Author: Momo Chan

In the sixth year of our marriage, Jason cheated on me. I found a long, chestnut-colored hair on his underwear that didn’t belong to me. Huh, looks like he’s been having some fun. That bastard couldn’t even give me the decency of a seven-year itch excuse. I stormed into the living room and threw the hair into Jason’s bowl as he was having a late-night snack. Then, I packed my things as quickly as possible and called my best friend Rachel to help me move my luggage. After that, I left the home we had shared for six years without looking back. Jason just watched me coldly, not saying a word, let alone trying to stop me. “Congrats on escaping that hellhole, sis. Where should we go to celebrate tonight?” Rachel asked, driving her new G-Wagon with one hand while pushing her black sunglasses up her nose with the other.

I leaned back in my seat, staring blankly at the river under the bridge. My facade of strength and coolness was fading, and emotions were starting to take over. Jason and I had known each other for ten years, been in love for eight, and married for six. We had built everything from scratch, from having nothing to our company being on the verge of going public. We had seen so many broken marriages among our relatives and friends. I always believed that Jason and I were the perfect soulmates. The only flaw was that we had been sleeping in separate beds for all these years. But that was Jason’s choice. He said love was just love, the purest and most sacred human emotion. Anything done in the name of love was moral blackmail against love itself. I believed him, but now? A single strand of hair shattered my eight years of self-deception. “Damn it! Lily, if you dare cry, I swear I’ll drive this car straight into the river!” Rachel exclaimed dramatically. My carefully cultivated emotions instantly crumbled. I glared at her, annoyed. “Can you please act like a normal human being? I just got cheated on, can’t you let me wallow for a bit?” Rachel scoffed, twisting her mouth in disdain. “Remember when we were the two campus beauties back in law school? So many guys chasing after us, but you wouldn’t give them the time of day. Then you fell for Jason from the Finance department. What did he have going for him besides his looks?” “Being handsome is the biggest advantage. Even if he did nothing but lie in bed, just looking at his face was enough to make me happy.” Rachel let out a loud “Fuck!” and tossed her sunglasses into the backseat. “You’re hopeless. Think about it – he had a bombshell like you by his side for eight years and didn’t sleep with you. I bet he’s impotent.” I let out a cold laugh. If he was impotent, how could he cheat? Hiding hair in his underwear and playing such dirty games – I was utterly disgusted. “Maybe I’ve become ugly now, and he can’t get it up for me anymore.” Rachel’s jaw dropped in shock, and she reflexively slapped the steering wheel. “Damn that Jason! What kind of twisted ideas has he been feeding you? If I were a guy, I’d drag you to the backseat right now.” True friends are the real deal. “Just focus on your driving,” I spat, continuing to stare out at the river. It wasn’t until Rachel slammed on the brakes that I realized we weren’t at my villa in the south of the city. Jason and I had bought a villa there in my name. We had planned to invite his parents from the countryside to live with us after the New Year, but now it seemed that wouldn’t be happening. “A nightclub? It’s too noisy, I don’t want to go,” I said, looking at the large, flashing neon sign that read “Light Years” at the entrance. “Miss White, you’re here!” A tall, skinny young man with green hair, wearing tight pants and loafers, came out of the club and greeted Rachel intimately. Rachel turned off the engine and got out, tossing her keys to him from a distance. “Two tasks: first, get that beauty out of the passenger seat; second, park the car in the garage.” “You got it.” The green-haired young man caught the keys mid-air, opened the driver’s door, and sat down. Then he turned to look at me, leaning in closer. “Sister~” he called out, his voice dripping with charm and coquettishness. I pulled my coat tighter around me. “I’m getting out now.” Rachel saw how flustered I was and chuckled, hooking her arm around my neck as we walked in. It had been years since I’d been to a nightclub after marrying Jason. Just like I remembered, as soon as we pushed open the glass door that seemed like a barrier, deafening music flooded my eardrums. I frowned and turned to leave, but Rachel held me tight. I had no choice but to cover my ears and follow her inside.

We made our way through the crowd of wildly dancing people to a booth. Rachel ordered drinks with familiarity, and soon the table was filled with an array of colorful cocktails. “No men tonight, I’m here to keep you company. Here, Lily.” Rachel handed me a bottle of alcohol with a grand gesture, then grabbed one for herself and took a swig. I swirled the blue liquid in the bottle, wondering when drinks had become so pretty. I took a sip and licked my lips. Not bad, it was sweet and sour. It was more like an alcoholic beverage than actual liquor. Seeing me start to drink, Rachel burst into laughter. “Ladies, why drink alone? Want to play a game with us?” A cool-looking guy with a flashy thick chain around his neck and black gemstone earrings tilted his head and invited us. I glanced at the sofa next to us and shook my head. A bunch of kids who looked barely of age – what fun could that be? “My baby just got cheated on and isn’t in the mood. Maybe next time,” Rachel waved her hand, declining as well. “No way! Even a beauty like you gets cheated on? Congrats, sis, you’re free now.” The guy gave me a thumbs up. If it weren’t for his sincere expression that didn’t seem mocking, I would have smacked him with the bottle. He was congratulating me for being cheated on? How brain-dead do you have to be to say something like that? Seeing that we really weren’t interested, the guy shrugged and left. I leaned back on the sofa and took out my phone from my bag, turning on the screen. “Hmph, that bastard hasn’t even called or messaged once.” I angrily tossed my phone onto the seat next to me and kicked off my high heels. From the corner of my eye, I caught a burning gaze. I turned to look. It came from the table next to us, from a handsome guy sitting next to the chain-wearing guy from earlier. The guy was staring right at me, and when he saw me looking, he boldly raised an eyebrow instead of looking away. I rolled my eyes and turned away. He was pretty handsome, not much worse than Jason. But were young guys these days all so confident and sleazy? For a while after that, I could feel that unabashed, burning gaze from the next table every now and then. I really didn’t like the feeling and was about to get up and tell Rachel we should leave. Suddenly, the booming music that had been filling the air stopped, as if someone had hit pause. But immediately after, everyone started rushing towards the dance floor. I didn’t know what was happening and looked around in confusion. Then I saw the handsome guy from the next table who had been staring at me walk straight over, the corner of his lips curled up in a smile as he extended his hand to me. “You seem down today. It’s midnight now, want to go wild on the dance floor?” “Let’s go, Lily! It’s midnight, time to party!” Rachel jumped up from the sofa. “No thanks, I’ll wait for you here. We can leave after you’re done partying.” I shook my head in refusal. Rachel knew my personality well. Seeing my firm attitude, she didn’t push further and ran off to the dance floor herself. The handsome guy raised an eyebrow, withdrew his hand, and turned to head towards… the stage. So the DJ was this handsome! The guy was operating the turntables on stage, with the crazy crowd going wild on the dance floor in front of him. As I was staring at him curiously, unable to look away, he suddenly looked over at me and pointed his finger straight at me. Everyone on the dance floor turned to look at me, and I suddenly felt very uncomfortable and self-conscious. A few girls in matching outfits ran over and forcibly pulled me onto the dance floor, dancing around me. Oh god, this must be what they call “hype girls,” right? I stood there awkwardly among them, moving stiffly and feeling utterly embarrassed. People on the dance floor started snickering, and I angrily glared at the instigator on stage. But I saw that he also looked shocked, forgetting to DJ for a moment. It was as if he had never seen such an uncoordinated newbie at a club before. Luckily, Rachel saved me. She let out a loud yell, drawing everyone’s attention, and started swaying her hips. The music on stage started up again. People once again lost themselves in the frenzy of the atmosphere. Rachel was really getting into it, pulling out her hair clip and letting her long hair cascade down. Her chestnut-colored curls seemed to come alive, swaying with her movements – it looked amazing. Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat. In a flash of insight, I felt like I had grasped something. Chestnut-colored curls? Bathroom? Jason’s underwear? I pushed my way through the crowd in front of me, not caring about anything else, and rushed to Rachel’s side, grabbing her tightly. Rachel was startled and quickly stopped dancing. “Lily, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” I stared at her intently, licking my dry lips, and asked, “Rachel, the day before yesterday when Jason wasn’t home, after you showered at my place, did you use my hair dryer?” Rachel nodded, “Yeah, why? Did it go missing? I left it on top of the washing machine.” I looked at her for a long moment, then suddenly burst out laughing. “So it was you! The laundry basket next to the washing machine had Jason’s unwashed underwear in it. You must have shed some hair!” Jason hadn’t cheated on me! I had misunderstood him! Thinking about how I had thrown the hair into his bowl, I felt a pang of regret. Jason had severe germaphobia. Oh god, what had I done? I needed to go home right away. I needed to tell him that I had misunderstood him. He hadn’t betrayed me. It was all my fault for jumping to conclusions without thinking. I needed to apologize to him. “You keep partying, I have to go,” I said, letting go of Rachel and running towards the exit. The taxi dropped me off at the entrance of our neighborhood. It was only then that I realized I had left my phone and bag at the nightclub. Fortunately, the security guard recognized me and helped me pay for the taxi. I jogged into the complex, feeling guilty and excited as I ran towards our home. Just as I was about to turn the corner to our building, a gentle male voice stopped me in my tracks. The voice sounded crystal clear in the silent night. “Babe, why did you come here?” Jason! This voice had become a part of my life, but I had never heard Jason speak in such a tender and affectionate tone. For a moment, I thought Jason had seen me. But the female voice that followed completely shattered my illusion.

“I heard something was off in your voice on the phone, so I was worried and came to check on you. What’s wrong? Is she… upstairs?” “She left. She found out I betrayed her.” “How is that possible?” The woman seemed incredulous. “We always go to my place, and you clean up thoroughly afterward. How could she know?” “It’s all because of you,” Jason’s voice was husky, the same raspy tone he used when he could barely control himself while holding me. “You were too wild that day, and your hair… got stuck in my underwear. Olivia, I loved how you were that day. Come upstairs with me. She won’t be back tonight.” Jason’s voice was full of desire. But what shocked me most was the name Olivia. Jason’s girlfriend from eight years ago, so long ago that I didn’t recognize her voice at first. Ten years ago, when I fell for Jason, he had a girlfriend from his hometown. Somehow, they broke up two years later. I pursued Jason right after he became single. When I first got together with Jason, Olivia came to make a scene once, crying and causing a commotion outside our classroom. In the end, Jason came to pick me up and sternly warned her off. I never saw her again after that. “I can’t stay long. That idiot husband of mine will be back from overtime soon, and the kid is still sleeping. I need to hurry back.” Damn, I cursed inwardly. She has a family and a child, yet she’s out here cheating. “Olivia, don’t go. I want you, just once. I promise I’ll be quick.” Then, in the darkness, I heard the sound of a zipper being pulled down, followed by some indescribable impact sounds. I wanted to leave, but my feet seemed rooted to the ground, unable to move. With a low growl from Jason, Olivia let out a surprised gasp. Then everything went quiet, with only the panting of those two animals rising and falling. I felt nauseous. Eight years! So it wasn’t that Jason didn’t like sex, he just didn’t like having sex with me. My heart turned ice cold, and my whole body shook violently. The heartache made it hard to stand. I leaned against the wall and bent over. “Jason, pull out. You said just once, and I need to go,” Olivia said, breathlessly. “I’d never lie to you. I said once, and I’ll let you go soon.” “Haha, that was pretty quick indeed. Quite honest of you, big brother.” Suddenly, a mocking male voice sounded behind me. “Who’s there?!” Jason shouted sternly, with sounds of frantic movement in the darkness. I was startled and quickly turned around. In the darkness, I could only see a tall figure, unable to make out the face. Suddenly, a flashlight beam shone over. “Lily?” Jason’s voice trembled slightly, as if in disbelief. And I, following the light he shone, saw clearly who was behind me. It was the handsome DJ guy from the club!

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I accidentally woke up in an alternate reality, replacing the female lead in a novel. Three years after marrying Iker Bennett, I had tried countless ways to return to my own world, but all in vain. Finally, I gave in and told Iker I wouldn’t leave anymore. He wept with joy, “I’ll never let you down in this life. I promise I’ll never make you regret staying by my side.” Until his childhood sweetheart returned from studying in France, and he welcomed her into our home, claiming he just wanted to give her a place to belong. In an era where even physical affairs were common, he couldn’t understand the concept of an emotional affair. But what he didn’t know was that on the very night he brought his childhood sweetheart home, I had finally discovered a way to return to my world. I am the heiress of the Collins Group. Everyone envies my good fortune, born into a wealthy family. But all I want is to go home, back to the world where I belong. Unfortunately, after a “fall” into a lake, the male lead insisted on playing the hero and saving me. He fell in love at first sight and proposed the very next day. When I first married him, I still didn’t give up looking for a way to return. Jumping into wells, leaping into lakes, running into walls… I tried it all. But he would tirelessly save me every single time. For three years, he willingly cooked for me and took care of the household chores. The last time I tried to jump into a lake, he pulled me out, panting. With tears in his eyes and a mix of grief and joy at nearly losing me, he said: “Ulla, life is precious. Please, give me a chance, won’t you?” Looking into Iker’s sincere eyes, I finally softened and stopped trying to end my life. Two years after I fell in love with Iker, his childhood sweetheart Wren Morgan graduated from her studies in France and was returning home. And my husband, in front of everyone, went to pick her up at the airport and brought her back to our home. When he brought Wren home without consulting me first, he met my confused gaze. “Wren and I have known each other since childhood. Her family is in a difficult situation, and there’s no one else to take her in, so I brought her back.” That’s when I learned that Iker had such a childhood sweetheart. “No one to take her in, so you have to take her in?” He looked guilty as he explained. Wren was the daughter of the Bennett family’s housekeeper. Now, the housekeeper had passed away from overwork, and Wren’s mother had died giving birth to her, leaving no one to take care of her. Iker sighed, “Ulla, she’s in a really pitiful situation. She said she couldn’t go on living. I brought her home to give her some support for the rest of her life. I absolutely have no other intentions. You can understand that, right?” I glanced at the smug-looking Wren. If Iker hadn’t brought her into our home, she could have still enjoyed the compensation from the Bennett family for the rest of her life. She would have been set for life. Why did she need to depend on a man to survive? Iker seemed to keep his word. He appeared to have no other intentions, just letting her live in our home. Everything seemed unchanged. Until a month later, when the Bennett family hosted a dinner party, inviting many friends and relatives, and even hiring some singers for entertainment. After a group of singers finished performing some love songs on stage, Iker was visibly moved, his eyes brimming with tears. Wren was crying uncontrollably. “This was mine and Iker’s favorite song. If only…” She covered her face and wept, then glanced at me with a pout before hurriedly saying: “Iker and I are like siblings. Please don’t misunderstand.” Her timid expression made it seem like she was afraid of me. The guests at the party whispered among themselves, saying I wasn’t being generous enough. I felt like I had pins and needles in my back, slightly clenching my sleeve. That day’s party ended with me claiming to feel unwell and leaving the table indifferently. Later that evening, the housekeeper came to tell me in a low voice that the song had actually been arranged by Wren. I suddenly realized that there was probably more between them than just childhood friends. The next morning, Wren knelt outside my door to apologize. I sent someone to send her back, but she stubbornly refused to leave. “I’ve angered you, and that’s my fault. But I really had no intention of seducing Iker!” I looked down at her, thinking how ridiculous this housekeeper’s daughter was. Before I could say anything, she had already accused herself of seduction. As we were at an impasse, I caught sight of a figure hurrying over. Iker rushed over, frowning, “What’s going on here?” Wren lowered her head pitifully, “Ulla is upset that I chose that song on my own. She has every right to be angry with me.” The fragile girl bowed her head, making me look even more vicious and jealous in comparison. Iker anxiously helped her up, then turned to me and spoke in a low voice. “Ulla, Wren is the housekeeper’s daughter after all. The housekeeper served our family faithfully. You should give her the respect she deserves. Don’t make things difficult for her.” I looked at this poor act of manipulation, my expression cold. “So you’re feeling sorry for her? Don’t you think she’s just putting on an act, deliberately trying to drive a wedge between us?” From the first day this woman entered our home, I could see the ambition and calculation in her eyes. But Iker looked conflicted as he gazed at both of us, ultimately taking her side. “Wren has such a good temperament, how could she deliberately provoke you?” Saying she doesn’t want anything, yet expecting others to show her favoritism, and acting as if she’s suffered a great injustice. So this is what she considers a good temperament. I walked past Wren and came to Iker’s side, calmly saying: “Iker Bennett, let’s have a proper talk.” I usually called him by his first name in private, rarely addressing him so formally with his full name. Iker was stunned; he understood that I was truly angry this time. … After I left the party yesterday, I asked Mrs. Anderson, who had always been friendly with me, for information. That’s when I learned that they had been in a relationship very early on. Back then, Iker was the young master with a noble air, and she was a well-known academic achiever. The two grew up together in the Bennett household, childhood sweethearts without a care in the world. If it weren’t for her humble origins, the position of Mrs. Bennett would have been Wren’s. My heart grew cold. “What happened then?” Mrs. Anderson sighed, “Then you know what happened. Their relationship was discovered by their parents, and Wren was forcibly sent to study in France by her father. She cried and made a scene at home, saying she wanted to die with Iker.” “But in the end, she was still forced to go to France.” The day Wren left, Iker drove her to the airport. Wren cried her eyes out at the airport. It was quite the tragic love story. I suppressed the pain in my heart and asked, “If that’s the case, why did neither Iker nor you ever mention this to me?” Mrs. Anderson said, “After that, Iker gradually got over his sadness and proposed to you. I saw that you two were happy together, so who would bring this up? ” “If you ask me, this is all ancient history. Why bother with it? I can see that since he married you, he has truly taken you to heart.” Now, I looked into Iker’s eyes and asked him about all of this, one by one. I could accept his past feelings, but I couldn’t accept deception. I asked softly, “Iker, did you ever truly trust me?” Iker was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head, “Ulla, Wren and I did have a past, but that’s all over now. Now, I’ve married you, and I’ll only be good to you alone.” “Then why didn’t you tell me?” He was silent for a while before finally admitting. “Everyone knows that the Collins heiress has a proud personality. I was afraid you’d get angry and refuse to marry me.” The hope in my heart finally faded away. I quietly closed my eyes. It’s not easy to divorce in high society, but if both parties agree, it’s not impossible. When I brought up this idea, Iker’s eyes filled with shock. Even though he hadn’t betrayed me, I was still being unreasonable, nitpicking over every little thing. “That was just youthful foolishness, how could it count?” Iker panicked. “Since marrying you, I’ve been nothing but careful in taking care of you. Wren is just a thing of the past, why are you so concerned about it?” He didn’t understand the significance of what people call an emotional affair in this era where even physical affairs are common. Before he was with me, I could ignore his past feelings. But when he started to have feelings for Wren again, and chose to believe her over me, he was no longer the man I loved. During this time, he often went to the backyard to check on Wren, and occasionally, because of her nightmares, he would quietly go to see her in the middle of the night, returning at dawn. I’m not deaf or blind. On those nights when he went to accompany Wren, I lay awake all night. To the point where when Wren walked past me, she could no longer hold back her true colors. She said to me lightly: “Iker and I are childhood sweethearts. He’s only holding back because of you. He hasn’t slept with me yet, but it won’t be long now.” “You don’t really think that you, the new love, can replace my position in his heart, do you?” I couldn’t help but laugh as I listened. “So Miss Morgan likes to steal other people’s husbands.” Wren’s smile froze, but she couldn’t capture any sense of triumph on my face. Because I was no longer her competitor. In my heart, the man I once loved was already dead. “Ever since Wren cried at the family dinner, word has spread in our social circle that I’m a vicious and jealous person,” I said. I looked steadily at Iker. “To avoid affecting your family’s reputation, let’s get a divorce.” Seeing my determination, his handsome face turned red and white. “Why should we fear rumors? I won’t agree to a divorce. You are my only wife, and that will never change!” Iker was angry as I had predicted, and stormed off. I sighed and began to research ways to return to my world again. In those days, I continued to experiment with hanging myself, jumping into lakes, and divination. Because on the day I transmigrated here, there was a rare star alignment in the sky. I studied astrology diligently and finally began to see some results. At first, when Iker discovered me trying to hang myself, he would panic like before and patiently try to talk me out of it. But after rushing home several times, he gradually became impatient with me, thinking I was just trying to get his attention. I didn’t understand. He was the one who had people monitoring my every move, so why did it become me trying to attract his attention? Every time he saw the backyard filled with my star charts and ropes, he felt extremely helpless. Iker rubbed his brow, his tone tinged with fatigue. “Ulla Collins, I’m busy with work. Can you stop this nonsense?” Even Wren pretended to advise me: “Yes, Ulla doesn’t take care of herself. Every time it’s just an empty threat, it only adds to Iker’s worries.” By now, Wren’s graceful and elegant demeanor of a young lady from a good family had completely disappeared. I smiled, “Soon, I’ll never trouble you again.” He didn’t understand the implication of my words, just slightly relaxed his brow. I watched them standing side by side by the pond, like a perfect couple. He and Wren had actually already had sex. One day when the Bennett family was entertaining guests, I claimed to be tired and retired to rest, leaving him to drink with the guests. Wren asked the housekeeper to come over saying she had chest pains, so Iker went to check on her. That night, he never came out again. He ended up sleeping in Wren’s room. To cover it up, the music in the front hall was turned up very loud. He always thought I didn’t know. But I had been the lady of the house for many years, and I had eyes and ears everywhere. Now, Iker asked me why I was doing these strange things. I lied and said I was divining, praying for his good fortune. He softened his voice, “If my wife likes divination, I’ll find some rare books for you.” “Just don’t harm yourself anymore.” Iker took my hand tenderly, but I pulled away as if electrocuted, my smile not reaching my eyes. “Thank you for your concern.” I don’t know when we started being so polite to each other. Those intimate moments, those nights of passion, seemed to have dissipated into the spring night long ago. Only Iker and I remained in the room. He personally brought a bowl of thick medicine, gently stirring it. “The doctor said this medicine is best for calming the mind… I added honey to it, it’s not bitter anymore.” But there are many kinds of bitterness in this world that can’t be neutralized with sweetness. I bit my lower lip. “You still don’t believe me. You think I’ve lost my mind, don’t you?” “Be a good girl and drink your medicine. When you’re better, we’ll be like we were before.” He brought the cooled medicine to my lips, his voice coaxing. It seemed that if I just drank this medicine, he could deceive himself and get back the wife who used to be gentle and caring towards him. “Do you think we can go back to how we were before?” I asked. I raised my hand and knocked over the spoonful of medicine he was holding. The reddish-brown medicine spilled onto his sky-blue shirt, instantly staining it. I had never seen this shirt before, probably bought for him by Wren. Iker suppressed his anger, his eyelashes trembling slightly as he clenched his fists. He was the noble young master of the Bennett family, no one had ever dared to be so disrespectful to him. “Ulla, don’t push me. I’ve already compromised too much.” The next moment, he actually grabbed my chin with red eyes and poured the remaining hot medicine into my mouth. I coughed, using my remaining strength to coldly stare at him. “Iker Bennett… stop torturing each other. It’s useless.” He didn’t know that over the years, I had secretly spent a fortune seeking out psychics all over the world, and had actually found a way to return. This Bennett house was never a cage that could trap me.

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My wife had been in France for advanced studies for six months. On our wedding anniversary, I secretly flew to France, wanting to give her a surprise. I didn’t expect she would give me a “surprise” too. She was pregnant, her belly round and swollen. Under my interrogation, she revealed the whole story. Her first love was dying of late-stage cancer and wanted to leave behind an heir. She agreed to help him have a child. After hearing this, I was furious. My wife, however, righteously said: “I just wanted to give him an heir. Is that wrong?” I trembled with anger all over. A woman like this, I might as well be without! The day before our wedding anniversary, my wife Emily and I exchanged messages. [Honey, tomorrow is our 5th wedding anniversary. We spent the first four years together, but this year you’re in a foreign country. I feel so lonely. I really want to book a flight to come see you right now.] [Don’t. You’re so busy with work, and flights are expensive. Just hold on for another six months. I’ll be back then.] [Alright, I’ll listen to you.] She didn’t know that I had already booked a flight to France, just to give her a surprise. The next morning at 8 am, I boarded the flight to France. More than 6 hours later, I arrived in France. I bought a bouquet of roses and came to her residence. With an excited heart, I knocked on the door. Soon the door opened. “Honey, are you surprised?” I said excitedly. “Ry…Ryan?” She had a shocked, flustered look. “Haha, it’s your dear husband, coming all this way to see you.” I went to hug her, but was stopped by something. I looked down and saw her big belly, round and swollen. She must have been at least 6 months pregnant. I was horrified and confused, falling from heaven to hell! “You… you’re pregnant?” I asked in disbelief, trembling. “Come in and we’ll talk!” She pulled me inside and closed the door. “You must be tired from the journey. Sit down, I’ll get you some water.” “I don’t want any water. Just tell me what’s going on?” I angrily threw the roses on the floor. “As you can see, I’m pregnant,” she said calmly. “Weren’t you infertile? How did you suddenly get pregnant?” After we got married, she couldn’t get pregnant for a long time. One day she came to me crying with a medical report that said she was infertile. I hugged her and comforted her, saying it didn’t matter if we had children or not, as long as we were together forever. At worst, we could adopt. “I… I can actually have children,” she said, hanging her head like a child who had done something wrong, feeling guilty. “Didn’t that medical report say you were infertile?” “That medical report was fake…” she confessed honestly. It turned out she wasn’t infertile at all. The reason she pretended to be infertile was because she was at a critical point in her career, and having a child would affect her professional life. “Then whose bastard child is in your belly?” I asked through gritted teeth. “Ryan, watch your language. This is not a bastard child.” “So you want to be a slut while pretending to be pure?” I raged. “Ryan, you’re being too harsh,” she said, her eyes moist with tears of grievance. “Tell me! Which son of a bitch planted his seed in your belly?” I roared. A man’s dignity, a husband’s identity, shattered to pieces. “It’s… it’s Jack’s,” she said softly, avoiding my gaze. I was stunned. Jack was her first love, and also a married man. “You two rekindled your old flame and hooked up again?” “It’s not what you think. He has cancer in the late stages and wanted to leave behind an heir. I felt sorry for him, so I agreed. But I absolutely didn’t betray you. We did it through artificial insemination.” Hearing this, my worldview was shattered. Is this something you can help with? Moreover, you’re a married woman. “Don’t you know he has a wife?” I asked in a low voice. “I know, but his wife can’t have children.” “She can’t have children, so you have them for her?” “People’s hearts are made of flesh. Besides, Jack and I used to be lovers. How could I refuse when he begged me on his deathbed?” “Wow, you’re such a kind and understanding woman. There are a few female colleagues at my company who can’t have children either. Why don’t you help them out too?” I said sarcastically. “Ryan, you’re shameless.” “I may be shameless, but at least I’m not as shameless as you.” “I just wanted to give him an heir. Is that wrong?” she said righteously.

In an instant, my blood rushed to my head. She had proactively applied to the company for advanced studies, saying it was for a promotion and raise, but it was actually to hide from people’s eyes and give birth to a child in a foreign country. “You’re a married woman, wanting to have a child for a married man, and you still think there’s nothing wrong? You still think it’s justified?” “Honey, don’t be angry. I promise you, after I give birth to this child, I’ll immediately have one for you too, okay?” Her tone softened. “Get rid of the child right now, or we’re getting divorced,” I said through gritted teeth. “It’s already 6 months along. I can’t have an abortion now. Besides, this is a life, it’s my child. How can you say such cruel things?” She glared at me with tears in her eyes, full of resentment. I was so angry I was speechless. My hands shook as I took out a cigarette, but then I noticed an ashtray on the coffee table with cigarette butts in it. Looking around the room, I saw men’s underwear on the balcony. The flames of anger ignited every cell in my body. A man’s face, trampled under her feet, repeatedly stomped on. “Is Jack living with you?” I stared at her grimly, shouting in anger. Her face instantly turned red with shame. She bit her lip, her eyes dodging, and said guiltily: “No, he just occasionally flies over to keep me company. No, I mean to keep the baby company.” “No wonder you kept telling me not to come. You were afraid I’d catch you in your affair.” “Ryan, don’t be so dirty-minded. Jack and I are innocent.” Just then, the sound of a key turning came from the front door. Emily’s face jolted, revealing a panicked expression. “Emily, I bought you a set of maternity pajamas and some maternity underwear. Try them on and see if they fit…” Jack opened the door and came in. He froze when he saw me. “Jack, you should go. My husband and I still have things to discuss,” Emily hurriedly said. “Why are you crying?” Jack walked over and asked tenderly. “It’s nothing. You should go quickly.” “Did he bully you?” Jack turned his head and shouted fiercely, “Ryan, are you even a man? If you’ve got the guts, come at me.” “Gladly. I’ve been waiting for this,” I said as I rushed at him with my fist raised. “No!” Emily blocked me, sobbing, “Honey, how can you bear to hit a cancer patient?” “Get out of the way, or I’ll hit you too.” “Ryan, you bastard! You’d even hit your own wife, and she’s pregnant too,” Jack yelled. “She seems more like your wife,” I said. “Ryan, you’re going too far,” Emily cried out in grievance. “I’m going too far? You two are practically living together and having a child. You’re just short of a marriage certificate.” “Get out of the way…” I shouted. “No, I won’t let you bully him,” Emily spread her arms to protect Jack. I pulled her away and kicked Jack in the stomach. He fell to his knees in pain. He glared at me with bloodshot eyes, drooling: “You… you dare hit me?” I clenched my fist and punched his face. He flailed his arms, offering no resistance. Emily suddenly hugged me from behind. “Ryan, I’m begging you, stop. You’ll kill him if you keep going.” “Get away from me. I’m going to beat him to death today,” I roared. “Ryan, if you want to hit someone, hit me instead,” Emily knelt down, tearfully begging me. My own wife, protecting another man. This humiliation felt like thousands of steel needles piercing my body. It hurt, it hurt so much! I raised my hand, and she lifted her neck. “Ryan, if anything happens to my child, I’ll make you pay with your life,” Jack said defiantly. I turned and punched him square in the face. “Ah…” He covered his nose, blood seeping through his fingers. “Jack…” Emily cried out in distress and rushed to his side. “Are you okay?” “I’m fine, just a nosebleed.” “Ryan, you beast! How dare you hit a sick person? Doesn’t your conscience hurt? If there’s anything to discuss, we can sit down and talk it out. Why resort to violence?” Emily yelled at me hatefully. My conscience didn’t hurt, but my heart did. “Emily, there’s no use talking to this brute. Let’s call the police,” Jack said. Emily hesitated. “Knock knock knock…” “What’s going on in there? I’m the building security. Open up.”

Jack immediately got up to open the door. Two security guards stood at the door, with several neighbors behind them. Apparently, the neighbors had heard the commotion and called security. “Officer, this thug broke into our home and assaulted me and my wife,” Jack said, pointing at me. “You bastard, say that again. Whose wife is she?” I roared. The neighbors behind the security guards started chattering. “I’ve never seen this intruder before. Mr. Zhang and Ms. Lou are a couple. They introduced themselves to me when they moved in,” a male neighbor said. “Yes, they’re husband and wife. We’ve had dinner together.” “Everyone on this floor knows Mr. Zhang and Ms. Lou. We’ve never seen that violent man before. Could he be a criminal? Mr. Zhang’s face is all bruised up. We should call the police.” Jack looked at me smugly and provocatively. I was shaking with anger. In this foreign country, there was no way to prove my relationship with Emily. “Emily, you tell them. Whose wife are you?” I said, suppressing my anger. Everyone looked at her. Her face turned red. After hesitating for a moment, she pointed at me… At least she still had some conscience. “I don’t know him,” Emily then pointed at Jack. “He’s my husband.” “Boom!” My mind exploded. I felt dizzy and disoriented. The police arrived quickly and took us away for questioning. At the police station, Emily finally told the truth, saying that I was her real husband. But Jack had a long-term residence permit in France, making him practically a French citizen. I would be held responsible for hitting him. He said that as long as I admitted my mistake and promised not to cause any more trouble, letting Emily give birth to the child in peace, he would let me off. I refused, and was subsequently detained. Three days passed. I was released. Walking to the entrance, I saw Emily. She came up to me, her big belly in front of her. That belly was a huge humiliation to me. She knew how much I loved children and wanted my own, but she had pretended to be infertile and deceived me for 5 years. Yet she could travel to a foreign country to have a child for Jack. “I begged Jack to let you go. See how magnanimous he is, unlike you who’s so petty,” she said in a reproachful tone. “Right, I should be more magnanimous. It’s not uncommon to share wives these days,” I said. “Can’t you speak without being so sarcastic?” she said. She booked a hotel for me, telling me to calm down first. “Stay here for now. Call me when you’ve calmed down,” she said. I laughed. Why did it feel like I was the one at fault? Two days passed. I called Emily, saying I wanted to talk to both of them. Emily was very happy, thinking I had finally come around and understood her difficulties. She set up a meeting at a restaurant the next day. The next day at noon, I arrived at the restaurant. The waiter led me to a private room. Emily and Jack were sitting close together. I sat down across from them and placed my phone on the table. The table was already full of food and wine. “I didn’t consider your feelings before and offended you greatly, but you hit me too, so let’s call it even. After we drink this glass of wine, we’ll be brothers,” Jack said, raising his glass. I took a small sip. He frowned slightly, obviously displeased, but didn’t make a scene. “Ryan, Jack is being so sincere. Why don’t you finish your drink?” Emily complained. “Emily, forget it. Let’s get to the point. To be frank, I’m in the late stages of cancer. The doctors say I have at most a year to live. As a man, I hope you can understand my desire to have a child,” Jack said. “You look pretty healthy to me. You don’t look like you’re dying,” I said with a sneer. “Appearances can be deceiving. I’m riddled with tumors on the inside,” he said. He walked over to me and handed me a bank card. “There’s $200,000 in here. The PIN is Emily’s birthday. Consider it compensation.” “Let’s be more direct. Add another zero, and I’ll let you have Emily,” I said sarcastically. “Ryan, stop being so sarcastic. We’re trying to have a proper discussion with you,” Emily said angrily. “Alright, alright, my mistake,” I said with a smile. “But $200,000 isn’t enough to raise your child.” “Don’t worry, brother. After the child is born, I’ll take it away and give it to my mother to raise,” Jack said. “Aren’t you afraid your wife will find out?” I asked. “My mother lives in the countryside. My wife is proud and arrogant and has never gotten along with my mother. Plus, my wife hates the countryside. She hasn’t been to my mother’s house since we got married, so she’ll never discover the child,” Jack said proudly. “You’re having a child behind your wife’s back. Don’t you feel any guilt towards her?” I asked. He sighed helplessly and said, “What can I do? She’s a hen that can’t lay eggs.” “So you found one that can lay eggs to have a child for you,” I said, raising my voice. Emily got angry. “Ryan, you’ve taken the money. Aren’t you satisfied?” I sneered and nodded. “Good. Now that we’ve all reached an agreement, I’ll book your return flight right away,” Emily said eagerly, wanting to send me back home. “Wait. No rush to book the flight.” “What else do you want to say?” Emily asked impatiently. “This involves four people. It’s useless for just the three of us to agree,” I said with a grim smile. “Who’s the fourth person?” they asked, confused. As I finished speaking, the door to the private room was forcefully pushed open…

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I went to get my marriage license with my fiancé, but my younger cousin sent a photo of the two of them in bed as a “celebration.” She even went out of her way to tag me in the family group chat— “Cousin, I tested your fiancé’s skills for you. He’s really amazing.” My younger female cousin Sunny sent a photo inMonuments. It was a bed photo of her and Jim. In the image, the two of them were lying naked together, kissing towards the camera. The group, which usually only had the gossips of aunts and uncles, exploded instantly. They all inquired about what was going on. Sunny seemed to realize her mistake and quickly withdrew the photo. She tagged me in the group: “Sister, I’m sorry. I originally intended to send this photo to brother – in – law as a keepsake. I didn’t expect to accidentally send it to the group. It was just that one time with brother – in – law. Please don’t mind. Just consider it as I tested brother – in – law’s ability for you in advance.” At the Registry Office, Jim was holding the queuing slip and running towards me cheerfully: “Lina, let’s go get the marriage license now!” I looked at him with red – rimmed eyes and sneered: “Jim, explain what this is all about?” “What?” Before Jim could react, I threw the photo at him. Then, without waiting for his response, I turned and left. When I got home, I saw that in the living room, my mother was being punished to kneel, and Jim had also chased after me. Granny was scolding harshly: “Look at you. You came back divorced and brought shame to our family. Now you can’t even control your daughter!” Uncle Joe and Aunt Mary were crying and wailing beside her: “Our Sunny is still so young. She’s a simple and kind – hearted good girl. It’s all because you can’t control your own daughter and let her find such a son – in – law to harm our daughter! What are we supposed to do?” I walked over, helped my mother up, and looked at them coldly as I asked – “It was Sunny who shamelessly seduced my fiancé. Why are you blaming my mother?”

Since I was a child, my parents divorced. My father was a philanderer and a scoundrel who fooled around with various women and even committed domestic violence against my mother and me. My mother couldn’t endure it any longer in her husband’s family and divorced my father. She took me, who was young, back to her mother’s house. Unfortunately, what awaited her was not comfort from her mother’s house but ridicule and sarcasm from Granny, Uncle Joe, and Aunt Mary. They believed it was normal for men to cheat and play around with women. As long as my mother gave birth to a son, life would be better in the future. Aunt Mary said bitterly: “Oh, you still have the nerve to say that? Then what do you think we should do now? Your fiancé slept with my daughter. He can’t just get away with it, can he? Sunny is still so young. If this gets out, her reputation will be ruined. How will she get married in the future?” I sneered and asked rhetorically: “Why isn’t Sunny here? Is she too ashamed to face me?” Sunny emerged from the inner room, still being stubborn: “I want to marry Brother Jim! You should give your fiancé to me!” I retorted: “Why should I?” Sunny looked at me with a hint of guilt in her eyes and said: “Because I slept with Jim, he has to be responsible for me!” I snorted: “It’s Jim who should be responsible for you, not me. You’re a mistress. Why should I care about you?” I folded my arms and said: “How about this? Let’s invite all the relatives and friends and let them decide who’s right and who’s wrong?” Aunt Mary jumped up: “Lina, I didn’t expect you to be so vicious, deliberately trying to shame our family!” I said: “It’s your daughter who’s brought shame. She even sent the bed photo to the group. Do you still care about this?” The whole family was left speechless. I continued: “If you don’t want to make this a big deal, I have another proposal…” “All the money my mother earned working outside over the years, including the property she received from the divorce with my father, should be returned to us!”

My father’s family was fairly well – off. Additionally, when they divorced back then, since my father cheated and committed domestic violence, my mother received a large sum of money from the divorce. However, Granny withheld it all and gave it to Uncle Joe. Just a few days after my mother and I returned, she drove my mother out to work. She made it sound nice that she would take care of me, her granddaughter, but in reality, she just wanted to drain the resources of our mother and daughter. When I was a child, their family often beat me and humiliated me by saying that I was an unwanted bastard. The clothes I wore were Sunny’s hand – me – downs, and I wasn’t even allowed to sit at the table to eat. I lived a life worse than their dog. Granny shouted: “You’ve been eating and wearing from our family all these years. Didn’t that cost money?” I directly threatened: “Give it or not, just one word. Otherwise, we’ll make this a huge issue and see who will be the one to lose face in the end!” Uncle Joe and Aunt Mary fell silent. Finally, Sunny knelt down and cried: “Mom, Dad, this bitch wants money. Just give it to them and let them go far away and never come to bother our family again! I like Brother Jim. I want to marry him!” Uncle Joe and Aunt Mary gritted their teeth and agreed. In the end, after calculating the total amount, they needed to give us two hundred thousand dollars. Sunny wiped her tears and was overjoyed. Without waiting for the money to be handed over, she couldn’t wait to go to the room to pack my luggage. She packed the luggage of me and my mother and threw it all at the door. Just then, Jim, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke: “The person I want to marry is Lina. I don’t want to marry Sunny!” He was extremely embarrassed and also a bit scared. He glanced at Sunny tentatively before saying – “It was Sunny who deliberately seduced me and said that I didn’t need to be responsible. She has no self – respect. Why should I be responsible for her?”

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My girlfriend’s mother was in a car accident and was admitted to the ICU. I sold my RV and helped her pay for all the surgery costs. But she turned and threw herself into the arms of her first love. I started to question her, but I didn’t expect her to get angry with me directly: “What qualifications do you have to interfere in my private life? You don’t have a car or a house; you don’t deserve to be by my side!” My girlfriend’s mother also blamed me. Later, she and her first love dominated the hot searches due to bad news. I was sitting at my desk, signing a thirty million dollar contract. Sharon has been acting strange these past few days. She often goes out early and comes back late, leaving her mother, who just woke up from a car accident, for me to take care of. At night, when I leaned in close to her collar, she sighed and said tiredly, “I’m tired. I don’t want to now.” With that, she turned away. I couldn’t understand why she was being so cold. The next morning, while Sharon was still sleeping, I got up to make breakfast and prepared a pot of chicken soup for her mother. Taking advantage of this time, I decided to tidy up the mess in the house. Sharon has a habit of leaving things scattered everywhere, and when I picked up her bag, I unexpectedly found a bottle of lubricant inside. Why would Sharon have something like this? In that moment, my blood boiled with anger. I woke Sharon up from her sleep and demanded, “What is this? Tell me, what did you do when you went out last night?” To my surprise, Sharon snapped back, “Who told you to go through my things?” I was infuriated. No matter what, I am still a man. Now, my dignity feels like it’s being trampled underfoot. I couldn’t take it anymore and said, “Sharon, your mother is still in the hospital, and you’re out here doing this kind of thing. Are you even worthy of me?” Sharon snapped and turned against me directly, sneering contemptuously: “What qualifications do you have to interfere in my private life? You don’t have a car or a house. Look at yourself—how can you be worthy of me?” Just then, Sharon’s cell phone rang. It was her mother calling. Not wanting to make this situation any more embarrassing for my elders, I decided to stay silent for the moment. Once the call connected, Sharon’s mother’s dissatisfied voice came through: “What time is it? Why hasn’t Luke come to bring me breakfast?” Sharon responded angrily, “Who knows what’s wrong with him? He got up so early this morning and had to argue with me. I haven’t even woken up yet…” “What?” her mother snapped, “Give him the phone! I’ll talk to him!” Sharon handed me the phone. I was about to explain, but her mother cut me off: “Luke, I’m not saying anything bad about you, but how can you argue with our Sharon? You don’t have a car or a house right now, and our Sharon is working hard all by herself. You need to understand…” Her words pierced my heart like sharp knives. My whole body shook. It turned out that in the minds of this mother and daughter, I was nothing but a coward. But the reason I sold the RV was to help Sharon’s mother pay for her six-month ICU expenses. Now I have nothing, and this mother-daughter duo is trying to burn my bridges! “Okay, bring me breakfast quickly. I’m hungry!” Sharon’s mother ordered me like I was her servant, then hung up the phone. As I handed the phone back to Sharon, I suddenly noticed a message pop up on the screen. “Baby, how was your rest last night?”

And the sender of that message was Simon. Sharon immediately snatched the phone away, her guilt evident as she frantically pressed the screen. “Don’t look at it! Why are you still standing there like an idiot?” she said, her discomfort palpable. After a moment, she stood up angrily. “Okay, so you want to be stubborn today, right? If you won’t leave, then I will!” With that, she put on her coat, slammed the door, and stormed out. It was midsummer, but I felt like I had fallen into an icy cave. How did Sharon and I get to this point? I didn’t know Simon well, but I knew enough about him. He was Sharon’s first love. The only time I had met him was at a class reunion dinner when he returned to China a year ago. At that time, Sharon had enthusiastically introduced us: “Luke, this is Simon. We’re friends now. Let’s have a drink together later.” I was so jealous that I pulled Sharon over and glared at Simon, as if to declare my territory. Simon just smiled faintly, adjusted his collar, and said in a low voice, “No need, buddy. No matter how much you cherish her, Sharon is still someone I used to play with, isn’t she?” I was furious and wanted to teach Simon a lesson. Unexpectedly, Sharon pushed me away and said sternly, “Luke, today is a class reunion. There are so many important people here. Can you please not embarrass yourself?” I looked at her in disbelief, not understanding why she was so unconditionally biased towards Simon. Simon seemed to have anticipated Sharon’s reaction. He paused, smiled, and pulled her away. As he turned, he said loudly, “Is it really too much for me to have a drink with my good friend?” Whether they were friends or something more was self-evident. Later, after Simon went abroad, Sharon spent every day getting drunk at the bar. On several occasions, I had to pick her up when she was too intoxicated to stand. One night, as I was about to leave, Sharon hooked her finger around my neck and pleaded, “Don’t go, don’t go…” I admit that I am selfish. I had a crush on Sharon back in college. When a man and a woman are alone in a room, things are bound to happen. Even though Sharon still had feelings for Simon, he was far away, and they had no chance to be together. I stubbornly wanted to keep Sharon by my side. The next day, we naturally established a relationship. But the good times didn’t last long. A year later, during a trip, Sharon’s mother was involved in a car accident and fell into a coma. She became a vegetative state, with extremely low chances of waking up. She needed daily ICU care to stay alive. She cried as she hugged me, saying in despair, “What should I do? I don’t think I can save my mother… I’ll be alone from now on.” Coming from a single-parent family, Sharon was raised by her mother, so I can’t imagine how devastating it would be for her if her mother died. Without hesitation, I sold the RV and transferred five million directly into Sharon’s account. With that money, her mother stayed in the ICU for six months and underwent four major and minor surgeries. Perhaps it was God’s blessing that Sharon’s mother finally woke up. I was genuinely happy for her. I naively believed that we had overcome all obstacles and that Sharon and I would continue to live happily ever after. But with Simon’s return, all of that became a distant dream. It was time to end this humble relationship. I could accept everything about Sharon, but I would never tolerate her betrayal. The chicken soup I had made was ready, but I poured it into the trash can. After packing my things, I broke up with Sharon on WeChat. She didn’t even try to keep me. Her response was direct and decisive: “Okay! Then get out of my house!” For our final breakup, I didn’t want to cause a scene. Respectability was my last gift to her. Before leaving, I swapped out the lubricant for super glue.

I didn’t know where to start my new life. Once upon a time, everything about me revolved around Sharon. After some thought, I bought a ticket to the city where my best friend Liam lived. When Liam learned I was coming to Riverdale, he rushed to the airport to pick me up without hesitation. In the car, I lit a cigarette, feeling dejected. Liam noticed something was off and, after a moment, asked, “What’s wrong? This isn’t like you. Didn’t you quit smoking?” “What’s going on between you and your girlfriend?” he asked, hitting the nail on the head. I replied calmly, “We broke up.” “Oh,” he laughed. “No big deal, man. Pull yourself together.” Then he took me to his apartment and said, “You can stay here for now. If it doesn’t feel right, you can move out when you find a place.” I nodded in appreciation. Liam continued, “What do you want to do about work? Start over, or…” I glanced at the ten million balance in my bank account and said, “Let’s start over.” During college, I had majored in Finance. I loved everything related to numbers—stocks, investments, trading… As for that balance, it was the money I earned by calculating the appreciation of real estate values. The third anniversary of my relationship with Sharon coincided with the twentieth day since her mother had been admitted to the ICU. I cooked a large feast and inserted my bank card, containing all my assets, into a cake. I wanted to tell Sharon that I could bring her happiness and that she shouldn’t lose faith in life because of her mother’s hospitalization. But Sharon didn’t come home. She forgot our anniversary and only called me at 8 PM, coldly saying, “I have something to do tonight and can’t leave. I won’t be back.” Before I could respond, she hung up. Looking back, maybe it was because Simon had returned to China. I smiled bitterly. Just then, my phone vibrated. It was a reminder from the monitoring system I had installed at home. “Master, a stranger’s face has been detected.” I paused for a moment, but out of concern for Sharon’s safety, I clicked on the screen. After all, Sharon lives alone now, and it would be dangerous if a criminal broke in. Fortunately, Sharon was safe. But the funny thing was, the stranger’s face on the screen was Simon’s. I froze, watching the two of them enter the room together, looking affectionate.

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My boyfriend Vincent was a special forces soldier specializing in bomb disposal. To save a woman, he endured inhumane torture at the hands of a terrorist organization. His fingers were cut off, his tendons severed, and the tip of his tongue was chopped away. From a proud and noble man, he was reduced to a fool who drooled when he spoke. He had no idea that the woman he was trying to save was the beloved of Simon, the leader of the terrorist organization. It was all a trap, designed to lure him in. On the day I heard the news of Vincent’s death, I committed suicide by jumping into the sea. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself the most favored captive of Simon. The original owner of this body was used to wearing heavy makeup, but I wasn’t. I remember that on the second day after transmigrating into this body, I showed up in front of Simon without a trace of makeup. He grabbed my chin and forced me to look up, a half-smile on his face. “You don’t look like Jilly without makeup.” So today, I deliberately applied makeup to imitate Jilly’s look. I even added a tear-shaped mole at the outer corner of my right eye. I was planning to get rid of someone. Tiger, Simon’s right-hand man. When Simon rushed into the room after getting the news, I was in Tiger’s arms. Tears streamed down my face. Tiger loomed beside me like a mountain, his face flushed from drinking, his eyes gleaming with greed. I shook my head, crying out “No—” while pushing against him with what seemed like feeble strength. “If your brother Simon finds out, he won’t let you off!” Tiger laughed loudly, his gold teeth shining. “You? Just a substitute for Miss Jilly. Brother Simon doesn’t care.” “A nobody. Do you really think Brother Simon would care?” I felt humiliated and was determined not to let him succeed, struggling to move backward. He licked his lips. “What a beauty. No wonder you’ve been able to stay beside Brother Simon for so long.” He was about to make his move. It was at that moment that Simon burst in. He held a pistol, his face cold and stern. I cried out to him, “Simon, save me—I’m not pure anymore, Simon. I don’t want to live.” I knew that with my face slightly tilted to the right, I resembled Jilly the most. When Tiger saw Simon approaching, instead of backing off, he touched my face. “Well, you little thing. You really called Brother Simon here.” He turned to Simon, grinning widely. “Brother Simon, I’ve risked my life for you all these years. Can you give this girl to me?” Everyone around Simon feared him. Even if it was just a woman, as long as she belonged to Simon, she was his private property, and no one dared to touch her. After Tiger said this, I knew that the drug I had slipped him to induce mental confusion had taken effect. Simon’s handsome brows furrowed deeply. He stood there, silent, weighing his options. Should he choose the woman or his brother? Tears streamed from the tear-shaped mole on my face as I sobbed, “Simon, if you really give me to him, I’ll die!” Simon raised an eyebrow, maintaining that careless, half-smiling demeanor. “Alright, Tiger, Cherry is yours.” Tiger’s face lit up with joy at Simon’s permission. Just as he was about to touch me, I closed my eyes in despair. But in the next moment, Simon’s expression changed completely. He looked incredibly sarcastic, his tone fierce: “You? You think you’re worthy?” “Bang!” Tiger’s head jerked to the side, a hole appearing in it. I had bet correctly. Simon strode over, shoved Tiger aside, and lifted me by the waist. “It’s okay. It’s okay,” he murmured. “No one dares to touch you.” I leaned against his shoulder, trembling uncontrollably, but a chilling smile curved on my blood-stained lips. Vincent, was this how it felt when Tiger cut off your fingers and the tip of your tongue back then? Turning my head, I caught a glimpse of Tiger’s disbelieving eyes, still open on the ground. Good riddance.

Vincent and I met in a war-torn foreign country. Terrorists had invaded the hospital and strapped a bomb to me. Vincent led a team to rescue me. I was so nervous that cold sweat poured down my face as I clenched my teeth. He smiled, his eyes clear behind the mask. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t let you die here,” he comforted me. For two whole hours, Vincent knelt beside me, meticulously dismantling the bomb. I had never stared into someone’s eyes for so long. Even now, whenever I close my eyes, I can still picture his face in my mind. The bomb was finally removed, but after a five-second pause, it triggered a new countdown. Only ten seconds left. Vincent’s expression tightened. He grabbed my hand and rushed me out of the hospital. Just as we burst through the doors, he yanked me into his arms, throwing us both to the ground. His body shielded me completely. The next second, an explosion roared behind us. The entire makeshift medical point was obliterated. Sand, mud, and debris rained down from the sky. The man on top of me frowned from the force of the blast, but I felt nothing. Only the sound of heartbeats. Deafening heartbeats. Drowned out by the explosion. After that day, Vincent often visited the newly built medical point. One day it was, “Dr. Leo, I got bitten by an ant on my thumb.” The next day, “Dr. Leo, I got pricked while picking flowers.” And the day after that, “Dr. Leo, I think I have a heart problem. The kind only you can treat.” Seeing me blush with anger as I tried to shoo him away, he would laugh, a triumphant glint in his eyes. From then on, he claimed he had two missions: to fight against terrorists and to protect me. But one day, he simply stopped showing up. He was kidnapped by the terrorist organization. The group had taken a Chinese woman hostage and specifically demanded Vincent by name. If he came, they promised to let her go. Vincent didn’t hesitate. He went alone, willing to trade his own life for hers. The terrorist organization live-streamed the scene of Vincent’s torture. They wanted him to work for them, to make bombs. Vincent would rather die than submit. On the screen, Simon sat opposite him, watching coldly as Vincent was hung up. In his lap was the so-called Chinese woman, Jilly, the hostage. She had her arms draped around Simon’s shoulders, smiling coyly. “Simon, he’s so stupid. He actually came to save me.” “Do you think he has a crush on me?” she teased. Simon, not even glancing at Vincent, casually replied to Tiger, “If he doesn’t comply, cut off his fingers and chop off his tongue tip.” He leaned in to plant a light kiss on Jilly’s red lips. “I want to see how he can dismantle bombs after that.” Jilly giggled, “Leave him two fingers on each hand. After all, the feeling of being worse than dead is the most interesting.” With a swift swing of his knife, Tiger severed Vincent’s fingers, blood gushing from the wounds. Vincent’s screams of pain echoed through the live stream. As a doctor, I had witnessed many deaths in the war, but it was the first time I understood the depth of such agonizing screams. My heart ached as if it were being sliced by thousands of knives, and tears streamed down uncontrollably. It felt as if the cuts on Vincent’s body were also inflicted upon mine. In the following days, Simon continued to live-stream Vincent’s torment. His head hung limply, his mind foggy, and the blood from his severed fingers had dried to a dark crust. Because his tongue tip was cut off, his mouth couldn’t close, and saliva constantly dripped from the corners of his lips. He couldn’t care for himself and had even lost control of his bladder. All he did was stare blankly at the camera, murmuring repeatedly, “Marilyn, I’m okay.” My heart shattered into a thousand pieces, the pain so intense that I felt like I might die. Even in this state, he was still trying to comfort me! Is this really okay? Is this really okay?! My Vincent, my proud Vincent. The Vincent who dismantled bombs with calm, confident smiles, always there to comfort me. The Vincent who came to the hospital just to tease me, laughing joyfully when he succeeded. He should have always shone like the sun, standing tall like a pine tree. He should have returned to our country, glorified and honored. He shouldn’t be like this. He shouldn’t be like this. A week later, the news of Vincent’s death arrived. He was dead. … After Tiger died, I stood frozen, my eyes cast down, silent and seemingly docile—almost frighteningly so. Perhaps my frightened demeanor unnerved Simon. He kissed my hair, constantly reassuring me that it was okay, that everything was over. He brought me before his subordinates, made me sit on his lap, and declared that I was his woman and could only belong to him. Anyone who dared to touch me again would meet the same fate as Tiger. Simon had Tiger’s head severed and displayed as a warning. His actions made me think I was important to him. But it wasn’t enough. I had to be important enough for him to marry me. Only then could I give him the ending he deserved. But what I didn’t expect was that, not long after, Jilly returned. She played with a knife against my face, smiling with amusement. “Your face does look quite like mine.” In the next moment, she clung to Simon’s arm, whining, “Simon, I haven’t practiced shooting in a while. Can I practice on Cherry?” Simon, casually smoking, patted her hand and said, “Sure.” Jilly’s idea of practice involved me putting an apple on my head as a target. I looked at Simon, pleading silently. He knew I was terrified of gunshots. Whenever one went off, he would cover my ears. But this time, he just had a cigarette in his mouth, a smile on his lips. “Cherry, Jilly just likes to practice this way. She’s a great shot. She won’t miss. Don’t worry.” I closed my eyes, standing frozen in place. No, I couldn’t resist. I couldn’t lose my temper. I had to be gentle and docile, playing the role of Simon’s captive well to earn his trust. As Simon had said, Jilly was indeed an excellent shot. She hit the apple on my head in one shot, the force knocking me to the ground. My elbow scraped against the ground, blood oozing from the wound. The loud gunshot made my ears ring. I bit my lip hard to keep from crying. I thought of Vincent. He had given me a gun, saying that in war, anything could happen, and told me to use it for self-defense. He taught me how to shoot. Standing behind me, he held me close, guiding my hands into the right position on the gun, teaching me step by step, his voice low and steady in my ear. Our bodies were pressed tightly together, the air he exhaled brushing against my skin. I don’t know whose ears turned red first. He had promised that as long as he was alive, no one would dare to bully me. But Vincent, the one who protected me, is gone. What am I supposed to do now, alone? Jilly was bouncing around, wrapping her arms around Simon’s neck. “Simon, look! My shooting is still as good as ever!” Simon didn’t even glance my way; his eyes were solely on Jilly, his expression affectionate. “Just stop when you’ve had enough fun,” he said, a faint smile playing on his lips. Jilly rolled her eyes. “Not enough!” This time, she made me place the apple on the side of my face. I knew she had been annoyed with my presence for a long time. Simon glanced at me, his Adam’s apple bobbing as if he wanted to say something, but all he said was, “Alright, if you want to play this way, go ahead.” But this time, Jilly missed.

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When my daughter and I were abducted, the kidnappers demanded that I call Sean for assistance. At that time, he was with Luna, who had just entered the profession, learning anatomical analysis. When he received the call, he merely said one sentence. “How long are you going to play such pranks? I’m occupied with important matters. I’m hanging up now.” I wept while laughing. Perhaps he had never cared about my daughter and me. But why did he go berserk and shout when he later saw my daughter’s body on the dissection table? “She’s going to die, Sean, she’s going to die. Please…” “Is it amusing to joke about death? Then go ahead and die.” When the call was ended, I was plunged into the depths of despair. My mobile phone was snatched away forcefully, and I was kicked and spat upon. “Pah, can’t come up with five million? Then don’t blame me!” Jenny, huddled behind me, was trembling all over. Finally unable to hold back her tears, she sobbed softly and asked me – “Mommy, why doesn’t Daddy want to come and save us?” I didn’t know how to respond. I shook my head, crying and attempting to embrace her, but suddenly she was yanked away by the kidnappers. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. This little girl is rather lovely.” Realizing what might transpire next, I fought like a madwoman to hold onto Jenny. I couldn’t hold her. I couldn’t hold her. I couldn’t protect her. I was trampled on the ground and kicked numerous times. I watched Jenny crying her heart out, my teeth clenched so tightly that they seemed on the verge of breaking, and my fingertips pierced through my palms, leaving them bloody and mangled. But all of this was insignificant compared to the pain Jenny was enduring. I knelt on the ground and kowtowed to each of them, banging my head until it bled, pleading with them to release Jenny. I could… Later, they grew impatient. Just as the ashtray was about to smash against the back of my head, for some unknown reason, everything came to an abrupt halt. The robbers gathered their belongings and fled in all directions. When the door was kicked open with a “bang”, I was crawling on all fours towards Jenny. I was trembling violently. I didn’t dare to touch her or look at her. Jenny slowly reached out her blood – smeared hand to touch my face. “Mommy, Mommy, don’t cry. Jenny doesn’t hurt…” “Winnie,Winnie, it’s okay, it’s okay…” A man in a police uniform appeared before me. I cried and begged him. “Brother Henry, save Jenny, save her…” I don’t recall how I left that place. All I know is that I was delirious and incoherent until I received the assurance that Jenny would be fine. Then I finally passed out completely. I struggled out of the endless nightmare with such hope. But when I awoke, Henry informed me that Jenny was on the verge of death. “Sorry,Winnie…” When I rushed into the intensive care unit, Jenny’s breathing was already extremely weak. She still managed to smile obediently at me, a smile that was both difficult and painful. She seemed to be aware that she was going to die. She said, “Mommy, I want to see Daddy one more time.” “I want to remember you both…” I nodded frantically, tears streaming down my face. I hurriedly took my mobile phone from Henry and dialed the number that had been silent all this time. “Beep -” It was promptly hung up. My heart was pounding faster and faster. Answer the phone, answer the phone, Sean. On the third call, he still didn’t answer. Each one was hung up without hesitation. I ceased calling. I held Jenny’s hand and begged her to wait for me to return. I promised to come back with Daddy. I rushed out of the ward and was stopped by Henry. I was in such a hurry that I thought he was going to prevent me. I shook off his hand and told him to leave me alone and not stop me. Finally, he drove at high speed and took me to the research institute where Sean and Luna were. I wasn’t an authorized person in the research institute, so I couldn’t enter. Actually, Luna wasn’t either, but she was granted access by Sean’s special permission. I stood at the entrance and called Sean’s name loudly. “Sean -” I called again and again until my voice became hoarse. Finally, Sean frowned and pulled open the curtain on the second floor. His expression was extremely cold, and his brows still bore the lingering traces of annoyance and displeasure. “Winnie, what on earth do you want?” “Do you have to come to the research institute to embarrass me?”

I intended to explain the situation briefly, but before I could utter a word, Sean turned his head. He was drawn by a soft and joyous voice. “Master, I understand! I know why it’s like this here! Master, come quickly, I’ll tell you!” When looking at Luna, Sean’s eyes were always so tender. It had been many years since I had been gazed at so gently. Sean and I were experiencing the seven – year itch. He wouldn’t mention divorce, nor would he think that he no longer loved me. He just wasn’t as interested as before, not as excited. He regarded me as a stagnant pool. When Luna entered his world, she was like a ray of light, illuminating him. So he was enchanted and couldn’t help but be kind to her. I didn’t care. I truly didn’t care. As long as he was willing to come back with me, everything would be fine. “Okay, I’m coming.” “Yeah, it’s nothing. Don’t worry.” How I wished I could tell him that there was something, really something. But he had already lifted his foot and left, never looking back at me. But I wasn’t willing to give up. I didn’t want Jenny to depart with eternal regret. So I asked Henry to leave first, to keep an eye on Jenny’s condition and contact me at any time. I wanted to stay here and take Sean away. But why was it so arduous? The security guards no longer permitted me to call Sean, believing that it would disrupt many people. They warned me that if I made any more noise, they would eject me directly. Later, I could only keep sending him messages and calling him. I told him that Jenny was dying and wanted to see him one last time. Then, I was blocked on WeChat, and my phone number was also added to the blacklist. He still didn’t believe me. I had never been more desolate than at this moment. I waited and waited outside the door until I saw Luna coming downstairs to get milk tea. “Master, I’m here to get the milk tea you ordered for me. Haha, Master, you have such a great memory. I only mentioned my preference once, and you remembered it!” “Okay, okay, I got it. The road is slippery on rainy days. Be careful when you walk! Master, you’re so nagging -” When passing by me, she let out an “ah”. “Madam, you’re still here? Haven’t given up yet?” “Alas, Madam, such tricks are so passé. You should read fewer of those old – fashioned romance novels. They’re so silly.” Luna’s seemingly innocent remarks were actually like countless needles piercing my heart, without any mercy. But I had no alternative. She was the only person who could get in touch with Sean. So I bowed to her and swore a solemn oath with my life to prove the truth of my words. I implored her to believe me and to go and inform Sean. What did Luna say at that time? She said, “Oh my god, how pitiful. Madam, don’t worry. I’ll go and tell Master!” Then, Sean didn’t come. During my interminable waiting, I received the news that Jenny’s condition had taken a sudden turn for the worse. I didn’t dare to linger. I rushed back to the hospital at top speed. That was the last time I saw Jenny. She couldn’t even lift her hand. I didn’t dare to hold her hand too tightly. I was trembling all over. I was afraid that she would ask me – Mommy, where’s Daddy? How should I reply? She didn’t ask. She said to me in a hoarse and feeble voice: “Mommy, Jenny loves you, so much, so much…” At the last moment of her life, she silently uttered that word – Daddy. My Jenny was calling for Daddy. But her Daddy didn’t come and wouldn’t come. My Jenny didn’t get to see Daddy one last time and left this world with regret. It was pouring rain that day. And I had lost my daughter forever.

“Jenny’s homeroom teacher said that Jenny hasn’t been to school for two days. She couldn’t find you, so she called me.” “Winnie, what on earth are you doing?” “I told you that Luna is a promising talent. I, I admire her a great deal. The relationship between me and her is a normal teacher – student relationship. Do you have to go crazy just because I like her?” “Don’t have time to talk about this. Hurry up and send Jenny back to school.” The first call that Sean had made in such a long time was a rebuke. I listened expressionlessly and then hung up. At that time, I hadn’t slept for three days. I watched with my own eyes as Jenny’s body was placed into the freezer, and since then, I could scarcely close my eyes. I didn’t have Jenny anymore. I had lost her forever. Henry said that to extract the DNA evidence left by the criminals in Jenny’s body and to conduct a series of identifications, an autopsy had to be performed. He said that the expert invited for the identification was quite busy and had to wait until he was free, so Jenny had to be put into the freezer to be preserved for a while. During these days, Henry was concerned about my mental state and had taken almost all the leave he could. “Winnie, eat something. How can you catch those scoundrels if you continue like this?” I wanted to eat too. But whenever I ate something, I would always vomit it out. I had no option. I really had no option. When I vomited until there was only acid in my stomach again, I finally couldn’t hold on and collapsed. And was caught by Henry, who was quick – witted and deft – handed. He carried me away from this place close to Jenny and walked towards the hospital. And we encountered the last person I wanted to see. “Henry, Winnie, why are you two together?” Before he could finish frowning and asking, Luna, who was behind him, tugged at his sleeve and whined pitifully. “Master, my hand hurts…” Only then did I notice the small wound on Luna’s wrist. It wasn’t deep, nor was it that severe. But it was sufficient to make Sean feel sympathetic towards her. He didn’t even concern himself with us and simply left with Luna. When leaving, he only said one sentence – “Have some decency.” “I’m not dead yet.” Just as he was about to turn around and leave, I suddenly spoke. My voice was hoarse and unpleasant due to vomiting for many days, rough like stones grating, as if I was muttering to myself. “Sean, you might as well be dead.” When I lay in bed, sleepless all night, the next morning, the door of the ward was pushed open violently. “Winnie, finally found you.” “What are you crazy about?” “Where’s the child? Where’s Jenny? Where did you hide her?” I stared at him numbly and suddenly laughed. Tears slid down from the corners of my eyes, wetting my clothes. I had cried so many times these days that when the tears slid past the corners of my eyes, a sharp pain like countless needles pricking my heart emerged. I opened my hoarse voice: “Sean, Jenny is gone.” Sean frowned fiercely and strode towards me, grasping my wrist. “Winnie, are you ill?” “Is this something to joke about?” His grip was surprisingly strong, and soon my wrist turned red. Looking at him like this, suddenly I felt a wave of nausea rising again. I vomited. There was nothing in my stomach to vomit except acid and some blood. Sean was a bit of a germophobe. Seeing me like this, he took several steps back. I vomited until my throat burned as if on fire, and then I stopped. I reached for the bag on the cabinet and with some difficulty pulled out a document from it. With all my strength, I threw it in front of Sean. Sean didn’t pick it up. “Sean, let’s get a divorce.” Just then, the door of the ward was opened by someone. “Winnie, I bought fresh millet porridge. The doctor said that your stomach has been in a bad state because you haven’t eaten for too long. You can only drink some porridge first…” Sean glanced at the divorce agreement on the floor and then at Henry who pushed the door and entered. He suddenly sneered sarcastically. “Winnie, so eager to get a divorce. Is it because of him?” “When you married me, you swore that you would only love me for a lifetime. Has your lifetime become so short so quickly?” Sean was a cold person and didn’t like to argue. But once he was serious, his words were like thorny cacti, stabbing painfully. “Winnie, I never thought you were this kind of person.” “To run away with another man for the sake of divorce and hide your own daughter. You can do such things.” “You want a divorce, okay. Jenny will be raised by me. As for you, this irresponsible mother, I won’t let her see you again.” My breathing suddenly became rapid. I grabbed the water glass on the bedside and threw it at Sean with all my might. I really had no strength left. I missed. I was crying, every word like blood. “With you? How? “Jenny is gone. She left. She’s dead!” This word “dead” was the one I had been reluctant to mention all along. Now, in front of Sean, I made myself a broken mess again. Pillows, books, mobile phones, I lost control of my emotions and threw everything I could at him. Finally, exhausted, I collapsed on the ground and was caught by Henry. I knew Henry was clenching his fists tightly. He wanted to hit Sean. But his identity didn’t allow him to make mistakes. I shook my head at him. Sean stood there for a long, long time. Finally, he just threw one sentence at me – “Winnie, you’re simply irrational.” He turned to leave, and Henry said in a calm voice. “On the third floor of the freezer room in District B, Jenny is there.” Sean sneered. “You two, quite good at acting.” “My daughter is gone. How could I not know?” Haha, right. How could he not know?

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Elizabeth’s husband, William, clandestinely swapped the quota, diverting the kidney source that rightfully belonged to their daughter Isabella to the daughter of his goddess, Florence. Subsequently, Isabella’s condition deteriorated precipitously. Despite all rescue attempts, she passed away. Meanwhile, Florence underwent a successful kidney transplant, and William gleefully distributed red envelopes throughout the hospital. Elizabeth was consumed by fury and fainted. When she regained consciousness, she was informed that she had cancer and her life was now in the twilight. Despondent, Elizabeth left the hospital, clutching Isabella’s urn. In the cold and desolate home, she single – handedly drafted the divorce agreement. At ten o’clock in the evening, William finally arrived home. He shut the door, changed his shoes, and suddenly, the living – room lights blazed on, catching him off – guard. There was Elizabeth, seated in silence on the living – room sofa, cradling a white porcelain urn. She had been there, unmoving, for an indeterminate amount of time. “Elizabeth, have you lost your mind? Not sleeping in the middle of the night and scaring people like this?” William barked at her. Hearing his harsh reprimand, Elizabeth mechanically raised her head and regarded him. Even at this late hour, William’s hair was impeccably groomed, and his shirt was smooth and wrinkle – free. It was evident how crucial the mother and daughter he had been painstakingly attending to daily were to him – enough to make this usually laid – back man so meticulous about his appearance. Seeing that Elizabeth merely stared at him without speaking, William grew impatient. “Still holding a grudge over the kidney issue?” Elizabeth tightened her hold on the porcelain urn. “I’ve already told you, there will be other kidney sources in the future! I’m a doctor, and I must prioritize the patient. Florence is currently in the prime stage of recovery, and transplanting this kidney to her yields the best curative effect!” “I know you care about Isabella, but she had already waited for so long. Couldn’t she wait a bit longer? She’s my daughter, and I won’t abandon her…” William’s tone was saturated with impatience, making it seem as though Elizabeth was an irrational shrew. But it was truly just that brief span of time. After missing this kidney source, Isabella’s condition worsened rapidly, and she never opened her eyes again. Their daughter was so young. Before she died, she clasped Elizabeth’s hand tightly and asked where her father was, wondering if he no longer loved her. Elizabeth could only shower her with kisses on the cheek, assuring her that mommy was there and would always be by her side. Until her eyes closed forever, Isabella never got to see her father one last time. However, Florence, the daughter of William’s first love, survived because of the timely kidney source – which was clearly meant for Isabella! Elizabeth despised this hypocritical and selfish man with every fiber of her being and never wished to set eyes on him again in this life. Apparently deeming his scolding sufficient, William finally ceased and tossed his coat, which reeked of perfume, towards Elizabeth. “Take this and wash it thoroughly before I leave for work tomorrow. Remember to iron it smooth…” Seeing that Elizabeth remained motionless and didn’t reach out to catch it, allowing the coat to fall to the ground, William frowned. Elizabeth looked up, locking eyes with him, and stated firmly, “Let’s get divorced.” William was immediately dumbstruck. He seemed unable to fathom that these words were coming from Elizabeth’s mouth, disbelief and suspicion clouding his eyes. “What did you say???” Elizabeth forced a wry smile. “I said, William, I want a divorce from you.” As she spoke, she slid the divorce agreement she had drafted on the table towards him. “This is the divorce agreement. I don’t want any property. The Civil Affairs Bureau opens at nine o’clock tomorrow. Make sure to prepare the documents.” For an instant, the air in the living room seemed to solidify. William didn’t even glance at the agreement. Instead, visible rage gradually welled up within him. “Are you done yet?!” “Do you have to make a big deal out of this today? Florence needed this kidney source more than Isabella! Haven’t I made myself clear enough? Elizabeth, can’t you be less selfish?!” His angry glare pierced Elizabeth as if trying to force her to back down. Elizabeth completely disregarded him and calmly repeated, “William, I want a divorce – this is non – negotiable.” His face instantly turned cold and sullen, and then he sneered. “So you’ve learned to threaten me now, have you?” He picked up his coat, donned it with a tense expression, and turned to leave. Evidently, William decided that out of sight, out of mind, and he had no intention of staying home tonight. When he reached the door, he turned around and coldly warned Elizabeth, “Elizabeth, I’m warning you, even if we divorce, the custody of Isabella will be mine – you’d better not regret this!” With that, William slammed the door and departed. The living room was once again engulfed in suffocating silence. Elizabeth stroked the white porcelain urn in her arms as if soothing a terrified child. From the moment he entered until he left, William hadn’t bothered to inquire if his daughter had suffered pain that day or if she was asleep at this late hour. He hadn’t even cared about the volume of his voice, and the slamming of the door was deafening. From start to finish, he hadn’t even cared what the urn in Elizabeth’s arms held. Elizabeth stared at the empty doorway, her eyes vacant. William, you missed seeing Isabella one last time. You’re also doomed to miss seeing me one last time.

The next day, Elizabeth waited punctually at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau. After nine o’clock passed and William still hadn’t arrived, Elizabeth promptly called him. An exasperated voice came from the other end, “Elizabeth! What else are you capable of besides throwing tantrums? Are you deliberately trying to make me miserable?” Elizabeth replied serenely, “Come and get divorced, William. Don’t make me despise you.” Eventually, he showed up. After signing names and affixing the stamps, the divorce certificate was in hands. William’s face was extremely unsightly, and he laughed in anger. “Fine, fine, fine. I really underestimated you.” “Don’t forget what I said. The custody of Isabella is mine! Elizabeth, I’ll give you three days to pack your things and send the child over – otherwise, I won’t hesitate to take you to court!” Watching his furious back, Elizabeth wanted to laugh, but a metallic taste of blood rose in her throat. William, Isabella is already dead, right on the day Florence’s surgery was successful. Are you happy? At least you saved the cost of a lawsuit. Elizabeth didn’t return to that home again. She had already incinerated all of Isabella’s belongings and discarded all of her own. She had also shredded all the family photos in the house. Recently, her health had been deteriorating rapidly, and there was often debris from her internal organs in the blood she spat out. She had been so adamant about obtaining the divorce certificate just to sever all connections with William – even in the afterlife. That day, Elizabeth took the luggage she had already packed and held Isabella’s urn as she returned to her hometown. Her parents had always respected her decisions. Just as in the past, when they clearly disliked William but still consented to her marriage to him just to make her happy. It was the same now. They looked at the urn in her arms and her gaunt body and had likely surmised what had transpired, but they didn’t pry further. They simply prepared nutritious meals for her daily and wiped away the blood that spurted from her mouth. Once again, after spitting blood until her voice was hoarse, Elizabeth looked at the pain in her parents’ eyes and felt nothing but remorse. She regretted burdening them during the final moments of her life. Probably sensing her thoughts, her mother tightly embraced her and couldn’t help but sob, “My dear, your father and I are so glad you came back – being able to accompany you in your last journey, we have no regrets!” Tears streamed down involuntarily, and Elizabeth finally found peace in her heart. On a sunny afternoon, Elizabeth sat in a rocking chair, with the grapes her mother had washed beside her. In the midsummer glow, Elizabeth saw Isabella. She was wearing the white dress Elizabeth had recently burned for her, lying on Elizabeth’s lap, beaming brightly at her. “Mommy! Isabella can touch you now!” Elizabeth held Isabella’s hand and watched as her parents placed her own urn beside Isabella’s. One large and one small, the two porcelain urns nestled together, just as Isabella used to sleep in Elizabeth’s embrace. Isabella blinked her clear, large eyes. “Mommy, Grandma and Grandpa can’t see us…” Elizabeth stroked her head. “But they hold us in their hearts.” Although they didn’t know why they still lingered in this world. But after seeing that her parents’ emotions had stabilized, Elizabeth decided to take Isabella to see her father. When she was alive, William had been entirely preoccupied with Florence in the adjacent ward. Isabella had yearned for her father’s visit daily but never got to see him in the end. Now, Elizabeth was going to fulfill her wish and let Isabella see him to her heart’s content. In the hospital, William had just emerged from the operating room. Isabella finally beheld the father she had longed for and excitedly flitted around him. But William was oblivious to her presence and sat there resting impassively. Another doctor passed by, and William, as if remembering something, called out to him. “Dr. Henry, how was my daughter’s recovery before she was discharged?” The doctor smiled. “She recovered splendidly. The treatment was highly timely, and there were no complications at all!”

Elizabeth was filled with confusion. Since William had admitted to switching the kidney source to Florence, Elizabeth had never trusted him again and had resolutely taken Isabella to transfer to another hospital. The doctors in the other hospital had assisted them in arranging a new kidney – source channel. After considering Isabella’s state of mind and conducting a condition assessment, Elizabeth then began taking her home to recuperate. Although three days later, Isabella’s condition suddenly worsened, and she was rushed back to the emergency room. But when they left the hospital where William worked, Isabella’s physical condition was far from good. How could this doctor say such things? But William had already believed it. He exhaled in relief, thanked the doctor, and then returned to work. After he left, Dr. Henry scratched his head. “What’s wrong with young William? Wasn’t he the one overseeing his daughter’s condition all the time?” “Didn’t he distribute red envelopes throughout the hospital when the surgery was so successful on the 13th? Has he forgotten so quickly?” Elizabeth was stupefied. Isabella tugged at Elizabeth’s hand beside her, her eyes shining brightly. “Mommy, did Daddy come to see me that day?” Elizabeth’s throat constricted, and she was rendered speechless. The 13th was the day Isabella couldn’t be saved and passed away. Elizabeth still vividly remembered her tiny form covered by the white sheet, her cold little hands, and her pallid face. And on that same day, Florence had received the life – saving kidney that was meant for Isabella. So, the people in this hospital had all mistaken Florence for William’s daughter. And on the 13th, William had joyously distributed red envelopes throughout the hospital. Even though souls couldn’t feel the cold, Elizabeth shivered. William, did you ever consider that while you were elated about Florence’s successful surgery, your own flesh – and – blood daughter was closing her eyes forever in another hospital six kilometers away? You had the time to give out red envelopes to everyone but couldn’t be bothered to answer the over – twenty calls I made to you. Isabella had been thinking of you until the moment she closed her eyes! Elizabeth didn’t know whether to feel sorrow or rage within and managed a bitter smile. William, you are completely unfit to be a father! Isabella sensed Elizabeth’s emotions and hugged her leg. “Mommy, don’t be sad anymore. Isabella will always be with you!” Whether she had guessed something or not, this time Isabella didn’t ask for her father again. In the evening, William got off work. Elizabeth took Isabella and trailed behind him home. Although she didn’t mention it, Isabella was still happy floating beside William. After all, which child doesn’t love their parents? When they reached the door, William took out his keys. The door opened, and Caroline and Florence, mother and daughter, came out to greet them. Elizabeth was thunderstruck. Even Isabella was too shocked to utter a word. Caroline, acting like the mistress of the house, took William’s briefcase and coat, smiling gracefully. “Welcome back. Dinner is ready. Go wash your hands.” Florence had recovered well and was bouncing around merrily. She was nothing like Elizabeth’s Isabella, whose soul seemed so fragile. William entered the house, stroked Florence’s head, and smiled tenderly at Caroline. “Caroline, thank you for your hard work.” Witnessing this scene, Elizabeth felt as if she had been struck hard. The first time she saw Caroline was when Isabella was in elementary school. Isabella had always been a lively and smiling little girl, but a few days into the second grade, she grew increasingly reticent. Elizabeth had initially thought it was a normal part of the child’s growing – up process. Until one time when she bathed her, Elizabeth discovered numerous purple and blue bruises under her clothes. The next day, Elizabeth sought out Isabella’s class teacher. “Miss Catherine, you must do something about this!” “How could a child be so malicious at such a young age? Do you know this is called school bullying?!” Elizabeth was trembling with fury. The class teacher attempted to placate her in a hushed tone but was at a loss for a solution, which only enraged Elizabeth further. After ranting alone for a while with no response from those around her, Elizabeth angrily turned around and saw William staring blankly in the opposite direction, looking at the girl who was the instigator of the school bullying, Florence – and her mother. In the end, this bullying incident was resolved with Caroline’s apology and William’s magnanimous forgiveness. Florence escaped any punishment. Elizabeth was incredulous and couldn’t accept the outcome. William forcefully dragged her away. When faced with Elizabeth’s inquiries, he showed not the slightest hint of guilt. “I know Caroline’s character. There must be some misunderstanding about this.” “She has a kind heart, and the daughter she raises will definitely not engage in bullying.” It was only then that Elizabeth learned that William had a goddess first love. They had been passionately in love during their youth but were forcibly separated. Until now, with William having a family and Caroline being a single mother, they had finally reunited by chance.

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Three hundred thousand. I know that a college student has no way of repaying such a heavy debt, and his family can’t fill this hole. Later, my younger brother worked hard and obtained a master’s and doctoral degree, and had a bright future. But his goddess had already married a rich second-generation man. He hated me for this, and when I finally passed the civil service exam, he spread rumors that caused me to lose my job, and he didn’t even help me. Maybe it was God’s mercy that I returned to the day when I found out that he was planning to borrow online loan. I was reborn back to the day when my younger brother borrowed online loans. My younger brother William was holding my mother’s hand and making a solemn promise. “Mom, don’t worry, just let me take a photo of the property certificate. I’m famous university student, I will definitely be able to pay it back in the future.” Mom remained silent. Three hundred thousand is an astronomical figure for my family. My parents’ combined salary is only 6,000 dollar, and there is a mortgage payment of more than 2,000 dollar a month. Dad looked at me hesitantly. I remembered that my father in my previous life also pushed the decision-making power onto me. I know the family situation at home. The family savings have long been used up in order to support my younger brother’s schooling and prevent him from being embarrassed in front of his classmates. Even if he graduates in two years, how much salary can a fresh graduate get? So in my previous life I was strongly opposed to it. Break the truth down and explain it to him. He was not convinced, but he couldn’t argue with me, so he could only glare at me angrily. My parents thought what I said made sense and decisively rejected William. Through this incident, William deeply realized his own powerlessness. In my junior year, I studied hard, participated in competitions, and obtained admission to the top 1 university in China. Three years later, he continued his doctoral studies and participated in project research, winning several generous bonuses and having a bright future. I worked hard for three years and finally passed all the tests and got the civil service position I wanted. But I didn’t expect that during the background check, I would be backstabbed by my beloved younger brother. He spread rumors that I had no self-respect and was materialistic. It’s just because his goddess married the rich second-generation who helped her in the past. William felt that if I had not stopped my parents, he would have been successful and married a beautiful woman. I was so upset that I had a heart attack because I was just one step away from success at work. William transferred all the money from my bank card and turned a blind eye when I cried for help. I just left like that. Lying on the cold floor, not breathing. When mom and dad came back and saw all this, they actually showed concern for their beloved son first. I was afraid that my death would scare him, so I asked him to go for a physical examination as well. “Fortunately, it was Isabella who died.” Those were the last words I heard before I lost consciousness. Thinking of this, I met my father’s eager gaze and said, “I can’t make the decision on such a big matter. You decide.” After hearing this, William gave me an approving look and said, “Dad, Mom, just promise me that if I can’t marry her, I won’t want anyone else. You won’t have grandchildren in this life.” I almost laughed out loud. William, you are still in school, you only have goddess in your heart and don’t study, how are you going to pay back the money in this life?

After William left with the property certificate, my mother pulled me to sit down. “Isabella, come on, you didn’t stop William when he wanted to borrow money just now.” “I’m a girl, I don’t understand these things, but you and my dad do. Why don’t you stop him?” Why are you doing this as a girl? What do you know as a girl? This is what my parents always told me. Because I am a girl, I don’t need to go to cram school. I play games to waste my time, but William plays to exercise his brain and become smarter. Since I’m a girl, I can’t choose science. I can just study liberal arts, get into an ordinary university, get an ordinary job, and then get married. I love them, so I can pretend these biases don’t exist. In return, they said, “Fortunately it was Isabella who died.” I was so stunned that my mother was speechless. She didn’t want to offend William, so she wanted me to take the blame. My father had already gone to see the advertisements for part-time jobs, ready to provide a guarantee for his son. “Isabella, please remember to transfer William’s living expenses this month.” The school I attended was not a good university. After graduation, I went to work as a clerk in a small company, earning just over 5,000 dollar a month. I paid for my school tuition with a loan, and I have to repay it every month. Add to that the living expenses for William, and I can barely save any money. I wasted two years like this, and later I realized the importance of academic qualifications, so I took the exam to become a postgraduate student, and then worked hard to prepare for the civil service exam. In the end, everything was ruined by William. I refuse to spend another penny on William. “Mom, our company’s performance is not good, and we have cut salaries. I can’t give William living expenses anymore.” “What did you say!” Mom’s expression changed immediately. “As a sister, can’t you save money a little? Your brother is still in school. “After deducting social security, I will only receive 2,000 dollar a month. What should I do if I give it all to William?” “What kind of a shitty company is this? You’re living and eating at home anyway, so you can just give William 2,000 dollar a month and treat it as rent for your family.” My dear mother, you really don’t intend to leave me a penny. Has she ever thought about how to live without money? “I’ll transfer these two thousand to you every month as living expenses for you and my dad. As for William, you guys can handle it yourself.” My mother noticed that I was angry, but she had already achieved her goal of getting money, so she was satisfied and didn’t say anything. I told myself that two thousand dollar a month from now on would be my repayment for the money they had paid for me over the years.

The money was borrowed, and William finally got his sweetheart. I’ve seen the photo of that girl. She is fresh and beautiful, with the gracefulness unique to noble girls, clear eyes, and a nice name, Alicia. Being with William is like a flower stuck in cow dung. Of course William is not ugly, he is just 1.7 meters tall and weighs 170 kg… that’s all… right? After falling in love, William’s spending increased. My mother always comes to me to complain about her poverty. I ignored it. In my previous life, I woke up too late and was deceived by the word “stability”. I plan to apply for full-time graduate studies, which is a very competitive field, and I don’t have time to care about what William is doing. Anyway, he looks down on me, his sister who only has an ordinary undergraduate degree. I moved out of home and lived in the company dormitory to avoid my parents’ nagging. The monthly interest plus William’s living expenses made them feel overwhelmed. The most important thing is that I still feel heartbroken when I see them working two jobs every day. I cursed myself in my heart for being so useless. William brought Alicia home during the Chinese New Year. Her mother had surgery for her illness and is getting much better now. My parents cooked a table full of delicious food and smiled so hard that their teeth were showing. “Alicia, this is my sister. Her monthly salary is only over 2,000 dollar. Don’t worry, I’m not as useless as her. I will definitely make a lot of money in the future and let you live a good life!” The little girl looked at me when she heard this, feeling a little embarrassed. I smiled at her nonchalantly. “Okay, Isabella, what’s wrong with you kid? Stop being lazy and come to the kitchen to help. There are two more dishes in there.” “Mom, your future daughter-in-law is here today, why don’t you let your son behave well?” In previous years, when there were guests at home, I was always busy in the kitchen while William sat at the table playing games. When I asked him to do something, my mother got anxious first: “Why is he a boy in the kitchen? Don’t you know what a gentleman is?” “A gentleman should stay away from the kitchen.” William continued, and he would proudly belittle me: “Sister, you are not good-looking and your studies are not good. Why don’t you learn to cook well? After all, you have to capture a man’s stomach first.” My mother didn’t have time to refute me this time. Alicia heard what I said, smiled and said to my mother: “Auntie, William’s stir-fried lettuce is delicious…” “William, when did you learn to cook? Oh, you really forgot your mother after you got married. Mom has never eaten the food you cooked.” My mother’s expression immediately changed, and she looked at Alicia with an unfriendly expression. As I watched this scene, I suddenly felt like a villain who was trying to sow discord, and I immediately lost the desire to eat. “Mom, something suddenly happened in my company, I’m going back to the dormitory first.” I picked up my bag, left home, and went back to study. “Why are you in such a hurry to leave? It’s only been a few days since the New Year. You are so heartless. Why don’t you spend more time with your parents?” “Take some buns back to eat!” I held back the tears that were about to burst out. My father doesn’t talk much. Although my mother made me do some housework, she would patiently braid my hair, buy me new clothes, make longevity noodles for me on my birthday, and buy me the Barbie doll that I had been asking for for a long time. I knew they didn’t love me as much as they loved William, but I never denied that they loved me too. But why? Could you say such cold words when you found my body? If they didn’t give me any love at all, maybe I would be able to be really cruel and cut off relations with them. “Fortunately it was Isabella who died.” These words kept lingering in my ears. That night, I had nightmares all night.

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When the earthquake occurred, my husband personally pushed me toward the falling beams in order to save Yuri. I was hit on the head and died under the rocks. But he looked at me coldly, “Yuri! Don’t play dead.” When I didn’t answer, he sneered, turned around and told the rescuers that everyone had escaped safely. He said: “You want to die? Then I will help you!” “Yuri! Stop pretending. Now that you’re awake, I’ll act like nothing happened.” Joanne stood up, looking down at me coldly. “It’s just a few rocks, right? You’ve got thick skin; a little hit like this won’t kill you. Is it really that big of a deal?” His tone grew more impatient, but I was pinned under the rubble and couldn’t even speak. I tasted blood in my throat, my nose was full of dust, and I could barely keep my eyes open. His face was streaked with blood, too. I lifted my head with difficulty. “Help me… please, help me—” I want to live. I’m not ready to die yet! “Help me! Joanne, help me!” Joanne hesitated for a moment, just about to move, when suddenly Chloe cried out in pain. “Ah!” Without a second glance at me, Joanne turned and rushed to Chloe, visibly anxious. “Joanne, it hurts!” Her ankle was swollen. I looked over at them with difficulty, only to hear Joanne’s voice, full of concern. “Why didn’t you tell me you were this hurt? I’ll carry you!” He scooped Chloe up in his arms like she was something precious. Startled, Chloe clung to his neck. “I’m okay… I was just worried something might’ve happened to Yuri.” “Why isn’t Yuri getting up yet? I saw her get hit in the face with a rock.” “Mmm!” Chloe quickly covered her mouth as if she’d said too much, then added, “I’m sorry, Yuri, I didn’t mean to call you out!” “But risking your life to fool Joanne like that—it’s really wrong.” Joanne’s face darkened suddenly. “You really don’t know how to repent!” With that, he strode away, holding Chloe, completely ignoring that I was in so much pain I could barely breathe. Joanne. We’ve been together for so many years, and you know how much I care about my appearance. How could I possibly ruin my own face? I used all my strength to grab his ankle. “Help me… please—” “Disgusting! If you want to die, then hurry up and die!” He kicked my hand away without a second thought and walked off. “Please…” I watched his unyielding back as blood kept spilling from my mouth. He never looked back, not once. “Joanne.” Can’t you really see how huge the stone is on top of me? Or that my blood has soaked the ground so much it’s turned black? No… it’s not that you can’t see it. You just… don’t care. But I still want to live. My child has only been in my belly for less than two months and hasn’t felt a mother’s love yet. But I never even got the chance to show them this world.

I’m dead. Before I died, everything from the past flashed before me like a movie. I thought about my life, about all the mistakes. I should never have fallen in love with Joanne. I shouldn’t have! Then my child wouldn’t have died with me. Joanne, Chloe, and I grew up together as friends. I had a crush on Joanne, but they were in love with each other. When I finally decided to go abroad and let him go, Chloe came to me. She cried, begging me to let her have the chance to study abroad instead. To make it happen, she chose to give up Joanne. And I, for the sake of Joanne and my friendship with Chloe, gave up my own chance to go abroad. After she left, Joanne was devastated, and I was just being a friend—comforting him, staying by his side. I never expected he would end up with me. But then he confessed to me. He said he’d fallen in love with me. He proposed. I thought, finally, I’d earned my happiness. But three months ago, Chloe came back and claimed I was the one who forced her to leave. How absurd! Joanne actually believed that pathetic lie. “There’s someone here!” My memories were abruptly interrupted by a rescuer’s shout. Just as they were about to rush over, Joanne stopped them. He frowned slightly. “She’s faking it. She’s not hurt—I checked.” Oh. My soul hovered in front of Joanne, and I couldn’t help but smile as I watched him lie with such ease. I was smiling, but tears streamed down my face. If he had really checked, maybe my child and I would still have a chance to survive. I looked at his face, the one I had loved for so many years, and in that moment, I felt sick. The rescuer paused for a moment before shouting angrily, “She’s been crushed under all those rocks, with only her head sticking out! You call that uninjured?” He rushed toward my body, and within seconds, the medical staff exclaimed, “She’s lost too much blood, and her vital signs are weak. We need to get her to the hospital immediately!” “Hurry! Everyone, come and help!” I saw Joanne hesitate. Panic flashed across his face, and just as he was about to turn around, Chloe sighed, “Yuri’s such a good actress. That’s how she tricked me into leaving in the first place.” In that moment, Joanne’s panic morphed into anger. “I hope she’s really dead!” “Unlucky!”

My soul is always with Joanne. I watched him curse me all the way, yet he was so gentle with Chloe. He personally administered her medicine, rubbing her swollen ankle with the reverence of a saint. “Joanne, I’m fine. Don’t worry,” Chloe smiled and acted sweetly, “But I’m really worried about Yuri.” Joanne scoffed. “It’s all Yuri’s fault. If she had blocked that rock for you sooner, maybe you wouldn’t have been hurt.” Hearing this made my heart ache. Just then, Joanne’s phone rang. “Hello, Mr. Joanne. Are you a relative of Yuri?” the voice on the other end said. “Ms. Yuri has passed away after failed rescue efforts. Please come to Civic Hospital to collect her body.” “Here we go again.” “What?” The caller sounded confused. Before she could say anything else, Joanne hung up, throwing the phone onto the sofa in anger. “She’s really sick!” Joanne cursed. “She’s been putting on a show for me. I must have spoiled her over the past two years!” Chloe’s expression changed slightly as she softly comforted him. “Yuri did everything to be with you. Maybe she feels threatened because I’m here.” “It’s my fault for making her feel uncomfortable. I need to apologize and ask her to come back.” Tears were welling in her eyes as she spoke. Joanne quickly hugged her. “It’s not your fault!” “She’s the one who should leave!” I watched them embrace, seeing Joanne hold back the urge to kiss Chloe on the forehead. I also noticed the cell phone on the sofa, flashing continuously. I’m just a soul. But why does it hurt so much? The pain is overwhelming, as if my soul is about to shatter. After comforting Chloe, a news report suddenly came on TV. “[At 11:00 PM today, a magnitude 4 earthquake struck Linden City. A pregnant woman died after failed rescue efforts. The pregnant woman…]” There was only one death in the magnitude 4 earthquake, and it was due to excessive blood loss. As reporters covered the incident, they expressed their condolences. Chloe and Joanne watched the report intently. Perhaps it was the familiar scene or the clothes that jolted Joanne; I noticed a flicker of shock and worry on his face. Could he be worried about me too? I closed my eyes slightly, feeling absurd. How could he be worried about me? I was afraid he would rejoice at the sight of my death. “Not her!” Joanne seemed momentarily dazed before picking up his phone, but just as he was about to dial, he hesitated. “It’s not her. She’s not pregnant.” “I can’t let a woman like her have my child. She doesn’t deserve it!” “Besides, it’s impossible for someone like her to die!”

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