Author: Momo Chan

I had been loved and hated by my husband for five years. After our seventh breakup, he flaunted his new girlfriend at various high-profile events. I didn’t cry or make a scene. I just calmly observed the girl’s face, which was 90% similar to mine before the accident. The first breakup happened because that girl’s eyes resembled mine. The second breakup was due to her mouth being similar to mine. The third was because of her figure. I understood him. Gabriel was a perfectionist. He spent five whole years trying to recreate the pre-accident version of me. And this was the seventh time. He had managed to piece together my pre-accident appearance, but he could never piece together my shattered heart. I didn’t wait for Gabriel’s seventh attempt at reconciliation. I quietly disappeared from his world. But later, he knelt in a crowded square, begging me to give him one more chance. The light from Gabriel’s phone screen scattered in the bedroom as he watched a woman giving an acceptance speech. His gaze held an adoration he hadn’t even noticed himself. I turned over, catching a glimpse of the familiar necklace around her neck on the screen. It was the diamond necklace passed down through generations in my family, the proof of love I had once given to Gabriel with my own hands. Now, it was once again adorning another woman’s neck. Gabriel turned off the screen, his voice low and gentle: “Did I wake you?” I shook my head, pulling the covers down to bury my face further. Gabriel gently patted my back, a tender smile on his lips: “Go back to sleep, I’m here with you.” I knew his momentary tenderness wasn’t for me, just a lingering effect from earlier. He hated me. He hated that I had saved him, leaving behind a scarred, overmedicated version of myself with a changed figure. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, he couldn’t mask the disgust in his eyes when he looked at me. My hand touched the scars on my cheek. Burned by the fierce fire, uneven scars were etched into my skin. A bitter smile flickered across my numb heart. This was the seventh time. I was all too familiar with this routine. The unfamiliar perfume, the sudden departures in the middle of the night… In my hazy state, he removed his hand from my back and quietly left the bedroom. Standing on the balcony, he made a call. A clear, lively voice came through the phone, piercing my ears: “Gabriel, did you see my award ceremony?” He chuckled softly, his voice full of affection: “I did. That necklace suits you well.” His gentle laughter was like a thorny rose vine, strangling my heart while its thorns pierced deep. Soft laughter echoed from the other end of the line as well. It turns out that this kind of pain, even after experiencing it so many times, doesn’t completely numb you. It still stings. By the time the pillow had lost its warmth, he finally bid Tessa goodnight, reluctantly. His hand, chilled by the night breeze, brushed my hair aside. He lay back down, holding me a bit tighter than before. I heard him murmuring: “Aria, I love you so much, so so much…” The love he professed over and over didn’t seem directed at me. It was as if he was weaving a cage to trap my heart, stripping away my last shred of dignity and self-respect. I slowly opened my eyes: “I love you too, very very much.” But I want to give up now. Gabriel smiled and lowered his head slightly, holding me tighter. I heard my own voice, tired and hoarse: “Gabriel, can I have a goodnight kiss?” Even though I knew it was too much to ask, I still couldn’t help but clutch his collar in the darkness. If only Gabriel would give me just one kiss, I’d be willing to wait for him one more time. Even if I knew it was fake, even if, even if a kiss didn’t mean anything. But please, Gabriel. Don’t let my heart die so quickly. Gabriel just smiled and let go of me, ruffling my hair: “I have to go to the office for some overtime work. Wait for me to come back, okay?” My fingers, which had been gripping his collar, loosened helplessly. In the darkness, he couldn’t see my tears. I listened to the door close and the car start up and drive away downstairs. Gabriel, I think I can’t find a reason to keep loving you anymore. I’m too tired.

When I woke up again, the pillow was still damp. The trending topics on my phone were all about Tessa Taylor winning the Best Actress award. The title of “Little Aria Moore” was no longer mentioned by anyone. Similarly, no one would mention the name Aria Moore anymore. Gabriel, who had gone to work overtime last night, unsurprisingly appeared at the wrap party for the little girl’s new drama. Photos of them with their faces close together, making heart shapes with their hands, or kissing with just a piece of paper between them – these ambiguous poses were nothing new. Gabriel would always do this, openly displaying his love. As for me, his secret wife who had been divorced seven times, no one cared anymore. I caressed the screen, looking at Tessa’s face that was 90% similar to my past self, and couldn’t help but sigh. If my face hadn’t been burned, perhaps I could have had a shot at that Best Actress crown too. But now, I’ll never have that chance again. Do I regret it? Not really. No matter how many times I could go back, I would still rush into that fire without hesitation to drag Gabriel out, shielding him with my body during the explosion. But if you ask me if I have absolutely no regrets, that would be a lie. At least everything will be over soon. At the hospital, I still asked the same old question: “Is there really no chance for my face to recover?” “I’ve already had skin grafts, but there are still scars…” The doctor’s brow furrowed as he listened to me ramble on about the current defects on my face. Skin, eye size, symmetry of the left and right sides of the face, eyebrows… Finally, after a long silence, the doctor adjusted his glasses: “Miss Moore, I understand how you feel, but the chances of recovery are very slim now…” “You might need to visit the psychology department to help alleviate some of your psychological stress.” I was stunned. I hadn’t expected the doctor to say something like that. The doctor turned the mirror towards me, and I instinctively averted my gaze, not daring to look at the scars on my body. I fled from the office like I was escaping. As I was going downstairs, I bumped into Gabriel with his arm around Tessa’s waist on the second floor of the obstetrics and gynecology department. I touched my abdomen and met Gabriel’s gaze. Once upon a time, Gabriel and I had a child too. The fire that took away my beauty also robbed me of my right to be a mother. Gabriel calmly shifted his gaze, as if he had seen a stranger of no importance. Tears welled up in my eyes. I could only silently pull my hat down further, blocking my view. Tessa, supported by Gabriel, walked into the elevator and stood next to me. I tried my best to lean into the corner, listening to the two of them flirting back and forth. The sweetness in Tessa’s voice was almost overflowing: “The doctor said our baby is very healthy. What should we name it when it’s born?” Gabriel replied without hesitation: “Let’s call it Miles. When he grows up, he’ll go far. Miles Harrison.” I widened my eyes in shock and looked over at him. This name was clearly the one I had chosen for our unborn child back then. Now, it was to be given to another child. I bit my lip, trying hard to hold back my tears. Tessa’s gaze flickered between me and him, a smile playing on her lips: “Are you here for a prenatal check-up too, sister?” She turned towards me, taking my hand and placing it on her still-flat abdomen. It was warm, with no movement yet, but enough to make me envious. Suddenly, Tessa let out a sharp scream, yanking my hand away and shrinking into Gabriel’s arms: “How could you be so cruel as to press on my belly!” “Just because you’re jealous that I’m having a baby doesn’t mean you can hurt me like this. This is the most precious child of me and my husband.” I was startled for a moment, staring blankly at Gabriel: “No… I didn’t…” He frowned, his expression barely concealing his anger as he held Tessa protectively in his arms. Tessa burst into tears almost instantly, burying her face in Gabriel’s chest. Gabriel forcefully pressed the button for the nearest floor, glaring at me ominously. His voice turned cold and distant: “A vicious woman like you doesn’t deserve to have her own child.” Something in my heart seemed to collapse with a crash. I didn’t even notice when Gabriel left, shielding the young woman. It wasn’t until I got home that I received a text from Gabriel: [Sorry, I was a bit out of line earlier.] [Things aren’t what you think. I’ll explain when I get back.] My fingers were still trembling, my heart felt squeezed and breathless, the jumping text before my eyes appeared blurred, soaked by tears. In the end, I didn’t reply to the message. What does it matter if Gabriel dates his current girlfriend or goes for prenatal check-ups? What does it have to do with me, his ex-wife? The house was eerily quiet, endless loneliness engulfing me. It wasn’t until late at night that Gabriel returned, startled when he turned on the lights and saw me. He handed me a sickeningly sweet cream cake, his voice gentle and concerned: “I bought you a little treat.” I stared at the cake in my hand, stunned for a moment. He had forgotten that ever since my figure changed, cake was the thing I hated most. It was also something he had never cared about. “Why aren’t you asleep yet? Still angry?” Gabriel picked me up and carried me to the bed, his voice low and gentle, once again becoming my attentive husband. I no longer had the energy to answer him, pulling the covers over myself and mumbling a perfunctory ‘no’. He lowered his head and kissed the tip of my ear in the darkness: “Goodnight.”

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When I opened my eyes, I found myself kneeling in Ethan’s study. Memories from my past life came flooding back like a tidal wave. The bullet I took for him, his cold smirk as he held his mistress and said “Finally, some peace and quiet” as I lay dying, and the urn of ashes that no one claimed at my cremation. “Sign the divorce papers,” Ethan demanded, tossing the documents in my face. It was the exact same scene from my previous life, but he looked a decade younger now. I lowered my head and chuckled softly, the pen making a decisive arc across the paper. This time, I wouldn’t wait for his driver to run me over before I found my freedom. “Mr. Greene,” I said, pushing the agreement back towards him. I stood up, meeting his shocked gaze. “This time, I’ll be the one to leave you first.” As I turned to go, he suddenly grabbed my wrist with surprising force. “Olivia, what are you—” I pried his fingers off one by one. The touch I had begged for on my knees in my past life now only made me sick. Thunder crashed outside, illuminating the unfamiliar panic in his eyes. How ironic. The glance I would have died for in my previous life came so easily now that I’d been given a second chance.

I strode out of the conference room on the top floor of Greene Enterprises. The floor-to-ceiling windows offered a view of the entire city’s twinkling lights. The pen I’d used to sign the divorce papers was still warm in my hand, the ink barely dry. Ethan sat at the far end of the long table, his long fingers drumming restlessly on the surface as he frowned. “Are you sure about this?” he asked in a low voice, with a hint of hesitation I’d never heard before. I calmly closed the folder, my fingertips trailing over the embossed cover. In my past life, I had knelt right here, begging him for another chance. All I got in return was his look of disgust and the cold words, “Stop embarrassing yourself.” “Absolutely certain,” I said, rising to my feet with a smile. My heels clicked sharply against the marble floor. “Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted, Mr. Greene? For me to disappear?” His pupils constricted as he gripped the armrests of his chair. I turned towards the door, but just as I grasped the handle, I heard a chair topple over behind me. “Wait!” Ethan rushed over, his breathing ragged. He reached out as if to grab my wrist, but froze mid-motion. This man, who in my past life wouldn’t even let me touch his sleeve without recoiling, now had a hint of panic in his eyes. “Where…” he swallowed hard. “Where are you going?” I tilted my head, studying him. Suddenly, I found it amusing. In my previous life, he never spared a glance for the dinners I carefully prepared each night. Now he cared about my whereabouts? “To register my own company,” I replied cheerfully. “I’m going to be Greene Enterprises’ newest competitor.” The color drained from his face. I took the opportunity to pull open the conference room door. The secretaries outside immediately lowered their heads, pretending to be busy. Only my assistant Emma hurried over, handing me a file folder. “Ms. Carter, Mr. Zhang from Prosperity Investments has scheduled a meeting with you tomorrow at 10 AM,” she announced loudly. “He says he’s very interested in our new renewable energy project.” I caught Ethan’s head snapping around in my peripheral vision. Feeling pleased, I patted Emma’s shoulder. “Well done.” As the elevator doors closed, I glimpsed Ethan rushing out. His tie was askew and his hair disheveled, a far cry from his usual polished executive look. In my past life, I had loved him so much I was willing to die for him. Now I only felt a bitter irony. In the basement parking garage, my new car was already waiting. A flashy red sports car, completely different from the old sedan he had complained was “too ostentatious” in my previous life. “Take me to Blue Water Bay,” I instructed the driver. It was a villa I had purchased just last week, in a location Ethan knew nothing about. As we pulled out of the underground garage, my phone started buzzing incessantly. Ethan’s name flashed on the screen over and over. I simply turned the device off. Under the night sky, the city’s neon lights streamed past the car windows like flowing water. I opened the window, letting the night breeze blow away the stuffiness in my chest. The scene from my deathbed in my previous life flashed before my eyes again. The harsh white hospital lights, the shrill beeping of the monitors. And Ethan’s smile as he held Sophia, saying “Finally free” with a smirk. My phone suddenly lit up again with a text from an unknown number: “Since when did you start drinking black coffee?” I stared at the seemingly random message, a chill running down my spine. In my past life, I had always pretended to like lattes just like Ethan did, to please him. In this life, I had been drinking only black coffee since the day I was reborn. And the only person who knew about this habit was… Another text popped up: “Last night I dreamed you died.” My fingers trembled uncontrollably. In the distance, the lights on the top floor of Greene Tower were still blazing, like a watchful eye.

I clutched my phone tightly, my knuckles turning white. “Turn around,” I ordered the driver, my voice unnaturally calm. “Back to Harmony Gardens.” That was Ethan’s private villa, a place I never had the privilege of entering in my past life. But this time, I needed to confirm something in person. Had he been reborn too? As the car entered the gated community, rain began pelting the windshield. I had the driver stop by the curb and walked alone towards the familiar building, umbrella in hand. The roses in the garden were in full bloom – the ones I had secretly planted in my past life but never dared to claim credit for. After the third ring of the doorbell, Ethan answered the door himself. His shirt collar was wide open, his hair a mess and dripping wet. He clutched a half-empty bottle of whiskey. The moment he saw me, the bottle crashed to the floor with a loud “thud”, amber liquid seeping into the carpet. “You really came,” he said hoarsely, his eyes swirling with emotions I had never seen before. “Just like in the dream…” Rainwater slid down the umbrella ribs, forming a transparent curtain between us. I met his gaze steadily. “You dreamed I died?” He suddenly gripped my shoulders, his fingers digging in painfully: “It wasn’t just a dream! I remember every second – you jumping in front of the bullet, your blood splattering on my face…” His voice began to shake. “I remember holding Sophia and saying… saying…” “That you were finally free,” I finished calmly, watching the color drain from his face. “So you’ve been reborn too.” Those words seemed to flip a switch. Ethan suddenly collapsed to his knees on the wet ground. The rain soaked through his shirt, outlining his gaunt frame. The ever-lofty Mr. Greene from my past life now looked as wretched as a beggar. “Olivia, I—” “Shut up.” I took a step back, the umbrella rim blocking his pleading gaze. “Ethan Greene, did you think being reborn was your chance for redemption?” Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating his ashen face. I leaned down close to his ear and whispered: “No. This is my chance for revenge.” As I turned to leave, he lunged forward and clung to my legs: “At least tell me, that bullet…” “Didn’t hit any vital organs,” I said, shaking off his hands. “But you had the hospital withdraw my life support.” His wails were drowned out by a clap of thunder. I walked towards the waiting car in the rain, never looking back. My phone lit up then with a message from my assistant: “Ms. Carter, we’ve confirmed that Sophia started transferring Greene Corp funds to offshore accounts last month.” I smirked. Look, Ethan. The woman you protected with your life in the past is already preparing to betray you. And this time, I’ll personally send you both to hell.

I sat in the car, raindrops blurring the windows. Ethan’s figure grew smaller in the rain, eventually disappearing from view. The driver glanced at me cautiously in the rearview mirror. “Where to now, Ms. Carter?” “The office,” I said, scrolling through the files my assistant had sent. A cold smile played on my lips. “And set up a meeting with Sophia for me.” At 2 AM, the lights in my office were still on. On the computer screen: Sophia’s bank statements for the past three months, photos of her secret meetings, even email exchanges with Greene Corp’s competitors – everything was laid out clearly before me. This woman who had caused my miserable death in my past life was now walking step by step into the trap I had set. “Ms. Carter, Miss Evans has arrived,” my assistant knocked and announced. I closed my laptop and looked up towards the door. Sophia wore a white sundress, her makeup impeccable, her eyes carrying that same air of innocence and vulnerability as always. She bit her lower lip, timidly speaking up: “Olivia, you wanted to see me?” In my past life, it was this exact damsel-in-distress act that had Ethan wrapped around her finger. I smiled faintly, gesturing for her to sit. “I hear you and Ethan have been getting quite close lately?” A flash of pride crossed her eyes before she quickly concealed it. “Ethan just… looks out for me, that’s all.” “Is that so?” I slid a folder across the desk to her. “Then do you know he’s been investigating your transfer of company funds?” The color drained from Sophia’s face in an instant. She abruptly stood up, her chair scraping harshly against the floor. “What are you talking about?!” I calmly flipped open the folder, my finger tapping on the numbers: “Thirty million, transferred to offshore accounts. What do you think Ethan’s reaction would be if he found out?” Her fingers clutched her skirt tightly, knuckles turning white. “What… what do you want?” I stood up, looking down at her: “It’s simple,” I said softly. “I want you to continue.” Three days later, Greene Enterprises’ stock price plummeted. Following my plan, Sophia frantically cashed out Greene Corp assets, even going so far as to forge Ethan’s signature. Meanwhile, Ethan, the man who had been so cold and heartless in my past life, was now frantically searching for me like a madman. My phone was flooded with his calls, his car perpetually parked outside my office building. He even started sending flowers to my office every day, with cards that simply read “I’m sorry.” Too little, too late. “Ms. Carter, Greene Corp has applied for emergency loans from the banks,” my assistant reported. “But regarding Sophia…” “Keep going,” I said, not looking up as I signed documents. “Have her transfer that final sum as well.” My assistant hesitated for a moment: “But… if Greene Corp really goes bankrupt, the shares you still hold…” I chuckled softly: “Who cares about that bit of money?” What I wanted was for Ethan to lose everything. Just like I had in my past life. A month later, Greene Enterprises officially announced the breakdown of its capital chain. I stood in a coffee shop across from Greene Tower, watching as Ethan was surrounded by reporters. He had lost a lot of weight, his suit hanging loosely on his frame, dark circles prominent under his eyes. A reporter asked sharply: “Mr. Greene, we’ve heard this crisis is related to your fiancée, Sophia Evans?” Ethan’s head snapped up, his gaze fierce: “She is not my fiancée.” “Then was your divorce from Olivia Carter also for Miss Evans’ sake?” His expression crumbled instantly. I set down my coffee cup and turned to leave. Suddenly, a commotion broke out behind me, followed by Ethan’s heart-wrenching cry: “Olivia!” I didn’t look back. It started to rain. I opened my umbrella and walked into the crowd. In this life, I had finally learned to leave without a backward glance.

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Aria’s life takes an unexpected turn when her twin sister Luna marries into wealth and they both become pregnant at the same time. But when Luna gives birth to a daughter with a congenital heart defect, she secretly switches the babies. Years later, Luna’s daughter grows up to be spoiled and unsuccessful, while the child Aria raised excels in both academics and career. As Aria travels the world and enjoys a fulfilling life, Luna’s jealousy reaches a boiling point. It’s only then that Aria discovers the truth about the baby switch. Before Aria can explain, Luna, driven mad with envy, stabs her through the heart. When Aria opens her eyes again, they’ve both returned to the day the children were born. This time, Luna fiercely guards her own daughter, refusing to let anyone near her. Aria can only smile coldly. Little does Luna know that in the previous life, her daughter had died of heart failure at just ten years old… Luna had trouble producing enough breast milk. Our mom, always favoring her, eagerly brought me over to nurse the baby as soon as she was out of the incubator. But Luna screamed hysterically: “Aria, get out of here!” She hurled various items at me, including a bottle that broke against my head. Blood trickled down my temple. I retreated behind the door, wincing in pain, my expression darkening. Mom rushed forward and grabbed Luna’s arm. “What’s going on? Did Aria do something wrong?” Luna glared at me with bloodshot eyes, as if I were her mortal enemy. She snarled through gritted teeth: “She’s trying to steal my baby!” “Daisy is my daughter! No one can take her away! She’s a kidnapper, I’m calling the police!” Her eyes were filled with hatred. For a moment, her face overlapped with the twisted, terrifying expression of the Luna who had killed me in my previous life. A chill ran down my spine as I suddenly realized – I wasn’t the only one who had been reborn. So had she. But in the previous life, she was the one who switched the babies, not me! How dare she call me a kidnapper? Ridiculous! Luna and I are twins, but our mom has always favored her. For the first thirty years of her life, everything went smoothly for Luna. After graduating from a mediocre college, she married into an elite family and gave birth to an adorable daughter, living a happy and prosperous life. Meanwhile, I had a child with a congenital heart defect and spent all my savings seeking medical treatment. Who would have thought that later on, the elite family Luna married into would go bankrupt? Without a substantial family fortune to rely on, her child grew up to be spoiled and incompetent. Soon, mother and daughter ended up homeless, forced to scavenge for food. My child, on the other hand, was raised well by me. She graduated from a top university, excelled in her career, and with the wealth I had diligently saved, we quickly acquired several villas and even opened our own studio. While Luna was picking through garbage, I was traveling the world. On my 40th birthday, Luna suddenly burst in, wielding a weapon and lunging at me with eyes full of hatred. She stabbed me viciously several times, then turned to my daughter with a pained expression: “Sweetheart, I’m your real mother! I’m your real mother! How could you not recognize me?” It was only then that I learned the truth – years ago, Luna had switched our babies out of fear of being cast aside by her wealthy in-laws! The spoiled child she raised was actually mine, while the one with the heart condition was her own daughter! Luna plunged the knife into my heart, her eyes wild with madness: “Aria, you stole my life! All of this should have been mine!” Her twisted expression merged with the Luna before me now. I laughed coldly inside, but kept my face expressionless. “Forget it, Mom,” I said. “If Luna doesn’t want me to nurse the baby, there’s no point in pushing it. I’ll leave.” As I turned to go, I heard Luna let out a sigh of relief. She probably thought her happiness was within reach now. After all, in the previous life, her daughter had grown up to be obedient, talented, and filial. All Luna had to do was enjoy the fruits of my labor. But little did she know… That true heiress had died of heart failure at just ten years old. The girl who came after was a child I had adopted from an orphanage after the real Daisy passed away.

Holding my biological child, my heart melted completely. In my previous life, Luna had turned her into a complete hellion – not only was she unfilial to her parents, but she even did all sorts of terrible things to make money, with no regard for her own dignity. She ended up in prison. By then I was already dead, floating in the air, watching her fate unfold with unbearable heartache. Given a second chance at life, I was determined to give her all the love and valuable education she deserved. She suckled contentedly, looking adorable and innocent. It was hard to imagine how Luna had managed to raise such a sweet girl into the mess she became later on. As I was lulling her to sleep, a commotion suddenly erupted outside. Luna was staying in a private room not far from mine. It should have been quiet, but now it was in an uproar. I went to take a look and saw that it was Luna’s wealthy in-laws, the Ling family. Mrs. Ling was looking at the quiet baby girl on the bed with obvious disgust. “Luna dear, does your family have a history of genetic disorders?” she asked. “Otherwise how could the baby be born with a congenital heart defect?” Mr. Ling didn’t even bother to show his face. Jack, Luna’s husband, had a conflicted expression. After some hesitation, he spoke up: “Luna, even if we can keep the child alive for now, we can’t protect her forever. I think it would be better if we had another baby…” Luna’s face turned ashen as she glared furiously at Jack. “What are you saying? Are you suggesting we give up on this child? You want to kill your own daughter!” Jack’s expression also darkened. “Can’t you be more sensible? It’s bad enough she’s a girl, but she also has a terminal illness!” Mrs. Ling chimed in with a nasty tone: “Neither our Ling family nor your Shao family has any history of genetic disorders. Who knows why this child was born with this condition!” Luna trembled with rage as she grasped the cruel implication behind those words. Standing at the doorway, I couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. Luna only saw the comfortable life I enjoyed later on. How could she know the efforts I had made to raise that child to ten years old? To treat the child’s illness, I not only spent all my savings but also suffered my husband’s betrayal. In the end, I could only take her north and south by myself, spending day and night waiting outside hospitals, eating steamed buns and drinking cold water, enduring all kinds of hardships with the sky as my blanket and the earth as my bed. But Luna couldn’t see any of that! She only wanted to reap the rewards – how ridiculous! In the end, Luna’s insistence was met with a slap across the face from Jack. Jack exploded in anger: “Our Ling family can’t afford to lose face like this. If you insist on keeping this child, then let’s get a divorce!” To my surprise, Luna actually stood her ground, tilting her chin defiantly: “Fine, let’s get divorced!” Her eyes glinted calculatingly: “Your Ling family won’t last much longer anyway. I’d rather not be associated with you anymore!” I laughed to myself. So Luna’s rare moment of backbone was just a ploy to abandon a sinking ship.

On the day of discharge, my soon-to-be ex-husband Jack came to pick us up. To my disbelief, before my personal belongings were even loaded, my mom had already put Luna’s things in the trunk. Even Jack was being overly attentive: “Luna, you get in first. The wind is strong, don’t catch a chill.” Looking at this man before me, I felt nothing but disgust. I couldn’t help but laugh coldly: “What’s the meaning of this?” My mom, noticing my expression, hurriedly came over to take my suitcase. “Oh, look at my memory! I forgot to tell you!” she said. “You see, your sister has decided to divorce the Ling family for some reason. You know she got married right after graduation and doesn’t have a job or anywhere to go. So I thought, why not let Luna stay at your place for now!” Luna sat in the car, smiling at me: “Aria, I’m still recovering from childbirth. You wouldn’t refuse me, would you?” The two of them were trying to emotionally blackmail me. However, my heart had been hardened by the despair of my previous life. I immediately shook my head firmly: “No, I don’t agree.” My mom’s face fell, but before she could say anything, Jack spoke up: “Aria, how can you be like this?” “Postpartum recovery is so important for women. I know you’ve never liked your sister, but you can’t joke around with her health!” Jack said with a disappointed look. “I always thought you were a kind girl. Who would have thought you couldn’t even accommodate your own twin sister…” Looking at his disgusting face, I couldn’t help but recall my previous life. When I was taking our child around seeking medical treatment, he was fooling around with his assistant. After divorcing me, he married that assistant just two months later. In the years that followed, although he and his mistress didn’t become extremely wealthy, they lived a comfortable middle-class life without facing any real consequences. Given a second chance at life, I was determined not to let him off so easily. An idea struck me. Instead of refusing outright, I said: “If you want to stay at my place, that’s fine. But the rent is $2000 a month, not a penny less.” Luna’s face changed: “You’re taking advantage of the situation!” My mom pulled her aside: “It’s fine, she’s just being stubborn. She won’t really make you pay. Let’s move in first and figure it out later. Don’t argue with her.” Luna gave me a dirty look before sitting down to comfort her fussy daughter. I named my biological daughter Sunny, completely different from her name in the previous life. When Luna heard the baby was called Sunny, she was taken aback: “How come? Shouldn’t your child be called…” She caught herself mid-sentence and coughed, swallowing the rest of her words. But the suspicious look she gave me spoke volumes. I accepted her scrutiny openly. Even if she knew I had been reborn, so what? This time, I hadn’t interfered with her choices at all! Her child was still called Daisy, though the surname had changed from Zhou to Shao. And I remembered that Daisy’s first health crisis in my previous life was about to happen right on schedule. Although, the circumstances were subtly different from what had happened before.

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When I accompanied Lucas to a party, my entire body suddenly broke out in an allergic reaction. As the itching intensified, red rashes appeared on my exposed skin, spreading to my cheeks. “Sis-in-law, did you use some cheap makeup? Your face is swelling up like a balloon,” someone sneered. “How did Lucas end up with a girlfriend like this? So embarrassing.” “That dress you’re wearing costs a fortune. Can you afford to ruin it by scratching?” Amidst the mocking voices, I panicked, not knowing what to do. Lucas smiled and quieted everyone down. He took out a pill and said to me: “It’s an April Fool’s Day party. You won’t get mad at a little joke, right?” Later, I realized the truth. For three years of our relationship, I was nothing but a toy for Lucas and his friends to fool around with. But Lucas, I only fooled you once. Why are you crying your eyes out now? 0 “Here’s some allergy medicine. Take it quickly.” But even after taking the pill, my symptoms didn’t improve at all. I had no choice but to go to a nearby clinic alone. When I came back to return the dress, I heard an explosion of laughter from inside. “I’m dying of laughter! Her face was so swollen but she just kept enduring it.” On the big screen inside, they were playing a video of my swollen face after the allergic reaction. Lucas was at the center of the crowd, holding a wine glass with a smile on his lips. Someone beside him was laughing and counting on their fingers: “How many times have we successfully pranked her now?” “The first time, we tricked her into waiting for Lucas on the mountaintop. She stood in the cold wind all night, and we nearly scared her to death with our fake wolf howls. She ended up with a 104-degree fever the next day.” “The second time, we lied that Lucas needed a blood transfusion for a stomach hemorrhage. She stupidly donated 800cc of blood, which I resold on the black market.” “The third time, we framed her for stealing Bella’s necklace. Not only did she lose her scholarship, but it was hilarious watching her desperately search for evidence to prove her innocence.” “Including this time, it’s been 97 times, right?” “Just three more times and we can wrap this up perfectly. It’s been fun playing with her for three years. I’ll almost miss it. Poor Lucas though, having to be her boyfriend for three years.” “Well, who told her to mess with Bella? If it weren’t for her last-minute submission, Bella would have been accepted as Master Johnson’s final student. Lucas has doted on Bella since childhood. How could he watch her suffer such an injustice? It just happened to be April Fool’s Day, so we planned 100 pranks. Too bad it’s ending after only three years.” I staggered away from the banquet hall. Those words were like chains, tightly constricting my heart, making it hard to breathe. Five years ago, it was love at first sight for me. After two years of secretly liking him, I had barely managed to become a familiar face to him. But three years ago, at the apprenticeship ceremony, Lucas suddenly confessed to me. With my heart pounding like a drum, I couldn’t refuse his kiss. But it turns out there was never any mutual attraction. This was all his long-planned revenge. For the sake of another girl – the one he truly loved. My body was still itchy. The doctor had warned me earlier that there might be a problem with the fabric of the dress. But I still thought I was just being too delicate, not worthy of wearing such a nice outfit. When I got home to shower, I found that I had scratched my entire body raw. As the water hit me, it stung and itched. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I bit my lip, telling myself: “Don’t cry, don’t cry.” After the shower, I saw that Lucas had just called: “Are you home? I’m not coming back tonight. Had too much to drink.” I made a sound of acknowledgment, and then I heard someone on the other end of the line calling him: “Lucas, Bella’s looking for you. Hurry up.” The call was abruptly disconnected. I laughed bitterly at myself. He didn’t even bother to ask how I was doing. I opened my contacts and called Master Johnson: “Master, I’ve made a decision about studying abroad.” “I want to go.” Not long ago, my mentor had specially reserved a spot for me to study abroad, but I had been reluctant to leave Lucas and kept putting it off. I had even considered giving up this opportunity. But now, I was grateful for this “joke”. It allowed me to see everything clearly. “Sophia, are you sure? This study abroad program will take you away for three years. If you perform exceptionally well, it might even be extended.” “Master, I’ve made up my mind,” I said firmly, wiping away my tears. “I won’t regret it.” 0

“Alright, alright.” Master Johnson sounded very pleased on the other end. “Then you should let your boyfriend know. You love him so much.” Boyfriend? Did Lucas ever truly consider himself my boyfriend? “Master, I don’t love him anymore.” In my mind’s eye, I could still see Lucas sitting in the middle of that group, watching my embarrassing moment on the big screen with a carefree smile. Those mockeries and pranks were like sharp knives stabbing into my heart. Forced to play the fool for three years, now that I’ve woken up from this dream, I sobbed and said: “I will never love him again.” It wasn’t until I started packing that I realized just how many memories could accumulate in three years. The most prominent Polaroid on the fridge was from the day we got together. Lucas chose to confess his love on the eve of April Fool’s Day. He said he was afraid that if he waited any longer, I might take his sincerity as a joke. When I nodded and he embraced me, it had just turned midnight. So, were all those vows of love and eternity planned lies from the very beginning? My phone buzzed. Someone in the group chat asked: “Are we letting her off so easily today? There are only a few hours left until midnight. Shouldn’t we play one more prank?” “We’d have to lure her out first. We’ve already used the ‘Lucas has a stomach hemorrhage’ trick before.” “You’ve all seen that bracelet Lucas wears, right? The one Sophia gave him. Apparently, it was her mother’s keepsake.” My hand holding the phone started to shake. “Shit, you sent that to the wrong group!” “Crap, Sophia’s in this chat too.” After a series of message retractions, the group fell silent. Ten minutes later, my phone rang. Jack frantically said: “Sophia, come quickly! Lucas is in the swimming pool and won’t come out because of some bracelet.” “None of us can persuade him. You’re our only hope.” That bracelet had been passed down for generations in my family. My mother had put it on my wrist on her deathbed. “Sophia, don’t cry. This will keep you company in my place from now on.” I never intended to give the bracelet to Lucas. It was Jack who said in front of everyone: “Lucas has given you so many luxury gifts, but you’ve never given him anything decent in return.” “Sophia, are you just playing with Lucas?” I tried to explain, but I couldn’t be heard over their jeering voices. The truth was, I had given him quite a few gifts within my means. But in Lucas’s circle, even a keychain could cost thousands of dollars. At that time, Lucas kept a stern face. It was Bella who spoke up, pointing at my wrist and saying the bracelet meant a lot to me. “Why don’t you give it to Lucas?” “For a gift, the thought matters more than the price.” I stammered, “This is from my mom…” Lucas’s eyes, which had briefly lit up, suddenly darkened. He threw his wine glass to the ground. Someone pushed me from behind. I suddenly found myself kneeling in front of Lucas, allowing him to take the bracelet from my wrist. … When I got out of the car and returned to the banquet hall, I felt like my entire body had turned cold. I hated myself so much. Hated how weak and stupid I had been back then. I regretted it so much. Regretted being blinded by love and constantly lowering my standards. Even though I knew this was another trap. I had no choice but to come. 0

“Sis-in-law, you’re finally here!” “Lucas passed out, but we still can’t find the bracelet. What should we do…” I showed no emotion as I reached out to touch the pool. The members-only high-end club had a temperature-controlled pool 365 days a year, but now the water felt as cold as ice. Jack explained that the club’s temperature control system had coincidentally malfunctioned. I could see the malice hidden in his eyes. I nodded slightly, having noticed the phone he kept clutching in his hand. Before coming, I had already put on a swimsuit underneath. After a few laps in the pool, I indeed found the bracelet near the drain. But just as I retrieved the bracelet and was about to climb out, someone stepped on my hand. I jerked my hand away in pain, and a figure screamed as they fell into the water. Caught off guard, I was suddenly pushed underwater. Water rushed into my nose and mouth, nearly suffocating me. Before I lost consciousness, I vaguely saw someone jump into the water, swimming in the opposite direction from me. Perhaps it was my strong survival instinct, but at the last moment, I managed to grab onto the pool’s edge. As I surfaced, someone grabbed my arm and pulled me onto the deck. Lucas was holding Bella in his arms. He slapped me across the face: “Sophia, do you realize you almost killed Bella!” “It’s my fault the bracelet was lost, but why did you try to hurt Bella!” I lay on the ground, coughing and retching. My ears were ringing so loudly that his angry words seemed distant. Lucas handed Bella to Jack. With red eyes, he grabbed my neck: “Stop pretending. If anything happens to Bella today, I’ll make you pay with your life!” Seeing that I was still clutching the bracelet tightly, he snatched it away. I hugged his legs, sobbing and pleading through my coughs: “Please, don’t!” His expression was ice-cold: “This is your punishment.” With a forceful tug, he broke the bracelet into two pieces. “Lucas, don’t blame Sophia. She was just embarrassed about what happened at the party and wanted to get back at me a little.” “We’re both women, I can understand.” Lucas angrily threw the broken bracelet to the ground. He carefully picked up Bella: “Don’t defend her. You’re just too kind-hearted.” The group hurriedly left. Jack took the opportunity to snap several photos of me. He made a “98” gesture to someone nearby, and they both laughed so hard they could barely stand up straight. I held the broken bracelet tightly to my chest, tears falling in large drops onto the floor. All the hurt I had been holding back now burst forth like a flood breaking through a dam. Let it hurt more, until all the love turns into hate. Lucas, I will forget everything from the past. Never, ever will I love you again!

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I knew that when the power went out in the ICU at midnight, 200 elderly patients on ventilators would slowly suffocate to death. But at 12:01 AM, when my daughter Emily frantically asked me what to do, I calmly played on my phone, completely unconcerned. That’s because in my previous life, as soon as the power went out, I immediately went to connect the backup power supply and checked on each elderly patient one by one. After finishing, I passed out from exhaustion. At some point, Emily burst in with her colleagues and forcibly dragged me up. “Dad, isn’t saving lives your sacred duty? How could you cruelly murder those elderly patients?” That’s when I learned that all the elderly patients in the ICU had suffocated to death without exception. The police arrested me, saying I was the only one inside and my fingerprints were found on the power switch. Emily produced a video to actively assist the investigation: “My dad often complained that the elderly patients in the ICU were troublesome and wished they would all die.” My wife Linda bitterly accused me, “You killed so many elderly people – you don’t deserve to be a doctor!” Enraged family members of the patients swarmed and beat me to death. I died not understanding – the ventilators were working normally, so how did those elderly patients suffocate? Why did my own daughter produce a fake video to frame me? When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the moment the power went out.

The lights suddenly went dark, and the beeping of the monitors stopped. “Oh no, the power’s out,” I blurted out. Emily pretended to ask anxiously, “Dad, what do we do now?” I calmly turned on my phone’s flashlight and looked around. Emily had just started her medical residency at the hospital where I worked after getting her master’s degree. I had been supervising her. In my previous life, the power also went out at this time. She told me to stay and connect the backup power while she went to report to the hospital director. But she never came back until everything went wrong. “Dad!” Emily stomped her foot impatiently when she saw me not reacting. “What do we do now? If all these elderly patients die, we’re finished!” She knew how serious the situation was, so why did she disappear without a trace last time? Some of the more lucid elderly patients noticed the monitors had gone silent and started calling for help. The patients relying on ventilators to stay alive were struggling to breathe, their faces turning red. I felt terrible for them, but I knew they wouldn’t be in immediate danger, so I continued to feign calm. Emily was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, yelling at me: “You’re the head of the ICU, these are all your patients. Are you really going to just let them die?” In my previous life, I would have rushed to check on the patients and sternly scolded her. But after going through that experience, I was no longer so panicked. I noticed that although she seemed anxious on the surface, her eyes couldn’t hide her malicious intent. I suddenly wondered – could the power outage be related to her? I shrugged and snapped back irritably: “How am I supposed to save them? There are nearly 200 elderly patients in the ICU. Do you expect me to push them all out one by one?” Emily was suddenly at a loss for words, looking very displeased. She spoke even more harshly: “So you’re just going to watch them all die here? Are you even human?” I sat down helplessly and glanced at the elderly patients. “What can I do? It would take over three hours to get all these elderly patients out. This one might die before I can save that one. Whether one dies or a hundred die, I’m screwed either way. Might as well stay here and watch them all die. I’ll take whatever punishment comes.” As I spoke, I gently stroked her face and smiled resignedly. “At least my daughter will be by my father’s side when he dies. I guess my love for you wasn’t wasted after all.” Emily violently pulled her hand away and screamed at me like a madwoman: “You’re insane! You want to drag me down with you? I don’t have a father like you.” With that, she ran away like crazy, looking back as if afraid I would chase after her and implicate her. Watching her fleeing figure, my mood instantly plummeted. I had cherished and doted on her since she was little, but now when trouble came, she abandoned me without a second thought and even said she didn’t have a father like me. More and more elderly patients were calling for help, their voices rising and falling. The situation was growing dire. Looking at the closed door, I smiled bitterly. For a full ten hours, not a single person came from the hospital. It was as if we had been completely abandoned. At 10 AM the next day, family members coming to visit all gathered outside the ICU. Seeing it pitch black inside, they instantly panicked and started shouting. “Why are there no lights at all? Don’t tell me the power’s out?” “Shit, don’t scare me. My dad’s 90 years old and relies entirely on a ventilator. If the power’s out, what will happen to him?” “Let’s break down the door and push the elderly patients out. Maybe we can still save them.” The other family members thought this was a good idea and were about to do it. Just as they were about to break down the door, I opened it from the inside and walked out. “Oh, Dr. James, you’re inside. Then we have nothing to worry about.” “That’s right, I was just about to tell you all. Dr. James has impeccable ethics. With him there, everything will be fine.” “Dr. James, I haven’t had any news about my dad for 7-8 days. How is he doing? Can I see him?” The family members’ eyes were filled with tears. The elderly patients in the ICU were all critically ill. The only filial duty they could fulfill was the weekly visit. Seeing their pleading eyes, I was about to speak when suddenly someone pushed through the crowd and publicly accused me. “James, even if you’re my dad, I absolutely won’t be your accomplice.” “You knew that after the power went out, those 200 elderly patients could die at any moment. Yet you did nothing and watched them suffocate to death with your own eyes. You even wanted to drag me down with you!” “You’re not fit to be a doctor, let alone a father! I’m ashamed of you!” Emily glared at me furiously, as if we had some deep, irreconcilable grudge. She was my own daughter. With her coming forward to accuse me, the family members instantly broke down. Several women collapsed to the ground in despair, covering their faces and wailing loudly. Some men gritted their teeth and glared at me as if they wanted to tear me to pieces. Others had already pushed past me to kick at the door, hoping to save their parents. But it was a steel airtight door with a passcode lock. Only I could open it. Before I could say anything, another person squeezed into the crowd. It was my wife Linda. In my previous life, if I hadn’t drunk the coffee she bought me, I wouldn’t have slept so deeply, and those elderly patients wouldn’t have died so mysteriously. Things were becoming clear. Fine, since you want to frame me, I’ll make sure everyone knows about it.

I shrugged helplessly and said with resignation: “Over 200 elderly patients and just one doctor – how could I save them all?” “I can’t be in multiple places at once. How could I possibly get all your parents out at the same time?” “If I save this one, I can’t save that one. Someone was bound to die. Which of you would be willing to let your own parents stay behind to die?” In my previous life, I had wanted to say this. Back then, I desperately went to connect the backup power supply. But each power unit weighed over 150 pounds. After finishing, I collapsed from exhaustion. When I saw the elderly patients were all safe and sleeping peacefully, I felt it was worth all the hardship and fatigue. But when I woke up, everyone was accusing me of causing the elderly patients to suffocate to death. Even these family members who had just been praising my ethics believed it without a doubt. They beat and kicked me without letting me explain, beating me to death. Saving lives was my duty. I didn’t expect gratitude from everyone. But since they all thought I was a murderer, I might as well not bother. Before I finished speaking, the family members completely lost it. They angrily surged towards me, their imposing manner exactly the same as when they beat me to death in my previous life. Linda saw the moment had come and rushed up to slap me. “James, you’re the head of our ICU. You just received an award last month. How can you be so inhumane?” “Your daughter righteously exposed the truth, but not only do you make excuses, you’re here saying cold-hearted things.” “Who would be willing to let their parents die? Even if you only saved a few, at least it would show you tried your best.” “But you didn’t save a single one. You’re worse than an animal!” Seeing the mother and daughter speaking in perfect unison, I sighed softly and didn’t argue. I wanted to see how they would continue to frame me. Linda gave Emily a look. Emily immediately took out a pre-prepared video and played it for everyone at maximum volume. In the video, I was ranting like a madman, spewing complaints and vicious words. “Looking at you old geezers who won’t die makes me sick.” “You’re all 70 or 80 years old. Why don’t you just die already instead of clinging to life? You’re just wasting air and resources.” “What are you looking at? Sooner or later I’m going to shut off your ventilators and let you all suffocate.” In my previous life, Emily posted this video online, causing outrage across the internet. The family members swarmed me, punching and kicking, slapping my face, even stabbing me with knives, beating me to death. The real culprits were this mother and daughter pair. Coming back to my senses, I still felt pain all over my body. At this point, Linda could no longer hide the wild joy in her eyes, but she still put on a righteous act. “James, I’ve been your wife for 20 years, yet I never realized you were a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” “The whole hospital has power except your unit, and it just happens to be during your shift. You’re the murderer!” Emily shook her head in disappointment. “I don’t have a father like you! You taught me to respect the elderly, but now you’ve killed 200 elderly patients with your own hands. You deserve to be cut into a thousand pieces.” Incited by the mother and daughter, the family members now all had bloodshot eyes, like angry beasts ready to tear me to pieces. “Scum! I treated you like a lifesaving benefactor. Ptooey! You’re not even human.” “You butcher! My mom raised me through thick and thin, and you killed her. I’ll make you pay blood for blood!” “We came from far away for you to save lives. But you killed my dad. I want your life!” The family members who had been kicking the door now surrounded me from behind, about to attack. At this critical moment, a stern shout froze everyone. “Stop!” Everyone turned to look. Seven or eight police officers rushed in, separating the crowd. “Someone reported that a doctor at this hospital abused his position to deliberately kill elderly patients. Who is James? Come with us.” The family members glared at me fiercely, their fingers almost jabbing my face. “It’s this butcher who killed my dad! Arrest him and execute him!” “Why waste words on this scum? Kill him!” “A life for a life. Kill him!” The scene from my previous life was playing out again. It all seemed meticulously planned in advance, with everything falling into place. If I hadn’t lived through this once before, I would surely be at a loss now and fall victim to their scheme again. After calming myself, I looked at the police and said calmly: “I didn’t kill anyone.” “You need evidence to accuse me of murder. Otherwise it’s malicious defamation, and I will pursue legal action!” Linda laughed coldly and immediately smiled ingratiatingly at the police. “Officer, I’m the one who called the police. I’m also his wife Linda and a doctor at this hospital.” “I have ironclad evidence that can prove James killed 200 elderly patients!” Hearing this, the police officers instantly became highly alert. “200 elderly patients? This is no joke. Can you take responsibility for what you’re saying?” Linda patted her chest and said, “The ICU has always had an independent power supply. Even if the whole hospital lost power, it shouldn’t be possible here. But last night the power was out for 10 hours. It must have been deliberate. Also, I can guarantee with 100% certainty that James’ fingerprints will be on the power switch!” Seeing her speak so confidently, the gathered family members became even more enraged and tried to rush forward to hit me. If not for the police officers desperately holding them back, I would have been beaten to death already. Instead of retreating, I stepped forward and shouted: “If you kill me, you’ll never know who really murdered your parents.” Linda and Emily exchanged a glance, both looking a bit guilty, before continuing to shout defiantly. “The evidence is irrefutable. Are you still trying to deny it?” “James, I advise you to confess quickly, or it will only get worse for you!” “Officer, don’t believe my dad’s lies. Every time he does something wrong he refuses to admit it. Take him away quickly.” Some family members who had hesitated after hearing my words now all prostrated themselves, weeping bitterly. “Mom, your son is unfilial. I entrusted you to this heartless beast for treatment, causing you to die tragically.” “Officer, my dad had late-stage cancer. His last wish was to see his family again. Now it’s all been ruined by this animal.” “A life for a life. He killed 200 elderly people. We’ll give him 200 stab wounds, not one less!” Looking at the over 100 wailing family members, the police officer angrily grabbed my arm. “So many people are accusing you of being the murderer.” “James, please come with us to cooperate with our investigation and clear things up.” Seeing him take out handcuffs, I calmly blocked his hand. “I didn’t kill anyone. You have no right to arrest me!” Turning around, I entered the passcode on the lock. Beep. The steel door slowly opened. At this moment, I felt incredibly relieved. It was finally time for me to fight back.

All the elderly patients were lying in their beds, breathing rhythmically, completely unharmed. The lucid patients even turned their heads to look at me, their eyes full of kindness and gratitude. Seeing this, my eyes instantly welled up with tears. Sometimes I really don’t need them to thank me verbally or give me honorary banners. Just one grateful look makes me feel that all my efforts were worthwhile. At this moment, a 90-year-old patient reached out his hand, gesturing for me to come over. After a period of treatment, his condition had clearly improved and he could speak clearly and forcefully. “Dr. James, you’ve worked so hard these past days.” “If you hadn’t saved me in time last night, I surely would have died. Thank you, thank you so much.” The family members who had been cursing me just moments ago were now all struck dumb. They stood rooted to the spot, completely motionless. When they came to their senses, they rushed in to find their parents, eyes brimming with tears, overcome with emotion. “Mom, are you alright?” “Dad, I thought I’d never see you again.” After confirming their parents were alive, many family members knelt down and kowtowed to me. “Dr. James, I’m so sorry for wrongly accusing you.” Others slapped themselves and pounded the ground in remorse. “I’m not human.” “Dr. James, you worked so hard to save my mom, but I believed others’ false accusations and was convinced you killed her. I even shouted about killing you. I’m the one who’s worse than an animal!” Seeing so many people apologizing and begging forgiveness, I quickly told them to get up. Although they beat me to death in my previous life, it was because they had seen their parents actually dead and lashed out in extreme grief. Ultimately, it was Linda and Emily’s fault. They were the true culprits. The police officer who had been about to handcuff me now understood the truth and took the initiative to apologize. “Dr. James, we didn’t investigate thoroughly and almost caused a terrible mistake. We wronged you.” “I sincerely apologize to you. I’m so sorry.” I immediately helped them up, smiling. “It’s alright. It was just a misunderstanding. Now that it’s cleared up, everything’s fine.” “Since the elderly patients are all okay, we’ll be leaving now.” I quickly reached out to stop them, glancing at Linda and Emily. “Officer, now that you can prove I didn’t kill those 200 elderly patients, how should we deal with the people who maliciously slandered me and even produced fake evidence?” The police officer followed my gaze to the mother and daughter pair. He immediately went over to question them: “You insisted when you called that Dr. James killed 200 elderly patients. You even incited these family members to nearly cause him bodily harm.” “How do you explain yourself now?” Linda was startled, her face changing dramatically. She unconsciously took a step back. I had thought she would immediately admit her mistake and beg forgiveness, but I didn’t expect her to continue spewing vicious lies. “Officer, don’t believe his nonsense!” The police officer snorted angrily and pointed at Linda, berating her: “You’re still slandering Dr. James as talking nonsense? The elderly patients are all fine now. Who’s really talking nonsense?” “Also, didn’t you say you had evidence proving Dr. James was the murderer? Where’s the evidence?” “If you can’t produce it, I won’t let you escape legal punishment!”

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I am the sole heir of the mafia boss, yet I am a woman. In the mafia world, my father groomed three leaders to be my suitors. The one who marries me will become the next Mafia boss. However, they never saw me as anything more than a strategic opportunity. I thought they were indifferent to women until I witnessed Asher holding the nanny’s daughter, promising, “I’ll become the true mafia boss. When I take over South City, the only person I want to marry is you.” Before my father left for his retirement ceremony, he asked me who I would choose. Thinking of the cold demeanor of the three, I replied calmly: “As the sole heir of the South City mafia, I must consider the interests of our Quinn Family.” “I choose Wesley from North City.” Father was surprised: “Wesley? He’s been in a coma for years. Are you sure you want to commit your life to someone who’s barely alive?” I straightened his clothes with determination: “I was born into privilege, so I have to think about the alliance between the Quinn Family and the Wesley Family.” Father’s gaze hardened: “And the three godsons I raised for you, do you have no interest in them?” I was taken aback, the three godsons. Our Quinn Family is influential in South City. After my mother passed away, my father chose not to remarry. He adopted three boys from an orphanage and raised them to become powerful figures. He announced early on that the one who marries me would inherit the Quinn Family and rule South City. Father loved me and used this method to assert my unique status. But because I’m a woman, he couldn’t escape societal expectations. I looked at my father intently: “They are unworthy. The child of the Quinn Family should naturally unite with a family as prestigious as the Wesley Family. I will have a child through artificial insemination, and that child will be the most remarkable figure between North and South City.” Father agreed: “You’ve been wise since you were young. In that case, there’s no reason for those three to stay in the Quinn Family.” I inwardly smirked, feeling a chill in my heart. If I had said they didn’t love me, my father would have forced them into marriage with me. To him, the three godsons had no right to refuse. But I didn’t want that. A forced union is never sweet. I’d rather remain alone. Besides, their hearts are set on Nora. As my father left, the three arrived to pick him up. He gave them a cold glance before getting into the car. Asher pretended to bow, but after my father left, he looked at me with impatience: “What kind of princess tantrum are you throwing now?” I frowned, unable to respond before Beckett mocked: “Quinn, do you think everyone should revolve around you?” Caspian added angrily: “Don’t think that just because the Quinn Family is rich and powerful, we have to indulge you! And don’t think any of us will marry you, giving you the right to act so arrogantly!” Ignoring the retirement ceremony, the three glared at me as if I had committed an unforgivable sin. Arrogant? It’s always been them who are arrogant. Remembering how they used to disregard me, my body shook, eyes reddening, “Why don’t you want to marry me, but won’t stand up to my father?” Chapter 2 From childhood, they enjoyed the unlimited glory and power of the Quinn Family. Before getting to know me, they could have simply said they weren’t interested. My father would have immediately chosen someone else. Plus, they agreed to be my suitors when my father adopted them. They took advantage and then sneered at me, yet stayed with the Quinn Family, hypocritical. In the end, they can’t give up the power of the Quinn Family. Asher was struck: “You’re the Quinn’s biological daughter, you can complain to your father. We are just staying under someone else’s roof, how is it the same?” With that, he looked troubled, “Anyway, the old man is at the retirement ceremony. Just tell him you want to choose me. Spare Nora and the others.” Beckett and Caspian looked grateful at Asher. It was as if marrying me was a noble sacrifice. My heart ached, suppressing the discomfort, I tried to shut the door. But Nora hurriedly stopped me. She appeared suddenly, teary-eyed: “Sister Quinn, I didn’t mean to break the vase.” Before I could react, the three had already shielded Nora. She nervously clutched Asher’s sleeve, who frowned at me: “Quinn, Nora came to apologize. Why are you still throwing a fit?” My chest tightened. To them, I was the evil sister from fairy tales bullying Snow White. But in terms of background, I was the real princess of South City. Initially, I didn’t care to argue with someone like Nora. Her little schemes were obvious. Yet ever since Nora appeared in the Quinn Family, she kept taking my things and falsely accused me of bullying her. I thought no one would believe her. Until that day when she fell into the pool, and Asher, whom I secretly admired, rushed to save her. Nora was rescued, crying miserably, sneaking a look at me before averting her gaze fearfully: “Miss Quinn didn’t push me, I went in myself. I shouldn’t be where I’m not wanted…” This reminded the three of their past at the Quinn Family, trying to please. Asher was angry: “Quinn, just because this pool is yours, doesn’t mean you can push anyone in!” Beckett and Caspian shared the anger: “Yeah, you think money lets you do whatever you want? You need to apologize to Nora!” “You should also get into the pool and reflect!” I couldn’t accept being wronged and retorted: “I didn’t push her! Let’s check the surveillance!” Nora cried harder: “Miss Quinn, the whole Quinn Family listens to you. If you don’t want me here, just say…” Asher hated arrogant people in our circle, his face darkening: “You can fake surveillance; you can frame people too.” “Quinn, if you don’t get in the water, I’ll ask your father to call off the engagement!” I loved Asher deeply then, afraid to lose him over a misunderstanding. So I got in the water, enduring the grievance to apologize. I didn’t expect that grievance to last seven years. Recalling this, I coldly told them at the door: “I’m the Quinn’s young lady, I should carry the Quinn’s demeanor.” “If you want to twist the truth, I’ll take on that name. I demand Nora apologize, and I want her to kneel!” “After all, that vase was mine!” I was firm, and Asher looked disappointed: “How did you become like this?” Beckett held back an angry Caspian, glaring at me: “It’s just a carved vase. We’ll pay you back.” I widened my eyes in disbelief: “A carved vase?” Chapter 3 The carved vase was worth billions, a token of love from my father to my mother when I was born. My mother cherished it until she passed. I later studied ceramics and fixed its flaws. I kept it in my collection room, the key only Asher had. Now, because of a careless act, my mother’s last memory for me was gone. Asher avoided my gaze, turning awkwardly: “Nora never experienced a rich life, so I let her see it.” “You have so many collectibles, you wouldn’t be so petty about this, would you?” I continued to look at him coldly. He coughed, continuing: “Don’t act like we wronged you. I’ll announce our marriage at the retirement ceremony. Will that satisfy you?” Seeing Asher hesitate before deciding, I almost felt like unwanted trash. But I’m the Quinn’s treasured daughter, yet they pitied Asher for marrying me: “Brother Asher, don’t force yourself. Quinn is hard to deal with. Marrying her is worse than dying.” Caspian seemed ready to tear me apart: “Satisfied now? Your wishful thinking finally paid off!” Nora hugged Asher, upset: “Brother Asher, don’t do this. I’m not worth it. I’ll pay for the vase even if it takes a lifetime.” An unprecedented exhaustion washed over me. I forced a smile: “Asher, I won’t marry you.” Asher was stunned, frowning, sensing something amiss. Beckett and Caspian were also taken aback, stepping back. Maybe it was my imagination, but there seemed to be hope in their eyes. But then Beckett harshly slapped reality: “Don’t come after us then.” Nora felt deeply wronged and clung to Asher: “Asher, please don’t do this for my sake. It’s not worth it. I’ll handle the cost myself, even if it takes me my entire life to repay Miss Quinn.” I felt an overwhelming wave of exhaustion and managed a faint smile: “Asher, I’m not going to marry you.” Asher froze, surprise creasing his brow as if sensing something was off. Beckett and Caspian also seemed taken aback, stepping back in shock. I might have imagined it, but there seemed to be a flicker of hope in their eyes. However, the next moment, Beckett slapped me hard: “Then keep your eyes off the two of us.” Seeing Beckett clinging to Caspian for comfort, I clenched my fists. It hurt to be rejected by friends I’d grown up with. I held back my tears. I turned to close the door. Nora suddenly dropped to her knees, pleading with me, putting on a pitiful act: “Please, Miss Quinn, if you need to blame someone, blame me. They were forced to be your fiancés. I’ve seen how hard it has been for the three brothers living with the Quinn Family all these years.” “As long as you leave them alone, I’m willing to serve you for the rest of my life.” As she spoke, her knees hit the marble floor heavily, instantly turning red. Asher quickly helped Nora up, glaring at me: “Quinn! What game are you playing now? Are you trying to play hard to get?” “Let me tell you, are you just trying to use this as an excuse to drive Nora away?” “If you have the guts, don’t marry me!” I chuckled and replied calmly, “Of course, I won’t marry you.” The three exchanged glances, but instead of feeling relieved, Asher grabbed me: “Ha, who else can you marry besides us?” “If you don’t marry me, are you planning to ruin Beckett and Caspian too? Haven’t they suffered enough with the Quinn Family? Isn’t that enough for you?” Asher took a deep breath in anger: “If you stop bullying Nora in the Quinn Family, I can sacrifice myself to marry you. You don’t have to create drama by backing down!” I met his eyes, filled with silent despair, as if he was being forced and protesting without words. I spoke each word to Asher with deep conviction: “I’m serious. In the end, you won’t have to worry about anything.” Asher, you don’t need to worry about me bullying Nora, nor do you need to feel humiliated by marrying me. As long as I marry Wesley, everything will go as you wish. Chapter 4 After that day, Nora didn’t come to see me again, claiming she felt guilty. The next time I saw them was at my engagement party. The three men looked exhausted, as if they had been dragged there against their will. Nora couldn’t hide the envy and hatred in her eyes when she looked at me. Confused, I asked Uncle. I had told him that after the arranged marriage with Wesley, there was no need to invite them to the engagement party. Uncle shook his head, not knowing why they came. I steadied myself and pretended not to see them. But the way the three appeared at the party made it impossible to ignore them. Because they looked as if they were about to become the leaders of the Quinn Family at any moment. Guests warmly greeted the three: “Mr. Cheng, after today, your position in the Quinn Family will be extraordinary.” “Yes, I heard that Miss Quinn’s favorite is still you!” “Mr. Cheng, Mr. Pei, Mr. Lu, you’re all so handsome. Miss Quinn will be very lucky indeed.” I laughed coldly inside. The truth was just the opposite; they all despised me. I tapped the microphone to draw everyone’s attention to me. “Everyone, today I’m announcing who I’m marrying. Thank you for coming to my engagement party.” Suddenly, a figure stepped onto the stage, crying. It was none other than Nora, looking to cause trouble: She hesitated, biting her lip: “Sister, I’ve already bought an identical vase for you. Don’t let my mom go.” Before I could push her away, Asher and the others were in front of me. “Miss Quinn, didn’t I say I would marry you, as long as you don’t make things hard for Nora?” Nora kneeled, grabbing my dress: “Sister Quinn, my father relies on medicine to survive, and without this job, my family can’t live.” For a moment, we stood in the middle of the stage. Before I could respond, Asher slapped me in anger. “Apologize to Nora!” Beckett helped Nora up from the ground: “Nora, there’s no need to kneel to this vile woman!” Caspian protectively stood in front of Nora: “We’ve come as you wished for you to pick from us. What more do you want?” With those words, everyone noticed the redness at the corners of my eyes. I stepped forward amidst them. They instinctively shielded Nora, and the audience fell silent. No one stood up for me against their actions. The guests knew that one of the three would eventually control the Quinn Family, so no one dared to speak up for me. I stubbornly raised my head, wiping away the tears at the corner of my eyes, revealing my reddened cheek. “Wronged?” At that moment, I looked deeply at them. “No, I have nothing to be wronged about, and nothing to apologize for.” Coldly, I ordered my people: “Throw them out!” Instantly, chaos broke out below the stage, and the three stared at me in disbelief. Asher’s eyes darkened: “Throw us out? Quinn, without us, who will you marry? Don’t forget, this is our engagement party!” Not just Asher, even the usually gentle Beckett threatened me: “Miss Quinn, I advise you to kneel and apologize to Nora, or without us, you can’t take over the Quinn Family.” Caspian echoed: “Yes! Even if you apologize now, after marriage, you must promise not to bully Nora!” Asher looked at the pitiful Nora in his arms, reminding me: “Quinn, if you want to tear this apart, after marriage, you’ll just be a decoration in the Quinn Family.” “Yeah, if you’re sensible now, maybe Asher will treat you and Mr. Quinn better after marriage.” The audience urged me too. “Yes, Miss Quinn, endure a little grievance.” “Otherwise, your life after marriage won’t be good. Apologize quickly.” I calmly watched everything unfold and had the unveiling board for the engagement party brought up behind me. I glanced coldly at the three of them: “I’m not marrying any of you.” The sneer on my lips piqued the curiosity of the audience: “Miss Quinn, don’t joke. If you don’t marry any of them, who will you marry?” The three waited confidently for me to bow my head and admit my mistake. At this moment, I felt unprecedented calmness, raising my glass with a smile: “Thank you all for your kindness, but I, Quinn, am the rightful and only heir to the Quinn Family.” “My husband will only be someone who matches the Quinn Family!” The next second, a red curtain dropped, and on the screen appeared a strikingly handsome face. The audience gasped collectively. “Wesley?!” “Isn’t that Wesley, the eldest son of the prestigious Wesley Family in North City?!” Suddenly, the three fiancés looked up at the screen… Their eyes filled with shock and awe. Chapter 5 As Wesley’s face appeared on the screen, my father entered the banquet hall, catching my words with a smile: “Yes, as the only daughter of the Quinn Family, Quinn should be with someone truly outstanding.”

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I was meant to enter a marriage alliance with the Taylor Family alongside my best friend. But on the eve of the celebration, I woke up in the bed of my best friend’s fiancé. Trying to flee, Liam Taylor revealed that it was all a plot by my boyfriend and best friend. To prove it, he handed me a video of them entangled together. “A doomed heir is only fit to be with a fool. Yet he dares to think he can marry the one I love.” “By tomorrow morning, Nora Bennett’s affair scandal will be all over the headlines. They’ll be tied together, and the entire Taylor Family will be ours.” It struck me that they had been together all along, and I was just a pawn in their scheme when I learned of the marriage alliance. Their cruel intentions made all my sincere efforts seem like a joke. In my rage, I sat on Liam Taylor and boldly declared, “You’re mine now. You must marry me.” “I won’t live past thirty-five. Are you sure you want to marry me?” “Yes.” I nodded firmly, meeting his gaze, and kissed him to make him believe. There were five years left until he turned thirty-five—maybe I could find a way to save him. Even if not, with his looks and wealth, spending five years together wouldn’t be a loss. Who knows, maybe I’d even have a little dumpling. By then, all his assets would be mine. How could I pass up such a beneficial deal? Liam Taylor said nothing, just held my gaze intensely. If not for his hand gripping my waist, I might have thought he was indifferent. His gaze grew deeper, and my heart beat wildly. Everyone knows that the elite Taylor Family isn’t intimidating. The only intimidating one is Liam Taylor. He took over the company at eighteen and, within two years, surpassed the leading company in New York City. By twenty-five, he expanded the company internationally. If not for the accident at twenty-seven, he would be a man many women could only dream of. Even with his short life expectancy, my family’s status isn’t the Taylor Family’s first choice. Just as I was about to compromise and leave, he softly said, “Marry me. Alive or dead, you can only be my wife.” Hearing his terms, I quickly nodded in agreement. Sworn with three fingers to the sky, I promised to marry only him in this life. Seeing his satisfied smile, I realized he agreed to the marriage exchange. Meanwhile, in the video, the two were still plotting how to humiliate Liam Taylor and me the next day and gain benefits from Mrs. Taylor. Watching the two-faced duo filled me with hatred. If they wanted to ruin me, I’d return the favor. After whispering in Liam Taylor’s ear, I dressed and headed to Fiona White’s room. Before reaching the door, I already heard Fiona White’s pleading voice inside. “Stop it. If their drug effect wears off and they sneak out, tonight’s plan will fall apart.” “Don’t worry, I used a strong dose. Once we’re done, we’ll call the reporters. Even if the old lady wants to protect him, Liam Taylor will have to leave the Taylor Family.” Their mocking voices sent a chill down my spine. Tonight, Fiona White used our best friend status as an excuse to hold a bachelorette party. After just one drink, I felt dizzy, with waves of heat coursing through me. When I came to, I was already in bed with Liam Taylor. Thinking of this, I ground my molars in anger. For Fiona White, I gave my all. What I had, she had. What she liked, I’d buy for her. For her family’s company, I asked my father for help more than once. I even introduced my boyfriend, Finn Taylor, to her. Even a hair from the Taylor Family could keep her small company thriving for a month. But I never expected the two of them to sneak around together. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the key card Liam Taylor had prepared and kicked the door open. The two on the bed split apart in shock at the sudden noise. They scrambled to cover themselves with the fallen blanket, looking like ants on a hot pan. Barely managing to cover their exposed skin, they looked up to see me pointing my phone at their faces. Fiona White’s face darkened instantly, and she yelled in anger, “Nora Bennett, are you crazy? What are you doing here instead of sleeping?” “Nora Bennett?” Before she finished her scolding, her face turned pale with fright. She reached out, trying to shove Finn Taylor under the covers. Her panicked look made me laugh derisively, a slight sting at the tip of my nose. “I treated you like a good sister, and you slept with my boyfriend. Do you have no shame?” My question silenced Fiona White and made Finn Taylor feel sorry for her. Right in front of me, he pulled Fiona White into his arms, looking soft and tender. “Nora, where’s your upbringing? You barge in like a shrew, biting everyone. How can you compare to Fiona?” Though he was the one caught cheating, and I hadn’t even started questioning him, he turned the tables, acting like the victim. Unable to contain my fury, I threw a nearby ashtray at them. “She’s my best friend and your uncle’s fiancée. How can you justify this affair?” Finn Taylor brushed it off with a wince, his face twisted in pain. He glared at me with vicious eyes. “Don’t mention that good-for-nothing. A doomed heir who thought he could marry Fiona and compete with me for the Taylor Family.” “If you’re smart, you’ll listen. The Taylor Family can still be yours. If not, forget about the marriage.” “Fine, let’s call off the engagement. I have nothing to do with you anymore.” With those words, I slapped Finn Taylor across the face. He hadn’t expected me to suggest breaking off the engagement, and his face turned dark instantly. Ignoring his state of undress, he got up and approached me. “We can’t break it off. You and my uncle…” Before he could finish, his voice stopped abruptly. My vision went black, and I heard the sound of flesh hitting the floor. As I wondered, Liam Taylor’s deep, magnetic voice sounded in my ear. “You’ve agreed to marry me. Don’t look at others, naughty.” Tsk, so domineering. A moment later, Liam Taylor removed his hand from my face. Finn Taylor was now wrapped in a towel, like a turtle hiding its head, not daring to look our way. But Liam Taylor had no intention of letting him go. With a face full of coldness, he spoke, “What’s wrong with me and Nora Bennett? Hmm…” As Liam Taylor stared at Finn Taylor in silence, he motioned for the reporters outside to enter. They rushed in, snapping photos of the two. Finn Taylor, realizing what was happening, glared at the media and yelled angrily. “You’ve got the wrong place. Get out.” His panic and Fiona White’s pathetic attempt to hide under the covers slightly eased my resentment. The media didn’t leave despite his shouting. Instead, they focused their cameras on Finn Taylor and Fiona White, zooming in on their faces. [We heard Fiona White is your uncle’s fiancée. Are you disregarding ethics?] [Even if you don’t care, you’re getting married tomorrow. How can you do this to your wife?] [As a lady of the White family, Fiona White, are you playing with Mr. Taylor’s emotions because you’re fearless, or do you plan to seize Mr. Taylor’s assets?] … Each word pierced like a jewel, turning their faces ghostly pale. Fiona White threw off the blanket, revealing her head, and pitifully spoke to the media. “No, I was supposed to marry Finn Taylor. It’s her…” “Nora Bennett despises Liam Taylor for his short life and doesn’t want to be a widow, so she announced she would marry Finn Taylor.” Fiona White pointed at me, signaling me to agree with her. Seeing I wasn’t playing along, she awkwardly wrapped the blanket around herself and approached me. “We’ve been best friends for so many years. You don’t want to see me ruined over this, right?” Then she whispered in my ear, “Nora, I didn’t mean to. I was just drunk. Please help me this once, okay?” “Besides, you also slept with my fiancé. We’re even, right?” I was stunned by her shamelessness. Failing to harm me, she wanted me to bear the consequences. I’ve been too lenient with her over the years. Fiona White and I have been friends for fifteen years. During these years, I’ve constantly taken the blame for her. She’s the second child in her family, with an older sister and a younger brother. She wears her sister’s hand-me-downs and eats her brother’s leftovers, with only a hundred bucks a month for allowance. We met because she couldn’t afford sanitary products. I lent her money, and upon learning of her situation, I felt sorry for her and made her my best friend. Since then, whenever she was wronged, I’d stand up for her without hesitation. I never thought it would make her feel entitled. “Fiona White, this is about reputation. If I admit it, the Bennett Corporation will be scorned because of me.” “Besides, you’re the one who cheated. How can you slander me and Mr. Taylor like this?” I glared at her, tears rolling down my face. My pitiful look made the reporters view Fiona White with more disdain. Seeing the reporters continue to question her, she panicked. She looked to Finn Taylor for help, but he was too scared to lift his head under Liam Taylor’s pressure. “Nora, now that Finn Taylor and I have no way out, he can only marry me. You’re destined to marry Liam Taylor.” “I’m begging you. Help me this once, and I’ll compensate you.” Fiona White pleaded desperately but didn’t get a nod from me. She pushed me back in anger, pointing at my nose, questioning me. “Nora Bennett, what’s wrong with you? You promised to protect me. Now you want to break your word? Aren’t you afraid I’ll cut off your financial support once I marry Liam Taylor?” My heart was stabbed sharply. Over a decade of effort was wasted on someone ungrateful. We had achieved our goal, so there was no need to listen to her anymore. I gestured for Liam Taylor to leave with me. Fiona White panicked as I turned to go, desperately clutching my arm and pleading with urgency. “Mabel, I messed up this time. Please help me. You wouldn’t want to see my child and me getting hurt by my dad.” She touched her belly as she spoke. Liam and I exchanged a glance, surprised at her audacity to be pregnant. The Taylor Family had consulted a fortune-teller to find a girl whose fate matched Liam Taylor’s, believing she could change his destiny. Mrs. Taylor had spent a fortune searching among the elite families and finally found Fiona White. To persuade her to marry into the family, the Taylors had agreed to her family’s unreasonable demands. Now, whether it was her with Finn Taylor or me with Liam, either situation would anger the Taylor Family. This was why Liam wanted Finn to involve the media, to shift the blame onto them. However, seeing Fiona White’s desperate gamble, I didn’t dare take the risk. If she revealed her pregnancy, it would not just be about getting the Taylor elders to agree to a marriage swap; it would plunge the entire family into a media frenzy, making Liam and me targets of public scrutiny. There was no longer an escape. Liam and I were already entangled in this mess, inseparable. As I hesitated, Liam pulled me into his embrace. “Miss White, you must be joking. Even if you and Mabel are best friends, this kind of joke is unacceptable.” “My intended wife is Miss Nora Bennett, and Miss White is my niece-in-law. We hadn’t made it public earlier to avoid any schemes before they joined the Taylor Family.” He explained earnestly, though the crowd remained skeptical. Even though Liam was influential, they didn’t want to miss a headline opportunity. Clearly, Liam was aware of this, so he kissed me. The media got their story and didn’t linger, rushing back to write it up. Before we could confront them, the Taylor Family called us back to explain ourselves. With no other choice, we returned home to face the music. Back home, Liam ignored Mrs. Taylor’s pressure and sat with me on the sofa, holding my hand. Only after I ate the grape he offered did he finally look at Mrs. Taylor. “Mom, Finn is grown now and has his own ideas. He even drugged his uncle and fiancée.” “Grandma, I didn’t.” Finn quickly defended himself. I pinched my thigh, letting tears fall as I sobbed. “Mrs. Taylor, I never thought Finn and Fiona would drug me. They even have a child. If it weren’t for their child, I would have accepted it and never bothered the Taylor Family again.” “But Fiona used her pregnancy to threaten Mr. Taylor, leaving him no choice but to mention the marriage alliance with me.” “If you don’t want it, Mrs. Taylor, I can leave.” My tears fell, making Mrs. Taylor frown. My heart skipped a beat, and I glared at Liam. On the way back, he had told me that Mrs. Taylor was firm but soft-hearted towards him. As long as I cried and exposed Fiona’s schemes, Mrs. Taylor would go easy on me and not implicate the Bennett Corporation. But now, seeing Mrs. Taylor’s expression, I suddenly felt a bit of regret. Mrs. Taylor’s face turned from blue to red, and she handed me a tissue. “You poor child, you’ve been through a lot. The dowry will be sent to your home again tomorrow morning.” She then slammed the table in anger, glaring sharply at Fiona White. “I thought you were sensible, but you’re restless. Take a million and leave the Taylor Family.” She gestured for the maid to get the check from the room. Finn saw the old lady was serious and immediately knelt to stop her. “Grandma, I’ve always loved Fiona. Now she has the Taylor Family’s child. How can she leave?” Mrs. Taylor ignored his defense and bluntly told Fiona to deal with the child, offering another million. This infuriated Finn, and he pointed at me, yelling angrily. “Nora Bennett tricked her into marrying my uncle. How can a doomed heir match Fiona?” The living room fell silent. Seeing the loneliness in Liam’s eyes, my heart ached. He was once a bright star, repeatedly hurt because his nephew wanted to fight for the family inheritance. Not wanting to see him hide his emotions, I got up and slapped his face. Ignoring everyone’s gaze, I slapped him again on the other cheek. “The only one unworthy is Fiona White. If I had known Liam earlier, you wouldn’t have had the title of my boyfriend.” Finn held his face, staring at me in shock. His face turned from green to white to black, and his finger trembled with anger as he pointed at me. “Nora Bennett, don’t forget, our engagement isn’t dissolved. You’re still my fiancée.” I rolled my eyes at him and turned to take the marriage alliance certificate from Liam’s arms, taunting Finn. “See? Now I’m your aunt. Call me aunt, let’s hear it.” Finn looked at me incredulously, wanting to speak but not knowing what to say. Fiona White saw him silent and quickly snatched the marriage certificate from my hand. “Nora Bennett, even if you want to save face, you shouldn’t use this fake marriage certificate to deceive Finn.”

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I cherished Gideon more than anything. I proposed to him a hundred times just to marry him. As I was about to propose for the 101st time, Gideon was suddenly kidnapped. In my desperate attempt to save him, I took a fatal blow that was meant for him. When I awoke from a coma, Gideon willingly put on the wedding ring I had prepared. “Adeline, let’s get married.” From that moment, I became the envy of everyone, Mrs. Gideon. After our marriage, Gideon’s behavior didn’t change. He brought countless women home, but I didn’t mind. I even stood by and opened small umbrellas for them. Outsiders thought I was pitiable, unwilling to let go of the luxury and wealth Gideon provided. But no one knew that my relentless pursuit to marry Gideon was never about him or his money. It was for the heart beating in his chest. I watched the drunken, sleeping Gideon and placed my hand over his beating heart. “Gideon, you must live a long and healthy life.” A soft, melodious sound came from the guest room. I looked at the closed door, unable to recall how many women Gideon had brought back. Since he agreed to my 101st proposal, aside from a brief period of being a faithful husband shortly after marriage, he quickly reverted to his old ways. His handsome demeanor remained unchanged. An hour later, the noise from the room finally ceased. Following his usual habit, I opened the door and offered a glass of freshly poured red wine. Gideon watched me walk in calmly, a satisfied smile on his face. He pulled me onto the bed where he had just been with another woman, holding me tightly in his arms. He gently tapped my nose with his finger and said, “Adeline, you are the most understanding.” “Marrying you was indeed the right decision.” He drank the wine in one gulp and went into the bathroom to freshen up, leaving the woman and me staring at each other. Once the bathroom door closed, I discreetly rubbed my nose where Gideon had touched. The woman Gideon chose this time was different from the usual ones. She was pure, with a face so fair it seemed to glow. Seeing my indifferent reaction to my husband’s betrayal, she boldly flaunted her good figure in front of me. Despite her innocent appearance, her eyes were full of mockery and disdain. “You’re the ‘pathetic’ Mrs. Gideon everyone talks about.” In a lowered voice, she revealed, “I’ve been with Gideon for two months. He often tells me he likes me very much. If he weren’t already married, he would definitely marry me.” Worried about Gideon overhearing, she leaned closer and whispered in my ear, “I advise you to leave Gideon soon, or I won’t let you have an easy time.” Before I could respond to this familiar threat, the bathroom suddenly went quiet. When Gideon emerged with a towel wrapped around his waist, she suddenly fell backward, hitting the floor hard. Before he could help her up, she tearfully accused, “Gideon, she hit me!” Pointing at me, she continued, “She threatened me to leave you, or she wouldn’t let me go easily.” Watching this scene, I found it amusing. Such poor tactics, Gideon wouldn’t fall for it. But this time, Gideon showed a worry I had never seen before. He nervously held the woman in his arms. “Cora, where does it hurt? Do you need a doctor?” Gideon looked at me standing emotionlessly and frowned, “Adeline, you pushed Cora. Apologize to her now.” I glanced at Cora’s smug expression in his arms and remained unmoved. Seeing this, Gideon became furious, “Didn’t you hear me? Apologize now!” Perhaps sensing my unyielding attitude was different than usual, despite his repeated orders, I remained unmoved. Suddenly, Gideon clutched his chest, breathing heavily. This sudden change left Cora bewildered. Seeing this, I immediately took out the medicine I always carried, pushed Cora away, and forced the medicine into Gideon’s mouth. Listening to his gradually calming breath, I glanced at the surgical scar on his chest and said to Cora, “Ms. Lin, I’m sorry.”

Probably to punish me for my rebellious act yesterday, Gideon brought the meticulously dressed Cora to the company’s anniversary celebration. Everyone looked at me with mocking eyes. Even the interns who just joined the company covered their mouths, waiting to see the joke of the infamous ‘gold-digger wife.’ Ignoring their looks, I quietly stood aside, watching Gideon and Cora mingle with the partners. But in her self-importance, Cora forgot herself and cursed at a young woman who accidentally stepped on her dress. “Are you blind?” “This dress is the only one in the city. You can’t afford it even if you sell your life!” Furious at the dirty hem, Cora pushed the young woman into the champagne tower. The tower toppled, drenching the woman in wine, and she began to cry. The commotion caught the attention of Gideon and the partners. The main partner’s face turned pale, and he rushed over to help the young woman. He demanded, “Daughter, who did this to you?” Under her finger, Cora’s face turned white. Instinctively, Gideon shielded Cora, demanding, “Adeline, apologize to this lady immediately.” I was stunned, looking at his tense muscles, ready to comply. But the partner stopped me, displeased with Cora, “It was she who pushed my daughter. Why is Mrs. Gideon apologizing?” The young woman, eyes red from crying, added, “Mr. Gideon, if she doesn’t apologize, I’ll have my father cancel the partnership with Gideon Corporation. ” Facing the threat, Gideon rubbed Cora’s head to comfort her, then ordered me, “Adeline, even if you have to kneel, you must earn Mr. King and Miss King’s forgiveness.” With that, he took Cora’s hand and left the hall. I vaguely heard their conversation. “Gideon, I was so scared. Fortunately, you were by my side.” Gideon replied tenderly, “I can’t bear to see someone as pure as you get hurt.” Watching them leave, I took a deep breath, turned to King, and forced a smile. Picking up a freshly opened bottle of wine, I apologized, “Miss King, I’m sorry for what happened. I sincerely apologize.” Raising the bottle to drink, Miss King stopped me, her eyes full of pity. She took the bottle from my hand, saying, “Mrs. Gideon, you don’t need to do this. Consider the matter closed, but our companies will never cooperate again. ” Before leaving, she looked at me with disdain, changing her address, “Miss Summer, a man like that isn’t worth it.” Her words left me with mixed feelings. The scene of Gideon and Cora leaving replayed in my mind. I touched the silver chain on my wrist and smiled bitterly.

Despite my chronic stomach issues, the alcohol caused burning pain in my abdomen. After the event, I struggled to reach the car waiting at the hotel’s entrance. As I opened the door, I saw them in an intimate moment. Hearing the door, they paused. Cora, displeased, got off Gideon’s lap and gave me a look. Gideon glanced over, asking, “How did the matter with Mr. King go?” I relayed Mr. King’s statement about ‘no further cooperation.’ Hearing this, Gideon’s expression changed. Mr. King was not only the company’s biggest partner but also a primary source of income. Canceling the partnership risked a financial crisis. Clearly, Gideon understood the consequences. He looked at me with reproach, about to speak, but Cora interrupted. “Adeline, you’re useless. Can’t even apologize properly. What are you still doing by Gideon’s side?” She poked Gideon’s chest with her manicured finger, adding, “Gideon, maybe we should give Adeline a little punishment.” “Otherwise, she might ignore your advice again.” Cora’s attitude seemed to deny any wrongdoing on her part. Hearing this, Gideon affectionately ruffled her hair and slammed the door shut. The car door locked with a click. Gideon lowered the window, coldly demanding my phone, “Cora’s right. You need a lesson.” She pointed her carefully manicured red-tipped finger at Gideon’s chest, suggesting, “Gideon, why don’t we teach Adeline a little lesson?” “Otherwise, Adeline will keep ignoring your advice,” Cora said, acting as if she wasn’t the one who stirred up trouble this time. Hearing this, Gideon gently tousled her hair before slamming the car door shut. With a click, the door locked. Gideon rolled down the window and curtly demanded my phone: “Cora’s right; you need to learn your lesson.” “This time, I’ll be kind and let you walk back to the villa from the hotel.” With that, he told the driver to start the car. But just as the car sped up, it suddenly stopped. Cora leaned out the window and shouted, “Adeline, don’t forget to buy ribs on your way back.” “Whenever Gideon and I go out, he often brings your homemade braised ribs.” “Hurry back to the villa; I’m eager to have them!” As thunder roared in the sky, the car sped away. Cold rain poured down, drenching me in an instant. My heart grew colder with each heartbeat. When I finally returned to the villa, my soaked body was stiff and hard to move. I was about to head to the bedroom to change clothes when I opened the door to a scene of chaos. Especially the photo album I had hidden in a secret corner—it had been maliciously torn and thrown on the ground. The few intact photos bore dusty footprints. The smiling father and daughter in the photos were my deceased father and me. I squatted down, touching the photos, and cried out in agony. Hearing my cries, Cora, wearing a dress Gideon had given me for our wedding, swayed over to me. “What’s with all the yelling? I just picked a few clothes from your closet, no need to shout.” I clutched the photos tightly, my eyes bloodshot as I glared at her, questioning, “Who told you to dig out these photos?” Cora casually replied, “They’re just old photos, nothing valuable.” She snatched the photos from my hand and, with malice in her eyes, deliberately commented, “The man in these photos looks like he’s doomed to die young. He must be suffering in hell after death!”

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After the real daughter came home, my parents sent me to Pleasure Island. Pleasure Island is a reality show that broadcasts nonstop, 24 hours a day. Everyone saw my tragic fate, being exploited by the people of the Island Nation. My fiancé unilaterally broke off our engagement and romantically proposed to Genevieve. “How can a woman like her, who has been exposed to everyone, be fit to be the family’s matriarch?” My parents also put on a show in front of the cameras. “She insisted on going to Pleasure Island, truly degrading herself.” Later, my fiancé sent me to the Memory Tribunal. But those who intended to humiliate me once more were filled with regret. The news of the upcoming memory trial in City A became the top trending topic. In the opulent venue, I hovered in mid-air, coldly observing these hypocrites. Genevieve, with her bright eyes and pearly smile, wore an expensive, exquisite dress, looking incredibly dignified. Declan proudly handed the Oscar statuette to Genevieve in front of numerous media outlets. As the atmosphere in the venue reached its peak, Declan knelt on one knee before Genevieve, presenting a ring while announcing that I was being sent to trial. “Can’t Fiona just leave? Selling her body shamelessly and disgracing us—it’s embarrassing. How can she have the nerve to disrupt Genevieve’s awards ceremony?” “A woman who sells her body, disrupting Genevieve’s important life moments, is like an irritating nuisance.” I died during that Island Nation reality show, not even lasting a day. No one cared about the truth. They only believed what they wanted to believe. “Before Fiona went to the Island Nation, she always occupied Genevieve’s position in the Taylor family, enjoying all the family’s resources.” “I believe Fiona’s record is terrible, her character and morals are degraded, insulting the Taylor name. Therefore, I requested a global live-streamed trial to have Fiona removed from the Taylor family.” At this moment, Dad and Mom—or rather, the Taylor family patriarch and Lady Taylor—entered the awards venue. “We raised Fiona for twenty years, never treating her poorly, yet after Genevieve came home, she targeted Genevieve everywhere and acted disgracefully.” “My wife and I agree with Declan sending Fiona to trial. After all her crimes are made public, we will expel Fiona from the Taylor family.” As the patriarch’s words fell, a judge in white, wearing a mask, pushed open the venue doors with a coffin. On stage, Genevieve’s face turned pale, nervously retreating, while Declan protectively shielded her. “Shameless, even looking at such filth for a second is unbearable. Judge, quickly end the trial and expel her from the Taylor family. We don’t want this trash sharing the Taylor name with Genevieve.” The judge ignored everyone and directly lifted the lid of my coffin. Inside, my body was battered and bruised beyond recognition. Declan’s brow furrowed even more, and the Taylor couple merely paused before unwillingly looking away. Everyone present saw my battered state and gasped. Then, under the judge’s operation, my spirit gradually became half-transparent. Because I suffered extreme torment in life, my spirit appeared with bruised and bloodied skin. “Fiona, if you sincerely apologize to Genevieve, I’ll ask the judge to restore your body so you can rest in peace. You’ll still be our child in the Taylor family.” I looked at Lady Taylor’s hypocritical face and suddenly laughed. My mouth was torn, and when I smiled, half my face drooped. “I did nothing wrong, why should I apologize?” Lady Taylor was startled by my ghastly appearance, but fear quickly turned to anger. “Doing wrong and yet being so righteous, having an elder sister like you is truly unfortunate for Genevieve.” I trembled all over, and in intense pain, the judge stripped away my memory. The next second, all the electronic screens in the venue changed scenes, and the projectors played the same footage. In the Taylor family villa, Genevieve wore a cute pink princess dress with red-rimmed eyes, looking like a wronged little rabbit. While I wore a nightgown, confused, not knowing what was happening. When she saw me, she knelt on the floor, dramatically hugging my legs and even wanting to kowtow. “Sister Fiona, please stop targeting me, okay? Dad and Mom truly treat you as the Taylor family’s daughter. I won’t steal your place, please let them spare me, okay?” Mom had just entered and, hearing Genevieve’s cries, slapped me twice without a word. “Fiona, since you promised to take care of Genevieve at school, why are you bullying her behind my back?” “You’re truly vicious, saying one thing and doing another, it’s disgusting!” I fell by the stairs, not understanding what happened, tears of grievance flowing down. Despite nearly falling down the stairs, I covered my face and defended myself. “Mom, I didn’t bully Genevieve.” Mom kicked me down the stairs, coldly watching as I curled up in pain, bruised and pale. “Fiona, everything in the Taylor family belongs to Genevieve. You were always just our emotional comfort while missing her.” “If you can’t behave, be ready to leave this family.” “If you dare bully Genevieve again, I won’t hesitate to cut ties with you.” Lady Taylor was so stimulated by the screen’s ghastly face that she screamed on the spot. “I checked the school’s surveillance. That vicious Fiona bullied Genevieve, overturned her desk, threw away her food, and splashed water on her. She’s simply despicable.” On the electronic screen, I was curled up in the corner of the stairs, crying hopelessly despite my injuries. Under the nightgown, my skin was pale, and new wounds were added before the old ones healed. Other spectators noticed the scars on me and began to feel sorry. “Looking at Fiona like this, she’s really thin and has so many wounds.” Lady Taylor hurriedly interrupted everyone’s discussion, frantically explaining. “Don’t be deceived by this vicious woman. Since finding out about Genevieve’s return, she’s been causing trouble to attract our attention.” The next second, everyone in the venue began to criticize me. “Born bad, when her adoptive parents finally found their daughter, she was so jealous that she bullied Genevieve, truly deserving to die.” On the screen, Genevieve, wearing the princess dress, got up and hugged the furious Lady Taylor. “Mom, don’t be angry. Maybe sister is just insecure, afraid of being abandoned by you and Dad, so she’s using this method to suppress me.” “Mom, since she’s been taught a lesson, I believe sister won’t bully me again. I forgive her.” My empty soul trembled, anger filling the void in my heart. Genevieve, I really hate you. Some praised Genevieve’s understanding nature, while others scolded me for being ungrateful. 4 Soon, the judge switched to the second scene. On the electronic screen, I had just finished my makeup, checking my appearance. About to graduate college, I received a casting call from a film crew. My performance grades were always top-notch, so the instructor recommended me to the director. The director was very pleased with my appearance, arranging today’s audition. I knew the value of this film crew and understood how much this director’s favor could boost my future. To avoid being completely overshadowed by Genevieve, I worked hard and cherished this audition opportunity. But just after fixing my lipstick, Genevieve entered my dressing room. She clutched her dress, biting her lip, her eyes red, speaking with grievance. “Sister, when I returned home, you lost your room to me. Are you unhappy?” Before I could reply, Genevieve’s pitiful demeanor transformed, crossing her arms with a cold sneer. “Fiona, you’re such a fool.” “Dad and Mom only care about me. Where do you, an impostor, get the confidence to remain in the Taylor family?” “I can easily fabricate evidence, and they’ll believe it completely, ready to sever ties with you. It’s hilarious.” “You, an illegitimate child, are only worthy of what I discard.” I frowned, not wanting any conflict with Genevieve. “Genevieve, I’ve never been unhappy, and I don’t care about your things. If you have nothing else, please leave. I need to audition.” Feeling ignored by me, Genevieve suddenly grabbed my hair, slapping my face. “Who are you to tell me to leave? What do you even count as?” “Of course, my things are mine, and yours must be mine too.” “The only valuable thing about you is that seductive face.” “What, you think being pretty means you deserve Brother Declan’s affection?” “If it weren’t for you occupying my role as the Taylor family’s daughter for twenty years, do you think Brother Declan would even look at you?” “A trashy illegitimate child like you without the Taylor title would have been ruined by thugs long ago!” “If I ever see you trying to seduce Brother Declan again, I’ll destroy you.” The video ended, and everyone in the venue fell silent. After a long time, a voice of doubt finally arose. “Someone like you, nothing but a seductress, only has that face to offer.” “So you think just because you’re pretty, you’re deserving of Declan’s attention?” “If you hadn’t, as an illegitimate child, taken over the identity of the Taylor family’s daughter for twenty years, do you think Declan would even give you a glance?” “A disgrace like you, without the Taylor family name to shield you, would have been ruined by now!” “If I catch you flirting with Declan again, I will destroy you.” The video ended, leaving the entire venue in silence. After a long pause, a voice filled with doubt finally broke the silence. “So, Fiona never bullied Genevieve? Was it all Genevieve’s own fabrication?” The faces of the Taylor family couple changed repeatedly, and Lady Taylor looked at Genevieve in disbelief. Genevieve, looking aggrieved, hid behind Declan and timidly explained. “This was just a role-play scene with my sister. Don’t take it too seriously.” “These were all scripts my sister gave me.” The Taylor couple exchanged a glance. Naturally, they wouldn’t question their dear daughter publicly, so they seized the opportunity to make an excuse and defuse the situation. “Yes, Fiona has always been good at acting. Clearly, this clip was intentionally used to confuse everyone.” Lady Taylor gently touched Genevieve’s head and spoke softly. “Little Genevieve, your acting is really good, but this character doesn’t quite suit you. Let’s avoid such roles in the future.” “This type of malicious character is more fitting for someone like Fiona, who is two-faced.” “Someone like Fiona, who loves to pretend, obviously wants everyone to focus on her. Isn’t that why she went to the Island Nation to live-stream a reality show?” The crowd nodded frequently at Lady Taylor’s words. “Indeed, the reality show was broadcast live, and she only resisted at the start. Later, she didn’t resist at all.” “If it wasn’t to gain attention, there was no need to go to the Island Nation to participate in a reality show.” “I really don’t understand what Fiona is thinking. Declan is handsome and wealthy, and instead of appreciating that, she ran off to the Island Nation.” “So Fiona has always been pretending, no wonder she’s not liked.” I felt as if I were being judged, my body feeling as if it were falling into an icy abyss. I wanted to speak but felt a lump in my throat. Why? Why won’t anyone believe me? I’m clearly the victim. Do I have to be flawless to deserve everyone’s sympathy? Declan sneered, “Continue the trial. I want to see how she got involved with the director!” The screen rolled again, and amidst the flickering, it froze on my face, which was glowing with excitement. I happily grabbed Declan’s sleeve, so thrilled that I was grinning and dancing.

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For the tenth time, my boyfriend Kevin abandoned me at the altar after receiving a phone call from his childhood friend. I was left standing alone on stage, completely humiliated. Swallowing my pride, I tried calling Kevin, begging him to come back and finish the ceremony. But he wouldn’t even answer my calls! His childhood friend Zoe smugly sent me a photo of the two of them lying in bed together, taunting me: “I win!” My heart turned to ice. Ten weddings planned, and ten times postponed. The officiant looked at me sympathetically. “Do you still want to continue with the ceremony?” I forced a smile. “Yes! We must finish it!” I sent a message to Jack, the boy next door, and breathed a sigh of relief when he agreed to come. I told the officiant to wait just a little longer. This was my tenth attempt at getting married. It couldn’t be ruined again. Jack arrived quickly, his confident aura immediately drawing attention. He strode directly to center stage, standing beside my lonely figure with a mischievous smile. “Well, Miss Lily, have you made up your mind?” I nodded. It was just a marriage of convenience to appease our families. Anyone would do at this point. Besides… Grandpa’s condition couldn’t wait any longer. His health had started rapidly deteriorating six months ago. Whenever I visited him, he would always talk about wanting to see me married before he died. As the person I was closest to growing up, Grandpa’s only wish was to see me find someone worthy to spend my life with. That way, after he passed, I would have someone to rely on and wouldn’t be taken advantage of. Watching Grandpa grow thinner by the day, I couldn’t bear to let him leave with regrets. So I became determined to get married. My boyfriend Kevin had promised we would get married. But after ten wedding attempts, he failed to show up every single time. Leaving me to become the laughingstock of the entire city over and over again. And his excuse for missing every wedding was always because of his childhood friend Zoe. Zoe never seemed to have any problems, except on my wedding days. She would either claim to be having a depressive episode and threaten suicide, or say she was too scared to be alone after watching a horror movie. The most ridiculous time was when she suddenly decided she wanted to take wedding photos while out shopping, and called Kevin to be her stand-in groom. I wasn’t allowed to express any dissatisfaction about these absurd reasons. If I dared to send a message asking about it, I would be met with a barrage of angry words from Kevin. “Lily, can’t you be more understanding?! Zoe is like a sister to me. She needs me right now. We can have the wedding any day, why are you being so petty?” But after ten times of being abandoned and betrayed, my patience had finally run out. This time, I wouldn’t stand around waiting anymore. After truly letting go, I found the pain in my chest had eased. Perhaps I had become numb to it all. Or maybe Grandpa’s words had given me strength. “Our Lily is such a wonderful girl. After I’m gone, Grandpa hopes you can find someone who loves you and won’t let you be mistreated.” Grandpa’s aged face flashed in my mind, immediately giving me renewed determination. I couldn’t let down those who truly loved me. So I took Jack’s hand, and together we walked down the aisle. I was determined to face this wedding with my best self, so that Grandpa could watch the video later with peace of mind. As we exchanged rings, my phone buzzed with a message from Kevin. He was still completely oblivious to his wrongdoings, using the same careless tone as always: [Lily, don’t make a fuss. Zoe has a stomachache today, I really can’t get away. We can have the wedding any day, I’ll make it up to you later.] Seeing those words again, my heart couldn’t help but ache sharply. I gripped my phone tightly. Jack noticed and raised an eyebrow. “Do you still want to put on the ring?” I looked up, my gaze resolute: “Yes!” After completing all the ceremony procedures, I was utterly exhausted. Before leaving, Jack stared at me intently. “Lily, I’ll give you two days to change your mind. In two days we’ll go get the marriage license. I hope you’ve thought it through.” Those words gave me a graceful out, but I had already made up my mind to end things with Kevin. “Don’t worry, I won’t regret this!” After Jack left, I received a message from Kevin. [Lily, you have 10 minutes to buy painkillers and bring them over. Don’t make me angry.] Below was an address for a well-known lovers’ hotel in the city. A moment later, my phone buzzed again. It was a photo of two people lying in bed together. The sender was Zoe. And my boyfriend was one of the people in the picture. [I win again!] More than the pain of being betrayed and abandoned, what I felt most was disgust. On my wedding day, my groom was in a hotel with another woman. I unconsciously clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms, drawing blood.

In the end, I still went to the hotel. This relationship was completely over as far as I was concerned. I didn’t want to have any more entanglements with Kevin after this. So I wanted to break up with him face to face, and get back the key to my house. After all, the place he was living in now was an apartment I had bought outright! When I arrived at the hotel, Kevin saw that my hands were empty. He immediately flew into a rage. “Lily, what’s wrong with you? Where are the painkillers I told you to buy?” Zoe sat in the corner of the bed, looking pitiful as she said: “Kevin, don’t be angry. Big sis Lily was probably too tired after preparing for the wedding all day. She must have forgotten.” She knew full well that the groom had been called away from the wedding, yet she still spoke so casually about it. Being mocked to my face like this, even though my heart was already in tatters, I still couldn’t help but feel a stabbing pain. My fingers slowly clenched into fists, almost drawing blood from my palms again. When disappointment reaches a certain level, I didn’t even have any tears left. The cramped, intimate atmosphere of the lovers’ hotel room was suffocating. Kevin and I had been together since college. It started with his crazy, passionate pursuit that gradually made me fall for him. After we got together, he remembered every holiday better than I did, always surprising me with gifts. Even when I would occasionally throw little tantrums, he would take all the blame on himself and patiently coax me. My girlfriends often envied me for finding such a good boyfriend. I thought the same, which is why I wanted to get married right after graduation. But everything changed the day Kevin’s childhood friend Zoe returned from abroad. From that day on, Kevin’s heart completely turned towards an outsider. Between me and Zoe, I was always the one left behind. Kevin affectionately ruffled Zoe’s hair. “Ah, you’re always so understanding.” Then he walked over to me, frowning to show his displeasure. “Why didn’t you reply to my messages?” My repeated concessions had only made Kevin more and more presumptuous. He had abandoned our wedding and me, yet the first words out of his mouth were accusations. I tried to calm myself, keeping my tone cold. “I forgot.” Kevin was stunned, seemingly shocked by my tone. I coldly raised my eyes to look at Kevin. “Kevin, you stood me up again today.” Hearing this, a flash of guilt crossed his eyes, but he angrily defended himself. “It’s not like I did it on purpose. Zoe wasn’t feeling well, I couldn’t just ignore her, could I?” “We can have the wedding another day, can’t we? Lily, stop being so unreasonable, can you be more understanding?” He had clearly done something wrong, yet he was trying to turn it back on me. I no longer had the desire to argue with him, and forced myself to coldly spit out a sentence. “Well, I don’t want to wait for you anymore. Let’s break up!” With that, I turned decisively to leave. “Lily, what the fuck did you just say?!” Kevin shrieked and immediately chased after me. At that moment, Zoe let out an “Oh no!” behind us. Followed by the crisp sound of something shattering. I stopped in confusion and turned to look. The next second, my eyes went wide. On the ground was a jade pendant, smashed to pieces. It was the one Grandpa had gotten for me to keep me safe, by kowtowing step by step to the temple! I stood there completely dumbfounded, with anger about to erupt. When I came to my senses, I forcefully pushed Kevin away and rushed over to carefully pick up the pieces of the jade pendant. “Why is my jade pendant with you?!” I glared at Zoe, demanding an answer. Kevin came over, looking very displeased as he grumbled. “Lily, what are you freaking out about? You’re going to scare Zoe.” I looked at Kevin in disbelief. He clearly knew how important this jade pendant was to me, yet he could still say something like this so casually. In an instant, a feeling of powerlessness crept over my heart. The soft flesh of my palms was rubbed raw, bloody and mangled. Sure enough, when it came to Zoe, I would always be the one to back down. But this time it involved Grandpa. I didn’t want to hold back anymore. I raised my hand and slapped Kevin hard across the face. “If you’re blind, go to the hospital and get treated!” “She stole the jade pendant Grandpa gave me without my permission, and then broke it. What right do you have to forgive her on my behalf?” The room fell silent for a moment. In the past, no matter how angry I got, I had never raised a hand to him. Now it was Kevin’s turn to be dumbfounded. “You dare to slap me? Lily, you actually dare to hit me now?!” He lunged at me and grabbed my neck, squeezing so hard I could barely breathe. He glared at me, his eyes full of viciousness and hatred, as if looking at a mortal enemy. I couldn’t help but wonder, when did the person who once looked at me with nothing but love change like this? I remember back when we weren’t even together yet, I had posted a photo on social media of a tiny 2mm cut from a small knife. Kevin waited outside my dorm at 4am just to bring me a first aid kit. The young man’s eyes were bright and clear, filled with concern. It was at that moment that I was moved by his sincerity and agreed to date him. But just half a year later, he could viciously berate me for the sake of another woman. It was only now that I understood… True feelings can change in an instant.

Once you fall completely out of love, No matter how much you argue, it all feels pointless. The pain in my neck reminded me just how foolish all my efforts over the years had been. I could only give a self-mocking smile. Zoe peeked out from behind Kevin at that moment. I unexpectedly met her eyes, full of mockery. It felt like my heart was being stabbed with needles, hurting even more. The next second, her eyes turned red as she spoke to me in a slightly resentful tone: “Big sis Lily, don’t be angry. I just found the jade pendant and was planning to return it to you when I had the chance.” She rubbed Kevin’s head. “Kevin, don’t blame big sis Lily anymore.” Kevin finally calmed down and reluctantly let go of me. “Zoe is always so sensible.” “Lily, why can’t you learn from her?!” The near-suffocation left my whole body trembling. Zoe pretended to come over and support me. “Big sis Lily, can you forgive me?” Her tone was slightly pleading, but I clearly saw the provocation and mockery in her eyes. As if arrogantly saying: “Yes, I stole it and broke it. What can you do about it?” I felt a chill run down my spine and disgustedly avoided her touch. But Zoe took the opportunity to let out a shrill scream and fall backwards. “Ah—” She clutched her wrist, looking at me in terror. “Big sis Lily, I just wanted to apologize to you…” I hadn’t even touched the hem of her clothes, yet I had become the bully. Seeing Zoe fall, Kevin immediately anxiously crouched down to help her up, then turned to angrily berate me. “Lily, didn’t you hear Zoe say she just found the pendant? What’s the point of taking it out on an innocent person like this?” I almost laughed at his words. The jade pendant Grandpa gave me was something I always treasured. I had carefully kept it in the drawer in my bedroom. Found it? Are you telling me Zoe accidentally entered my house, accidentally walked into my bedroom, and then accidentally found the pendant in my most private bedside drawer? I couldn’t be bothered to expose this clumsy lie. I just smirked sarcastically. “Fine then. I’ll report it to the police and let them investigate exactly how Zoe ‘found’ my jade pendant!” “And I’ll press charges against you for assaulting me today!” Zoe panicked and immediately clutched her chest. “Kevin, my heart hurts so much…” Hearing this, Kevin forgot about everything else and rushed to support Zoe to go to the hospital. “Don’t be afraid, Zoe. I won’t let anything happen to you!” As he passed by me, he glared viciously. “Lily, you just wait! If anything happens to Zoe, I won’t let you off the hook!” He deliberately slammed into my shoulder hard. Caught off guard, the impact sent me crashing to the floor. But Kevin didn’t even spare me a glance, just coldly snorted and left.

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