Author: Momo Chan

In the kitchen, Lachlan pressed against my back, trapping me against the counter. He reached one hand under my apron while casually feeding me a strawberry with the other. My face flushed red. He chuckled suggestively, “Stepsister, you sure know how to bite.” Mom turned to look at me from the dining room across the way, asking with concern, “Avalon, are you cold? Why are you shaking?” I never imagined the person I had a crush on for three years would become my stepbrother. The day I moved into the Harrison house with my mom, I was standing at the doorway when a bucket of water was dumped on me, soaking me from head to toe. Water dripped steadily off my clothes. Lachlan sauntered over with the empty bucket, looking me up and down with a nasty smirk. “Oops, my hand slipped. But…” He paused, “You’re barely wearing anything, so I’m sure you wanted to cool off anyway.” I looked down and realized my white shirt had gone completely see-through, revealing the color of my bra underneath. Horrified, I quickly crossed my arms over my chest. Lachlan’s laughter grew even more unrestrained. He must have seen everything! The thought made my face burn with embarrassment. “Lachlan!” His brother Callum rushed over. A jacket with a faint soapy scent fell over my shoulders as Callum stepped in front of me, ushering me inside. “Avalon, go change first. I’ll deal with him later.” He pushed me into the downstairs bathroom, where I stood in shock. My heart was still pounding. I had finally seen Lachlan in person. He was just as handsome as before, unchanged. Except… he didn’t seem to welcome me. I suppose that makes sense, given that my mom had broken up his family. Bang bang bang! Loud knocking on the door made me jump back several steps. As I hesitated nervously, Lachlan’s voice came from outside: “I brought you some clothes.” My heart, which had just calmed down, started racing again. I looked at my soaked, disheveled reflection in the mirror and didn’t dare open the door. But Lachlan started turning the doorknob. Thank goodness I had locked it. When he couldn’t open it, he threatened, “If you don’t open up, I’m going to kick the door down.” “Don’t think I won’t. I’ll count to three – one, two…” Of course I knew he would do it. Lachlan always followed through on his threats. I looked around frantically and grabbed a towel to wrap around myself. Just as he reached “three,” I rushed to the door and opened it. Lachlan was leaning casually against the doorframe with my clothes draped over his arm. He was very tall, looking down at me with his striking features – high cheekbones, a sharp nose with a small mole at the tip. His eyes swept over my chest and he smirked disdainfully. “Why are you covering up? Weren’t you trying to show off and seduce someone?” “No, I wasn’t,” I protested quietly, my voice thick with hurt. I had never intended to seduce anyone. “Avalon, don’t play innocent. Your mom’s a homewrecker and you’re just a little seductress. Your mom seduced my dad, and now you’re here to seduce my brother.” He frowned with obvious irritation. “Take off my brother’s jacket!” I froze, not daring to move. If I took it off he would see everything. But if I didn’t listen to him, he would get angry. “Take it off!” he repeated. Nervously clutching the towel around me, I glanced at the clothes on his arm and said, “Give me the dry clothes first.” Lachlan held up the clothes in his arms. I immediately reached out to take them, but he quickly pulled them back. “You want them? Beg me for them.” Lachlan tilted his head, smiling slightly as he looked at me. “Give them to me!” I lunged forward. Lachlan was quick, raising the clothes high above his head. I jumped but still couldn’t reach them. How tall was he exactly?! I had to jump even higher. This time I used more force, but I was still just short. Not only did I fail to grab the clothes, I lost my balance when I landed and stumbled forward into Lachlan. “Tsk.” I heard his mocking laugh. “Are you trying to copy your mom’s tricks and seduce me?” Lachlan taunted. I suddenly realized my entire body was pressed against him, especially my upper half which was squished right against his arm. Even worse, in the commotion the towel I had wrapped around myself had nearly fallen off, barely covering anything. I quickly clutched the towel tighter and turned away from him. “What’s wrong? Not going to continue?” Lachlan said. “Those weak moves won’t be enough to seduce my brother, you know.” That’s not it, I never intended to seduce anyone. But at this point, no matter what I said, he wouldn’t believe me. My heart was full of hurt, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. I knew Lachlan hated me and my mom. After all, his mother had only passed away recently, and now my mom had moved in with me, taking his mother’s place. I understood why he hated me. But he shouldn’t misunderstand me like this. “Lachlan!” Callum’s voice rang out. “What are you doing? Blocking a girl’s way to the bathroom is incredibly rude!” “Brother, why do you always take her side?” “Avalon just moved in, you should be more considerate. Besides, she’s older than you, so she’s your stepsister. Don’t be so disrespectful. Give her the clothes.” Lachlan quickly retorted, “I don’t have a stepsister like her.” “Give her the clothes!” Callum ordered firmly. Lachlan glared at me before finally handing over the clothes, gritting out, “Here you go, stepsister.” Callum sighed and said to me, “Avalon, I’m sorry. He’s always been ill-mannered. Go ahead and change.” I took the clothes and whispered a thank you, then closed the door. Soon after, I heard them walk away. Alone in the bathroom, I hugged the clean clothes and finally broke down crying. I had a crush on Lachlan for three years, but in the end, I became his stepsister, hated by him.

After changing and coming out, Callum said the whole family would have dinner together later. I already knew Callum before moving in – he was my teacher’s star student. I never expected that connection would come into play here. He was following my teacher’s wishes by looking out for me. At the dinner table, my mom’s eyes were glued to Uncle Harrison, barely noticing me. I didn’t want to draw attention to myself either, so I ate quietly. But Uncle Harrison brought me up anyway. “I hear Avalon is Callum’s junior at school. What a coincidence!” Uncle Harrison looked at me approvingly. “If you ever need anything, just ask Callum. He’s very reliable.” “I understand, Uncle,” I said in a small voice. Uncle Harrison was clearly pleased, praising me: “Such a good girl.” Just as he finished speaking, someone scoffed loudly. Lachlan stabbed his chopsticks into his bowl, saying, “What an act.” Uncle Harrison’s face immediately darkened as he scolded, “Lachlan, don’t be rude.” Callum also gave him a warning look. He said, “Avalon just joined our family and she’s a girl. You should take better care of her.” I thought Lachlan would argue back, but he said, “Fine, I’ll take good care of my stepsister from now on and bond with her.” Then he smiled at me. I shuddered, sensing that smile wasn’t as innocent as it seemed. With him behaving, we managed to finish dinner without further incident. After dinner, I didn’t dare linger in the living room and went straight to my room. I was unpacking when someone knocked on the door. Thinking it was my mom, I quickly put down what I was holding and went to open it. But when I looked up, I saw Lachlan instead. I froze for two seconds, instinctively trying to close the door, but Lachlan wedged his foot between the door and the frame. “You…” I had only said one word before he forcefully pushed his way in. Bang. He closed the door behind him. “What… what are you doing?” I backed up two steps. Lachlan scanned the room with interest before saying, “You like my brother?” What kind of strange question was that? I quickly shook my head. “Why are you shaking your head? Isn’t my brother the reason you moved into our house?” he said. “No, he’s not,” I denied again. Lachlan moved closer, looking down at me. “Then why did you move in? Your mom said you originally didn’t want to move here.” I was at a loss for words. It was true that I initially didn’t want to move in with my mom, but when I found out Lachlan was back home, I agreed. How could I tell him that I moved in because of him? When I didn’t answer for a long time, Lachlan took my silence as confirmation and warned me through gritted teeth: “You little seductress, don’t you dare try to seduce my brother!” I couldn’t explain myself, so I just said, “Get out!” Lachlan glared at me, about to turn around when someone knocked on the door again. This time, it was his brother Callum. “Avalon, it’s Callum. Do you have a moment?” I was about to speak when the person in front of me suddenly covered my mouth. My eyes widened in shock as I tried to pry his hand away. Lachlan smirked and pressed me against the door, releasing his hand. He leaned down and kissed me, once again silencing me. In that moment, my mind went blank. He actually kissed me! How could he kiss me? “Avalon, are you there?” Callum’s voice snapped me back to reality. We were kissing with just a door separating us from his brother. This realization made my blood boil with shame. I quickly pushed Lachlan away. But he leaned in even closer, pinning my hands above my head as he whispered, “Stepsister, better not make a sound. You wouldn’t want my brother to hear.” Then he kissed me even more fiercely. “Avalon, are you alright?” Callum sounded worried after getting no response for so long. I couldn’t push Lachlan away, so I steeled myself and kicked him hard. Lachlan hissed in pain. “Ouch, stepsister, that was mean. Are you that eager to open the door for him?” I glared at him, not daring to speak for fear I would start crying. Lachlan smirked and said, “Fine, let’s let my brother see what you look like right now.” “He doesn’t know you like him, right? “I wonder what he’ll think if he finds out you like him but are also kissing his brother in your room? “Stepsister, I’m so curious to know.” I looked at him in horror, whispering, “What are you going to do?” Lachlan didn’t answer. His hand silently reached behind me and grasped the doorknob. I realized what he was about to do and softened my voice to plead with him: “No, don’t open the door.” At this moment, I was still in his embrace, our position intimate. If the door opened and Callum saw us like this, I wouldn’t be able to explain no matter how hard I tried. I didn’t know what the consequences would be. But Lachlan was like the devil as he pressed down on the doorknob. Click. “Lachlan…” The door opened and I thought it was all over. In the next second, I was spun around and a hand on my waist pushed me forward. I stumbled a few steps and steadied myself at the doorway. The door closed behind me. I carefully looked back but didn’t see Lachlan. My heart finally settled down. “Avalon, what’s wrong? Why are your lips so red?” Callum asked curiously. I turned my head, instinctively covering my lips with my hand. I hadn’t noticed before, but now my lips felt like they were on fire. “It’s nothing,” I said, quickly changing the subject. “Callum, what did you want to see me about?” Callum said, “It’s nothing major. I wanted to apologize for earlier today. Lachlan isn’t a bad kid, he just has a temper. Please don’t take it personally.” I shook my head and said, “I didn’t take it to heart.” Callum smiled gently. “I know you’re good-natured and won’t mind, but if he bullies you in the future, you have to tell me.” I nodded in agreement. “Mm.” Callum said a few more things before handing me a glass of milk and leaving reassured. As soon as he left, I quickly opened the door. Lachlan stood by the door with his arms crossed, expressionless as he stared at me. “You…” I didn’t dare go in. Lachlan smirked coldly: “You sure listen to my brother well.” After speaking, he took the milk from my hand and drank half of it in one go, his Adam’s apple bobbing. I stared at him blankly. The next second, Lachlan grabbed my chin and suddenly poured milk into my mouth. I was caught off guard and choked badly. When I looked up again, Lachlan’s face held a hint of a smile, as if somewhat satisfied. Long after he left, I still couldn’t calm down. It seemed I had thoroughly provoked him. By the time I lay in bed, my mom finally came to see me. I thought she had come to check on me, but she told me to endure it and not provoke the two young masters of the Harrison family, especially Lachlan. “Mom has no choice. I just arrived in this family and it’s not easy. Your Uncle Harrison won’t even agree to marry me yet…” I bit my lip and nodded. “I understand.”

After a night of tossing and turning, I woke up late the next day. When I came out, they were already eating breakfast. Callum wasn’t there, he must have gone out. My mom saw me and gave me a reproachful look. Uncle Harrison seemed quite happy though. After some small talk, he told me to quickly sit down and eat breakfast. As soon as I sat down, Lachlan said, “Stepsister, Mom said your soup is delicious. I really want to try it.” My mom immediately chimed in, “Yes, it’s her specialty.” Then she said to me, “Avalon, go to the kitchen and make some soup for Lachlan.” Seeing the mischievous glint in Lachlan’s eyes, I knew he was doing this on purpose. But I had no choice. I could only obediently go to the kitchen to make soup for him. It’s not actually difficult, just takes some time. At least this way I didn’t have to eat at the same table as them. But just as I was halfway through, Lachlan also came into the kitchen. He said he was there to help me. For just one pot of soup, what help did I need? He was probably here to tease me. But he had already come in and was taking a bowl of strawberries out of the fridge. “I heard you like strawberries.” He put the strawberries in the sink. “I bought these especially for you.” Every time he called me “stepsister,” I felt like he was up to no good. “Stepsister, try one and see if they’re good.” He held out a strawberry to my lips. I instinctively took a step back, looking at him apprehensively. He smiled and asked in a low voice, “Why are you running away?” Then he quickly stepped forward, pressing against my back. “You…” I had just opened my mouth when he grabbed my hand and continued, “Stepsister, teach me. Once I learn, I can make soup for my dad.” He was really too close, and this was an open kitchen with the dining table right across from us. My mom must have heard because she laughed and said, “Avalon, go ahead and teach Lachlan. You’re stepsiblings now, one family. There’s nothing to hide.” I nodded in agreement and shifted forward a bit, not wanting to touch Lachlan behind me. At the same time, I reminded him, “You can just stand to the side.” “Stepsister, I prefer to learn from behind,” he said as he squeezed even closer. I was practically bent over the counter. Suddenly Lachlan reached around and grabbed my waist, pulling me back against him. “Stepsister, that position was dangerous,” he said in a low voice by my ear. I was startled and my hand shook, dropping the spoon into the pot. “Lachlan, you…” I wanted to tell him he was too close. But unexpectedly, his hand on my waist continued to wander. My whole body froze. “Stepsister, if you don’t get the spoon soon it’ll be too late,” he reminded me. I hurriedly picked up the spoon and continued stirring the soup. My other hand reached down to where the counter blocked the view, grabbing Lachlan’s wandering hand. But Lachlan caught my hand instead, gently kneading it. I widened my eyes in shock. He was just trying to take advantage of me! “Stepsister, isn’t it time to add sugar?” he asked. I quickly pulled my hand away to add the sugar. Taking advantage of this moment, Lachlan actually slipped his hand under my apron. And I was wearing a dress today! I immediately panicked, not knowing what to do. “Lachlan, don’t… please don’t do this…” I quietly begged him. He chuckled and picked up a strawberry, saying, “Stepsister, don’t let your hand shake. If you add too much sugar it won’t taste good.” My hand holding the spoon was trembling badly. I didn’t dare put it down, and it shook even more. He was really going too far! I wanted to escape, but my whole body was trapped against the counter. Across from us, my mom and Uncle Harrison were eating breakfast, occasionally glancing over. “Mmm…” Just as I was about to make a sound, Lachlan stuffed a strawberry in my mouth, muffling my voice. “Stepsister, the strawberries are big today, aren’t they? Make sure to eat it all up.” I bit down hard, and sweet juice immediately flowed out, dripping all over his hand. Lachlan lowered his voice, his tone ambiguous: “Stepsister, you sure know how to bite.” He grabbed a napkin from the side and wiped my mouth, feigning exasperation: “Seriously, you’re dripping everywhere.” At that moment, my mom happened to look over from the dining table. In an instant, she frowned and asked, “Avalon, are you cold? Why are you shaking?”

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I’m a psychic, but I was arrested by the police because I looked exactly like a wanted fugitive on a poster. To prove my identity, I did a fortune telling for the police officer. “Officer, your first love was at 18, you dated for two years, but in the end your girlfriend got together with your best friend at the time. Am I right?” Lucas James flushed with anger and embarrassment. “Shut up!” I pointed at the wanted poster on the telephone pole. “Wanted for telecom fraud… Oh my god, why does this person look so much like me?!” As soon as I said that, the gazes of several onlookers around me fell squarely on my face. The next second, a passerby dialed a number: “Hello, 911? I have a tip for you…” Only then did I realize the seriousness of the situation and tried to explain. “You’ve got it all wrong. This person on the poster is definitely not me. I’m a psychic. I’ve been studying the mystical arts in the mountains and today is my first time out!” The passersby gave me looks of disdain. “Can’t make it as a scammer anymore, so now you’re pretending to be a psychic to con people?” “Young lady, couldn’t you find something better to do than this?” “Everyone keep an eye on her, don’t let her run away. Wait for the police to come deal with her!” I was at a loss for words. To prove my identity, I could only point to the few people in the crowd who had been yelling at me the loudest. “Your father is 75 this year and is insisting on getting you a young stepmother. Your family has been arguing non-stop about this for the past few days…” “Your luck has been terrible lately. Think carefully about what bad deeds you’ve done recently. Once you resolve that, your luck will naturally return!” “And you, have you been feeling low on energy lately, with back and waist pain? Your mother-in-law passed away not long ago. She suffered abuse from you before she died, and now she’s perched on your back watching you!” “Do you believe my identity now?” There was dead silence all around. The first two men who had been pointed out looked at each other, their expressions sheepish. The middle-aged woman who was pointed out last held back for a long time, then suddenly burst into tears. “Psychic, I know I was wrong. Please save me!”

This was the scene the police saw when they arrived. “Psychic, can you tell me when my son will be able to get married?” “Psychic, will I be able to get into grad school this year?” “Psychic, can I get your contact info?” A tall, handsome police officer made his way to the front of the crowd and showed his badge. I saw the name clearly – Lucas James. “Hello, you’re suspected of involvement in a telecom fraud case and… promoting superstition. Please come with us.” Despite my efforts to explain that this was just a coincidence and I had no idea why I looked identical to the person on the wanted poster, I was still taken to the police station.

“Name?” “Willow Winters, a psychic.” Lucas James looked up at me, his expression somewhat impatient. “Age?” “266 years old.” Lucas James could no longer contain himself. He frowned and glared at me. “This is a police station. Please be serious and cooperate with our work!” I suddenly remembered that before I left, my master had stuffed an ID card into my small bag. I quickly took it out and handed it to him… After a round of questioning and information gathering, a young police officer handed several reports to Lucas James. “Captain, the fingerprints, blood type, and height don’t match at all. We seem to have arrested the wrong person…” Thank goodness, I was finally cleared of suspicion. “Captain James, can I go now?” Lucas James quickly denied my request. “No, although you’ve been cleared of the telecom fraud suspicion, I personally witnessed you promoting superstition, so I’ve decided you need to undergo some education and training.” I couldn’t stand this injustice. I took out a small booklet from my bag and slapped it down in front of him. “Look here, this is my certified psychic credential. How is that promoting superstition? Do you want me to do a reading for you too?” “Your first love was at 18, you dated for two years, but in the end your girlfriend…” Before I could finish, Lucas James angrily cut me off, his face red with embarrassment. “Enough! If you really have ability, why don’t you tell me where that fugitive who looks like you is right now?” I drew a tarot card. “She’s already left the city. You won’t find her on the roads. You might want to check the waterways…” Lucas James frowned and whispered to the police officer next to him: “Go check it out…”

Leaving the police station, I wore my mask properly this time to avoid being mistaken for the fugitive again. I took a taxi, planning to find a place to stay first. “To a hotel.” I sat in the back of the taxi and looked up, making eye contact with the driver in the rearview mirror. I immediately noticed something was off. The driver’s eyes were lifeless, his forehead dark, and he spoke with a weak, listless voice. All these signs indicated he was plagued by bad luck and likely to encounter misfortune soon. After arriving at the destination, I took out a protective charm and placed it by his hand. “Sir, you may encounter bad luck in the coming days. If you face danger, just hold this charm and it will keep you safe.” “Get lost, you scammer! Say one more word and I’ll beat you up!” The driver thought I was cursing him. His face turned black as if he was about to hit me. After chasing me out of the car, he drove away.

At my destination, I first called my master to report that I was safe, then walked around the area near the hotel. After learning about the prices in the city, I let out a deep sigh. With the little money I had, I’d be sleeping on the streets in less than 10 days. I needed to start making money fast! Said and done, I found a random street corner to sit down on. I took out my crystal ball, tarot cards, and wand from my bag, and placed a torn cardboard sign in front of me. It had a few large words written on it – Fortune Telling, $100 per reading. The sky was getting a bit dark, and most passersby hurried by without stopping. Occasionally someone would pause, but they just pointed and stared. So I simply closed my eyes to rest and wait for a destined customer to arrive. I don’t know how much time passed before I sensed two people stop in front of me. I slowly opened my eyes. “Greetings, destined ones. Would you like…” Before I could finish, the person in front impatiently cut me off. “Don’t you know begging isn’t allowed here? That’s a $200 fine, and we’re confiscating all this stuff…” This wouldn’t do! The $200 fine was bad enough for my already tight finances, but the items in my bag were magical tools passed down by my master. I couldn’t just let anyone take them! In desperation, I blurted out: “Do you know who I am?! I know Lucas James. My phone’s dead, but call him and tell him to come pick me up!” “Oh, and tell him I’m the psychic!” I took a chance, and it seemed Lucas James was quite well-known. The officer who had just been so aggressive hesitated for a moment, then actually went aside to make a phone call. After hanging up, the officer’s attitude towards me softened considerably. I sensed an opportunity! Not long after, Lucas James appeared in my line of sight, wearing plain clothes. The two officers immediately put on fawning expressions. The speed of their change in attitude left me dumbfounded. Lucas James said something to the two officers, and they left without confiscating my things. I was so moved that I decided to use what little money I had left to treat him to a meal as thanks. Lucas James declined. “No need, I have something to do later. Begging is strictly prohibited on this street now. Don’t set up shop here again.” He then took out a business card from his jacket, handed it to me, and left. “My number’s on here. You can contact me if anything comes up.” I nodded vigorously while clutching the card. Look at that, Lucas James really does help when there’s trouble, as expected of a police officer!

I lay on the hotel bed and video called my master for advice. “Master, times have changed. They don’t allow fortune telling on the streets anymore. Maybe I should just go back. In a few days I won’t even have money for the return trip!” My master, ever the internet savvy one, quickly came up with an idea. “Why don’t you do live streaming fortune telling? I see those pretty female streamers on TikTok get tons of viewers every time they go live. Their top fans shower them with gifts too. It’s super lucrative!” I pondered for a moment and realized this wasn’t a bad idea. Given that I currently look like a wanted fugitive, it’s not suitable for me to appear in public often. If I stream fortune telling online, I can use a filter to cover my face, which would avoid a lot of unnecessary misunderstandings. The next day, I downloaded a live streaming app and registered an account. Username: Psychic Willow. I set up my phone, chose a dog face filter to cover my face, and officially started streaming. After several minutes, a few people finally trickled into the live room. [Is this a new streamer? Why aren’t you showing your face?] [Streamer, show your face and I’ll send you gifts!] [Oh, the streamer is actually doing fortune telling. If you want to get popular, I suggest changing to a different category. The dance section has higher viewership, you could try that…] I looked at the comments floating across the phone screen and replied one by one. “The streamer can’t show her face for some special reasons. Please don’t mind.” “Thank you for your suggestion, but I’m a real psychic.” “If you want a fortune telling, you can ask me. One ‘Cupid’s Heart’ gift for one reading.” [You’re lying, right? Scammers these days are really keeping up with the times…] [I haven’t seen this type of live stream before, it’s kind of interesting…] [One Cupid’s Heart costs $100, that’s way too expensive for a fortune telling. Whether it’s a scam or not, I’m out.] After a few minutes, more people gradually joined the live room. But obviously they were all just here to watch the show. Not a single person was willing to spend $100 to try it out. I wasn’t in a hurry. I casually chatted with the viewers in the comments. Suddenly, one comment caught the attention of all the viewers in the live room. [Everyone quick, look at the news from New York just now. Could the psychic the taxi driver is talking about be this streamer?!] [Wow! The streamer’s IP address is in New York too!] [The news wouldn’t lie! Is the streamer really that amazing?] [I just saw it too! The streamer is actually legit!] Curiously, I found the news article the viewers were talking about and clicked on it. “A car accident occurred at the intersection of New East Street in New York City tonight. It was caused by a taxi driver falling asleep at the wheel. The vehicle was severely damaged, but miraculously, the driver emerged completely unharmed. Here’s the detailed report…” In the video, a reporter holding a microphone was conducting an interview. “How do you feel after this brush with death?” A middle-aged man, holding a half-burned protective charm, spoke excitedly and incoherently. “The psychic saved me! Thank you, psychic! I met a real miracle worker!” The accident scene in the video looked extremely gruesome. It seemed impossible that anyone could have survived. Yet the person involved was giving an interview completely unharmed. This middle-aged man was the taxi driver I had ridden with that afternoon. It seems the protective charm I left him really did save his life in a critical moment. Everything was within my expectations, but the viewers in the live room went wild. Suddenly, a fancy special effect appeared on the screen – someone had sent a Cupid’s Heart gift! A user named “Heartbroken Cilantro” posted a comment. [Streamer, I just sent the Cupid’s Heart. Can you do a reading for me?] I directly invited Heartbroken Cilantro to join a video call. Soon, a young woman in her early 20s appeared on the screen. “Hello Heartbroken Cilantro, thank you for trusting me. What would you like me to read for you?” Heartbroken Cilantro looked like she was outdoors. Her eyes were red, as if she had just been crying. “Hi streamer, I sent you my birth time in a private message. Can you take a look at my fortune for the year?” I found her private message and began the reading. “You must have grown up pampered by your parents…” Hearing this, Heartbroken Cilantro’s expression turned disappointed. “Forget it, you really are a fraud…” She was about to end the call. I quickly stopped her. “Wait, I haven’t finished… Although this seems to be your fate, from what I can tell this destiny was only valid until you were 8 years old. After that…” Heartbroken Cilantro paused, stopping her action. I hurriedly continued. “After you turned 8, your relationship with your parents suddenly broke down. They either beat or scolded you. After graduating, you chose to work far away from home to escape the trauma from your original family. But reality hasn’t been as you wished, am I right?” Having her innermost thoughts exposed, Heartbroken Cilantro silently began to cry. “Streamer, you’re right.” She had once felt the warmth of family, but her mother’s parents were very superstitious. When she was 8, they found an unreliable psychic to do a reading for her. The psychic said she would harm her parents and declared that she would definitely cause her parents’ death when she turned 25. From then on, her relationship with her parents became more and more distant. Even worse, whenever anything unpleasant happened in the family, they would blame it on her, feeling that what the psychic said back then was starting to come true. Starting from age 12, countless beatings and scoldings made her increasingly want to escape this family. When she became an adult, she gave up her studies and went to work in another city. Although her parents often asked her for money, she still felt life had become a little better. A few years ago, after her parents had another child, a little brother, they simply treated her as if she had never existed as their daughter, apart from regularly asking her for money every month. Now, she was 24 years old. In less than a week, it would be her 25th birthday. To avoid being killed by her, her parents decided to completely sever ties with her and never contact her again. She had thoroughly become an orphan that no one wanted. At this point, Heartbroken Cilantro completely broke down. “Streamer, do you know how I’ve endured all these years just because of a casual remark from psychics like you!” “Is it only if I die that they can finally feel at ease!” She cried hysterically, her phone shaking along with her emotions. I wiped my crystal ball and divined her current location, getting a shock. She was standing on the edge of a rooftop at that moment. If her emotions remained this agitated, she could easily fall off with one misstep! With a life at stake, I quickly sent a message to Lucas James on my backup phone, then hurried to comfort her while buying time for Lucas to come to the rescue. “Don’t be sad, your life isn’t just about them. I’ve divined that in the near future, you’ll have a happy and fulfilling family. You’ll have a husband who loves you wholeheartedly, give birth to adorable twins, and have in-laws who treat you like their own daughter. Your good days are yet to come!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294681”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #重生Reborn #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #浪漫Romance #玄幻Fantsy #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic #校园School

It was midnight when my childhood friend, who had been missing for a year, sent me a message. [I want to get married] I hastily replied: Go ahead. The next day, I received a staggering sum of $1 million. Note: Wedding gift. Olivia James was my childhood friend. Her dad was in business while mine was in medicine. Some twist of fate brought us together. From holding hands crossing the street in kindergarten, to being deskmates for six years in elementary school, and sitting in front and back rows for three years in middle school. I thought I’d finally escape her in high school, but who knew we’d end up sharing the same taxi on registration day. I frowned: “Miss James, did all your family’s drivers die or something?” She yawned: “I’m just going the same way.” Yeah right, I thought. But it turned out to be true – she entered the International Baccalaureate program at our school.

Being in the same school was one thing, but at least she’d go abroad for college. That’s what I thought, until one day at lunch when I ran into her again. “Nathan, which building is your class in?” she asked softly, her voice lilting. I grabbed my friend: “Let’s go.” Her friend chimed in: “You’re ignoring a pretty girl who’s trying to talk to you?” I shot her a cold look: “You go away too.” … From then on, I decided never to eat in the cafeteria again. Surely I wouldn’t see her anymore now, right? I was happily doing homework in my dorm when my roommate sent me a message. Mike: Bro, what should I do?! Me: What’s up? Mike: I think I’ve fallen for that pretty girl we met in the cafeteria today! Mike: Nathan, help me pursue her, please~ Me: Add an S. SOS!

For the first time at school, I stayed up all night, unable to figure out what part of Mike’s brain had malfunctioned. Okay, I admit, the only thing I agreed with was that Olivia was pretty. Skipping evening study hall, Mike and I hid in the bushes by the basketball court to spy on her. “If you like her, just go for it. Why all this sneaking around?” I asked. “Who’s sneaking around?” I looked down and made eye contact with a bug in the bushes. It said: Good evening. I said: Ahh, get lost! Then something even more terrifying than the bug appeared. “Why is it you two again?” Olivia’s best friend spoke up. I gritted my teeth: “Can’t we admire the moon in peace?” Thunder rumbled in the overcast sky, completely out of place. Olivia snickered: “More like admiring the lightning.” I came to a conclusion. Mike must not have a brain at all to like Olivia. No, anyone who likes Olivia must not have a brain! That night back in the dorm, I ranted under my covers. Then deleted it all. I left one post on the campus forum: Whoever likes Olivia James, I’ll laugh at them for life. The day after I posted that, I experienced both cyberbullying and real-life bullying. During class, a note fell on my face out of nowhere. It was covered in different handwriting. The gist was: Who’s the person with the username “Thor’s Hammer”? I pursed my lips and quietly destroyed the evidence.

My identity was exposed that afternoon. Now the whole school knew that Nathan Scott from Class 5 was a great critic. And I, I apologized to my buddy. Under the threat of complete alienation and another condition. I agreed to help him deliver a love letter to Olivia. For a second, I wished I could die on the way to the IB building. “Please give this to Olivia James in your class.” “Who?” That girl pretended not to hear. “Olivia James,” I repeated slowly. “Oh,” she flicked water off her hands, “she’s behind you.” “…” She raised an eyebrow and pulled the pink envelope from my hand, laughing for a while. “Thor, you even write love letters?” “Can’t you see clearly, I didn’t write this.” Olivia just glanced down at it and said: “I don’t believe you.” This idiot brushed past me. I turned and yelled after her: “Olivia James, what’s wrong with you?” Her friend passed by me, leaning in to whisper: “You’re surrounded by pink bubbles.” “…” I’ll give you a pink snot bubble. … This incident spread like wildfire through the school. Everyone I passed in the halls was talking about: Thor from Class 5 wrote a love letter to the school beauty. I scrolled through the campus forum posts, unfazed. A message popped up that instantly shattered my calm. From my homeroom teacher: Have your dad come to school tomorrow. I was speechless, nearly replying: Don’t you have a dad? Why do you need mine?

I’d always been a top student, even in high school. I’d cultivated an image of the aloof academic genius. In my life, I’d never hit anyone except Olivia. Getting my parents called in was a first. I later heard my dad had canceled a whole morning of surgeries to rush to school. I just kept my head down, not daring to speak. It was so unfair. A crowd had gathered outside the office, including that troublemaker Olivia. The homeroom teacher lectured my dad about the dangers of puppy love for nearly an hour, from 7:30 to 8:30. When she finally finished, I got up to leave, but met my dad’s gloomy face. It felt like lightning struck me. Sure enough, my dad called me to the car. “I’m really not dating anyone,” I weakly explained. He let out a long sigh. “Nathan, Dad will allow you to date as long as your grades don’t slip.” I looked at him in disbelief as he added: “But it can’t be Olivia James.” I was about to ask why when Dad cut me off. “Your mom and I have to go on a business trip this month, so you’ll have to stay in the dorm for now.” “But…” “No buts, it’s already decided. Go back to class now.” Dad could be so forceful sometimes. After getting out of the car, I didn’t return to the classroom. Today was a review day, all self-study. I hadn’t taken the love letter thing too seriously, and I didn’t really care even if it was real puppy love. What bothered me was how they just dumped me at school without a word. I sat down on the stadium steps. They said I was a good kid, so they indulged me. They said I was a good kid, so I could live independently. They said I was a good kid, so I could be left behind. But even good kids want lots and lots of love. I just sat there spacing out, trying to forget everything by emptying my mind. Until a figure appeared in front of me. “Why aren’t you in class?” she asked. I didn’t answer. She stood there for a moment, then apologized. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know this would blow up so much. I’ll explain on the forum and to your dad…” “What did your dad say to you?” She crouched down and poked my head. “Are you really mad?” I finally looked up to meet her gaze, only then feeling tears run down my cheeks. She seemed to freeze for a moment, then reached out to wipe the tears from my face. “I said I’d fix it, what are you crying for?” I lowered my head and choked out: “It’s nothing, my stomach just hurts.” … At the breakfast shop, Olivia rested her chin on her hand, watching me. “It wasn’t that simple, was it?” I bit the straw, playing dumb. “What wasn’t simple?” “When you broke your arm as a kid and went to the hospital, that little girl next to you fainted from crying, but you didn’t shed a single tear.” I froze for a moment and looked up. For a second I was sure she froze too. Until a napkin brushed across my lips. I stared at her wide-eyed, and her hand stopped. “Or do you want to wipe it yourself?” “…” “My parents are going out of town this month.” “And?” “And what?! Can I stay at your place or something?” She nodded. “It’s settled then.” She got up and grabbed her school jacket, leaving. I slapped the table and stood up. Damn, Olivia didn’t pay!

Mike has inexplicably gotten into social media lately. His first sponsored post was for some hickey-making device. Of course, not the “hickey” you grow in a garden. This was the fifth time today he’d peeked down at me from his top bunk. “Nathan, you have the best collarbones in the whole dorm. Let me take a photo?” “No way.” “I’ll split the ad money with you.” “Deal.” The money wasn’t really important, I just wanted to help a friend out. After taking the photos, I didn’t pay much attention to that thing. I didn’t even think about packing my bags. I thought she was just joking that day to get out of paying. But on Friday afternoon, I was caught off guard and dragged into a private car. Damn, I thought I was being kidnapped for a second. Olivia entered and casually tossed her keys on the table. I walked right in like I owned the place. “I knew your family wouldn’t be home either.” The person looking down nearby chuckled. “Did you ever consider this might be my own house?” Sorry, poverty limited my imagination. “…You don’t usually come back, so you just let an empty house collect dust?” She seemed to move closer. “What else, Mr. Scott? Is your name on the deed or something?” “If you want to give me a free mansion, I wouldn’t mind.” I shot back at her. “Where’s the bathroom? I need a shower.” … In less than five minutes, I suddenly felt like I wouldn’t be able to use this house even if she gave it to me. “How do you adjust the water temperature in your bathroom?” “There’s a remote in the waterproof bag hanging on the side.” I hadn’t even found the remote when Olivia came in. “I threw out the instructions. Left is hot, right is cold, bottom row controls the heat settings.” Her clear voice echoed in the bathroom. The cool white bathroom light fell on her profile, and under the faint shadows of her eyelashes, I saw those almond eyes staring at me. I was sure I was fully clothed. But why was she looking at me? No, she wasn’t staring at my face. But at… I looked down at that spot. It hadn’t faded after three days. This hickey-maker was definitely worth recommending. She looked at me questioningly. I returned the same questioning look. The atmosphere was tense for a second. Until Olivia walked out of the bathroom without a word. Warm air filled my nostrils. Why had I forgotten to breathe? No, I’d seen her in all states before, why get nervous now? … After leisurely washing away a week’s fatigue, I left the bathroom. Olivia sat on the couch with her arms crossed, watching TV. From when I came out to when I walked over, it took five seconds. And she stared at me for those five seconds. “Olivia, do I look like a soccer ball or something?” She didn’t answer my question. Instead, she raised her hand and turned off the TV. Okay, I’d never seen her with such a serious expression before. “Nathan, you can’t date other girls.” I opened my mouth to argue, but thought it over and realized something was off. If I don’t date girls, am I supposed to date guys? Channeling my dad’s righteous speech from this morning, I said: “My dad allows me to date, it’s just…” “That’s not allowed either. I don’t allow it.” I stopped talking and just looked at her with a “are you a sore loser” expression. After a long moment, I got up to leave. “Nathan, aren’t you going to tell me who it is?” I gave her a cold shoulder: “Guess if you want. No prize though.” … The next day I was woken up by Mike’s call. I looked at the clock. What the hell, bro, it’s only 7 AM! “Give me one good reason why you’re bothering me this early.” He shouted “Nathan” and then started barking excitedly. I was sure he’d lost his mind, so I put down the phone and pulled the covers back over me. Until I heard “Olivia James” among his stream of “Ahhh”s, which made me open my eyes. “What did you say?” “I said Olivia James just added me on Snapchat!!” “Did she see my love letter and fall for me?! Is she going to confess to me? Is she…” “No, she must be out of her mind.” I sat up cross-legged and put him on speaker, about to say something. When the person who’d been leaning on my doorframe for who knows how long entered my line of sight. “Who’s out of their mind?” she asked. If I had another chance, I’d definitely remember to lock the door. The voice on the other end clearly paused: “Nathan, why is there a girl’s voice there?” My gaze didn’t leave Olivia’s cold face. “No one, just my childhood friend.” “Alright then Nathan, I gotta go. If we end up together, you’ll be the MVP!” Click- “Why did you add Mike on Snapchat?” She said coldly: “Guess if you want. No prize.” I raised an eyebrow and smiled. “You’re not actually into him, are you?” “Modern civilized high school students don’t date, unlike some people.” I chuckled twice. “Then why are you harassing him?” “I…” “You’re not crushing on someone in our class, are you?” She laughed angrily, looking like she wanted to say “How could that be?” or “I said I’m not dating.” But she just stared at me for two seconds. “Yes, I like someone in your class.” That sentence fried my brain. We’d been split into arts and science classes after the first week of school. We were an all-science class with only ten guys. Excluding Mike, Olivia had barely even seen the others. Could it be… “I respect your choice.” “?” “Don’t worry about what society thinks. We’re in an open-minded era now.” She looked at me like I was an idiot and said “Nathan, you really have brain damage” before turning to leave. After she left, Mike sent me a screenshot. It was a message Olivia had sent him. [Are there any girls prettier than me in your class?]

For some reason, after finding out Olivia’s secret, I didn’t run into her at school for a while. Rich people play more openly, I guess that’s normal. The next time I saw Olivia was around New Year’s. We weren’t really relatives, but our families always visited each other for the holidays. But this time we weren’t the only guests. The adults said they needed to discuss high-level matters and shooed me to Olivia’s room. When I went in, the room was eerily quiet. Something wasn’t right. Usually when I came over, she’d be gaming or watching anime. I checked the time. It was only 10 PM, surely she wasn’t asleep this early? I knocked twice: “I’m coming in.” As soon as I said that, a voice from inside hit me like a ton of bricks. I heard Olivia curse under her breath, then get up from her gaming chair. “I just got this little ancestor to fall asleep…” My hand was still on the doorknob as my gaze followed Olivia to the baby on the bed. “Why is he sleeping in your room?” “How should I know? He started crying as soon as I walked in.” Olivia picked up the baby, imitating an adult as she rested the baby’s head on her shoulder. I walked over and looked at the baby behind her. “Aww, such a good baby.” I reached out and gently pinched the baby’s cheek. Olivia’s body suddenly stiffened. “Does this baby really have to cry?” She seemed to be asking me. “What else would you call a baby? What did your mom call you when you were little? Livvy? Liv? Or Baby Liv?” “You… you call your child ‘baby’, so what do you call your wife?” “We’ll figure that out later.” Olivia turned to face me, holding the baby: “Then what do you call your girlfriend now?” My hand froze in mid-air, then dropped. “I’ve been single for 16 years, where would I get a girlfriend?” She stared at me intently, looking a bit angry. “Oh, you mean this!” I belatedly remembered the hickey. I pulled down my shirt a bit: “It’s gone, see?” “What good is it being gone? Can’t you get another one?” “Tch, you want to give me one?” “Go ask your girlfriend to give you one.” She gently laid the baby back on the bed and pulled up the covers. What a good wife and mother. “I’m really not dating anyone. If I were to date, it’d be with physics.” She turned her head, her face in shadow: “Who is it?” “…” “What about you? Which guy in our class do you like?” I couldn’t see Olivia’s expression, but I felt like her face darkened. “I’m not gay!” Great, with that shout, the baby started crying again. Later it seemed like Olivia really did start dating someone. According to the campus forum, not only was Olivia the school beauty, her grades were also top of the IB program. No wonder she had so many followers. She usually acted completely uninterested in guys. I guess that’s why she got labeled as aloof, which was quite the contrast. The first time I heard Olivia had a boyfriend was from a post on the campus forum in our second year. The photo showed Olivia walking with a guy, just their backs, but they were extremely close. She’s dating? I don’t believe it. I lay in bed, eating melon seeds in the comments section.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294680”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #重生Reborn #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #浪漫Romance #玄幻Fantsy #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic #校园School

After three years of secret marriage to movie star Olivia, I gave up hope. I released albums, acted in TV shows, and appeared on variety programs. My career was on fire. Later, Olivia cornered me in my car and demanded to know why I wouldn’t acknowledge her status. I asked her back: “What status?” Olivia was trending again. A blurry photo showed two people holding hands and running in the rain. I would have called it beautiful if the woman wasn’t my wife. And if I hadn’t recognized the man as my wife’s ex-boyfriend. I switched to my main Instagram account and commented: “What a handsome couple.” Soon after, some of my old fans from my reality show days welcomed me back. One fan with the username “WillCrashWallsForBrother” caught my attention with their reply: “Isn’t Olivia my brother’s girlfriend? How could she do this to him!” This comment immediately sparked hundreds of question marks from others. Confused, I replied to them: “She’s not.” Indeed, she wasn’t my girlfriend – she was my wife. “WillCrashWallsForBrother” stopped replying publicly and sent me a private message instead: “Brother, did you break up with Olivia? That’s great! I never liked her. She was always flirting around despite having such a good boyfriend like you. She’s pure trash! What are your plans now? If you don’t mind, why not join our family’s Pinnacle Entertainment? You’re so talented, with great musical sense, good looks, and a nice personality. You’ll definitely become famous! Plus, my sister… I really like you, brother!” They rattled off a long string of messages, not waiting for my reply. They even said they had already contacted a manager for me, just waiting for my agreement. I chuckled, thinking it was a prank. I just replied “Thank you for your support” and logged off. After all, Pinnacle Entertainment was the biggest entertainment company. They had countless A-list celebrities and swept awards across all categories. It was the place everyone in showbiz was dying to join. And I was just a nobody who debuted through a reality show years ago, only to immediately retire. I didn’t even have 10,000 Instagram followers. I picked up my polished bass guitar and started tuning it. Twang— “What I want is tomorrow, it can’t fit in an email, memories stranded by time, should we still meet…” “Just forget it, just let go, in those rejected emails, in those days waiting for dawn, I only have myself, not yet doubting…” With a pencil in one hand and plucking strings with the other, I immersed myself in my own world. By the time it was completely dark outside, I finally put down my pencil and massaged my shoulders, taking a deep breath. For three years, I never gave up on music for a moment. Whenever I had free time, I wrote songs, composed, and practiced singing. Music accompanied me through three years of lonely waiting. When I checked my phone again, Olivia’s manager Mei had called me over 30 times. But Olivia herself hadn’t contacted me at all. That’s right – even though we were married, I couldn’t even call her directly. We could only communicate via email as a married couple. Because she didn’t want me to enter her life in the slightest. It turned out my reply this morning had led people to dig up the connection between Olivia and me. “Rising movie star suspected of secret marriage, yet spotted strolling in rain with internet celebrity.” In an instant, Olivia became the target of criticism. The Instagram comment sections of both our accounts were filled with fans arguing. Although I had few fans, my status as the victim led many bystanders to speak up for me. I was puzzled – they were actually pretty nice. Mei called again. I answered but didn’t put the phone to my ear. “Jack! What are you doing?! You don’t reply to emails, you don’t answer calls. Do you know how swamped I am here? Now, immediately, delete that comment! And post a statement saying you have no relationship with Olivia!” The other end was furious, her tone condescending, as if I had to do what she said or else. Although I hadn’t meant to cause this, I wasn’t some pushover anyone could bully. “If Olivia has anything to say, she’ll tell me herself. Who are you?” “I’m Olivia’s manager! I can make decisions about everything for her! Do as I say quickly!” “Oh really? Then how come you couldn’t decide when Olivia married me?” I sneered and hung up the phone, then opened my email. I deleted the pile of emails from Mei without reading them. Olivia still hadn’t contacted me. I counted the emails between us. I had sent her the most – over 20,000 in my inbox, excluding the ones I had deleted early on. Most of the time she didn’t reply. When she did, it was just simple “Mm”, “Okay”, “Fine”, “Whatever”. A new email notification popped up from Olivia. “Jack, just listen to her. I’m sorry.” I smiled bitterly and sent a tentative reply: “Let’s get divorced.” While waiting for her response, I made a bet with myself.

“Okay.” Something crumbled inside me. I wanted to laugh, but found I couldn’t even force a smile. Slowly, something slid down my face. In the three years I’d been married to Olivia, I’d gone from being full of love to feeling numb and cold. I knew she married me to prove to Mei that she wasn’t a puppet, that she didn’t want to be controlled. I knew she married me because I resembled the person she loved but couldn’t have. But I still married her. Because I liked her – the person who gave me a coat during my darkest time. Even though I was very reluctant to leave the stage. I logged into Instagram, deleted my previous comment, and posted a statement confirming I had no relationship with Olivia. How could two people who hadn’t appeared together once in three years possibly be married? The trending topic cooled down and disappeared at an extremely fast speed, as if someone had pressed a retract button. Mei was quite capable. I sighed, about to log off, when that fan “WillCrashWallsForBrother” sent another private message. “Brother, you’re online! Come on, join us! As a fan, I really don’t want to see you buried. You should be shining on stage! Are you worried we’re not legitimate? Wait, I’ll have someone call you. Make sure to answer!” I was infected by this person’s lively mood, and felt a glimmer of anticipation growing inside me. No call came. For a long time. Just as I was dozing off waiting, my phone finally rang. I eagerly answered and put it to my ear, nearly blowing out my eardrum. Mei snapped “Smart choice” and hung up. I threw my phone away and cursed. Early the next morning, as dawn was just breaking, my phone rang again at an ungodly hour. “Hello? Brother, this is ‘WillCrashWallsForBrother’ from Instagram. It was too late last night after I contacted Aunt Kim, so I didn’t call you. Quick, check Pinnacle Entertainment’s official Twitter now!” A clear, sweet female voice came through, instantly soothing my grumpiness at being woken up. I opened Instagram and found Pinnacle Entertainment in my new followers list. I clicked on their profile. The pinned post read: “Welcome brother @Jack to Pinnacle Entertainment.” Top industry manager Kim Ming commented below: “Nice to meet you, looking forward to working together @Jack”. It was the official account! I was so excited I lost my words, my hands shaking as I held my phone. I rolled around on the bed in joy. “Brother? Brother? Are you still there? Aunt Kim wants you to add her contact info.” “Oh, oh okay, got it. What’s your name?” I snapped back to reality, trying to calm my excitement. “I’m Lily! Brother, I originally contacted someone else to manage you, but my sister insisted on Aunt Kim… Aunt Kim is just a bit serious, don’t be scared. I’ll protect you!” After finishing the call with Lily, I specifically searched for information on Pinnacle Entertainment’s owner. Surname Lin, in his 50s, happily married with one son. I felt slightly relieved. You can’t blame me for being so cautious. I had been badly burned during my reality show days and didn’t want to get involved in any shady business again. Kim Ming asked me to post on Instagram responding to Pinnacle, confirming I had officially joined and would release a new song within a week. “I don’t care who you were before or what you did. Now that you’re with me, your career comes first. If anything happens, come to me immediately. I can solve everything. Don’t try to be clever on your own.” Kim Ming handed me a stack of documents right off the bat, speaking coldly before disappearing. She was indeed serious, but that was exactly what I needed. I didn’t want to be held back by love anymore. I wanted to become a huge star, the center of attention. Standing in a recording studio again after three years, my heart was racing. I didn’t know what lay ahead, but I was certain that every step I took from now on would not be in vain.

“I start to put you behind me, trying to return to the time before you, I stand at the other end of time, smiling goodbye, actually not in love…” Kim Ming handed me some water, nodding slightly – a rare show of approval from the usually stern woman. My nervous heart felt reassured, but her next words sent it racing again. “It’s passable. But I demand the best. This only proves your talent is still there. The company will promote your new song. For the next three months, you’ll be filming a drama.” “Acting? I…” “You’ll have an award-winning actress guiding you, what are you afraid of? Don’t be timid. If you want to stand on stage, don’t hesitate. Opportunities don’t wait for anyone.” Kim Ming patted my shoulder, cutting me off impatiently. “You’re right.” That competitive spirit inside me was instantly ignited. Compared to love, putting in effort for my career was much more likely to pay off. Then, Kim Ming waved her hand. A sweet-looking girl with a bun hairstyle ran in from outside, smiling and winking at me. “This is Lily Lin, the assistant the company arranged for you. You can go to her for anything from now on. I have other business, so I’ll be leaving.” Lily circled around me several times, her eyes sparkling. She immediately latched onto my arm. “Brother, I’m Lily! The one who’s ‘WillCrashWallsForBrother’! Brother, you were so great just now. I cried listening to you. You wrote it so well! I have a feeling this song will definitely be a hit!” I burst out laughing, my nervousness around strangers dissipating. “Well, thank you in advance then.” “Hehe, just give me a signed copy of your single album when it comes out. Oh right, you start filming tomorrow. It’s in a pretty remote location. Do you want to go home and pack first?” Back home, I couldn’t help opening my email again. Even though I knew Olivia would never initiate contact, I still felt a spark of hope. I loved her so much that letting go would be a gradual process of detachment. To my surprise, Olivia had actually sent me an email! My heart started racing. I opened it: “Jack, how did you join Pinnacle? And Kim Ming is managing you? Since that’s the case, can you help Ethan? You know how much Ethan wants to enter showbiz, but Mei won’t let me help him. Ethan is a good kid, he can’t keep wasting himself as an internet celebrity. Besides, we owe him.” Ethan Song, Olivia’s ex-boyfriend. An internet celebrity who had been on the same reality show as me. She sent me more words for his sake than she had in the past three years. My excitement died instantly. “He has plenty of ways to get in if he wants. I’m not Pinnacle’s owner, I can’t help him. And I don’t owe him anything.” This time the great Olivia replied quickly, not with her usual “I’m busy, don’t contact me unless it’s important.” “Jack, how can you talk like that! You know how dirty the entertainment industry is. Ethan is so timid, what’s wrong with protecting him a bit? If you don’t help him, we’ll have nothing more to say to each other. Who knows how you managed to get into Pinnacle anyway!” “Olivia, are you serious?” I felt sick to my stomach. For three years, I had guarded this empty house, hoping time and again, only to be disappointed time and again. But I had never felt as disgusted as I did now. She said she was busy with work. She was a movie star after all, I understood. She said she had to play along with others for show. She was a movie star after all, I understood. But she absolutely should not have tried to manipulate me morally or make assumptions about me. You’re a big star, are you? I’ll make you fall from grace.

During the three months of filming, I turned off my phone and focused solely on learning from the award-winning actress, oblivious to the outside world. “Your gaze – it needs desire. You’re trying to climb the ranks, not commit murder. Why so cold!” “Your movements – don’t be so stiff. You’re trying to seduce the female lead. Be alluring, have that relaxed feeling of being in control. You’re not playing a corpse!” “Thank your face, or I’d be scolding you to tears!” … Thanks to the actress’s uncompromising standards for acting, I was berated constantly and had to reshoot countless times before barely passing muster. Lily pouted for a long while nearby. When “Cut!” was finally called, she jogged over. “Brother, I didn’t know beforehand that the female lead was my sister. Otherwise I wouldn’t have let her guide you. My sister is a demon king, even stricter than Aunt Kim. With her around, I don’t dare say a word.” Lily looked around furtively before whispering in my ear, sticking her tongue out at the actress afterwards. I put on the down jacket she handed me, smiling as I ruffled her round face teasingly. “Not protecting me anymore?” Lily shook her head vigorously like a rattle drum, denying it repeatedly. “No no, Brother, just you wait. I’ll get revenge for you!” “I’m just kidding. I’m grateful the award-winning actress is willing to guide a nobody like me! I really feel like I’ve learned so much.” I demonstrated the seductive moves I had just learned for Lily, draping one arm over her shoulder and stroking her hair bun with the other. Lily burst out laughing. The actress waved me over, indicating I should come look at something. “You, come watch this. Isn’t your little gesture here a bit off? Wouldn’t touching the ear be better?” “You need to immerse yourself in the character’s emotions, let the character guide your actions.” For three months, I was run ragged on set. Besides the award-winning actress playing the female lead, the rest were also veteran actors – all heavyweights in the industry. So to better hone my acting skills, I not only focused on my own scenes, but also carefully observed others’ performances. Even though I was only playing a bit part with less than three minutes of screen time total. Finally, filming wrapped. Kim Ming came to pick me up. I clutched my notebook filled with three months of notes like a precious treasure, grinning stupidly in the car from time to time. “Good news and even better news. Which do you want to hear first?” Kim Ming glanced at me in the rearview mirror as she drove. “The good news?” “Getting even an ‘acceptable’ from Linda Lin is pretty good. Your acting has improved. I dare to give you this S-class production I have on hand now.” “Then what’s the even better news?” My expectations soared. I set down my notebook and listened attentively. “You’re famous! To be precise, your song ‘Email’ is a hit! Why don’t you check Instagram?” “Actually, for me right now, the S-class production is the better news. Haha, but they’re both good news.” After spending time together, I discovered Kim Ming was someone who valued ability above all else. As long as I did my job well, she was quite pleasant to work with. So I felt comfortable joking around with her now. I happily turned on my phone and logged into Instagram, but my face instantly went pale when I saw the trending topics. Kim Ming noticed something was wrong and turned to ask what happened. I was about to speak when Lily called. “Brother, have you… logged into Instagram yet? Don’t be afraid, it’s okay. It’ll be dealt with quickly. You don’t need to do anything. Is Aunt Kim with you? Go home first, don’t come to the company.” The usually bubbly Lily was carefully trying to soothe me while calmly arranging things. Kim Ming took the phone and inquired about the situation. “It’s nothing major, we’re already handling it. I’m just worried it’s Brother’s first time facing such malice, he might feel upset. Aunt Kim, please take care of him for me.” Then Lily hung up. I scrolled through my phone screen, tears falling without me realizing. “#The truth behind a male singer’s reality show debut!” “#Is ‘Email’ about love or transactions?” I was instantly transported back to that dark night. Three years ago, Ethan Song and I were the twin stars of the stage. He was the lead vocalist, I was the bassist. One night, Ethan asked me to go with him to meet some big shots. He said just meeting those people once would guarantee our debut. I went. But I didn’t expect it was a trap, a trap specifically set for Ethan. And I was forced to take Ethan’s place. Those people made me drink bottle after bottle, grabbing my hair to stop me from leaving. I huddled in the corner, secretly hiding a fruit knife up my sleeve. Someone approached me. I shook my dizzy head and stabbed out with the knife. It was a suit jacket. I vaguely heard those people rush over, calling her “Miss Yang”. At that time, Olivia had just won an award for playing a female mob boss. When I sobered up, I cut ties with Ethan and threatened him to leave the industry using evidence of his dealings with those people. Fearing the so-called evidence I had, Ethan never dared enter showbiz. But as time passed, Ethan was getting restless again. The post had over a million views. The comment section was a mess. “So white and sexy!” “Ugh, I’d pay anything for ears that haven’t heard ‘Email’. Wuwuwu—” “Why did you do this to me! I just became a fan and now this happens! Ahhhhh—” I clicked to open the photos, but got a message saying they had been deleted. At the same time, Pinnacle Entertainment posted supporting me, along with a police report they had filed. To my surprise, Linda Lin, who rarely used social media, also spoke up for me. “Stupid but resilient @Jack. Looking forward to having you in the new drama.” I felt a warmth in my heart and replied to Linda. “Stupid people have stupid luck @Linda @PinnacleEnt” I was about to dig up the evidence of Ethan’s dealings with those people, but Pinnacle had already released it. It was even more complete and explosive than what I had. In an instant, public opinion online did a 180. “I knew it. Someone who could write a song as good as ‘Email’ couldn’t do those things.” “Case closed, folks. Jack is still the only good guy in showbiz!” “Haters speak up! Let’s hear you now!” … Kim Ming tossed me some tissues, smiling. “It’s nothing. The internet is like this – some people like you, some hate you. No need to pay them any attention. Remember, never put others’ opinions before your own, at least not until you become powerful enough.” I clutched the tissues tightly and opened the email Olivia had sent.

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On Valentine’s Day, I caught my wife cheating with her coworker. To get revenge, I paid a prostitute with syphilis to seduce the coworker. After succeeding, my wife tried to reconcile with me. But her test results came back positive – how could I touch her now? I got home early from work on Valentine’s Day afternoon, having prepared steak, flowers, and wine in advance. Everything was ready – I was just waiting for my wife Emily to get home so we could have a romantic candlelit dinner. But over an hour had passed, and Emily still hadn’t arrived. When I called her, she said the company was making them work overtime, then quickly hung up. I felt instantly deflated and resigned myself to eating the steak alone while scrolling on my phone. Suddenly, I saw a post from Emily’s coworker on Instagram: “Happy Valentine’s Day! The company let everyone off early today! May all lovers be together~” My wife had lied to me? Thinking back, Emily had been acting strangely lately. Our usual twice-weekly intimacy had been non-existent for over a month. Every time I tried to touch her, she would refuse, using work exhaustion as an excuse. I had been reduced to taking care of my own needs. Come to think of it, Emily had also been going to the gym more often lately, buying lots of new makeup, and putting more effort into her appearance than before. All at once, suspicion arose in my mind. The more I thought about it, the more things didn’t add up. I instantly lost my appetite for the steak, feeling a lump in my throat. I picked at the food halfheartedly, then gave up and sprawled on the couch, lost in thought. It was nearly midnight when Emily finally came home. She seemed surprised to see me still awake. “Why are you up so late?” she asked. “I was waiting for you to get home. I can’t sleep when you’re not here,” I said, probing, “What’s the deal with your boss, making you work overtime on Valentine’s Day?” “Ugh, don’t even ask. A last-minute project came up, we had to stay late working on a PowerPoint. I’m going to take a shower,” she said, heading straight for the bathroom. Hearing her turn on the shower, I stripped off my clothes and followed her in. I have to admit, Emily has an incredible body. Even though she’s in her 30s, her abs are still tight since she’s never had kids. Water droplets ran down her back, making her already fair skin look even more delicate. I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind. After so many years together, I knew all her sensitive spots by heart. Just as I was about to make my move, she stopped me. “Not tonight, it’s late and I’m tired. Another time, okay?” With that, she unceremoniously shooed me out. I felt a surge of emotion, but decided to let it go for now. After Emily finished her shower and got into bed, I ran my hand up her thigh. Her skin was incredibly soft and smooth after the shower, with the scent of body wash lingering. I instantly got aroused. But Emily rejected me again. This time I couldn’t hold back: “How long has it been since we’ve been intimate? It’s Valentine’s Day, I just wanted to be close to you, but you’re acting like this.” Seeing my anger, Emily quickly changed her tune. She came over and gave me a kiss. “I’m sorry baby, I really have been exhausted lately. I promise I’ll make it up to you soon.” I had no choice but to give up. As I lay in bed that night, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. I kept wanting to check Emily’s phone for any secrets. Suddenly I remembered that I had installed a dashcam in Emily’s car a while back. To test it out, I had even downloaded a cloud app on my phone that let me view past footage. I opened the app and scrolled through the timeline. At quitting time, I saw Emily indeed start her car, but then drive straight out to the suburbs. She finally stopped in front of a secluded hotel. A man had been waiting there and immediately embraced her when she arrived. Then the car shut off and the screen went black. I recognized that man – I had seen him once before when I went to pick up Emily at her office. She had introduced him as Steve, their company’s new VP who had just returned from overseas. Even back then, I had noticed how his eyes kept wandering to the female employees. And this Steve was a married man too! Seeing this footage, I felt like I had been doused with ice water. My blood ran cold from my spine to my heart. I was now 99% certain that Emily was cheating.

Emily and I had been together for 9 years, from falling in love in college to getting married. Though we had occasional arguments, we were happy most of the time. Thinking back on the joyful moments with Emily, then imagining her seeking pleasure with another man, an immense pain washed over me. Followed by anger. Part of me wanted to yank Emily out of bed and confront her loudly. I also wanted to pummel that cheating couple with my fists. But 9 years of love made it impossible for me to just let go. Caught in an internal struggle of pain and conflicting emotions, I didn’t sleep all night. In the morning when Emily got up, she acted like nothing was wrong. Seeing that I was still in bed, she even expressed concern. I said I wasn’t feeling well and wanted to rest for the day. She made me breakfast, gave me some reminders, then left for work. After calling in sick to work, I sat numbly on the bed, staring at the breakfast Emily had prepared. I tried to eat, but it tasted like sawdust. I felt incredibly torn. On one hand was 9 years of love and memories. On the other was concrete evidence of cheating. My mind kept wavering between confronting her and keeping quiet. After sitting there all morning, I decided to drive to that hotel to check it out. Following the GPS, I found the hotel – it really was in a remote location. I went to the front desk and made up a story about finding a lost bag in the stairwell, asking her to take a look. Once we were in the stairwell, I came clean about my real purpose, asking if she could help me check the records for my wife or Steve. Before she could respond, I took out $1000 in cash that I had prepared. “Don’t worry, I called you here because there are no cameras. I just want to confirm something. I won’t cause any trouble, and I promise this won’t affect you at all. I’m already planning to divorce her,” I said. The young receptionist looked hesitantly at the money. I could see her wavering, so I pushed the cash into her hand and stepped back, saying “You go ahead and check. I’ll wait here.” The receptionist pocketed the money and left. She returned shortly after, showing me Steve’s check-in information. They had booked a short-stay room. The receptionist even showed me security camera footage of the two of them entering the room, arms around each other. After seeing that, my last shred of hope was extinguished. Now I was 100% certain Emily was cheating! I thanked the receptionist and stumbled back to my car to drive home. Emily was already back when I got there. She asked where I’d been, and I made up an excuse. I was still debating whether to confront Emily when she spoke first: “Remember that new VP at our company, Steve? He’s pretty great – young and accomplished. Our team had a big screwup on a project recently, and he helped us fix it.” “Mmm.” Yeah, he’s so great he even got into your pants! I thought bitterly. Emily has always been somewhat introverted and not very talkative. This man must have used work as an excuse to get close to her! At that moment, I felt like an enraged beast, my features contorting with anger. Emily didn’t notice my reaction and kept talking. Looking at my chattering wife, I decided: I won’t confront her! I’m going to get revenge on that man instead.

Over the next few days, I first reached out to my childhood friend Alex. He works as a manager at a nightclub and knows all sorts of shady characters, including access to prostitutes. My revenge plan was to use his connections to find a high-class prostitute to seduce Steve, then tell his wife and kids. I wanted him to experience the pain of a broken family. After explaining my plan to Alex, he said I was being foolish and should just tell Steve’s wife directly. But I still hoped Emily would come to her senses. I didn’t want her to get hurt if this blew up with Steve’s family. Alex shook his head at my reasoning but respected my wishes. He showed me photos of several prostitutes. I have to admit, these women were stunning, each with their own unique charm. But Alex told me these women mainly did straightforward transactions for quick money. They might not be skilled enough to pull off a seduction scheme. Then he changed tack, “Actually, there is one perfect candidate, but…” Seeing him hesitate, I urged him to continue. “The thing is, she has syphilis.” Hearing that, I instantly lit up. This was absolutely perfect! Seeing my insistence, Alex didn’t want to get too involved in this kind of thing. He gave me the contact info for this prostitute named Rose and told me he’d let her know I’d be in touch. Alex is a trustworthy guy. We’ve known each other since childhood and I understand his character well. The next day, I met Rose at a coffee shop. From a distance, I was struck by how eye-catching she was. She had delicate features on a small oval face, with fair, tender skin that was stunningly beautiful. There was even a hint of scholarly refinement in her demeanor. Wearing a light blue dress, she turned heads as passersby mistook her for a university beauty queen. I was momentarily dazed looking at her, but then remembered her condition and snapped out of it. After Rose sat down, I explained my intentions directly. Hearing my proposal, she looked troubled and hesitant, saying it felt unethical. But when I said the man had destroyed my family, and that I could pay $50,000 upfront and another $50,000 after, Rose reconsidered. After mulling it over, she couldn’t resist the financial temptation and agreed. Then Rose shared her own story with me. She came from an ordinary family, but her beauty attracted boys from a young age. She started dating in middle school and neglected her studies. She dropped out of high school to work with her boyfriend at the time. After moving away, her boyfriend developed a gambling addiction and racked up huge debts. To make quick money to help pay off his debts, Rose turned to prostitution. Her looks helped her earn a lot quickly. Some clients would pay extra to skip protection, which she agreed to for the money. But when she came down with a persistent fever and tested positive, it was too late for regrets. By then her boyfriend had run off with all her money. Rose agreed to help me because she wanted to earn more to leave for her parents, knowing her time might be limited. Hearing her story brought tears to Rose’s eyes. I could only comfort her, realizing she had suffered greatly too. With Rose on board, the next step was to create an opportunity.

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On the night Ava Sinclair won the International Best Director Award, I died an untimely death. She stood center stage, nestled in her new boyfriend’s arms, answering reporters’ questions. One reporter asked her how she viewed her first love. Ava smirked, “First love? That was just a fling. Who would take it seriously?” But Ava, I did take it seriously. I was diagnosed with terminal cancer on New Year’s Eve. To prevent my condition from worsening, I still checked into the hospital. The hospital was quiet and empty, most doctors had gone home for the holiday. The sporadic sound of fireworks outside sketched out a brilliant city night scene. In this city, I, stricken with cancer, had nowhere else to go. After spacing out for a while, I turned on the TV in the ward. Instead of watching the New Year’s Gala, I flipped through a few channels and stopped at a movie channel. Today was the announcement day for the Golden Palm Director Award. Staring at the familiar figure holding the trophy on TV, I smiled resignedly. Sure enough, this year’s Best Director award went to Ava Sinclair. She had changed a lot. The Ava now no longer had the fresh-faced look of a recent college graduate. She wore bright red lipstick, dressed in a flowing champagne-colored evening gown, exuding an overwhelming presence. Just standing there casually, she could attract everyone’s attention. She had gotten what she wanted. When we broke up, Ava had screamed at me with tear-filled eyes, saying she would definitely win the Best Director award. Today marked the third anniversary of our breakup. She did it. I coughed a few times, my breath unsteady. Suddenly, my gaze froze. Just now, I had only noticed Ava holding the trophy, overlooking the man beside her. He looked somewhat familiar. I frowned, trying hard to remember where I had seen him before, but couldn’t recall at all. …Who was that man? After the group photo session, Ava suddenly linked arms with the man beside her. It was time for the reporters to ask questions. Faced with reporters wielding cameras and microphones, Ava didn’t show any stage fright. She had grown. At this moment, a reporter suddenly spoke up, asking about Ava’s relationship with the man beside her. She glanced around at the crowd below, smiling as she slowly began to speak. “Him? He’s my current assistant, and also—” As if deliberately creating suspense, Ava paused for a few seconds before continuing. “My boyfriend.”

The reporters below erupted into a frenzy of excitement. Ava’s answer had practically caused an uproar throughout the venue. I could clearly feel a dull pain in my heart. The pain wasn’t intense, more like a hangnail—just a slight touch would trigger a fine, dense ache. I watched her nestle in her new boyfriend’s arms, smiling happily and sweetly. At this moment, a reporter held out a microphone. “Miss Sinclair, may I ask how you view your first boyfriend, Liam Carter?” The world seemed to fall silent for a moment. I am Liam Carter. Back then, quite a few people in the industry knew about my relationship with Ava. She was an emerging director showing early promise, while I was the assistant to an internationally renowned director. After falling in love with Ava, I gave up my million-dollar annual salary and moved into a cramped rental apartment with her, who hadn’t produced many works yet. In the directing circle, experience and age matter. Even though Ava had undeniable talent, her lack of experience meant she couldn’t earn much, especially since she preferred art films. At that time, we had almost no money at all. One night, Ava’s stomach condition flared up. Back then, smartphones weren’t as advanced, and we couldn’t call a cab. In a panic, I rode our old bicycle, carrying Ava all the way from the suburbs to the downtown hospital. She hugged my back and told me she would definitely marry me, spend her life with me, even if we had to live on scraps for the rest of our lives, she wouldn’t regret it. “Liam, I love you,” she whispered, her falling tears feeling like they could pierce through my back. At the hospital, the doctor said we were lucky to have arrived in time—Ava had acute gastroenteritis. I don’t remember how exhausting that day was, but I do remember Ava saying she wanted to marry me. After all the twists and turns, she still broke that promise. I snapped back to reality and continued watching the TV. Ava’s expression was blank. The reporter still held out the microphone, seemingly waiting persistently for an answer. Entertainment reporters love these tricky questions. After a while, Ava seemed to come back to her senses and let out a cold laugh. Her expression was somewhat playful, as if she had heard an amusing joke. “You mean first love? It was just a fling, who would take it seriously?” Whatever questions the reporters asked afterward didn’t matter anymore. At least at this moment, I had become the butt of this joke. I realized that Ava had just been playing around with me. After our breakup, we had no further contact. I originally thought she would never mention me again. I didn’t expect her to bring up my name in such a setting. In an instant, I felt a sense of being in another world. Suddenly, a brilliant firework exploded in the sky above the city. While watching the fireworks, I felt short of breath. At first, I thought I was just upset by the live broadcast, feeling a bit down. As time passed, I found it increasingly difficult to breathe. Realizing something was wrong, I quickly pressed the nurse call button. A flurry of footsteps sounded in the corridor. I struggled to reach out towards the ceiling, but seemed to grasp nothing, touching only emptiness. Before being wheeled away on the surgery cart, my gaze fell on the TV in the ward. It was still showing Ava. This TV was quite old and seemed to be experiencing some minor lag, making the live broadcast a bit choppy. But I think I’ll never forget how Ava looks now. She’s all dressed up, accepting everyone’s adoration. This is how the 22-year-old Ava most wanted to be. She said she wanted to become the brightest sun. “Patient’s emotions unstable, quick, put on the oxygen mask…” “Anesthesia… anesthesia…” Amidst the chaos, I passed out. The last words I heard were the cold “resuscitation failed.” My hand fell to the side of the operating table. In my dying moments, I thought, congratulations, Ava. I hope you’ve gotten what you wished for. On the night she gloriously won the Best Director award, I died in the operating room of a hospital. Actually, there was still something I hadn’t told Ava. But… This is something she probably will never know now. I thought I would die. Suddenly, I opened my eyes. I found that— I was actually floating in the air above the hospital corridor. What’s going on?

I looked at my hands in bewilderment, then glanced at the mirror at the end of the hallway, finally confirming a fact. Now, I should be temporarily not dead. But I had indeed separated from my body. I looked down and saw the on-duty nurses pushing me into the morgue. Although I was alone in the world, I was still a once-famous director’s assistant, and now that Ava had become famous, I had gained even more notoriety than before. Some entertainment reporters arrived at the news, got some information from the hospital, and left after taking some photos of the scene. All the while, I floated in the air, watching everything around me. This world was still bustling with activity, only my life had stopped a few hours ago. Suddenly, I had an almost crazy idea. …I wanted to see how Ava was doing now. As soon as this thought emerged, I felt a bit self-mocking. All my life, I could never stop worrying about Ava. At the awards ceremony, Ava had drunk quite a bit. She always skipped meals, and her stomach condition wasn’t light. If she didn’t eat properly, she might end up in the hospital. Over the years, she had been to the hospital countless times. At this moment, I realized I could still move. Which means— I should be able to move around normally. Amidst my surprise, I felt a bit excited. I knew roughly where the awards ceremony was held. Thinking this, I floated towards that direction. As I was no longer human, my speed wasn’t slow. When I arrived there, Ava hadn’t left the venue yet. The post-awards banquet must have ended, she was retching violently in the restroom, no longer the glamorous image she had on stage. Her whole person looked pale and light. Her face showed heavy fatigue. Ava’s assistant stood beside her, seemingly wanting to pat her back, but Ava dodged. I remembered, this man’s name was Jack Reynolds, two years younger than Ava, considered her junior. I heard he had always admired Ava, even confessed to her in college, but Ava didn’t accept him then. Now, Ava allowed him to stay by her side, what this meant, she had already said at the ceremony. Jack was already her boyfriend. My heart ached with a sour, bitter feeling. “Ava, drink some hangover soup, you’ve had too much to drink tonight.” Jack spoke with concern. But this word seemed to touch Ava’s sore spot. She frowned and looked at Jack, seemingly annoyed by his presumption. “Who wants to drink hangover soup?” “I’m sorry… Ava… I didn’t know you don’t drink this…” Jack’s apology sounded somewhat pitiful. I frowned, feeling their interaction didn’t quite resemble that of a couple, yet unsure how to define their relationship. Finally, Ava stared at the mirror for a long time, lost in thought. When it was almost dawn, she finally left the venue. With Jack’s support, Ava walked unsteadily, looking like she might fall over with a gust of wind. She wore a pair of very high heels. I knew Ava didn’t like high heels. When we were dating, she loved wearing flats and standing on tiptoe to kiss me. But now, she seemed to have gotten used to the glamour that high heels brought. People always change. Just like how Ava, once devoted to art films, had started making commercial films. It seemed everything had changed. The only one still lingering in place was me. I always thought Ava wouldn’t know about my passing. Unexpectedly, the next day, news of my death topped the trending topics.

At breakfast, Ava habitually scrolled through the latest news. Even after staying up so late, she still got up at seven o’clock sharp to go to the film set. Ava probably wanted to see news about herself. After clicking into the news, her gaze froze. Following her gaze, I first saw myself. “Liam Carter passes away.” These simple words summarized everything from last night. I couldn’t help but feel emotional. Ava seemed to disbelieve this news, reading it over and over again before finally clicking in. I could see her fingertips trembling. Ava muttered repeatedly, saying this news must just be a name coincidence. I noticed she was gripping the hem of her clothes. This was Ava’s habitual action when nervous. After clicking into the news, she looked at the editor’s name, then snorted lightly and closed her phone. Jack noticed Ava’s reaction and asked cautiously what had happened. Ava laughed coldly: “Nothing. Just saw some gossip news. I knew those entertainment tabloid reporters love to sensationalize, publishing such unrealistic stuff.” Hearing Ava say this, I understood. She didn’t believe I was dead. She thought this kind of news was just a clickbait title made up by those reporters for traffic. I smiled bitterly. But, Ava, I really am dead. Tortured by cancer for so long, I’ve finally found release. Although, the process of release might have been painful. I closed my eyes. Today, after finishing breakfast, Ava went to the film set. But her state was off. She called cut countless times, and when explaining the script to the actors, she couldn’t adjust her emotions at all. After half an hour, Ava put down the script, saying she was going to the rooftop for some air. The whole set fell silent. They hadn’t expected that Ava, who had always been sharp and insightful, would have such an irritable side. She came to the rooftop and opened her phone. I keenly noticed that Ava’s screen saver was still me. She typed something in her notes app. After floating over, I was stunned to find that this message was written to me. After I left, Ava probably didn’t know who to talk to about certain things, so she wrote them in her notes. I watched her type a line. “Liam Carter, just try dying and see what happens.” “I haven’t seen you fall from grace yet, how dare you die?” She typed with heavy strokes. I knew that Ava was angry now. She must still believe that I was alive. She still thought that those news reports were all fake, all fabricated. I closed my eyes and smiled bitterly. Ava would probably never know my secret. Actually, the reason I got cancer was for her. At that time, her film was just starting production, but our savings had been completely swindled by fraudsters. The money we had saved for so long was gone in a flash. Without sufficient funds, Ava’s film, which she had poured two whole years of effort into, would be ruined before it could even start. I told Ava I would find a way. But what way did I have? That day, I contacted a friend I hadn’t been in touch with for a long time, flew to an overseas lab, and voluntarily participated in their experiments. As long as I participated in one experiment, I could get $18,000. $18,000, that was a whole $18,000. I stayed abroad for three days, participating in a total of ten experiments. Each experiment would bring side effects to the body, but I gritted my teeth and endured them all. There was no special reason. That was $18,000. After each experiment, I vomited violently, feeling like I might die there. Everyone said I didn’t have to push myself so hard. But I didn’t listen to them. A few days later, I returned to the country with a bank card. Ava was still worrying about the startup funds, sitting in the living room with red-rimmed eyes, calling people she knew, asking if they could lend her money. At that time, no one thought much of Ava, and no one believed she would be able to repay the money. They cursed Ava for being shameless, then hung up the phone. I came to her side with that bank card. Such a good Ava, the Ava I loved so much. How could she cry? I told her I had raised the money. Ava widened her eyes in disbelief, then cheered and threw herself into my arms. I stroked her hair, also forcing out a somewhat ugly smile. After Ava’s film started production, my stomach suddenly began to feel uncomfortable. When I went to the hospital for a check-up, I found out I had indeed been diagnosed with cancer. Before participating in the experiments, I had signed a waiver. Since I had taken the money, if anything happened, I had to take responsibility myself. I understood very clearly. It was also on that day that I bought an insurance policy. I wrote Ava’s name as the beneficiary. Without realizing it, Ava had already typed a long paragraph. She put away her phone and turned to leave the rooftop. In the following shooting, Ava obviously got into the state. She became that decisive and experienced Director Sinclair again. Everyone on set regained their composure and continued with their respective duties. I could notice that Jack’s gaze towards Ava was still unusual. Suddenly, I remembered that Jack and Ava’s rooms were separate. Compared to a boyfriend, Jack was more like an ordinary life assistant. Moreover, Ava wouldn’t let Jack touch her much. The two of them… indeed didn’t look like a couple. Ava worked until late at night before finishing work. By the time she got home, a phone call came through on her phone. Seeing the flashing “Insurance Company” on her phone screen, my eyelid twitched. ——I think I know what this call is about. Sure enough, after Ava answered the phone, I heard a somewhat familiar voice.

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My mother favored my cousin and sent me away to a strict boarding school for “character building.” I was kidnapped, lost my legs to a cruel old man, and she remained indifferent. Only after death did I learn that she and my uncle were high school sweethearts, secretly involved for nearly twenty years. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to being six years old. I burst into the bedroom, exposing their affair, and immediately spread the news around the neighborhood. Mom panicked, while I was overjoyed. This time, I’ll make you pay for your sins! I was reborn, back to when I was six years old. The moment I realized I had been reborn, I sent the nanny away and tiptoed to open the bedroom door. Just as I thought! I saw my uncle Garrett naked, on top of a woman. The pearl bracelet on her wrist clearly revealed her identity – my mother! No wonder in my previous life, she had hired a nanny specifically for me, watching me 24/7, taking care of my every need. Later, she even sent me to a strict boarding school, claiming it was to “build character.” Eight years later, when I saw my mother again, I was in a hospital gown, sobbing as I rushed towards her, only to be pushed away. The disgust and embarrassment on her face made me doubt if I was even her child. It wasn’t until after I died that I learned the truth – she was afraid I might accidentally expose their affair, so she tried every way to keep me away! How about you taste the fear of public shame? In the bedroom were the intertwined shadows of a man and a woman. Looking at the condom wrapper on the floor, I picked it up, fighting back nausea, and ran excitedly to the neighborhood playground. “Look! I found a new balloon!” I shouted. A group of children gathered around me, asking all at once: “You’re lying! That’s not a balloon! My mom says it’s a bad thing! Throw it away!” “Eww, why is there so much goo inside?” Adults nearby also came over. Seeing what I was holding, their faces changed: “Aria, where did you get that? Don’t rummage through the trash!” “Aria, throw it away now!” I obediently did as they said, wiping my fingers on my clothes several times before raising my voice in feigned disappointment: “Mom and Uncle Garrett were playing with this balloon in the room and told me to go away. So I secretly took one, but it turns out it’s broken!”

As soon as I finished speaking, the elderly folks exercising nearby gathered around. The grandmas who had been chatting moments ago now focused intently on me, while parents hurriedly shooed their children away. “Your mom and your uncle? Are you sure you didn’t see wrong?” I stomped my foot as if angered, staring at the person who spoke, my childish voice making it impossible not to believe me: “How could I see wrong! They weren’t just playing with balloons, they were also playing a stacking game, with their backs to me, telling me to go away. They wouldn’t play with me. It’s so mean!” Someone in the crowd let out a snicker, followed by endless “pfft” and “haha” sounds. Mrs. Johnson, the most popular resident in our gated community, grabbed my hand and asked earnestly: “Aria, tell us more clearly so we can believe you. Then we can help teach your mom a lesson!” Hearing this, I was delighted. Teach her a lesson? I couldn’t wait! “I saw Uncle Garrett lying on top of Mom playing the stacking game. They messed up the whole bed, but… Mrs. Johnson, why do they have to be naked to play the stacking game?” Everyone suddenly had meaningful looks on their faces, exchanging glances and smiles, all seeming to understand. “What? Bullying our little Aria! We must have a word with them!” With that, Mrs. Johnson led a large group of people marching towards our house. Just before reaching the staircase, Mrs. Johnson called out: “Vanessa! Why are you angry with the child? Look, the poor thing is soaked in sweat!” Her footsteps quickened, “I’m coming up to get some clothes for the child!” The half-closed door was pushed open. The man was putting on his clothes, his bare upper body covered in sweat and scratch marks. The woman was wearing a dress, her eyes moist and face flushed. There was also an indescribable smell in the room. Everyone immediately understood what was going on, watching the drama unfold before their eyes. Mom clutched her chest and screamed, “Who told you to come in without knocking? This is trespassing, don’t you know?” Mrs. Johnson covered her eyes and exclaimed, “Oh my, at least put on some clothes before talking!” Someone couldn’t hold back, and suddenly the room was filled with stifled laughter.

My mom’s face turned beet red, while Uncle Garrett, now fully dressed, stood stiffly by the bed, his head hanging so low it almost touched the ground. I couldn’t help but smirk. Indeed, the most vicious wolves often wear sheep’s clothing. Uncle Garrett was financially dependent on his wife’s family. Usually timid and submissive, even his own son could walk all over him. Who would have thought he was the one who had fooled our entire family? “Her brother passed away, and Vanessa still let her husband live with her sister-in-law. I said it wasn’t appropriate. Look what happened, they ended up together!” someone in the crowd muttered. The words rang clearly in the silent room. Uncle Garrett silently tried to slip into the bathroom, but the gossip-hungry crowd wouldn’t let him leave. They held him back, asking in a friendly tone, “Garrett, what were you doing in Vanessa’s room? Are those red marks on your neck from mosquito bites?” Garrett kept his mouth shut, not saying a word. My mom, however, flew into a rage, throwing pillows from the bed at us one by one: “Get out! All of you get out! This is my house! You didn’t see anything! Don’t you dare say a word!” Only then did everyone leave, whispering and gossiping. No doubt this story would soon spread throughout the entire community. The door closed tightly, and their gazes fell on me – one furious, one vicious. “It’s all because of you! You little brat! Bringing them all here! Where’s Fiona? How was she watching you?” I was knocked down by a slap, and Mom grabbed my neck, asking hoarsely. The choking sensation in my throat brought no pain, only familiarity – Every time I made her angry, every time something didn’t go her way, she would use me as a punching bag. Once, I was almost strangled to death. In my previous life, I had also caught them having an affair and asked at the dinner table what they were doing in bed. The next day, I was sent to a strict boarding school under the guise of “character building,” to prevent me from saying anything in front of my aunt and others. My cousin had also heard it at the dinner table, and they decided to send Lucas to “toughen up” as well.

That was the beginning of all my nightmares. Later, I was tricked away, forced to be a child bride in someone else’s home, sleeping on grass, doing the work of oxen, and fighting with pigs for food. I was dragged to a pigsty by an old pervert in the village and molested. In my dazed state, I was caught in a hay baler, losing both my legs. It wasn’t until I made the local news that my aunt found out about all this and sent her people to find me. After returning home, I cried to my mother about the miserable experiences of those years, lamenting my lost legs. Mom just carelessly admired her new manicure, saying as if listening to a play, “Sounds like you had quite an adventure out there.” I was incredulous. In my emotional state, I couldn’t control my body, and urine spread beneath me, making her scream in disgust, calling me revolting. I grabbed her clothes, not letting her leave, but I fell to the ground. The filth under my hands and the pain in my body were nothing compared to the despair brought by her leaving without looking back. “Why, Mom? I’m your daughter!” I even secretly did a DNA test, which showed she was indeed my mother. The physical disability, the pain of not being able to take care of myself, the frustration of being illiterate – all of it plunged me into an emotional quagmire. Would Mom not be so disgusted with me if I were normal? Later, I actively worked on rehabilitation and studied hard. After coming of age, I took over the shares my father had left behind and formed a strong alliance with my aunt, who was expanding the business overseas. Mom started treating me with a smile, and I seemed to have a successful career and a happy family. Only I knew how many suicide attempts were hidden in the scars on my disgusting stumps and my scarred wrists. I could never get love. Even my cousin, who excelled in gambling and debauchery, could get the true love of Mom and Uncle Garrett. Why couldn’t I? It wasn’t until I died and became a spirit that I learned the truth. Mom and Uncle Garrett were high school sweethearts. They were just waiting for my cousin to grow up and my aunt to pass away so they could take over the company. They actually did it – they caused my aunt’s death, made my cousin listen only to them, and even brought back their own biological son. No wonder! No wonder! The year that child was born was the year I was kidnapped! While they were rejoicing in the birth of a new life, I was crawling and crying in darkness. “If you had another chance, could you change all this?” I heard a question from the depths of my soul. “I want them to suffer a fate worse than death!”

“It’s my fault for not watching Aria closely. Punish me!” Fiona’s voice pulled me out of my memories. I saw Mom and Uncle Garrett, dressed as impeccably as always, looking down at Fiona and me with unconcealed contempt and disgust in their eyes. “Get out, all of you!” Fiona carried me out of the room, applying medicine to my face with a worried expression. “Aria, why did you provoke her? Didn’t I tell you not to say anything in front of her? Oh dear, your face is all swollen.” Looking at her young face, I remembered that in my previous life, she blamed herself for not taking good care of me, leading to my kidnapping. She had resolutely devoted herself to the cause of finding missing children. After I was found, she took care of me meticulously, enduring all my unbearable behavior. “It’s okay, Fiona. Don’t cry,” I wiped the tears from her face. In this life, I won’t give those two scumbags any chance. Sure enough, gossip spreads faster than anything else. Even on my way to and from school, I could feel people whispering and looking at me with surprise and schadenfreude. I also became the center of attention in kindergarten – “Aria, is your uncle going to be your new daddy?” “Then you’ll have a new brother, right? That’s not good at all. I hate having a brother.” The innocent words of the children made me laugh, but they also revealed the information adults had been spreading. Having an affair with your brother-in-law was something the people in our community couldn’t accept. The aunties who used to play cards and go to beauty salons with Mom no longer called. Uncle Garrett didn’t even dare to leave the house, probably concocting some excuse to fool my aunt. Moreover, the residents of this community were either rich or powerful. The Ye Corporation was just an ordinary presence among them. They had only been extra kind to us because they pitied my aunt Imogen for losing her brother. Now they would avoid us like the plague, some even forbidding their children from playing with me. With an adult’s soul, I naturally didn’t care, but my cousin Lucas was different. He threw a tantrum in front of Mom and Uncle Garrett, rolling on the floor demanding they play with him. Uncle Garrett waved his hand grandly, “Lucas, do you want to see little ducklings? How about we go to Daddy’s hometown to see little pigs and ducklings?”

My cousin and I were sent to the village, but unlike my previous life, this time Fiona didn’t come with me. Before leaving, Fiona sewed a pocket inside my jacket and filled it with change. “Aria, if you can’t get used to the food there, remember to buy some snacks. Don’t go hungry.” When we first arrived, the villagers were all very nice to us. Even though Uncle Garrett’s mother didn’t take much care of us, she ensured we had three meals a day. However, I still went to the general store to buy things, quietly waiting for that moment to come. “Callum, come home for dinner!” someone called. A child next to me asked, “Aria, why doesn’t Callum have the same last name as Uncle Garrett?” “Because his dad is the bride who married into our family!” I replied. Callum angrily pounced on me, the strength of a four-year-old already too much for me to struggle free. “You bitch! My dad is not a bride!” I fought back, and we started wrestling. “Quick, go call Grandma!” The other kids all ran home to call for help, leaving only me and my cousin fighting at the edge of the woods. Suddenly, someone picked us up, one in each hand. It was him! Without hesitation, I took out the small knife from my pocket, seized the opportunity to slash him, and ran into the woods as he let go. Callum! It’s your turn this time! In my previous life, I had a chance to escape but didn’t have the heart to leave him behind when I heard him crying. I never imagined that the moment he was released, he would push me towards the kidnapper and run away himself! That moment of betrayal was etched in my memory, never to be forgotten. Later, I was sold to a mountain village, forced to be a wife to a mentally disabled man. Daily chores and beatings were common. I ate their leftovers, and on unlucky days, I could only lick the sauce from the bottom of their bowls or fight with livestock for pig feed. As I grew older, a nearly seventy-year-old widower in the village tried to take advantage of me. He dragged me to the fields to torture me, using the roar of a hay baler to cover the sounds. It was during that struggle that I lost my legs. When I woke up again, I was in a hospital. Looking at the emptiness below half of my thighs, I couldn’t process it. “Your legs were caught in the hay baler. Luckily, the machine malfunctioned and broke down, or it would have been questionable if you’d even survive.” “When we were matching blood types, we discovered you were listed as a missing person. Your family is on their way.” And so, at the cost of my disability, I escaped that hell.

In this life, Callum was kidnapped by the trafficker. I hid in the woods until the villagers came looking for us. “It’s terrible! Callum was taken away by a strange man! I couldn’t catch up with him!” I was brought back home. My mom cursed me all day, saying why couldn’t it have been me who was taken away. As she spoke, she and Uncle Garrett hugged each other for comfort. They seemed to have stopped hiding it altogether, going out on dates and trips together shamelessly, leaving me alone at home with Fiona. “Fiona, has Aunt Imogen said when she’s coming back?” I had Fiona call my aunt abroad immediately, telling her about the affair and Callum’s disappearance. Unfortunately, Aunt Imogen was in the middle of a big project and only instructed her assistant to file a police report and search for Callum. I wasn’t surprised by her coldness. In my previous life, even when Callum lost millions gambling and attended parties every day, she would only cut off his allowance. I used to think she was heartless, but after I died, she was the only one who cried for me. A week later, I came home from school as usual and saw Aunt Imogen standing on the second floor of the house. I approached curiously, only then hearing the chaotic sounds from the room. “Aria, go back to your room and don’t come out.” I went back to my room but didn’t listen to her. I left the door ajar and used a mirror to peek. I saw Aunt Imogen holding up her phone, seemingly recording video as she pushed open the door. Then there was a commotion, Mom’s screams, Uncle Garrett’s repentance, and the rustling of clothes being put on. “Garrett, let’s get a divorce.” Aunt Imogen’s voice was very calm, without a hint of sadness or anger. As an outsider, I couldn’t help but wonder – was there ever any real affection between them? “Imogen, it’s not what you think. It’s… it’s her who couldn’t stand the loneliness and seduced me. I was just confused for a moment. I’ve always loved you!” Uncle Garrett explained desperately, his tone as if the sky was falling. I couldn’t help but admire his acting skills. As expected of a professional freeloader. Hearing this, Mom cursed Uncle Garrett for slandering her, then cried about how she had remained faithful to my father for so many years without remarrying, how she had given birth to the eldest daughter for the Ye family, implying that even if she had no merit, she had suffered. Her words were all about money and shares. In her emotional state, she actually fainted.

“Vanessa, you’re two months pregnant,” Aunt Imogen calmly told my mom. I saw surprise, panic, and finally feigned regret and sorrow flash across Uncle Garrett’s face. “Imogen, this is all an accident. I didn’t mean to…” “Stop pretending, Garrett. Can’t you see she doesn’t care? She didn’t even care when Callum went missing, let alone about you!” Vanessa interrupted Uncle Garrett, looking smugly at Aunt Imogen. Ignoring Uncle Garrett’s attempts to stop her, she blurted out: “Since you’ve found out anyway, we won’t hide it anymore. Give me the shares your brother left before he died, and give Garrett half of your assets. We’ll leave immediately.” Aunt Imogen seemed to have heard a joke and smiled, “My brother left all his estate to Aria long before he passed away. As for Garrett and me, we signed a prenuptial agreement. He knows that.” Uncle Garrett’s face had turned ashen, but he still struggled desperately, “Callum, Callum can’t be without a father.” “It’s fine, I’ll find him a stepfather,” Aunt Imogen replied. Hearing Aunt Imogen walking towards the door, I quietly returned to my room. “Aria, would you be okay with Fiona taking care of you from now on?” Aunt Imogen knelt down to look at me. I nodded, but couldn’t help asking, “What about my brother? Aren’t you worried about him, Aunt Imogen?” A flash of disgust crossed Aunt Imogen’s face, but she didn’t lie to me, “Your brother has a genetic condition that scientists say can make people become bad. I don’t like him.” So that’s why! In my previous life, when I was found and gave my statement to the police, I discovered that my brother had never mentioned his experience of encountering the kidnapper with me, nor had he provided any clues. When I confronted Callum, he turned the tables on me, asking if I had ill intentions and wanted him to be kidnapped too. Mom and Uncle Garrett hid him behind them, looking at me with hatred. As if I were some kind of trafficking criminal. Later, when I learned he was involved in drugs and gambling, I thought it was because of Uncle Garrett’s indulgence. I never imagined it was a genetic issue! “I don’t like him either. He often hits me,” I smiled at Aunt Imogen, but couldn’t help testing her, “Does Aunt Imogen like me?” Aunt Imogen hugged me, “How could I not like Aria? You’re our Ye family’s precious treasure!”

Mom and Uncle Garrett, no, I should say Vanessa and Garrett, were kicked out of the Ye family. Aunt Imogen didn’t go to extremes. She gave them enough wealth that ordinary people would dream of, sufficient for them to live comfortably into old age. I started elementary school and, thanks to my memories from my previous life, I skipped grades repeatedly. By the age of twelve, I was already in high school. I showed a unique sensitivity to the market, and Aunt Imogen agreed to let me audit company affairs. After I offered several key insights, I gained everyone’s recognition. At a young age, I led the Ye Corporation’s domestic business to double in size. This also lightened the burden on Aunt Imogen, who now frequently returned to the country to see me. Through our interactions, I gradually came to understand Aunt Imogen – She was not only cold on the outside and warm on the inside, but also had a strong sense of responsibility. Every year on my father’s death anniversary, she would take me to pay respects, reminiscing about her childhood moments with her brother. Miss Jones “When we were young, you said we’d team up and crush other companies. Now your daughter has done it, but it’s a pity you can’t see it,” she would always say, with a hint of unfulfilled regret. The year I successfully entered the country’s top university at fifteen, the Ye Corporation had already become the leading enterprise in the area, and I was respectfully referred to as “Young Miss Jones.” My college admission celebration also invited many CEOs, all praising me for my achievements at such a young age. “Miss, there’s a man and a woman outside begging to see you. They say they’re your mother and uncle,” an assistant informed me. I raised an eyebrow, gave a few quiet instructions, then picked up my wine glass and continued chatting and laughing with the guests. After the party ended, I went to the storage room. “Miss, they’re tied up inside,” the assistant reported.

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Liam was my husband. We had been married for five years, and our love was as strong as ever. Until I received an anonymous video: a man’s head was bashed in, his face a bloody mess, with several stab wounds on his body. If it weren’t for the custom-made diamond ring on his ring finger, even I wouldn’t have recognized Liam. At this moment, I was lying with my back to “Liam”, desperately trying to stifle any sound. Who, then, was sleeping beside me? “Nora, why aren’t you asleep? Is the wound hurting again?” The gradually dimming phone screen reflected Liam’s expressionless face. He stared at the phone, his neck craned at an awkward angle. I stiffened but quickly turned to hug him, whispering, “It’s nothing. I’m just feeling a bit upset about the baby.” Liam and I had been married for five years. My mother-in-law, Martha, had been urging us to have a child. I had helped Liam start his business from scratch, but the constant drinking and late nights at social events had taken a toll on my health. For the past two years, I had been trying to recover my health, and finally got pregnant. But just two months ago, the doctor told me that the baby’s heartbeat was extremely unstable. They diagnosed it as a genetic defect syndrome. Giving birth would not only be irresponsible to the child but also pose a huge risk to my safety. The doctor recommended termination. And just like that, my first baby left this world. Liam reached out and stroked my face. His expression was hidden in the darkness, unreadable. His fingers were ice-cold, sending a shiver of fear through me as they traced my skin. “Honey, did you forget to take your medicine today? You know Mom specially got it prescribed by the doctor.” Liam and I both loved children dearly, and losing the baby had left me with depression. I had quit my job to rest at home. Liam’s voice was so gentle it could almost wring water. He got up to heat some milk for me. Watching his back, my thoughts lingered on the terrifying sensation of Liam’s fingers on my face. Remembering the gruesome scene in the video, my body involuntarily shuddered, causing me to drop my phone. As I bent down to retrieve it, I suddenly caught a whiff of a very subtle formaldehyde smell. The screen’s light illuminated my horrified face. There was a dead infant under the bed. It was curled up, preserved in formaldehyde solution, its pale face turned towards me. Suddenly, its tightly closed eyes opened, staring straight into mine. Then its mouth twisted into an eerie smile. My whole body trembled, goosebumps erupting on my arms. Overwhelmed by fear, I felt my body go limp. In my panic, I turned around only to see Liam standing at the door with a glass of milk, smiling at me.

When I regained consciousness, it was already noon the next day. “Nora, you’re finally awake. Are you feeling any discomfort?” Liam sat by my bedside, looking at me with concern. Ignoring him, I immediately got out of bed and pulled out the jar from underneath. The glass had shattered, but instead of the dead infant I saw last night, it was a small figure wrapped in bloody bandages! “Impossible, I clearly saw… it even smiled at me…” I panicked and stumbled backwards, only to be caught in Liam’s embrace. “Oh no, who broke the jar?!” An elderly woman rushed in, first complaining, then wailing as she cradled the jar. “My poor grandson, can’t even rest in peace after death…” “Mom, what’s going on? Who told you to put this thing under our bed?!” Liam scolded his mother while gently comforting me. I stared blankly at her wrinkled face, only connecting her to my mother-in-law when Liam spoke. My condition seemed to have worsened recently. My memories of everyone were just blurry fragments, even their faces seemed covered in a layer of sand, impossible to recall clearly. “The house is haunted, so I found a spiritual healer,” she said. “We can’t let it interfere with my grandson’s birth!” She had been looking down, speaking hesitantly at first. But then she glanced at me, her tone turning disdainful and louder, as if intentionally speaking for me to hear. “Alright, Mom, that’s enough. Don’t upset Nora,” Liam urged his mother to leave, his tone annoyed. “What I saw last night wasn’t a small figure…” I said, my fear growing. No matter how I tried to explain, Liam insisted I had just had a nightmare. “Honey, where’s my phone?” I suddenly remembered the video, wanting to show it as proof. But Liam’s expression turned strange. He unlocked his phone and held it up to me. “You mean this video?” ! “How did you know?” I felt scared, backing away step by step. Liam sighed, “You’ve watched this video many times already. Every day you suspect that I might be dead.” “I know losing the baby was a huge blow to you. You’ve developed depression and prosopagnosia.” “But this is just a video. I’m standing right here, alive and unharmed.” I stared intently at the ring on Liam’s finger, suddenly deflating. Perhaps I really was too stressed out. “I’ll be here to help you get better, trust me, okay?” “We’ll definitely have our own child someday.” Liam’s last sentence sounded like comfort, but I detected something odd in it. He kissed my forehead and walked towards the door. “Nora, I’m going to buy your favorite roast duck.” I watched him leave, trying to recall last night’s events. To my horror, I realized that my memories were all fragmented, and even Liam’s face was starting to blur. “Nora, come on, it’s time for your medicine.” Martha appeared at the door with a cup of medicine just as Liam left. “Am I taking the medicine this early today?” I looked at the time, feeling confused. After all the strange occurrences, I didn’t want to take the medicine, even if Liam said it would help my condition. But Martha just stood there holding the cup, staring at me intently. She looked very eager. “Mom, you can leave it here. I’ll drink it in a bit.” Martha reluctantly put down the cup and left, repeatedly reminding me not to waste it. I stared at the dark brown liquid, a thought flashing through my mind. Why had my symptoms gotten worse after taking this medicine for so long? Could there be something wrong with the medicine? As I picked up the cup, debating whether to drink it or not, I caught a glimpse of something in the full-length mirror by the wardrobe. The door was slightly ajar, and Martha’s pale face was pressed against the crack, expressionlessly staring at me.

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My husband’s ex-girlfriend secretly donated a kidney to me. After the surgery, her health declined rapidly, and my husband took care of her with overwhelming attentiveness. Then, standing on his moral high ground, he scolded me, “Nina, she ended up like this because of who? Can’t you be a little more understanding?” Endless arguments followed, and I eventually wasted away from the emotional exhaustion. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the moment right before my kidney transplant surgery. I immediately pulled out my oxygen tube, “I’m not going through with the surgery. I’m giving up on treatment.” I never imagined that after my death, my husband would go insane. 1 The overhead fluorescent light flickered, making me dizzy. The sound of the doctor’s voice announcing the countdown to the kidney transplant echoed in my ears. I suddenly realized I had been reborn. Without hesitation, I pulled the oxygen tube out. Struggling, I sat up on the operating table, “Dr. Lucas, I’m not going through with the surgery. I’m giving up treatment.” Dr. Lucas was shocked, repeatedly emphasizing that my body couldn’t afford to wait any longer and that if I missed this chance, I might not find another matching donor in time. I thanked him, but I remained firm. Dr. Lucas sighed in resignation and notified everyone to cancel the surgery. After signing the organ donation consent form, I returned to the Downtown Loft I shared with Ryan. I started packing my bags. I had been diagnosed with kidney failure in the second year of our marriage while we were trying to conceive. At that time, Ryan and I were constantly at odds because of Claire Young. I thought having a baby might bring us closer, but instead, I received the terrible news about my health. Strictly speaking, Claire wasn’t really Ryan’s ex-girlfriend. She appeared in his life while I was abroad pursuing my ballet career, and they never officially became a couple. Back then, I was ambitious and determined not to give up my career for love. And I succeeded, becoming the principal dancer of the Joffrey Ballet in just two years. When I returned, I found out Ryan had been waiting for me all those years. His devotion moved me beyond words, and memories of our time together as students filled me with warmth. I accepted his proposal. It was only after we married that I learned about Claire Young. I discovered they had nearly become a couple, but my return to the U.S. had torn them apart. Because of my upbringing, I’ve always been sensitive and insecure in relationships. Ever since learning about Claire, I couldn’t sleep at night, and the arguments between Ryan and me grew more intense. I questioned him, asking why he claimed to love me but still had feelings for someone else. He accused me of being unreasonable and making things up. As the fights escalated, Ryan started working late just to avoid coming home. It wasn’t until I sought help from a therapist that I realized I still loved Ryan, this man who had been such a huge part of my youth. So I called him and asked him to come home. That night, he rushed back, embracing me as if he never wanted to let go. He promised he would transfer Claire to another city and focus on our marriage from then on. It was around that time I went for a check-up, planning to start preparing for a baby. Later, the doctor told me they had found a matching kidney donor. The donor wished to remain anonymous and didn’t want to reveal their identity. I understood. But I never imagined that person would be Claire. The day after my surgery, Ryan sat by my bedside with red eyes and told me we owed Claire a huge debt. From that point on, he showered her with care and attention. I couldn’t show any dissatisfaction. If I did, I’d be seen as ungrateful—a heartless woman. I could only watch as Claire slowly took Ryan away from me. I was powerless to stop it. In the end, I wasted away from the stress. When I died, Ryan stayed by Claire’s side, refusing to leave her for a moment. This time, I’ve chosen to let them be. To free myself. 2 I had lived in the Downtown Loft for two years, and packing took three suitcases. I sat on the couch, waiting. By 11 PM, Ryan still hadn’t come home. I called him. He answered almost immediately. But on the other end, it was Claire’s voice, “Mrs. Carter, is there something you need from Mr. Carter? He’s exhausted from back-to-back meetings and fell asleep at the office.” Claire had just undergone the kidney transplant surgery in Chicago—I knew that. But I didn’t expect her to head straight to Ryan’s office after getting off the operating table. She really did love him. I spoke calmly, “It’s nothing important. Just let him know when he wakes up.” “I’ve left the divorce papers on the dining table. Tell him to sign them when he has the time.” Claire gasped in shock on the other end of the line, her excitement barely concealed. Before she could say anything else, I hung up. I moved back to my Gold Coast Apartment, the one I’d bought before we were married. I thought Ryan would come looking for me, or at the very least call to discuss the divorce. But, as it turned out, I was overthinking it. There was no word from him. His phone had even been turned off. With no other choice, I went to his office. To my surprise, the receptionist informed me that Ryan had been in a car accident three days ago. His phone had been smashed, and he hadn’t had a chance to replace it. He had just undergone surgery and was now out of danger. My first reaction wasn’t worry, but amusement. I had been diagnosed with kidney failure and hadn’t told him. He got into a car accident, and I didn’t know. This marriage had clearly run its course. I drove to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and sure enough, I ran into Claire outside the Private Suite. She was dressed casually, with perfectly applied makeup, radiating friendliness. I glanced toward the hospital room, “Is Ryan not here?” “Mr. Carter’s getting some tests done. He should be back in about an hour.” Claire’s expression turned cold as she closed the door to the suite. “Why don’t you head home?” Her disdain for me was clear. I smirked. “Claire, you can play the part of Mrs. Carter all you want after the divorce. But right now, you’re still not qualified.” Claire frowned, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “Is that all you’ve got?” She paused for a moment, then smirked, bragging, “Did you know, when Ryan was unconscious and being rushed to the hospital, he was calling out my name the entire time? That’s why the hospital called me and not you, Mrs. Carter.” She bit hard on the words “Mrs. Carter,” her tone heavy with ridicule. In the past, hearing this would have sent me into a rage. But after all the arguments and silent treatments, I no longer cared. I was dying anyway—what did it matter what she said? I remained calm, pulled out the divorce papers from my bag, and handed them to her, “In that case, could you give this to your Mr. Carter? Have him sign and return them when he gets the chance.” As I spoke, I watched Claire’s face change. She grabbed my wrist, trying to make me slap her with the papers. The divorce papers scattered everywhere, and Claire turned her head to the side, dramatically covering her face with her hand, feigning pain. I winced from the sharp pain in my wrist, sucking in a breath. Before I could react, Ryan’s cold, angry voice came from behind, “Apologize.” 3 Ryan stormed over and immediately pulled Claire behind him, shielding her. Claire shot me a triumphant smile. She was claiming her territory. I could feel my blood boiling. I didn’t care who Ryan wanted to protect, but if Claire thought she could openly frame me, she was mistaken! I coldly bent down to pick up the divorce papers, walked right up to Claire, and slapped them against her face again. Ryan moved to stop me, but it was too late. I glared at Claire fiercely: “See it clearly? Next time you try to frame me, at least make it convincing!” Claire’s face flushed red on one side. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked pitifully at Ryan. “Ryan, I didn’t…” Ryan’s brow furrowed deeply, and he pulled Claire even further behind him. His eyes pierced through me: “Can you leave her out of this? Why are you acting like a lunatic?” “I’ve heard this a thousand times before,” I replied calmly, unfazed. “If you don’t want your assistant to be hurt again, just sign the divorce papers.” Ryan’s face was tense with anger, but after a moment, he turned to Claire with a professional tone: “Sorry, my wife didn’t mean it. Consider this a workplace injury. Keep your receipts, and the company will reimburse you.” “You’ve worked hard these past few days. You can head home now.” “Thank you, Mr. Carter.” Claire gave a soft, grateful reply before gathering her things and leaving the room. Once she was gone, I followed Ryan into the suite. The moment we stepped inside, he pulled me into his arms, burying his face in my neck: “Nina, don’t you have any compassion? That night, I woke up to see you had been calling me repeatedly, saying you wanted a divorce. I panicked, speeding home, and ended up in the car accident.” “And now you don’t even visit me in the hospital. You still want to go through with the divorce.” His voice broke as he clung to me like a lost puppy: “Nina, please, have mercy on me.” 4 I should feel pity for him, right? But who pities me? And fine, if he wants to blame me for the car accident, I’ll accept it. But what did he mean by saying I didn’t come to the hospital because I was being difficult? My blood started to boil. Ryan, however, ignored my growing frustration and leaned in, trying to kiss me. Suddenly, an image of Claire in his arms from my previous life flashed through my mind. Disgust churned inside me, and I pushed him away violently. I ran to the bathroom and vomited, my body shaking with revulsion. When I came back out, Ryan’s face had turned icy cold. “Nina, do I disgust you that much? You can’t even pretend for a moment!” “If you need someone, go find your precious Claire,” I shot back, my voice as cold as his. “She’s sweet and considerate—everything I’m not, right?” I cut him off before he could respond, thrusting the divorce papers at him again. “Just sign the papers. The sooner, the better.” Ryan was at a loss for words, his anger barely contained. After a tense silence, he forced himself to explain, his voice tight with frustration: “I’ve told you a thousand times, Claire is just an employee. There’s nothing between us, Nina. Why can’t you believe me?” I looked up at him, eyes blazing, and his tone softened in response. “Nina, I’m recovering from an accident here,” he pleaded, reaching out for my hand. I instinctively pulled away. He took a deep breath, his frustration visible, but he still knelt in front of me, trying to calm me down. His eyes were full of sincerity. I stared at him, a bitter feeling rising in my chest. In my past life, he had apologized countless times for Claire, explaining himself and asking for forgiveness. And every single time, I had forgiven him. But what did I get in return? Every time Claire and I clashed, he took her side, standing against me. As a woman, I saw through Claire’s games clearly. I knew exactly what she was doing. But Ryan always thought I was the one being unreasonable, that I was the one stirring up trouble. This wouldn’t change, no matter how many lives I lived. I was exhausted. “Ryan, let’s just stop this.” “Three days from now, I’ll be waiting at the Cook County Clerk’s Office. If you don’t show up, I’ll have no choice but to take legal action.” I didn’t want to die being labeled as “Ryan Carter’s tragic widow.” Without another word, I turned and walked out. Behind me, I heard his voice crack, filled with frustration and vulnerability: “Nina, why are you always so rash? Do you know how unfair you’re being to me?” I had never heard him sound so fragile before. 5 Three days passed, and I stood outside the Cook County Clerk’s Office, but Ryan never showed. I called my lawyer immediately and initiated divorce proceedings. My health was deteriorating fast, and I couldn’t afford to wait any longer. That afternoon, after returning from the hospital, I found Ryan standing angrily outside my Gold Coast Apartment. His lips were pressed into a tight line, his entire posture radiating tension. Claire was standing behind him, her eyes red and swollen, the clear imprint of five fingers on her pale cheek. When she saw me, she instinctively shrank back, as if afraid I might hit her again. I raised my eyebrows, annoyed. “Really? Trying this trick again? Didn’t get enough the last time, huh?” “Nina, enough!” Ryan exploded, shouting at me with a mix of fury and disappointment. “You’ve crossed the line—vandalizing my car, hiring people to harass me, hitting Claire? Do you realize you’re breaking the law?” He started listing my supposed offenses, as if I were some criminal mastermind. Honestly, if he and Claire hadn’t shown up at my door, I wouldn’t even have known I’d committed so many “crimes.” I opened my mouth to throw back a snarky remark, but Claire beat me to it, interrupting in tears: “Mrs. Carter, Ryan and I are only work colleagues.” “I come from a difficult family background. I worked hard, studied hard, and finally managed to make something of myself. I don’t want to go back home.” “I’ll resign if it helps. Please, just let me go.” As she spoke, she started to kneel down in front of me, but Ryan pulled her up quickly, his face burning with anger as he turned to me. “Look at what you’ve reduced her to. Is this what you wanted?” He stood there, looking at me with the same disappointed, angry eyes I’d seen countless times before. It was as if I was back in my previous life, being endlessly blamed for things that weren’t my fault. And once again, Claire played the victim perfectly. I had seen this too many times. Claire’s innocent act was something Ryan never seemed to see through. My body was already wracked with pain, and now, my anger added to the suffering, tightening my chest. I glared at both of them, my voice sharp. “You two come here, invade my space, then ask me if I’m satisfied? Ryan, are you out of your mind?” “If you really believe I did all this, call the cops. Let the law deal with me.” “But stop pretending you’re on some moral high ground, looking down on me. It’s disgusting!” I gasped for breath as the pain wracked my body, but I managed to give them a final ultimatum: “Now, get out of my home before I call the police myself.” Ryan looked like he had more to say, but Claire gently tugged on his sleeve, urging him to let it go. With fury in his eyes, he turned to me, spitting out his final words: “Nina, don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. You’re just trying to push me into a corner so I’ll divorce you!” “Fine, divorce it is. I’ll do it. Let’s just say I loved the wrong person all these years.” He turned and stormed off. Claire followed, but not before casting me a smug, triumphant glance, like she had finally won. Tears welled up in my eyes, and my chest ached with frustration. How dare Ryan say that? The truth was, I was the one who had loved the wrong person all along. 6 That very night, Claire moved into the Downtown Loft that Ryan and I had shared. She even recorded a video and sent it to me. Every word she spoke in the video dripped with pride and smugness. Without a flicker of emotion, I took screenshots of her messages, packaged them neatly, and sent them to Ryan’s email. I scheduled them to go out two days later. Ryan and I had agreed to meet the next day to finalize our divorce. I planned to sever all ties with him before showing him Claire’s true colors. I wanted him to regret it, to suffer. He owed me that much.

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After a month of continuous overtime, my dark circles were worse than a raccoon’s. I finally managed to complete the project successfully. I was eagerly waiting for a promotion and a raise. The manager called me into his office. “Flora, you’ve been doing great lately. Keep up the good work.” I nodded frantically, waiting for more. ? Silence. I waited a bit longer, still silence. “Is that all?” I asked. The manager seemed to snap out of a trance. “Oh right, I almost forgot the main thing.” I knew it. How could there just be verbal praise? “Here are the materials for the new project. You’ll be in charge again. Try to wrap it up in a month.” Looking at the pile of documents half a foot high, I felt as sick as if I’d eaten something rotten. “Wasn’t I supposed to be promoted to supervisor after completing this project?” The manager got up from his chair and walked over to me, patting my shoulder. “Flora, you’re still young. You’ll have plenty of opportunities. Besides, this is just a small supervisor position. After you complete a few more projects, I’ll apply to headquarters for an exception to promote you to manager.” I didn’t buy his empty promises at all. “So who got it this time?” “Erin.” A newcomer who’d been here less than six months. “Leslie, what do you mean? You’re not promoting me but a newbie instead? Did you hit your head or something?” The manager wasn’t just my boss but also my boyfriend. He knew better than anyone how hard I’d worked for this promotion opportunity. Forget about holidays, I’d been working around the clock. “Leslie, you’d better give me an explanation, or no one’s going to have a good time.” Leslie’s face darkened. “Flora, this is the company. I’m your superior. Just follow orders.” Then his tone became more soothing. “Flora, I’m your boyfriend. How could I hurt you? I worked hard to get this project for you. You’ll get your rewards later, okay?” It’s always next time. “Stop making empty promises. I’m not falling for it.” When I returned to my desk with the documents, Erin was receiving congratulations from our colleagues. As soon as she saw me, she rushed over and hugged me. “Flora, I’m so sorry. I don’t know why the boss chose me. We all thought it would be you. You’re not mad at me, are you?” “I’ll go ask the manager right away if there’s been a mistake.” I pushed her away irritably. “Sure, why wait? Go ask him now.” Erin’s expression changed. She lowered her head and said nothing. After a while, she sent a message in the group chat saying she wanted to treat everyone to dinner. Instantly, the group chat was filled with congratulations. It was so annoying. “Flora, you’re coming, right? I want your blessing the most. If it weren’t for your constant help, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity.” “Everyone says you’re stupid and incompetent, but now it seems you’re quite smart. You know you don’t deserve it.” “Erin, weren’t you going to ask the manager? Why haven’t you gone yet? It turns out your gratitude to me was all fake.” I deliberately softened my tone, sounding pitiful. Erin stood across from me, speechless, her face awkward. She really thought everyone would fall for her fake act. How ridiculous.

In the evening, Erin treated our department to dinner at a restaurant that cost $50 per person. She was really generous. With good food, everyone was naturally happy. Only I was out of place. “Flora, it’s all in the past now. Don’t act like everyone owes you something.” I rolled my eyes at Leslie. “My salary this month is incorrect. I didn’t get the project bonus.” Leslie turned away, pretending not to hear. I felt a sense of unease rising in my heart. I pulled Leslie over. “The project bonus was $3,000. Why didn’t I receive a penny?” Seeing that I wouldn’t let it go, he said, “The project is Erin’s, so naturally the bonus is hers too.” No wonder she was being so generous today. I lost the promotion, I can bear it. I lost the bonus, I can bear that too. But losing both the promotion and the bonus? I can’t take it! Leslie saw that I was angry and leaned in to whisper a warning in my ear. “Control yourself a bit. We’ll talk about this later.” I threw a glass of red wine in Leslie’s face. “Control myself? Screw you!” The previously lively private room suddenly fell silent. Everyone stared at us in confusion. Leslie struggled to contain his anger. “Haha, it’s nothing. Flora just lost her grip on the wine glass. Please, everyone, carry on.” Erin was the first to react. She quickly grabbed some napkins and started wiping the wine off Leslie’s face. “Flora, you’re a grown woman. How can you be so clumsy?” I used to think she was cute, having just graduated and with a baby face. Her soft-spoken manner made me instinctively want to take care of her more. Now I see I took care of her too well. Even my boyfriend is hers now. Just look at how intimate they are. If there’s nothing going on between them, I’ll eat my hat. Erin finished wiping Leslie’s face and was about to say something to me, but I spoke first. “Don’t yell at me. I’ve been afraid of dogs since I was little.” Leslie slammed the table and stood up, pointing at me. “Flora, when will you stop? Everyone’s here to celebrate Erin’s promotion. Don’t ruin everyone’s mood with your emotions.” Siding with an outsider against his girlfriend, Leslie really outdid himself. I busted my ass off, and now all my achievements have been stolen. I’m supposed to swallow my blood and tears and happily celebrate for the person who stole my bonus and position? My life is just as valuable as hers. I’m not happy today, so no one else gets to be happy either, especially Erin and Leslie. I knocked down Leslie’s hand pointing at me. “Your happiness is none of my business.” Then I turned to Erin, “No merit, no hard work. I don’t know what shady methods you used, but since you got it, keep your tail between your legs. Don’t act like you’re so capable. It’s disgusting.” Erin’s face turned red, unable to come up with a retort for a long time. She only knew how to play the victim. “Flora, I know you’re upset about not being chosen. You misunderstand me, but I don’t blame you.” Then she reddened her eyes, tears welling up, looking pitiful. Seeing this, several male colleagues began to criticize me. “Flora, you’re going too far. We’ve known Erin for so long. We know what kind of person she is. The company must have its reasons for choosing her.” Erin usually sweet-talks these guys, calling them “brother” this and that, acting cute. These men in the department just eat it up. “Yeah, you’re so generous. Since you completed the project, why don’t you give her the credit? I remember last month’s bonus was $2,000, right? Transfer it! Do it right in front of me! Let me learn what kind of reason it is.” I stood on the chair, looking down at the male colleague, holding his phone up to his eyes. The male colleague stood there woodenly, not speaking or taking the phone. “Use your brain before you open your mouth next time.” I turned to another male colleague who had criticized me. “I know you don’t speak well, but you don’t have to spew garbage with your mouth.” Seeing my increasingly arrogant attitude, Leslie put on his leadership act. “Flora, I order you to apologize to Erin right now.” “I’m not in customer service. I’m not good at apologizing for things that aren’t my fault.” After I finished speaking, Erin’s tears came pouring down. Even while crying, she didn’t forget to disgust me one more time. “I’m… sorry. It’s all my fault… for making everyone unhappy.” I didn’t forget to keep fanning the flames. “That’s right, it’s all your fault.” “Flora, if you don’t want to eat, just get out of here.” Who says I don’t want to eat? When someone else is paying, why wouldn’t I eat? Not only will I eat, but I’ll eat well. I called the waiter over to order more dishes. When he came in, his eyes darted frantically between us. After all, at our table, some people had iron-gray faces, some had black faces, some were in tears, and then there was me with a smile I couldn’t hide. Today, I offended a lot of people at this dinner without realizing it. Sorry, I’ll dare to do it again next time. You need to know that although I can’t make everyone happy, I can make everyone unhappy.

After venting my anger, I felt refreshed. I even slept more comfortably that night. In the morning, I was in such a good mood that I put on makeup before going to work. I had barely sat down at my desk when Leslie called me to his office. “Why didn’t you answer your phone last night?” I lazily sat on the sofa. “I don’t like listening to dogs bark.” “Flora, do you have to make things so tense over such a small matter?” Such a small matter?! This man is actually still my boyfriend. My mistake. I slapped Leslie across the face, then grabbed his hair with both hands. Leslie bent over in pain, and I took the opportunity to kick him twice. “A small matter? I work my ass off every day not for money, am I here to pray? You give my bonus to another woman, and you have the nerve to tell me it’s a small matter.” “Leslie, you seem to have forgotten one thing: there are no small matters when it comes to your girlfriend.” With that, I let go of Leslie and gave him one last kick in the stomach. Leslie roared in pain. “Flora, we’re done.” “If we’re done, I’m the one dumping you. You and Erin have been hooking up for a while, haven’t you? You two do look more compatible than us. Cupid’s trash sorting seems quite on point.” Leslie dusted off his shirt. “I’ve had enough of you for a long time. You have no femininity, all you know is work all day.” “You’re not qualified to criticize me.” I rolled up my sleeves. Today, if I don’t beat Leslie into submission, my name isn’t Flora! “Leslie, I think you need a beating!” We started fighting in the office. Although as a woman I’m naturally at a disadvantage in terms of strength, I have long nails, I can scratch and pull hair, and I’m not afraid to bite. I’m quite fierce. Due to the commotion, colleagues came to check on us. Erin was the first to rush in. Seeing the nail marks and blood on Leslie’s face and neck. She spread her arms like an eagle protecting its chicks, standing in front of Leslie. “Flora, if you’re angry, take it out on me. Don’t hurt the innocent. Leslie is just following the rules.” You asked for it. Come at you it is. Just as I was about to act again, a female colleague I’m close with pulled me away. “Flora, you’ve beaten him and cursed him out. If you keep going, you’ll be the one who suffers. The manager is clearly paving the way for his girlfriend.” I looked at her in confusion. Has my secret relationship with Leslie been exposed? But is this how you pave the way for your girlfriend? “Erin doesn’t know how to do anything. If she hadn’t latched onto Leslie, she would have been fired long ago.” “When did you find out they were together?” Seeing my confusion, the female colleague looked shocked. “They’ve been subtly flaunting their relationship on social media for almost a month. Don’t tell me you didn’t know?” Very good. I, the official girlfriend, only found out yesterday. Now I just want to transform into a monkey in the park and slap both of them.

My colleague and I opened Erin’s social media at the same time. On my end, only two posts were visible: one was about working overtime last month, and the other was yesterday’s, with a picture of the HR appointment and text thanking the company and colleagues for their trust. But on my colleague’s end, there were over a dozen posts. [Text: Someone said dining with me should be at a romantic place. Picture: An atmospheric French fine dining restaurant.] Looking at the date, I was working overtime writing the proposal at that time. This restaurant is a popular spot for couples online. I had mentioned it to Leslie before, but he said these trendy places were overpriced and not worth it. In the end, we ate hotpot downstairs. [Text: Collecting moments of accessible heartbeats. Picture: A photo of them making heart shapes at an art exhibition.] Although only one hand is visible, the watch on Leslie’s wrist is the one I gave him. Looking at the date, that day I was at the company revising the proposal. Leslie said it still wasn’t good enough. [Text: Just one look, and someone bought it right away. Picture: The latest iPhone model.] Looking at the date, Leslie gave it to Erin the day after I gave it to him. At the time, he had hinted that his phone was broken but he couldn’t afford a new one. I had just gotten paid, so I bought it right away. When I saw he wasn’t using it, I asked about it. He said it was stolen when he went out. He felt very guilty about it, and I was planning to buy another one when I got the bonus this time. For the first time in my 25 years of life, I doubted my own intelligence. Girls, spending money on men will bring you bad luck for eight lifetimes. Looking through the posts one by one, my fists were clenched tighter than a fish-killing knife. At this moment, I wanted to transform into an octopus so I could slap Leslie and Erin eight times at once. Just as I was thinking this, Erin returned to her desk. When our eyes met, she glared at me fiercely. I used to think this young girl was quite cute, but now I realize she’s actually quite ugly. Especially when I saw the phone she put on her desk. That phone was bought with my money! My money! Money! I can’t take it anymore! I snatched the phone from Erin’s desk and stormed into Leslie’s office again. Seeing me, Leslie’s eyes visibly showed fear. I handed the phone to his desk. “I found the stolen phone. Let’s call the police.” Before Leslie could speak, Erin, who had followed me in, questioned me first. “Flora, why did you grab my phone?” “Leslie said you stole his phone. He’s going to report it to the police.” “What are you talking about? This is my phone.” Leslie lowered his head, not daring to speak.

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