Author: Momo Chan

On the eve of the piano competition, my right hand was accidentally scalded. The championship slipped through my fingers. As soon as Gideon heard about it, he rushed back from out of town overnight. Everyone said he was madly in love with me. Only I knew the truth. Gideon had someone scald my hand to please Lily, his long-time crush. At the hospital, the man carelessly glanced at my grotesque wound. He said lightly, “Does it really hurt that much? Stop pretending.” “I only told them to splash half a cup of water.” Hearing the man’s nonchalant tone, I didn’t make a fuss. Instead, I silently planned my escape for a month later, on our wedding day. In the quiet hospital room, Gideon lit up his phone screen once again. His eyes frequently darted to the screen, as if waiting for a message from someone. I noticed the blood starting to flow back into the IV tube. The man still looked distracted. I finally couldn’t help but remind him: “Gideon, the IV bag is empty.” Gideon responded perfunctorily, without even sparing me a glance. Just then, a message notification sounded. A smile immediately appeared on Gideon’s lips, his eyes softening noticeably. His fingers flew quickly across the phone screen. I looked away, no longer watching him. There was no need to guess – Gideon was replying to Lily’s message. Only she could make the usually cold Gideon treat her so tenderly. “Oh, by the way, go home by yourself after the IV is done,” Gideon instructed me without looking up. I turned to look out the window. A light rain was falling, but the wind was strong. Just then, Lily posted on her social media. It was a screenshot of a large bank transfer. [Thanks to CEO Gideon for the $52,000~] I suddenly remembered. On Valentine’s Day, Gideon had sent me a $52 red envelope. Only after I pestered him for a long time did Gideon agree, with an impatient look on his face. The man’s words still echoed in my ears: “Holly, when did you become so vain?” “It’s just an unimportant holiday, do you need to be so petty about it?” But to please Lily, he was willing to spend $52,000 without batting an eye. I curled my fingers awkwardly, as if that could ease the stabbing pain in my heart. Just then, Lily walked in carrying a bouquet of flowers. As soon as he saw Lily, Gideon jumped to his feet, his eyes filled with undisguised delight. He walked over and took the flowers from her hands. Lily pulled out a trophy from behind her back, acting as if I wasn’t there. “The championship is mine!” she said proudly. Gideon seemed even happier than her. He hugged Lily right in front of me. Watching this scene, I felt nothing but irony. In the previous two preliminary rounds, I had won first place each time, pulling far ahead of Lily who came in second. Even the competition judges couldn’t help but congratulate me in advance. “Miss Holly, no one here is a match for you.” At that time, almost everyone was certain. The championship would be mine. But Lily went to Gideon. She cried pitifully, clutching the man’s sleeve. Lily didn’t even have to say anything. Gideon couldn’t bear it. He felt extremely sorry for her. He immediately had someone scald my right hand. God knows how heartbroken I was when I called the staff to withdraw. “Miss Holly, are you voluntarily forfeiting?” the staff asked in disbelief. I let the tears flow into my mouth, suppressing wave after wave of heartache. “Yes, I’m voluntarily forfeiting.” Looking at the trophy that should have been mine, I slowly averted my gaze. I could lose to anyone, but I especially couldn’t lose to Lily. Gideon still didn’t know that Lily was the culprit behind my father’s death. Ten years ago, to save Lily who had fallen into the lake, my father jumped in without hesitation, ignoring all warnings. He rescued Lily. But the first thing Lily did when she got to shore wasn’t to thank my father. Instead, she insisted: “He touched my pants while we were underwater!” “He’s a pervert!” As a teacher, my father couldn’t bear the humiliation. Amid the public condemnation, he chose to take his own life. After the two finished their intimate moment, Lily finally noticed me. She offered me her trophy, smiling as she consoled me: “Holly, don’t be too sad.” “The championship, well, it’s not something just anyone can win if they want to.” “You touched the trophy, so that counts as being the champion too.” Looking at the woman’s seemingly kind face, I could no longer suppress the anger in my heart. I couldn’t help but laugh coldly. “You can be so at ease with something you stole.” As soon as I said that, Gideon frowned and pulled Lily behind him protectively. His face darkened frighteningly. Seeing this, Lily’s eyes filled with even more tears. They teetered on the edge of falling, looking utterly pitiful. “Holly, did getting an IV mess up your brain?” Gideon snapped. “Lily came to comfort you.” “She’s not here to be your punching bag.” Lily sniffled softly, tugging at the man’s sleeve. “Don’t say that,” she pleaded. “If Holly hadn’t injured her hand…” But Gideon wasn’t having it. He glanced at me, his eyes full of annoyance. “You don’t need to speak up for her.” “No skill is no skill.” “Just because she won a few awards, she really thinks she’s better than you.” The man’s particularly harsh words left me momentarily stunned. When Gideon and I first got together, he wasn’t the wealthy Gideon he is now. He saw how much I loved the piano and used all his savings to buy me one. I’ll always remember that day. Gideon stood in our tiny rented apartment, with a piano that looked completely out of place behind him. He hid his hands behind his back, which were covered in chilblains from working day and night. He said to me: “Congratulations, Miss Holly, on getting your first piano.” I cried so hard I could barely speak. “But I… I don’t really have any talent in this area.” Gideon hugged me gently and whispered in my ear: “No, Holly.” “In my heart, you’re the most amazing pianist.” Thanks to Gideon’s encouragement time and time again, I never gave up on my dream. But people always change. Like 31-year-old Gideon. He would never be like 22-year-old Gideon anymore. Always putting me first, loving me unconditionally. When Gideon left the hospital room, he slammed the door thunderously. He even threw some harsh words at me: “Holly, this is my last warning.” “If you make Lily unhappy one more time, I won’t go through with the wedding next month!” Gideon was used to threatening me with marriage. He always believed I couldn’t leave him. Maybe that used to be true. But now, I opened my phone and bought a plane ticket abroad for a month later. And that day happened to be Gideon and I’s wedding day. After the IV finished, the clock struck 4 AM. I didn’t bring my phone, so I had to walk home alone. When I opened the door as dawn was breaking, Gideon was in the kitchen cooking, wearing an apron. The once cold house finally had some warmth to it. Gideon looked up at me. He seemed to notice my wet hair and disheveled clothes. A rare flash of guilt crossed the man’s eyes. He rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache and walked over to me. “It was wrong of me to leave you behind this time.” “I ordered takeout, have some.” As if trying to break the ice, Gideon’s tone softened considerably. I glanced at the simple takeout on the table, feeling no appetite whatsoever. There was even a fried egg in the box. After all these years, Gideon couldn’t even remember I was allergic to eggs. Inadvertently, I noticed several lunchboxes on the kitchen counter. Vegetables, meat dishes, and even freshly cut fruit. There was even a pot of pork rib soup simmering on the stove. Gideon must have noticed my gaze. He shifted awkwardly, trying to block my view. He explained, “You know how it is.” “Lily gets really tired from practicing piano.” “I can’t just not take care of her.” Gideon spread his hands, as if he really had no choice in the matter. In the past, I would have made a fuss. But now, a sense of helplessness gradually spread through me. A year ago, when Gideon was on a business trip in another province, he accidentally lost his wallet. Lily helped him out. Since then, Gideon always had one phrase on his lips: “If it weren’t for Lily, I don’t know what I would have done.” No matter what trouble Lily got into, Gideon would always stand behind her without hesitation. Whenever I expressed my dissatisfaction with this, Gideon would get very impatient. “Holly, Lily isn’t just anyone. I already treat her like my own sister.” Thinking of this, I gently pushed the man away and said, “She does need to eat well.” Hearing this, Gideon looked at me in surprise. As if my current demeanor was utterly foreign to him. But he didn’t ask further. Instead, he pulled out a small, exquisite jewelry box from his pocket. I recognized it immediately. It was the diamond necklace I had asked Gideon for months ago. Even though I had mentioned it more than once, Gideon still hadn’t gotten it for me. Yet this time, Gideon wanted to give it to me. I watched as Gideon opened the box. The diamond necklace was just as dazzling as when I saw it in the jewelry store. But I couldn’t feel happy at all. Because I had seen an identical necklace around Lily’s neck before. I still remember her smug expression. “This necklace? I just mentioned it to Gideon once, and the next day it was in my hands.” What I had longed for, Lily could obtain effortlessly. In an instant, I felt nauseated and pushed Gideon away, walking towards the bedroom. This action angered him. The man snapped the box shut with a loud click, his brows furrowed in rage. “Holly, what do you mean by this?” “The food is right in front of you, and you won’t eat it.” “You won’t even look at the necklace I bought you.” “Are you still throwing a tantrum over that incident?” As for “that incident”, Gideon and I both knew what it was. Seeing my apparently unconcerned attitude, Gideon became visibly angrier. His chest heaved violently, like an enraged lion. He grabbed a nearby photo frame and smashed it on the ground. The glass frame instantly shattered into pieces. “Holly, you’ve really gone too far now!” I said nothing, just looking at the photo on the ground. It was the first photo Gideon and I had taken together. To show how precious it was, I had specially framed it. I still remember what Gideon said to me that time. “Holly, I won’t change my heart.” “So you’re not allowed to leave me either. We have to be together forever.” Back then, I was too naive and easily believed his words. So I teased him: “What if you do change your heart?” Gideon heard this and actually thought seriously for a moment. Finally, he said firmly: “Then you should never forgive me.” “No matter how pitifully I beg you to come back.” “Holly, you have to remember.” “Never look back.” The faces of young Gideon and adult Gideon gradually overlapped. My nose stung, and I struggled to resist the urge to pick up the photo frame. In the end, Gideon and I parted on bad terms. The reason this argument ended was that it was almost time to bring food to Lily. After Gideon slammed the door and hurried away, the room fell silent again. I looked at that old piano and didn’t hesitate any longer. I picked up a hammer and smashed it violently. After the piano was completely destroyed, I called a junk collector. The worker was shocked by the smashed piano. He asked me, “Are you sure you want to sell it?” I nodded calmly: “It’s just a pile of useless junk.” Two weeks passed. The wedding day was getting closer and closer. But Gideon seemed to have forgotten about me, not even willing to step foot in our home anymore. The man who used to always complain to me about being too busy with work was now willing to travel the world with Lily. I learned all this from Lily’s social media posts. During this time, she updated very frequently. Mostly photos with Gideon. Seeing the man’s smiling face, I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. You should know, it had been a long time since I had seen Gideon smile. In front of me, he always had a stern face, devoid of any warmth. Many friends found out about this and asked me: “What’s the relationship between Gideon and that woman?” I was silent for a moment, then said: “Just ordinary friends.” “Are you still getting married?” I smiled. “Of course. You all must come to the wedding.” Hearing my seemingly normal tone, almost everyone believed that I was madly in love with Gideon. That’s why I chose to marry him even after finding out about his affair. Finally, three days before the wedding, Gideon came back. He brought back all kinds of gifts. Big and small, they almost filled the entire house. Gideon rubbed my head, saying with satisfaction: “If only you could always be this obedient.” I barely managed to suppress my nausea and not dodge the man’s touch. It was this very hand that had held Lily’s countless times. I found it disgusting. He handed me a card, saying in a patronizing tone: “You can pick out the wedding rings.” “Lily’s busy with a competition lately, I need to accompany her.” As if afraid I would throw another tantrum, Gideon warned me first: “This competition is very important to Lily.” “Don’t make trouble.” Contrary to the man’s expectations, I just nodded lightly. Gideon didn’t pay much attention to my unusual behavior. He just thought I had become more obedient, and left in a very good mood. So Gideon accompanied Lily for another three days without worry. On the day of the wedding, just before going on stage, the makeup artist was giving me a final touch-up. I listened to the host’s voice from the hall. Until I heard: “Let’s welcome the bride…” The rest of the words were interrupted by an urgent phone call. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Gideon answered the phone with a panicked look. Lily’s tearful voice came through the speaker: “Gideon, the goldfish you bought me turned belly up.” “Is it going to die…” The phone was on speaker, so almost everyone could hear. Gideon’s face showed a conflicted, hesitant expression. I watched him from afar behind the curtain. Finally, Gideon raised his hand decisively. “I’m sorry, the wedding will be paused.” “We’ll resume in about 30 minutes.” There was an uproar among the audience. But Gideon pushed the door open and left without hesitation. This time, I didn’t hesitate either. I tore off my veil, took off my wedding dress. Under everyone’s shocked gazes, I got in a taxi and left.

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On my birthday, Luke, the university student my wife was sponsoring, posted on Twitter: “Celebrating my 22nd birthday! Even though no one else remembered, my big celebrity sister did!” The location was tagged at a restaurant known for catering to couples. The attached photo showed him and my wife in a selfie, their faces almost touching. The top comment was: “You’re spending your birthday with the famous Nadia! Looking at this restaurant, are you two together?” Luke only replied to this one comment: “Hehe, we’re almost there.” I liked this comment with my main account, but a few minutes later, Nadia called to yell at me: “What’s wrong with me celebrating Luke’s birthday? Did you have to like that comment with your main account? Don’t be so petty, quickly say it was a misclick, fans are asking questions.” I could faintly hear Luke saying in the background: “If getting cyberbullied makes Sean happy, I’m okay with it. After all, he used to be a big star.” I hung up the phone immediately. But today is also my birthday. I’ve supported Nadia for three years, given up my career for her for three years, and we’ve been secretly married for two years. In the eighth year of loving Nadia, I decided to give up on her and make a comeback. …

When Nadia came back, I was playing with my new kitten. Ever since we started dating, she said she didn’t like cats and dogs. After she secretly got rid of the cat I had for five years, I never got close to a kitten again. “Sean, what do you mean? Don’t you know I hate cats?” Nadia’s sharp voice came through. I glanced at her indifferently and continued petting the cat. “Alright, alright, you’re just jealous, aren’t you? Luke just graduated, he needs me right now. Why are you competing with him? I’ll spend more time with you in the future,” Nadia said, pinching her nose, in a tone of condescension. Seeing that I was still ignoring her, Nadia lost her temper. She picked up the cat I had just bought and threw it aside roughly, then pushed me: “Go apologize to him quickly. You’re such a big man, why are you competing with a university student?” The kitten let out a loud cry when it was thrown to the ground, then crawled back to my side and hissed at Nadia. I didn’t expect Nadia to be so strong. My stomach hit the corner of the table, and I felt a spasm in my gut. My face gradually turned pale. My stomach ulcer was acting up again. I originally didn’t eat dinner because I was waiting for Nadia to come back and celebrate my birthday with me. After seeing that Twitter post, I couldn’t eat at all. Now with this external stimulation to my stomach, I was in so much pain I couldn’t speak. I used to be very healthy, but because Nadia said she didn’t like her man being watched and admired by so many women, I gave up my career and focused on getting resources for Nadia. I accompanied various bosses and directors for drinks, and gradually developed a serious stomach problem. Seeing that something was wrong with me, Nadia panicked for a moment: “Where… where’s your medicine? I’ll get it for you.” I clutched my stomach and coldly watched her search around the living room. “I remember it was right here, how…” Nadia’s words stopped abruptly, and an unnatural expression flashed across her face. My medicine box had been taken by her to give to Luke yesterday. I remember yesterday when Nadia rushed back home in a hurry, as soon as she opened the door she asked: “Luke got hurt in a car race! Where’s our medicine?” Without waiting for my answer, Nadia took the box containing my stomach medicine on her own: “Never mind, I’ll take it first.” If it were usual, I would definitely have jealously questioned her, asking if she had taken my medicine to give to Luke, but today, I was tired. Not just physically, but in this relationship, I was tired too. “I… I’ll go downstairs to buy some for you, hold on.” Nadia’s face showed some guilt. She wanted to come closer to help me to the sofa, but was scared away by the kitten. “I don’t know why you bought this damn cat.” Nadia muttered, picking up her keys to go downstairs and buy medicine for me, but just as she was about to leave, she received a phone call. “Sister Nadia… those debt collectors have come to my house again. They said if I don’t pay today, they’ll cut off one of my hands. Sister Nadia, save me.” As soon as Nadia answered, Luke’s tearful voice came through from the other end. “What?! They dare to touch my people!” Nadia’s delicate face showed a panic I had never seen for me. “It’s just some money, I’ll come right away.” “But it’s so late now, won’t Sean be angry if you come over…” Luke continued on the phone. “He wouldn’t dare!” As if hearing these words, Nadia, who was about to step out of the house, suddenly remembered that I was still in the house with a stomach ulcer attack. Nadia gave me a warning look, then hurriedly left. Just before she closed the door, I called out: “Nadia.” “What? Didn’t you hear that Luke is in danger right now? I’ll buy you medicine when I come back.” Nadia replied impatiently, then quickly closed the door. I wanted to say, I want a divorce. I looked at the business card of the international director that Nadia had admired for a long time, which I was clutching in my hand, and tore it to pieces. I had originally planned to give Nadia a surprise on her birthday, but now it seems unnecessary.

I held my stomach until midnight, but Nadia still hadn’t come back. The kitten was licking my hand worriedly, curled up beside me. I knew Nadia wouldn’t come back, but I still couldn’t help but have some expectations. Time passed bit by bit, and I really couldn’t bear it anymore. I called for delivery to bring the medicine over. At this moment, Twitter suddenly popped up with a message. It was another post from Luke. I clicked in to look, driven by some inexplicable force. It was a photo posted by Luke, showing Nadia’s back view. Nadia was confronting the debt collectors, with her arms spread out to protect Luke behind her. Luke said that the debt collectors had already left under Nadia’s threats and money. Luke had suffered some minor injuries and was on the way to the hospital with Nadia. Someone asked in the comments: “Looking at this back view, is it Nadia again? The big star and the young university student are so shippable!” Luke immediately replied: “Thank you for your concern, ship away, there’s plenty of sugar!” My heart ached. Nadia and I had never gone public. She said she didn’t want to affect her career, and I respected her wishes. But now she was appearing in public with Luke again and again, in such an ambiguous relationship. Doesn’t this affect her career? Luke was so concerned about a minor injury, but do you remember a month ago, at the Hundred Flowers Awards ceremony, Nadia won the Best Supporting Actress award through my resource investments and daily humble pleading. When Nadia was accepting the award, I was surrounded by a group of people. “An actor who has already retired dares to compete for resources with the people our boss wants to support?!” The leader kicked me. I knew it was probably because Nadia had been elevated step by step by me, affecting too many other people’s interests. One of them had sent these people to cause trouble for me. “All of you, go up and beat him! Just don’t beat him to death!” As soon as the leader gave the order, more than a dozen people surrounded me and started punching and kicking. Faced with the attack of more than a dozen people, I was powerless to fight back. I could only cover my head and silently endure. Just as I was being beaten, I saw Nadia, who had just received the award, walking past with Luke’s hand in hers, surrounded by stars. “Nadia! Save me!” I shouted. Nadia clearly saw me, but she only glanced at me, then fearfully quickened her pace, pulling Luke’s hand. Because more and more people were gathering, the leader was afraid of making a big scene and withdrew his men. Late at night, I went to the hospital before returning home covered in wounds. “Why are you back so late?” Nadia glanced at me, then was shocked by my appearance, her lips trembling. “Nadia, why didn’t you save me, why didn’t you call the police?” I rushed up to question her. “I… I didn’t know it would be so serious.” Nadia shrank back, her eyes avoiding mine. “You were afraid those people would hurt Luke, right!” My eyes gradually reddened. Nadia was exposed by me and couldn’t speak. Because she knew that as long as these people were causing trouble for me, they wouldn’t bother Luke. “Come with me to report to the police! That place is a blind spot for surveillance, you and Luke clearly saw it, come and testify for me!” I stared at Nadia intently. “Enough! Why report to the police for such a small matter!” Nadia yelled angrily, “Aren’t you fine now? Other than some superficial injuries, what’s wrong with you? You’re not dead or disabled, why is a grown man being so dramatic!” I sneered and nodded. As the night deepened, my disappointment in Nadia also deepened. After Nadia finished speaking, she went back to her room as if nothing had happened, while I sat in the living room, enduring the pain of my injuries, unable to sleep all night. Afterwards, Nadia acted coquettishly towards me again, coaxing me with a few words. She’s always like this, thinking that acting coquettish and saying a few nice words would make everything okay. I also thought it had passed, but seeing Luke’s Twitter post, I clearly remembered everything that happened that day. I closed my eyes tiredly, and when I opened them again, my eyes were clear. I called my former agent: “Hello, I want to make a comeback. Are there any roles available recently?”

When I woke up, Nadia was back, sitting in the living room playing with her phone. Seeing me come out, she imperiously said to me: “I bought you medicine, it’s on the table. Looks like you could sleep without medicine, why pretend to be in so much pain?” I smiled faintly: “Because I had already bought some.” Nadia seemed relieved, then said matter-of-factly: “Since you’re fine now, drive me to the set. My new drama starts filming today. By the way, did you fail to connect with that international director I asked you about last time? I knew you were becoming more and more useless.” I always drove Nadia to her new drama sets because, after all, I was a senior in the entertainment industry. Although I had retired, people would still give me some face. People in the circle also knew about my relationship with Nadia, so they would take extra care of her. Thinking of the international director’s business card I tore up last night, I suddenly felt quite happy. On the way to send Nadia to the set, Nadia complained about wanting to drink ice water. When I went to the back seat to get it for her, I found a pair of men’s underwear on the back seat. Nadia took a sharp breath, looking at me nervously. After all, if it were before, I would definitely have questioned whose underwear this was and asked Nadia to keep her distance from Luke. But now, I just smiled faintly and said nothing. “Luke got caught in the rain once and didn’t bring an umbrella. I went to pick him up, and he changed clothes directly in the car. I didn’t know he even changed his underwear…” Nadia explained, her face a bit embarrassed. “Nadia,” I interrupted her, calling softly, “Did you know that the day of Luke’s birthday was also my birthday?” Nadia was stunned for a moment, her eyes flickering with some guilt: “I… I forgot. I’ll make it up to you next time.” I said nothing, just nodded, handed the water to Nadia, and continued driving. She didn’t know, we had no next time. After arriving at the set, the staff kept looking at me and Nadia, with a look of wanting to say something but holding back. Ouch, it hurts so much, my stomach started hurting again. I took a deep breath, holding back the pain. An actress who was close to Nadia couldn’t hold back anymore. She ran to Nadia’s side and asked: “What’s your relationship with that university student? What about Sean?” Nadia glanced at me cautiously, then said: “One at home, one outside, you know. Besides, young guys are so tender, of course I like them.” The actress looked at me in shock, as if saying she didn’t expect me to be so open-minded, then looked at Nadia admiringly before leaving. After the actress left, Nadia immediately grabbed my hand and explained to me: “You know, Luke just graduated and also wants to enter the entertainment industry. It’s good for him to have you and me to protect him.” I nodded perfunctorily, noncommittal. Watching Nadia act boringly, her acting skills used to be very poor, but I taught her step by step, so that now Nadia can finish a scene without making mistakes. Nadia’s reputation used to be very bad, and I built her image and reputation bit by bit. It wouldn’t be wrong to say she was a rose I personally cultivated. But now this rose is pricking me all over. When Nadia’s most important scene of the day came, Luke suddenly called. Nadia hurriedly went to answer the phone, and the whole crew paused for her. “Sister Nadia, I went to audition for the third male lead role in the TV series you recommended to me, but the people there look down on me and don’t want me to play the third male lead. Can you come over and support me?” Luke’s pitiful voice rang out in the quiet set. “How dare they! Wait for me, I’ll be right there!” Nadia frowned, picked up her bag and prepared to leave. “Miss Nadia, but we haven’t finished here yet…” the director persuaded. You should know that Nadia’s image in the entertainment industry was originally not good, and I had worked hard to correct it bit by bit. If she left like this, there would inevitably be many people saying she was playing diva, one person delaying the progress of the entire crew. Although all of this was true. Nadia rushed out as if she couldn’t hear what the director was saying. I grabbed Nadia: “Don’t forget, if you leave today, your reputation will be completely ruined.” Nadia’s face darkened: “Are you threatening me? Didn’t you hear that Luke needs me?” Luke, Luke, it’s Luke again. “If you dare to walk out of this set, let’s get divorced!” There was uncontrollable disappointment in my eyes. “Threatening me with divorce? Sean, you’re something else! Wait until I come back to talk to you.” Nadia looked at me in shock, but still couldn’t resist her steps to see Luke. Nadia pushed my hand away heavily and turned to run out. My stomach was already hurting, and I couldn’t stand steady. When she pushed me, I fell to the ground, and my stomach hurt even more uncontrollably. “Mr. Sean, are you okay?” The people on the set gathered around and helped me up. Nadia, you see, even some strangers treat me better than you do. So why should I still stay with you? I took out my stomach medicine and ate it, then looked at the director and said: “This drama just started filming, not much has been shot yet, right?” The director nodded. “Then replace all of Nadia’s scenes, I’ll act in them. I can invest a lot of money in you.” I looked at the director seriously and said.

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I never thought my dad, the leader of our local search and rescue team, would find my bones buried in the snow during a training exercise. He immediately called my adopted sister Natalie to cancel her upcoming hiking trip, citing safety concerns. One of his team members reminded him, “Hey Trevor, shouldn’t you call your younger daughter Hazel too? I heard she was planning a hike as well.” But my dad’s face darkened as he snapped, “Why bring up that good-for-nothing? I hope that murderer dies out there!” Little did he know, I was already dead. Those broken bones they just uncovered? They were my remains. Yet my own father couldn’t even recognize his daughter’s bones. “The bones show signs of blunt force trauma and are incomplete,” observed one of the experienced officers at the scene. “This doesn’t look like an accident. It appears to be a homicide.” My dad nodded gravely, promising to search for any remaining bones. Before they began, he pulled out his phone to call Natalie, my adopted sister. “Sweetie, there’s been a murder on the mountain. Cancel your hiking plans and don’t go out for a few days, okay? Stay safe.” “Okay, Dad. I’ll be careful,” Natalie replied sweetly. My dad fussed over her for several more minutes until she playfully complained her ears were getting sore from all his warnings. After he hung up, one of his team members spoke up. “Hey Trevor, didn’t your younger daughter Hazel mention going on a hike soon too? Maybe give her a call as well?” My dad’s face instantly darkened. “Why bring up that monster?” he spat. “That girl killed her own mother. I hope she dies out there!” Though I was already dead, I felt an icy chill run through my non-existent body. So this was how much my father hated me. But if he hated me so much, how could he not recognize these pitiful bones as belonging to the daughter he despised? The search continued for a full day and night. The rescue team combed every inch of the mountain. My dad worked for 48 hours straight without sleep. But they found very few remains. When the police came to question my dad, his expression was even grimmer than before. “We’ve searched the entire mountain and only found one leg bone,” he reported. “I suspect the victim was dismembered and the parts scattered.” The officer looked shocked. “So the killer may have disposed of the remaining bones elsewhere?” “Not just bones,” my dad clarified. “Other body parts too. Remember, we’ve only found one leg bone so far.” “This was an extremely brutal murder. The killer is far more vicious than we initially thought.” The officer absorbed this information silently before replying, “I’ll call for more manpower and expand the search area.” Just then, a team member discovered a necklace hanging from a tree branch and brought it over. My spirits lifted at the sight of it. That necklace was a birthday gift from my dad three years ago. Surely he would remember! I eagerly awaited the moment my dad would recognize it and finally realize it was me. But his eyes barely glanced at the necklace before handing it to the officer, saying it might be a personal effect of the victim. He suggested taking photos to post online in hopes of identifying the deceased’s family. The team member who found it hesitated before speaking up. “Trevor, doesn’t this necklace look familiar? I think I’ve seen your younger daughter wearing something similar…” My dad’s brows furrowed in annoyance. “There are countless identical necklaces out there. Charlie, you’ve been acting strange today. Did that conniving Hazel put you up to this? Don’t fall for her tricks.” Uncle Charlie tried to say more, but my dad was called away. As I watched his busy figure retreat, my hopes sank to rock bottom. My dad didn’t used to be like this. He once loved me too. But ten years ago, his high school sweetheart died in a domestic violence incident, leaving behind a young daughter. My dad took her in against my mom’s wishes, treating her like his own child. My mom couldn’t accept it and wanted a divorce. After a huge fight, she took me to a high bridge, intending to jump with me. The wind was so strong and I was terrified. I begged her to put me down. In the end, my mom’s body was found in the icy river. But I survived. When my dad got the call from the recovery team, he slapped me twice without hesitation, calling me a murderer who killed my own mother. He declared Natalie was his only daughter now. I was even forced to change my last name. I could no longer be called Hazel Turner, only Hazel Hayes. I knew my dad hated me with every fiber of his being. Now that I was finally dead, was he happy? The search continued. My teacher called my dad, reporting that I was missing. “Hazel hasn’t been seen at school since yesterday evening. Her roommate said she wasn’t there all day yesterday either,” the teacher explained anxiously. “Mr. Turner, can you reach Hazel? If not, we should file a missing persons report.” My dad’s face showed nothing but irritation. “Ms. Sanders, Hazel has always been a liar. She often lies to skip class. Don’t worry about her. Once she’s done playing around, she’ll come back on her own.” “But…” the teacher tried to protest, but my dad had already hung up. Because Natalie was calling him. “Dad, I’m not feeling well. When will you be done with work?” she asked in a sweet voice. My dad’s furrowed brow instantly smoothed out as he patiently replied, “Daddy still needs some more time, sweetie. What’s wrong? Are you okay? Do you need me to take time off to stay with you?” His gentle tone and concerned questions made my heart ache. Since Mom died, Dad had never spoken to me so kindly again. He always called me a murderer, saying I was the reason our family fell apart. But Dad, I’m your real daughter. I want your care and concern too. Even if it’s just one sentence. That evening, my dad still took time off to go home. He gazed at Natalie lying in bed, surrounded by 24/7 caregivers and on-call doctors, his eyes brimming with worry. “How are you feeling, sweetie?” he asked softly. “Daddy!” Natalie’s face lit up with joy as she threw her arms around him in a big hug. Watching their affectionate scene, even my bodiless spirit felt a lump in my non-existent throat. But I had no tears to shed. I could only watch as my dad fussed over Natalie in bed. After a long while, Natalie looked up from my dad’s embrace, her eyes darting around as she cautiously asked, “Dad, didn’t you say the search would take several days? Did you find all the dismembered remains already?” My dad froze for a moment before reflexively asking, “How did you know the body was dismembered?” My dejected spirits suddenly perked up as I stared at my dad expectantly. Even though he didn’t recognize the necklace he gave me, surely he wouldn’t miss such an obvious clue? But Natalie easily defused the situation with one sentence: “I saw it on the news.” “Oh Dad, that poor person. I wonder how devastated their family must be to hear the news.” “It is tragic,” my dad agreed. “But we haven’t identified the victim yet, so their family… probably doesn’t know yet.” He echoed Natalie’s words, completely missing the flash of triumph in her eyes. The tiny spark of hope in my heart was snuffed out again. Dad, it’s me! You’ve already noticed something’s off. How can you still not recognize me? My dad stayed home with Natalie all day. It wasn’t until midnight that the rescue team called, saying they made a major discovery at the supply station at the base of the mountain. They needed him to come back immediately. My dad hurriedly got dressed to leave, but Natalie suddenly appeared clutching the doll he’d given her when she first came to live with us. Her eyes were brimming with tears. “Dad, there’s thunder outside. I’m scared…” she whimpered. My dad hesitated. Just as it seemed Natalie would successfully keep him from leaving, Uncle Charlie frantically sent over a dozen photos from the scene. My dad’s pupils constricted as he glanced at them. He quickly reassured Natalie, “Be good, sweetheart. Let the nanny stay with you. Daddy will be back soon.” Then he raced downstairs and sped to the scene. When my dad arrived at the supply station, Uncle Charlie tried to stop him from entering. “Trevor, I really don’t think you should go in there…” But my dad brushed him off. “I’ve been doing search and rescue for years. What haven’t I seen? Move aside!” The next second, he charged into the scene. But as soon as he saw the well cordoned off by police tape, he ran to the side and started violently retching. The stench of decay filled the air around the well. Bloated body parts had been fished out, now unrecognizable. Nearby sat a pile of sealed evidence bags containing various weapons: hammers, axes, saws. Even a grindstone. The police explained these were all tools the killer had used on the victim. And not just for dismemberment. “The victim was still alive when these tools were used on her,” an officer reported grimly. “We found multiple blood stains and tissue residue on nearby rocks, likely from the victim’s desperate attempts to resist the pain.” “She was tortured to death.” “We’ve also roughly determined the victim’s profile: female, tall build, with an old fracture on the left leg bone, likely from a dog bite. The victim probably had limited mobility…” With each word, my dad’s eyes grew darker and more haunted. Dad, are you finally feeling sad for me? The next second, Uncle Charlie suddenly spoke up. “Trevor, didn’t your younger daughter have a limp in her left leg? And her build… I remember it was similar to this child’s.” “Charlie!” The sympathy vanished from my dad’s eyes, replaced by anger and resentment. “What has that little bitch been telling you? You’ve been bringing her up way too often lately!” “I’ve told you, even if that bitch died out there, it has nothing to do with me!” “Besides, someone as vile as her who could watch her own mother die – how could she possibly be dead?” Uncle Charlie tried to say more, but my dad had already walked away. Just then, a nearby officer received a call from my teacher reporting me missing. “Boss, your daughter Hazel’s teacher filed a missing persons report. Says Hazel has been gone for days.” But my dad grabbed his phone and smashed it to the ground. “Enough! When will this end?” he roared. “The victim has already suffered such a horrible fate, yet you’re all still playing along with that little monster’s game of make-believe!” “If she wants to play at being missing, then let her! Solving this case is what’s important!” The officer tried to say more, but my dad’s phone suddenly rang. Natalie’s voice came through. “Dad, the thunder is so loud. I’m really scared…” Hearing Natalie’s whimpers, my dad immediately started soothing her. “It’s okay, sweetie. Daddy’s coming home right now.” But he had barely taken a few steps when the officer called him back. “Mr. Turner! Come back!” My dad was forced to stop. It turned out Ms. Sanders had braved the heavy rain to come in person. She brought the security footage of me leaving school that day. The red jacket I was wearing matched the victim’s exactly!

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The National Day holiday coincided with my fifth wedding anniversary with my wife Saylor. We had planned to spend the vacation together in Santorini, but on the morning of our departure, Saylor hurriedly packed her luggage and told me, “The company needs me for an urgent business trip.” I believed her, until late that night when I saw a post from Ryan, Saylor’s first love, on Instagram. In the photo, they were intimately close together, fingers intertwined, with matching couple bracelets shining brightly. I smiled bitterly. She had gone to Santorini after all, just not with the person she had promised. I didn’t call to confront her. I calmly liked the post. A minute later, Saylor called me in a panic: “It’s just a misunderstanding, we ran into each other on the business trip. I’ll make it up to you next year’s holiday, I promise.” I sneered, “It’s fine. Have a good time.” Saylor asked in surprise, “Why aren’t you jealous this time?” … When Saylor returned a week later, I didn’t rush to greet her at the door as I used to, taking her luggage and helping her change shoes. Saylor leaned against the doorway, frowning as she looked at me. “Yannick, where are my slippers?” In the past, I would always have her slippers neatly arranged to welcome her home, but not this time. Seeing me sitting motionless on the couch, watching TV, I said: “In the shoe cabinet. Find them yourself.” Saylor’s frown deepened when she heard my words, but after a moment’s hesitation, she relaxed her expression. She took out her slippers from the shoe cabinet and put them on. Walking up to me, she looked at the empty dining table and pouted, “I’m a bit hungry. Can you make me some dumplings?” In the past, whenever she said she was hungry, I would get up to cook for her even at 3 AM. But today I just coldly replied, “I’m busy. Order takeout yourself.” Saylor sighed with a flash of annoyance on her face, then immediately snuggled up to me and softened her tone, “Honey, I know you’re upset about my sudden business trip. I apologize. It won’t happen again. I brought you a special gift, can you forgive me this once?” I still stared straight ahead, my tone even. “You’re overthinking it. I’m not upset.” Saylor paused for a moment, frowning slightly. She took out a simply wrapped gift from her suitcase. After unwrapping it, it was a tie. Saylor looked at me expectantly and said, “Do you like it? I picked it out especially for you.” I remembered Ryan’s Instagram post from three days ago: A mall opening promotion, spend $1000 and get a free tie. That blue-green striped tie was now being presented to me by Saylor as a carefully selected gift. I didn’t show any dissatisfaction on my face, accepting the gift and saying flatly, “Thanks. You’re thoughtful.” Seeing that I had nothing else to say, Saylor was a bit taken aback. “That’s all you have to say?” I just gave a noncommittal “Mm” and asked, “What else do you want to hear?” Saylor frowned slightly and explained while holding my arm. “Are you still upset? I already explained that day, Ryan and I really just ran into each other at the airport and had a meal together during the business trip.” I just nodded, “I know. I’m not upset.” My reaction seemed to surprise her. She looked at me in disbelief: “Why aren’t you jealous this time?” “No reason. I’ve come to terms with it.” I stood up, grabbing my coat to leave. Saylor stepped forward to block my way and demanded: “Where are you going? Where’s my anniversary gift?” A month ago, I had bought a blue sapphire bracelet at an auction, and Saylor had seen the news. To her surprise, I took out my phone and transferred her $3000, saying: “I forgot to prepare anything. I’ve sent you some money, buy whatever you like.” Saylor fell silent. In our five years of marriage, I had always carefully prepared gifts for her on every holiday, without fail. She was stunned for a few seconds, then angrily grabbed my hand and asked, “What about the bracelet?!” I laughed coldly, pointing at her hand. “What bracelet? Aren’t you wearing the couple bracelet with Ryan?” Saylor immediately became very uncomfortable. “This… it’s just a friendship gift from him, don’t overthink it. I’ll take it off right now.” Having lived together for five years, I was familiar with her micro-expressions. From the way she clutched the hem of her shirt, I could see her panic. Since I had already given up, I really didn’t want to say more to her. I pinched the bridge of my nose, turning away with an exhausted look.

In the five years since our marriage, I had always put Saylor first in everything, and it had been a long time since I’d seen my old friends. I immediately bought a plane ticket to Hong Kong to meet up with my buddies. My friend Kevin immediately arranged a dinner when he received my call. After a few drinks, everyone looked at me and said almost in unison: “We thought you forgot about us after getting married. Does Saylor know you’re here?” I took a couple sips of wine and smiled, replying: “You can call me anytime from now on. I don’t need her permission anymore.” My phone screen kept flashing, with Saylor calling me over a dozen times. After Ryan returned to the country, there were many times when Saylor didn’t come home at night and I anxiously called her like this. A few times when I angrily questioned why I could never reach her by phone, she impatiently replied, “Is the sky falling? It makes me sick every time I see you calling me repeatedly.” Now, she had become the one making me sick. We partied until late at night. As we were about to leave, Saylor burst in, looking disheveled. She pulled out a chair and sat down naturally beside me, snatching my wine glass and saying, “Even if you’re in a bad mood, you shouldn’t drown your sorrows in alcohol. Don’t you know about your stomach problems?” For a moment, I was dazed. Her sudden show of concern made me very uncomfortable. I raised my eyes to glance at her coldly. “What are you doing here?” My friends politely greeted her. She smiled in response and then tightly gripped my hand, saying softly, “You weren’t answering my calls, so I had to come find you.” I shook her off with obvious displeasure and said coldly, “Saylor, I’ve already told you we have nothing to do with each other anymore. Please don’t do these out-of-line things.” Seeing my resolute attitude, Saylor stared at me in shock. I directly pulled my friends away, walking past her. Saylor ran out after us, shouting at my back, “Yannick, I’ve already come to make up with you. What more do you want me to do?” “We’re almost thirty years old. Can’t you be more rational than disappearing over a marital spat?” Saylor got straight into the car, following me back to Kevin’s place. In the car, she tried to talk to me again. I directly rejected her. She became somewhat exasperated: “You’ve had enough of your tantrum and enough to drink. Will you come home with me?” “I know you’re jealous, but Ryan and I really are just friends. Why do you have to hurt yourself like this?” I smiled and replied, “You misunderstand. I’m drinking because I’m happy to see my friends. It has nothing to do with anything else.” With that, I pushed Saylor away and went inside with Kevin. No matter how much she knocked, I ignored her. That night, I slept very soundly.

The next morning, Kevin knocked on my door to tell me Saylor was here. After getting dressed, I went downstairs to see Saylor sitting silently at the dining table with a gloomy face. I knew she was angry. In the past, even a slight frown from her would have sent me rushing to cheer her up. But this time, I walked away without looking back, hailing a taxi on the street. At the airport, I ran into Saylor again. She walked up to me, her tone full of anger. “Yannick, we’re married. There’s really no need to avoid me over some small matter.” I didn’t even look up, tapping on my keyboard as I replied, “You’re overthinking it. I have no intention of avoiding you.” Just as I finished speaking, Saylor’s phone rang with a special ringtone for priority contacts. After answering, I heard Ryan say through the screen: “Where are you? Don’t forget tonight’s party. Whether we can close this deal depends on today.” Ever since Ryan returned to the country after his divorce three years ago, Saylor had been secretly helping him using my name. I had originally planned to turn a blind eye. But seeing Saylor’s upturned lips, I felt mocked. She had never used such a gentle tone with me. Many times when she spoke to me, it was in a businesslike manner. I had suggested before that I hoped she could be gentler with me. Each time she impatiently replied, “Work is already giving me a headache. Can you not have so many demands of me?” Thinking of this, I immediately sent two messages to my secretary, telling him to inform our business partners that Saylor and I were in the process of divorcing. After hanging up, when she turned to look at me, she instantly put away her sweet smile. “The company still has some issues to deal with. There are no more tickets for the nearest flight. Can you give me your ticket? You can wait for the next one…” Seeing me motionless, Saylor repeated what she had just said. But I coldly responded. “I didn’t buy a ticket back to River City.” As soon as I finished speaking, Saylor exploded in anger. “Yannick, so from the beginning, you came to the airport just to put on a show, to tell me you’re jealous, right?” “You’re really childish!” With that, Saylor stormed off without looking back. I watched Saylor’s retreating figure with a surge of bitterness in my heart. No matter when, as long as Ryan called, Saylor would drop everything to rush to his side. Just like that New Year’s post Ryan had made: True love means that no matter when, you’re always her first choice.

I hadn’t bought a ticket back to River City because my destination was Singapore. After taking over the family business, what I wanted most was to enter the supermarket industry, and that plot of land in the west suburbs was the most suitable location at the moment. Kevin recommended a mentor to me, saying he was his father’s close friend. As long as I had a meal with him, I could learn a lot. We hit it off immediately. During the meal, the mentor helped me solve many of my current doubts. He liked me very much and suggested that I stay and study in his company for half a year, saying that after half a year I would definitely be able to successfully enter the supermarket industry and make a name for myself. With such an opportunity presented, I had no reason to refuse. After dinner, before I could send the mentor back to his residence, Saylor’s calls kept coming in. I impatiently hung up several times until the mentor spoke up: “Do you need to inform your family about coming to Singapore?” The mentor must have seen my affectionate contact name for Saylor. I shook my head and explained: “That’s my ex-family now. I’ve already decided to divorce.” After dropping the mentor off, I finally called Saylor back. As soon as the call connected, Saylor directly questioned me: “Yannick, what do you mean? Why are the business partners telling me today that they will only discuss cooperation matters with you face-to-face?” “What exactly happened? Haven’t I been in charge of all company affairs big and small for the past few years? Do you know how important tonight’s cooperation is to me?” Hearing her usual imperious tone, I couldn’t help but laugh. “So what?” Just as I finished speaking, Ryan’s voice came through the phone: “Saylor, you have to help me with this. I only have you now.” Saylor reassured him softly, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” Hearing this, I clenched my fist and struck the steering wheel hard twice, a surge of hatred rising in my heart. Saylor kept insisting to me that there was nothing between her and Ryan, yet she was comforting him tenderly right in front of me. I don’t know when Saylor started wearing this mask of false emotions when facing me. It’s truly disgusting. I coldly refused and then hung up the phone and turned it off.

I stayed in Singapore for two days. Besides having tea and chatting with the mentor and handling the onboarding procedures, I also found a place to live near the company. I had my assistant inform several business partners in advance about my plans to go abroad, and thanked them for their support over the years. There were no signs of Saylor having returned home. Everything was as usual, so I took the opportunity to change the passcode on the front door. After resting for a day, the business partners called me one after another saying they wanted to arrange a farewell dinner. I couldn’t refuse, so I had to attend. The private room door was ajar, and I heard Ryan chatting happily with the business partners. I was a bit puzzled, not expecting that a simple farewell dinner would invite Saylor and Ryan. I paused for a few seconds, but still pushed the door open and went in. Ryan was sitting in the main seat, leaning against Saylor. Saylor glanced at me and said, “Everyone here today is a friend, so just sit wherever.” “There was some confusion at the banquet that night. Now that everyone’s here, let’s have an open discussion.” The business partners’ gazes all fell on me. Seeing my gloomy face and silence, they didn’t say anything either. Ryan’s eyes were full of smugness as he smirked at me. I didn’t want to sit near them anyway, so I casually pulled out a chair and sat down. During the meal, Ryan kept toasting the business partners, loudly discussing the bright prospects after signing the cooperation. He was clearly very happy tonight. My phone also kept flashing. Saylor sent me several messages. “I’m going to announce something later, please give me some face. If you have any questions, we can discuss them when we get home.” “You should be able to see today that there’s nothing between Ryan and me. I have nothing to hide from you.” I kept reading until the last message popped up. “Ryan will probably drink too much today. I might have to send him home first after we’re done.” I raised an eyebrow and briefly replied “Whatever.” After a few rounds of drinks, Saylor saw the atmosphere was right and stood up with Ryan to make a toast and announce: “From today on, Ryan will be our company’s newly cultivated person in charge. He’ll be responsible for liaising with you all in the future. Please take care of him.” At this point, the business partner closest to me asked in confusion: “Liaising? What liaising? Frost Corporation has already decided to withdraw from River City, and we’re all prepared to withdraw our investments too. Who are you going to liaise with?” “What?! Withdraw from River City? Yannick, you…” Saylor was shocked, suddenly turning to look at me. I nodded calmly: “Yes, I plan to move Frost Corporation overseas.” Saylor’s eyes widened in disbelief: “You want to take Frost Corporation overseas? What about me?”

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I decided to give up on Beckett. It all started with something trivial. During our research group meeting, Lily brought in some soy milk and buns. Beckett, always protective of the younger girls, covered for her: “Lily’s still young and likes to eat. Let’s cut her some slack.” Everyone teased her, their eyes occasionally darting towards me. Only my roommate, who was close to me, stood up for me: “Beckett, aren’t you being biased? When Zoe had a stomach ache and wanted to eat something, you didn’t allow it!” The room fell silent for a moment. Beckett’s face darkened. “Zoe, what are you up to now? There’s a time and place for your tantrums. No one here is going to indulge you!” “Yeah, she’s just seeking attention,” I heard someone mutter. For some reason, I sighed inwardly. It all felt so pointless. I took off my name tag and looked up at Beckett. “I want to leave the research group.” As soon as I said this, the senior girls tried to calm me down. After all, if you made some achievements in the research group, you had a chance for guaranteed admission to graduate school. “It’s fine. I’ve made up my mind. I’ll go explain the situation to the professor later.” “Are you throwing another tantrum? Do you need everyone to revolve around you? It’s just letting Lily have breakfast, do you have to be so petty?” Beckett’s tone was cold and slightly impatient. I looked at Beckett seriously and explained, “I’m not throwing a tantrum. It’s just…” I pointed at some people. “She, he, she, these people all got in through Lily’s connections. They do the least work and like to gossip. I don’t like this research environment.” It’s quite tiring, playing along with them day after day. As soon as I said this, the people I pointed at all turned pale, lowering their heads guiltily. The other seniors didn’t say anything, but Lily started crying: “What did I ever do to you, senior? Why are you publicly humiliating me like this…” “These are all my classmates. If they don’t get some credits from the research group, they’ll fail their courses. I was just trying to help them, and Beckett agreed.” I nodded. “Mm-hmm, but the research group doesn’t belong to you alone. You’re being kind on your own, so everyone else has to bear the consequences? Is that your robber’s logic?” “Enough! Zoe, don’t you think you’re acting like a lunatic right now? I’m willing to cover for her, what’s it to you?” Beckett’s words felt like a hard slap across my face, making me blush and feel a bit strange. Was he still the Beckett I remembered, the one who always protected me? His next words pushed me into an abyss. “Zoe has a mental illness. She sometimes becomes unstable and has episodes. Lily, don’t take what she says to heart.” Beckett took out a tissue and gently wiped Lily’s tears. “Really? She doesn’t look like it.” Lily glanced at me, full of curiosity and disdain. “It’s true. I even have her diagnosis here.” My heart, which had been lifted high, was now heavily smashed down. In a daze, I remembered how seven-year-old Beckett had chased away the bullies and wiped my tears, telling me he would always stand by my side. Now he was cruelly exposing my wounds, just to comfort another girl.

The application to leave the group was a bit troublesome. The professor said he was busy and wanted me to stay for a while longer. I had no choice but to agree. I just made sure to go when Beckett wasn’t around. But deep down, I was still hoping Beckett would notice something was wrong and come find me. After all, habits formed over so many years aren’t easy to let go of. One day, as I was walking back to the dorm after finishing an experiment, A tall figure was standing in the middle of the path. I turned to take another route, but Beckett caught up with me. “Zoe!” He grabbed my hand. “Why have you been avoiding me lately?” I tried to break free with some force. Beckett directly put his hands on my shoulders, forcing me to turn around. He lowered his head, his gaze soft. “Are you angry with me?” I turned my head, not wanting to deal with him. He laughed a little. “Zoe, are you jealous? I didn’t mean to protect Lily. It’s just that her dad is our biggest investor, and I don’t want to offend her. I can only go along with her a bit. How about this, I’ll let you eat breakfast in the meeting room from now on too?” I finally looked at him directly. “Beckett, it’s not about the breakfast.” He knew that due to certain things, I had a period where I couldn’t sleep for days and nights, leading to some mental instability, but it wasn’t the mental illness he described. Yet he just brought it up as a topic of conversation. Did he ever consider my feelings? His eyes shifted a bit, probably realizing what I was referring to. Then he reached into his pocket and slipped something onto my hand. In the light from the street lamps, I could see clearly. It was a finely crafted silver bracelet. “Zoe, you’ve always envied how other girls’ parents buy them silver bracelets, right? I saved up to buy you one too. But a silver bracelet is too cheap for my Zoe. So I bought a gold one and plated it with silver.” Indeed, people are often imprisoned for life by the things they couldn’t have in their youth. At that moment, when I saw the bracelet, I ultimately softened. From childhood to adulthood, Beckett had always been by my side. He played the roles of friend and older brother, and I had developed some feelings for him that I shouldn’t have. Besides him, I had no one else to rely on. Maybe I should forgive him? Back in the dorm, after thinking for a long time, I finally sent him an emoji. Beckett also sent an emoji back in sync, And sent me a ticket to the swimming pool, asking if I wanted to go swimming tomorrow. The smile on my face froze for a moment. Had he forgotten? Tomorrow was my period.

The next day, I still decided to keep the appointment. I put on some light makeup but didn’t wear a swimsuit. I thought Beckett must have been too busy lately and didn’t pay attention to when my period was. I could just watch him swim from the side. When I arrived at the swimming pool, I found a group of people gathered at the entrance, both men and women, with Lily among them. Seeing me arrive, the group of guys flashed a look of mockery: “How boring, those with bad figures really don’t dare to show off. So this is all the campus beauty amounts to? I still prefer girls who are more open and confident.” I frowned. Lily covered her mouth and laughed lightly, “Can’t be helped, some people are just petty. I don’t know why Beckett even invited her.” Beckett’s face didn’t look too good either, probably feeling a bit embarrassed. “Didn’t I tell you to wear a swimsuit? How are you going to swim in a short-sleeved shirt and long pants?” “I’m on my period.” So he really had forgotten. Beckett’s brow flashed a hint of displeasure. “Why did it have to be today? But swimming during your period should be fine, right?” Seeing that I didn’t say anything, he seemed to realize his words were inappropriate and tugged at the hem of my shirt, pleading: “Come on, Zoe, I’m not a girl, forgive me for not knowing. Please?” Then he suddenly turned around and said, “Last time Zoe publicly embarrassed Lily, so I specially called her out today for Zoe to apologize to you, Lily.” I looked back at him in disbelief. “Why should I?” Why should I apologize? It was Lily who brought in people through connections, how did this become my fault? Beckett pulled me aside and whispered in my ear: “Think of the bigger picture, Zoe. I need this research achievement to get my foot in the door at a renowned company. You don’t want to be poor with me forever, do you?” I keenly caught the key point: “Poor with you forever?” “Yes.” He turned to face me, his expression bland, but if you looked closely, there was a hint of disdain in his eyes: “Zoe, I know you’ve always liked me, and I like you too. If you apologize to Lily now, I’ll agree to be with you. Otherwise, I’ll agree to be with Lily.” As he spoke, for some reason he suddenly became haughty: “After all, we have over a decade of feelings between us, I can’t bear to let you go. As long as you apologize and stay in the research group to help me, I’ll be with you.” I took a few steps back, looking Beckett up and down carefully, and finally shook my head: “You’re really so confident, aren’t you?” “What?” He didn’t quite hear clearly. Habit is a terrifying thing. Beckett and I could be considered childhood sweethearts. From elementary school, middle school, high school, to now in university, we’ve always been in the same school. For so long, I got used to him, relied on him, and fell in love with him. Beckett is a year older than me. Since I was little, I was fostered at my uncle’s house, and Beckett was the next-door neighbor. When I was young, children’s emotions were very obvious. As long as my cousin disliked me, everyone living in that area would isolate me. Only Beckett was different. He always included me, bringing food for me and letting me join in games. You could say that the little warmth in my childhood all came from Beckett. He could indeed manipulate me. I always did whatever he said. But for some reason, starting from that breakfast incident, I really felt so tired of dealing with him. I even thought that if he liked someone else, he should just go ahead, and stop bothering me. During this standoff, the swimming coach came over. “Those of you who are swimming, be careful.” The coach suddenly produced a chair from the side and gave it to me: “I see you’ve been holding your stomach. You must be on your period, right? My daughter is just like you every time she has her period, looking so uncomfortable.” I unconsciously touched my face. Was it that obvious? If even a stranger could notice, how could Beckett not know?

“Alright. Think about it carefully.” With that, Beckett went towards Lily. “Oh right, we’re going out for dinner after swimming. Remember to book the restaurant.” I didn’t move, watching as Beckett took out a bag of water bottles, giving the only uniquely packaged one to Lily. The ones he gave to others were all the same. Lily looked a bit shy, and everyone else teased them. I suddenly remembered that when we were kids playing house, Beckett did the same thing. He bought a bunch of lollipops, giving the only special one to the prettiest girl, asking her to play his wife, while distributing the identical ones to the rest of us. He won our hearts while achieving his goal. Everyone ate their lollipops on the spot, but I kept mine, hiding it away, too precious to eat. Because it was the first time I had gotten a snack that was just for me. Later, when Beckett found out, he bought me a few similar ones, but never gave me that special one again. I couldn’t help but laugh. Even though I knew he was just using the most common way to win people over, I was the one he had won over most successfully, Without any complaints. I was never his special treatment, Just one of the willing victims in his wide net. On the way to dinner, I carried bags for Beckett and his group as usual, walking a bit slower. By the time Beckett reached the private room I had booked, he messaged me saying they had already ordered, While I was still halfway there. Maybe because I had been following behind Beckett since I was little, I was used to him walking in front, with me slowly following behind alone. When I reached the door of the private room, I could hear Lily’s voice from inside, “Beckett, can you really make Zoe apologize to me? She’s known as the ice queen, doesn’t care about anyone.” “Don’t worry. You saw just now, I asked her to carry our bags and she didn’t say anything. Just an apology, what’s the big deal? She’s been following me like a dog since she was little, give her a little treat and she’ll come along. Besides, apart from me, she has no one else she can trust.” A few guys were also flattering him, putting me down. My hand that was about to knock on the door paused. I put down the bags and quietly listened at the door. “Beckett is really something! But Beckett, what kind of love potion did you give Zoe to make her so devoted to you?” “Yeah, yeah! Beckett is so lucky, with Zoe on one side and Lily on the other.” I heard Beckett sneer, “What love potion? She’s just too starved for love. Show her a little kindness and she’ll be willing to die for you. Don’t talk nonsense, I only like Lily. As for Zoe… she’s too eager, a bit cheap.” There was laughter inside. Strangely, I felt nothing in my heart. I even found it a bit boring, as if I had locked myself in a room, quietly waiting for it to crumble and collapse into ruins. Slowly, I finally saw the light of day again. I put down the bags and went to eat a bowl of noodles by myself, then bought some pastries I liked. My whole body felt warm and cozy. Then I took some time to block and delete all of Beckett’s contact information, And found a campus errand runner to return all the gifts Beckett had given me, including that silver bracelet. Actually, that bracelet wasn’t even pure silver, let alone gold. I knew as soon as I put it on. I’m not an idiot, I just used to be willing to play along with Beckett’s act, deceiving myself.

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My husband excels at giving me the cold shoulder. Whenever he’s slightly unhappy, he slams the door and disappears for days or weeks. I’ve grown accustomed to putting on a brave face and caring for our son with a smile. Until I saw my son’s wish while helping him with homework. “I hope Mom disappears. She looks so scary when she goes crazy at Dad.” In that moment, I finally woke up. Sunday evenings are always the hardest. My procrastinating son cries as he rushes to finish homework due tomorrow, while my emotionally distant husband wears headphones, engrossed in his video game. Neither of them wants anything to do with me. My son glares at me resentfully after I scolded him to tears. My husband finds me annoying and pretends not to see me. I stand by the dining table clearing away leftovers, silently convincing myself this is all my own doing. But my heart aches unbearably. As night falls, Kevin retreats to the study to rest. Tommy falls asleep with tears still clinging to his lashes. I stand in the bathroom staring at my own bitter face. This marks the third month of Kevin’s cold shoulder treatment. A full three months – so long I’ve nearly forgotten the reason for our cold war. Under the same roof, he hasn’t spoken a word to me. I’ve stubbornly waged war against him too. He’s in the wrong, so I won’t apologize. But I can’t sleep. I walk to Tommy’s room to pack his schoolbag. I look down and notice the new notebook I bought him. In the “Rewards” column, childish handwriting reads: “I hope Mom disappears.”

I rubbed my eyes, my first reaction being that I must have misread. I pick up the notebook and walk to the living room. I read that line again. “I hope Mom disappears. She looks so scary when she goes crazy at Dad. She drove Dad away.” I collapse onto the sofa, experiencing for the first time a pain so intense it numbs me. The study light comes on. Kevin emerges, beaming. The moment he sees me, his face instantly reverts to its usual coldness. He says nothing, picking up the car keys from the coffee table. As he passes by me, I catch a whiff of his cologne. It’s the scent of gardenia. This cologne – I chose it for him when we were dating in college. Back then, he was just a nerdy engineering student who wore black-rimmed glasses and plain t-shirts with shorts, clueless about fashion. I gradually updated his style and picked out my favorite cologne for him. “Wearing cologne when meeting girls will make a good impression,” I told him. He said he’d cherish everything I chose for him. He’s used it ever since. The familiar scent begins to soften my heart, memories of happier times flooding back. I think of our ridiculous war, of our beloved son. The pain Tommy has caused makes me desperately seek a lifeline. Once again, I swallow my pride and try to make peace with Kevin. I can’t help but stand up from the sofa, grabbing his arm tightly. “Kevin, let’s talk.” I cry silently behind him. He shakes off my hand. I notice his phone shows an ongoing call. Who has he been talking to so late at night, and why did he put on cologne to meet them? “Kevin, have you left yet? I’m waiting downstairs. I’ve been craving BBQ for ages~” A girl’s coquettish voice comes through the phone. The soft, delicate voice suddenly reminds me why he’s been giving me the cold shoulder this time. I quickly turn away. But Kevin grabs my arm. He raises an eyebrow, smirking: “If you beg me, I’ll stay and keep you and Tommy company.” Kevin has always enjoyed seeing me tamed, begging for his mercy. Especially now, when another young girl is vying for his attention. His offer to stay feels like a condescending act of charity.

I can’t help but laugh bitterly: “Beg you? Was Tommy naturally conceived by me alone? Aren’t you his father too? “Is caring for our child solely my responsibility? Don’t you have any? “Do you have any idea how psychologically damaged our son has become?” Kevin frowns again, pressing his lips together. He grabs his coat and storms out, slamming the door, as if I’m some crazy shrew. The notebook where Tommy wrote about wanting me to disappear still lies on the sofa. Kevin left the study light on too. It’s always like this. Whenever there’s a problem to solve, he either says one careless word to set me off, watching me lose it. Or he simply turns his back and walks away, slamming the door. Tommy is woken by the slamming door. He walks out barefoot, standing in the doorway staring in the direction his dad left. He comes to my side, picks up the notebook I tossed on the sofa. He shows no concern that I might have seen what he wrote. He just frowns and accuses me: “Mom, why did you make Dad angry again?” I ignore him. The sound of a car starting comes from downstairs. After a few revs, a black sedan speeds away. Looks like I’ll have to bike Tommy to school again tomorrow. I look at the notebook clutched in his hand. And those eyes that look just like his father’s. For the first time, I deeply realize how trapped I’ve been by him all this time.

I force myself to walk to the bedroom and lie down. When I close my eyes, the words “Mom disappear” appear before me in big letters. To be fair, I’ve never had a hysterical meltdown in front of Tommy. To avoid conflict, I’ve even gone to great lengths to please Kevin, sacrificing my dignity. I beg Kevin to come home, beg him to hug our child. I can’t fall asleep. My phone on the nightstand lights up. It’s a message from my neighbor Sarah. “I heard your husband slam the door and leave. Did you two fight again? Are you okay?” Sarah is a friend I made when selling handmade crafts on eBay. Back then Kevin was giving me the cold shoulder. To force me to give in, he cut off my living expenses. I really had no income, so I tried my best to do odd jobs here and there to earn money. We discovered we were neighbors after chatting a bit. She even bought some of my stuff to support my business and showed concern for me. I hear Tommy closing his door. I reply: “Thanks Sarah, I’m fine.” The next morning when I get up, I feel weak all over. My eyes are swollen. Kevin is back, the gardenia scent overpowered by the smell of alcohol. He notices me, his eyes lingering on my face for just a moment before quickly looking away. This time it’s not the cold shoulder. He frowns as he walks into the bathroom, making a snide remark. “Looking like that, who are you trying to scare?” I know he’s waiting for me to fight back, to watch me have a meltdown before coldly leaving again. But I’m tired. I say nothing. He looks at me with surprise, a strange emotion flashing in his eyes. He walks into Tommy’s room affectionately. “Come on, sweetie. Daddy will take you to school today.” Two completely different attitudes, one after the other, as if he’s two different people. Father and son hold hands intimately, exchanging loving words. No one spares me a single word of concern. It’s like two knives stabbing into my chest.

When I open the door to take out the trash, I happen to run into Sarah. She sees me and insistently leads me into her apartment. She gently rolls an egg over my swollen eyes, her own eyes brimming with tears as she asks with furrowed brows: “Does it hurt?” Her concern reminds me of Kevin when we first got married. Back then, Kevin and I had no money. A-City is an expensive place, so we could only afford to rent a basement apartment in a remote area. We squeezed onto a small bed, sharing a bathroom and kitchen with others. The kitchen was quite far from our room. One time I cooked a meal in the kitchen and was carrying it back to our room when I collided head-on with someone rushing by. I instinctively turned the hot dish towards myself, burning a large patch of skin off my hand. When Kevin got home from work, I didn’t want him to worry so I deliberately wore gloves. But he still noticed. I quickly smiled and pulled my hand away saying it didn’t hurt at all. Kevin looked at my hand, frantically applying medicine. He cried just like Sarah is now. Tears falling endlessly, it seemed. I even teased him about how a grown man could cry so much. He rubbed his eyes through his tears: “Haley, I promise I’ll give you the best life in the world someday!” That night, he held me and talked all night long. “Haley, I’ll never let you get hurt again.” To this day, I still believe he truly loved me then. But when did he change? Now he and I are like two ticking time bombs tied together. Ready to explode at the slightest friction. Of course, Kevin is a dud – silent. He just spreads terrifying smoke, seeping into every corner of the air. Making me afraid, making me scream myself hoarse. When I get home, they’ve already left. The kitchen is cold, wet clothes Tommy changed out of are strewn on the bathroom floor. There are several dirty shoe prints in the living room. I sit on the sofa and open my laptop. I start drafting a divorce agreement. My educational background is no worse than Kevin’s. Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, I also graduated from a top university, passed the bar exam, got my license, and worked as a practicing lawyer for two years. I once earned a high salary, won many cases for clients, and had a brilliant career. Until I got pregnant. Kevin convinced me to quit my job and stay home with the baby. At first he said: “After your postpartum recovery period, when the baby’s a bit older, we’ll hire a full-time nanny. You can go back to work then.” Later he changed his tune: “The baby’s used to you now. My career is taking off too. If you go back to work, we’d have to hire a nanny. A nanny’s salary would be much higher than yours – it doesn’t make sense for our family. Let’s wait till our son is a bit older.” Tommy clung to me, babbling “Mama.” I softened. It’s my fault for not insisting. Looking back, Kevin’s emotional neglect started appearing bit by bit from that time.

By the time I finish drafting the agreement, it’s nearly evening. Kevin still hasn’t brought Tommy home. I habitually start to worry about Tommy’s homework, then raise my hand and slap myself hard. “Mom, you have to be cruel, just like his dad.” I get a call from Kevin. The female voice from that night is on the other end. “Sister-in-law, it’s me. Kevin’s too drunk to get home on his own. Could you come pick him up?” “Why don’t you take him? Aren’t you two close?” I glance at the divorce agreement on the table and change my mind. “Never mind, I’ll come get him.” I hang up and rush to the private room as fast as I can. The room is filled with men and women of all sorts. Besides the girl who called me, whom I’ve seen before, the rest are unfamiliar faces. But they all look at me with accusing eyes, as if I’ve failed as a housewife. Kevin sits in the main seat, face flushed red, still raising an empty glass to drink. Tommy sits beside him. His backpack is thrown on the floor. A scantily-clad woman holds him in her arms, talking to him. So this is how he takes care of our son. No wonder my years of hard work raising Tommy at home can’t compare to his occasional outings. Before I even enter, Tommy screams. “Dad, I don’t want to go home with Mom! Mom’s going to make me do homework again.” Tommy scrambles around trying to escape as if he’s seen a ghost. Kevin finally pretends to open his eyes. “Son, don’t be afraid. Daddy’s here.” Then others in the room try to reason with me: “Sister-in-law, don’t be mad at Kevin anymore. He’s been hiding out at my place for almost two months because of you.” “Same here, Kevin crashed at my place for nearly a month. My wife was getting upset.” The girl standing guard by Kevin speaks up too: “Sister-in-law, Kevin often mentions you and Tommy when we chat. He really cares about you both.” I finally realize this call wasn’t about picking up Kevin at all. They want me to cry and beg on my knees for Kevin to come home. I laugh coldly: “You keep talking about how hard it is for him. Can’t he come home on his own? Doesn’t he have legs? “I’m not suffering while taking care of our son at home, but he slams the door and leaves at the slightest disagreement and suddenly he’s the one suffering. “If being out having fun is suffering, why don’t we switch places? Kevin, stop pretending to be drunk. “Do you want me to discuss what you’ve done in private or right here in front of everyone?” The girl snuggling up to him suddenly changes expression. “Sister-in-law, it’s all just a misunderstanding.” Misunderstanding? He nearly had drunk sex with someone else and I caught him. When I asked a few questions he couldn’t answer, so he gave me the cold shoulder. Kevin is silent again, his face dark. He glances at Tommy, who dejectedly walks towards me. As he comes over, he keeps looking back longingly at Kevin, hoping his dad will call him back. That way he can keep playing and never have to study again. This is also an indirect way of asking me to leave. Let me take the kid and go, so he can stay here and keep partying. Why does it always have to be this way? I’ve had enough too. I stand my ground and take out the divorce agreement.

“Kevin, let’s get divorced.” The noisy room suddenly falls silent. Kevin finally looks up at me. His eyes show predictable clarity. In seven years of marriage, no matter how badly we fought, I had never mentioned divorce. Kevin knows my personality – once I’ve made up my mind about something, I won’t back down. He anxiously stands up from the leather sofa in the room. He walks a few steps to stand in front of me. “Are you serious?” He’s finally willing to look me in the eye and speak to me normally. He looks down at Tommy and smirks: “Haley, if you want a divorce, you’re not getting custody of our son. He’d rather stay with me anyway. Don’t be ridiculous.” Kevin is certain I’ll fight for custody. He’s not blind – he knows how much I’ve endured and suffered for our child over the years. Tommy clings tightly to his dad, glaring at me resentfully as if terrified I’ll snatch him away. “Mom I don’t want you, I want Dad.” That girl walks over too, smiling mockingly as she advises me: “Sis, at your age with no house or job, you really can’t get custody of the child. Why don’t you take the kid home? Couples shouldn’t hold grudges overnight.” I clench my teeth, gripping the agreement tightly. I knew what I’d face coming here, but seeing everyone’s disgust and disapproval of me in person still makes me falter. But I can’t. I pinch myself hard. Reminding myself: Woman, be cruel. Don’t cry. Tears are magic to those who love you, but only a joke to those who don’t. “Kevin, don’t worry. I don’t want the kid or the house in the divorce.”

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After five years of marriage, my wife Vera returned from a six-month trip abroad, bringing her first love Nolan back home with her. Vera was already three months pregnant, and Nolan, with a thick skin, said he was worried I couldn’t take good care of Vera and wanted to temporarily stay at our house. I refused, and Vera cursed me for being ungrateful. She glared at me with disgust, seemingly forgetting that I was the one who let her live in the lap of luxury, spending money like water. Did this shameless family think they could ride on my neck and become the masters? This time, I’ll let them feel what it’s like to fall from cloud nine! I smiled and called my secretary, “Draft a divorce agreement immediately. I want to make the pretty boy and the gold digger leave empty-handed.” My wife, who had been traveling for half a year, told me last night that she was coming back. I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep all night. Early in the morning, I asked Mrs. Lee to prepare a table full of Vera’s favorite dishes. The front door was pulled open from the inside, and Vera was carefully held by the man beside her as they swaggered in front of me. I looked at the two overly intimate people in shock, my gaze falling on Vera’s slightly protruding belly. “Honey, you’ve become more handsome in the half year we haven’t seen each other.” I stared at her with a dark face, anger rising. Vera seemed to sense my angry emotions and immediately let go of the man’s hand. She hurriedly came to my side and acted coquettishly, “Honey, you know you can’t perform in that area, right?” “Nolan is a top graduate with a good background. Most importantly, we know each other well, so the child born will be reassuring, right?” “You wouldn’t want me to suffer through IVF treatment, would you?” Vera’s words made me choke with anger. She actually made cheating on me sound so fresh and innocent. I clenched my fists tightly, wanting to punch Vera in the face. Nolan, who had been standing behind her, rushed forward with concern, pulling Vera behind him. He smiled sycophantically at me, “Mr. An, I’ve heard about your situation from Vera. It’s not shameful.” “Vera and I have known each other since childhood. Even if the three of us live together in the future, I can accept it.” I was burning with anger, but Vera looked at Nolan with tender affection, “Nolan is always so considerate.” Hearing Vera’s tender voice, I stood there stunned. In our five years of marriage, when had she ever been like this to me? Vera nestled into Nolan’s arms like a little bird, pointing at the room upstairs, “We’ll live there from now on.” Watching the two of them go upstairs, I clenched my fists tightly. Soon, the driver came in carrying three large suitcases. Close behind them were Vera’s parents. They walked past me with cold faces, as if they hadn’t seen me, and quickly went upstairs. Since it was so lively upstairs, I decided to go take a look too. I saw Vera caressing her belly and acting coquettishly with her parents, “I could have kept it from you, but you’re not supposed to tell anyone during the first three months of pregnancy. Nolan was also concerned about my safety.” Seeing Vera’s behavior, my heart ached terribly. In our five years of marriage, whenever I had disagreements with her parents, she always stood on their side, complaining that her parents were old and couldn’t get angry, asking me to be more tolerant. I always thought that was just her nature. Women are delicate, it’s nothing. Until this moment, seeing her protecting Nolan, I realized I had always been a clown. Nolan naturally took Vera’s mother’s hand, “Auntie, you know I’ve liked Vera since we were kids.” “My feelings for Vera are genuine. I hope Uncle and Auntie can understand.” Vera’s mother’s face relaxed a bit, then she turned to look at me with a frown. I knew she was hesitating, weighing me against Nolan. In the five years of my marriage to Vera, I had replaced her family’s old house with a villa, and I transferred money to her parents’ card every month for their living expenses. Seeing Vera’s mother’s hesitant look, my heart instantly sank to the bottom. Vera, as my wife, not only got pregnant with someone else’s child without telling me in advance, but she also brazenly brought the man back to humiliate me. Did she really think that because I loved her, I could unconditionally tolerate everything she did, including her cheating on me? Seeing the tense atmosphere, Vera suddenly burst into tears, “The child in my belly is innocent. No matter how much you scold me, I will give birth to it.” Vera cried pitifully, and Nolan, seeing this, suddenly knelt down in front of us, “Auntie, the child in Vera’s belly is your own grandchild.” “If it weren’t for Vera not being able to conceive for five years and fearing blame from the An family, she wouldn’t have done this…” Vera’s parents had been urging Vera to have a child to secure her position since the day we got married. But after five years of marriage, Vera’s belly had never shown any movement. After a check-up, we found out it was my problem. I had consulted doctors. Although I couldn’t conceive naturally, IVF treatment was not a problem. Because of this, Vera’s parents had never had a good attitude towards me, blaming me for making Vera suffer criticism. I knew all this and had always been compensating Vera. But how could she do such a thing? “Since you’re pregnant, give birth to it. No matter whose child it is, you’re still its mother.” After Vera’s father finished speaking, he turned to look at me again, “This matter is settled.” I couldn’t help but laugh coldly, “Settled?” “What right do you have to settle it?” Vera frowned at me, “Everything has been said. What are you dissatisfied with?” I laughed in extreme anger. I spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for her to go out and have fun, and she not only brought back a child but also a man. What right did she have to be imperious towards me? Nolan looked at me with difficulty and said hypocritically, “I know it’s because of me. I can leave, but you must take good care of Vera.” As soon as Vera’s mother heard this, she immediately became displeased, “How can you leave? Vera is in a good mood when she sees you, and moreover, with the child’s father around, the child will grow better.” Vera glared at me fiercely, “If you insist on making Nolan leave, then I’ll leave too.” Vera’s mother carefully protected Vera, “That won’t do. You both stay. In this house, I, as the mother-in-law, have the final say.” Nolan looked at Vera’s mother pleadingly, smiling smugly. Seeing their harmonious appearance, I could no longer stay and turned to leave. I stayed in the study for the whole afternoon. Occasional laughter could be heard from the living room. After dinner, Mrs. Lee came to see me, “Nolan originally wanted to occupy your study, but he was stopped by Madam’s mother.” “She said that after all, you are the CEO of the An Group, and all the expenses of the family, big and small, depend on you. They can’t completely break ties with you, so he should behave himself.” Mrs. Lee has been taking care of me since I was a child, and she knows my temper. She looked up at me, and seeing no reaction from me, she continued, “They said all the expenses after Madam’s pregnancy should still be borne by you. Since you can’t have children anyway, letting you experience the joy of being a father is not bad.” At this point, I could no longer maintain a good face and clenched my fists, asking, “Anything else?” Mrs. Lee continued, “They said since you have no children to inherit the An family, this child will be adopted under your name in the future, and the An family’s property will…” I laughed coldly. Vera’s family really knew how to calculate. Since they were so shameless, I would play along with them. In the evening, hearing the sound of cars starting outside, memories from five years ago kept forcing their way into my head. Back then, I insisted on marrying Vera, no matter how my parents tried to persuade me. At that time, my parents had already expressed their intention of an alliance marriage to the Shen family, and the Shen family was very agreeable. After all, both the An and Shen families were at the top of the pyramid in Ning City. Who wouldn’t agree to such a strong alliance? But I had no interest in the Shen family’s daughter and only saw her as a sister. Since I met Vera, my whole heart was set on her, and I had even less interest in Miss Shen. I always told my parents that Vera was different from ordinary girls, hoping they would give her a chance to meet her. They would surely like her. But my parents said that I had given Miss Shen hope, which was why she kept coming to our house to “accidentally” meet me. At that time, I didn’t care what Miss Shen thought. I just wanted to marry Vera quickly. The day I met Vera, it was raining heavily. She was wearing a white dress, standing under a tree to shelter from the rain. Her hair was wet from the rain and stuck to her face. Her big eyes were as pitiful as a little deer’s. Ignoring my roommate’s mockery, I ran over with an umbrella, wanting to “be helpful,” and very gentlemanly sent her back to her dormitory. She said she wanted to thank me, but I shamelessly asked for her SnapChat. That night, I added her on SnapChat. After I introduced myself, she immediately sent me a voice message. Her voice was as crisp as a silver bell, “Mr. An, I’ve heard about you before.” From that day on, I deliberately “accidentally” met Vera under her dormitory building. I even forced myself to attend 8 am classes, which I never liked, just to have more contact with her. Love at first sight. That’s how I willingly became Vera’s devoted knight. After marriage, Vera said she didn’t want to be just an idle wife and wanted to enter the company to help me, even if it was just as a small employee. How could I let her be a small employee? I directly made her my secretary. Vera was very smart and quickly learned and mastered everything. Soon, with my help, she achieved some success in investment. She said she wanted to do bigger things and walk side by side with me. I felt I should help her, but my parents and brothers thought I should think it through. Before the wedding, my parents had repeatedly reminded me that Vera wasn’t good enough for me. But I didn’t care. I only wanted her to love me. After marrying me, Vera’s parents lived an enviable and comfortable life. They quit their jobs that didn’t make much money and lived off the living expenses I gave them every month, enjoying an early retirement life. They often boasted that Vera was the vice president of the An Group and would soon become the CEO. Relatives of Vera’s family who hadn’t been in contact for generations came to ask for Vera’s help. Vera was thin-skinned and couldn’t refuse, so I did my best to help her handle everything. Even for weddings and funerals, people came to find Vera. Facing these poor relatives of Vera’s family, I didn’t feel there was anything wrong. After all, with the strength of my An family, this little help was nothing. But Vera didn’t know that a few days before our wedding, Miss Shen came to see me. She wanted to transfer her 10% of shares to me and said that if I ever regretted it, she would wait for me no matter when I turned back. I laughed at her for thinking too much. I’ve always had good taste since I was young and had never misjudged. I believed I wouldn’t misjudge Vera either. I didn’t expect to be slapped in the face so quickly. Everyone could see Vera’s true face clearly, except for my blind self. After marriage, even when I tried to go along with her, she would find all kinds of faults. She said I didn’t know how to do housework, she hated me drinking and smoking, complained that I always worked overtime, and that I wasn’t as considerate and gentle as other husbands in her social media circle. At that time, I was completely devoted to Vera. If she told me to die, I wouldn’t hesitate. So, I quit smoking and drinking, and immediately went home after work without accepting any social engagements. To please her, I even hired chefs from various countries to cook for her in different ways. My good friend Ryan always teased me, saying I had been trained by Vera into a 24-hour loyal dog. Vera’s parents had nothing but praise for me, telling everyone they met that Vera was lucky to have married me. But even though I was so good, Vera could still find faults with me. I always thought I wasn’t doing well enough, but now I realize she was just using me as a stepping stone on her path to success. She didn’t love me. No matter what I did, she would never be satisfied. They didn’t care about my opinion at all and let Nolan move into my house. In the evening, Nolan personally knocked on my door to ask me to come down for dinner. After I refused several times, he started that worthless green tea act again. He blamed himself loudly, “Mr. An, are you still blaming me?” “We’re all doing this for Vera’s sake. If you really hate me, I won’t appear in front of you in the future, okay?” I frowned and opened the door unhappily. Nolan had a bitter face as if he had been wronged. Vera came up holding the handrail, looking at Nolan with concern and comforting him, “It’s not your fault. You don’t need to act like you owe him anything.” “You go down and eat first.” Nolan refused to leave and took out a watch from his pocket, “This is a watch I modified myself. I know Mr. An has seen a lot and won’t think much of this watch.” “But I don’t have anything presentable to give. This is just a gift for you. Can we get along peacefully for Vera’s sake in the future?” I snorted coldly, “If you can’t give something presentable, then don’t give anything. How shabby.” Vera angrily slapped me in the face. “Andrew, Nolan has already lowered himself so much, yet you still humiliate him.” “I’m telling you, I’m pregnant and can’t get emotional. If you keep giving Nolan a hard time, it’s like you want to anger me to death!” Vera looked as if I was a heinous criminal. This slap broke all my lingering affection for her. I stared at the dog couple in front of me and raised my hand to slap Nolan twice in the face. I used all my strength, and soon blood flowed from the corner of Nolan’s mouth. Vera looked at me in disbelief and screamed, “You actually dared to hit Nolan!” I snorted coldly, “If it weren’t for the fact that you’re pregnant, this slap would have landed on your face.” “I, the CEO of the An Group, am not someone you can cuckold as you please.” Vera’s mother heard the commotion and immediately ran up to mediate, “Andrew, Vera is pregnant and got a bit emotional. Don’t take it to heart.” Seeing that I didn’t say anything, Vera’s mother immediately pulled Vera’s sleeve, “Vera, apologize to Andrew. What you just said was too harsh.” Vera pouted and stared at me. It had always been me apologizing to her. How could it be her turn to apologize to me? She turned her face away, unwilling to give in. “Vera!” Vera’s mother lightly slapped her, knowing that if they continued like this, they definitely wouldn’t get any benefits. “Apologize!” Vera unwillingly stared at me, “It was my bad mood. I shouldn’t have hit you, but you shouldn’t have hit Nolan either.” This wasn’t an apology at all. She was just accusing me. My heart was completely cold. I couldn’t eat dinner either. I stayed in the study all night, unwilling to go out. In the end, it was Mrs. Lee who felt sorry for me and brought me dinner. The next day, I slept until noon before waking up. Seeing them preparing lunch, I turned and left without looking back. The company secretary told me that somehow everyone knew that Vera had gone out to play for half a year and came back pregnant. There was a lot of unpleasant gossip about me in the company. Soon after I left, Vera sent me a message asking me to come back and bring her some supplements. She also wanted me to buy her the new bag that came out the day before yesterday to make her happy. Through the text on the screen, I seemed to see Vera’s high and mighty, imperious appearance. In the past, I would have granted her every request. But now, who was she to me? I quickly replied, “Let the child’s father buy it for you. That would be more reassuring.” As soon as the message was sent, Mrs. Lee told me that Nolan had snatched away all the supplements my mother had just sent over, saying it was good for the child in Vera’s belly. “What else did they say?” I asked. Mrs. Lee snorted angrily, “Vera’s parents didn’t blame Nolan at all. They were even pleased, saying that as long as it was something Vera could eat, they shouldn’t be polite and should just take it.” Because of my poor health, my mother would send some nourishing supplements every now and then. I never expected that my mother’s love for me would be taken advantage of by these bastards. Even Vera’s mother, who usually knew her manners, acquiesced to this. Since they were so shameless, I had no need to give them face anymore. I went directly to the company, called a high-level meeting, rearranged the work, deployed staff positions, and directly removed Vera from the position of vice president. “From today on, Manager Vera will no longer hold any position in the company. She is not allowed to set foot in the company.”

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In the seventh year of marriage, my wife, Savannah, came to our home flaunting her pregnant belly and brought her “new partner,” Kyle, her personal assistant, with her. Kyle carefully shielded her belly, sneering, “You’ve been married to Lila for seven years without giving her a child. Now that she’s carrying mine, isn’t it time you step aside?” My wife leaned proudly into Kyle’s arms, adding, “Yeah, you’ve freeloaded here long enough. Time to go.” Looking at Kyle’s naive confidence, I decided to oblige them—and turned the tables by making sure it was she who walked away empty-handed. Eventually, Savannah and Kyle got married, and it was only during their wedding that Kyle discovered Savannah was merely a trophy wife. The real wealth and status belonged to me. Content 1， “Go get me the best Bird’s Nest Soup and Ginseng Tonic.” “I’ll be the new boss here soon, and if any of you don’t start sucking up now, I’ll make sure Lila and I let you go the moment we’re married.” I hadn’t even stepped through the door, and Kyle’s self-satisfied tone hit me hard. Sitting on the couch with a smug grin, he made my stomach twist painfully. Lila and I had been together for ten years—three dating, seven married. We never argued, and she always kept me updated on her whereabouts. If I ever missed a text, she’d get annoyed. Friends even joked she was hopelessly loyal, saying that even if all the men in the world cheated, she wouldn’t. And now, here she was, not only cheating but parading her new partner, challenging me right here in my own house. Just as I was about to speak, Auntie Sue came over, her face a mix of worry and relief, “Sir, thank goodness you’re home.” “Auntie Sue,” I addressed her firmly, “you’ve served the Lane Family loyally, so I’ll show you respect. But don’t overstep—you need to recognize who the real head of this household is.” Auntie Sue glared at Kyle, but before she could say anything, I gently held her arm. “Did Lila ask you to let him move in here?” Feigning surprise, Kyle stood up from the couch, looking at me with a raised eyebrow, “Oh, hey there! Just setting some rules for the staff.” “Not to sound harsh, but you’ve clearly got no clue about running a household of this caliber.” “Just look how lax you’ve been with the staff! That’s not going to work here.” Kyle covered his mouth, chuckling with a calculating gleam in his eye. Without responding, I had the driver bring in some of the special supplements my parents had sent. Kyle was on them in a heartbeat, pulling several boxes toward himself. “Even though it’s all Lila’s money, I should thank you for thinking of us.” Lila’s money? These were luxuries she could never afford alone. Ignoring him, I casually leaned back on the couch as Auntie Sue poured me tea. I took a few sips, then pointed to one of the boxes, “That one’s for, uh, certain ‘performance’ issues. You don’t need that, right?” “Oh, and that one’s for infertility. You’re not…infertile, are you?” Kyle’s smile froze, then returned in full force, full of pride. Leaning in like he was letting me in on a joke, he gloated, “You’ve been married to Lila for seven years, and she never got pregnant, but she’s having my child. Time for you to move aside, don’t you think?” I tightened my grip on the teacup, smirking. “Well, she’d better have a son, then.” Kyle tipped his head arrogantly. “My genes guarantee a son.” He lowered his gaze to me, still smirking. “As soon as our son is born, Lila’s divorcing you.” 2， Divorce me? For this guy? I remembered when Lila wanted us to be together. She stood outside my dorm with roses for a hundred days straight. She saved every dollar to buy a ring and propose, even taking extra jobs. One night, she fell from a scaffolding out of sheer exhaustion, got a concussion, and was unconscious for a week. The moment she woke up, she pulled herself out of bed to propose. She even signed a prenuptial agreement, swearing she’d never touch a dime of mine and swearing by the moon to be left with nothing if she ever betrayed me. And now, she had betrayed me—for him. Kyle’s grin grew even cockier as I stayed silent. “You and Lila have been married for seven years without a child. She’s sick of it.” “Lila told me that even if you knew about us, you’d never do a thing about it, because…” Kyle looked at me, venom in his eyes. “Because someone like Lila has an inheritance to consider. If you can’t give her a child, there are plenty of men who can.” Seeing this “homewrecker” flaunting his victory, I clenched my jaw and asked coldly, “So Lila told you she’s tired of me? And that I’d never have the guts to confront you both?” Kyle’s gaze lowered mockingly. “Exactly.” “She said you’re clueless and a deadbeat. If you hadn’t been careless and lost her first baby, she would’ve been a mom by now…” At that, my heart clenched, and a chill ran through my veins. Almost no one knew about that incident, not even my parents. Lila had promised it would stay between us. But here she was, sharing my most painful secret with this arrogant man. My fists tightened, rage boiling over. Without thinking, I swung and hit him hard across the face. 3， Kyle looked at me, stunned, his face darkening. After a few seconds, he launched himself at me. “Are you crazy?!” “You dare hit me?” “You, a nobody freeloading off the Lane Family, think you can lay a hand on me? If Lila hears about this, she’ll make you pay.” He rolled up his sleeves, looking every bit like a thug, “I’m gonna break your hand so you never try that again.” Just as his hand reached for my shirt, I stepped back quickly, making him stumble onto the couch. Furious, he pointed at the staff, shouting, “What are you all standing there for? Pin this bastard down and beat him!” Seeing that none of the staff took his side, he slumped back, panting. “Lila’s the one paying you all. Soon, she’ll kick him out, and when I’m in charge, every one of you who didn’t back me will be out of a job!” Auntie Sue stepped forward, frowning, and whispered to me, “Sir, should I have him thrown out? If he dies here, it could ruin your reputation.” Looking at Kyle’s pale, shaken expression, I pulled out my phone and called Lila. The instigator himself was here; there was no reason for her to hide anymore. But the call went unanswered. Before, Lila had set a special ringtone just for me, making sure she’d never miss my call, no matter what she was doing. But lately, her phone was always silent, always busy, always out of reach when I called. It seemed almost like a deliberate act to ignore me. Kyle’s grin widened smugly when he saw I hadn’t reached her. “When Lila’s in meetings, I’m the only one who can reach her.” “She set up a special alert just for me, promised she’d always pick up right away…” I looked down, bitterly amused. Turning to Auntie Sue, I instructed, “Please, go to Lila’s office. Tell her if she doesn’t come home, her child’s father might die.” Auntie Sue nodded and made her way out. Kyle’s face paled as he bolted up, grabbing Auntie Sue in a panic, “Don’t go!” Auntie Sue shook his hand off. “I only listen to Mr. Lane. Who do you think you are?” “You’re young; you could be doing anything. Why ruin someone else’s family?” “If I were your mother, I’d have dumped you in a toilet rather than raise you to shame us like this.” Auntie Sue, civil as she was, had a way with words that could cut deep without a single curse. Kyle, shaking with rage, slapped her hard across the face. “How dare a servant speak to me like that?” “You’re fired. Get out now!” Seeing Auntie Sue hurt, I grabbed Kyle’s hand as he tried to swing again. “Enough. I’m still the head of this house.” Kyle sneered, his fist clenched as he pushed against my face. “Victor, I suggest you get smart and divorce Lila, or I’ll make sure your life’s a living hell.” Just then, the sound of cars pulling up outside made Kyle’s expression shift. His posture went slack, and he let himself fall back onto the floor. “Victor, why did you push me…” 4， “Victor Lane, have you lost your mind? How could you push Chris Walters like that?” Helen Turner leaped out of her car, her strides quick and confident. She reached Chris’s side in a few steps, her face full of concern as she helped him up. “Are you hurt?” The way Helen doted on Chris, it was obvious she knew about his affair with Lila. Without shame, Chris leaned into her arms, even managing to force out a tear. “Mom, I just came to check on Victor, knowing that Lila’s due any day now. But he thought my gift was too cheap and actually hit me, saying he’d kill Lila’s baby if he got the chance.” “I wouldn’t have texted you if I hadn’t been afraid he’d beat me to death…” I scoffed under my breath. So that’s why Helen showed up so suddenly. Chris had secretly summoned her for support. Ever since Lila took over the company, Helen had almost disappeared from my life. She claimed she was getting too old to stay active and needed more rest. In reality, she just no longer saw the need to butter me up. Helen patted Chris’s hand and cast me a disapproving look, though her tone remained somewhat tempered. “Victor, whatever you may feel, Chris is still the father of Lila’s baby. Wasn’t that a bit much?” Now emboldened, Chris’s expression turned more pitiful. “Victor, I know I shouldn’t have been with Lila, but we genuinely love each other.” “She told me long ago she didn’t love you, that she kept you around out of sentimentality. I don’t mind if she still takes care of you after we’re married.” “All I want is a proper family for Lila’s child…” Chris started sniffling again, and Helen gently squeezed his hand. “Poor boy, don’t sit on the cold ground; you’ll catch your death. You’ll need your strength for all the future babies with Lila.” “Victor’s a reasonable man. Let’s talk it out and find a way to make this work.” Chris’s eyes sparkled, and he threw himself into Helen’s arms, adding with a sly grin, “Or maybe you don’t want to lose him as a son-in-law?” Helen frowned, clearly uncomfortable, trying to defuse the situation. “Both of you mean the world to me. Let’s wait until Lila gets here and settle this like adults.” I chuckled, lowering my gaze. “All right, Mom. Why don’t you go ahead and give Lila a call? Whatever she decides, I’ll accept it.” Helen hesitated, but finally took out her phone. Just as she was about to dial, Chris’s face went pale. “Mom, I’m not feeling well. Maybe…maybe you should take me to the hospital.” I rolled my eyes at Chris’s poor acting and gave Auntie Sue a slight nod. She slipped through the crowd and said, “No need to make a fuss. There’s a family doctor right here.” Chris’s face turned sour, and he clutched Helen’s arm even tighter, his voice growing louder. “Mom, I’m scared. Victor’s been out to get Lila’s baby all along. I…” Helen’s expression grew more troubled, her gaze shifting toward me. “Victor, should I just take him to the hospital?” I smiled at her calmly. “Mom, don’t you trust me?” Helen looked conflicted. Although Lila was now independent and running her own affairs, Helen wasn’t about to completely sever ties with me, especially not before hearing Lila’s side of things. Unsure of how to proceed, she finally turned to Chris. “Our family doctor’s as good as any hospital. Just sit tight.” Chris opened his mouth to protest but was silenced by the look on Helen’s face. Defeated, he submitted to the doctor’s examination. After confirming that Chris was unharmed, Helen finally breathed a sigh of relief. Foiled, Chris grabbed Helen’s hand again, pouting. Just then, a sharp voice from the doorway interrupted us. “Who said you could make a scene here?!”

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My Wife Swapped Our Baby to Inherit My Billion-Dollar Fortune My wife swapped our daughter with my brother-in-law’s daughter to ensure her family would inherit my billion-dollar fortune. I pretended not to know. I watched as my “niece” was mistreated and starved into a skeletal state at my brother-in-law’s house. Meanwhile, my “daughter” was raised by my wife to be rosy-cheeked, adorable, and blessed. On the day of my daughter’s coming-of-age ceremony, just after I had transferred company shares to her, my brother-in-law’s family burst in with my niece and a DNA test report. “The hospital mixed up the babies back then, brother-in-law. It’s time to switch them back!” Amid their triumphant gazes, I smiled through tears: “Sure.” “Zane! My water broke!” I was out of town closing a deal with a client when I received this message from my wife, Emily. The moment I saw those words, I immediately canceled all my upcoming tasks and replied: “Honey, I’m coming right away.” As I anxiously opened my phone to contact my assistant about available tickets, Emily sent another message. “Don’t worry, darling. No need to rush. My brother and sister-in-law are here. You focus on making money, and come back when you’re done. It’s fine.” I said okay, but the urge to return grew stronger by the minute. Just then, my assistant called. Her voice was full of apology. “Mr. Wilson, I’m so sorry. Due to the recent extreme weather, the airport is closed, and there are no train tickets available.” I sat by the floor-to-ceiling window of the hotel, not understanding why my heart was racing uncontrollably. But deep down, I had a feeling that I absolutely had to go back. “Sarah, what about a taxi? If I take a taxi back, how many hours would it take?” The assistant on the other end of the line paused for a moment, then responded professionally. “Mr. Wilson, if you take a ride-sharing service, it would take about six hours to get back.” I nodded in agreement and asked her to book one for me immediately. The taxi sped onto the highway through the heavy rain into the dark night. Even after getting in the car, that ominous feeling hadn’t dissipated. I could only ask the driver to go as fast as possible within the legal limits. On the way, I tried calling Emily, but there was no answer. Thinking it was probably because she was exhausted from giving birth, I rationalized that the bad feeling was probably just empathy for Emily’s pain during labor. At this point, I still thought I was in sync with Emily, and even wanted to give her a surprise, so I didn’t tell her I was coming. By the time I arrived at the hospital, it was already late at night. There weren’t many people around, just a few nurses dozing off here and there. I asked for Emily’s room number, and when I got there, I saw that she had indeed given birth and was sleeping, her face pale. Seeing her like that made my heart ache. I felt she had been through so much, and didn’t want to disturb her. Instead, I asked a nurse where the nursery was and headed there alone. There weren’t many people on the nursery floor at this hour. I remembered the number and walked to the door of one of the rooms. Just as my hand gripped the doorknob, I heard familiar voices whispering inside. “Honey, are we really going to do this?” I frowned as I listened carefully. It was the voice of my sister-in-law, Lily. If that was her husband, it must be Emily’s brother, Ryan. Sure enough, the next moment I heard my brother-in-law Ryan’s voice, with a hint of resolute determination. “Of course. We’ve come this far, do you want all our plans to go to waste?!” “But… but what if we get caught swapping the babies? And… that’s our daughter…” Lily’s voice was choked with sobs, clearly very reluctant. Ryan cursed her under his breath: “This is why women can’t get things done! Didn’t we agree to switch them from the start? This way, all of Zane Wilson’s money will belong to our family! Why are you crying now? Do you still want the money or not?!” “…I do,” Lily’s timid voice came after a while. Then the two of them opened the door to the inner sterilization room. They seemed about to come out, so I quickly retreated to the stairwell corner. I saw them sneak out, looking around cautiously before leaving. I stood there frozen, chilled to the bone. After a long while, I seemed to regain the warmth in my body. Then I also entered the nursery. After searching carefully, I found the incubator with Ryan and Lily’s names on it, separated by a few from the one with Emily’s and my names. Although the name on this incubator was Chloe Parker, the moment I saw the baby, I felt an instant connection. I immediately switched the babies back. As I was going downstairs, I passed by Emily’s room. She seemed to have woken up, and I could faintly hear her talking with Ryan and Lily. I stood to the side and eavesdropped. “Sis, I’ve switched the babies as you instructed.” I heard Ryan, barely able to contain his excitement. Then Emily’s weak voice came from the bed. “Thank you, Ryan. I promise I’ll take good care of your child and won’t let her suffer at all. Everything we’re doing now is so that we can ultimately get all of Zane’s assets.” Hearing this, I felt as if I had been struck by lightning. It was even more heartbreaking than discovering Ryan’s actions earlier. I had thought it was just Ryan and Lily’s malicious scheme, but now I discovered my own wife was involved. She was my partner, the person I shared my bed with! Then I heard very low sobbing from the room. “But… but I carried her for ten months, and now we’re just switching…” That was Lily, unable to part with her own flesh and blood. “What are you crying for?! She’s going to have a better life! Could we afford to raise her? Zane will raise her, she’ll get a better education and resources! What are you crying about?!” Ryan immediately scolded her. Lily could no longer hold back her tears and began to weep openly. “Lily, I understand. After all, it’s the child you carried. Anyone would be reluctant and heartbroken. But this is the only way now,” Emily sighed softly, seemingly holding Lily’s hand before continuing to comfort her. “When the child comes to our side, I can’t guarantee everything, but I can assure you she’ll want for nothing. In the future, no matter how well she does in school, even if she’s not very smart, it doesn’t matter. Zane will give her a good future. Can you provide that?” Lily sobbed and shook her head, finally giving in. “Alright, sis. We just came to let you know it’s done. You just gave birth, so get some rest,” Ryan’s voice came from inside. Seeing that the two were about to leave, I quickly hid in the nearby stairwell. The stairwell was dark. Outside, the heavy rain had just cleared, revealing a cold, round moon through the window. I looked at the moon, and tears suddenly fell. Emily and I met in college. Her family wasn’t well-off, and she worked part-time during university. I met her during a volunteer event. Back then, she was a shy girl who would politely greet me as “senior.” It was her shyness and the innocent look in her eyes when she looked up at me that made me start pursuing her. Dating during college was incredibly sweet. Emily came from a poor background, and I always felt sorry for her. So I took her to experience many things she had never experienced before. As for food and clothes, I never let her want for anything. She also seemed to love me very much, making me believe we would get married and spend our lives together. And we did get married. I proposed to her right after graduation, disregarding our difference in status and marrying her directly. I remember my family was against it at the time, saying there weren’t that many good girls in the world and warning me not to be deceived again. But they could see I really liked her, so in the end, they allowed the marriage. My married life with Emily seemed happy. I believed I treated her extremely well, but I didn’t notice that she was the first to change. After years of marriage, what I got in return wasn’t her love, but her scheme for my assets. And my brother-in-law, who could only afford to buy a house and get married because of me, would bow and scrape in front of me, but behind my back, he was plotting with Emily like this. No wonder I had that inexplicable urge to rush to the hospital. Fortunately, I made it back. I wanted to see what kind of trouble they could stir up! I didn’t go directly to Emily’s room that day. Instead, I found a place to stay near the hospital and only appeared before them the next day, pretending to be anxious. “Honey! How are you? I bought the earliest flight back, but I was still late!” I pushed open the door to the ward, my face deliberately showing signs of a hasty journey. Emily, seeing me arrive, immediately tried to sit up, smiling at me with an exhausted but happy expression. “Darling, you’re here?” “Brother-in-law is here!” “Brother-in-law.” Ryan and Lily, who were on another bed, seemed guilty and immediately stood up to greet me. Everyone was all smiles. “Lily, don’t move. You just gave birth a few days ago too, right? Don’t get up. Honey, how are you feeling now? It’s all my fault, I couldn’t get the fastest ticket back.” I sat by Emily’s bed, playing along with them, looking at Emily with apparent concern, but my heart was ice-cold. Because in this short interaction, I couldn’t detect any other intentions from them. Indeed, the Parker family were all actors, smiling tigers. “Brother-in-law, sister gave birth to an 8-pound little princess yesterday. Congratulations!” Ryan, seeing the situation, immediately chimed in with sweet words. “8 pounds? That’s quite heavy. It’s truly a joyous occasion,” I said, letting a hint of delight flash across my face, while coldly thinking to myself: If I had really come back this morning, I would have been completely fooled by you all. Just then, a nurse pushed in two babies. She placed each baby next to their mother’s bed before leaving. I hurriedly looked at the baby next to Emily. “Brother-in-law is so eager,” Ryan laughed, smoothing things over. Emily also smiled helplessly, seemingly amused by my boyish impatience. Everyone thought I was anxious to see my own daughter, but that wasn’t the case. After carefully examining the baby, I felt a weight lift from my heart. In my haste last night, I only had time to mark the baby’s leg with a dot using my pen as identification. Now I saw they hadn’t noticed anything amiss. The setup of the two cribs was vastly different. The one next to Emily was extremely luxurious, while the one on their side was quite simple. The cribs weren’t provided by the hospital. We had bought all the best baby products, both domestic and international, months in advance. Looking at the clearly hastily bought, makeshift crib on my sister-in-law’s side, I couldn’t help but ask with confusion: “Is using this crib…” “Oh, brother-in-law, our family is different from yours. We don’t need to use such good things for everything. This is good enough. I didn’t even have a crib when I was little,” Ryan waved his hand and laughed it off when he saw me asking. “You should still be careful with children’s things. They’re just born and have low immunity,” I only advised a couple of sentences. After all, it wasn’t my child. But I was grateful in my heart. If they had really switched the babies, my daughter would now be in a crib that was about to fall apart. I didn’t know how many hardships she would have to endure with them in the future. Looking at Emily, who was showering the baby beside her with love, I once again felt how heartless she was. How could she bear to give her own child to the other side, to that environment and those parents?! “Honey, why don’t you name her?” Emily looked up at me with a face full of happiness. I smiled back and responded: “Poppy Wilson.” After resting for a while longer, we were discharged from the hospital. Before parting, Ryan and Lily were reluctant to leave my daughter, with Lily on the verge of tears several times. “Brother-in-law, bring your niece to visit often.” “I will,” I responded outwardly, while inwardly sneering as I looked at their daughter, whom they couldn’t even be bothered to hold. You reap what you sow! I wanted to see exactly how they planned to get my assets by swapping the children! And I was even more eager to see their disappointed and devastated expressions when they found out their baby-swapping plan had failed!

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My fiancé fell for the girl who saved his life—a mute—and now he wants to call off our engagement. I offered him some advice: “The Holt family isn’t easy to get into; she might want to think it over.” The girl took offense and poisoned herself. Ten years later, after taking over the Holt Group, Nick’s first order of business was to ruin my family and come for my life. “This is what you owe Ella.” I open my eyes again and find myself back at my 23rd birthday party. Mr. Theodore Holt asks what my birthday wish is. “If Nick Jr. and Ella truly love each other, then let’s make them the perfect match.” Content I died on one of the coldest winter nights. I thought I could hold on until spring, but Nick didn’t want to wait. With no anesthesia, he sliced open my chest, his scalpel cutting in bit by bit, and my blood poured out like a fountain. It still didn’t satisfy him. Raising his arm, he drove the cold blade right into my heart. The pain nearly made me pass out. I struggled to ask, “Why?” I really couldn’t understand. Nick and I were childhood friends, our families inseparable. My father had supported the Holt Group all these years, helping Nick rise to the top. Even after he took over the company, we never took advantage of our connection. And yet he manipulated the market, spread scandals, and drove my family, the Jensens, to ruin. “Why, Nick?” I gasped, gripping his tie with all my strength. Nick stared into my eyes, as if I’d somehow betrayed him, even though he was the one killing me. “This is what you owe Ella,” he said, his cold voice more frigid than the wind outside. Ella? Ella Snow? The name stirred an old memory, and slowly, her fragile, tear-streaked face came to mind. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. It had been ten years. So Nick had never forgotten her. He actually blamed her death on me, on the entire Jensen family. “Nick, you really are a—” Idiot! I didn’t get to finish. He yanked out the scalpel, and scarlet blood sprayed, clouding my vision. The pain was unbearable.

“Miss, is your headache acting up again?” There was no icy basement, no howling wind. Instead, the room was warm, the sounds of laughter and music filling the air. Neon lights flickered outside, with cars streaming down the streets below. I was standing on the balcony of the Lexington Grand Hotel, looking out over the city that never sleeps. It was my 23rd birthday party. I’d come back to life. Not only was I alive and well, but I was five years in the past. This was the year the Jensen Group completed a major international merger and went public. And this was the year I hadn’t yet become Nick’s wife. “Oh, what a headache.” Behind me, I heard a bitter whisper. “Nick Jr. has been on every major media channel for three days straight, declaring that he wants to cancel his engagement with the Jensen family.” I stopped Rachel, my assistant, from responding. This was more than just canceling an engagement. This was the year Nick had been in a car accident while visiting a rural project, and a local girl had saved him after he fell off a cliff. The girl was delicate and beautiful, and in her desperation to help him, she’d eaten an herb that damaged her voice. Nick had been so moved that he’d brought her back to the Holt Mansion. For three days, he’d been making public statements. He was going to marry her—only her. He was determined to make her the future Mrs. Holt, wife of the Holt Group’s CEO. “Miss, don’t believe all that nonsense. You and Nick Jr. have known each other since childhood. All these years of friendship…” I shook my head, gently refusing Rachel’s comfort. I knew exactly what she was going to say. Three days ago, I’d woken up at the Jensen Estate. Three days was all I needed to piece together everything, both past and present. “Miss,” Rachel said softly, looking excited, “Nick Jr. just arrived.”

I turned and saw Nick approaching, wearing a crisp suit and surrounded by a crowd. The whispers around us went silent in an instant. Nick and I had grown up together. Our engagement had been arranged early on by our families to cement our business alliance. Anytime someone spoke ill of me, he was the first to stand up for me. Anytime he got into trouble at home, I’d be the first to help smooth things over for him. Until now, everyone had assumed I was Nick’s only love—the future Mrs. Holt, without question. Yet here, at my 23rd birthday party, he brought another woman with him. Ella Snow was draped in a fancy dress and perfectly made up, though it looked like she was wearing someone else’s skin. She clung to Nick’s arm, practically hiding behind him for protection. Nick leaned down and whispered something to her, his eyes filled with affection. Ella looked at me, her expression quickly shifting to one of uneasy fear. She stepped forward. With a soft thud, she dropped to her knees in front of me.

How familiar this scene was. Even the tear at the corner of her eye, ready to fall, was the same. In my previous life, her frail, helpless look had deceived me. I’d actually been willing to help her and Nick figure things out. As a Jensen heiress, I certainly didn’t need Nick. Yes, her presence had stung, but it hadn’t made me lose my composure. When Nick wanted to break off our engagement, I didn’t cause a scene. Out of respect for our history, I sincerely offered him a few words of advice: “Miss Snow is new in Lexington and has lost her voice, even though she saved you. But as for making her the next Mrs. Holt? Even if you convinced every board member, I don’t think Mr. Holt would approve. It’d just make things harder for her.” “Nick, maybe you should take a step back. Why not let her start as an intern at the company, and then, down the road…” My words had a double meaning: “After all, can’t you do whatever you want in the future?” That little suggestion saved her from immediate trouble but landed me in endless torment.

Slap! Slap! Slap! In my previous life, the moment Ella knelt, I rushed to help her. This time, I just watched as she gave herself three loud, sharp slaps. Rachel tugged at my sleeve. The room was filled with guests, and many had already pulled out their phones, aiming them in our direction. Rachel wanted to intervene, but I held her back. What was the rush? “Ella!” Nick’s expression was starting to sour. Within seconds, Ella’s cheeks had reddened and swollen. Tears brimmed in her eyes, adding to her pitiful look. She looked from Nick to me, bit her lip, and kept hitting herself. I took a calm sip of champagne. I was curious—how far would she take this performance?

Yes, it was all an act. Her muteness was an act, her delicate “damsel” persona was an act, and even her “suicide” in my past life was an act. Outside a secluded club lounge, I’d overheard her distinct, delicate voice pleading with a doctor: “Doctor, I’m just a poor girl with nowhere to go. If I don’t play the sympathy card, how could I ever get through the Holts’ front door?” “Please give me some medication that’ll put me in a brief state of shock!” “Doctor, I really love Nick Jr. With my background, being his lover is already reaching too high, but since he’s promised to marry me, I need to make sure he feels guilty for me forever.” “Please, just help me! If I fake my death once, he’ll always remember he owes me.” What a scheme. She’d fooled Nick, she’d fooled me, and she’d fooled every high-society figure in Lexington. I’d once asked Nick why he was so taken with Ella. “I was born a Holt heir. Everyone treats me with respect, but only because of my title. Even you, Mila—if I weren’t the Holt heir, would you have cared about me?” At the time, I didn’t know how to answer. If he hadn’t been the Holt heir, there wouldn’t have been any engagement, no shared childhood, no question of love. “Only Ella was willing to give her life for me without knowing my identity. How could I not be moved by such pure love?” He almost had me convinced. As a high-society heiress, I’d always been cautious and thoughtful. I had to consider my parents, my family—I wouldn’t just give my life for someone. We’d all overlooked another possibility. Even if Nick had been unconscious after the car crash, his tailored suit and Patek Philippe watch would’ve made it clear he came from wealth. Whether he was the rich son of an elite family, a business mogul, or a group heir, Ella had known from the start. She’d planned to climb the social ladder from day one.

“Enough!” Nick’s sharp voice cut through the crowd. The room went silent. Ella flinched, slowly raising her head, her eyes wide and pleading as she looked at me. Her message was unmistakable: she’d broken off my engagement and turned me into the town’s laughingstock, and she felt deeply remorseful about it. If I didn’t step in, she wouldn’t stop. Perfect. I lifted an eyebrow and took a leisurely sip of my champagne. Ella clenched her teeth, bowing her head as if she was about to slap herself again. Then, with a loud smack, Nick strode over and slapped the champagne glass from my hand. “Camilla Jensen, you’ve gone too far!”

“Camilla, do you even know what decency is anymore?” Nick’s cold eyes narrowed, his voice simmering with anger. He turned and helped Ella up, gently brushing his hand over her swollen cheek. “Camilla, apologize,” he commanded. “Do it now in front of everyone, and we’ll call it even. I won’t hold it against you.” I almost burst out laughing. How naïve I’d been back then. After uncovering Ella’s scheme, I’d messaged Nick to tell him everything I’d overheard. I even asked him to keep an eye on her. The next day, Ella took her own life by poisoning—not a staged attempt but the real thing. The media had a field day, speculating she’d ended her life over the relentless public pressure. Nick left me a voice message after it happened: “Thanks for the heads-up, Ms. Jensen. Those who betray me will always be punished.” And that was it. For years, I’d thought he confronted her, forcing her to take real poison. I thought he was the same unforgiving Nick I’d always known. I never realized, not until the end, that when he said, “those who betray me,” he was talking about me. Camilla Jensen, did you hear me?” “Ella didn’t do anything wrong. I’m the one who insisted on marrying her. It’s me, Nick Holt, who’s calling off our engagement.” I stared at him, and a bitter smile tugged at my lips. I’d really been blind. I’d actually thought he was a clear-headed business genius. “Rachel,” I turned to my assistant, “aren’t all the heads of the Big Four here on the top floor?” Rachel blinked, stunned, then nodded. Gathering up my gown, I made my way to the elevator. Nick followed me. “What are you trying to do?” “The old man made a private visit tonight,” he said, clearly nervous. “He didn’t make a big announcement about being here.” I knew that already. After all, a birthday party for a “rising star” in business like myself wouldn’t usually draw the heads of the four most powerful families in the city.

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