Author: Momo Chan

I never imagined I’d be able to share sensations with my boyfriend of three years. This morning, I greeted him as usual and tilted my face up for a kiss. He instinctively dodged, his eyes filled with barely concealed disgust. He’s just turned twenty-one, not even graduated from college yet. At this vigorous age, he’s starting to reject my touch. He got up, took his phone, and went to the bathroom right in front of me. Moments later, muffled groans of pleasure came from inside. My heart grew colder by the inch. I sat numbly on the bed, listening to the sounds of washing up from the bathroom. I watched Chase rummage through the closet for clothes, spray on some cologne, check himself in the mirror repeatedly, then hurry off to class. Throughout it all, he didn’t spare me a single glance. I picked up Chase’s tablet from the bedside and scrolled through his chat history with an online store. Customer Service: Handsome, it’s been a while since you last shopped here. We’ve got new items in stock. Chase: Not buying anymore. I have zero interest in her now. I’m only 21, and she’s 35, almost 36 – an old woman. I feel sick just looking at her wrinkles. Can’t even get it up. Customer Service: … Customer Service: That can’t be right. You used to buy from us quite often. You said you loved your girlfriend. Chase: Anyway, I feel nothing for her now. I used to think she was low-maintenance, understanding, never dramatic. She took care of everything and always apologized first when we argued. Now it all feels so dull. Being with her, I don’t feel like I’m in a relationship at all. When I find my ideal young and cute girlfriend, I’ll buy from you again. The message showed as read, but there was no reply. I turned off the tablet, feeling dizzy. I grabbed my hair hard. I laughed at myself. I had discovered this chat last night. It was crystal clear, yet I still foolishly tried to test him this morning, only to humiliate myself. He doesn’t love me anymore. He’s disgusted by my aging. His ideal girlfriend must be the girl in the photos he looks at before pleasuring himself in the bathroom. I fell back onto the bed, surprisingly without a trace of tears. After all, for a woman my age, crying and breaking down would be undignified.

I got up quietly and washed up. Near noon, I started receiving birthday messages from various brand websites I’d registered with. Only then did I remember – today is my birthday. I stared at the wilted, yellowing hydrangeas on the coffee table, now attracting fruit flies. In a daze, I recalled that three years ago today, 18-year-old Chase was the first to say he loved me. Back then, Chase had just started college. He was being bullied at his part-time job at my company when I stepped in to help him. His eyes sparkled as he looked at me with admiration, following me around, constantly calling me “big sis”. It annoyed me so much that I had no choice but to take him under my wing. Back then, Chase was pure and sincere. He would always steal glances at me, quickly looking away when I caught him, pretending nothing happened. Only his ears would slowly turn red. When other interns tried to flirt with me, Chase would get anxious, staying close to me like a little wolf guarding its territory. Occasionally, when we had accidental physical contact, he would blush and sit still for hours, too embarrassed to move. On my 32nd birthday, he showed up with a huge bouquet of my favorite hydrangeas and a birthday cake. The young man’s gaze was shy yet brave and persistent. He said he loved me. I told him our age gap was too big and that I needed to think about it. For the next few days, Chase visibly became anxious and lost weight. When I finally said yes, the joy in his eyes was almost overflowing. He hugged me tightly, his low voice swirling around my ears like a vow, “Vera, from now on, every birthday of yours will be our anniversary. I’ll always be with you to celebrate.” … My phone kept ringing with birthday wishes from family, friends, and even colleagues flooding in. Only the pinned chat with Chase remained silent at the top. Silent as if that boy who loved me three years ago was just a figment of my imagination. I got up and threw the wilted flowers from the vase into the trash. Rotten, spoiled things shouldn’t be kept anymore. The same goes for flowers and people.

I tidied up a bit and left for work. Everything changes, except for the work I’ve poured my heart and soul into, and the balance in my bank account. While working overtime late at night, my young assistant suddenly pulled out a box. “Ms. Vera, I’ve been so busy I almost forgot the iPhone you asked me to buy for you.” She glanced at her watch and tilted her head with a smile, “This is your birthday gift to yourself, right? Good thing it’s only 11:55 PM, still before midnight. Just in time.” “Happy birthday, Ms. Vera!” I smiled and took the box, turning it over in my hands. I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Chase’s chat remained silent on my phone, as if today was just another ordinary day in the countless boring days we’ve spent together. This phone wasn’t my birthday gift. It was the third anniversary gift I had prepared for Chase. Before leaving work, I sent Chase a message. “Come home early after class tomorrow. I have something to tell you.” “Is there anything you’d like to eat?” After a while, he replied with two words: “Whatever.”

I sat in the car all night. I opened Chase’s chat, staring at the word “Whatever” for a while. Scrolling up, there were many more green bubbles than white ones, with occasional transfers of thousands or tens of thousands for his pocket money. Most of the time it was me talking, often asking what he wanted to eat, where he wanted to go on weekends, or sharing work-related stuff. Chase would either reply “Whatever,” or “Mm,” or not reply at all. Scrolling further up to chat logs from half a year ago, almost all the messages were from me, with Chase’s replies few and far between. I sighed softly and unpinned his chat. Even without his rant to the online store, his boredom and indifference towards me were obvious. … I watched the sky change from pitch black to the first light of dawn. After Chase left for school, I returned to the small apartment we shared. I had bought this apartment near his school when we first got together. Chase’s dirty clothes were strewn haphazardly on the sofa. I stuffed them into the washing machine, checked the time, then went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Braised fish, yu xiang eggplant, and sweet and sour ribs – all Chase’s favorites that I had specially learned to make. Maybe I was distracted, but while washing the knife, I sliced off a chunk of my finger. Blood immediately flowed everywhere. When Chase came home from school, I was tightly wrapping my finger with tissue paper. He didn’t look at me, just glanced at the dishes on the table and frowned. He sat down matter-of-factly and picked at the food. Perhaps to him, I was just like this table of dishes he had grown tired of. “Chase…” Chase was eating while replying to messages on his phone, the corners of his mouth curved in pleasure. He just grunted in response without looking up. “I’m going out for a bit.” The wound was quite deep. Blood quickly soaked through the tissue paper, staining my white top red. Looking at this mess, a wave of grievance welled up. My voice carried a hint of tears. “Chase…” I hoped Chase would look up at me for once. But his response was still just a low “Mm.” I sniffled and went to the pharmacy downstairs for treatment. The young pharmacist was startled. “Ma’am, the wound is too deep. I can bandage it for you, but you should really go to the hospital.” I shook my head and left. The moment I opened the door upon returning home, a sweet, coquettish “Senior, you’re so capable” echoed in the living room. Chase hurriedly paused the voice message and looked up at me somewhat unnaturally: “Where’s my blue shirt? I want to wear it tomorrow.” Then he went back to eating. The mirror in the entryway reflected my red, swollen eyes and pale, sallow complexion. Suddenly, I felt like crying. I took a deep breath to compose myself and sat down across from Chase. “Yesterday was our third anniversary. What gift would you like?” Chase’s phone on the table kept buzzing. I glanced at it – the contact was simply saved as “Junior,” simple yet intimate. Must be the young, vibrant girl of his dreams. Chase quickly flipped his phone over, sounding irritated, “I don’t know. I don’t want anything.” I took out the phone box. “I’ve prepared a gift for you – the latest iPhone model you’ve been wanting.” Chase’s eyes lit up. Just as he was about to reach for it, my phone rang. In the quiet living room, my mother’s loud voice was exceptionally clear. “You’re almost 40, an old maid! I think that Gu guy is not bad. Make time to meet him. When are you going to get married? You keep saying you have a boyfriend, but I’ve never even seen him!” I instinctively looked at Chase. He lowered his eyes guiltily. After briefly dealing with the call, I saw Chase firmly push back the phone box I had offered him. He took a deep breath, eyes downcast, not daring to look at me. I smiled and took back the box. “If you don’t want the gift, that’s fine. Are you full? This meal was to commemorate our third anniversary, and it’s also our farewell dinner.” I looked into his eyes and told him word by word: “Chase, let’s break up.”

Chase was stunned at first, then visibly relaxed. “Okay.” His answer was quick and decisive, as if afraid I might change my mind. He stared into my eyes, his tone tinged with guilt: “I don’t love you anymore. I never thought about marrying you.” “You can think I’m a jerk, but I just don’t love you anymore.” “I’m sorry.” I lowered my eyes, not wanting to look at him anymore. When we first got together, I had asked Chase, “I’m fourteen years older than you. I’ll age quickly. You won’t love me anymore in the future.” Back then, Chase hugged me, kissed the top of my head, and smiled, “They say love is like nurturing a flower. A woman who is loved won’t age. From now on, I’ll tell you I love you a thousand times every day, so you won’t grow old, Vera.” After that day, Chase always said he loved me. It became a self-fulfilling prophecy. When he stopped saying he loved me every day, I aged in his eyes. Chase, who used to always have “I love you” on his lips, now spoke of not loving me with such resolution and coldness for the sake of breaking up. I found it somewhat amusing. Suddenly feeling a sense of tearing apart, I could only nod calmly, “It’s all over.” Chase seemed surprised by my calmness.

My breakup with Chase was very peaceful. He awkwardly took a suitcase, intending to pack his things, but came out of the room empty-handed moments later. I sat on the sofa, fidgeting with the box in my hands, feeling like laughing. Almost everything he owned was bought by me. What did he have to pack? He glanced at me quickly, leaving with an almost inaudible “I’m going.” He ran out of the apartment as if escaping. I looked around the room. From the gaming computer to the socks in the drawer, everything was filled with traces of Chase. Scattered around were the speech drafts I had helped him write for the English speaking contest I had encouraged him to join at school. On the computer were the slides I had stayed up all night to prepare for his school’s publicity department. And the clothes I had bought for him whenever I saw something suitable. Those slides were saved on a USB drive that I had rushed to deliver to his school when I realized he had forgotten to take it. That day, Chase hung his head, his tone somewhat agitated, “Who asked you to come find me at school!” He snatched the USB drive and turned to leave. The boys around him laughed and teased. I don’t know what Chase said, but one of the boys turned and waved at me with a grin, his voice clear and loud: “Goodbye, auntie!” I shook my head in annoyance. I found some garbage bags and stuffed all these odds and ends into them. After cleaning up, the apartment felt empty. Unnaturally tidy. I collapsed onto the bed, feeling drained, staring blankly at the ceiling. The surroundings were eerily quiet, with the ticking of the wall clock exceptionally clear. I picked up my phone. Chase had updated his status. “I’m finally free. Ending what’s wrong to pursue what’s right.” Just now, at 2 AM, he updated again with just three words: Can’t sleep. I blinked. He must not be used to the dorm, I thought. After all, in the past, as soon as he complained about noisy roommates or hard dorm beds, I immediately rented him an apartment. Whenever he called me “Vera,” I would solve all his problems. Lost in thought, my phone vibrated, showing several transactions on the joint account I had set up for Chase. I unlinked the joint account and froze the supplementary credit card I had given him. After doing all this, drowsiness gradually overcame me. I turned over and fell into a deep sleep.

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After discovering I was the vicious female supporting character in an entertainment industry novel, I immediately dumped the devoted male second lead and ran away. I chose to raise pigs in the south. Successfully expanded the pig farm into a large-scale operation, attracting a reality show to film there. But why are the male lead, female lead, and my ex-boyfriend all participating?! They’re gathered around me discussing postpartum care for sows. Yet netizens are saying, “Algar’s eyes are glued to Celestine, those two must have something going on!” Damn it! How can your eyes be so sharp! When I signed the contract, I said I only needed to raise pigs and be a pig, living an idle life waiting to die. But after working for a while, I discovered the pig farm was becoming more and more famous, attracting a reality show to film there. The boss saw a business opportunity and forcibly inserted me into the show as a resident NPC, a pig farming instructor. Early in the morning, the production team barged into my home with their equipment. I took off my face mask, tidied my hair, and waved at the camera with a look of utter despair. “You’re saying this is the pig farming instructor???” “Oh my god! She’s so beautiful, I love her! Come to sister’s arms!” “Is this deliberately hyping up an ordinary person? How else would a pig farm have such a goddess?” I looked at the barrage of comments and smirked. As the vicious female supporting character, I didn’t want to get involved in the entertainment circle either. Yes, that’s right, I know I’m currently in a Mary Sue sweet romance novel set in the entertainment industry. A film emperor dotes on a small-time actress, helping her reach the pinnacle of becoming a top actress. In it, the small-time actress is a natural charmer, with the male lead, second male lead, and third to seventh male leads all falling for her. My boyfriend Algar is the most devoted second male lead to the female lead. There’s only one vicious female supporting character in the whole story – me. Despite having stunning looks, I’m completely overshadowed by the female lead. Feeling resentful, I constantly cause trouble. Algar and I had been deskmates since middle school, classmates all the way. He protected me, I liked him, we were the school’s perfect couple. But in the year we graduated from university, Algar met Celestine from the acting department, and everything changed. He couldn’t stop talking about Celestine. Celestine was a bit muddle-headed, but beautiful and kind-hearted. Celestine was perfect in every way. I was fuming as I listened. On my birthday, Algar abandoned me on the roadside for Celestine, and I finally exploded. In the original story, I chose to create a fake account to slander Celestine as a homewrecker who seduced other people’s boyfriends. After being found out, Algar had a huge fight with me. Algar and I grew apart, and I became even more resentful towards Celestine. Celestine became a rising starlet in the entertainment industry. I stole her roles, made snide remarks about her plastic surgery, and deliberately sabotaged her safety harness. In the end, Algar broke up with me and joined forces with the film emperor to protect Celestine. Later, I went crazy and threw sulfuric acid at Celestine during a roadshow. Algar pushed me down the stairs. I died with my eyes wide open.

The day I awakened, I laughed at this ridiculous plot. If Algar fell for someone else, I would just slap him once and kick him to the curb. I wouldn’t have the patience to engage in a catfight with Celestine. Besides, Algar, falling for someone else? That’s purely a joke. To put it nicely, he was aloof; to put it bluntly, he was antisocial. He barely knew anyone at school besides me, probably not even the homeroom teacher’s name. And every day, besides drawing, he just clung to me. All his free time was spent buying me food, doing my laundry, saving seats for me, accompanying me to movies, and taking walks with me. He didn’t even have time to meet Celestine. I originally thought I had just had a nauseating dream. But not long after the start of senior year, I really saw Celestine. She truly lived up to being the female lead, with a natural halo. Even in a crowd, she was the most eye-catching, smiling and waving at Algar, calling him “Brother Dusk.” My heart skipped a beat, and an ominous feeling welled up. But I still suppressed my anxiety, pretending to be angry and telling Algar to stay away from Celestine. Algar cupped my face, gave me a kiss, and happily agreed. But he ran into Celestine more and more often. His gaze lingered on Celestine for longer and longer. Algar himself didn’t even notice that he had ignored my warnings, and started talking about Celestine all the time. “Why do you insist on being friends with Celestine?” I held back from questioning him. He hid his smile and said he’d tell me later. The sourness in my heart and fear of the future could no longer be suppressed. I had nightmares of Algar pushing me down the stairs. Until my birthday, when Algar received a call from Celestine, left me on the roadside, and walked away. I was utterly desperate. Since I couldn’t change fate, I might as well run! I sent Algar a breakup message and fled overnight. To a place where no one could find me. Using all I had learned, I became a researcher at a nationally renowned large-scale pig farm. Focusing on pig research, making piglets whiter, prettier, and more delicious. Who would have thought. Because I raised pigs so well, it attracted a reality show to film there. I still couldn’t escape my predetermined fate. So I’ll just lie down. Only if I lie flat enough can the gears of fate roll right over me! I took the production team on a tour of the pig farm. When I returned to the recording room, everyone had already arrived. Seeing the people before me, my heart pounded wildly. Wearing a black T-shirt and jeans with an expressionless face was Algar. Beside him with long straight black hair, wearing a white dress and a flower-like smile, was Celestine. And leaning lazily to the side listening to Celestine talk was the film emperor, Miles. Celestine saw me and jumped up: “A new person has arrived! Come, come!” She was lively and coquettish, and everyone turned to look at me following her words. Algar’s gaze seemed to be laced with ice, freezing me stiff and at a loss. The barrage of comments went wild. “All handsome men and beautiful women, a feast for the eyes!” “Our Willow is so cute, so sweet, so beautiful!” “The film emperor’s doting expression, I ship it so hard.” “But the famous painter Algar seems to have a very good relationship with Celestine. He was invited by Celestine to participate in the show. I ship the Steadfast Couple!” “Ahhhh! They look good together no matter how you look at it. I’m fine with either the Steadfast Couple or the Fame Couple!” Bitterness welled up in my heart, but I forced a smile. Celestine walked over and grabbed my hand. Algar revealed a smile, but there was no smile in his eyes. I shuddered. Looks like he’s really angry.

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The year my sister started college, she died on a hotel bed. They said Grace was promiscuous and played herself to death. But I knew that wasn’t true. Carter’s sweetheart had a fight with him, so he deliberately pursued my sister. Jealous Vanessa egged others on to bully her. “Carter said she has a nice body. As his friends, why don’t you check it out for him?” Eight years later, I became Carter’s most cherished pet. Quiet and obedient, never causing trouble. Vanessa poured a cup of hot tea over my head, sneering: “You’re just a cheap knockoff. Carter’s only playing with you.” “I’m the one he truly loves. Know your place, understand?” But I never wanted his love. All I wanted were your lives. The day Vanessa returned from abroad, Carter released pink balloons all over the city to celebrate. His friends once again mocked and ridiculed our relationship. “The leading lady is back. Isn’t it time for that fake Aria to get lost?” “Tsk, that’s the fate of a disposable side character.” “Serves her right for being so cheap and throwing herself at him.” I sat on the sofa, quickly scrolling through the group chat messages before turning off my phone. “Angry?” Carter asked casually as he sat beside me, absent-mindedly playing with my palm. I shook my head and leaned gently against his chest, saying softly: “They’re right. I know my place. I can’t help feeling a little sad, but knowing you came to see me before meeting Vanessa makes everything okay.” He ran his hand along my cheek down to my chin, pinching the soft flesh there as if petting a cat. “Such a good girl.” “I won’t be coming over tonight. I’ll have that watch you liked delivered to you.” He stood up, ready to leave. Just as he opened the door, I suddenly ran up and hugged him from behind. Tears welling in my eyes. “I know you and Vanessa grew up together. I could never compare.” “But Carter, please let me stay by your side.” “Don’t leave me.” Hot tears fell onto his shirt, quickly spreading into a large wet patch against his shoulder blade. He paused, loosening his grip on the doorknob and turning around. His broad palm gently stroked my thin back. “Don’t overthink things.” He lowered his head slightly, tilting my chin up. I gazed back at him with trembling wet lashes. I knew I was beautiful, most alluring with reddened eyes looking pitiful. Sure enough, desire darkened his eyes. Before I knew it, Carter had me pinned to the sofa, gripping my waist. His breathing quickened with arousal, movements showing no tenderness. When I cried out in pain, he only bit and gnawed at my lips. “Aria, as long as you behave, I’ll come see you tomorrow.” I buried my face in his shoulder, my voice muffled and hoarse. “Okay. Don’t lie to me.” I carefully helped him get dressed and saw him downstairs. A purple Rolls-Royce waited at the villa entrance, the driver respectfully opening the door for him. With a roar of the engine, the car quickly disappeared into the night. It was getting late. Any later and he’d miss Vanessa’s welcome home dinner. She was the Jiang family’s princess, pampered since childhood. If Carter was late, she’d definitely be upset. As I thought about this, I walked back into the villa, tears streaming down my face. In front of Maggie, the housekeeper, I swallowed the pill she handed me. Then, with swollen eyes, I went upstairs, entered my room, and locked the door. I rushed into the bathroom, bent over the toilet, and vomited violently. Disgusting, utterly disgusting. Every second with Carter, every touch from him, was like a needle piercing my fragile dignity, reeking of decadent luxury and decay. The slightest recollection would make me retch uncontrollably. Yet I had to vie for his affection, kiss him, and submit to his desires. To make him confidently believe that I was a parasitic vine that could only cling to him, loving him wholeheartedly, and would wither away if I ever left him. Then, when he was enjoying his self-created realm of power, relaxed and carefree, I would deliver the fatal blow. Carter, I want to see you fall from your high position, left with nothing. Struggling in the mud, tormented by hatred. At the end, only stomach acid remained, burning my throat. I collapsed onto the cold tile floor, leaning against the wall behind me. The bright light above my head pierced my eyes, blurring my vision with a mix of whiteness and tears. My head knocked against the wall repeatedly as I choked out: “But, Grace, I’ve tried. I have no other way.” “…I’m so hungry. I miss your clear noodle soup, sister.”

My childhood wasn’t exactly pleasant. From my earliest memories, my father was a gambling, alcoholic, abusive scumbag. When I was ten, he lost a lot of money. That night, he opened the door, reeking of alcohol. My mother trembled as she held me in her arms. The next moment, he violently grabbed my mother’s hair and threw her onto the concrete floor. He punched her face over and over, and when he got tired, he kicked her. He took the last of our savings and squandered it at the casino. My mother got into a red car. She never came back. After that, my father would bring different women home. Locking me out. That day, I squatted outside the door all night. Until the next morning when I went to school, no one had opened the door for me. I had no money and no friends. I could only run to the sink to drink water to stave off hunger. By the time school let out, I was so hungry I could barely see straight. A girl running towards me barely brushed my shoulder, and I nearly fainted. She caught me in time, asking if I was okay. I was too hungry, so I just said so. She gave me a gentle smile, took my hand, and led me to her home. I ate five bowls of clear noodle soup. Somehow, I started crying while eating. First silently, then wailing loudly. She frantically wiped my tears, thinking her cooking was terrible. I shook my head vigorously in her arms. “No one has ever been so kind to me before.” Her warm hand patted my head. Not only did she not mind my dry, messy hair, but she also said: “From now on, think of me as your big sister. I’ll look out for you.” She really was a wonderful person. That was the first time I met my sister, Grace. She had a name as pure and beautiful as her personality. Unlike my name, which my father casually picked after winning a mahjong game. My mother thought it meant the “green” of grass. But Grace told me it meant “Aria of the green hills, my heart wanders far.” Only then did I realize that even a carelessly chosen character could be interpreted with poetic beauty by someone who cared.

That night, I dreamed of my sister again. I dreamed of how she celebrated my birthday. On a scorching summer day, when the asphalt was so hot you could see the heat shimmering off it, smelling of tar. She wore a heavy mascot costume, handing out flyers to passersby. She broke out in a rash from the heat but lied to me, saying it was just dust allergy. Seventy dollars a day, she did it for two months. Then, on my 14th birthday, she gave me fourteen gifts. A newspaper from my 1st year, watercolor pens from my 2nd, hair clips from my 3rd… a Barbie doll from my 7th… a bicycle from my 10th, an electronic keyboard from my 11th… and a keychain with keys for my 14th. I had never celebrated a birthday before, but that day, I celebrated fourteen birthdays at once. Maggie, Grace’s mom, had prepared a table full of dishes, with a two-tiered cake in the center. Surrounded by such warmth and love, I couldn’t help but cry again. “Thank you, sis. Thank you, Aunt Maggie.” Maggie’s smiling face suddenly fell. “You call her ‘sis,’ why am I still ‘Aunt Maggie’?” “Mom.” “Good girl, make a wish and blow out the candles.” I closed my eyes, savoring the happiest moment of my life. And made a sincere wish. I was no longer a child that no one cared about. I had a family. The laughter and joy quickly folded and distorted. The dream changed drastically. My sister was brought back, lying motionless on a stretcher. Her body was cold, covered in wounds, long past breathing. They said: “Grace led a promiscuous life, engaged in dangerous activities with multiple men. She died during one of these encounters. Her partners have already confessed and turned themselves in.” Lies, all lies. They also said, out of humanitarian concern, they could offer me reasonable compensation. I couldn’t hear anything anymore. There was a buzzing in my ears like a million mosquitoes, as I stared at my sister’s lifeless body before me. The mottled bloodstains mixed with sunlight into a chaotic mess. “Sis…” My sister didn’t die from some wild encounters. She was in college, busy with work-study programs. How could she possibly be involved with men, let alone multiple men, in such activities? It was my sister’s cheerleading squad captain. Her childhood sweetheart had a fight with her and deliberately praised my sister in front of her. He said my sister had a great body and he wanted to try her out. She angrily told him to go pursue my sister. He did, sending flowers, gifts, and breakfasts, sweet-talking her in every way. My sister had never experienced anything like this before. She believed it was true love. That arrogant captain couldn’t stand it. After reconciling with her sweetheart, she had people bully my sister. “Since Carter praised her body, why don’t you guys, as his friends, go check it out for him?” From beginning to end, it was a lawyer who handled the whole affair. Wearing old-fashioned scholarly glasses, behind which were sharp, shrewd eyes. He spoke precisely and acted ruthlessly. Under the machinations of power, we were defeated at every turn. Those two instigators never even showed their faces. After reconciling, they went to the Arctic to chase the Northern Lights. How romantic, how absurd. Months later, I finally learned their names. Two rich kids — Vanessa and Carter. Then I dreamed of my mother’s hair turning white overnight. Empty pill bottles scattered in the corner of the bed, my mother lying quietly, as if asleep. She had gone to find my sister. My birthday wish hadn’t come true. I never celebrated birthdays again.

I originally thought I wouldn’t encounter Vanessa so soon. But with her spoiled nature, how could she accept it? She had only been abroad for three years, and Carter already had me by his side when she returned. So the next day, Vanessa arranged a fitting at a luxury boutique. Carter deliberately brought me along. A spacious fitting room with excellent privacy. Dazzling lights, an atmosphere of extravagance. Vanessa sat in the center of the sofa in a black Chanel suit, the center of attention. She took a sip of her red tea, lifting her eyelids slightly. The disdain in her gaze fell on me without disguise as she suddenly smiled. “Carter, is this the little pet you’ve been keeping?” “She does look a bit like me, doesn’t she?” At this point, someone chimed in. “No matter how much she tries to imitate you, she can’t compare to even your little finger.” My fingers, hanging at my side, suddenly clenched. I lowered my head, suddenly realizing. He brought me here to let Vanessa vent her anger. Because of his attitude, everyone looked down on me, cooperating with Vanessa to humiliate me. “Since you’re here, why don’t you try on some clothes for me?” Carter sat down next to Vanessa and said indifferently, “Go try them on. Try until Vanessa is satisfied.” The entire afternoon, I walked back and forth in high heels, trying on clothes repeatedly. “Just standing there like that, how are we supposed to know if the clothes look good or not?” “That’s right, walk around the room a few times, strike a few poses. How can you be so stupid?” They sat on the sofa, enjoying their afternoon tea, instructing me on how to be a proper fitting model. The high heels on my feet rubbed my heels raw, blood seeping into the inside of the shoes. I was in so much pain that fine beads of sweat appeared on my forehead, my legs feeling as if they were no longer my own. Vanessa finally vented some of her anger. “Such beautiful clothes are wasted on someone like you.” “I don’t want any of the styles she’s worn. Pack up the rest.” She nestled in Carter’s arms, poking his chest in a coquettish manner. The usually cold man now curved his lips, allowing the person in his arms to act spoiled. “Go clean yourself up downstairs, and remember your place.” I held the slipping neckline of my dress, bowed, and hurriedly left. As I was leaving, I fell to the ground. I looked up at Carter, tears instinctively falling. Pitiful to the extreme. Carter’s gaze unconsciously fell on me, his Adam’s apple bobbing. I saw it, and so did Vanessa. She walked towards me with a smile. “A few pieces of clothing and you’re already feeling wronged? I didn’t realize you were so good at acting.” The next moment, a searing pain shot through my scalp. Vanessa poured an entire cup of hot tea over my head, then set down the cup and cooed to Carter. “Carter, you know I hate green tea the most.” “I couldn’t help but teach her a lesson. You won’t blame me, will you?” Carter stood up and wrapped his arm around her waist, his eyes full of indulgence. “As long as you’re happy.” The group left amid laughter, not waiting for me. Leaving me alone where I was.

That night, Carter surprisingly didn’t accompany Vanessa. Instead, he came to see me. Hearing movement in the yard, I pretended to be asleep on the couch. Carter came in and picked me up. I woke up in his arms at the right moment, my voice hoarse from crying. “I’m sorry, I’m so useless. I know you love Vanessa the most, but I couldn’t even do something as simple as trying on clothes for her.” “If Vanessa is still angry, I can move out…” Before I could finish, the scene before my eyes spun. He threw me onto the bed, grabbing my wrist and pressing down on me. “You want to leave?” I lowered my eyelashes, biting my lip, my eyes unconsciously turning red. After a long while, I squeezed out a small “yes.” “Aria, you’ve gotten quite bold, haven’t you?” Carter suddenly laughed angrily, raising his hand to grasp my chin. “Remember this: no one in this world can dictate what I, Carter, do.” “You remember, until I tell you to leave, don’t even think about leaving my side.” In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through my mind. Tears burst forth. He carefully brushed aside the hair on my head, gently blowing on the swollen scalp. He had always maintained a lofty and indifferent attitude towards me. This was the first time I had seen him so gentle.

The burn kept throbbing, making it hard for me to sleep soundly. In my dreams, I seemed to return to a time long ago. It was when I was thirteen, my father suddenly became very nice to me. For the first time ever, he let me eat at the table and even put some meat in my bowl. “Aria, how about letting your Aunt Maggie be your mom?” I nearly choked on my food. So that’s why. He had his eye on Maggie. Knowing that Maggie’s family was kind to me, he wanted me to help him win her over. When I refused, he chased me away from the table. The meat he had put in my bowl ended up in his own mouth. I thought he was just talking. I didn’t expect him to go to Maggie’s tofu stand the next day to openly court her. Maggie kept refusing, which angered my father. He started spreading rumors. He said Maggie was bad luck, that her husband had died because of her. The rumors spread from the market throughout the neighborhood. “Why did you say those things about Maggie? Now she doesn’t dare to open her stand.” My father, looking smug, slurred, “Who told her to refuse me? I didn’t even mind that she’s a widow.” I couldn’t control myself and shouted at him. “You’re despicable!” He stood up abruptly and beat me. Afterwards, he kicked me and said he was hungry. I got up and made him a bowl of noodles. I put in five spoons of salt. He ate with relish, even praising my improved cooking skills. I guess he had drunk so much fake alcohol that his taste buds were ruined. Later, Grace came to find me several times. I didn’t dare to see her. But she still caught me on my way home from school. “Are you trying to end our friendship?” She was stunned for a moment. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, she reached out and pinched my cheek. “Aria, you’re my sister. Why would I end our friendship?” Because I had been freeloading at their house, I had gained some weight during this time. My face had filled out, and she kept pinching it. “You are you. You don’t need to carry the burden of others’ mistakes.” I hugged my sister tightly, and only after I had cried enough did I notice the wound on her hand. She said she had accidentally hit it while making tofu, and it didn’t hurt anymore. I held her hand, feeling heartbroken. She then took me back to her home. Maggie was busy in the kitchen, and when she saw me, she smiled brightly. “Dinner’s almost ready. You two little ones go wash your hands first.” That evening, the setting sun painted half the sky red, casting an especially warm glow on the dinner table. Not long after, my father fell into the river while drunk. I was left alone at home. My father was known as a scoundrel, and relatives had long since cut ties with us. Maggie found someone to help me arrange the funeral. After that person was buried, Grace and Maggie each held one of my hands. They gave me a warm and complete home. I had my own room, clean bedsheets, and a brand new desk. I thought this would be forever.

Vanessa began to take over her family’s company. She used the excuse that she had just returned and wasn’t familiar with the domestic market. So she had Carter assign me as her assistant. Then she started setting up obstacles for me at every turn, leading the way in isolating and ostracizing me. She used the lowest, most childish methods. When I needed to use the printer, it was always out of paper or ink. In the break room, someone would always “accidentally” spill coffee on me. My computer would mysteriously get viruses, and I’d have to redo completed presentations. Carter would only tell me to try harder. I said okay, hung up the phone, not wanting to disturb his date with Vanessa. Until the last time, when Vanessa went too far— A client from Hong Kong was visiting. Vanessa told me and another colleague to handle it. During the dinner, my colleague was called away by a phone call from Vanessa. I was left alone and forced to drink until I was dizzy. The client’s hand gradually moved to my thigh. I resisted with all my might and was beaten half to death. Hearing the commotion, a waiter came and called the police. In the hospital room, the sharp smell of disinfectant lingered. I slept for two days. During this time, someone posted a video online of me being carried into an ambulance. The person who exposed it also pointed out that I was deliberately left behind by Vanessa. It quickly became a trending topic. Vanessa’s family company was competing with a rival for a project. Once this incident broke out, the Jiang family company’s image was damaged. When I woke up, I heard Carter and Vanessa arguing in the hallway outside the hospital room. “Vanessa, you’ve gone too far this time.” Carter’s tone was cold. “From childhood until now, I’ve let you do whatever you wanted, but this time you could have killed someone.” Vanessa’s voice was tearful: “Are you heartbroken for her?” “She’s nothing but a fake. It wouldn’t matter if she disappeared. It’s not like people haven’t died before.” Carter said flatly: “You can’t always do whatever you want. You need to control that temper of yours.” Vanessa seemed to be triggered by this statement. “Carter, are you complaining about my temper now? What did I do wrong? Before I went abroad, you said you’d wait for me.” As she spoke, tears started to fall. “I was only gone for three years, and you found this nobody. I just can’t stand her.” “These past two days, you must have seen how people online are cursing me.” “Do you want me to end up like her before you’re satisfied?” Her usually proud and beautiful face was now tear-streaked, revealing vulnerability and sadness in her eyes. This had a strong effect on Carter, who had grown up with her since childhood. After a moment, he sighed and pulled her into his arms. “All these years, I’ve only loved you.”

I watched through the crack in the door as the two kissed. My face expressionless, I turned my head away. I had long known that Vanessa wouldn’t be easy to deal with. Her twenty-some years of childhood friendship with Carter had, to this day, developed a kind of symbiotic meaning. But it wasn’t unbreakable. Now, I had used my injuries to plant a bomb in each of their hearts. Someday in the future, it would explode when it was meant to. Making the situation irreversible. When I woke up, the direction of public opinion had suddenly changed. New videos had surfaced. They were confessions from my colleague and the waiter. The gist was— I had lured my colleague away at the dinner table, actively seduced the client, and was beaten because I became abusive after being rejected by the client. The comment section exploded. Everyone was cursing at me. When Carter came to see me, he didn’t say anything. I also ignored it, still chatting casually with him like usual. Occasionally, I would grab his sleeve and make some harmless small requests. Trying my best to act as if everything was normal. Until the next day, when the client’s wife stormed into the hospital room with a group of people. They beat and cursed at me. When Carter arrived, he saw me curled up in a small ball in the corner of the bed. Biting my arm hard, my face streaked with tears. “Aria…” I looked up, saw it was him, and hurriedly wiped away the tears on my face. I rubbed my eyes hard before looking at him, forcing a smile, “Carter, why are you here?” He stood there, looking straight at me. I finally broke down. “I’m sorry, I just felt a little wronged. I know it’s not Vanessa’s fault. I just couldn’t get over it in my heart.” “It’s nothing, it must be because the wounds hurt too much that I started thinking nonsense. I’ll be fine in a few days.” “Carter, am I being too sensitive…” Guilt gradually appeared in his eyes. Then he sat down and held my hand tightly. He gently rolled up the sleeve of my hospital gown, looking at the bloody tooth marks and surrounding bruises, and suddenly said softly to me: “You’re not being sensitive. You’re the bravest. It’s my fault for spoiling her too much.” “Aria, want to go out and clear your mind? Let’s forget about all this.” “Let’s go to Iceland. Didn’t you always want to see the Northern Lights?”

e rarely called me so affectionately. I knew in my heart that even if Carter felt a twinge of guilt now, he wouldn’t do anything to Vanessa for my sake. In his mind, being able to take me out to clear my head was already a great favor to me. But it didn’t matter. What I wanted was just his temporary departure. Carter really did take me to Iceland. Just like when he took Vanessa to Iceland years ago, chasing the Northern Lights, watching volcanoes erupt. Such magnificent scenery, I had never seen before. The sunset spread over the snowy mountains, like the meeting of ice and fire, like the end of the world. Carter asked me, “Aria, are you feeling better?” I lowered my eyelids, hesitated for a few seconds, then looked up and nodded with a smile. He saw those few seconds of hesitation. His phone rang again, but Carter still silenced it. He put his arm around my shoulders and took me to soak in the hot springs. That night, after I went to bed in the room, Carter went out to the balcony to take Vanessa’s call. “Carter, where are you? Are you with that bitch Aria?” Her voice was shaking with anger on the other end of the line. “The day after tomorrow is my birthday. You promised to throw me a grand birthday party.” “This is my first birthday since coming back home.” Carter’s voice was tinged with impatience. “Aria is in this state because of you. I have to take her out for a while.” “It’s just a birthday. It’s not like you’re going to die next year.” He hung up the phone, pulled out a cigarette pack, and looked up to see me standing in the doorway, rubbing my eyes. He put the cigarette pack away and his gaze fell on my bare feet. He frowned slightly. “It’s so cold, why did you come out without shoes?” He came over and picked me up. “Carter, are you going back to be with Vanessa?” His arms holding me stiffened for a moment.

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My sister and I are daughters of the Lin family, identical twins with faces so alike even our parents struggle to tell us apart. Yet, despite our matching appearances, our parents’ love has never been equally shared between us. From childhood, they’ve always favored my sister. One day, the Emperor came to inspect our region, disguised as a commoner. He stayed at our home, and after indulging in too much wine, he took a liking to my elder sister and spent the night with her. We thought the next day would bring news of a new imperial concubine in the palace. However, to our shock, the Emperor denied everything. Even worse, he “rewarded” my elder sister to Wang Xiang, a notorious eunuch known for his cruel treatment of women. eunuchs were men who had been castrated, often to serve in the imperial court. After the Emperor left, my sister threw herself at our parents’ feet, wailing, “Mother, I won’t marry him! Let my younger sister take my place! If not, I’ll kill myself right now!” “Sister, you want me to marry Wang Xiang in your place?” I was stunned. Mother stroked my sister’s hair tenderly, then looked at me. “Zhisi, you’ve always been strong-minded and never cared about others’ opinions. Even if you marry Wang Xiang, you won’t spend your days worrying and grieving.” My sister cried, her face a mess of tears. “That’s right! I’m a delicate woman, nothing like my sister. If I don’t die today, I’ll surely kill myself from shame when people gossip about me ‘marrying a man without his root’!” I stood there, frozen. The Wang Xiang that the Emperor had chosen for my sister was a well-known… deviant! Rumors said he was ruthless and cold-blooded, willing to do anything to achieve his goals. He followed the Emperor’s every command, earning him the nickname “lapdog” among other officials. Moreover, due to his physical limitations, he never approached women, and no one knew how he would treat a wife. “Say something, Zhisi! If you don’t agree, I’ll end my life right now—” Suddenly, my sister broke free from Mother’s embrace and rushed towards a pillar, ready to smash her head against it! Father grabbed her sleeve just in time, pulling her back forcefully. “Zhiqiao, have you lost your mind?” Mother started crying too. “Zhisi, if anything happens to your sister, I won’t be able to go on living!” Looking at Mother’s tear-stained face, my heart softened, and I nodded. The fortune teller had said the eighth day of next month would be auspicious for marriage. On that day, dressed in a red wedding gown, I sat in the swaying bridal sedan chair as it entered the main gate of Wang Xiang’s mansion. On our wedding night, Wang Xiang entered our chamber, reeking of alcohol. Through the hazy red veil covering my face, I saw a tall figure approaching. “How did it feel to be with the Emperor… my dear wife?” His voice was cold and androgynous, like a half-asleep snake. This question was meant for my sister. I had no answer. I remained silent, only shaking my head. “I heard you’re usually lively and quick to smile. Why so quiet today?” The bed sank as he sat beside me. He reached out to lift my red veil. As I looked at this infamous husband of mine, my eyes widened in surprise. How could he be so beautiful? His eyebrows were like distant mountains, his eyes held the gentleness of spring water, and there was a small red birthmark on his forehead. This face, beautiful to the point of being otherworldly, was shrouded in a faint sadness. When he lowered his gaze, he looked like a merciful Buddha. It was hard to believe that such a person could commit such horrifying acts. Years ago, when the Sixth Prince was found guilty of treason, the Emperor ordered Wang Xiang to execute him. But Wang Xiang went beyond the order—he led his men to infiltrate the Sixth Prince’s mansion at night and skinned everyone inside alive. The next morning, the entrance of the Sixth Prince’s mansion was lined with human skin stuffed with straw! He didn’t even spare the three-month-old baby. After that bloody “chicken killing to scare the monkeys” (a Chinese idiom meaning to punish one to warn others), no other prince ever dared to think about rebellion again. Looking at this beautiful eunuch whose actions contradicted his appearance so strongly, my heart fluttered strangely. Although he might be as wicked as a demon, wouldn’t it be pleasant to spend my days with such a beautiful person? I gazed at him intently. “Husband, you’re so beautiful.” Wang Xiang looked surprised. “You’re not afraid of me?” I shook my head. “Although today is our wedding day, you must be tired after such a long day. Let me help you rest.” He picked up a pillow from the bed. “I don’t like forcing others. I’ll sleep in the study.”

Seeing him about to leave, I panicked and impulsively threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his waist. “Please stay, husband! I have a habit since childhood—I can’t sleep unless I’m holding someone!” Through his clothes, I could feel his lean, strong muscles. If he were a complete man, I couldn’t imagine how many young women he would captivate. Wang Xiang turned his head to look at me. “Are you serious?” I nodded vigorously. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask my maid Ranqiu! Before I got married, she was my human pillow every night. I’ve been hugging her to sleep since I was little!” A flash of helplessness passed through his eyes. “I’ll stay with you then.” In the candlelight, I fell into a deep sleep in Wang Xiang’s arms. He had a faint floral scent, very pleasant. The next day, as soon as I opened my eyes, a dazzling light caught my attention. I focused my gaze and saw six maids standing by the bed, each holding a treasure box filled with pearls, agates, and jades. My maid Ranqiu walked in. “Madam, you’re awake? These jewels are all gifts from the master. He specifically instructed us to let you feast your eyes on their luster when you wake up.” How extravagant. I picked up a pearl to examine it and found it was even larger than the one on my sister’s most expensive hairpin. I was increasingly feeling that this marriage swap was a good deal. In Wang Xiang’s household, there was only Wang Xiang himself. This meant that as his wife, I didn’t have to serve parents-in-law or take care of children. Moreover, he treated me exceptionally well, always speaking to me in a gentle voice. My daily meals and clothing were all of the highest quality for a noble lady. He even sent me dozens of bolts of the same fabric used for palace concubines’ clothes and invited the best tailor in the capital to make clothes for me. Sometimes I felt that he was using material abundance to make up for the lack in our marital life. “I heard you like bamboo, so I had the east wing torn down and replaced with a bamboo grove. In a while, you’ll be able to play the zither and drink wine there.” On a rest day, Wang Xiang leisurely combed my long hair with a jade comb. “Husband, you’re so considerate. But isn’t this too extravagant?” “It’s fine. As long as Zhiqiao is happy, I’m happy. Creating a bamboo grove is nothing. I paid the craftsmen twice the market rate.” Wang Xiang’s voice was very gentle, soothing to hear. I felt a bit disappointed. Zhiqiao was my sister’s name, and I was the younger sister who had taken her place in this marriage. If I wanted to keep everything I now had, I had to forget my original name. “In a few days, I’m hosting a banquet at our mansion. The main guests will be the Left Minister, Right Minister, Grand General, Fifth Princess, and her consort. Come, let me show you their portraits in my study. Remember their faces so you don’t address them incorrectly.” Wang Xiang chuckled softly as he led me up. My father had once mentioned some palace secrets to me and my sister. The Crown Prince had not yet been established, and all the princes were vying for this position. The two most intense competing forces came from the Seventh Prince, born to Noble Consort Rong, and the Third Prince, born to the Empress. As I pondered over the official titles Wang Xiang mentioned, I suddenly realized that Wang Xiang was part of the Seventh Prince’s faction!

“What good fortune the Ninth Master has, to have such a beautiful wife,” the Left Minister glanced at me, giving Wang Xiang a meaningful smile. “Every time I visit Wang Xiang’s mansion, it feels empty. Now there’s finally a mistress to manage the household,” the Fifth Princess giggled behind her sleeve. Wang Xiang’s smile was dazzling, but the joy didn’t reach his eyes. “A wife bestowed by the Emperor is naturally the best.” The mansion’s famous chefs had prepared a table full of delicacies. The noble guests exchanged glances as they raised their cups to drink. The Lin family’s daughter being bestowed in marriage to someone from the Seventh Prince’s faction meant that the Lin family, which had been trying to remain neutral, was now forcibly drawn into the struggle for the position of Crown Prince. After drinking for a while, the Princess Consort suddenly laughed loudly. “The other day when I went to the Emperor’s palace for a meeting, I happened to hear the Third Prince being scolded by the Emperor!” The Northern General spoke up. “Oh? Why was the Third Prince being scolded?” The Princess Consort’s expression was playful. “The Third Prince has been frequenting brothels.” “And he even found a male prostitute! He nearly played the poor man to death. This incident spread quite unpleasantly among the common people. When an official informed the Emperor about this, he was furious.” The men shared knowing smiles, while the Fifth Princess and I wore confused expressions. Wang Xiang leaned close to my ear and whispered, “If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask me after everyone leaves. I promise to tell you everything.” I felt a warmth in my heart and nodded at him. Late that night, in the quiet of our chamber, I asked one curious question after another about what I had heard at the banquet. Wang Xiang’s answers were increasingly shocking. They were all scandalous stories, and I felt myself blushing. By the end, even his jade-like face was tinged with a faint red as he lay on the soft pillow, looking at me. “Zhiqiao, do you regret marrying me?” I shook my head. He suddenly sat up. “Really? Not even a little bit?” I looked at his beautiful face. “At first, maybe I regretted it a little, but now, I don’t regret it at all.” I had heard that women all endure the pain of childbirth. My wet nurse once said, “When a woman gives birth, she’s walking through the gates of hell. Whether you’re the wife of a commoner or an imperial concubine, in the face of death, you’re all the same!” Wang Xiang was a eunuch, and I was a eunuch’s wife. I would never be able to have children in this lifetime. I would never face the threat of death due to childbirth. He stared at me for a moment, then suddenly reached out to take a silver box from a nearby low cabinet, turning his back to me as he opened it. Curious, I leaned over to look, and my pupils dilated in shock—the silver box contained over a dozen sex toys made of jade in various sizes! His cheeks flushed crimson, his long fingers resting on the silver box. “I won’t force you. If you don’t want to…” “I want to.” As Wang Xiang looked at me in astonishment, I untied my own clothes.

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My roommate claimed to be the daughter of a famous CEO. Just as I was wondering which company it was, I heard the name of my mom’s firm. I rushed to the bathroom to make a phone call to my mom, asking excitedly: “Mom, do you have a secret daughter? Does Dad know?” She was even more excited than me: “Yes, your dad knows too.” My face immediately fell, only to see my mom send me a photo of my brother in drag. On the first day of college, I was the last one to arrive at the dorm. I had gotten dirty rescuing a stray dog on the way. When I entered, the previously lively chatter in the room suddenly went quiet for a moment. All five roommates turned to look at me, as if I was an intruder in their territory. Sensing their not-so-friendly gazes, I simply nodded and went in. They quickly resumed their discussion, but as I looked at the bed labeled with my name, I couldn’t help but frown. There were six beds in total in the dorm. My assigned bed was the upper left bunk in the middle, but that bed was already made up. “Did anyone get the bed assignments mixed up?” I asked in a neutral tone, interrupting their conversation. The room fell silent again. After a while, Chloe, wearing a white dress, smiled at me and said softly: “It was me. My bed is below yours, but I’m not used to having someone sleep above me. I wanted to switch with you, but you hadn’t arrived yet, so I went ahead and made the bed.” I nodded in understanding and said: “Then let’s switch back. I’m not used to it either.” Chloe paused for a moment, her smile faltering: “But I… I’m allergic to dust mites…” My eyes lit up and I smiled: “What a coincidence, I’m allergic to dust mites too.” Chloe’s eyes immediately welled up with tears. Her friend Zoe, who was standing next to her, couldn’t bear to watch and said with a sneer: “How can you compare yourself to Chloe? Do you know who she is? Look at how dirty you are, your mom must be a garbage collector or something.” Emily, who was nearby, rolled her eyes at me and said sarcastically: “Why are you making such a big deal out of this? It’s just switching beds. You came late anyway…” “Eager to defend her? Why don’t you switch with her then?” I looked at Emily as I said this. “You…” Emily was left speechless by my retort, her face turning red as she couldn’t find the words to respond. She could only glare at me angrily along with Chloe, who also looked aggrieved. In an instant, the three of them showed a united front against me, as if I was some kind of heinous villain. I had given up a prestigious private school to come to University A just to be with my online boyfriend. Who would have thought that on the first day of school, I’d run into a nest of mean girls and their lackeys? I decided to lean into the villain role they’d cast me in. I put on a stern face and tapped the bed frame: “Hurry up and move. Either find someone willing to switch with you or rent a place off-campus. Just get out of my bed.” In the end, Chloe moved to the lower bunk with a dejected look on her face. As I was unpacking, my roommates started getting ready for bed. Suddenly, Zoe called out: “Chloe, how can you use that expensive black face mask as hand cream?!” Emily also gasped: “As expected of the daughter of Legate Group’s CEO. Even though I’ve seen you use Hermès scarves as cleaning rags before, I still can’t help but feel bad seeing you do this.” Hearing Emily’s words, I paused what I was doing and glanced over. Legate Group? My mom’s company? Does my mom have a secret daughter?! Chloe graciously accepted their flattery and said generously: “It’s not a big deal. If you like them, I’ll give you some later. I have unopened ones in my suitcase.” The two roommates let out shrill screams of excitement. Zoe hugged her enthusiastically and said: “Chloe, I sleep in the upper bunk. Why don’t you switch beds with me? So you don’t have to deal with certain people’s attitude.” Emily chimed in: “Yeah, or just ask the counselor to have her moved out. I heard your mom is a major shareholder of the university and donates money every year. Switching beds should be no problem, right?” Emily’s words were true. My mom does donate money every year because she’s an alumna of University A and wants to give back. Even if you are my mom’s secret daughter, you can’t just do whatever you want, right? My mom donates, not bribes, okay? Chloe pursed her lips and said softly: “Actually, Mom bought me a villa near the university, but she said I should be low-key when I’m away from home. Plus, I want to live with you guys.” I nodded inwardly. A secret daughter should indeed keep a low profile. “See? Rich people just have better manners. Unlike some people,” Zoe said, shooting a pointed glance at me. Chloe followed suit, looking at me smugly. I rolled my eyes and hurried to the bathroom to call my mom and find out what was really going on. When I asked if she had a secret daughter, my mom scolded me and even docked half a month’s allowance. I pouted. Whatever, it’s not like I spend all of it every month anyway.

After Freshman Orientation Week, there was a welcome party where Chloe performed a dance of indeterminate style. During the free socializing time, she used her status as the Legate Group heiress to steal the spotlight. Many guys actively approached her, asking her to dance. I didn’t have time to bother with her. I was busy searching the crowd for my online boyfriend. I had been in an online relationship since high school. He had seen my face, but never showed me his. He was always asking to borrow money from me too. What he didn’t know was that I had long figured out who he was. His name was Lucas, and he had been quite popular with the girls in high school. When I finally spotted Lucas in the crowd, I couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed. He didn’t look as clean-cut and handsome as he had in high school, and his figure had gotten a bit out of shape. But I’m not shallow about looks. Even though he wasn’t as handsome as before, he had always treated me well. Plus, he had sworn that he would only love me from now on. To give him a surprise, I pretended to bump into him by chance. I went up to chat with him, asking if his username was “Beyond the Years”. Lucas looked at me for a moment, then said with an odd expression: “No, that’s my roommate’s username.” I was taken aback. I hadn’t changed that much, had I? We had been video chatting all summer, how could he not recognize me? “Sorry, I have something to do,” he said abruptly, hurrying away before I could respond. I saw him walk up to Chloe and extend his hand gentlemanly, inviting her to dance. That’s when I understood. He was dumping me, right? He must have set his sights on Chloe’s status as the Legate heiress. Noticing my gaze, Chloe raised an eyebrow at me triumphantly, then took Lucas’s hand. I spat in disgust. A liar and a gold digger – a match made in heaven! After the party ended, Lucas and Chloe had disappeared. When I got back to the dorm, Chloe and the other two roommates were there. Seeing me, Zoe deliberately raised her voice to ask: “Chloe, you must have gotten a lot of confessions today, right? Did anyone catch your eye?” Chloe smiled shyly, but her words were far from modest. “They’re all worth getting to know. That senior Lucas wasn’t bad. He helped me carry my luggage at the start of the semester. He asked me out to a trendy restaurant tomorrow.” The room fell awkwardly silent for a moment. Zoe was the first to cheer: “Senior Lucas is the campus heartthrob in his junior year, and he’s the student council president too! Some people shamelessly tried to chat him up earlier, not knowing their place.” As she said this, she shot me a sideways glance. I was pretty annoyed, but could only silently curse Lucas for being such a two-faced jerk. Originally he said he would come pick me up when school started, but that day I waited for him at the station for half an hour without seeing him. The last school bus came, so I had to leave. It wasn’t until I got to the school gates that I received a text from him. Just a brief message: “Too busy, no time to come. See you another day.” So that day he was busy picking up Chloe?

It would be too easy to just let that jerk off the hook. At the very least, I needed to get back the money he had borrowed from me. Hearing the restaurant location Chloe mentioned, I followed them there the next day. When I went in, the atmosphere in the restaurant was lively. In the crowd, I saw Lucas holding a bouquet of champagne roses in one hand and a necklace box in the other, gazing lovingly at Chloe sitting at the table. “The meaning of champagne roses is that falling in love with you is the greatest happiness of my life. Just like my feelings for you, Chloe…” “Will you be my girlfriend?” Hearing these all-too-familiar words, I felt a bit nauseous. The exact same confession, different flowers. The value of the flowers probably represented the different prices Lucas put on us in his heart. People around started cheering. Chloe’s face showed a mix of surprise and emotion as she opened her mouth, about to accept the confession. “Wait!” I pushed through the crowd and walked up to the two of them. Seeing me, both Lucas and Chloe were surprised, though Lucas’s expression held a hint of nervousness. I looked at him calmly and deliberately said: “Lucas, since you’ve found yourself a big corporate heiress, why don’t you pay back the money you owe me? It’s a total of $10,000.” Lucas tried to keep his composure but couldn’t meet my eyes. He spoke in a distant and disdainful tone: “Excuse me, miss, take a good look at yourself. How could I possibly know someone like you?” I didn’t bother arguing with him. I just dialed a number, and his phone immediately started ringing. Lucas’s face turned pale. I hung up the call and raised an eyebrow at him: “Still want to deny it?” Lucas lowered his head, his face a mix of anger and shame. Chloe seemed to realize something and glared at me before storming off. Lucas saw this and wanted to chase after her, but I grabbed him: “Either you admit you’re not a real man, or I’ll consider this measly amount as money wasted on feeding a dog.” He clenched his fist and shot me a gloomy look, then reluctantly spoke: “I don’t have that much money right now. Can I pay you back in installments?” “Fine, I’ll give you two weeks. If you don’t pay up by then, I’ll go to the police and you can forget about staying in school.”

When I got back to the dorm, I overheard Chloe talking to Zoe. I’m not sure what Chloe said, but Emily indignantly exclaimed: “I can’t believe Senior Lucas is that kind of person. He hasn’t even dealt with his loose ends outside and he’s already chasing our Chloe. Isn’t that disgusting?” Chloe sighed: “Lucas told me he doesn’t like Alice at all and never borrowed money from her. He only chatted with her a bit because she’s a junior. Alice just misunderstood.” “Huh? I knew it. How could Senior Lucas like that kind of poor girl? She doesn’t even wear branded clothes.” “Forget it. My boyfriend isn’t any worse than Lucas anyway. If Alice likes him, she can have him. It’s not up to me whether Lucas wants her or not.” Emily sighed: “Chloe, you’re too nice. Why are you even considering her feelings?” I couldn’t listen anymore. I pushed open the door and walked in, smiling at Chloe: “That’s right, don’t bother considering my feelings. You have a hobby of sorting trash, but I don’t have a habit of collecting garbage. After all, trash belongs in the trash can.” “What do you mean?” Chloe’s face flushed red with anger. Emily patted her and comforted her: “Don’t get upset over a poor girl. She’s just jealous of you.” I couldn’t help but laugh and asked her: “What am I jealous of? Her fake goods? Or her collecting trash?” “What nonsense are you spouting? Are you crazy? What fake goods?” Emily looked baffled. I glanced at the skincare products on her and Emily’s desks and kindly reminded them: “Whether I’m talking nonsense or not, you’ll find out when your faces break out and you end up in the hospital.” “How dare you curse me?!” Emily got emotional. Chloe held her back: “Forget it, don’t bother with her. She probably just hasn’t seen the real thing before.” “Right, sour grapes because she can’t have it.” Although angry, Emily still had some sense and didn’t use Chloe’s skincare products that night. When Chloe asked, she just said she had already used them. Two mornings later, a scream rang out from the bathroom. Everyone was woken up by the noise. I drowsily pulled back the curtain to take a look and almost fell out of bed in shock. Zoe’s face was covered in dense clusters of pimples, and her neck had a rash-like patch of bumps. “Help! Am I going to be disfigured? It’s so itchy…” She kept scratching until her whole face looked awful. “You should go to the hospital right away,” suggested one of the roommates. “I’ll go with you. Chloe, why don’t you come along?” Zoe glanced hopefully at Chloe’s bed. She was the only one who hadn’t pulled back her curtains and seemed to still be sleeping. Usually she would complain if I so much as rolled over in bed, but today she was sleeping so soundly? In the end, only Emily went with Zoe to see the doctor. When they came back, I had just used the bathroom and was about to go out. I overheard Zoe saying dejectedly: “Why did you stop me earlier? That quack doctor actually said I used substandard skincare products. Those were all from Chloe, how could they be substandard?” Emily was silent for a moment before saying hesitantly: “Maybe she didn’t know the stuff was fake. Anyway, you should stop using it for now. And don’t tell Chloe, so she doesn’t overthink it.” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. These two lapdogs were practically Chloe’s brainwashed fans. To my surprise, Chloe actually took the initiative to tell the two of them that she had been scammed with fake goods. Zoe had stopped using Chloe’s products on Emily’s advice, and her skin gradually recovered. A few days later at a class meeting, our counselor suddenly announced some big news. “As you all know, Mrs. Johnson from Legate Group is an alumna of our school and has donated several buildings. Recently, she donated another dormitory in her daughter’s name. You should all know that her daughter is in our class…” At these words, everyone turned to look at Chloe.

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I never imagined I’d be able to share sensations with my husband. Not only could I feel the pain from his injuries, but I could also experience the pleasure when he did things he enjoyed. Until one night, when he was livestreaming a skydive in America. I watched as he and his female partner overlapped, suddenly sensing an indescribable ecstasy… My husband, Aiden, is an extreme sports enthusiast, especially passionate about skydiving. I’m a professional designer. We’re opposites – one active, one calm – brought together by chance. Extreme sports often take place abroad, so Aiden and I are frequently apart. After a skydiving accident left Aiden with a broken leg, he was forced to stay put in the hospital for a while. When I brought him some soup, he was engrossed watching a livestream. I peeked over his shoulder and saw the iPad screen: #US “Star Cup” Paragliding Challenge Preliminaries Underway# I sighed. “Honey, can’t we stop with these dangerous sports?” Aiden loves skydiving and paragliding. He’s had dozens of metal pins put in his body for this sport. He’s mastered it to perfection and even competes professionally abroad. Startled by me, he still shook his head with a grin. “Babe, I know you worry, but money can’t buy the thrill this gives me. The novelty and excitement are endless.” I gazed at Aiden’s handsome profile, lost in thought. Extreme sports are an expensive hobby that not everyone can afford. Being able to not work and still have money to burn, Aiden was clearly from a wealthy family. Everyone envies me for landing such a handsome and rich husband. Only I regret that we can’t be together all the time. More than a partner, I envy his teammates who fight by his side. I fed Aiden spoonfuls of soup. He smiled happily. “My wife is amazing – elegant and domestic. While I risk life and limb out there, I can rest easy about things at home.” I quickly stuffed a piece of meat in his mouth. “Don’t talk about life and death. Shut up.” Aiden is rarely home. Since marrying me, I’ve been the one taking care of his whole family in the States, handling all the household affairs smoothly. He choked a bit on the soup, coughing hard but still grinning mysteriously. “You’re that worried about your husband? Haha, looks like I better leave you a little seed soon, so you won’t miss me too much.” As we were joking around, a beautiful woman appeared at the door. She knocked and smiled, taking off her sunglasses. “Am I interrupting? Didn’t realize you two lovebirds were having a private moment.” Seeing Skye for the first time, I was visibly stunned. I’d seen many photos of her on my husband’s Instagram. She’s been Aiden’s female partner for six years – an American-born Chinese who often competes with him professionally, winning many trophies. Despite constant sun exposure, her skin was still snow-white and glowing. She had a wasp waist and perky bottom, not to mention enviably beautiful legs. She dressed boldly, wearing a low-cut camisole exposing half her chest in 50-degree weather, her cleavage on full display. As soon as she entered, she flicked Aiden’s forehead and even lifted his blanket to check his injured leg. “What happened? How pathetic, getting yourself banged up like this.” I was shocked, since Aiden’s cast had just been put on and he was only wearing underwear. Noticing my discomfort, Skye laughed casually: “We’re the best professional partners and closest buddies in life. You don’t mind, right Vera?” Aiden quickly covered his leg. “She doesn’t mind, but I do. Don’t I get any dignity?” As the two bantered, I only noticed the obvious reaction under Aiden’s blanket earlier. Was I seeing things, or did Aiden get aroused after seeing Skye?

After Skye left, the doctor came to examine Aiden’s injured leg. I stepped aside. As the doctor adjusted his cast, I saw Aiden wince in pain. The next second, I inexplicably felt a sharp pain myself! The pain came from my leg, exactly where Aiden’s injury was. I collapsed to the floor, startling both the doctor and my husband. “Honey, what’s wrong? It’s my leg that hurts, why are you limping?” I quickly rolled up my pant leg to check my left leg. Strangely, there was no injury. And after the doctor finished examining Aiden, the pain disappeared. Could I have shared sensations with my husband for a moment just now? Suspicious but uncertain, I shook my head. “It’s nothing. I haven’t been sleeping well lately. Seeing you in such pain made my legs weak.” Aiden squeezed my palm guiltily. “Babe, I’m so sorry. You have to work and still find time to take care of me. No wonder you’re so weak.” Seeing Aiden’s caring expression, I didn’t think more of it. I tucked him in and left for work. The afternoon flew by, my mind occupied with busy work. Heading home after work, I got a call from Aiden. His voice was lazy, full of magnetic charm. “Honey, I miss you. Once I’m out of the hospital, let’s try for a baby, okay?” Aiden and I have been married three years. Due to being apart so often, we haven’t had kids yet. It’s also because absence makes the heart grow fonder – he’s extra fierce each time he returns. As a sports enthusiast, he’s very fit and has a strong libido. I’m familiar with Aiden’s current tone. Sure enough, he asked me to say his name. I scolded him with a red face: “You’re really hungry. You’re still in the hospital, don’t be naughty.” “What’s there to worry about? I’m alone in the room.” Aiden has a private hospital room with good soundproofing. The doctors and nurses are on night shift in the duty room, so there’s nothing to worry about. “Hurry up, honey. I can’t wait.” He urged impatiently. I had no choice but to open his video call and do as he asked. Then I heard indescribable sounds from his end. I was about to hang up in embarrassment. Suddenly, my whole body tingled. A strange sensation spread all over. Two minutes later, Aiden finished. Looking at my flushed face on video, he panted and smirked. “Honey, what a coincidence. Judging by your expression, were you doing the same thing as me?” My heart skipped a beat. Just now… did I share sensations with my husband again? Over the next period of time, I gradually discovered I could share all his intense physical reactions. Aiden often gets minor injuries abroad but always hides it from me. So I kept this secret too, afraid of worrying him. Soon after being discharged, he was dead set on flying to America again, saying he wanted to join a paragliding competition. He said for him, the pleasures of money and material things were far from enough. He had to pursue this oneness with nature, this unity of body and spirit, this ultimate joy. I sighed helplessly, pinching him hard at the airport. “You better not be pitifully carried off the plane next time, needing me to take care of you! Be careful!” Aiden hugged and kissed me with a laugh. “Don’t worry honey! I’m looking forward to news of your victory.” I blushed immediately. Before leaving, Aiden and I had made love for days and nights without protection. He hoped I could get pregnant soon, promising to quit extreme sports and focus on family once we had a baby. Calculating when his plane would land in Michigan, I video called Aiden. “Honey, have you arrived?” It was already dark here, but still bright and sunny there. Skye answered the call, playfully hooking her arm around my husband’s shoulders. “Don’t worry,Vera. I’m taking good care of Aiden. He won’t lose a hair.” Seeing her embrace my husband across the ocean, replacing my position, I suddenly felt very uncomfortable. They were joining a tandem paragliding preliminary this time, which would be livestreamed online. At 10:30 PM, I nervously opened the livestream. When it was finally Aiden’s turn, I sensed his excitement. Because my heart was also pounding wildly in my chest. The paraglider took off smoothly over the verdant wilderness. I watched anxiously as the camera captured their distant silhouettes. When zoomed in, the high-speed camera could capture their faces. I saw them both with excited, contorted expressions. I couldn’t help but marvel – is this the joy of extreme sports? Suddenly, I felt an indescribable pleasure course through my body. I instinctively clenched my thighs.

The commentator was going on about how immersed this pair of contestants were in the experience of extreme sports. My scalp tingled. That strange, stimulating pleasure was different from any other time. So-called “ascending to the heavens” – this must be what it feels like. What shocked me more was that Aiden was in the middle of competing! How could he be feeling… this way? After that wave of sensation passed, I was sweating, staring intently at the two of them flying until they landed safely. They both looked normal, fully dressed, calmly accepting reporters’ interviews. But I was still deeply confused. Finally, in Skye’s interview, I detected a hint in her trembling voice. “How was your flight experience this time?” “Oh… Well, as thrilling and amazing as always. I have to thank my teammate for the great teamwork that gave me such an unforgettable glide.” Her shy tone still quivered with excitement at the end. I called Aiden to congratulate him on passing the prelims. His tone was normal, laughing heartily. “How about that? Your husband is amazing, right? The prelims were a breeze. This championship is mine for sure.” I held back the questions bursting to come out, not wanting to alert them. After all, I had no solid proof. How could I prove they did such a thing during such a dangerous aerial sport? That night, I couldn’t sleep at all. I scrolled through a lot of foreign news. One story was about a couple caught being intimate in a hot air balloon. The man accidentally knocked the woman out of the balloon in his excitement, causing her death on the spot. The incident was captured by their aerial recorder. The man was convicted of manslaughter. The comment section was buzzing: [They really risked their lives for ultimate thrills!] [Man, if I were that guy, I could brag about this for life.] [At least she died happy. Her last moments were blissful.] Reading these news stories, my suspicions grew deeper. I tossed and turned all night. Could my husband of three years have really betrayed me? To experience how open they are about this sport abroad, I decided to fly to Michigan and try paragliding myself. When I showed up at their training base after landing, Aiden was clearly surprised. I pretended not to notice, giving him a hug. “Honey! Did you miss me? I took my annual leave to come find you.” Skye was there too, in a tight black outfit that hugged her petite, sexy figure. She elbowed Aiden with a smirk. “Aiden, your little wifey really can’t bear to be apart from you, chasing you across the ocean.” Aiden didn’t look too happy, seeming displeased by my intrusion into his domain. “What are you doing here? If there’s nothing else, go rest at the Windsor apartment. Just treat it as a vacation.” But I shook my head, hugging his neck. “I do have something. Watching you compete on livestream got me so excited, I want to try paragliding too.” Aiden froze, just noticing my special sportswear. He quickly grabbed my hand. His expression was hard to read. “Honey, as a professional athlete, I have to warn you this sport is very dangerous. Ordinary people shouldn’t try it lightly.” I impatiently shook off his hand. “It’s fine. I’ve watched your competition videos for years. Plus there’s an instructor. What’s there to be afraid of?” “The scenery from thousands of meters up, the thrill you experience… What is it that keeps you away from home for three years? I’m really curious.” I specifically hired a handsome white instructor at the paragliding base. He was all muscle, his abs visible even through his t-shirt. The wind was gentle today, the sky clear – perfect weather for paragliding. Seeing he couldn’t dissuade me, Aiden sighed. “Honey, foreigners are very open. You need to be careful.” I ignored him. The white instructor helped me put on all the equipment and explained all the precautions. Then he had me sit in front, embracing me from behind to control the direction. Finally, when the wind blew, we used its power to take off from the slope. “Little bitch, we’re going to start now!” Before I could process his words, I suddenly felt something hot press against my pants. My mind went blank. Before I could react, the paraglider had left the slope. I screamed as we soared towards the valley.

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My neighbor messaged me, telling me to keep my windows closed when I’m busy. Their kids are still young. It took me a while to understand what he meant. My heart sank. I’ve been away on a business trip these past few days. Only my wife has been at home. Back at the hotel, I tried to calm myself down. Could my wife be… The more I thought about it, the worse scenarios I imagined. Impossible. Sarah and I have only been married for two years. I’ve always treated her well. I haven’t let her work since we got married. I transfer $2,000 to her card every month for living expenses without fail. I opened our WhatsApp chat. The last messages were us saying goodnight to each other yesterday. I wanted to say something but didn’t know how to start. I clutched my phone tightly for a while, thinking. Then I opened a food delivery app, changed the delivery address to our home, and ordered a meal. After a driver accepted the order, I immediately called him. I told the driver to say he delivered to the wrong address when he arrived. Then I asked if he could check how many people were in the house, and if possible, secretly take a photo. The driver refused at first, but when I offered to pay him $200 and let him keep the food, he agreed readily. I added the driver on WhatsApp and promptly transferred him $200. About half an hour later, the driver sent me a photo taken from an odd angle. The photo was blurry, but I could still make out that it was my house. I looked closely and could definitely recognize my wife Sarah. There was a strange man standing next to her, but I couldn’t see his face clearly. Even though I had mentally prepared myself, seeing the photo still made my blood run cold. In the photo, the man was wearing the blue pajamas Sarah had bought for me. I sat on the hotel sofa, my whole body shaking.

Sarah and I met through a mutual friend. Mainly because my family was pressuring me to get married, and Sarah seemed like a good match overall. I already had a house and a car. Her family was satisfied with me too. So we got married pretty quickly. After the wedding, I didn’t let her continue working. I own a company myself, so I could easily support our family on my own. Thinking about how I paid $188,000 in bride price to marry her, only for her to use my money to betray me in the house I bought for $10,000 per square meter, made me shake with anger. The most important thing now was to find out who this man was and when their affair started. After calming down, I sent Sarah a WhatsApp message. I told her I had some unexpected meetings here and would be away for a few more days. The goal was to make her let her guard down. Then I immediately booked a flight back. When I returned, I went straight to my childhood friend Mark’s place. Mark is a rich playboy who only knows how to eat, drink and have fun all day. He never works. After returning from studying abroad, he never cared about his family’s business. His dad lectured him once, which sparked his entrepreneurial spirit. As a result, he lost several million dollars in just six months. I can’t help but suspect he did it on purpose. Since then, his family never mentioned work to him again. They just give him money on schedule to let him live extravagantly. When I found Mark, he was sunbathing on his large balcony. I didn’t tell him why I came. I just asked to stay at his place for a few days. We’ve been close since childhood, so he never questions what I do. After dropping off my things, I secretly took a taxi back to my neighborhood. I didn’t go upstairs. I went to the underground parking lot first. I checked the dashcams in each of my cars one by one. Sure enough, I found something suspicious in one of the cars. Their conversation made my blood boil again when I heard it. The two of them were flirting in my car. I never imagined the Sarah who acted cute and innocent in front of me could be so flirtatious with another man. I didn’t have time to be angry. I quickly made a copy of the footage. Then I went to the security room of the complex. Old Lee in the security room knows me well. As soon as I walked in, I saw Old Lee dozing off inside. “Sleeping on the job, eh, Old Lee?” I teased. He smiled and wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. “Haha, the construction site next to my house was too noisy last night. Didn’t sleep well.” “What brings you here, Mr. Johnson? Don’t usually see you in this little place.” I took out a pack of cigarettes and handed it to him. “I found a scratch on my car today, but I’m not sure when it happened. I wanted to check the footage to see which day it got scratched so I can file an insurance claim.” He exchanged pleasantries with me before accepting the cigarettes. “Alright, take your time looking. I’ll go have a smoke to wake myself up.” I quickly scanned through the footage. Sure enough, on the evening I left for my business trip, that man clearly entered my home. The security camera captured his face clearly this time. While Old Lee was still away, I quickly took some photos with my phone and left.

Back at Mark’s place, he had gone out. I sat on the balcony, trying to recall the man’s face from my phone. After a while, I was certain I had never seen him before. If I had met him before, I would definitely remember. But this face was completely unfamiliar. After smoking half a pack of cigarettes on the balcony, I took out my phone and made a reservation at a restaurant. Then I sent Sarah a WhatsApp message telling her I found a great restaurant while on my business trip. I wanted her to try it, so I made a reservation for two people. I told her she could bring a friend to check it out. Sarah quickly replied with a cute emoji, saying “Thank you, honey.” I used to find it adorable. Now I just felt disgusted. As the time approached, I went to the restaurant first and found a seat in the corner. Soon after, Sarah arrived with her boyfriend. They walked in holding hands, like a couple in love. At that moment, I felt like a clown, hiding in the corner afraid to make a sound. During the meal, they took sweet photos together and fed each other food. After taking some clear photos, I slunk out through the side door. The photos I had now were enough to kick her out of my house. But reason told me I couldn’t handle this so simply. Back at Mark’s place, he still wasn’t home. He had probably gone to a bar again. I sat on the couch looking at the photos I had just taken, thinking about my next move. Suddenly, Mark appeared behind me. “Bro, what’s wrong? Why the long face?” I was startled. “Shit, you scared me. Didn’t you go out?” “Nah, I was feeling sleepy this afternoon so I took a nap. Didn’t expect it to be dark when I woke up.” “Let me take a shower, then we’ll go grab a late night snack.” I was feeling pretty troubled, so I agreed. We went to the barbecue stand we used to frequent when we were in school. After sitting down, Mark started asking me, “Did something happen? You’re not going home, hiding out at my place.” I originally didn’t plan to tell him, but I figured he’d find out sooner or later anyway, so I just spilled everything. “Fuck! You treated her so well, and she still betrayed you!” His voice rose several decibels when he heard the story. “If there’s anything I can do to help, just say the word, bro.” “Actually, there is.” I took out my phone and sent him the man’s photo. “You’ve got connections. Help me look into this guy. Just investigate, don’t do anything else.” “Leave it to me, I’ve got this.” He patted his chest, assuring me.

The next day, I slept until noon at Mark’s place. As soon as I woke up, I received a WhatsApp message from him. He told me he had found information on the guy I asked about, then sent me a document. All of the man’s information had been dug up. I spent a few minutes reading the document Mark sent me. After finishing, a chill ran down my spine. The guy’s name is Luke. He’s from the same hometown as Sarah. They were even high school classmates and dated for a while in college. That was just two years before we got married. So is this an old flame rekindled? The more I thought about it, the sicker I felt. Her family had taken so much money from me over the years. Sarah acted all cute and innocent in front of me, but stabbed me in the back. Counting the days, it was about time for me to return home. I sent Sarah a WhatsApp message in advance, giving her enough time to get her old flame out of my house. “You must be tired after these days away, honey.” Sarah pounced on me as soon as I got home. I felt disgusted and stepped back. “Sarah, the shower in my hotel was broken yesterday. I haven’t bathed and I smell. ” “That’s okay, honey. Go take a shower first. I’ll take care of your things.” She smiled and took my luggage from me. In the past, I would have felt so blessed to have such a cute and sweet wife to heal me after a tiring day at work. I never imagined she was so wild behind my back. After showering, I sat on the couch dealing with company matters from the past few days. She bounced over and sat next to me, holding my arm. “Honey, I’ve had my eye on a bag recently, but it’s a bit pricey,” she said in a coquettish tone by my ear. “That’s fine, buy it,” I said without looking at her. “But wait until next month. I’ve put my money into the company for now. I’ll buy it for you when the project payment comes in next month.” “Okay, thank you honey. You’re the best.” She happily kissed me on the cheek and went back to the bedroom to watch her TV shows. As soon as she left, I rushed to the bathroom to wash my face. Damn, how unlucky. She came out again after a while. “Honey, when are you coming to bed?” “You go to sleep first. I still have a lot of company documents to review. I’ll come to bed when I’m done.” Looking at her drowsy appearance, I guessed the sleep-inducing aromatherapy Mark gave me was working. Mark had given it to me before I left today, telling me to use it to check Sarah’s phone. I told him Sarah usually keeps her phone under her pillow, so it’s hard to get. He then pulled out an aromatherapy diffuser, saying it helps with sleep. Put it by the bed at night and she’ll sleep like the dead. [Breakpoint]

This stuff really worked. To be safe, I waited another hour. When I entered the bedroom, Sarah was sound asleep. I called her name twice but she didn’t respond, just rolled over. I quickly grabbed her phone. I tried several passwords but couldn’t unlock it. I never thought much about it before. I just believed couples should trust each other. Besides, she doesn’t work, so there’s no chance of an office romance. So her phone doesn’t have my face ID or fingerprint, and I never asked about her password. I thought for a long time but still couldn’t unlock it. Her birthday, our wedding anniversary, even my birthday – none of them worked. At this point, I suddenly felt ridiculous. I’m just an ATM to her. How could she possibly use my birthday as her phone password? Suddenly I thought of her lover. I found the document Mark sent me, which had that man’s birth date. With trepidation, I entered the numbers one by one into the phone. To my surprise, it unlocked. Although I was annoyed, now wasn’t the time for revenge. I stood there scrolling through it for a long time, but strangely found nothing. From her WhatsApp contacts to other social media apps like Facebook and Instagram, I didn’t find any suspicious friends or chat content. Impossible. They must be in contact somehow. There can’t be no trace at all. I started to feel dazed. I began to doubt the reality of Sarah’s betrayal that I had discovered. I specifically went back to check the photos I had taken earlier. That was definitely Sarah and her old flame Luke. And I’m certain she only has this one phone. She usually sells her old phones on secondhand platforms when she gets a new one. I was very confused. They must have some way of communicating, I just haven’t found it. I couldn’t find any messages on the phone. Apart from the unlock password, I found nothing else. I had no choice but to put the phone back in its original position. As I got up, I inadvertently glanced at the tablet beside the bed. This was a tablet I had specifically bought for her to watch TV shows. Could it be on here? I picked up the tablet with a glimmer of hope, but gave up as soon as I touched it. The tablet wasn’t even locked. Apart from TV streaming apps, there was nothing on it. Feeling dejected, I put the tablet back in its place. I went out to the balcony and smoked half a pack of cigarettes, still unable to figure out what was going on.

The next day, I went back to the company to briefly handle some business matters, then went to find Mark. “Did you find anything?” he asked curiously. “Nothing at all. Apart from the phone unlock password being that guy’s birthday, I found nothing.” “Could she have deleted the chat history?” “Probably not. Even if she deleted the chat history, there should be some trace left, right?” “Forget it, bro. I say, just use those photos to confront that woman. She’ll have no defense for a divorce. Then I’ll find some guys to teach that man a lesson.” Mark picked up his phone, ready to start rallying people. “Let me see where this guy works. I’ll have people go ambush him.” “Don’t be so hasty.” I glanced at him, suddenly having some questions I wanted to ask. “I heard you used to date several girls at once in college. How did you manage that?” “Back then I had several phones. Some phones could even create virtual numbers. It was impossible to discover.” He bragged to me proudly. “Virtual numbers?” This phrase caught my attention. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in his head. “Oh right, if she’s using an Android phone, it’s possible she’s using a virtual number.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294525”, 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

At the family reunion, the fake heiress held my hand with tears in her eyes: “I’m so sorry for taking over your life. Don’t worry, all the family assets will be yours from now on.” I gripped her hand back and pulled out a document renouncing inheritance rights. “Well then, dear sister, why don’t you sign this?” Before she could protest, I threw myself on the ground, thrashing wildly. I pulled my hair, clawed at my neck, screaming and crying as I rolled around. Finally, I started convulsing as if having an epileptic fit, foam bubbling from my mouth. I’m Amelia Carter, the long-lost true heiress of the Carter family. From a young age, I knew my mother didn’t love me. No matter how obedient or understanding I tried to be, she always found reasons to hit me. It wasn’t until the Carters found me that I learned the truth – I wasn’t her biological child. I thought the Carters would be my salvation. Instead, I met a tragic end in a foreign land. My previous life taught me a harsh lesson: if you don’t look out for yourself, no one else will. You can’t rely on anyone but yourself. Zoe stood frozen, not daring to move. She hastily signed the document and pressed her thumbprint to it. I got up, brushed off the dirt, and flashed a perfect flight attendant smile. “Thank you for your cooperation.” Turns out acting crazy works wonders. What was I thinking in my past life, being so careful and accommodating? The art of going berserk hasn’t let me down! I handed the signed document to the lawyer. Professional matters should be left to professionals. People may change their minds, but the law won’t. This time around, you can keep the love. I’ll take the money. Seems fair to me. The next day, my parents came to my apartment. Father tentatively spoke up: “About that document Zoe signed yesterday…would you let me take a look?” This time, I hadn’t moved back in with them. Instead, I chose a riverside apartment for myself. In my previous life, the three of them were one big happy family. I was like a clown coveting something that didn’t belong to me. There’s no point forcing yourself into relationships where you don’t belong. It only makes things awkward for everyone involved. I smiled and said, “No.” Mother was taken aback by my direct refusal. She glared at me coldly. “How can you be so heartless? You may be our biological daughter, but the mix-up wasn’t Zoe’s fault. You’re going too far.” In my past life, I did as they said and didn’t compete with Zoe. But they still thought I was an embarrassment for dropping out of middle school. They barely spared me a glance most days. Even the household maid could walk all over me. Meanwhile, Zoe was their pampered princess under their doting care. Why was I the only one with such a miserable fate? Seeing I wasn’t responding, Father’s face darkened. “Your mother and I are still alive and well. How can you be so cold-blooded, already scheming over the inheritance?” Hearing their words, I silently counted down in my head. Three seconds later, I stood up, channeling my inner madwoman. I frantically patted myself all over while running wild around the living room. “Ahh! Who stole my mom and dad?! Suffering alone for 18 years wasn’t enough, now even my parents have been body-snatched!!!” “Heavens above, Buddha have mercy, please give me back my mom and dad!” My parents were startled by my antics. They didn’t dare bring up the document again.

Just like in my previous life, Zoe suggested we attend school together, claiming it would help foster sisterly bonding. But I had dropped out in middle school. Forcing me to join her in senior year of high school was a recipe for disaster. As expected, I consistently ranked dead last in every exam. I had never even heard of the luxury brands, art, and countries they casually discussed. Gradually, everyone grew to despise me. They said I was living the life of a phoenix despite having the fate of a chicken. Zoe used my inadequacies to highlight her own excellence. Over time, everyone knew the Carters had an embarrassment of a daughter who couldn’t be shown in public. The Carters couldn’t bear the shame, so they chose to abandon me abroad to fend for myself. This time, I won’t let you trample over me again. So when Zoe excitedly introduced me to her friends as her twin, I slammed my hand on the table. I lifted her bangs, cupped her round face, and ripped off her double eyelid tape. “Open your damn eyes and look closely. Do we look like twins?” The surrounding classmates were frightened by my ferocious expression. “Say it! Do we look alike? Who’s prettier? Speak up!” “N-no…you don’t look alike. Y-you’re prettier.” I turned back to Zoe. “What exactly is our relationship? Spit it out.” She held back tears, refusing to speak. I immediately flipped over the table in front of her and started going berserk. “Good lord! This ugly girl dares to claim we’re twins? What sins have I committed?!” “I’m the real heiress, but she’s stubbornly clinging to my rightful place. Is she trying to steal my destiny? Heavens above! I can’t go on living!!!” Seeing all eyes on her, Zoe covered her face and ran out. I sat back down, a chilling smile on my face. The power of public opinion is formidable. News that Zoe was a fake heiress spread like wildfire through the entire high school. She never came back after running out.

That evening, just as I got home, the Carter parents brought Zoe to my place. “What gives you the right to tell everyone at school Zoe isn’t a real Carter? How does that benefit you?” “The benefit is letting everyone know I’m the real Carter heiress. You all better watch yourselves.” Father angrily pointed at my head. “I’m not dead yet, you little brat. I’ll decide who the heir is.” I let out a cold laugh. “Is your head full of bubbles? Do you own this house? Do you have any company shares? What right does a kept man have to bark at me?” Mother and Zoe were stunned into silence by my words. They had always coddled Father’s fragile ego, treating him with deference. After being pampered for so long, Father had started to believe his own hype. Seeing him trembling with rage, I continued twisting the knife. “Everything in this house belongs to the Carters, including what you wear and use. Don’t forget Grandpa is in charge now. Only he can decide if I’m the heir. What say do you have in the matter?” “If you show me some respect, I might throw you a bone. Otherwise, once I take over, you’ll be the first one kicked out.” Father took off his shoe and hurled it at me. “You ungrateful bastard with no manners! I’ll tear that mouth off your face.” I easily dodged it and turned to Mother. “Your husband is trying to hit your biological daughter. Are you just going to stand there and watch? Is this how you make up for 18 years of separation? Is a leech of a husband worth more than the daughter you carried for 10 months?” Under my relentless questioning, Mother remained unmoved. “Your father has every right to discipline you.” Seeing the situation, I quickly threw open the front door and ran out crying. “Help! Murder! Someone’s killing his wife and abusing his daughter!” Neighbors rushed out to see what the commotion was about, surrounding our home. Some even pulled out phones, wanting to record the scene. Father had always cared about keeping up appearances. Seeing the situation, he had no choice but to back down. After these incidents, Zoe realized going head-to-head with me would only backfire. She started trying to create an image at school that I was bullying her, hoping to turn the other students against me. What could I do? Of course, I questioned her, empathized with her, became her – and ultimately helped make it a reality. “Sister, do you dislike me?” “Remove the ‘do you’ and that’s accurate.” “Sister, I brought you some snacks. Why aren’t you eating them?” “Afraid you poisoned them.” … Finally, through our joint efforts, everyone came to know Zoe as kind and understanding. She even gave up her inheritance to wholeheartedly take care of her newly returned sister. Meanwhile, I was seen as overbearing and aggressive, constantly targeting Zoe despite our sisterly bond, just because I had some blood ties to the family. Listen to that nonsense. Without blood ties, where’s the sisterly bond?

That day, Zoe didn’t come home. Our parents anxiously paced the living room, sending out search party after search party, but there was no good news. It wasn’t until morning that the school security guards found Zoe locked in the equipment room. Zoe was shivering from the cold. As soon as she saw our parents, she burrowed into their arms. “Little sister probably just wanted to play a prank on me. Please don’t blame her, Mom and Dad.” Ha! As if I’d do this just for a prank. When I found out she was planning to lock herself up and frame me, I made sure to turn off the air conditioning in the equipment room. In this freezing winter weather, I sent her a special gift. Hearing her words, Father rushed over and slapped me hard across the face. “Such a vicious child at such a young age. Apologize to your sister right now!” I rubbed my stinging cheek. Walking over to Mother, I yanked Zoe out of her arms and slapped her twice across the face, once with the front of my hand and once with the back. A daughter pays for the father’s debt. Buy one, get one free. “Tell me, which of your eyes saw me lock you up?” Zoe started wailing loudly. “Amelia, stop it! I’m so disappointed in you.” Ha! As if I care about your disappointment. I shot back a fearless look and slapped Zoe even harder. I grabbed a fistful of Zoe’s hair with one hand while secretly pinching her flesh under the table with the other. Zoe could only howl in pain. “Stop! Stop! I’ll tell the truth…I accidentally locked myself in. Waaah…” “Why did you lock yourself in? Don’t you dare lie.” I pinched her waist viciously as I spoke. “Waaah…because…because I wanted to frame you.” I let go of Zoe. She immediately scurried to the side like she’d activated a sprint ability. I walked over to Father. “Did you hear that clearly? You should be disciplining your precious daughter, not falsely accusing people left and right.” The teachers in the office pointed and whispered about me. “Ah! They’re slandering me and won’t even let me clear my name!” “Heavens above! They didn’t even check the security footage before spreading rumors! Are they trying to drive me to my death?!” I crawled across the ground, twisting my body grotesquely. After a while, I closed my eyes and pretended to faint. But in the following days, rumors of me bullying Zoe still spread everywhere. I found my homework torn up and paper scraps in my water bottle. How childish. This was child’s play to me. At lunch, I came out of the bathroom to find the door locked from the outside. I could faintly hear muffled laughter. Sister knows no fear and backs down from nothing! I took a step back and kicked the door open with one foot. Then I grabbed the toilet plunger, dunked it in the toilet bowl, and started swinging it at them. Zoe and her gang were so scared they kept backing away. I didn’t care. I swung indiscriminately, aiming straight for their faces, especially their mouths. I’ll make you all sick to your stomachs. A shit-covered spear, whoever it touches dies. In no time, their faces and clothes were covered in filthy stains. “Amelia, I’m not done with y- hurk” The group took turns vomiting in the hallway. It was truly a ridiculous sight. Seeing me laugh, Zoe got angry and lunged at me. I didn’t hold back. I swept her legs out from under her with the plunger handle, sending her sprawling on the ground. Zoe yelped in pain. I leaned against the doorway, one foot propped on the doorframe, blocking their way into the classroom. “No dirty things allowed in the classroom.” We were at an impasse when the homeroom teacher rushed over. Seeing the plunger in my hand, he didn’t dare get too close. “Amelia, how dare you! School is not a place for you to throw tantrums. Apologize to your classmates right now, then write a 3000-word self-criticism.” I scoffed, continuing to block the classroom door. “Young lady, I’m talking to you. Have you no respect for teachers? One bad apple really does spoil the whole bunch. How did the Carters produce a daughter like you?” “Respect for teachers? Hah! You’re not worthy of being called a teacher. Your teaching quality hasn’t improved at all. All you know how to do is suck up to the higher-ups. You’ve divided the students into different tiers, using scholarships and awards as tools to curry favor. Today is your day of reckoning. Better prepare for an investigation.” The teacher was so angry his mustache quivered as he glared at me. “How dare you!” “Instead of wasting time scolding me here, you’d better count up how many bribes you’ve taken. Return them quickly if you want any leniency.” In my past life, he’d taken plenty of gifts from Zoe. That’s why he turned a blind eye to my suffering. The disadvantaged students in our class who were often treated unfairly now looked at me with a glimmer of hope in their eyes. I felt a bit embarrassed by their gazes. The next day, we had a new homeroom teacher who was fully dedicated to helping us prepare for college entrance exams. Without all the toxicity, the learning environment became much more pleasant.

On the weekend, the Carters sent a driver to pick me up for a family dinner. It didn’t take a genius to figure out this was a trap. I deliberately changed into workout clothes that allowed for easy movement. I can’t let my outfit hinder my performance. I had barely sat down and only taken a few bites when Father started lecturing me. He went on and on about how I was selfish, disrespectful, vulgar and materialistic. Then he tried to force me to hand over the agreement Zoe had signed renouncing her inheritance. “You didn’t grow up with your mother and me, so you have some bad habits. But as long as you listen and change, you’re still a good kid. We won’t mistreat you.” I looked at Mother, my birth mother. “Mom hopes you can get along well with Zoe.” To think there are really people in this world who would choose a man over their own child. I stood up and smashed my plate on the ground. “What a joke. When have you ever treated me fairly? Since I came back, have you ever truly cared about what kind of life I had before? I want to get along too, but Zoe keeps targeting me. How many times has she struck first? Have you ever, even once, taken my side?” “Amelia, stop slandering me! Mom, Dad, you can ask around at school. I really want to get along with my sister…” Before Zoe could finish, I dumped a plate of food on her head. “Shut up!” Father: “Amelia, you’ve gone too far! How dare you hit someone in front of your parents.” He called over some security guards who pinned me down. No matter how crazy I acted, I was no match for two grown men. “I’ll beat some sense into you, you rebellious brat.” Father grabbed a stick and started beating me. I was in so much pain cold sweat broke out on my forehead. Mother didn’t try to stop him. She just carefully wiped the food off Zoe’s head. Zoe played the role of the white lotus to perfection, sniffling while comforting our parents and saying she was fine. The scene was truly absurd. I fought back tears. This was nothing compared to my previous life. After several blows, Father saw I wasn’t resisting and thought I had submitted, so he stopped. I slumped to the ground. Seizing the opportunity while he was off guard, I snatched the stick and whacked him over the head with all my might. Father crouched on the ground, unable to get up. The security guards were dumbfounded. Mother screamed. She rushed over and slapped me hard. “Amelia, I don’t have a daughter like you.” Then she immediately went to help Father up. Very well. I don’t want parents like you either. The villa was in chaos. Seeing someone about to make a phone call, I raised the stick threateningly. “Who dares to call anyone?” The maid was frightened into inaction. After all, I had proven I would actually hit people. In my mind, I chanted: Eighty! Eighty!…Eighty! I smashed everything in the house to pieces, one blow after another. Mother was furious. “Amelia, get out!” I left without hesitation, stick in hand. No one dared try to stop me.

In the days that followed, no one from the Carter family contacted me. Zoe would take detours to avoid me at school. I heard Father was hospitalized for several days. Just a few days? I must have gone too easy on him. They cancelled all the cards they had given me and took back the apartment. They even had a lawyer bring over papers to sever our parent-child relationship. I signed without hesitation. Let them be happy for a few days. On our 18th birthday, the Carters threw a grand party for Zoe. I wasn’t invited. So what? It’s not like I don’t have legs. That day, I put on the latest designer gown and made a grand entrance, fashionably late. Zoe looked at me like I was the plague. “You’re not welcome here. Get lost!” Father came over when he heard the commotion. “You signed the papers severing our relationship. Leave now.” “In that case, your family of three needs to leave the Carter mansion. I don’t like strangers in my home.” Father raised his hand to hit me again, but the security guards beside me immediately restrained him. Learning from last time, I had brought over a dozen professional security guards with me this time. I walked straight onto the stage and took the microphone from the host. “Good evening everyone. I’m Amelia Carter, the sole heir to the Carter family. I will be taking over Carter Industries in the future.” All the heavyweight guests invited today had business dealings with the Carters. They had never seen me before, so my words caused quite a stir. Father tried to come on stage to stop me, but my security team was too strong. I dropped my second bombshell: “The board of directors has decided to remove Mr. William Carter from all positions at Carter Industries. We will also be investigating his illegal activities during his tenure.” Hearing my words, Father forgot all propriety and started cursing loudly from below the stage. “Amelia, you little bitch! Without the old man’s approval, you’re nothing. You’re barely an adult. Who gave you such authority to try and kick me out? I’ve been with the Carters for 20 years. I’d like to see who dares listen to you!” “I gave her that authority.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294524”, 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

I’m the First Love Who Studied Abroad in Replacement Literature My ex-boyfriend fell for a trick. He got together with my replacement. On the day I returned home, he brought his current girlfriend to my welcome party. All our friends in the circle were waiting to see me make a fool of myself. I didn’t prepare any jokes, but I did bring my new boyfriend back with me. The day we broke up, Jack told me on WhatsApp: “I’m sorry, Mia. 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 last year. There were early signs of his change of heart. So I wasn’t too surprised. Suppressing the bitterness in my heart, I replied: “It’s okay. Let’s just be normal friends then.” “Alright.” But later, I found out he had blocked me. A qualified ex should be like they’re dead. I didn’t blame him, and I blocked him in return. On the eve of my return home, my old friends insisted on arranging a welcome party for me. They didn’t tell me that Jack and his new girlfriend would also be there. It was my best friend who couldn’t stand it and leaked the information to me. “Mia, don’t go! They’re all waiting to see you make a fool of yourself! That current girlfriend of Jack is afraid he still has lingering feelings for you, so she’s putting on this show to claim her territory in front of you.” I replied indifferently: “Besides those two, there are others I know. Forget it, I’ll just do them a favor and go.” “Forget it, they’re all Jack’s buddies. Ah! I happen to have something that day, otherwise I’d go with you and definitely not let you be taken advantage of.” “Thank you for telling me. Someone has set the stage wanting to see me perform, how can I disappoint them? Don’t worry, I have a way to deal with it.” On the day of my return, I went to the appointment as scheduled. The waiter pushed open the door of the private room. As soon as I stepped in, I saw Jack sitting in the main seat. After not seeing him for over a year, he was still as handsome and dignified as ever, with the air of an elite in a high position. Sitting beside him was a beautiful woman, who must be his girlfriend. Emma, a new artist signed by Jack’s company. She looked about 80-90% similar to me. My heart tightened. I still remember two years ago when Jack sent me a photo of Emma. He said: “A new person came for an interview today, it scared me. I thought you had secretly come back to surprise me.” At that time, Emma looked more like me than she does now. Her hairstyle, makeup, and dressing style were all identical to mine. I didn’t take it too seriously at the time, and even joked: “Could she be related to me by blood? No way, I have to go ask my dad.” Jack said: “Probably not, she’s from out of town, both her parents are alive, and she has a twin brother who doesn’t look like her.” “You even investigated her?” “Of course, we need to understand the background clearly when signing new artists.” Who would have thought that the substitute I didn’t take seriously back then would now openly replace my position. Back to the present. Jack’s buddy “Ryan” stood up. “Welcome our talented Mia, returning in glory…” He was in the middle of his opening remarks when his voice suddenly stopped. Everyone looked at the man behind me. I calmly greeted them: “Long time no see, thank you all for still remembering me.” Ryan gave a dry laugh and asked curiously: “Mia, who is this? Won’t you introduce us?” I stepped aside to let them get a good look. I introduced with poise: “This is Leo, my boyfriend.” The word “boyfriend” hit like a bomb, and everyone present looked surprised. Leo flashed a neat row of pearly whites, smiling with two sweet dimples: “Good evening everyone, it’s an honor to join your gathering.” Leo was already stunningly beautiful, and his smile was devastatingly charming. The ladies present couldn’t take their eyes off him. A beauty with long straight black hair said frankly: “Wow, Mia, your boyfriend is so handsome!” The others immediately followed up: “Too handsome! Leo, are you a celebrity or a model?” Before I could speak, Leo immediately flattered them: “Thank you for the compliment, ladies. You’re all very beautiful too. Please, everyone just call me Leo.” Not only was he good-looking, but he was also sweet-tongued. The crowd that was originally waiting to see me make a fool of myself now had their attention completely drawn by Leo. Even Emma couldn’t help but steal glances at Leo. Jack’s expression was visibly displeased. He said in a deep voice: “Let’s all sit down and chat, don’t just stand around.”

After he spoke, the others finally restrained themselves. The waiter added an extra seat, and I sat intimately side by side with Leo. After sitting down, I introduced everyone at the table to Leo one by one. Originally, I was supposed to be the main character today, but everyone gathered around Leo asking him questions. Leo had been studying abroad since middle school, so he was Westernized, outgoing, and lively. I wasn’t worried about him feeling awkward. The beauty with long black hair teased me: “Mia, you really kept it a secret, getting a new boyfriend without a sound.” These words were somewhat subtle. Some people couldn’t resist their gossipy glances, scanning back and forth between me, Jack, and Emma. I smiled gently and said: “People always have to look forward.” Over there, Emma shyly leaned towards Jack. Jack immediately put his arm around her and asked with concern: “What’s wrong?” “I was filming late last night, feeling a bit tired…” After Emma finished speaking, she forced herself to perk up and smiled shyly: “I’m fine, I’ll just take a nap in the car later.” Jack said considerately: “Eat something quickly, I’ll take you back to rest.” He urged everyone: “Let’s order quickly.” Someone teased: “Jack is really a doting boyfriend maniac.” “With such a beautiful girlfriend as Emma, who wouldn’t want to dote on her?” Emma pretended to be shy and buried her face in Jack’s shoulder. “Don’t tease me, everyone…” Some meaningful glances fell on me, seemingly waiting for my reaction. My heart was bitter and salty, but I couldn’t show it. The boyfriend I had dated for many years was snatched away by a substitute who replaced me, 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 frustration, like the genuine article being defeated by a counterfeit. Doting boyfriend maniac? 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 his. Ryan politely let me order, turning the lazy Susan with the menu towards me. I tried hard to keep my expression indifferent, and graciously said: “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.” Jack said coldly: “This restaurant is members-only, it can be deducted from my account.” I said “Oh” and politely replied: “Thank you, Jack. Then I’ll treat next time.” Leo honestly and unabashedly picked up the menu. He leaned close to my ear and asked: “Mia, what is this fish maw and chicken slice soup?” “It’s a dish for beauty and nourishment, do you want to try it?” “I want to taste it.” He pointed at dishes on the menu and asked me. For everything I knew about, I earnestly answered. When we were talking, our faces were almost touching. The beauty with long black hair couldn’t help but ask curiously: “Leo, are you a bit younger than Mia?” Our way of interacting was obvious. I frankly said: “Yes, Leo is half a year younger than me.” The ladies all said flattering things: “An older woman-younger man relationship, how enviable.” “A younger man is good, young and energetic.” I inadvertently heard two of Jack’s buddies whispering together: “Probably hired a pretty boy to act…” “Must be, deliberately trying to make Jack jealous…” “Thought she really had a new relationship, turns out it’s just a kept man.” “Too concerned about face is also a kind of tragedy.” They were speaking in the local dialect, which Leo 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. Jack should have heard it too. He had a meaningful smile on his lips, and glanced at Leo with disdain. Emma asked him quietly: “Jack, do you also like older woman-younger man relationships?” Jack pointed at the mulberry but cursed the locust tree, saying: “I don’t like it. I’m more of a macho man, I can’t accept women older than me.” His words were too obviously directed at me. I held back my anger and didn’t react. Leo continued flipping through the menu, unconcerned. When he saw a sea cucumber soup, he said to one of the gossipy men: “Mr. Thompson, why don’t I order a sea cucumber soup for you?” That Mr. Thompson politely said: “Thank you, but how could I…” Leo smiled cheerfully and said: “I noticed your eye bags are quite large, and there’s a grayish-black color around your mouth. You’re probably suffering from kidney deficiency. It’s just right to eat some sea cucumber to nourish yourself.” No man likes to be told he has kidney deficiency. Mr. Thompson’s face changed immediately. He hurriedly denied: “I don’t…” Leo said with utmost sincerity: “Your complexion is dull and oily, and your nose is red. It’s probably a hormonal imbalance. You’d better see a doctor for treatment.”

Mr. Thompson looked embarrassed and didn’t know how to refute. I used a reproachful tone and said: “Leo, whether Mr. Thompson has kidney deficiency or not, his girlfriend would know better, right? Don’t worry about it.” Mr. Thompson’s girlfriend was right beside him. She didn’t know how to respond and just picked up her glass to drink water as a tactical move. Leo immediately apologized: “I’m sorry, Mr. Thompson. I was too direct in my speech. You’re a big person, you shouldn’t mind, right?” Could Mr. Thompson say he minded? He could only swallow his anger silently. The black-haired beauty, enjoying the show, deliberately asked Leo: “Leo, 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 Chinese medicine doctor, and I learned a bit from him when I was young…” Leo had just finished being modest when he immediately aimed at the other gossipy man from earlier: “For example, Mr. Davis, your eyebrows and beard are very sparse, but your hair is very thick. This looks like you’re wearing a wig at first glance.” That Mr. Davis had been balding since he was young and always wore a wig when going out to see people. This wasn’t a secret in our circle, but everyone just pretended not to notice. Several people couldn’t help but laugh, then quickly covered their mouths. Mr. Davis’s smile disappeared, and he said angrily: “What do you mean?” Leo continued to pretend to be surprised and said: “Ah? Did I say something wrong again? I’m sorry, I thought you were wearing a wig. I was thinking it looked so realistic, I wanted to buy one for my uncle too. Sorry, so it’s not a wig?” Mr. Davis hated it most when people mentioned his wig, and Leo had said it three times. He was bound to be furious. He was about to explode when I softly added in the local dialect: “Too concerned about face is also a kind of tragedy.” These were the exact words Mr. Davis had said earlier. He immediately deflated, swallowing his anger back down. Leo asked me innocently: “Mia, what did you just say?” I smiled and said: “Nothing, let’s just order the food.” The food arrived, and Leo and I acted as if we were at home, warmly inviting everyone to eat more. Emma was being considerate over there, helping Jack peel his shrimp. Leo was also being considerate here, helping me cut my steak. They were showing off their affection, and so were we. Everything was peaceful, but some troublemakers couldn’t sit still. A man with glasses spoke in a sarcastic tone: “Oh my, times have changed. Men are now doing women’s work.” He then praised Jack admiringly: “Our Jack here has good taste. When finding a girlfriend, you should find one who’s virtuous and can serve you well.” Before Jack could respond, some of the women couldn’t stand it anymore. The black-haired beauty snorted coldly: “Listen to yourself, are you looking for a girlfriend or a maid?” Another short-haired lady chimed in: “So women are just supposed to serve you guys, huh?” I smiled faintly and reminded them: “This isn’t the feudal era of male superiority anymore.” The troublemaker instantly became the public enemy of all the women present. He hurriedly tried to smooth things over: “It was just a joke, you’re all too sensitive.” Now we had become the unreasonable ones. Leo chimed in with a grin: “In my family, it’s 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 he spoke, he quickly peeled a shrimp in three moves, even removing the vein. Leo put the shrimp in my bowl, and I thanked him with a smile. The black-haired beauty once again provided support: “Leo and Leo’s dad are the true doting husband maniacs. Being doting isn’t just about saying it, it’s about actions.” Jack, who had just been praised as a doting boyfriend maniac, showed a trace of discomfort on his face. Even Emma looked embarrassed. The dinner went much more smoothly than I had expected. Even seeing my former lover being lovey-dovey with his new flame wasn’t as eye-catching anymore. On the way back, I gazed out of the car window at the night scene, feeling a bit lost. Leo asked ingratiatingly: “Sister Mia, how was my performance today?”

I smiled indulgently and said: “You performed exceptionally well, even better than I imagined.” “Of course, how could I let you be outdone?” “By the way, do you understand the local dialect?” I asked the question that had been on my mind. “Yes, I do.” Leo boasted: “I know four languages and fifteen dialects.” He proudly listed them for me: “The local dialect, Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka… I know them all.” I sighed and said: “You’re really talented. It’s a waste for you to be just an artist.” “Not at all. Being an artist isn’t easy either.” That’s right, Leo is also an artist signed to my company. We were schoolmates; I studied economics, while he was from the art school. Leo is tall and handsome, with a lively and outgoing personality. He has a natural flair for performance, is good at improvisation, and has experience in stage plays. He often posts his daily life on social media and became a minor internet celebrity abroad. Several talent agencies wanted to sign Leo, and he was interested in entering the domestic entertainment industry. After asking around, Leo learned that one of my family’s businesses is a film investment company. So he actively came to seek my support. My family’s company is an old name in the circle, rarely signing new artists, with mostly trained, skilled actors under contract. Although Leo had an impressive educational background, he lacked experience and didn’t quite qualify to be hired. But I happened to need a skilled actor who was also strikingly handsome to accompany me back home to meet Jack and the others. So we hit it off and reached a cooperative relationship. Leo said ingratiatingly: “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 said, putting on a serious face: “I treat you the same as other employees. I hope you can stay in the company based on your abilities.” “Yes, boss!” Leo saluted me. When I got home and had just lain down after taking a shower, my best friend “Amy” sent me a voice message on WhatsApp: “I heard you brought a new boyfriend today? Wow! When did you start dating?” Even through the phone screen, I could imagine her excited, gossipy expression. I smiled wryly and told her the truth about the situation. Amy chuckled: “So he was really hired to act? Well, that’s not bad either. Handsome guy and beautiful girl, spending time together might lead to real feelings. You never know, it could turn into a real relationship.” I said helplessly: “I would never make a move on an employee. I don’t like mixing personal and professional life, it affects the work atmosphere.” “That’s true, the power dynamic would be off. But what if he has other motives?” Amy changed the subject: “I heard from Sarah that your little boyfriend was incredible, he put Jack’s bunch of old geezers in their place. What a pity, I had something come up today, otherwise I would have gone to see your little boyfriend’s performance!” Sarah was the cool girl with long black hair. “He does have a sharp tongue and quick reactions…” I was just saying this when a friend request notification popped up on my phone screen: “Emma baby, requests to add you as a friend” I clicked to check, and it was actually Emma. My ex-boyfriend’s current girlfriend wants to add me as a friend? I was a bit stunned. She had added me through Ryan’s shared contact card. I thought for a few seconds and finally accepted the verification. While I was busy with this, Amy asked me: “Girl, are you still there?” Me: “Still here, Emma added me as a friend.” Amy: “【Shocked emoji】 What does this woman want?” Me: “I don’t know, maybe she has something to ask me?” Amy: “So dramatic.” Not long after I accepted Emma’s request, she sent me a greeting message. I also politely replied with a 【Hello emoji】. Then she sent me a video clip. Although the lighting in the video was very dim, I could still make out that it was Jack with his shirt off. He was lying on a pillow snoring, and half of the filmer’s snow-white arm was visible. It looked like this person was also naked. I realized what this was and immediately felt sick to my stomach, as if I had swallowed a fly. Emma: “Jack’s snoring is so loud, was he like this before? He hugs me in his sleep, it’s so hot. He’s really clingy, sigh…”

Amy wasn’t wrong, she really was being overly dramatic. I didn’t know how to play along with her performance, so I simply exited the conversation, out of sight, out of mind. Amy was still asking me: “What did she add you for? Did she say anything to you?” I was very exasperated and sent Amy a screen recording of the video and conversation Emma had sent me. After Amy saw it, she sent a bunch of emojis: 【No way, is she sick?】, 【I’ve never seen someone so shameless】, 【Bitches are everywhere】, etc. Me: “I want to delete her.” Amy: “Don’t! Otherwise, she’ll think you’re afraid of her! Keep her, let’s see what other tricks she’ll pull!” Me: “Alright, I’m going to sleep now. You should get some rest too.” Amy: “You can still sleep? I’m so angry at that little bitch! Jack is such an idiot! To cheat on you for someone like her!” Me: “Originally, when I saw them together today, I was quite upset. But now I feel like I’ve let it go. Once unfaithful, always unfaithful. Thanks to Emma for letting me see Jack clearly.” Amy: “You’re right, I really envy you for being so emotionally stable. If it were me, I would have cursed that cheating couple to death by now!” I sent a 【I’m scary calm now】 capybara emoji. Me: “Alright, alright, don’t get angry over people who aren’t worth it.” I never replied to Emma, and she didn’t provoke me again. Only occasionally could I see her showing off her relationship in her Moments, posting photos of her and Jack’s faces pressed together or kissing. At first, I didn’t pay attention, but later I found out that she only made these posts visible to me, blocking everyone else. Wow, is she that concerned about my opinion? I simply blocked her Moments. Back to Leo, he officially became a signed artist of my company. The company was preparing to film a Republican-era spy drama called “Misty Shadows”. I helped Leo secure the role of the third male lead. He wasn’t overly ambitious and was quite satisfied with this. “Sister Mia, I’ve read the script. This role doesn’t have many scenes, but it’s very exciting.” I encouraged him: “You just need to act well. If you take the film route in the future, your status will rise quickly.” The male and female leads of the film were both well-respected, skilled actors who could elevate each other and the film. However, a month before filming was set to begin, the female lead was replaced. And she was replaced by Emma. As the producer, I was actually the last to know. The investor’s representative apologetically told me: “Jack personally came to find me, saying Emma really likes this script and must participate. We hope Miss Pei can be understanding…” If Emma was to participate, she would certainly be bringing investment. I said reluctantly: “Emma’s image doesn’t quite support this role. We could arrange for her to be the second or third female lead.” The investor’s representative said awkwardly: “Jack said it has to be the female lead… The investment platform and distributors have agreed.” This meant he had already arranged everything, and whether I was willing or not, I had to comply. I felt angry, feeling I had let down the original female lead. She had already signed the contract and was now forcibly pushed out. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make the final decision on this matter. I had just taken over the company, and my foundation wasn’t stable. This film was my first big project, and I needed strong financial backing. I couldn’t afford to offend the investors at this point. It felt like being forced to eat something unpleasant. It was extremely uncomfortable. I swallowed my displeasure and said with a stern face: “Since Jack is so wealthy, please inform him that he should also pay the breach of contract fee for the actress.” The representative hurriedly promised: “Of course… Jack said he would cover all losses.” And so, the matter was settled. 11 Before filming began, there was to be a closed training session. Together with the filming schedule, Leo would have to stay with the crew for nearly half a year. As a newcomer in my position, I was usually so busy that I had almost no time to communicate with him. Two months after the film started shooting, Leo messaged me on WhatsApp, acting cute: “Sister Mia, can you come visit me on set?”

I readily agreed: “I was just thinking about that. I’ll come see you all in a few days.” Leo was so happy he squeezed out a cutesy voice: “Wow! Really? I’m so happy!” I knew why he brought this up. I had heard that Jack had visited Emma on set a few days ago. I smiled indulgently and said: “Yes, what other kids have, you’ll have too.” “Thank you, Sister Mia!” As the weather was getting colder, on the day of my visit, I specially prepared plenty of hot drinks for the crew members. Leo had just finished a scene and was still in his costume. He was wearing a well-tailored Republican-era military uniform, which made him look handsome and dignified. When Leo saw me arrive, he was as happy as a puppy seeing its long-lost owner, wagging his tail and bounding towards me. I patted his head and then his shoulder. Even though Leo was only half a year younger than me, I always felt like our interaction was like… Um, mother and son? Or owner and pet? As it happened, there were media here for interviews today. After Leo had some hot coffee, the director pulled him over for an interview. He and Emma happened to be free, and the two of them sat properly in front of the camera holding microphones. After asking some standard questions, the reporter intentionally asked Leo: “Leo and Emma are both newcomers. What do you think of each other’s performances?” Emma went into full green tea mode, acting coy and affected: “Leo, he gets along really well with everyone, he’s sweet-tongued and knows how to please people. Everyone likes him, even our producer came specially to see him today. I heard Leo was personally recommended by the producer to join the crew, and they’re schoolmates too. I believe he must have many outstanding qualities to be so favored by the producer.” Emma might as well have said directly: Leo is just a pretty boy who got his position by cozying up to the boss! I did intend to promote Leo, and he had the ability and talent for it. But Emma herself got in by Jack throwing money around. The pot calling the kettle black, how does she have the face? The reporter gave a dry laugh, then turned to ask Leo: “What about you, Leo? What’s your view on Emma?” Leo smiled brilliantly and said smoothly: “Of course, I have the utmost respect for Miss Emma. Miss Emma has invented a brilliant trick for memorizing lines. She has her assistant write the lines on large poster boards, and during filming, they hold them up for her to read from. Isn’t that just ingenious? No more worrying about forgetting lines, and it saves time on memorizing too! Why didn’t I think of that? Oh my! I’m so silly!” After he finished this exaggeratedly polite speech, Emma’s lips twitched with anger, though she forced herself to maintain a smile. The people around were both embarrassed and trying not to laugh, creating a strange atmosphere on set. Emma smiled with gritted teeth: “It’s not like that… I never actually look at the boards when filming…” Leo cut in again: “Oh! I’m just so forgetful, I can only use meal times and breaks to memorize my lines. Not like Miss Emma, who’s both beautiful and smart. She video chats with her boyfriend during breaks! So sweet, so blissful, I’m so envious of her…” After saying this, Leo pretended to be shocked and covered his mouth: “Oh? Was I not supposed to say that? Can we cut this part?” Emma’s face turned green, her eyes rolling skyward, unable to even maintain her expression management. The reporter quickly changed the subject, finally turning the page on this awkward moment. The media are quite savvy; they wouldn’t easily leak this kind of juicy scandal that could damage both parties’ images. Indeed, the only one who can defeat a green tea b*tch is someone even more bitchy. In my heart, I silently evaluated Emma: Drink some horse piss and you’re high and mighty, mess with Leo and you’re courting death. In the entertainment circle, artists privately tearing each other apart isn’t uncommon. As long as it doesn’t blow up, the company generally doesn’t interfere. But some people can’t stand feeling like they’ve lost out and insist on getting even. Not long after, I accompanied my brother to a business community event and ran into Jack, whom I hadn’t seen in a while. He said he had something to ask me and called me to a corner. Jack bluntly opened his mouth: “You should consider sending your little boyfriend to some etiquette classes, teach him how to behave properly.”

Hearing his sarcastic tone, it seemed Emma had complained to him, and he was here to stand up for his precious. I calmly crossed my arms and said: “Mr. Jack, if you have something to say, just say it openly. Where did you learn these passive-aggressive remarks?” Jack’s eyes flashed with a hint of embarrassment, but he quickly regained his composure and said: “Emma really likes this drama, that’s why I helped her get the female lead role. Since you agreed to let her participate, don’t secretly make things difficult for her. You’ve always been a reasonable woman in my eyes, don’t ruin my good impression of you.” I found this both laughable and irritating. Heaven and earth be my witness, who’s making things difficult for her? Do I really have nothing better to do? Moreover, she was the one who started it, and Leo just retaliated. Of course, I couldn’t expect Jack to view this matter objectively and fairly. It’s human nature to be protective of one’s own. Seeing that I didn’t answer, Jack continued on his own: “I know that Emma and I being together has hurt you… I was wrong about this, and I’ll make it up to you in other ways in the future. But please don’t target Emma, she doesn’t know anything. It was my insistence on being with her. If you want to hate someone, hate me.” This dialogue sounded so familiar. Did he think he was some tragic hero? I couldn’t listen anymore and interrupted with rapid-fire: “Mr. Jack, we ended long ago, and I have no lingering attachment to you. Also, I have never targeted your girlfriend. She was the one who actively added me as a friend and sent me a video of you sleeping. I’m not a part of your roleplay, I’m not interested in what positions you two sleep in. I only care about my company.” “Emma… how could she?” Jack couldn’t believe his delicate flower girlfriend would behave in such a green tea b*tch manner. I immediately pulled up my chat history with Emma to show him. Faced with irrefutable evidence, Jack was dumbfounded. I continued my counterattack: “If you have time, help your girlfriend enroll in more acting classes. As an actress, if she doesn’t properly memorize her lines and improve her acting skills, there will come a day when she falls flat on her face. The audience’s eyes are sharp; they can easily tell whether an actor has put in effort or not. If you’re really afraid of her suffering, just marry her and keep her well-fed at home. Don’t let her out to snatch roles that others have worked hard to get.” After I finished speaking, I ignored Jack’s ashen face and turned to leave. A month later, filming for “Misty Shadows” was completed. The distributor watched the sample and was very satisfied, planning to release it during the New Year season. I also received news that Jack had already found the right connections to secure Emma a Best Actress award. Since this film was invested in by my family, I didn’t mind him adding this extra boost. Leo’s manager asked me: “Should we let Leo compete for the Best Newcomer award?” “We can,” I emphasized, “But don’t spend money to find people. Let him win based on his own merit.” “Alright, he’s just debuted, even being nominated would be great.” I firmly believe in the principle that “undeserved position will lead to great disaster”. We had a clear plan for Leo’s career path. What he shouldn’t get, we wouldn’t go out of our way to fight for. Not long after Leo finished filming “Misty Shadows”, the director recommended him to a well-known international director in the industry, “Director Zhang”. Director Zhang was famous for his unconventional style and never being swayed by capital. After Leo went for an audition, he successfully got a small role. Even if it’s just a bit part, getting to appear in a famous director’s film is an honor. Compared to Leo’s step-by-step progress, Emma was quite different. Her team boldly declared that she would only play lead roles and only accept major productions. After this film, her next resource was an S+ level historical costume TV drama. Jack spared no expense, finding a bunch of popular stars to boost her. On the day the cast list was officially announced, Weibo exploded, with netizens directly calling Emma a resource-grabbing star. Fortunately, Jack had already arranged for water armies to control the situation and promptly deleted comments. This prevented too much controversy from arising. When Amy learned about this, she joked with me: “Emma gets to be the female lead, while your little Leo can only cameo as an extra. Raise girls rich, raise boys poor. You and Jack are quite in sync in this aspect.” I said helplessly: “This role is very suitable for Leo. Even if it’s only a few seconds of effective screen time, it can make him stand out. I don’t like artists who are forcefully promoted. I need him to walk steadily, not quickly.” Amy wholeheartedly agreed: “You’re right, forced promotion invites divine punishment. Don’t take on porcelain work without a diamond drill.” Who would have thought Amy’s words would turn out to be prophetic—

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I Found a Box of Birth Control Pills in My Widowed Mother-in-Law’s Room. I replaced the birth control pills with ordinary stomach medicine. The reason was simple: since my mother-in-law always wanted to hold a grandchild, why not have one herself? Later, Mrs. Thompson from next door confronted my mother-in-law, throwing a bank card at her: “This is the payment for giving birth to a child for our family.” I installed a tiny camera in the bedroom. After coming home from work, I often found that the neatly made bed was wrinkled, and the alarm clock or glass on the bedside table had subtly moved. But there were only my husband Ryan and I at home, along with my mother-in-law who had just moved in recently. Two years ago, after my father-in-law passed away, my mother-in-law had been living alone. Ryan and I had agreed to live by ourselves before marriage, but two months into our newlywed life, he used a sob story to bring his mother to live with us. He swore solemnly, “My mom is just a little woman. She won’t affect our life together at all.” Unexpectedly, on the second day after my mother-in-law moved in, she came knocking on our door at six in the morning. “Olivia, why haven’t you made breakfast for mom yet?” When there was no response to her knocking, she changed to loud banging, calling for us. I propped up my heavy body and opened the door. “Mom, don’t we have a housekeeper to make breakfast?” “That’s very expensive!” she exclaimed. “Making breakfast isn’t much trouble, why waste that money?” Her head only reached my nose, but her demeanor was imposing as she stared at me intently. Ryan was still sleeping like a dead pig. Considering he had worked overtime last night, I didn’t wake him up. Instead, I resigned myself to going to the kitchen to heat up some bread and then fry eggs and ham to make sandwiches. My mother-in-law pushed the sandwich aside. “Is this breakfast? You little girl, are you trying to fool me?” “This is what Ryan and I usually eat for breakfast. What would you like to eat?” “I’m not asking for much. There must be oatmeal in the morning, preferably not repeating within a week. The side dishes can be anything, but there must be bacon and sausages, right? The protein is nutritious, but it shouldn’t be too greasy. Just like the breakfast at Rosewood Cafe would be fine.” Her spit flew onto my face as she rattled on. I wiped my face and took the keys to go downstairs to buy breakfast for her. She was still talking, “I’m not asking you to buy it, I want you to make it. The bought ones are unhealthy. Who knows what ingredients they use? Hey, you little girl, how dare you walk away while I’m talking…” In the days that followed, she became increasingly overbearing. After driving away the hourly housekeeper, all the housework fell on me. She insisted that clothes couldn’t be thrown in the washing machine, saying they had to be hand-washed to be clean. She unplugged the dishwasher, saying it wasted electricity and water. She would barge into our room in the middle of the night to turn off the air conditioner, reasoning that she was afraid we’d catch a cold… I had bottled up a belly full of resentment. When I saw the surveillance video, I finally exploded. It had been two days since I installed the camera. That day, I had just finished a project proposal and sat at my desk to play back the surveillance footage at triple speed. Unexpectedly, I saw Mr. Thompson embracing and kissing my mother-in-law as they entered my bedroom, then the two of them rolling around on my bed. Mr. Thompson lived next door to us and had a seemingly perfect family. Who could have imagined he would be having an affair with my mother-in-law? Watching the entangled figures in the video, I felt a wave of nausea and ran to the bathroom, throwing up my lunch completely. The two of them moved with practiced ease, clearly habitual offenders. I steadied my slightly trembling hand and prepared to tell Ryan everything tonight, then confront his mother about this together.

After dinner, I fiddled with the USB drive in my hand, which contained a copy of that video. I was trying to figure out how to bring it up. Ryan came out of the bathroom, having just showered. With only a towel wrapped around him and steam rising from his body, he hugged me, rubbing his stubble against my face. He picked up the USB drive. “What’s on this?” I took a deep breath. “Why don’t you take a look?” He curiously plugged the USB drive into the computer, but just as he was about to click on it, I stopped him. Because I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen, more intense than anything I had ever experienced before. My calves began to tremble slightly. I fell to my knees, curling up and clutching my stomach. He panicked and came to support me, massaging my abdomen. “No… hospital…” I managed to say. He quickly threw on some clothes, picked me up, and rushed to the hospital. At the hospital, they drew blood and ran tests. I had already used up all my strength, and my forehead was covered in cold sweat. Before long, I even developed a high fever. The test results showed acute liver damage, cause unknown. I vomited and had diarrhea all night, with a persistent high fever. I even started talking nonsense, calling out for my mom and dad. Ryan took care of me all night, and I felt a bit better the next day. The doctor told us it could be due to improper, unregulated use of medication. Ryan and I looked at each other in confusion. I hadn’t taken any medication recently, and my diet had been quite normal. The only difference was a soup that my mother-in-law had voluntarily offered to cook that night, saying it was to nourish my body, made especially for me. Under Ryan’s questioning, my mother-in-law finally admitted that the soup was actually a medicinal concoction she had obtained from a so-called master. “What kind of medicine?” Ryan demanded. “A fertility soup,” she replied. I was exhausted, both physically and mentally. I had always been frail since childhood, and doctors had advised against pregnancy. Moreover, I personally had decided not to have children, and had thoroughly discussed this with Ryan before marriage. He had firmly told me he supported my decision. To compensate for this in a way, my family had bought our marital home outright for us to live in as a couple. I hadn’t said anything when his mother moved in, and she had tried to make me take various strange medicines several times, which I had always refused for various reasons. I had complained to Ryan about this, but he said older people were all like that and told me not to mind it. Now she had done something like this. If the situation had been more serious, I could have accused her of attempted murder!

I stayed in the hospital to recover for quite some time, and this incident was hastily concluded. Ryan sternly warned his mother not to give me any more unknown substances, to which she reluctantly agreed. On the day I was discharged, Ryan came to pick me up. He went to handle the paperwork. At the corner of the hospital corridor, I unexpectedly overheard his mother’s voice. “Ryan, I’ve asked the doctors. They say Olivia’s body probably can’t bear children.” Ryan already knew this, so he brushed her off with a few words. Then I heard his mother lower her voice: “I’ve found a nice girl for you outside.” “Mom, what are you talking about?” Ryan asked. “I promise I won’t give Olivia any more medicine, but you have to let me hold a grandchild. That girl has wide hips and a strong body, she’s sure to give birth to a big, healthy boy. She really likes you. If you have a child with her and Olivia accepts it, that would be best. If she doesn’t, you can divorce her!” I felt like I was going to be sick again, my head spinning with anger and shock. Not only was my mother-in-law having an affair with Mr. Thompson, but she was also encouraging another girl to be her son’s mistress. She was truly rotten to the core. I barely managed to stand there, leaning against the wall, just to hear Ryan’s response. “I can’t divorce Olivia,” he said. Hearing this, I felt slightly relieved, but his next words shocked me: “I need to squeeze more money out of her family first. When she’s of no more use, I’ll divorce her. Mom, let me see that girl’s photo.” I don’t know how I made it back to the hospital room, then left the hospital and returned home as if nothing had happened. My heart had turned cold, and the flames of revenge were consuming me. I destroyed the files on the USB drive, then went straight to my mother-in-law’s room and replaced the birth control pills I had found earlier with ordinary stomach medicine. The Parker family wouldn’t get away with this easily. Back in college, Ryan had pursued me relentlessly, saying, “With you by my side, I’ll never look at another woman.” I thought I had married for love. But now I realized, if a woman truly believes a man’s sweet talk, she’s nothing but a fool. Just like I used to be. Don’t expect too much from marriage; it’s just two people living together. If you treat him as your true love, you’re bound to be disappointed. It’s better to treat him as an ordinary roommate; only then can you find a small wildflower in the midst of ugly reality. However, I wouldn’t divorce Ryan easily. Because the real show was about to begin.

My mother-in-law’s appetite grew larger and larger. When she filled her rice bowl for the third time at the dinner table, Ryan put down his chopsticks. “Mom, why are you eating so much lately?” His mother also put down her bowl and chopsticks. “What’s wrong? You think your mother eats too much? You think I’m wasting your money?” Ryan shook his head helplessly. His mother looked at me. “I’m old, and I eat more than Olivia. It shows that my body is stronger than hers. Her? Hmph, she can’t even have half a child.” I’m not a pig, why should I have to give birth? Whenever his mother targeted me like this, Ryan would pretend to be busy, not getting involved in the conflict. If it were the old me, I would have put down my chopsticks and argued with her. But now, I just smiled sheepishly and apologized to my mother-in-law. “You’re right, your body is much better. You look like you could still have children.” I acted humbly. “Eh? What are you talking about, child?” she said. “Olivia, how can you talk to Mom like that?” Ryan chimed in. They spoke simultaneously, their angry expressions identical. I was laughing inside, but on the outside, I maintained a look of terror. Suddenly, my mother-in-law pushed her chair back and rushed to the bathroom. Then came the sound of violent vomiting, so terrible it seemed as if she might throw up her internal organs. I drew in a sharp breath and suggested to Ryan that we should take his mother to the hospital for a check-up. He nodded in agreement. There was silence in the car on the way to the hospital. I abruptly spoke up, “Mom, your symptoms are like those of pregnancy.” My mother-in-law, looking pale, just coldly snorted. “Mom, there’s a legend in our hometown,” I continued. “They say that long ago, a woodcutter ate the egg of a snake god. The snake god, filled with resentment, cursed the woodcutter’s mother to become pregnant continuously, giving birth one after another until she died from exhaustion.” Ryan was driving and coldly looked at me through the rearview mirror. “Olivia, you have a master’s degree. How can you talk about such things?” he said. I smoothed my skirt and smiled slightly, saying I was just making casual conversation. My mother-in-law leaned back in her seat, resting with her eyes closed. I stirred up more trouble, “They say that since then, in our hometown, any woman who has an affair meets the same fate. My grandmother told me that people from our hometown carry this curse wherever they go!” Ryan got angry and honked the horn repeatedly, signaling me to shut up. I looked at his mother. Her closed eyelids were trembling slightly, and the back of her interlocked hands had turned blue – a sign of nervousness. My goal achieved, I stopped talking. The rest of the journey to the hospital was silent. While waiting for the results, my mother-in-law’s anxiety was visibly increasing. When her number was called, she wanted to go in alone, but Ryan, looking incredulous, led the way in. We two followed behind. The doctor pushed up his glasses and said, “Advanced maternal age, pregnancy not recommended.” Ryan leaned back and laughed loudly. “Don’t joke with us, doctor. My mom is over fifty, and my dad passed away two years ago. How could she be pregnant?” “We never joke about such matters,” the doctor replied sternly. “Then you must have mixed up the reports,” Ryan insisted. Seeing the doctor’s serious expression, Ryan’s laughter faded away. “Whose is it? Whose?!!!” Ryan shouted at his mother in the hospital corridor. His mother sat on a rest chair, her eyes red-rimmed, wiping tears with a handkerchief. She stammered, “The… the snake god’s.” “Snake god my ass!!!” Ryan exploded in rage. I held back the furious Ryan, kindly trying to persuade him:

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