha didn’t forget to glare at me, as if I were her sworn enemy.

“Audrey, I’m telling you, if Serena suffers severe psychological trauma, we won’t let you off the hook! Everyone here is a witness!” Relatives and friends pointed fingers at me. They were right, what if Serena fabricated false evidence to frame me? That wouldn’t be good! I immediately followed them into the ambulance. In the emergency room, Serena, looking pale, saw me engrossed in a book and assumed it was a business textbook. But then I flipped it over, showing her the cover, and she realized it was a graphic novel. Her face instantly contorted in a sneer. “Audrey, what is wrong with you? Aren’t you buried under a mountain of debt right now? You’re not trying to earn money, you’re here reading comics! Throw that thing away!” I nonchalantly glanced at her, then moved to a chair by the door to continue reading. Serena looked like she was about to explode. “Have you lost your mind?! Why are you acting so lazy and careless? You used to be so ambitious!” “Mom, why are you staring at me like that?” Martha’s hand, holding a spoon of porridge, froze mid-air. She looked utterly startled. “Serena, why do you have red spots on your neck? That’s strange.” Prompted by Martha, I also looked at her neck. Indeed, there were two or three small red spots, though not very noticeable. Serena’s face instantly drained of all color, looking deeply unhappy. Martha chuckled awkwardly. “Serena, don’t mind me. I just wanted to remind you that there are many mosquitoes at night. I’ll buy you a new electric mosquito repellent later. It’s all my fault, your window screen is broken, and I haven’t had anyone fix it yet.” The doctor reassured Serena that her examination showed no problems and she could go home directly. Martha, overjoyed, ordered Serena’s favorite platter of mixed seafood takeout, hoping it would cheer her up. I pouted, feeling annoyed. “Mom, why are you only concerned with making Serena happy? Just now, you thought I was bullying her, brought her to the hospital, and glared at me, giving me a bad attitude. My feelings are hurt too, so how are you going to cheer me up?” “If I hadn’t refused a dowry and brought my own, and if Mom and Dad hadn’t been helping Mark’s family all these years, his business wouldn’t be the size it is now. Are you trying to cut ties with us after you’ve crossed the bridge?” Martha flinched, then forced a strained smile against her true feelings. “Didn’t I just misunderstand you, Audrey? I know you’ve always been a good child, and I truly care about you. Don’t mind it, Mom apologizes to you.” Hilarious. Care about me? Would she push me to my doom if she truly cared? Honestly, for the first few years after I married into the Lewis family, I truly believed her when she said she’d treat me like her own daughter. “Mom, I really must thank you. You truly are different with me.” As Martha opened the delivery box of marinated seafood, I eagerly rushed over and, with my bare hands, started stuffing shrimp, crab, abalone, and clams into my mouth. Serena’s face went green with horror, and she frantically gave Martha a look, urging her to snatch the food away. But I was strong, and Martha couldn’t take anything back. I had already eaten it all. “Martha, I’m your daughter-in-law. I’ve given your family so much money. Are you really too stingy to even treat me to some takeout?” Seafood would only worsen my skin condition. Bring it on! Let’s go down together! The moment I stepped out of the hospital, I regained my composure. I hurried back to my own home, and as soon as I entered, I grabbed my parents’ hands. “Dad, Mom, Mark borrowed ten million from our family for his business before, didn’t he? Even though we have money, we can’t just let outsiders leech off us. If he wants to make money, he needs to learn to stand on his own two feet. I think we should get all that money back.” “You two always said Mark wasn’t good enough for me. It’s my fault for not listening to you back then. Now I see clearly. I’ll divorce him soon, and I’ll spend the rest of my life honoring you two at home.” My parents exchanged a look, tears welling up in their eyes, deeply moved. They let me move back home, tidying my room meticulously. I didn’t have to do any housework, could eat whatever I wanted, buy whatever I wanted. My family wasn’t short on money, and I didn’t need to earn any. “My sweet girl, as long as you’ve come to your senses, you’ll always be Dad and Mom’s little princess. We’ll do anything for you, unconditionally.” Dad stroked my head. “We only have one wish: we just want you to be happy.” A warm current surged through me, and my eyes welled up. As I lowered my head to wipe away my tears, I caught a glimpse of my arm. The red rashes seemed to have lessened, and they weren’t itching as much! The rumors that I had bullied Serena quickly spread through the family group chat. After Serena was discharged from the hospital, Mark even bought her an apartment, and she moved in directly.

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The night before my wedding, Christian’s charity student, Stella, was in trouble again. “Stella overdosed on sleeping pills. She just got rescued.” “Her parents are claiming that by taking her away, I ruined her reputation.” “If I don’t marry her, those monsters will marry her off to some local eccentric.” Christian leaned against my doorframe, lighting a cigarette. “You’re not very mobile, so having her stand in for you at the wedding would be good for you too.” “To avoid any suspicion, you can go abroad for a while. Think of it as a vacation.” The sharp pain of my nails digging into my palm jolted me back to reality. “Okay,” I whispered. The room was thick with cigarette smoke, making me cough. It had been a long time since I last saw Christian Hayes, my fiancé. The last time was a month ago, on my birthday. He was unusually happy, inviting a bunch of friends from his circle to celebrate with me. As I blew out my candles and made a wish, Stella accidentally knocked over my cake. The lit candles caught the blanket covering my legs on fire. My legs were burned, but it was Stella who looked terrified. She immediately dropped to her knees, her face contorted with fear. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Vance. It’s all my fault. I deserve to die. I shouldn’t even be here!” With that, she bowed her head repeatedly towards me, practically knocking it on the floor. “Ms. Vance, please forgive me! I truly have nowhere else to go if I leave the Hayes family. Please don’t kick me out, please…” Stella sobbed, her whole body trembling, looking utterly terrified. My friends, who were rushing to check my injury, were instantly distracted by her. “What’s going on?” “I heard Mr. Hayes’ fiancée doesn’t like this charity student. Looks like she’s been giving her a hard time.” “If you ask me, Ms. Vance should’ve taught her a lesson long ago. Always hovering around Christian, who knows what she’s really after.” … Christian, who had been kneeling beside me, worriedly checking my burns, looked up at me, bewildered. Then he stood up and walked decisively towards Stella. “Stella, no one blames you,” Christian gently comforted her. “I’m here. No one can make you leave.” He pulled Stella into a hug, and she buried her face in his chest, sobbing. The guests exchanged glances, wanting to say something but holding back. Finally, someone whispered a reminder. “Christian, Eleanor is still hurt.” Stella heard that and immediately lifted her head, her eyes wide with fresh panic. She pulled away from Christian’s embrace and stumbled back to kneel before me again. “Ms. Vance, it’s all my fault. Please don’t make things difficult for Christian.” “Whatever it takes to calm your anger, I’ll do it!” “I know you’ve always hated me, hated that I have normal legs…” “If it makes you feel better, I’m willing to burn my legs too!” Stella put on a pitiful display, looking at me, but I ignored her. She gritted her teeth and reached for a lighter on the table, as if to ignite it. “Enough!” Christian slapped the lighter out of Stella’s hand and pulled her back into his arms. “Eleanor Vance, do you have to drive her to her death to be satisfied?!” I, who had been startled and frozen in place, finally snapped back. “What?” “You know she’s studying dance, why would you want to burn her legs?!” “Stella has it hard enough already. It wasn’t on purpose. Is it really fun for you to target her like this?” “The accident back then wasn’t her fault, so how long are you going to hold a grudge?” Christian’s angry accusations felt alien to me. “I didn’t…” My defense was cut off before I could even utter it. “Ha, you just can’t dance anymore, so you can’t stand to see anyone else succeed.” “Eleanor Vance, you’re taking advantage of Stella’s dependent position, bullying her when I’m not around.” “But don’t forget, you’re not much better off than her.” I stared at Christian in disbelief. “I was the one who insisted on sponsoring Stella. If you have a problem, take it out on me, but don’t resort to such low tactics. It makes me sick.” With that, he didn’t spare me another glance, turning and carrying Stella upstairs. “Christian! Eleanor’s leg is still injured, and you’re just going to leave her like that?!” A friend jumped in to defend me, but Christian didn’t even turn his head. “What’s the act? How could a cripple’s leg have any feeling?” “Maria, take Ms. Vance back to her room. She’s not allowed to leave until Stella says she forgives her!”

My friends’ sympathetic glances didn’t linger for long. The second Maria took my wheelchair, Christian dismissed all the guests. Maria pushed me to my room, knelt down, and carefully treated my wound. “Ms. Vance, are you in pain?” she asked, tears splashing onto my leg. I shook my head. A cripple’s leg has no feeling, so even if it’s burned, what’s the big deal? But strangely, my numb legs were now throbbing with piercing pain. I lay in bed, tears soaking my pillow again and again. After what felt like an eternity, the accident from years ago resurfaced in my dreams. The country estate abroad held almost all my childhood joys. There, my parents didn’t have to work all day, and they had plenty of time to spend with me. We’d go on boat rides, fly kites, read books, and play the piano together. Before bed, I used to wish upon the brightest star in the night sky for our family to be happy forever. But the forest fire came so fast. So fast that I didn’t even get to see my parents one last time. The acrid smoke choked me, making it impossible to open my eyes, and the pain of the wooden beam crashing onto my legs made me pass out. When I woke up again, only those fake relatives stood by my side, along with a lawyer holding a will, waiting to read it. The memory of that day gradually blurred… I only remember the relatives getting furious and arguing when they realized they couldn’t get any benefits from me. “I’m his actual uncle! How dare that brat cut me out!” “All of it to just one little girl? We’re her true family! Why let someone named Hayes manage all this for her?” “They’re only giving us this much money to raise her?” “What a family disgrace! A true disgrace!” They argued, pushed each other, and shirked the responsibility of raising me. Until Christian pushed open the door. He roared, chasing away those greedy relatives, and held me tightly in his arms. “Don’t be scared, Ellie. If they won’t raise you, I will.” Tears slowly filled my empty eyes, and my fingers clenched tightly onto the hem of his shirt. Finally, I buried my face in his embrace, letting all my sadness and resentment pour out in tears. I could feel Christian’s body trembling. But he just choked out, repeating, “Don’t be scared, I’m here.”

Christian misunderstood. I should explain things clearly to him. That’s what I thought. But I waited in my room for one day, two days, a week, two weeks… He never showed up. “Dependent,” “cripple”—my mind started to wander. Christian had changed. He no longer cared about my pain. He no longer trusted me. In the constant anxiety that filled my days, something inside me slowly began to fade away. Finally, he came that day. But it was to replace me as his bride. “The wedding, I’ll make it up to you later. I’ll explain things to Mom and Dad.” “I’ll rent a nice place for you abroad and arrange for someone to take care of you.” “Stella’s life is already hard enough. Can’t you just try to understand…” Christian frowned, as if my refusal would be an unforgivable sin. “Okay,” I nodded, my calmness surprising even myself. Christian froze for a moment, seemingly not expecting me to agree so readily. His prepared lecture went unused. The acrid smoke made me cough again. Christian seemed to suddenly remember something and quickly snuffed out his cigarette. “I’m sorry, I’m just a little stressed.” For Stella, he’d been constantly stressed for Stella these past few years. Seeing no reaction from me, he explained again. “Ellie, since I decided to sponsor Stella, I have to be responsible for her life.” “Mhm.” “Living in an environment like that, she’s just so insecure.” “I swear, this is the last time I’ll help her. As soon as her family stops bothering her, I’ll cut ties with her immediately.” “Mhm.” “Once this is settled, we’ll get our marriage license.” “…” I didn’t respond to Christian’s words, just pressed a hand to my forehead. “I’m tired. Let’s talk about it tomorrow.” I turned my wheelchair around and pressed the call button by my bed. Maria walked in. “Mr. Hayes, please leave. Ms. Vance needs to rest.” Christian opened his mouth, a somewhat crestfallen expression on his face. “Okay, get some rest.” With that, he turned and left.

Mr. and Mrs. Hayes were my parents’ long-time best friends. They handled my parents’ funeral arrangements and took me in to live with them. From then on, they treated me like their own daughter. Mrs. Hayes once held my hand, smiling, and asked if I’d be willing to be her goddaughter. But Christian interrupted her, so flustered he could barely speak. From that moment, I knew clearly that my relationship with Christian was no longer ordinary. The Christian of the past was flamboyant, carefree, and never took anything seriously. But ever since my accident, he seemed to have become a different person. He voluntarily took on the responsibility of caring for my daily needs, even asking Mr. and Mrs. Hayes to let him drop a grade to study with me. Every morning, he would carry me to the car, and at school, he’d carry me into the classroom. He would carefully blow on my hot soup to cool it down, meticulously choose blankets to cover my legs, and push me around the track every evening to feel the breeze… Of course, he would also argue, even fight, with others who gossiped about me. He started learning how to take care of people, and he also started sitting alone, silent and withdrawn. I once saw him, in the early hours of the morning, secretly crying alone in his room. His love for me was known to everyone. So, how could I not love him? I couldn’t *not* love him. But ever since Stella came to this house, everything seemed to change. I still remember the first time I met Stella. That year, it was our senior year of high school, and everyone was under a lot of pressure. Christian and his friends planned a hiking trip. When he came back, he had Stella with him. The simply dressed girl shyly hid behind Christian, greeting me. “Hello, big sister.” Christian patiently explained Stella’s plight to me. She lived in a rural area, her father was an alcoholic and abusive, and her mother was passive. She’d only received compulsory education because the village insisted. In her teens, her parents planned to marry her off to a stranger to get money for her brother. Christian couldn’t bear it. He gave her parents a sum of money. He promised to sponsor Stella through college and then brought her home. “Ellie, I failed to protect you back then. Now, I can’t bear to see her fall into despair too.” Christian was wrong. I wasn’t the only one still holding a grudge about that accident.

Mr. and Mrs. Hayes were very busy, constantly traveling for work all over the world, so they rarely stayed at the house. Thinking that one more person might make the house feel livelier, I smiled and welcomed Stella in. At first, Stella was always cautious around the house. Christian kept her by his side every day, buying her new clothes, teaching her how to interact with people. Slowly, Stella’s smile grew, and Christian seemed happier too. So she would laugh and twirl, showing Christian her new dresses. She would pull Christian out for a run every morning. They’d meet up for walks on the track, their hands brushing casually. Though I was neglected more and more often, seeing Christian’s radiant smile, I didn’t feel much resentment. After all, I loved him. Despite all this, Stella’s daily clinging to Christian still drew dissatisfaction from those around us. “Who’s that freshman girl?” “I heard she’s Christian’s charity student.” “Why is she always glued to him? Doesn’t she know Christian has a girlfriend? No sense of boundaries at all!” “Exactly! Christian and Eleanor have been engaged since childhood. I heard their wedding date is set; they’re getting their marriage license right after college.” “She’s from a small town, what does she know? She probably just wants to latch onto Christian and skyrocket her life…” Everyone knew about my relationship with Christian, so naturally, they disliked Stella’s behavior and targeted her, sometimes subtly, sometimes overtly. Then, one bright morning, Stella ran into my classroom with red eyes and dropped to her knees in front of me. “Ms. Vance, I know I was wrong. Please stop spreading rumors that I’m a homewrecker.” “I won’t bother Christian anymore, please, please don’t let those people bully me anymore…” Before I could even process her nonsensical words, Christian, who was beside me, shot up. I rarely saw him get that angry, even angrier than the day he heard some delinquents jokingly call me a ‘cripple.’ He harshly warned everyone around us to stop spreading rumors, and even his gaze towards me held a chill. Stella’s crying grew even more heartbroken. “After being talked about like this, I can’t bear to stay here anymore!” With that, she ran out, crying. “Stella!” Christian immediately chased after her, frantic. As he left, he bumped my wheelchair, and I inexplicably felt a sharp pain. It turned out the pen he’d dropped had scratched my lower leg, and a string of bright red blood trickled down. For a moment, it wasn’t just my heart that ached. Christian no longer belonged to me. This thought crossed my mind for the first time.

That day, Christian and Stella didn’t show up until school let out. In the evening, a drizzle began to fall. Did Christian make it home? Did he get caught in the rain? I instinctively started to worry. I picked up my phone and called him, but it rang for a long time with no answer. Classmates gradually started heading home, their gazes towards me filled with a hint of pity. “Ellie, do you need a ride home?” Chloe, a girl I was usually friendly with, walked over and asked cautiously. It was a kind gesture, but I inexplicably twisted up inside. “No, thank you. My driver will pick me up.” I wore a polite smile. As if doing so could protect my ridiculous pride. As if doing so could hide the fact that Christian had abandoned me. But I was wrong. “Ms. Vance, I’m on my way to pick up Mr. Hayes now. Aren’t you two together?” “I’m sorry, it seems Stella had an accident. Mr. Hayes is in a hurry, so please wait at school for now.” The sky gradually darkened, and the school lights went out. The blanket on my legs couldn’t ward off the damp chill, and my body began to shiver slightly. The darkness made me uneasy. I started trying to push my wheelchair. Cold rainwater splashed on me, and a biting cold swept through. But I didn’t want to wait anymore. Was I so reliant on Christian that I couldn’t even get home without him? The wheelchair, slick with water, became incredibly difficult to move. The blanket on me, soaked through, felt heavy. I wanted to pick it up and throw it away. But the wheelchair suddenly slid, and I fell clumsily to the ground. “Ah!” I cried out in pain, trying to stand up, but my legs wouldn’t cooperate. “Eleanor Vance!” The girl I had refused returned and found me fallen in the schoolyard. I could no longer tell if it was tears or rain on my face… In the end, it was Chloe who took me home. “Oh, dear! Ms. Vance, what happened to you? Quick, get some hot water ready for Ms. Vance!” Maria anxiously picked me up and thanked the girl who had brought me home. But I just turned my head away, unable to utter a single word the entire time. By the time I had cleaned up the scrapes on my arms and face and was lying in bed, Christian and Stella finally came home. “Christian, I’m scared. Can you stay with me a little longer?” Stella’s tearful plea reached my ears, and I suddenly felt utterly disgusted. Maria spoke up to remind him, “Mr. Hayes, Ms. Vance is injured.” “Christian…” “If you’re hurt, rest up. I’m not a doctor.” Christian dropped that sentence and didn’t linger outside my door for another step. Even when it was later confirmed that those rumors about Stella hadn’t been spread by me, I never received an apology from Christian or Stella. “Didn’t I tell you to wait at school? Why did you have to act tough? You fell and hurt yourself like this…” “Stella is just a bit insecure. Her way of handling things is inappropriate, but try to understand her.” “Besides, if you were more tolerant towards her, would she have suspected you?” “Ellie, Stella has it hard enough. Do you really have to be so petty with her?” It felt like from that day on, I slowly lost all my emotions regarding Christian. No desire to question, no more jealousy.

A relationship bound by so-called gratitude felt utterly meaningless. Christian finally allowed me to leave my room. Maria was even happier than usual as she pushed me to get ready. “Mr. Hayes was just throwing a tantrum. How could he bear to keep you locked up in here every day?” “They’re about to get married, but he still acts like such a child.” “Today I told the kitchen to make several of Ms. Vance’s favorite dishes. You’ve gotten a bit thin these past few days…” When Maria pushed me into the dining room, Stella first looked at Christian in surprise. Seeing no reaction from him, she then stood up and intimately took my wheelchair from Maria. “I haven’t seen you in days, big sister. I missed you so much! Are you feeling better?” Truth be told, Stella and I weren’t very close. Her forced intimacy now just repulsed me. “Eat more, big sister. Look how thin you’ve gotten.” As she spoke, Stella kept putting food on my plate. Christian seemed pleased to see us getting along, teasing, “Why don’t I ever see you put food on my plate?” Stella feigned shyness. “Can’t you ever eat without talking?” I wasn’t in the mood to watch them flirt. I just wanted to finish my meal and leave. “Um, big sister.” Seeing me ignore her, Stella fidgeted and looked at me again. “Even though what happened last time wasn’t intentional on your part, I still don’t really want to see you.” I felt as if I’d heard the biggest joke. “So? You want to keep me locked in my room?” “Stella!” Christian snapped, his voice sharp. Stella’s eyes immediately welled up. “No, big sister, it’s just that it hurt me so much. Is it true that you still don’t like me? Christian, I’m scared…” “Ms. Reed.” I truly had no more strength to argue. “All the common areas in this house have cameras. Everyone knows how I usually treat you, whether I’ve ever mistreated or bullied you. You don’t need to put on an act for me.” Stella took a deep breath, looking at Christian in disbelief. Christian, too, frowned impatiently. Of course, he knew everything. He just didn’t want to explain for me, choosing to side with Stella unconditionally.

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