Author: Momo Chan

After a Business Marriage, I Got a 4-Year-Old Son Before meeting my son, I was complaining non-stop. I imagined I’d live a “miserable” life with a husband who ignored me and a stepson who pretended I didn’t exist. But when I saw the little cutie calling me “Mom” while nervously tugging at my clothes, I surrendered instantly. I even asked my husband, “If we divorce, can I keep our son?” A certain man: “???” When my company ran into trouble, my father didn’t hesitate to arrange a business marriage for me with a business tycoon who already had a son. Of course, I was perfectly fine with this arrangement. After all, I was a firm believer in staying single. If he already had a son, I wouldn’t have to worry about having children in the future. Moreover, the guy was a workaholic who had no time to spend with his son. The child was mostly taken care of by a nanny. I figured I could just coast through life from now on. My husband was a CEO after all, and I wouldn’t even have to raise the kid. The wedding ceremony wasn’t lively. It was a simple, small wedding with few attendees. Of course, I didn’t see the child either. True to his workaholic nature, my husband went straight to the office as soon as the wedding was over. As he was leaving, he said, “The company’s busy, so I won’t be home for the next few days.” “Samuel’s already at home. You should go back and get to know him later.” Samuel Quinn, that’s the name of my stepson. My parents divorced, and I had a distant relationship with my father. I didn’t take much from home when I left, just a necklace pendant.

“Mrs. Quinn, young master is waiting for you in the living room,” the housekeeper cheerfully informed me as soon as I entered. Ugh… giving me a hard time so soon? Well, I’ll deal with whatever comes my way! How scary can a kid be? But… Who’s this adorable little mochi sitting on the sofa?! So tiny! So cute! So soft! While I was still in a daze, the little mochi walked up to me. Then in his baby voice, he said: “Mrs…. Auntie, this is… a gift… Sam prepared… for Auntie.” It was a pink teddy bear. Even though the teddy bear was bigger than him, he was still trying his best to hand it to me. Despite this being our first meeting, he was incredibly friendly towards me. I was so touched that I quickly took the teddy bear and crouched down, holding his chubby little hands. “Wow! Thank you, baby! I love it! Your name is Sam, right? I’m your mom, you know. There’s no need to be so formal. We’re family now, you can call me Mom.” Wow! So adorable! I want to hug him! That good-for-nothing husband of mine is truly heartless, neglecting my son like this. My poor baby! That’s right, from now on, he’s my own son! The little mochi seemed surprised by my words. His tiny body trembled, and his fair face turned bright red. He nervously clutched at his clothes and timidly called out: “Mo…Mom?” After saying this, he shyly lowered his head, occasionally stealing glances at me. Oh my god! Forget about the dad, the son is mine now!! I cleared my throat and solemnly responded with an “Mm-hmm.” Then I turned to the housekeeper who had been standing nearby and said, “I’ll take care of the child from now on. You can go about your business.” “Yes, Mrs. Quinn.” This feeling is simply amazing! I suppressed my inner joy and tried to act nonchalant as I gently picked up the little mochi. Then, with one arm holding the little mochi and the other carrying the teddy bear, I headed upstairs. I had visited a few times before the wedding, so I was quite familiar with the general layout of this six-story mansion, complete with three elevators and two small gardens. As expected of a tycoon, even the decor was grand. I took Sam to the room Alexander had prepared for me and placed the teddy bear next to the pillow. “Sam, I’m sorry I didn’t prepare a gift for you, but this necklace pendant is very important to me. Can you keep it safe for Mom?” “I’ll look at it every day,” he promised. I put it around his neck, and he looked very happy. “How about sleeping with Mom tonight, and then tomorrow Mom will take you to preschool? Is that okay?” I asked, trying to keep my voice soft and gentle. If my best friend saw me being this gentle, she might think I was possessed. “Okay,” came another soft reply. So cute. I was lost in my own thoughts and didn’t notice the momentary stiffness on the little mochi’s adorable face. That night. “…And so, the little fox and his mother lived happily ever after.” After finishing the story, I looked down at the sleeping Sam and gently put down the storybook. Just then… my phone suddenly rang. I was so startled that I almost dropped my phone, and I quickly hung up. Hearing Sam’s steady, even breathing, I finally let out a sigh of relief. I tiptoed out of the room and only called back when I was sure Sam couldn’t hear me. “Charlotte West, how dare you hang up on me!” the woman on the other end of the line shouted unhappily. “I was with my son just now. Besides, it’s my wedding night, for goodness’ sake. Why are you calling so late?” I said, exasperated. “Oh, please. Everyone knows your husband isn’t even home. He went straight to the office after the wedding.” “Wait! What did you just say? Son? Since when did you have a son?” The person on the other end was shocked. I frowned, “It’s my husband’s son, but now he’s my own son too.” It’s normal that she didn’t know. I only found out when I was told about marrying Alexander Quinn. Alexander had kept this child very well hidden. But now the news about the child has been made public. “And don’t be so loud,” I added. “Aren’t you the one who doesn’t like kids? I know you’re alone in that big house, so I came to comfort you,” Sarah said bluntly. How could I have known Sam would be so adorable? Although that’s what I thought, I didn’t say it out loud. “What’s up?” I asked instead. “You must come to the class reunion this Saturday. That little princess is coming too. Remember! Dress up beautifully and outshine her!” Just from her tone, I could tell how angry Sarah was. Her expression must be awful. I couldn’t help but laugh, trying to comfort her, “Come on, it’s been years. I’ve long forgotten about all that.” She just snorted, not saying anything more. After chatting briefly, we hung up. I stood by the fifth-floor window, staring at the sky lost in thought. Suddenly, I remembered the summer after high school graduation.

In high school, Sarah, Chloe, and I were very close friends. At a dinner gathering after the college entrance exam, the school heartthrob suddenly confessed to me. At that time, everyone was cheering and watching the excitement. I was annoyed by the commotion and rejected him outright. But what I didn’t know was that Chloe had liked that guy for a long time and had been chasing him privately. Because of my rejection, the heartthrob, feeling upset, immediately got together with Chloe. Everyone said she was able to be with the school heartthrob because of me. This way, our relationship became increasingly strained. I thought we wouldn’t see each other again after going to college. But what I didn’t expect was that even though we weren’t at the same university, she still came to spread rumors about me, always trying to make things difficult for me. However, she and the heartthrob didn’t stay together for long before he cheated on her. I heard that Chloe will also be attending the class reunion on Saturday. “Argh! So annoying!” I vented by ruffling my hair. But well. It’s been such a long time, maybe she’s forgotten about it all. Thinking this, I relaxed. For the next few days, I stayed at home every day to accompany Sam. Apart from picking up and dropping off the child every day, I worked on my design drafts. I’m a fashion designer for a well-known brand, and I won’t abandon my work just because I’m married. That would be too boring. Recently, because of Sam, I’ve been bursting with inspiration. It would be a shame not to design something!

On Saturday morning, I watched Sam quietly playing with building blocks, and my face bloomed into a smile. But when I thought about the people I had to deal with in the afternoon, I couldn’t help but sigh. Why am I going to a class reunion instead of a parent-teacher conference? Noticing my mood wasn’t good, Sam looked at me worriedly. “Mom, are you unhappy?” I rubbed his chubby little face and said, “Mom has to go to a gathering this afternoon. Can Sam stay at home and play by himself?” After these few days together, Sam had become increasingly close to me. “Can Sam go too? Sam will be very good,” he said. Thinking about Chloe coming to the gathering, I refused Sam’s request. Those bright eyes immediately dimmed, “Okay, Sam will wait for Mom at home.” Great, now I feel guilty. It should be fine to take Sam along, right? I’ll keep an eye on him. If I leave him alone at home, wouldn’t I be just like his dad? “You can go, Sam. Will you accompany Mom?” I asked. “Okay~” Seeing those eyes brighten again, I breathed a sigh of relief. But why do I feel like I’ve been tricked somehow? The gathering was in a private room. When we arrived, it had already started. “Isn’t this the goddess Charlotte? Why so late? Come quick, we’ve been waiting for you.” As soon as we entered, we were noticed. So much for quietly staying in a corner. I smiled and greeted everyone, then saw Sarah waving at me. I took Sam’s hand and walked over. At this point, everyone else stopped what they were doing. “The goddess is here. And this child is…?” someone asked. I sat down and lifted Sam onto my lap. Frowning at the bottles of alcohol on the table, I spoke softly, “My son.” Then I turned to a nearby waiter and asked quietly, “Do you have any drinks here suitable for children?” “Yes, of course.” After settling Sam, I looked at Sarah, “Stop staring like that, you’re scaring my son.” Sarah grinned, “Your son is so cute. Does he need a godmother?” She looked mischievous. “Get lost,” I said, giving her a look of disdain. Then we chatted while eating. After a while, a strong scent of perfume wafted over. The next second, Sam sneezed. At the same time, a familiar voice rang out, “Charlotte, I heard you recently married a man with a child. Are you that desperate? You’re not… ” She didn’t finish her sentence, but I knew what she meant. “Chloe, who are you trying to provoke with your sarcasm!” Sarah’s temper flared instantly, and she glared angrily at Chloe.

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Connor returned from fishing at sea, bringing back a beautiful mermaid. The woman had snow-white skin, her upper body bare, while her lower half shimmered with light blue scales. “Aria, after I skin her, I’ll make you a flowing celestial dress. How about that?” Connor said, grinning at his sister. But at night, I saw Connor forcing the mermaid to kneel before him, emitting strange and pleasurable sounds. It wasn’t until later that I suddenly discovered scales growing on my own body. Late at night, Connor returned from fishing, wearing a straw raincoat. He looked tired, but his eyes were bright. He dragged a sack behind him, smiling as he said, “Aria, we’re going to be rich.” I hurried forward to take it from him, but when I pulled the open sack, the heavy contents inside startled me. “Connor, did you catch a mermaid?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly. Our village was called Pearl Village, and it had a long-standing tradition of hunting mermaids. Every part of a mermaid was valuable. The fabric they wove was called mermaid silk, as light as floating moonlight, worth a thousand gold pieces per yard. The tears they shed were rare mermaid pearls, exclusively for royal use. The candles made from mermaid fat could burn for a thousand years without extinguishing. The skin and scales could be made into flowing celestial dresses, and even the bones could be used in medicine to cure all diseases. When my grandfather was alive, he was the best fisherman in the village, almost catching a mermaid every year. This skill was passed down to my father, and after my father became lame, it was passed on to Connor. However, as humans overfished, mermaids became increasingly rare. It had been five years since anyone had caught one. Our family’s fortunes had declined as a result. This was also why Connor, in his twenties, still hadn’t found a wife. The market price for mermaid products had been steadily rising, reaching the value of tens of thousands of gold pieces. The female mermaid Connor had caught was exceptionally beautiful. Although she was still unconscious, she had a pair of mesmerizing eyes, a willow-like waist, and an unusually full upper body. Her cherry-red lips opened and closed slightly. Her long hair clung to her snow-white skin, and her arms seemed cold, hugging her trembling bosom. Mermaids were known to weave their own silk, but this mermaid was completely naked when Connor brought her back, her skin covered in bruises. I wondered why such a beautiful mermaid wasn’t wearing clothes in the sea. Mom and Dad quickly rushed over when they heard the commotion. They were delighted to see the mermaid locked in the iron cage by Connor. They decided to skin her and render her fat into oil the next morning. “My good son, you’ve finally made something of yourself. Now our family’s fortunes will improve. You’ve truly brought honor to our family!” Mom exclaimed. But Connor hastily stopped them. “The mermaid I caught with my own hands, only I can decide when to dispose of her,” he said firmly. “Besides, she’s so thin. Even if we rendered her fat now, we wouldn’t get much. It’s better to collect some mermaid pearls first and fatten her up before skinning her. There’s no rush.” Mom and Dad looked at each other, finding his reasoning sound, and happily went back to sleep. Connor turned to me and said, “Aria, go to sleep now. When it’s time to kill this mermaid, I’ll skin her and make you a flowing celestial dress. How about that?” I shuddered, looking at the injured mermaid, and shook my head. “Connor, I don’t want a dress. As long as it can help improve our family’s life, that’s good enough.” That night, I curled up in my small thatched hut, unable to sleep. Suddenly, I had a strong urge to see the beautiful mermaid from earlier that day. So, I tiptoed to the barn where she was kept, only to find the iron cage empty. I was about to shout that the mermaid had escaped when I noticed the light still on in Connor’s room across the yard. I quietly walked over and heard strange sounds coming from inside.

“Mmph—” From the narrow, cramped room came the muffled sounds of a woman’s discomfort and the rattling of chains. Terrified, I peeked through the slightly ajar door. The mermaid was still completely naked. Female mermaids were generally smaller in stature, and she was almost buried in Connor’s large shadow. Connor had his back to the door, allowing the mermaid to kneel on the bed. The mermaid was in great pain, a chain around her neck, but it seemed as if something was blocking her mouth, only allowing her to make muffled groans. After about fifteen minutes, Connor finished. He narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, casually pinching the mermaid’s delicate body once more. “You’re truly a beauty. It’s a pity you don’t have legs. Almost perfect,” he murmured. I didn’t understand what Connor was doing, but I felt scared because the room was littered with mermaid pearls—they were the mermaid’s tears. The next day, Connor caught another mermaid in the same bay, and the whole family was overjoyed. However, this one wasn’t as lucky as the previous mermaid. Mom and Dad decided to kill him quickly to sell for money. This was a male mermaid, seemingly quite young, his scales not as shiny. That night, he was skinned and his tendons and bones were removed. His screams and struggles lasted half the night before Dad and Connor finally pinned him down, and he fell silent for good. “Aria, why are you just standing there? Come and help!” Dad called out, his forehead beaded with sweat, asking me to come in and help tend the fire. This was the first time I witnessed the slaughter of a mermaid, and the shock and fear were indescribable. Blood trickled out of the room, and the pungent smell of blood filled the air. Two eyeballs, empty and lifeless, had fallen to the ground, along with strangely shaped mermaid pearls. The male mermaid’s head was hung on the wall, like a victory banner. Chunks of mermaid meat with snow-white fat were cut into pieces. The fat layer was sliced off and thrown into a boiling pot to render into oil. Under Mom’s stirring, it quickly turned into a pot of pure white, smooth mermaid oil. A strange, sweet scent spread through the air, mixing with the smell of blood. Connor’s eyes narrowed in a smile, the freckles on either side of his nose twitching with excitement. “Aria, tonight we’ll have a mermaid feast. Mermaid meat is good for longevity, you know!” They busily prepared a table full of dishes made from mermaid meat. The plates were filled with white fat, and they devoured it like three gluttonous beasts. I lied about catching a cold and having no appetite, not eating a single bite. The next day, the villagers thought we were killing someone and even reported it to the authorities. When the officers came, Dad just packed some things and went to the magistrate’s office with them. Not only was he quickly released without charge, but he also brought back a box full of gold, silver, and jewels. He explained with a broad smile that he had sold them the mermaid skin and candles. Although they weren’t top quality, their rarity made them valuable. The rich and powerful in the city loved these things. I felt very uncomfortable, but Mom told me that Pearl Village had lived this way for thousands of years. Killing mermaids was no different from killing other fish, she said. That night, the mermaid locked in the barn let out a heart-wrenching cry. It turned out that the male mermaid Connor had killed that day was her younger brother. The mermaid stopped eating and drinking, heartbroken in her iron cage every day. Mom and Dad became anxious. If this continued, her scales and skin would be damaged, and naturally wouldn’t fetch a good price. Mom asked me to feed her. “You’re a young girl, the mermaid won’t be wary of you. Go and persuade her to eat something,” she said. I made food they liked with seaweed and scallops, arranged it nicely on a plate, and handed it to the mermaid in the cage. She still had her back to me, not saying a word. I tried to persuade her kindly, “You should eat something. If you starve yourself, my parents will only kill you sooner.” “I won’t eat your food,” she replied softly. I became anxious, “If you don’t eat, Connor says he’ll teach you a lesson. I’m being the gentlest here! You should think it through.” The mermaid finally turned her head, her bright, clear moon-blue eyes looking at me. In the next moment, she revealed a shocked expression. For some reason, that look made me very uncomfortable. “Fine, if you won’t eat, so be it,” I said, standing up. As I was about to turn and leave, a jade-like arm gently grabbed my hand. “Little girl,” the mermaid said softly.

“Would you like some candy?” she asked, opening her palm to reveal a translucent light red candy. In this small fishing village, candy was a rarity, something only rich people in the city could afford. Even I only got to eat rice candy that Connor bought back during festivals. Dad had told me that mermaids were best at bewitching people’s hearts. She was probably just trying to lure me because I was a child, using candy as bait. I shook my head. “Are you trying to escape? Don’t play any tricks. My parents won’t let you go.” The mermaid sighed. “I just saw you and remembered my younger sister back home. I’m a bit homesick, that’s all. If you don’t believe me, that’s fine.” My heart pounded. “I admit you are indeed very beautiful, but our family makes a living by catching mermaids. If we let you go, we won’t be able to maintain our livelihood,” I said, quickly adding, “But I’ll try my best to persuade Dad to just let you produce mermaid pearls and not harm you.” She regretfully put away the candy, saying that since I was so kind to her, she wanted to tell me a secret. I pretended to be angry, putting the plate on the ground with a huff. “What secret? Unless you eat properly, I won’t listen.” The mermaid obediently started eating. As she took small bites, she said: “Actually, this isn’t even the best candy.” “I know of a kind of candy made from moonlight grass. That’s truly a heavenly delicacy. The moonlight grass grows on the sandy beach under the moonlight. If you hold the stem in your mouth, it’s sweet and slightly cool, like seawater.” I fell silent. I had never seen moonlight grass. Mom and Dad said the seaside was dangerous, and because I was weak, they never allowed me to touch seawater. But the mermaid’s description of the sweetness aroused my intense curiosity. I had a sweet tooth, but candy was expensive, and given our poor family circumstances, I had never dared to hope for it. That night, I snuck out of the house and went to the beach. Sure enough, as the mermaid had said, it was full of moonlight grass with silvery-white leaves swaying. These plants, invisible during the day, quietly swayed on the beach in the silent night. As if possessed, I stepped forward, picked a blade of moonlight grass, and put the stem in my mouth. A strange, clear sweetness filled my mouth. It was so delicious that I forgot to spit it out and swallowed the sweet juice with a gulp. I hurriedly threw away the stem and ran back home. But that sweet taste lingered in my mind, growing stronger in my memory. The day after eating the moonlight grass, something terrifying happened. Because the next morning, I discovered that a small patch of skin on my wrist had started to grow scales. It was a small patch of light purple fish scales, shimmering with a beautiful blue-purple light, but it scared me to death. Mom and Dad rarely got angry with me, but thinking about how they looked on those rare occasions when they were angry, I became frightened. It must have been the mermaid’s doing. The moonlight grass was poisonous! When I angrily went to confront the mermaid in the iron cage, questioning why she had harmed me, she laughed coldly, as if she had expected this. “Silly girl, you were always a mermaid. We are the closest kin, yet you’ve been deceived by them and are even helping them do evil. Don’t you know that they’re raising you, and the next one they’ll skin and remove tendons from will be you…” I staggered back a few steps in shock, shaking my head continuously. “You’re lying!” I exclaimed. Mom and Dad treated mermaids like animals to be slaughtered, mercilessly removing their scales, skinning them, and removing their bones. Everyone praised our family for being kind-hearted. In this village where boys were favored over girls, most baby girls were drowned in chamber pots at birth. But my parents had picked me up and brought me home, raising me well with good food and care. I had Connor who doted on me and was never made to do hard work. I thought I was the happiest person in all of Pearl Village. How could I possibly be a mermaid?

I ran back to my room, using my wide sleeves to cover my wrist, hoping the poison would dissipate on its own. Passing through the main hall, I saw the mermaid’s head with empty eye sockets and the bloody fish tail hanging on the wall. I couldn’t help but shudder. In the evening, Connor came back drunk from the city. Since we had some money, he had been spending his days visiting brothels and gambling dens in the city. “I’ve lost all the money. Let that damn fish cry again, give me a pile of mermaid pearls, and I’ll definitely win it back tomorrow,” he muttered. At night, Connor went to torment the mermaid again. As usual, the room filled with sounds of pain and pleasure intertwined. This time it lasted for a full half hour. I heard Connor whipping the mermaid. I knew he was trying to make the mermaid cry to get more mermaid pearls. However, after Connor left, to my surprise, Dad also snuck into the barn while Mom was sound asleep. When he went in, his face was flushed red, and he was carrying an opium pipe. The mermaid’s cries became even more heart-wrenching. Her voice was filled with despair, and I broke out in goosebumps. I pressed my hand against my chest, feeling an inexplicable sadness wash over me. What was happening to me? The summer heat was stifling, and I had a habit of bathing before bed. Just after I finished my bath and was drying myself, I wiped a streak of red blood from between my legs. It turned out I had gotten my first period. I immediately felt relieved. Mom had said that girls would get their period when they came of age, and it was a sign of becoming a woman, so I was mentally prepared for this. The mermaid was indeed lying. Only human women would have periods. I was coming of age this year, and my body was developing well, but I was conservative and always used a chest binding to hide my growth. Now, standing in front of the bronze mirror, I removed those constricting bandages. My full, snow-white breasts could no longer be contained. At that moment, I suddenly noticed a face in the mirror, peering through the door crack. I let out a small cry, covering my chest with my hands. “Who’s there?” I called out. Connor pushed open the door and walked in, his smile deepening as his gaze roamed over me. “Don’t shout, it’s me. I came to get something,” he said, his eyes still examining my naked body up and down. “Connor, why didn’t you knock? You scared me,” I said, my face burning hot as our eyes met. Although Connor had bathed me and put me to bed since I was little, now that I was older, it felt inappropriate for a man and woman to be so close. “Aria has grown up. You’re almost a young woman now,” Connor said, leaving behind a meaningful comment as he retrieved what he came for and left. When Mom learned I had gotten my period, she was overjoyed. She even went to the market to buy a bolt of red silk, saying she would make me new clothes. But I couldn’t shake the strange feeling in my heart. I didn’t dare tell anyone about the scales growing on my wrist. That small patch of scales was like a thorn, pricking at my heart. One day, while washing dishes, I took the bowls to the backyard to clean. Unintentionally, I overheard Mom and Dad talking in the kitchen. They were both deliberately lowering their voices, but I still caught fragments of their conversation. I heard phrases like “in a month,” “conceive,” and “useless money-losing goods.” I widened my eyes in shock. “After ten years, it’s finally ready!” Dad exclaimed. “Aria will come of age in a month, and their marriage should be arranged. Now her body is plump and round, perfect as a vessel,” Mom said with a hint of pride in her voice. She paused for a moment, then added, “Her skin should be peeled off now.”

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I sponsored a poor student who was about to drop out, helping her complete college. But after I rejected her advances, she spread rumors that I wanted to keep her as a mistress. Suddenly, I found myself at the center of a storm, bombarded with countless insults. The prolonged depression left me disoriented, and I jumped from a window at school. Given a second chance at life, I vowed never to sponsor that ungrateful wretch again. When I opened my eyes again, a girl was standing before me, looking pitiful. I took a closer look – wasn’t this Mia Foster? What’s going on? How am I not dead? Checking the date on my phone, I realized I had truly been reborn. This time, I was determined not to repeat my past mistakes. “Professor?” Mia called out tentatively, noticing my prolonged silence. Her voice snapped me back to reality. “Yes, I’m listening. Please continue.” “I won’t be coming to school starting tomorrow. Mom says we can’t afford it anymore. Thank you for all your help these past few months.” As she finished, a few tears rolled down her cheeks. In my previous life, it was this pitiful appearance that moved me. Out of a sense of responsibility as a teacher, I had fully sponsored her tuition and living expenses. I had almost always granted her requests, just so she could focus on her studies and build a better life for herself through her own efforts. But she repaid my kindness with betrayal. After I rejected her subtle and not-so-subtle advances, she publicly spread rumors that I wanted to keep her as a mistress. I was left speechless and defenseless. Not only that, she wrote a long post questioning why I would sponsor her if I didn’t have ulterior motives. She argued that there were many students in need, so why specifically choose her if not for some hidden agenda? The rumors spread faster than I could have imagined. It got to the point where people would point and whisper whenever I went out. Some internet users even tracked down my family members. I was at a loss for words, and no one cared about the truth. They only chose to see what they wanted to see. After a long period of depression, I became disoriented. In an accident, I jumped from a school window, ending what should have been a bright life. Thinking about all this, I felt my blood run cold. The same thing absolutely could not happen a second time. “Alright then. If you and your parents have already decided, do as you see fit,” I replied. She looked stunned, seemingly shocked by my response. Seeing her still standing there, I spoke again, “Is there anything else? If not, you can go.” Watching her retreating figure, I let out a long sigh of relief. Finally, I had rid myself of this trouble.

The next day, however, Mia showed up for the 8 AM class. I frowned slightly. Hadn’t she said she was dropping out? Why was she still here? Though I had questions, I couldn’t ask them outright. “Professor, I’m not dropping out anymore. Tyler heard about my situation and offered to help me out a bit,” Mia explained. Tyler? I remembered him. He had been secretly in love with Mia for a long time. In my previous life, he had also played a role in stirring up trouble behind the scenes. Mia had timed it perfectly to fall into my arms, and before I could push her away, Tyler had quickly snapped a photo. With both witness and evidence, there was no way for me to clear my name, even if I jumped into the Yellow River. “Okay,” I replied briefly, then stood up to leave. But Mia reached out to stop me. I frowned in displeasure. “What is it?” “Tyler’s means are limited. He can only help with tuition. As for living expenses…” She trailed off without finishing her sentence. “You’re an adult now. There are many ways to earn money for living expenses. The school also has many work-study positions. If you need, I can help you apply for one,” I said. She bit her lip tightly, once again putting on a pitiful expression. “But those jobs are all so hard,” she complained. “I’ve given you options. If you can’t accept them, there’s nothing more I can do,” I replied firmly. She might as well have had “sponsor me” written on her forehead. “If there’s nothing important, please stop coming to me so often. There should be some distance maintained between teachers and students,” I added. Seeing that I remained cold and unresponsive to her hints, she could only leave reluctantly. As I watched her walk away, I couldn’t help but feel thoughtful. My instincts told me this wouldn’t be the end of things so easily.

The class monitor sent me a message. Mia hadn’t shown up for the 8 AM class today, and she wasn’t in her dorm either. No one could reach her. Hearing this, my mind went blank for a moment. What was she up to now? Not being able to contact a student is enough to drive any counselor crazy, let alone when it’s someone with ill intentions like her. As I was racking my brains, I suddenly remembered a place. I quickly pulled out the student registration form and found Mia’s home address. I then drove there as fast as I could. But Mia and her family weren’t there. As I was wondering where else Mia could have gone, I received a call from Nathan, another student. “Professor Carter, you need to come back quickly! Mia’s mother is here, crying and making a scene in the principal’s office.” Without further thought, I prepared to drive back. Just then, an elderly lady stopped me. “Are you the one who’s buying the Foster family’s house? They specifically asked me to keep an eye out for anyone coming to view the property. They said they’d be back soon.” I was taken aback. “Ma’am, I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m not here to view the property.” Perhaps my lack of knowledge sparked the lady’s gossipy nature, and she began to talk non-stop. “The Foster family is really lucky. Even such a run-down house has a buyer. They said it’s going to be some kind of livestreaming base? I don’t really understand, but apparently, they’re paying a lot. Soon, they’ll be living in a big house in the city.” So, the Foster family wasn’t as poor as they claimed? After briefly saying goodbye to the lady, I immediately drove back to school. As soon as I reached the building, I saw Mia’s mother coming out of the principal’s office with a satisfied smile. I didn’t approach her, instead hiding in the stairwell’s emergency exit. “See? If I hadn’t come to make a scene, the school wouldn’t have taken it seriously. Didn’t you say your counselor was a good person and would definitely sponsor you if he knew you couldn’t afford school?” I heard her say, followed by a cold snort. “I guess he’s not all that great. In the end, I had to come personally.” “Once we sell the old house, we can move to the city. Be careful not to let anything slip. We can save quite a bit if you don’t have to pay for tuition and living expenses for these four years of college. We should save where we can, okay?” “Okay,” Mia replied. So this whole family had come with a plan.

As soon as they left, I was called into the principal’s office. “Adam, what’s going on? How could you let a student’s parent come and make a scene at the school? The faculty evaluation is coming up soon. If this isn’t handled well, you can forget about any awards,” the principal scolded me as soon as I entered. The principal had always thought highly of me, and I knew he was saying this for my own good. “I understand, sir. I’ll handle this matter properly,” I assured him. “Sigh, it’s clearly just trouble-making on purpose. I’ve already said the school will do its utmost to help them. As for how to navigate this, that’s up to you now.” After nodding in acknowledgment, I left the office. I took out my phone and called Mia. “Come to Room 1201 in Building 3.” I chose this location because it was the only classroom with working surveillance cameras. Seeing Mia arrive late, I felt a surge of anger that I had to suppress, maintaining a calm exterior. “You know, you could apply for a student loan. If you don’t know how, I can ask other students to help you,” I suggested. Mia still appeared hesitant and uncertain. “But student loans have to be repaid, don’t they?” she said. Hearing this, my tone became a bit more severe. “What do you mean? Are you saying you just want to get something for nothing?” “No, Professor Carter, it’s not that. It’s just that a loan of over $10,000… I feel a lot of pressure. I’m afraid I won’t be able to pay it back in the future,” she said, shedding a few tears again. These tears were almost becoming her signature move. I turned away angrily to calm myself, but then I noticed Tyler lurking suspiciously in the corner. Alright, it seemed the scene from my previous life was about to replay. This time, I’d let them experience what it means to reap what they sow. “Professor… could you sponsor me? I promise I’ll pay you back when I earn money in the future. I’ll always remember your kindness,” Mia pleaded. Inwardly, I thought, “Who wants you to remember it forever?” Seeing that I didn’t respond, she thought there was hope and continued. “If I don’t go to school, I’ll have to go back home and get married. I’m still so young, I don’t want to waste my life marrying just anyone, Professor.” I patiently advised her again. “You have many ways to earn money for school, but you insist on holding out your hand, waiting for others to help you. I’ve already promised to help you apply for student loans and work-study positions.” Seeing that I kept saying this, Mia’s expression became irritated. Then she took out a small knife from her pocket and forcefully cut her arm. It happened so quickly that I couldn’t react in time. I could only rush forward to grab her hand, preventing her from making another cut. At this moment, I saw Tyler taking photos from the corner of my eye. But I didn’t expose him. Instead, I quickly took Mia to the school infirmary. After an examination, there was nothing serious, just a superficial wound. When we were alone, Mia whispered to me. “Professor, I’ve already hinted very clearly. Are you really not going to sponsor me?” “That’s right,” I replied, my tone leaving no room for argument. “Fine,” she said, a meaningful smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.

On the third day, the school’s website exploded. An anonymous post quickly rose to the top of the campus forum’s hot topics. [Professor Adam Carter of Business English Class 2 attempted to take advantage of a female student under the guise of sponsorship. When the student strongly resisted, the professor became physical. To protect herself, the student cut her wrist. I believe this incident has an extremely negative impact and sincerely request the school to take this matter seriously, giving everyone a reasonable explanation and resolution.] A photo was attached to the post. I have to say, the angle of the shot was quite good. It was clearly me trying to stop Mia from cutting herself, but it was shot in a way that made it look like I was forcibly grabbing Mia. Moreover, neither the wound nor the knife was visible in the frame. With such talent, it would be a waste to stay in school. I didn’t need to look to know it was Tyler’s handiwork. As soon as I left the dormitory building, I was surrounded by students, unable to move. “Professor! Is what the post says true? You look so respectable, how could you do such a thing behind closed doors?” “You’re supposed to be a role model. Are you even fit to be a teacher?” Some students from my class also spoke up in my defense. “Professor Carter isn’t that kind of person. The truth hasn’t come out yet, what are you all making a fuss about!” “That’s right! You don’t know anything about the situation, yet you’re questioning the professor. Is that appropriate?” Neither side was willing to back down. There was even a tendency for things to escalate into a physical confrontation. In the end, it was the security guards who dispersed the crowd. The principal also quickly summoned me to his office. As soon as I entered, I was met with a barrage of scolding. “Adam! Didn’t I tell you to handle this properly? What’s all this commotion about now? It’s not just about the faculty evaluation anymore. What about the school’s reputation? Do you know how big an impact this will have?” “I understand, Principal. Trust me, I’m being framed,” I replied. “What good does it do if I believe you! Do others believe you? What you need to do now is not to convince me, but to provide evidence to silence everyone else.” After giving the principal a firm assurance, I was also ready to counterattack. Tyler had posted that message while connected to the campus network. I found a professional technician who traced the post to Tyler’s phone. I confronted Tyler in front of the entire school. “You took the photo, didn’t you? Since you took the photo, you must have seen the whole incident. So tell me, what exactly happened at that time?” Tyler straightened his neck and replied righteously. “Of course I saw it. Otherwise, how could I have posted that message? I just can’t stand your hypocrisy.” “When you speak, you need evidence. You have to be responsible for what you say,” I pressed. Seeing that I was pushing too hard, Tyler showed a hesitant expression. But suddenly, Mia appeared at the bottom of the podium. “Professor Carter, don’t be hard on Tyler. He was just being too righteous. I can let bygones be bygones, so please stop intimidating him.”

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One Year After Marriage, I Got Pregnant My husband treated me like a princess. My in-laws even called me the Sanders family’s greatest contributor. I always thought I was lucky to have met such a kind family. Until an accident made me realize it was all a scam. Ever since I got pregnant, I’ve been sleeping a lot. Out of 24 hours a day, I could sleep for over 10 hours. I guess I drank too much water during the day, so I woke up in the middle of the night needing to use the bathroom. But when I turned on the light, I found that Lucas, who should have been sleeping in bed, wasn’t there. I tried calling out a few times, but there was no response in the room. I checked my phone and saw it was already past 1 AM. Where could Lucas have gone? Although it was strange, I didn’t think too much of it. After using the bathroom, I was ready to lie back down and continue sleeping. But because Lucas hadn’t returned, I felt uneasy and couldn’t sleep soundly. Later in the night, as I was drifting off, I suddenly felt the bed sink down on one side. At the same time, a sweet peach scent wafted around my nose. I instantly became alert, my heart skipping a beat. I had often read online that when wives are pregnant, it’s the peak time for husbands to cheat. Because wives can’t have sex during pregnancy, many men will seek it elsewhere. Could it be that Lucas went out to cheat? But then I thought, that can’t be right. Lucas isn’t a man who places great importance on sex. Even after we got married, our frequency wasn’t high. Or could it be something else? But how to explain the perfume smell on him? As I pondered these thoughts, I slowly drifted back to sleep, unable to resist my drowsiness. The next morning when I woke up, I asked Lucas why I didn’t see him when I woke up in the night. Lucas hesitated for a moment, then told me that a colleague urgently needed a document, so he went to deliver it overnight. Although Lucas’s explanation seemed fine, I still felt uneasy. So I started paying closer attention and noticed that Lucas had indeed been acting strange lately. For example, he’d been coming home later and later, and spending more and more time in the bathroom each time he returned. Although people say the bathroom is a man’s second home, he was spending an excessive amount of time in there. Most importantly, whenever I approached him, Lucas would quickly switch screens on his phone. Considering what happened before, I felt certain something fishy was going on. So, one time when Lucas went to shower without his phone, I secretly checked it, but found nothing. Could I have misunderstood him? But I still felt something was off, until one day Lucas told me he had to work overtime. When he came back, I smelled that peach scent on him again. It was faint, as if he had washed it off, but my sense of smell has always been sensitive, so I still detected it. This time I caught an opportunity, because he was still logged into WhatsApp on his computer. I clearly saw a pinned chat with someone named “Don’t Eat Bunny”. There were two messages. The first was from “Don’t Eat Bunny” saying: “I feel like I’m going crazy.” Lucas replied: “Hang in there a little longer, I’ll come see you after I get off work.” Just as I was about to scroll up to read more of the chat history, WhatsApp suddenly went offline. I knew Lucas must have done something on his phone. He’s always been cautious. This slip-up was probably because I’m in my third trimester and worried about computer radiation, so I never touch it. He must have forgotten to be wary of me. My mind was in chaos. Was Lucas cheating? Realizing this, tears suddenly fell from my eyes. I couldn’t describe how I felt, just a sour and bitter feeling, my heart aching terribly. This wasn’t the first time I’d encountered something like this. Ten years ago, my mother had faced the same situation. At that time, my dad had fallen for another woman outside and was determined to divorce my mom. My mom didn’t agree, so he just moved out to live elsewhere. In the end, the whole family was in turmoil. Later, when my mom really had no other choice, she agreed to the divorce. She only asked for my custody and made no other demands. When my dad found out, he was more than happy to agree. In the years since the divorce, my mom and I have relied on each other. Now I had finally gotten married, gotten pregnant, and my in-laws were good to me. I thought I would be one of the lucky ones, but it turned out to be all for nothing. Thinking back on how good Lucas had been to me, was it all fake?

I cried for an entire day, my eyes swollen like walnuts. When Lucas came home, this was the scene he saw. He froze for a moment and asked, “Honey, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” I pointed at the TV and said, “I just watched a sad drama. The female lead was so pitiful, it made me feel terrible. I just couldn’t hold back my tears.” Lucas let out a sigh of relief and came over to hold me in his arms. “Look at you being so emotional again. What’s on TV is all fake, you know. Only you girls like to watch that stuff. I brought you some peach pastries from that shop on the corner. Go wash your hands.” Lucas’s tone was extremely gentle, but I felt nothing but bitterness. If I hadn’t seen his chat messages this morning, I would never have believed he could be that kind of person. Just thinking about him doing those things with another woman made me feel nauseous and unable to eat. Lucas was puzzled why my morning sickness had suddenly become so severe. I just made up an excuse to brush him off. I realized I needed to make plans early. At the very least, I needed to find out who this other woman was. The next morning, Lucas left early for work. As soon as he left, I got ready and followed him to near his office. Ever since I got pregnant, Lucas had me quit my job. He said he earned enough for our family and didn’t want me to be mistreated by others outside. So I had plenty of free time now. I observed Lucas for several days but didn’t notice anything unusual. His schedule was very regular, just going between work and home. Anyone who saw would praise him for being a good husband. Until a week later, Lucas told me he would be working overtime very late. But I saw with my own eyes that he drove to a hotel. I waited for a long, long time outside the hotel, until I had almost lost all patience. Finally, Lucas came out, with a woman in a long dress by his side. The woman was very thin and pale, wearing a hat. Her arm was linked with Lucas’s, and they looked very intimate. A gust of wind blew the woman’s hair into disarray, and Lucas gently tucked her stray hairs behind her ear. That caring gesture made me tremble all over. Most importantly, I recognized that woman. When Lucas and I got married, that woman had sat in the audience, watching us without blinking. I thought she was strange at the time and had asked him about her. Lucas said her name was Iris Lee, his college classmate. She was a writer with rich emotions, so seeing our happiness had moved her. At the time, I was happy to toast her a drink. After she drank it, she cried, saying she hoped we would be happy in the future. Now I see, she wasn’t crying because she was blessing me, but because I was marrying Lucas. I don’t know most of Lucas’s friends, and he’s never taken me to any of his friends’ gatherings, so it’s unlikely I could find out anything from his friends.

Using a throwaway account, I found out her pen name from one of Lucas’s friends and searched for information about her online. Surprisingly, there was quite a bit of information about her online. She was actually a fairly well-known web novelist in the industry. She had written a total of five books, mostly romance novels about doting husbands. Her writing style was very delicate. Her most recent book was called “Traces of Youth” I opened it and took a look. It was about a love story between a young couple on a college campus. In her book, the female lead was a sensitive and delicate novelist, while the male lead came from a traditional family with both parents being civil servants. This matched Lucas’s family background exactly. After graduating from college, the girl and boy didn’t end up together due to opposition from the boy’s parents. She wrote in the book that although the two weren’t together, they still had each other in their hearts. Later, the man got married, but shortly after the marriage, his wife died in childbirth, leaving behind a child. The two came together again for various reasons. Somehow, I felt that this story was written about Iris and Lucas. I guess I was supposed to be that short-lived Mrs. Sanders who died early. Thinking about this made me feel sick. She portrayed herself as such a pure and innocent character, while I was the vicious supporting character who snatched someone else’s love. And in the end I died in childbirth. Just thinking about it was ridiculous. Following the book’s fan group, I finally discovered Iris’s alt account. This account recorded many things. The first post was from several years ago. She said her boyfriend treated her very well. After they moved in together, he never let her do any housework, never ate fruit with the skin on, always opened water bottles for her, let her go wherever she wanted, and always supported and understood her. The second post said they had broken up. Because she had poor health, was sickly, and had congenital heart disease so she couldn’t have children. But her boyfriend’s family was very traditional, and he was the only son, the only male heir for three generations. The third post said he got married. The last post said she got back together with her boyfriend, whom she referred to as “Mr. Sanders”. She said Mr. Sanders’s wife was pregnant, and he promised that after the child was born, he would divorce that woman and marry her. She said although she sometimes got jealous and would intentionally leave marks on his body, she would endure it, because the child in that woman’s belly was hers and Mr. Sanders’s. That woman’s child was being born for her, and would call her “mom” in the future. When I finished reading these messages, I couldn’t help but tremble all over, my heart sinking to rock bottom. I never dreamed that my marriage to Lucas was a scam from the very beginning. He had never loved me, and only treated me as a part of their roleplay. His usual care for me was only for the sake of the child in my belly. I’m afraid he had long planned that as soon as the child was born, he would find a reason to divorce me. Then he would take my child and marry his true love. Just thinking about this made me want to grind my teeth to pieces. I thought Lucas was the one who pulled me out of the abyss. I loved him and was willing to listen to anything he said. Now that I think about it, maybe my meeting with Lucas was a conspiracy from the start. At that time, Lucas and I were in the same company. I was an intern he was mentoring. Because my family background was poor since childhood, I always lacked confidence. I didn’t even dare to fight back when bullied at work. It was Lucas who always helped me. After a long time, I slowly fell in love with him. Later he confessed to me, and we got married soon after. Maybe from that time on, I was already Lucas’s prey. After all, I was just a timid girl from the countryside who didn’t dare to speak up even when treated unfairly. No one was more suitable to be a tool than me. But even a cornered rabbit will bite back. Even a mud figure has its limits. Did they think I was so easy to bully? Maybe they don’t know how miserably my dad is living with that other woman after betraying my mom and me. I was never a kind person to begin with. In this life, what I hate most is betrayal!

Because I suddenly learned too much at once, I fell ill. High fever of 39°C (102°F). “How did you suddenly get a fever?” Lucas was anxiously pacing back and forth. If I hadn’t already seen through his true nature, I might have been fooled again by that look of concern on his face. I said hoarsely to him: “Go get me some medicine.” Lucas looked very troubled, “Baby, pregnant women can’t take medicine. It’s not good for the child.” Sure enough, he only cared about the child in my belly. I closed my eyes and said nothing more. But Lucas was afraid I would really be harmed by the fever, so he kept using alcohol to wipe my body. It wasn’t until the next day that my fever finally broke. Lucas had stayed up all night too. The dark circles under his eyes made him look especially haggard. His voice was a bit hoarse, “Thank goodness, Zoe, you’re finally better.” “A friend just called me, I need to go out for a bit, but I’ll be right back.” “You rest well first, and I’ll bring back something good to eat when I return.” I watched coldly as Lucas took a shower, tidied himself up, and drove away. Meanwhile. I saw Iris complaining on her alt account about why pregnant women were so troublesome, always needing men to accompany them for everything, monopolizing her boyfriend. She said. Her boyfriend had accompanied that woman all night, so as compensation, he should spend the day with her. That would be fair. But what is fair? Even if they once made passionate vows, now I am Lucas’s wife, and she is at most a mistress. What right does she have to complain? I won’t let this mistress off the hook. And as the instigator, Lucas will face even worse consequences.

After Lucas left, I planned to get up and take a shower. However, just as I walked out of the bedroom door, my body felt weak from the fever. My legs were a bit wobbly, and I accidentally fell to the ground. Immediately after, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. It felt like something was flowing down between my legs. I quickly realized I might be going into premature labor. I supported myself to walk back to the bedroom and grab my phone to call Lucas, but after several attempts, I couldn’t get through. When I tried again, his phone was turned off. I could only call my mom. When I woke up again, I was already in the hospital. I had given birth to twins, a boy and a girl. The boy was the older one. Because it was premature, the babies’ health was a bit weak, so they were in incubators. By this time, Lucas and his parents had also rushed to the hospital. Lucas was like a child who had done something wrong, keeping his head down while trying to smooth things over with my mom. Because of my sudden condition, my mom was still upset about Lucas’s absence. She felt Lucas shouldn’t have left me alone at home during my late pregnancy, especially after I had a fever all night. Even if he had something extremely important to do, he shouldn’t have been unreachable by phone. If she hadn’t rushed over in time, it could have been fatal for both me and the babies. Of course, Lucas’s parents knew their son was in the wrong, so they scolded him for quite a while too. Lucas probably knew he was at fault, so he kept his head down the whole time. When he tried to come forward to apologize to me, I directly turned my head away and ignored him. His hair was a mess now, his face unshaven, clothes wrinkled. I sniffed carefully and could still smell a hint of perfume. Just looking at him made me feel disgusted. It was obvious what he had been doing when I was trying to call him. Lucas hurt me, and given enough time, I might forgive him. But he almost harmed my children, and that had crossed my bottom line. Anyway, in Lucas and both sets of parents’ eyes, I was just giving him the cold shoulder. This situation continued until I was discharged and returned home. Because they were worried about their lack of experience and potential conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, both sets of parents decided after discussion to directly hire two postpartum care workers, and have Lucas take care of me. This way, it might also help improve our relationship.

After a month of care from the postpartum nannies, my body was much better. The babies were growing well too. The boy was lively, the girl quiet. Both babies were chubby and adorable. To thank the nannies, I specially gave them each a big red envelope. During this time, Lucas had been working extra hard. As a new father, he wanted to spend 24 hours a day by the children’s side. Every day he would try to coax the not-yet-one-month-old babies to call him “Daddy”. Whenever I saw this scene, my heart would feel especially sour. If Lucas hadn’t cheated, how happy our life could have been. But I also knew I couldn’t be fooled by appearances. After all, that pair of scumbags was ready to kick me out at any time. I needed to use this time to take good care of my body and plan what to do next. Since the babies turned one month old, some of Lucas’s friends would occasionally come to visit. I didn’t mind this, after all, they came with good wishes. Until one day, Iris came. She was all smiles, carrying several gift bags. She said they were gifts for the babies. It seemed she hadn’t told Lucas she was coming, because from the moment he saw her, I clearly felt his whole body stiffen. This should be interesting. “Honey, hurry and take the fruit she’s carrying. It must be heavy,” I said coquettishly, linking my arm with Lucas’s, using a sickeningly sweet tone that even disgusted myself. Iris’s face froze for a moment when she heard this, but she quickly adjusted. She just said acidly, “You two have such a good relationship, it’s really enviable.” As she spoke, her eyes flitted towards Lucas several times. Lucas’s face became even more rigid. He walked to the bedroom stiffly. The way the two exchanged glances, they were afraid I wouldn’t notice their affair. Iris did seem to genuinely like children. I guess she’s probably thinking that soon she’ll be able to effortlessly become a mother, looking at my children as if they were already hers. When she heard my daughter’s name was “Zhen Zhen”, she even somewhat disapprovingly said she thought the name was too ordinary, without any creativity. I rolled my eyes. What right did she have to comment? Iris remained in a very excited state. After a while, she suddenly said: “IVF is really great, having a boy and girl at once. You don’t have to go through the pain twice.”

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My Daughter Was Switched. I gave birth to a girl, but when I woke up from sleep, she had been switched with a boy. My mother-in-law said I was hallucinating because I wanted a daughter so badly. My husband also said I was confused and seeing things. I suspect they conspired to switch my child. Right after I gave birth, the nurse was about to take the baby away, saying newborns needed to be placed in an incubator. I mustered my strength and asked her to bring the baby to me. The little one was chubby and white, with eyes still closed but long eyelashes. Her cheeks were rosy, making her look adorable. The little toe on her right foot was noticeably curved, a genetic trait in my family. My tense nerves finally relaxed at this moment. Soon after, I fell asleep. “What are we going to do? My grandson is so unlucky, suffering right after birth.” I was awakened by my mother-in-law, who said viciously: “Did you hide a genetic disease? The doctor says the baby has a congenital heart defect. Having you as a mother is the child’s greatest misfortune.” “Sell the house your mother left you immediately to treat the child. If that’s not enough, use your dowry money. No matter how much it costs, I will cure my precious grandson.” What grandson? I know my mother-in-law was eager for a grandson, but I definitely gave birth to a daughter! “Mom, you must be mistaken. I clearly gave birth to a girl.” My mother-in-law shouted loudly: “How could I be wrong? It’s clearly my precious grandson.” Saying this, she picked up the baby and unwrapped the blanket. I took one look and was shocked. The originally chubby, white, and rosy cute face had become wrinkled, dark, and thin. “This is not my child!” My mother-in-law glared at me fiercely. “Lily Moore, what nonsense are you talking about? The child came out of your womb. If it’s not yours, whose could it be?” “Mom, I clearly gave birth to a girl. I saw the baby as soon as she was born. There’s no way I could be mistaken.” My mother-in-law’s eyes rolled, and she gave me a contemptuous look: “The baby was put in an incubator right after birth. You passed out after giving birth. What you saw was just a dream!” “The baby I’m holding is your child. The doctor says he has a congenital hereditary heart defect. Our family doesn’t have this genetic disease, so it must be inherited from your side.” That’s not right. No one in our family has ever had heart disease, and I’m certain I gave birth to a girl. My mother-in-law was clearly lying earlier. Thinking back to how she and my husband wouldn’t let me check the baby’s gender, they might have been planning to switch my child all along. But what benefit would this bring her? My mother-in-law desperately wanted a grandson. She wouldn’t raise someone else’s child. So whose child is she holding? Where did my child go? Thinking of this, I suddenly felt a chill down my spine. If my daughter was sold to human traffickers, I would regret it for the rest of my life and live in pain forever. The situation was urgent. I needed to buy time for my daughter. Taking advantage of my mother-in-law’s inattention, I secretly sent a text to report to the police. If they really switched the babies, my husband couldn’t possibly not know about it. From now on, I couldn’t trust anyone. “Wah~ Wah~” The baby cried loudly from hunger. I looked down and saw how ugly this child was. He didn’t resemble me at all. Seeing that I had no intention of breastfeeding, my mother-in-law became anxious again and started scolding me. “Do you want the child to starve to death? I’ve never seen such a heartless mother. The child is crying from hunger, yet you can’t bring yourself to feed him.” Thinking that this child had taken my daughter’s place, and my daughter was now missing, I didn’t feel any pity for him at all. Seeing that I wasn’t moving, my mother-in-law came over to unbutton my clothes. Her grip was strong, leaving red marks on my chest. I was too weak now, with no strength in my body. As I saw the buttons about to be undone to my chest, I caught sight of a plastic cup on the table from the corner of my eye and grabbed it to throw at her. My mother-in-law was furious and embarrassed, raising her hand to hit me. Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open.

My husband, Chris Collins, came in carrying breakfast. His younger sister, Jessica Collins, followed behind. The two were chatting and laughing, looking very close. My mother-in-law immediately changed her demeanor. “Son, look at the kind of woman you married!” “She watches the child starve and refuses to feed him even a bit of milk. Isn’t this trying to starve my grandson to death?” “Oh my, how can there be such a heartless woman? In all my life, I’ve never seen a mother like this!” I have to say, my mother-in-law’s acting skills could be written into drama school textbooks. Just moments ago, she had a face that looked like she wanted to tear me apart. Now, in front of her son, she immediately put on an act of being wronged and kind. Before Chris could speak, Jessica became anxious: “Sister-in-law, do you despise this child because he has a heart defect? Do you think he’s a burden, so you won’t feed him?” “You’re really selfish to the extreme. Is there any mother in the world like you?” Jessica was quick to accuse me, preemptively labeling me as selfish. She had always been at odds with me. When I married Chris, she made a fuss about me not being good enough for her brother and didn’t want to let me into the family. Did her brother’s marriage need her approval? Later, at the wedding, Jessica damaged my wedding dress, nearly causing me public embarrassment and exposure. I never understood why she targeted me. Before she finished speaking, Chris tugged at her collar, signaling her to be quiet. I caught their little gestures, and past events flashed through my mind. I had a terrible suspicion. Could it be that Jessica and Chris had some improper relationship? Chris walked to my side and said: “Lily isn’t that kind of person. You must have misunderstood. Jessica has been under a lot of pressure preparing for exams this year. Honey, don’t take offense at her.” Chris was clearly speaking in Jessica’s favor. Speaking of exams, Jessica had been renting a place outside to prepare for the civil service exam, especially in the past few months when she hadn’t shown her face at all. Could it be that these past few months she wasn’t preparing for exams, but was pregnant? Jessica was an orphan adopted by my mother-in-law. Could the child’s congenital heart disease be inherited from her? Did Jessica despise this child for having a heart defect and pull a switch, wanting me to pay and care for her child? And my child, I don’t know where they sent her. I can only hope they still have a bit of conscience and that my daughter is still alive.

“Honey, although the child has a slight defect, he’s still our child. As long as we put our hearts into it, we can definitely raise him well.” “Why don’t you sell the house your mother left you? It’s just sitting there anyway. From now on, the child’s medical treatment, medication, and formula will all be high expenses. I also don’t want to lower your quality of life now that we have a child.” I have to say, this family has calculated well. Not only did they scheme to have me raise Jessica’s child, but they also want me to pay for the whole family’s food and drink. This greedy and vicious family wants to squeeze the last drop of blood from me! After knowing each other for three years and being married for five, I decided to give Chris one last chance. “Chris, do you believe me?” Chris smiled and said: “Of course I believe you.” Looking into Chris’s eyes, I said word by word: “This is not my child. I gave birth to a daughter. Someone switched the babies.” Chris was stunned for a moment, but quickly regained the smile on his face and held my hand, saying: “Honey, you must be too tired and seeing things. I was right there watching as soon as the baby was born. You gave birth to a son.” Although he acted very normal, I still noticed he was lying. When he lies, his eyes dart to the left, and his left hand unconsciously clenches. I’m now certain that the baby switch was planned by their whole family. I laughed lightly. “This child is not mine. I won’t feed him a drop of milk.” “I also won’t sell the house my parents left me to save a child who has no blood relation to me.” After saying this, I glanced provocatively at Jessica. As expected, she became agitated: “Lily, you’re not thinking straight. This child is the one you gave birth to. We saw the nurse bring him out of the delivery room with our own eyes.” “You’re really a vicious woman. You’re so cruel even to a newborn baby. Do you think you’re the only one with milk? Worst case, I can…” Before Jessica could finish, Chris interrupted her: “What nonsense are you talking, child? I know you feel sorry for your nephew and want to feed him formula, but let mom handle this kind of thing. You just focus on preparing for your exam and try to pass this year.” Watching Chris anxiously explain, I laughed coldly in my heart. What Jessica wanted to say was probably that she would breastfeed herself. She wouldn’t let her own child go hungry. Chris was afraid Jessica would let something slip in her anxiety, so he pulled her up to leave.

“Stop right there!” The two turned around together. Jessica rolled her eyes at me impatiently. Chris looked at me for a while, then revealed a knowing smile. “Honey, is it that you don’t want to be apart from me? I’ve heard women become especially clingy after giving birth. So it’s true!” “Or are you jealous? Don’t worry, I won’t let her sit in my passenger seat.” How nauseating. Please spare me. The police will be here soon. I don’t want to waste time on finding my daughter. However, to avoid alerting them, I put on a weak act: “Honey, I have no strength left. I can’t eat. Can you peel an apple for me? Don’t leave just yet.” Chris agreed, then took up a fruit knife and sat down next to me to peel an apple. He even wanted to feed me bite by bite. Meanwhile, Jessica lay down on another hospital bed to rest. She looked even weaker than me. My mother-in-law had just prepared some formula and was feeding the baby. Soon after, the police arrived.

A sharp-eyed middle-aged police officer in uniform walked in. As soon as they saw the police, all three became flustered, especially Mrs. Collins. Her eyes darted around, practically writing “I’m the criminal” on her face. “We just received a report. I’m the police officer in charge of this case. My name is Officer Thompson. Which of you is Mrs. Moore?” I raised my arm slightly and said: “Officer Thompson, I made the report.” “My child is missing. I suspect someone switched the babies.” Officer Thompson glanced at the baby in Mrs. Collins’s arms and asked: “Isn’t your child right here? Did you give birth to twins?” I hurriedly explained: “This is not my child. I gave birth to a chubby white girl. Her right little toe is slightly curved, which is hereditary in our family.” “When I woke up, I found this wasn’t my child. But my husband, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law are conspiring to deceive me, saying this boy with a congenital disease is my daughter.” “I suspect this boy’s birth mother is my sister-in-law. She’s been out of sight all year under the pretext of preparing for exams. I have reason to suspect she was pregnant. The reason she switched the babies is that she wants me to sell my house to treat her child’s illness.” “Jessica has always liked Chris. Their family united to deceive me. I’m sure her child is fathered by my husband.” I analyzed rationally, stating the crimes committed by this family. As soon as I finished speaking, Mrs. Collins flew into a rage and rushed over to pull my hair. “These are all slanders from you, you slut! My daughter is pure and innocent. She’s been focused on studying for exams this past year, without even a boyfriend. Do you think everyone is as promiscuous as you?” Before she could touch me, Officer Thompson quickly stopped her. “Stop! You dare to lay hands on a woman who just gave birth, in front of the police, no less. And she’s your daughter-in-law. Your behavior gives me reason to suspect your family switched the babies!” Mrs. Collins was so frightened she didn’t dare breathe loudly and immediately behaved herself. Chris anxiously tried to explain: “Officer, my mom just got a bit excited. My wife can’t accept that our child has a congenital heart defect. Plus, women tend to be emotionally unstable after giving birth. Don’t listen to her nonsense. This child is definitely hers.” Officer Thompson suddenly asked: “Your wife just gave birth, and you as a husband don’t seem to care at all.” As soon as he finished speaking, Chris’s face showed a hint of embarrassment.

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During my time studying abroad, my first love started dating my lookalike. On the day I returned home, she attended my welcome-back party with her current boyfriend. All our friends in the circle were waiting to see me make a fool of myself. I hadn’t prepared to be the butt of any jokes, but I did bring back a new girlfriend. On the day we broke up, Melody Quinn told me on SnapChat: “I’m sorry, Chase. I broke my promise. I don’t want to wait anymore.” At that time, I still had one year left to complete my studies. We had made it through the first three years, but our relationship fell apart in the final year. Her change of heart had shown signs early on. So I wasn’t too surprised. Suppressing the sourness in my heart, I replied to her: “It’s okay. Let’s just be friends then.” “Alright.” But later, I found out she had blocked me. A qualified ex should be like they’re dead to you. I didn’t blame her, and I blocked her in return. Just before I returned home, an old friend insisted on arranging a welcome-back party for me. They didn’t tell me that Melody Quinn and her new boyfriend would be there too. It was my buddy who couldn’t stand it and tipped me off. “Chase, don’t go! They’re all waiting to see you make a fool of yourself! Quinn’s current boyfriend is afraid she still has lingering feelings for you, so he’s insisting on doing this to publicly claim her in front of you.” I said nonchalantly: “Besides the two of them, there are others I know. It’s fine, I’ll just do them a favor and show up.” “Forget it, they’re all Quinn’s girlfriends. Ah! I happen to have something that day, otherwise I’d be there with you, and definitely wouldn’t let you be taken advantage of.” “Thanks for letting me know. If someone has set the stage expecting me to perform, how can I disappoint them? Don’t worry, I have a way to deal with this.” On the day I returned, I kept the appointment as scheduled. As soon as I stepped in when the waiter pushed open the door of the private room, I saw Melody Quinn sitting in the main seat. After more than a year apart, she still looked as composed and elegant as ever, with the air of an elite in a high position. Sitting beside her was a handsome man, who must be her boyfriend. Luke Carter, the new artist signed by Melody Quinn’s company. He looked about 80-90% similar to me. My heart tightened. I still remember two years ago when Melody Quinn sent me Luke Carter’s photo. She said: “A new talent came for an interview today, and it startled me. I thought you had secretly come back to surprise me.” At that time, Luke Carter looked even more like me than he does now. His hairstyle and dress style were exactly the same as mine. I didn’t take it too seriously then, and joked: “Could we be related by blood? I’d better go ask my dad.” Melody Quinn said: “Probably not. He’s from out of town, both his parents are alive, and he has a twin sister who doesn’t look like him.” “You even investigated him?” “Of course, we have to thoroughly understand the background of any new talent we sign.” Who would have thought that the substitute I didn’t take seriously back then would now rightfully take my place. Back to the present. Melody Quinn’s friend “Jenny Collins” stood up. “Welcome back our talented scholar, returning in glory…” She was in the middle of her opening remarks when her voice suddenly stopped. Everyone turned to look at the woman behind me. I calmly greeted them: “Long time no see, thank you all for still remembering me.” Jenny gave a dry laugh and asked curiously: “Chase, who’s this? Won’t you introduce us?” I stepped aside so they could get a better look. I introduced her casually: “This is Starr Simmons, my girlfriend.” When the words “my girlfriend” dropped, everyone present couldn’t hide their surprised expressions. Starr Simmons smiled, revealing two sweet dimples: “Good evening, everyone. I’m honored to be able to attend your gathering.” Starr Simmons was already stunningly beautiful, and when she smiled like that, you can imagine how devastating it was. The men present couldn’t take their eyes off her. A girl with long straight black hair said sourly: “Wow, Chase, your girlfriend is so beautiful!” The others immediately chimed in: “She’s almost too pretty. Miss Simmons, are you a celebrity or a model?” Before I could open my mouth, Starr Simmons immediately said sweetly: “Thank you for the compliment, you’re very beautiful too! Please, just call me Starr.” Not only was she gorgeous, but she was also good with words. The crowd that had been waiting to see me embarrassed now had their attention completely drawn by Starr Simmons. Even Luke Carter couldn’t help but sneak glances at Starr Simmons. Melody Quinn’s face clearly didn’t look good, and she said in a low voice: “Let’s all sit down and chat, don’t keep standing.”

After she spoke, the others finally restrained themselves. The waiter added an extra seat, and I sat intimately next to Starr Simmons. After sitting down, I introduced everyone at the table to Starr Simmons one by one. Originally, I was supposed to be the main character today, but everyone was asking Starr Simmons all sorts of questions. Starr Simmons had been studying abroad since middle school, so she was Westernized, outgoing, and the life of the party. I wasn’t worried about her being at a loss for words. The girl with long straight black hair teased me: “Chase, you really kept this under wraps, getting a new girlfriend without a sound.” This remark was a bit subtle, and some people couldn’t resist darting curious glances between me, Melody Quinn, and Luke Carter. I smiled casually and said: “Well, people have to look forward, don’t they?” Over there, Luke Carter suddenly rubbed his brow. Melody Quinn immediately asked with concern: “What’s wrong?” “I was filming a night scene yesterday, feeling a bit tired…” After saying this, Luke Carter forced himself to perk up and smiled: “I’m fine, I’ll just take a nap in the car later.” Melody Quinn said considerately: “Eat something quickly, then I’ll take you back to rest.” She urged everyone: “Let’s order quickly.” Someone teased: “Ms. Quinn is really a doting wife.” “With such a handsome boyfriend as Mr. Carter, who wouldn’t want to dote on him?” Luke Carter proudly put his arm around Melody Quinn’s shoulders and said modestly: “Don’t make fun of me, everyone…” Some meaningful glances fell on me, seeming to wait for my reaction. My heart felt bitter and sour, but I couldn’t show it. The girlfriend I had dated for many years was snatched away by a substitute for myself, and now they were showing affection in front of me. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t affected. There was a feeling of being defeated by a knockoff as the genuine article. Doting wife? Huh… The deep affection that was once invested in me could be so easily transferred to someone else. I don’t know if this is my tragedy or hers. Jenny Collins politely asked me to order, turning the menu on the lazy Susan towards me. I tried hard to keep my expression neutral and said very graciously: “I’m not familiar with this restaurant and don’t know what everyone likes to eat. Let me treat everyone today. Please order whatever you like.” Melody Quinn said coolly: “This restaurant is members-only. Just deduct it from my account.” I said “Oh” and politely replied: “Thank you, Ms. Quinn. Then I’ll host next time.” Starr Simmons took the menu without hesitation and asked me, leaning close to my ear: “Chase, what’s this fish maw and chicken soup?” “It’s a dish for beauty and nourishment. Do you want to try it?” “I’d like to taste it.” She pointed to other dishes on the menu and asked me about them. For the ones I knew, I answered carefully. When we were talking, our faces were almost touching. I couldn’t help but overhear two of Melody Quinn’s friends whispering together: “She must have hired her to act, right?” “Definitely, just to make Melody jealous…” “And here I thought he really had a new relationship.” “It’s sad to care so much about saving face.” They were speaking in the local dialect, which Starr Simmons probably couldn’t understand. Regardless of whether what they said was true or not, discussing me like this in front of my face showed they didn’t take me seriously at all. Melody Quinn must have heard it too. She had a meaningful smile on her lips and glanced at Starr Simmons with disdain in her eyes. Starr Simmons continued flipping through the menu, unconcerned. After seeing a sea cucumber soup, she said to one of the gossipy women: “Ms. Anderson, why don’t I order a sea cucumber soup for you?” Ms. Anderson said politely: “Thank you, but that’s too kind…” Starr Simmons smiled sweetly and said: “I noticed your eye bags are quite large, and there’s a grayish-black color around your mouth. You must be suffering from kidney deficiency. This sea cucumber soup would be perfect to nourish you.” No woman likes to be called ugly. Ms. Anderson’s face changed immediately. She quickly denied: “I don’t have…” Starr Simmons said with utter sincerity: “Your complexion is dull and oily, and your nose is red too. You must be having hormonal issues. It’s best to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor for treatment.”

Ms. Anderson looked extremely embarrassed but didn’t know how to retort. I said in a reproaching tone: “Starr, whether Ms. Anderson has kidney deficiency or not, she knows best herself. Don’t worry about it.” Starr Simmons immediately apologized: “I’m sorry, Ms. Anderson. I spoke too directly. You’re a big person, you won’t mind, right?” Could Ms. Anderson say she minded? She could only swallow her anger silently. The girl with long straight black hair, enjoying the drama, deliberately asked Starr Simmons: “Starr, can you read faces too? Why don’t you take a look at ours?” “Not really, it’s just that my grandfather was a traditional doctor, and I learned a bit when I was young…” Starr Simmons had barely finished being modest when she immediately turned her guns on the other gossipy woman from earlier: “For example, Ms. Parker, your eyebrows and eyelashes are very sparse, but your hair is very thick. At first glance, it’s obvious you’re wearing a wig.” Ms. Parker had been troubled by hair loss for years and had to wear a wig whenever she went out. This wasn’t a secret in our circle, but everyone pretended not to notice. Several people couldn’t help but laugh out loud, then quickly covered their mouths. Ms. Parker’s smile disappeared, and she said angrily: “What do you mean?” Starr Simmons continued to act surprised and said: “Oh? Did I say something wrong again? I’m sorry, I thought you were wearing a wig. I was going to say this wig looks so real, I wanted to buy one for my grandmother too. Sorry, so it’s not a wig?” Ms. Parker hated it most when people mentioned her wig, and Starr Simmons had said it three times. She was bound to be furious. Just as she was about to explode, I casually added in the local dialect: “It’s sad to care so much about saving face.” These were the exact words Ms. Parker had said earlier. She immediately deflated, swallowing her anger back down. Starr Simmons asked me innocently: “Chase, what did you just say?” I smiled and said: “Nothing, let’s just order our food.” The dishes arrived, and Starr Simmons and I acted as if we were at home, warmly encouraging everyone to eat more. Melody Quinn was over there considerately peeling shrimp for Luke Carter. I was over here considerately cutting steak for Starr Simmons. They showed their affection, and we showed ours. Everything was fine until someone who liked stirring up trouble couldn’t sit still. A woman said in a sarcastic tone: “My, how times have changed. Men are now doing women’s work.” She then praised Melody Quinn admiringly: “Our Melody is still so considerate.” Before Melody Quinn could respond, some of the other women couldn’t stand it anymore. Raven snorted coldly: “Listen to yourself. Are you looking for a girlfriend or a maid?” Another short-haired woman agreed: “So women are supposed to serve men, is that it?” The troublemaker instantly became the enemy of all the women present. She hurriedly tried to smooth things over: “I was just joking, don’t be so sensitive.” Starr Simmons chimed in with a grin: “In my family, it’s only natural for men to take care of women. My mom never has to peel her own shrimp, my dad always does it for her. Now my mom is almost fifty, and her hands are still soft and white.” As she was saying this, I quickly peeled a shrimp in three moves, even removing the vein. I put the shrimp in Starr Simmons’ bowl, and she thanked me with a smile. An uncomfortable expression flashed across Melody Quinn’s face. Even Luke Carter looked embarrassed. The meal went much more smoothly than I had expected. Even seeing my former lover being lovey-dovey with her new flame wasn’t as eye-catching anymore. On the way back, I gazed out the car window at the night scene, feeling somewhat lost. Starr Simmons asked coyly: “Chase, how did I do today?”

I smiled fondly and said: “You did great, even better than I had imagined.” “Of course, how could I let you lose face?” “By the way, you understand the local dialect?” I asked the question that had been on my mind. “Yes, I do.” Starr Simmons said proudly: “I know four languages and fifteen dialects. The local dialect, Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka… I know them all.” I sighed and said: “You really are talented. It’s a waste for you to be just an artist.” “That’s not true at all. Being an artist isn’t easy either.” That’s right, Starr Simmons is also an artist signed to my company. We were schoolmates. I studied economics, while she was in the art school. Starr Simmons has an outstanding appearance and a lively, outgoing personality. She was born with a strong desire to perform and was good at improvisation. She also had experience in stage plays. She often posted about her daily life on social media and became a minor internet celebrity abroad. Several talent agencies wanted to sign Starr Simmons, and she was also interested in entering the domestic entertainment industry. After inquiring around, Starr Simmons learned that one of my family’s businesses was a film investment company. So she took the initiative to come to me for help. My family’s company is an old name in the industry and rarely signs new artists. Most of our artists are professionally trained performers with solid skills. Although Starr Simmons had an impressive educational background, her experience was still limited, and she normally wouldn’t have qualified for recruitment. But I happened to need a skilled actress who was both talented and beautiful to accompany me back to meet Melody Quinn and the others. So we hit it off and reached a cooperation agreement. Starr Simmons said coyly: “If you need me to act again in the future, just say the word.” “Thank you, but you’d better focus on your work.” I put on a serious face: “I treat you the same as I treat other employees, and I hope you can stay with the company based on your own abilities.” “Yes, sir!” Starr Simmons saluted me. When I got home and had just lain down after a shower, my buddy “Tony” sent me a voice message: “I heard you brought a new girlfriend today? Wow! When did you start dating?” Even through the phone screen, I could imagine his excited, gossipy expression right now. I smiled bitterly and told him the truth about the situation. Tony said cheerfully: “So it was really just for show? Well, that’s not bad either. A handsome guy and a beautiful girl, if you spend enough time together, you might end up falling for each other for real.” I said helplessly: “I would never make a move on an employee. I don’t like mixing personal and professional matters. It affects the work atmosphere.” “That’s true. The power dynamic isn’t equal, it would feel weird. Just be careful she doesn’t have ulterior motives.” Tony changed the subject: “Jenny told me your little girlfriend was amazing, she put Melody Quinn’s group of girls in their place so badly they couldn’t find north. What a shame, I had something come up today, otherwise I would have gone to see your little girlfriend’s performance in person!” Jenny is that cool girl with long straight black hair. “She does have a sharp tongue, and she’s quick-witted…” As I was talking, a friend request notification popped up at the top of my phone screen: “Luke’s Babe is requesting to add you as a friend” I clicked in to take a look, and it turned out to be Luke Carter. My ex-girlfriend’s current boyfriend wants to add me as a friend? I was a bit confused. He added me through the contact card shared by Jenny Collins. I thought for a few seconds, and finally approved the verification. While I was busy with this, Tony asked me: “Bro, are you still there?” Me: “Still here. Luke Carter added me as a friend.” Tony: “【Shocked emoji】What does this guy want?” Me: “I don’t know, maybe he has something to ask me?” Tony: “So dramatic.” Not long after I approved Luke Carter, he sent me a greeting message. I also politely replied with a 【Hello emoji】. Then he sent me a video clip. Although the lighting in the video was very dim, you could still make out that it was Melody Quinn topless. She was facing away from the camera, and half of the muscular arm of the person filming was visible. From the looks of it, this person was also naked. I realized what this was and immediately felt disgusted, like I had swallowed a fly. Luke Carter: “Melody likes to curl up in a ball when she sleeps, like a little cat, so cute…”

Tony wasn’t wrong, he really is quite dramatic. I didn’t know how to play along with his performance, so I simply exited the chat window. Out of sight, out of mind. Tony was still asking me: “What did he add you for? Did he say anything to you?” I was very frustrated as I screen-recorded Luke Carter’s video and chat and sent it to Tony. After seeing it, Tony sent a bunch of — 【WTF】, 【I’ve never seen such a shameless person】, 【Assholes are everywhere】 and other emoji stickers. Me: “I want to delete him.” Tony: “Don’t! Otherwise he’ll think you’re scared! Keep him there, let’s see what other tricks he tries to pull! Luke Carter is being blacklisted, and he’s not giving up. He goes to Melody Quinn’s company every day to wait for her. It’s so dramatic!” I sighed: “When I saw them together today, I was still quite sad. Melody Quinn giving me up for this kind of guy, now I see things clearly. Thanks to Luke Carter for letting me see Melody Quinn’s true colors.” Tony: “You’re right, the righteous need not fear a crooked shadow. They brought this on themselves!” I sent a 【I’m so calm it’s scary】 capybara sticker. Me: “Alright, alright, don’t get angry over people who aren’t worth it.” I never replied to Luke Carter, and he didn’t provoke me again either. But occasionally I could see him showing off his relationship in his SnapChat stories, posting selfies of him and Melody Quinn cheek to cheek and kissing. At first I didn’t pay attention, but later I found out that he only made these posts visible to me. He had blocked everyone else from seeing them. Wow, he really cares a lot about my opinion, huh? I simply blocked his SnapChat stories. Speaking of Starr Simmons, she officially became a signed artist with my company. The company was preparing to shoot a Republican-era spy drama called “Shadows in the Mist”, and I helped Starr Simmons get the role of the third female lead. She wasn’t overly ambitious and was very satisfied with this. “Chase, I’ve read the script. This role doesn’t have many scenes, but it’s very impactful.” I encouraged her: “You just need to act well. If you go down the film route, your status will rise quickly.” The male and female leads of the film were both well-known actors with good reputations, who could elevate the film and each other. But a month before filming was set to begin, the male lead was replaced. And he was replaced by Luke Carter. As the producer, I was actually the last one to know. The representative of the investors apologetically told me: “Ms. Quinn personally came to see me, saying Mr. Carter really likes this script and insists on participating. I hope Mr. Jiang can be accommodating…” If Luke Carter participates, he will surely bring investment with him. I was quite unhappy and said: “Luke Carter’s image doesn’t suit this role. We can arrange the male second lead for him.” The investor representative said reluctantly: “Ms. Quinn said he only wants the male lead… The investment platform and distributors have also agreed.” The implication was that he had already made all the arrangements, and whether I agreed or not, I had to go along with it. I felt angry, feeling I had let down the original male lead. The guy had already signed the contract, and now he was being pushed out like this. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make the call on this matter. I had just taken over the company, and my foundation wasn’t stable. This film was my first big project. I needed strong financial backing and couldn’t afford to offend the investors at this time. It felt like being forced to eat shit. It was extremely unpleasant. I had a lump in my throat as I said with a stern face: “Since Ms. Quinn is so generous, please tell her that she should also pay the actor’s breach of contract penalty.” The representative hurriedly promised: “Of course… Ms. Quinn said she would bear all the losses.” So, the matter was settled. Before filming, there would be closed training, and with the shooting schedule, Starr Simmons would have to stay with the crew for nearly half a year. As a newly appointed executive, I was usually too busy to communicate and keep in touch with her. Two months after the film started shooting, Starr Simmons whined to me on SnapChat: “Chase, can you come visit me on set?

I readily agreed: “I was just thinking of doing that. I’ll come see you all in a few days.” Starr Simmons was so excited her voice went up an octave: “Wow! Really? I’m so happy!” I knew why she brought this up. I’d heard that a few days ago, Melody Quinn had visited Luke Carter on set. I said indulgently: “Mm-hmm. Whatever the other kids have, you’ll have too.” “Thank you, Chase!” As the weather was getting colder, on the day of my set visit, I specially prepared plenty of hot drinks for the crew members. Starr Simmons had just finished a scene and was still in costume. She was dressed as a Republican-era songstress, which accentuated her graceful figure. When Starr Simmons saw me arrive, she was as excited as a puppy seeing its long-lost owner, wagging her tail and bounding over to me. I patted her head and then her shoulder. It wouldn’t be good to be too intimate. As it happened, there were media here for interviews today. After Starr Simmons had some hot coffee, the director pulled her over for an interview. She and Luke Carter happened to be free, so the two of them sat properly in front of the camera holding microphones. After asking some standard questions, the reporter intentionally asked Starr Simmons: “Starr and Luke are both newcomers. What do you think of each other’s performances?” Luke Carter went into green arrow mode, saying mechanically: “Starr, well, she gets along really well with everyone around her. She’s sweet-talking and knows how to please people. Everyone likes her a lot. Even our producer came to see her specially today. I heard Starr was personally recommended by the producer to join the crew, and they’re schoolmates too. I believe she must have many outstanding qualities to have gained the producer’s favor.” Luke Carter might as well have said outright: Starr Simmons is just the producer’s kept woman who got in through the back door! It’s true that I intended to promote Starr Simmons, and she had the ability and strength for it. But Luke Carter himself only got in by Melody Quinn throwing money around. The pot calling the kettle black – how does he have the face? The reporter gave a dry laugh and then turned to ask Starr Simmons: “What about you, Starr? What’s your take on Luke?” Starr Simmons smiled like a blooming spring flower, and she glibly said: “Of course I have great respect for Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter invented an amazing trick for remembering lines. He has his assistant write the lines in large print on posters, which are held up during filming so he can read from them. Isn’t that brilliant! No more worrying about forgetting lines, and it saves time on memorizing too! Why didn’t I think of that? Oh my! I’m just too stupid!” After she finished this sarcastic spiel, Luke Carter’s lips twitched in anger, though he forced himself to maintain a smile. The people around were both embarrassed and amused, and the scene fell into an awkward atmosphere. Luke Carter said with a forced smile: “It’s not like that… I never actually looked at the posters during filming…” Starr Simmons cut in again: “Oh! I’m just so forgetful, I can only use my meal and rest times to memorize lines. Not like Mr. Carter, who’s both handsome and smart. He spends his breaks video chatting with his girlfriend! So sweet, so happy, I’m so envious…” After Starr Simmons finished, she pretended to be shocked and covered her mouth: “Oh? Was I not supposed to say that? Can we cut that part out?” Luke Carter’s face had turned green, his eyes rolling skyward, not even bothering with expression management anymore. The reporter hurriedly changed the subject, somehow managing to turn the page on this awkward moment. The media are all very savvy. They wouldn’t easily leak this kind of juicy gossip that could damage both parties’ images. Indeed, the only thing that can defeat a green arrow is green tea. In my heart, I silently evaluated Luke Carter: Drink some horse pee and you think you’re high and mighty, but mess with Starr Simmons and you’re courting death. In the entertainment circle, it’s not uncommon for artists to privately catfight behind the scenes. As long as it doesn’t blow up, the company generally doesn’t interfere. But some people just can’t stand losing and insist on getting even. Not long after, I accompanied my sister to attend a business banquet, where I encountered Melody Quinn, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time. She said she had something to ask me and called me to a corner. Melody Quinn bluntly opened with: “You should consider sending your little girlfriend to some etiquette classes to teach her how to behave properly.”

Hearing her pointed tone, it seems Luke Carter had complained to her, and she came to stand up for her darling. I crossed my arms and said calmly: “Ms. Quinn, if you have something to say, just say it plainly. Where did you learn to speak in such a passive-aggressive manner?” A flash of embarrassment crossed Melody Quinn’s eyes, but she quickly regained her composure and said: “Luke really likes this movie, that’s why I helped him get the male lead role. Since you agreed to let him participate, don’t secretly try to make things difficult for him. You’ve always been a reasonable man in my eyes, don’t ruin the good impression I have of you.” I couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. Heaven and earth be my witness, who’s trying to make things difficult for him? Do I really have nothing better to do? Besides, he started it first, and Starr Simmons was just retaliating. Of course, I couldn’t expect Melody Quinn to view this matter objectively and fairly. It’s human nature to be protective of one’s own. Seeing that I didn’t answer, Melody Quinn continued on her own: “I know that Luke and I being together must have hurt you a lot… I was wrong about this, and I’ll make it up to you in other ways in the future. But don’t target Luke, he doesn’t know anything. I was the one who insisted on being with him. If you want to hate someone, hate me.” This dialogue sounds so familiar. Does she think she’s the fat orange cat now? I really couldn’t listen anymore, so I interrupted her rapid-fire:

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When my mother died from an asthma attack, locked in her room by my son’s prank, where was my doctor husband? He was at his ex-girlfriend’s performance with our son. I was devastated. I called my husband over a dozen times before he finally picked up. But before I could speak, he snapped, “What’s your problem? It’s just a performance with our kid. You’re calling non-stop like it’s a matter of life and death. Always lying and making up excuses to get me home. Stop calling!” My son chimed in, “Mom’s so annoying! I wish Emma could be my mom instead.” Emma took the phone, “Kids say the darndest things. You won’t take it seriously, right?” Fine, I’ll give you what you want. I addressed my son through the phone, “If you want her to be your mom, tell your dad to come back and divorce me.” My mom died with her eyes wide open. In just a few short hours, a living, breathing person turned into a box of ashes. The pain of losing my mother was soul-crushing. My phone pinged with a message. It was my friend forwarding Emma’s Instagram post. “Performance wrapped up perfectly! Check out our six-handed piano play with my two clingy fans. How’s our chemistry?” In the video, my son and husband flanked Emma like two bodyguards. The three of them played the piano in perfect harmony, looking every bit like a happy family. My husband even commented: “Calling us clingy already? You ungrateful little thing.” Emma replied: “Hmph! You know very well how grateful I am, especially after last night ;)” The pain in my chest spread through my entire body. While my husband and his ex were playing piano with our son, my mother was having an asthma attack, with no one to help her. While they were flirting shamelessly, my mother had already been taken to the crematorium, turned to ashes. They got their perfect moment, but what about my mom? Who’s going to bring her back to life? I was filled with so much hatred! When my mom called for help, I immediately called 911, but the ambulance couldn’t arrive fast enough. I drove home as fast as I could, desperately calling Jacob to go save my mom. Emma’s performance venue was close to our house. It would have taken him just a few minutes to go back and forth. But Jacob remained unmoved, thinking it was just an excuse to get him home. “Abigail, you know I hate being lied to!” His tone softened, “I don’t want to miss a second of Emma’s performance. Be good and don’t cause trouble now.” No matter how I explained, he wouldn’t listen. He was convinced I was lying. I pleaded, choking back tears, “For the sake of how my father once saved your entire family, I’m begging you to save my mom. I’m not lying!” But my words only angered him, “Enough! How long are you going to use your father’s life to emotionally blackmail me!” At this moment, our son urged him to hang up, “Dad, ignore mom. Look! Emma’s on stage!” I screamed desperately, “Don’t hang up! Jacob, I’m begging you, my mom is dying.” Jacob’s patience ran out, “Then let her die.” My mom died because she didn’t get help in time, while their six-handed piano video went viral online. Emma even gained a bunch of new followers because of it. After dealing with my mom’s funeral and forcing myself to sign the divorce papers, I finally collapsed into a deep sleep. My husband and son returned three days later. “Is dinner ready? I texted you earlier. Why are you still sleeping?” Jacob barged in, roughly yanking the blanket off me, his face full of disgust as he questioned me from above. I must look a mess, but I couldn’t care less. Lucas pinched his nose in disgust, “Dad, I’m hungry. Let’s go find Emma. Let this dirty mom sleep to death.” My heart felt like it had plunged into an icy abyss. This was the son I had risked my life to give birth to. I almost died from massive blood loss during his birth. After he was born, he cried day and night. I held and comforted him around the clock, fed him, completely worn out. I had worked so hard to raise him to this age, yet his birthday wish was for Emma to be his mother. My son truly took after his father, even fancying the same woman. Looking at this flesh of my flesh, my heart shattered. It was because of him that I lost my mother. Thinking of my mom who died with her eyes open, I could no longer contain my emotions. I grabbed Lucas hysterically, demanding, “You knew grandma had asthma. Why did you lock her alone in the room? Do you know you killed her!”

I had never treated Lucas like this before. He was clearly scared, crying and hitting me, “Wah! Mom is so scary. I don’t want a bad mom. I want Emma!” Lucas’s fists kept landing on me. It didn’t hurt physically, but my insides felt like they were on fire. I cried back at him, “You don’t want me? I don’t want you either! Give me back my mom, and I won’t want anyone else. I just want my mom!” Lucas and I were both crying our eyes out. Jacob forcefully separated us, shielding Lucas behind him. He looked at me coldly, “Acting again, are we? Lucas was just playing around with your mom. It’s such a small thing, why are you scaring him like this?” Playing around? A small thing? That “small thing” killed my mom! I looked at him, grief-stricken and angry, “But my mom is dead!” “Enough! Your mom had her medicine in the room, how could anything have happened? I know you’re upset about me and Lucas going to Emma’s performance, but you don’t need to make up such lies with your mom! Aren’t you afraid of jinxing her?” Even now, he still thought I was jealous and deliberately using my mom as an excuse to make him feel guilty. The sorrow and anger made me want to laugh. At that moment, Emma called. Jacob answered and after a few words, he hurriedly prepared to leave. He spoke softly into the phone, “Don’t worry, I’ll be right there.” Lucas followed closely behind him. Looking at these two strangers before me. I suddenly laughed and handed Jacob the divorce papers on the table, “Before you go, sign these.” Jacob didn’t even look at them before mocking, “You’ve really gone to great lengths to get my attention, haven’t you?” “Divorce? You think you can live without me and Lucas? Stop these tricks, you’re just embarrassing yourself.” With that, he left with Lucas. In the past, every time we argued, no matter whose fault it was, I would always be the one to make up and apologize. But not anymore. As soon as they left, I quickly packed my things, dragged my suitcase out, and resolutely left. I returned to my mother’s old house. Family photos of the three of us still hung on the walls. But my beloved parents were gone. Ten years ago, my father died saving Jacob’s entire family in a mudslide. Back then, Jacob held me and said, “Don’t cry. You still have me. I’ll be with you for life.” Those words were deeply etched in my heart. Later, we got married and had a child. Jacob’s kindness made me believe we were soulmates. But everything changed when Emma appeared. He stopped sharing his daily life with me. He would often zone out, and inexplicably stare at his phone with a silly grin. On our wedding anniversary, Emma said she had a headache, and Jacob abandoned me to rush to her side. When I got into a car accident and needed his help dealing with threats, he was busy helping Emma dodge drinks. When I was sick and needed his care, he said he was busy washing Emma’s dog. No matter when or where, Jacob could drop everything and rush to Emma’s side at her slightest call or message. If I dared to question him, I was being unreasonable, emotionally blackmailing him, or trying to cash in on past favors. It was then that I realized, what was nectar to me was poison to him. What I thought was mutual love was, to him, nothing but an obligation to repay a debt. Even my son was often taken to meet Emma. Lucas no longer hugged my neck saying he loved me. Instead, he lamented why Emma couldn’t be his mother. Holding back my pain, I asked Lucas why. Eating the food I made, he said innocently, “Emma is gentler than mom. She and dad take me to eat things mom doesn’t allow. Her cooking is better than mom’s, and she can play the piano. She never scolds me and is very nice to me. Dad loves her too…” Lucas’s words hurt, but I thought it was just childish talk. I still tried to repair my relationship with him. But when Emma and I both fell into the water, my husband and son unanimously went to save Emma. My husband pulled her out of the water, while Lucas rushed to get towels and hot water. They fussed over her endlessly. I was invisible to them. At that moment, my suspended heart finally died. I decided to stop compromising myself. Just as I was about to divorce Jacob, my mom came from the countryside to visit. Her health wasn’t good, and I didn’t want to upset her, so I had to put off the divorce until after she left. But in this short time, they went too far, directly causing my mother’s death! I was grief-stricken and desperate! Not wanting my mom to be lonely on her journey, I asked the village uncles to help arrange a funeral for her. After the funeral, I returned home exhausted. The empty house was silent except for the ticking of the clock, a silence that bred despair. I called out of habit, “Mom, I’m home. What delicious food did you make for lunch?” But only endless silence answered me. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. Oh, that’s right. My mom is dead. Suddenly, the front door was kicked open with a bang. Jacob stormed in, his face cold as he glared at me fiercely. Emma and Lucas followed behind him. As soon as he entered, he began searching the house. Finally, he came back to me and asked, “Where’s mom?”

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One year after my unnatural death, my husband brought his new girlfriend to visit my grave. A neighboring ghost patted my shoulder to comfort me, saying that everyone needs to move on. But I was trembling with fear. Because his new girlfriend… was using my heart. 1 It’s been a year since I died. Lucas would make time every week to visit me, bringing lots of offerings and even flowers. The neighboring ghosts remarked that such devoted men were rare these days. I could only respond with a bitter laugh. Lucas tenderly traced my photo on the tombstone with his thumb, his eyes full of deep contemplation and longing. Who would have thought? This man, who once slept clutching my tombstone, had found a new girlfriend just one week after my death. And they seemed to be getting along splendidly, inseparable. I had seen his new girlfriend before – she was one of his patients, a pretty young woman. When I was alive, she would visit Lucas almost every day. When her heart wasn’t feeling well, she’d come for treatment. When her heart was fine, she’d come for an ECG. She liked Lucas, and continued to pursue him even after learning he was married. Once, while using Lucas’s phone to look something up, I saw a message pop up from her. [Dr. Lin, would you mind having another girlfriend?] Lucas immediately snatched the phone from my hand and replied expressionlessly: [Yes, I would mind.] Lucas wouldn’t cheat during our marriage – I was confident about that. Because he had devoted all his energy to medicine since childhood. It took a lot of effort on my part to finally win him over. During that time, I never saw him fall for anyone else, male or female. Including me. Lucas didn’t love me, I always knew that. He agreed to my proposal only because he was used to having me by his side. But now, Lucas had seamlessly transitioned to a new girlfriend. The girl got out of the car. Her fingernails and lips were no longer purple, so it seemed her congenital heart disease had been cured. They stood hand in hand before my tombstone. “Olivia, I have some good news to tell you. Lucas and I are getting married next month.” “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him for you.” “I hope you’re happy and at peace over there.” I sat on my tombstone, grinding my teeth in frustration. Lucas was no longer the Lucas I knew. He took a wet wipe from his pocket, lifted the girl’s hand, and carefully cleaned a speck of dust from her index finger. He actually couldn’t bear to let even a single grain of dust from my tombstone touch her. I pinched my arm, feeling sorry for myself. Lucas only stood there for ten minutes before leaving. As they brushed past me, I felt a familiar sensation. It didn’t come from my body, but from Lucas’s new girlfriend. I moved closer to her. I heard a familiar heartbeat – one, two, three… The neighboring ghost patted my shoulder to comfort me, but I froze in place. Because the heart beating in Lucas’s new girlfriend’s chest… was mine. 2 My death wasn’t natural, but only I knew that. On my way from the suburbs to the hospital, someone deliberately crashed into my car. I avoided the first attempt but couldn’t escape the second. It felt like every bone and muscle in my body had been rearranged. Blood was everywhere. With shaking hands, I called Lucas. “…Lucas, I…” “I have an emergency surgery. Can we talk later?” “Goodbye.” I called five or six times, but each call was shorter than the last. Finally, he got impatient and turned off his phone. I was about to die. I wanted to tell him that. But unfortunately, in his heart, I couldn’t compare to one of his surgeries, couldn’t compare to his medical career. He was a doctor who saved lives. He could save everyone, except me. My body was taken to the crematorium by the perpetrator that same day. Two hours later, I was reduced to a handful of ashes. The whole process went unusually smoothly. It wasn’t until after I died that I learned his emergency surgery that day was a heart transplant, and the patient was that young girl. Which meant that in the operating room that day, the beating heart Lucas held… was mine. I watched his gradually receding figure. Suddenly, I was curious. If Lucas knew that in that surgery, he had personally sewn my heart into someone else, would he suddenly break down? 3 The girl had a pretty name – Melody. She chatted excitedly with Lucas, not at all like someone who would say such disturbing things. “Lucas, let me walk the rest of the path with you. I’m sure Olivia would agree.” She raised her hand to cover her heart, smiling smugly. “It’s a good thing I got this. Look, now I not only have a healthy body and a healthy heart, but I also have you.” Lucas smiled at her. I was smiling too, but it was a cold smile. Because my heart wasn’t actually healthy. I had a hereditary heart condition. Only Lucas knew about this, and he had been treating me for it. Under his treatment, my heart pain went from once a week to once a year. By my calculations, Melody should be due for an attack soon. The car quickly stopped at the entrance to their apartment complex. They went home together. It was a 2000 square foot apartment with a cat and a dog – practically my ideal complete home. As soon as the door opened, the cat and dog rushed over. I bit my lip, suddenly feeling worthless. When we first got married, I wanted to keep pets too, but Lucas talked me out of it. He said it was too much work, that I didn’t have time to take care of them. Later, when I found a stray cat, he advised against keeping it too. He said the cat had feline distemper and ringworm. But now, Lucas was gazing at Melody playing with the cat and dog, lost in thought. I don’t know if it was my heart responding to my emotions, but Melody suddenly pressed her hand to her chest. Her face turned a bit pale. “Lucas, I feel like I can’t breathe properly.” Lucas snapped out of his daze. He tilted his head quizzically and offered an explanation. “Could it be because the cat is shedding heavily?” He pointed at the ragdoll cat on the floor. I looked at him in surprise. Lucas had a PhD and was practically an expert in his field. Moreover, he had always known the symptoms of my attacks. How could he say something so unprofessional? Melody stood up from the floor and moved away from the cat, trying to take deep breaths. But it was useless. After the chest tightness came radiating pain from the heart. Sure enough, Melody hunched over, her brows furrowed tightly, afraid to move. She had never experienced this kind of pain before. Tears streamed down her face. She panicked: “Lucas, my whole chest hurts so much now.” “Is there something wrong with my heart?” Lucas walked over unhurriedly. He came to Melody’s side and comforted her. “It’s nothing, don’t overthink it.” “In your condition, it’s just a stitch. It’ll pass on its own in a while.” I was even more surprised. This kind of pain would indeed disappear after a while, as Lucas said, but without medication, it would hurt again the next day. Lucas couldn’t possibly not know this. A few minutes later, Melody’s pain did subside. Lucas gave her a white pill. He wiped the sweat from her brow. “It’s a sedative. You’ve only had your heart transplant for a year, you need more rest.” Melody took the pill and went to bed. I saw Lucas standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, playing with a white pill bottle in his hand. I recognized it, even knew it well. Because that pill bottle contained my heart medication, which Lucas had given me back then. Could it be that he had discovered the heart in Melody’s chest was mine? 4 The next day, Melody woke up. “Lucas, it’s so good to have you. I love you so much.” I saw her stand on tiptoe, as if wanting to kiss Lucas, but the next second she pressed her left chest again. Ten hours had passed, and she was having another attack. No matter how slow she was, she should realize by now that these symptoms were very similar to mine. The white pill bottle had long been thrown into the trash by Lucas and sent to the garbage station, but he didn’t seem to be in a hurry. Instead, he gently patted Melody’s back. When she felt a little better, he suggested, “Let’s go to the hospital for a check-up.” Lucas drove. They left at 9 AM and didn’t arrive at the hospital until 1

By the time they did the physical examination, Melody’s heart pain had long subsided. The test results also showed that her heart was healthy. With Lucas personally overseeing the examination, Melody was reassured. I watched as Lucas, with infinite tenderness, raised his hand to caress Melody’s cheek. But what he said next was unexpected. “Melody, since everything’s fine, you should go home first.” “I have to do rounds later, and there’s a surgery in the afternoon.” “Your heart still needs rest. On our wedding day, I’ll definitely make our relationship public.” I was stunned. Lucas hadn’t made their relationship public. But that made sense. After all, becoming romantically involved with your patient would be quite unethical for a doctor. Melody’s eyes dimmed. She left, looking back every few steps. Lucas was indeed very busy after that. He went with several doctors to check on patients in various wards. After finishing in the morning, Lucas hurriedly ate lunch and was about to go into surgery. I followed him into the operating room, seeing for the first time what he looked like holding a scalpel. I had always known that his hands were called “miraculous”. Every surgery he performed had never failed. But now, these holy hands trembled slightly at the moment of suturing. 5 The surgery was successful. I heard others discussing quietly. “Did Dr. Lin’s hand shake just now? Is he too tired?” “Luckily nothing went wrong.” “You newcomers don’t know. A year ago around this time, Dr. Lin’s wife was killed in a car accident. He had just finished surgery and ran to the funeral home without even changing his clothes.” “So many people have tried to set him up, but he refused them all. Ah, it’s the first time I’ve seen such pure love in real life.” I laughed at how young and naive they were, thinking everyone was capable of pure love. Lucas wasn’t refusing others, he had already found someone. For example, right now, as soon as the surgery was over, he eagerly opened his phone. The latest message was from Melody. [Lucas, which hotel are we going to tonight? I’m waiting for you.] Followed by two shy emojis. They were both adults. A year was enough time for them to develop a more intimate relationship. But to my surprise, Lucas replied: [I’m tired. I’m going home first.] He meant our home. The door opened. The furniture in the room was still the same as before, even the photos hanging on the wall were still there – all pictures of me and Lucas traveling to various places. I stared at them, lost in thought. But he showed no emotional reaction. The house still used smart lights. As soon as the door opened, the lights automatically turned on. The aroma of food wafted through the entire living room, seemingly from nowhere. Lucas casually took off his coat and hung it on the rack. He blurted out: “Sister, I’m home. What’s for dinner tonight?” I was stunned. So was he. I was two years older than Lucas. Due to my heart condition, I started school two years later than him. Lucas liked to call me “sister”, and I loved his cool voice when he did. But now, I was angry. How had I never realized before? Although he called me “sister” verbally, combined with what he said next, how was it any different from calling out “Mrs. Wang”? Lucas was silent for a moment. He raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. His eyelashes, like crow feathers, lowered, concealing the emotions in his eyes. The lights in the room were warm, but he stood at the doorway, his back slightly bent, his tall figure giving off a sense of lonely silence. If I had seen him like this before, I would have felt heartbroken. But now, I just wanted to laugh coldly. After all, I had lost my life. Shouldn’t he be sighing and reminiscing every day, heartbroken for a lifetime? 6 Lucas’s emotional change was very brief. In the following days, he returned to being the steady, emotionless Dr. Lin that people knew. Melody often came to see him, and sometimes they would go out on dates at night. Melody’s smile grew brighter each day. She was about to get married. “Lucas, are you coming to my place tonight?” She hooked her finger into Lucas’s palm. “My dad wants to discuss our wedding plans with you.” Lucas nodded in agreement. The car stopped in front of a mansion. The driver opened the door, and a butler came to greet them. I suddenly understood. Melody was rich, a wealthy heiress. She had the financial means to give Lucas better resources. But I was different. Lucas and I were both from orphanages, with no money or background. We even had to fight for the opportunity to study. During the most difficult times, we ate instant noodles for a month in our rented room. Fortunately, I later earned some money, enough to cover our expenses and financially support him through his master’s, doctorate, and studies abroad. But this money ultimately couldn’t compare to that of a rich heiress. What I thought was the sweetness after bitterness was just what he considered a matter of course. Melody’s father was a kindly old man. After dinner, he patted Lucas’s shoulder, gesturing for him to go to the living room to discuss matters. Melody held Lucas’s hand, full of reluctance. The old man chuckled: “Don’t worry, I’m just borrowing your lover for a bit. Your dad is leaving too, how come you’re not reluctant to see me go, you little ingrate.” Melody bit her lip sheepishly. I followed them to the living room. The old man smiled: “Lucas, I heard that a year ago in the operating room you performed surgery on, my daughter had a massive hemorrhage. You stood there for six hours straight and saved her life. I’m very grateful.” “It was my duty.” After Lucas stated his position, the old man didn’t beat around the bush. But their next conversation shocked me. “Your ex-wife didn’t have heart disease, did she?” “Little Melody cried and insisted on having her heart, and she happened to be a universal donor, so I found someone to… But you also benefited from misfortune. My daughter fell for you. Once you marry into our family, you’ll have plenty of money and power in the future.” “No one will look down on you for being an orphan anymore.” They were essentially laying all their cards on the table. Half of Lucas’s face was hidden in shadow. The light and shadow on his face outlined his features, making his expression seem both angry and indifferent. He slowly raised his hand. The old man stared at him unblinkingly, wanting to know what his attitude would be. I stared at him too, wanting to know how he would react. 7 Lucas raised his hand and placed it in front of the old man. His back was slightly hunched. “Father-in-law.” The old man laughed heartily, saying “good” several times. I knew reality wasn’t like novels. Many people discard their conscience for money. I just never thought Lucas would be one of them. He had completely abandoned his professional ethics as a doctor. The young man I loved no longer existed. Lucas knew about my unnatural death. I thought he would at least report it to the police, considering our 30-year relationship. But not only did he not do that, he even joined the team of murderers who killed me, becoming their son-in-law. Lucas might have felt guilty. He left the Johnson house and drove to the cemetery. He stood in front of my tombstone, doing nothing, just standing there. As night fell, many mourners had already left the cemetery, but Lucas sat down on the ground. He hugged my tombstone and fell asleep like this. The first time he did this was five days after I was buried. At that time, seeing him sleep all night hugging my tombstone, I felt both heartbroken and happy. I thought that after 30 years of persistence, I had finally broken through his cement-like exterior and touched his heart. I didn’t expect that he was just feeling guilty, because that day was when he got together with Melody. Now he was using the same trick again. But this time, I only felt disgusted and upset.

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The day I coughed up blood during my mukbang stream, my viewer count hit 100,000 for the first time. My brother burst into the frame and slapped me across the face. My boyfriend stood by and said, “She’s just faking the blood to get more views.” Because of this, I was cyberbullied. Some people even made voodoo dolls of me. But what they didn’t know was that I had been diagnosed with stomach cancer two months ago. Later, I livestreamed to let everyone witness my passing. The viewer count skyrocketed to 3 million. My brother and boyfriend raced to the hospital at 200 mph. … I guess it was because I ate too much, but I couldn’t control myself and coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood. The viewer count quickly soared past 100,000. The comments were filled with concerned messages. It seems there are still people in this world who care about me. I was happy. With high viewership like this, I could make it to the top rankings and get the bonus. Then I could arrange a nice funeral for myself. Just as I was about to speak, a hard slap landed on my face. For a moment, I thought I had already ascended to heaven. After all, I was seeing stars. “She’s just faking the blood to get more views,” Lucas’s voice rang out. I turned to look at him. His face was cold and indifferent, while my brother Jack stood beside him, glaring at me angrily. He was the one who had slapped me. “That’s right, don’t believe her. Go follow Tiffany instead. She doesn’t fake things like this.” How ridiculous. I’m coughing up blood, and they’re still promoting Tiffany. “I’m not faking it,” I said, trying hard to speak through the stabbing pain in my stomach. But by now, the tone of the comments had completely changed. The viewers who had been concerned for me just moments ago were now hurling insults. [Damn it, I really thought she was sick.] [She’s so disgusting. Let’s go watch Tiffany’s stream instead.] [Yeah, everyone go like Tiffany’s stream!] Soon, my viewer count dropped by more than half. Then my stream was shut down. Someone had reported me for fraud. I wouldn’t be getting the bonus today. My dream of arranging a nice funeral for myself was shattered. “Hurry up and clean that blood off you. It’s disgusting to look at!” my brother Jack said, looking at me with revulsion. Of course, Lucas wouldn’t show any concern for me either. Because in their eyes, I was just faking the blood. “Ruby, Tiffany’s mom is sick. She needs this bonus money more than you do. Don’t blame us for being harsh today when you’re trying to compete with her,” Lucas said, his voice cold as ice. Who would have thought that this was the boyfriend who had been with me for five years? The one who used to constantly profess his love and promise to marry me. Now he was speaking up for my so-called best friend. After they left, I coughed up another mouthful of blood. The white floor tiles were covered in bright red blood. Suddenly, I remembered what the doctor had told me two months ago. “Don’t you have any family members?” he had asked. “They’re all dead to me,” I had replied nonchalantly, sucking on a lollipop as I looked at the doctor. He seemed taken aback. He wasn’t the first person to react that way. Every time, people thought I was joking. But in my heart, my family and friends might as well be dead. My best friend had hooked up with my boyfriend in my own room. Then she hooked up with my brother. After that, she told them that I had nearly gotten her killed to win a streaming bonus. They all believed her and felt sorry for her. Even my mom thought she was more suitable to be her daughter. Because she was considerate and thoughtful. While I was useless at everything and had even caused my dad’s death years ago. Everyone hated me, so I might as well consider them dead. I was sick, and I didn’t want to bother them. “You have stomach cancer. You have six months at most,” the doctor had said gravely. “But there’s still hope if you start treatment aggressively.” I bit down on the lollipop, crushing it. At that moment, my mom sent me a message on Snapchat. [Today is the anniversary of your father’s death. I don’t want to see you. Don’t come home.] I couldn’t help but laugh. I’ve always been a sinful person. Might as well just die then. Later, Tiffany somehow found out about my illness. It was my birthday. She came to my room, smiling viciously. “You have cancer, don’t you? Were you planning to tell them? Just watch, I’ll make everyone hate you!” Then, during dinner, she told everyone she had seen me hiring someone to forge a stomach cancer diagnosis. She showed them the forged document. My mom, brother, and Lucas all believed her.

My mom was so angry she slapped me right then and there. My brother threw the cake he had bought for me into the trash. Lucas said, “You’re disgusting.” From then on, they all thought I was a lying bitch. I tried to explain, but they wouldn’t believe me. “We’re going out to eat,” Lucas suddenly came back in and said. He saw the blood on the floor and frowned deeply. “Ruby, can you stop pretending? It’s only going to make us hate you more.” I looked up at his chiseled face. We had grown up together, been childhood sweethearts. We went to college together, started working together. He used to say, “I want to be with Ruby for the rest of my life.” But not long ago, he had hooked up with Tiffany. In my own room, the two of them were tangled up together. I was so disgusted I kept throwing up, but his explanation was that it was just a drunken mistake, he didn’t mean to cheat. “Lucas, let’s break up,” I said calmly as I wiped the blood from my mouth. His pupils constricted as he rushed over and gripped my shoulders. “Is it because I interrupted your stream today?” “Ruby, can’t you be more kind? You’re so fortunate – you have a brother, you have me, and your family is well-off.” “But Tiffany has nothing. She even has a sick mother.” I laughed bitterly. Me, fortunate? My brother hates me, my boyfriend betrayed me, and even if I told my mom I was sick, she wouldn’t give me money for treatment. Is that what you call fortunate? “I still want to break up with you,” I continued. The pain in my stomach was getting worse. Last week, the doctor had told me I couldn’t keep binge eating like this. Otherwise, I’d be dead within a month. But I still needed money. Before I died, I just wanted to use this body to earn a bit more. I wanted to hold a grand funeral for myself. I never had a good life, so I wanted to leave this world in style. It would be my final gift to myself. “Fine. If that’s what you want, we’re done,” Lucas said as he stormed out. A moment later, I received a Snapchat message from Tiffany. [How did it feel today?] [Haha, the people you love most all turned against you.] I didn’t reply. I just took a screenshot of our chat history. My photo album was already full of our chat logs. I hoped that one day, everyone would see the truth. … I cleaned myself up and went to a house. Whenever I felt down, I would come here. This is where my adopted 10-year-old sister, Chloe, lived. Her name had “pearl” in it, just like mine. She was pitiful, abandoned by her family at an amusement park. I felt we were similar, so I adopted her as my sister. “Big sis, you’re here! I got my final exam results. I got perfect scores!” she exclaimed, throwing herself into my arms as soon as I opened the door. I patted her head. “Chloe is so smart. Do you want big sis to take you out for a nice meal?” She didn’t know I had stomach cancer. I didn’t want her to know either. Telling people about these things only makes everyone unhappy. “Yes! Let’s go to KFC!” “Okay.” Whenever I rewarded her, we always went to KFC. But I would never take her to McDonald’s. Because I couldn’t eat there. I would never be able to eat there again. After we arrived, I placed our order. Not long after ordering, my brother and Tiffany suddenly walked in. Tiffany saw me and covered her mouth in surprise. “Oh my god, Ruby, you have a child?” I really wanted to sew her mouth shut. It was so foul. My brother walked over and angrily demanded, “Whose child is this?” “Hello, I’m big sister’s little sister, Chloe. She adopted me,” Chloe answered politely. Hearing this, they fell silent. But my brother quickly started mocking me again: “You’re always saying you’re sick, but here you are eating KFC. Ruby, you really are just a lying bitch.” With that, he left with Tiffany. Halfway through the meal, my stomach suddenly started hurting badly again, and I coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood. “Ah! Big sis, what’s wrong?” Chloe cried out, quickly hugging me. I was in so much pain, I felt disoriented. “I… I’m fine,” I managed to say. Just then, I saw my brother rush over to check on me. How ridiculous. Didn’t he think I was faking it? Why would he come to check on me now? The next time I woke up, I was in the hospital. As soon as I opened my eyes, I was slapped hard across the face again.

I opened my eyes to see my brother glaring at me furiously. “Had enough of your act yet?” “You knew Tiffany and I were going to KFC, so you deliberately coughed up blood in front of us, right?” “Don’t hit my big sister!” Chloe rushed over and pushed him away. “Chloe, come here,” I called out softly. Chloe obediently took my hand. Then I looked up at my brother, who had come from the same womb as me. My face stung from the slap, and my heart felt like it was shattering. I had been rushed to the hospital, yet no one had told him about my condition? He was a doctor too. If he had examined me carefully, he would surely have seen how ill I was. “Get out,” I said quietly. He gritted his teeth in anger. “Ruby, you’ve really gone too far this time!” He raised his hand to hit me again. “Brother,” I called out to him. He froze. I hadn’t called him that in so long, not since Tiffany had slandered me. This was the first time I had called him “brother” in a long time, and it would be the last. “Let’s cut ties.” “In your eyes, I’m a sinner, I’m a liar, so I don’t want to upset you anymore.” I never thought there would come a day when we’d be like this. After all, he used to cherish me above all else. Everyone knew that the Gu family had a rough son, but he was incredibly gentle when it came to his sister. He really was good to me back then. When I had a fever, he would stay up all night to take care of me. He would buy me whatever I wanted. Once on my birthday, I casually mentioned wanting to go to Nanjing Road in Shanghai, and he drove me there overnight. He used to tell me, “Ruby, big brother will protect you for life.” Until Tiffany appeared, and everything changed. “Say that again!” my brother clenched his fists in anger. “I said, let’s cut ties.” “From now on, I don’t have you as a brother, and you don’t have me as a sister.” I don’t need family, and I don’t want family like them. “Fine. You said it,” he stormed out, slamming the door. Just then, a young man in a white coat walked in. I glanced at the name tag on his coat. He was an intern named Dr. Sean. He came over and adjusted my IV drip to slow it down. “This should make you feel a bit better,” he said. “Thank you,” I replied. Then I looked at Chloe beside me. Her eyes were red, and her face was full of concern. “Big sis, are you really sick?” Tears welled up in my eyes uncontrollably. “Big sis is fine. Can you go home first? I’ll come back soon, okay?” She was always obedient. She nodded and left with her backpack. After she left, Dr. Sean sighed. “Your condition isn’t good right now. You need to be hospitalized for chemotherapy, otherwise you won’t have much time left.” “Then I’ll do the chemo,” I said. I had originally planned to use the bonus money to find a place to end things myself. But now the bonus was gone. That night, Lucas came to see me. He was holding a bag of my favorite fruits. “I heard from the doctor that it’s nothing serious. Come home, and stop fighting with your brother.” I had told Dr. Sean not to tell anyone about my condition without my permission. So he hadn’t told Lucas either. I used to want them to know so badly, but now I didn’t want them to find out too soon. “First of all, we’ve already broken up.” “Secondly, what does my relationship with my brother have to do with you?” His face darkened. “Ruby, everyone has been so good to you. Why do you have to be so difficult?” Good to me? How laughable. Was that what they called being good to me? “Can you just get out?” I said. “Looking at you makes me sick.” Seeing him just reminded me of how he and Tiffany had been kissing passionately in bed. It was truly disgusting and nauseating. As soon as I said this, my brother suddenly burst in. “Ruby, you’ve really gone too far this time,” he shouted as he rushed over and slapped me again. The force was strong this time, and my ears rang for a moment. My brother never used to hit me or even raise his voice at me. But at some point, he had become quick-tempered and started getting physical with me. “We’ve already given you a way out, and you’re still throwing a tantrum.” “Fine. You don’t want me as your brother? I don’t want you as my jinx of a sister either.” Lucas shook his head at me in disappointment and left. The people who used to treat me so well were now leaving me one by one. It doesn’t matter. I don’t want them anymore either. The next day, my brother came again. He was wearing his white coat and holding a McDonald’s bag. When I saw the McDonald’s logo, my face turned pale. “Get out. I’m not eating that,” I said. But he replied, “Today is the anniversary of Dad’s death. Didn’t you always love eating McDonald’s on this day? I’ll let you eat your fill.” Then he rushed over and started shoving the food into my mouth. The greasy fried chicken slid down my throat and into my stomach. I was reminded of what happened years ago. Without warning, I vomited a mouthful of fresh blood. I desperately pressed the emergency call button. Dr. Sean quickly rushed in and punched my brother hard. “Are you crazy? Don’t you know she has stomach cancer?” he yelled.

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After Ryan’s undercover work ended, he seemed like a different person. He would often stare blankly out the window, his eyes filled with an inescapable melancholy and sadness. He no longer lifted our daughter, spinning her around and calling her his baby girl. He stopped bringing flowers home as a surprise after work. He even awkwardly shied away from my intimate gestures. Later, on the day our daughter had a car accident, I saw him passionately yet restrainedly kissing a girl in the pouring rain. I was still in a meeting when I received the news about our daughter’s car accident. When I heard the words “died on the spot,” it felt like lightning had struck me, shattering my world. I rushed to the funeral home like a madwoman, only to see my daughter’s twisted body lying on a cold table. The yellow floral dress I had helped her put on that morning had now become her burial clothes. Everything around me was chaotic. Some people were trying to comfort me, while others were asking questions. The truck driver was frantically explaining, “Your daughter suddenly crossed the road. It had nothing to do with me!” I collapsed on the ground, desperately crying out, “How could she have crossed the road alone? Where’s her father? Where is he?” “Mrs. Lee, your daughter was getting off the bus alone. We didn’t see any adult accompanying her,” the police officer said with a hint of sympathy. I had always picked up and dropped off our daughter for her after-school program. Only this time, she had timidly asked if her dad could take her. Ever since Ryan returned from his year-long business trip, his attitude towards us had become very cold. He often sat alone lost in thought, avoiding eye contact with me. Even calling me changed from the affectionate “Mia” to the formal “Zhimiao.” He frequently made excuses to sit in the car and smoke, and he seemed uncomfortable and even annoyed when our daughter tried to act cute around him. Our once-doted-on daughter didn’t understand what had happened to her dad and innocently wanted to mend their relationship. I agreed, and after sending them off, I went to the office for a meeting. But I never imagined that this one time I let go would cost my daughter her life. I kept calling Ryan, but all I got was a busy signal. With my mother-in-law seriously ill and my parents far away in our hometown, I had to face this devastating blow to life alone. In the end, with my signature, my daughter was reduced to a small box of ashes. Holding my daughter’s urn, I returned to our neighborhood like a walking corpse, only to be stunned by the sight of Ryan. In the pouring rain, he gently and restrainedly lifted the face of the girl opposite him, planting a deep kiss. The girl was petite and delicate, gradually losing strength as she was overwhelmed by the kiss, her soft body enveloped in Ryan’s arms. They kissed passionately, so absorbed that they didn’t even notice me as an onlooker. Images of my daughter’s tragic death flashed through my mind, intertwining with the scene before me, creating an absurdly jarring picture. At that moment, I didn’t know whether to be angry or heartbroken. I didn’t even have the strength to confront them or lose my mind. I just stood there, my mind blank. I should have seen this coming. Ryan’s job was of a special nature, and when I married him, I was prepared to independently support a family. For seven years, I worked during the day and cared for my sick mother-in-law at the hospital at night. I single-handedly arranged everything for our new home, carrying heavy tiles up six floors just to save a few hundred dollars. When bullied by neighbors, I had to muster up the courage to argue back, clutching a kitchen knife for protection. Later, when I got pregnant, I fainted in the bathroom for seven or eight hours before someone found me. I went to prenatal check-ups alone, feeling out of place among the couples at the obstetrics department. When my water broke in the middle of the night, I took a taxi to the hospital by myself, forcing myself to sign the consent forms. When I was sad, he wasn’t by my side. When I was happy, he still wasn’t there. I was like a lone ranger. Whenever people asked about my husband, I had to give vague answers due to confidentiality, which led many to assume I was a pitiful widow.

I always felt that my sacrifices were worth it. He deeply loved his profession, and I deeply loved him. We had our happy moments too. When he wasn’t busy, he would drive two hours just to buy me a small cake. He would bring home a bouquet of roses after work. During my postpartum confinement, he would stay up all night to take care of our daughter, changing diapers, feeding her, and doing housework with ease. He loved to cup my face in his hands, pressing his forehead against mine, and say with deep emotion, “Mia, thank you for everything. Without you, we wouldn’t have this home.” “I will love you forever.” Until he went on a business trip for a year. I didn’t know the content of his work, but I once bumped into him butchering meat at a farmer’s market. I vaguely understood something then, pretending to be a stranger as we passed by, and hadn’t contacted him for a year since. I never expected that after he returned, he would be like a completely different person. He could go an entire day without saying a word, showing no interest in anything in our home. At night, we slept in the same bed, but it felt like there was an insurmountable chasm between us. Our home was filled with an awkward, half-baked atmosphere. I tried to ease the tension between us, but Ryan kept avoiding me, making various excuses. Finally, he even looked at me with an extremely unfamiliar gaze and said sarcastically, “How come I never noticed before that you have such a strong libido?” Until now, I finally understood where the problem between us lay. I stood there for a long time. Finally, the girl noticed me. She nervously pushed Ryan away, hiding in his arms with a blushing face. Ryan’s face flashed with rare panic. He instinctively shielded the girl behind him, quickly regaining his composure: “Zhimiao, she’s innocent. Don’t take it out on her. I’ll explain when we get home…” “No need.” I looked coldly at the man I once loved deeply, enunciating each word: “I asked you to take Lily to her after-school program. Where did you go?” “I received an urgent work call and couldn’t get away,” Ryan explained. “I watched Lily get on the bus. It’s just two blocks from the bus stop to the class, and she’s already four years old. She knows the way.” A heart-wrenching pain made me double over, almost unable to stand. Tears mixed with rain streamed down my face. Lily was only four years old, yet he let a four-year-old little girl take a half-hour bus ride alone and then walk a kilometer to class. He knew better than anyone how dangerous society could be, yet he was so negligent with his own daughter. “So your so-called work was kissing this girl?!” I raised my voice, pointing at the girl shrinking in his arms. She looked very young, possibly still in college. She was biting her lower lip vulnerably, trembling at my outburst. Ryan instinctively hugged her, first lowering his head to comfort her not to be afraid, then looking up at me with an impatient tone. “Mia Lee, don’t scare the kid. Please try to understand the special nature of my work. You used to be so understanding…” I couldn’t hold back anymore and rushed over to slap him hard across the face. The girl screamed in fright, reaching out to caress Ryan’s face with concern. “Let’s get a divorce,” I said. With that, I turned and left without looking back. Two hours later, Ryan finally came home. Seeing that I had packed up half the house, he frowned deeply. “I’m already exhausted. Can you stop throwing tantrums like a child?” he said. “You think I’m throwing a tantrum?” I was too mentally and physically drained to even argue, just looking at him coldly.

“Ryan Shaw, do you even care about this family anymore? If you truly cared about us, Lily wouldn’t have…” “Emma is my adopted sister,” Ryan interrupted me roughly. He fell silent for a long while, then slowly began to tell the story of himself and that girl. “This past year, she’s been the one taking care of me. She’s done so much for me.” Ryan’s expression softened as he spoke of their history. He said Emma was a silly girl who, despite knowing he was married, still recklessly gave her heart to him. He said she loved watching superhero shows, had a hero complex, and liked to show off. Several times, she put herself in danger trying to save him. He said she was carefree and liked wearing short skirts, always accidentally flashing people, then complaining that he was too controlling. He talked about their countless nights huddled together for warmth, holding hands, legs touching, their breath on each other’s faces. The girl would chatter on about her little troubles, like not having enough credits, her counselor not approving her leave request, her roommate being annoying… He felt like he had also become ten years younger, returning to his youthful days. Finally, he said, “I know our relationship has gone beyond that of siblings now.” “Give me time. I’ll forget about her and live well with you.” Ryan closed his eyes, showing a pained expression. “She’s still young and doesn’t understand. I should know better. I’ve already wasted a year of her life. I can’t continue to hold her back.” I could barely breathe. Did Ryan realize what he was saying? He was telling his wife about his love story with someone else. It was as if I were the third party, maliciously interfering in his and Emma’s love, forcing him to give up his true love to fulfill family responsibilities. Ryan remembered her sacrifices for him, but what about me? Were my seven years of love and seven years of protection all for nothing? After a long while, I calmed down: “I’ll just give you your freedom directly.” I picked up my suitcase and pushed past him to go downstairs. Ryan grabbed my hand, meeting my gaze with a pleading look in his eyes: “Zhimiao, I promise, today was the last time I’ll see her. I still love you. I want to give Lily a complete family…” “Don’t mention Lily to me!” I completely lost control, forcefully throwing my bag at him. Sharp decorations on the bag cut Ryan’s face and neck, drawing blood. He stood there stunned as I left without looking back. I rented a small apartment near my company, contacting a lawyer while packing up and handling our daughter’s affairs. While I was busy, I received a call from the hospital. “Mrs. Lee, your mother-in-law has had another attack. Please come quickly…” My heart tightened suddenly, and I grabbed my bag and rushed out. My mother-in-law was in the late stages of cancer. After marrying Ryan, I had voluntarily taken on the task of caring for her, attending to her daily needs, checking and getting her medications, and managing her diet. I did everything I could except bear the pain of her illness for her. For seven years, rain or shine, I stayed at the hospital at least four days a week. Only these past two days, because of what happened to our daughter, I had been distracted and forgotten about my mother-in-law still in the hospital. I rushed over anxiously, but to my surprise, when I opened the door, I saw Emma smilingly coaxing my mother-in-law to drink some porridge. She wasn’t wearing short skirts like Ryan had said, but long pants and long sleeves, looking proper and clean, like the girl next door that anyone would instinctively like. My mother-in-law was chatting happily with her, the two looking as close as mother and daughter. “…Mom,” I called out hoarsely. My mother-in-law quickly waved me over, introducing with a warm smile: “Mia, this is Ryan’s colleague’s sister. Has he mentioned her to you?” Emma saw me and couldn’t hide her nervousness, awkwardly standing up from her chair. She stammered, “We’ve… we’ve met…” Seeing that I didn’t respond, Emma’s eyes gradually reddened, and she ran out with her head down like a frightened rabbit, only to bump into Ryan who had just entered. She immediately relaxed as if she had found her anchor, grabbing Ryan’s sleeve and hiding behind him, timidly looking at me. Ryan was holding some test results, his brows furrowed as he questioned me: “Zhimiao, if you have issues with me, I have nothing to say. But hasn’t my mom always treated you well? Is this how you take care of her for me?!” He forcefully threw the papers at me. The words “critical condition” and “imminent death” caught my eye. Before I could say anything, a nurse who had been observing couldn’t hold back anymore and angrily said: “Your wife has taken excellent care of your mom. Have you ever tried caring for a patient non-stop for seven years?!” “Your mom already had an incurable cancer. The fact that she’s survived until today is all thanks to your wife’s dedicated care! As for you, her son, how many times have you visited the hospital in seven years? You can count it on one hand, right?” Ryan was chastened into regaining some sense, hanging his head dejectedly. Emma couldn’t bear to listen anymore and retorted: “Ryan’s work is special. He doesn’t have time…” “He has time for an affair but no time to care for his own mother?!” the nurse blurted out. The hallway suddenly fell silent. A doctor came over and pulled her away, and the nurse shut up, still indignant. Emma’s eyes reddened, about to cry again. But at this moment, Ryan had no energy to comfort her. He said hoarsely: “Bring Lily back. Let her see her grandmother one last time.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294532”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #重生Reborn #校园School #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #后宫Harem