Author: Momo Chan

During my post-abortion checkup, Adrian once again made an excuse to suddenly leave. This had become a familiar occurrence, so I was used to it. I had to admit that I was stung with a sense of abandonment at first, but slowly, I no longer cared. I took the medicine after the checkup and went back by myself. As I made my way home, I could not shake the feeling of loneliness that seemed to echo within me. I opened Twitter once I arrived, and saw someone named Lovely One tagged Adrian in a post. It read, [Just had a sore throat, but he insisted on dragging me to the hospital and has been accompanying me since. After all this time, you’re still the best!] I did not bother to ask Adrian why he kept lying to me, nor did I lose my temper like I used to. Looking back, I should have felt betrayed and confronted him, but it just felt like another exhausting chore, another hurdle in a race I no longer cared to win. Later, he took this Lovely One to the company’s team building event, and I received intimate photos of them. Was I angry? No. On a different occasion, I ran into him holding Lovely One’s child on the street, looking like a family of three. I had to admit that I was surprised to find myself smiling calmly and said, “The child needs a father figure. You should spend more time with them, Adrian.” Adrian, however, grabbed me in a panic and asked anxiously, “Madeline, why don’t you care at all?” ***** I had a miscarriage because someone accidentally collided with me on my way home from work. Today was the second month after my abortion surgery, so Adrian accompanied me for a checkup. I did not stop him as he left in a hurry after making an excuse. No longer did I cling to him, pleading for his company as I once did. Watching Adrian’s back as he slowly walked away, an unexpected wave of detachment washed over me. I suddenly realized that his presence or absence held little effect over my emotions. I did not seem to be that sad anymore when he was not around. A nurse called my name, and I quietly accepted the test results before gathering my things and heading home. Not long after, I received a message from Adrian, which read, [Madeline, you can go home on your own, can’t you? I still have things to do.] In the past, I would have refused desperately and replied with something like, [But I need you to come get me.] Now, it just felt pointless to do so. With a resigned acceptance, I simply typed, [Ok.] I put away my phone and hailed a cab. As I settled into the backseat, a familiar sight caught my eyes. It was Adrian’s car. Well, that was odd. Why would he return to the hospital? Did he not he say he could not pick me up? As soon as I got home, I saw Lovely One tagged Adrian in a post on Twitter, which read, [Just had a sore throat, but he insisted on dragging me to the hospital and has been accompanying me since. After all this time, you’re still the best!] Unsurprisingly, Sophie posted a photo in her WhatsApp status with the same exact words. A corner of Adrian’s shirt was visible in the picture. It was the one I had picked out for him on his birthday. Yes, the Lovely One was Sophie Davis, Adrian’s childhood sweetheart. A few years back, Sophie had moved with her wealthy husband out of town. However, fate had taken a harsh turn last year when her husband went bankrupt. Following their divorce, she returned with a four-year-old child. In Adrian’s eyes, I was nothing more than a replacement for Sophie after she left. However, I had been deeply in love with him at the time, foolishly choosing to marry him. At one time, I had even wanted to get pregnant and bear his child. The following miscarriage was probably a sign, having a child with Adrian would not be good for me or the baby. After taking the prescribed medication, I drifted off to sleep. The creak of the door woke me up in the middle of night. “What did the doctor say today?” Adrian came to my bedside and gently stroked my head I caught a foreign scent on him, a woman’s perfume. My head shook in a silent refusal as I avoided his hand. “Nothing important.” I forced a smile and continued, “Everything’s fine.” Adrian nodded and offered a hurried explanation, “Work just got hectic and I’ve been kept very busy lately.” Instead of calling him out on his lie, I rolled over and went back to sleep. “Well, maybe you should take a shower before going to bed.” He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but he said nothing. I then heard the bathroom’s door being opened and the trickles of the shower.   The next day was a pre-dawn shift, so I went to the hospital early. After the morning meeting ended, I received a call from Adrian. His voice was dripped with a subtle annoyance when he said, “Madeline, why didn’t you wake me up? You left early without telling me and I overslept.” I used to take care of him in every possible way and even more so after we got married. Clothes laid out, breakfast prepared with love and a gentle morning call, a routine I meticulously followed. His tone now suggested that he took those things for granted. It was as if my acts of love were mere obligations, a chore I was simply expected to perform. However, I was never his caretaker, I was his wife. I had the right to refuse. “Well, since you’re going to be late, you’d better get up soon.” He asked again, “What am I going to wear today?” “Just choose whatever you want to wear. It’s all in the closet,” I replied. “But I can’t find it….” Adrian tried to say. My colleague called me over for some help, so I hurriedly said, “I have something else to attend to, I need to go. Just find your clothes yourself.” Barely a moment later, Adrian’s message pinged on the screen. It read, [The shirts are wrinkled! You haven’t ironed them yet? I can’t show up in the office wearing them.] It did not stop there. Another one came, saying, [You haven’t prepared breakfast either?] Just then, the department head happened to call me over, so I did not have time to reply to Adrian. “Madeline, good news!” he boomed, “After assessing your performance, it looks like the hospital wants to discuss your further training. Oh, look, you’re fully recovered now, too.” I had initially planned to marry Adrian and have children, so I declined the hospital’s offer before I was pregnant. But now I figured it out. Marrying him, building a family, those naïve aspirations had lost their charms. Staying with Adrian felt not just pointless, but foolish. “I’ve thought about it, sir. I’ll go,” I replied with a newfound conviction. “Excellent choice!” The department head was practically beamed. He then asked me to prepare everything and said he would notify me when the date was set. His enthusiasm was infectious. I agreed that the time was indeed right. This was my ticket to a future I could finally design on my own terms.

Time seemed to melt away as I dove into work. Before I knew it, the world outside the window had turned to dark. However, just as I settled in with another stack of documents, Adrian called me. “Why aren’t you home yet? Where’s dinner?” I found the very thought of returning to Adrian was somehow revolting. That was why I stayed in the office preparing documents until late. “My colleague had something urgent coming up and had to switch shifts with me. Takeout’s probably your best bet tonight,” I said, casually found an excuse. “Takeout?” Adrian sounded surprised. Back then, eating out was not even an option for us. I practically catered to every meal, three times a day. “Is there anything wrong?” I asked him. “No.” Adrian hesitated before continuing, “Just take care of yourself and don’t get too tired.” “Thank you,” I replied flatly. Adrian was silent for a while, then asked again, “Madeline, are you angry?” The question, so slow to come, sparked a flicker of something akin to anger. But mostly, it was a disappointment. Was he truly this oblivious, or simply did not care about my feelings? However, it did not matter. I would not be angry anymore.   In an apologetic tone, Adrian took the initiative to explain, “Madeline, it’s not easy for Sophie to raise a child alone. She doesn’t know anyone else here. She only has me.” His words felt like a slap. He conveniently forgot sometimes that, I too, only had him. “Of course, I understand. She must’ve been through a lot,” I answered calmly. “Madeline, what’s that supposed to mean? What’s your attitude?” He lost his temper all of a sudden. “I said I understand,” I repeated, my voice losing its lightness, “Is that a problem?” “Do you have to talk to me like that?” he snapped. “Then what do you want me to say?” I countered, frustration creeping in. Silence fell between us, heavy and suffocating. Finally, he mumbled a defeated, “Do as you wish,” before hanging up. Wasn’t it ironic? He once said I was annoying when I questioned him visiting Sophie. And when I called him to ask when he would be back from Sophies’s, I was also the annoying one. Now, even trying to understand him earned me his frustration. With a sigh, I tossed my phone aside. Dwelling on it would not change anything. There was more important thing to do, like a stack of documents in front of me. The night shift ended and I deliberately lingered after cleaning up my desk. The thought of returning home, held no appeal. When I arrived, Adrian had already left for work. I took a shower and went off to sleep, but just as I began to drift off, had the tranquility was shattered by the insistent ringing of my phone. It was Adrian. “Madeline,” he sounded like he was holding back pain, “my… my stomach hurts.” I mumbled a response, but I was too tired and fell back asleep. In a dream, I seemed to hear Adrian calling my name, but the sound felt distant, so I pushed the dream away. After some time, I was completely awakened by the sound of the door opening. Adrian stood by the bed, his face a mask of hurt. “Madeline, why don’t you care anymore? You used to be worried when I was sick and you would even make porridge and give me medicine.” That was indeed the old me. I remembered it only too clearly. Once, Adrian had a stomachache, so I asked for leave to bring him medicine at his office. As luck had it, I got caught in the rain on my way there, leaving my hair soaked and me looking quite a mess. However, things just got better when his colleagues laughed at my appearance and Adrian did not even try to stop them. To top it off, he told me never to come to his office again because, in his words, I was an embarrassment. “Are you feeling better now?” I rubbed my eyes. “We might be out of medicine, though. Maybe you can grab some yourself.” Adrian was speechless, then frustration boiled over. He grabbed my arm and shouted, “Madeline, how long are you going to keep fighting with me about Sophie? I told you, there’s nothing between her and me!” “Oh, okay,” I said, my calm a stark contrast to his anger. In a fit of rage, Adrian slammed the door and left. The silence that followed was liberating.   Days bled into each other. After leaving, Adrian did not go home for several days and I did not bother to ask where he went. On the third day, my phone screen flickered with a message from him. He said that he was on a business trip and shared his location. [Okay, stay safe,] I typed. A sardonic chuckle escaped my lips. Just after sending the reply, a picture Sophie posted on Twitter taunted me from my feed. The caption read, [First holiday in what seems like forever. I never thought I’d miss cotton candy! Someone insisted on buying it for me.] The accompanying picture showed Adrian’s hand, with our wedding ring still on his finger. Moreover, the location on Sophie’s tweet matched the one Adrian had sent me. The ring on my own finger felt like a searing ember, so I took it off and threw it into the drawer. Since then, work became my refuge. I busied myself to push aside the churning emotion within. When Adrian would return became a question lost in the whirlwind of activity, a question I no longer cared to answer. Unexpectedly, he came to the hospital one day to pick me up after my shift. A wave of surprise washed over me as I saw a familiar car parked across the street. “Why are you here?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. That day was particularly exhausting. “Did you forget that today is our wedding anniversary?” he answered after opening the door for me. “Oh,” I mumbled, “sorry. I’ve been really busy and it slipped my mind.” “Madeline, you used to care about this the most, didn’t you? How could you forget?” Adrian was stunned for a moment before replying.

In the past, whether it was a wedding anniversary or his birthday, I never forgot. Dinners meticulously planned, decorations painstakingly chosen, all fueled by a need to celebrate and enjoy our time together, to show him how much he meant to me. But, those efforts, once met with smiles and anticipation, were later dismissed as “over the top” and “embarrassing.” I still remembered his words when I decided to throw a surprise party in a restaurant. He said, “Madeline, you’re making such a big deal out of this. Everyone’s looking at us. It’s very uncomfortable, you know?” I thought he would be happy, but instead, he dragged me away in front of colleagues and friends. So, now, there was really nothing to celebrate. The spark had died out. “Come on, let’s go have dinner and celebrate,” he said, ushering me into the car. As Adrian drove, the silence stretched between us. He stole glances at me, searching my face for a flicker of the old enthusiasm. “Madeline, what’s wrong? Are you upset?” he finally blurted out. “No.” I shook my head. “No?” he echoed, his voice rising in frustration. “Then why the attitude? Here I am, putting in the effort, picking you up for dinner. Can’t you at least pretend to appreciate it?” “I’m not angry, Adrian.” “Fine!” He let out a long sigh. “I promise, no more contact with Sophie again, Okay?” I stared at him. Did he really think a simple gesture could erase months of lies and betrayal? “Are you happy now?” he asked again. I did not answer and remain silent for the rest of trip. The car drove all the way to a fancy restaurant. Apparently, Adrian had gone all out, reserving a table and even arranging for flowers and a gift. The scene was a picture of romantic bliss, complete with envious glances from other diners. However, before I opened the gift, Adrian’s phone rang. “Fever? Do you have any medicine?” he asked, answering the call. “I can’t take you to the hospital today, I have something to do. What? That high? Okay, wait for me. I’ll be right over.” Hanging up, Adrian turned to me, his eyes filled with a mixture of awkwardness and something I could not quite decipher. “Madeline, it’s Sophie. Her child has a fever. I need to….” I forced myself to swallow the lump in my throat. “It’s fine,” I managed, my voice a monotone that surprised even me. “You should go. The child’s important.” He stood up and hesitated for a moment before looking at me again. “Wait for me to come back and pick you up. I’ll be back soon.” With that, he hurriedly grabbed his coat and left. I was left alone, staring at the half-eaten cake. Rain lashed against the windowpanes, mimicking the tears I refused to shed. After a sigh, I finished the cake, then got up and left. A cab passed by and I hailed it to go home. However, I did not bring an umbrella, and there was still a bit of a walk from the entrance to our apartment building. The drizzle hit my face, making it very cold. After I got in and took a shower, I saw Sophie’s tweet with a picture. It was Adrian accompanying her and her child. The warm yellow light in their room was a stark contrast to the coldness of the rain outside.   Adrian did not come home until the next morning. As soon as he came back, he started explaining, “Jesse had a high fever all night. It wouldn’t go down.” Jesse was Sophie’s child. To my ears, the name felt like a foreign word. “Is everything okay now? Why didn’t you stay longer? It must be hard for Sophie to handle a sick child alone,” I asked after offering a curt nod. Adrian paused mid-motion when taking his coat off, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. “Are you being sarcastic again?” He sighed, the sound heavy with weariness, real or feigned, I could not tell. “Look, I didn’t sleep all night. I’m very tired.” “Then you should get some rest. I’m going to work.” I turned around and reached for my bag. “Madeline….” He pulled me and spoke. “What is it?” “We’ll make it up for the anniversary celebration next time, okay?” A ghost of a smile played on my lips, devoid of any feeling. “I’m not mad.” He looked at me inquiringly and hugged me, a gesture that felt as empty as his promises. “There’s a company team-building event this weekend,” he mumbled into my hair. “Let’s go together.” Adrian’s family background was much better than mine. He was a local, and I stayed here after graduation because I married him. His colleagues and friends did not think much of me. Despite their loathing to interact with me, however, they often asked Adrian to have me help them with simple sniffles or coughs because I worked at a hospital. In the past, I would frequently bring Adrian meals or medicine whenever he had stomachache at his office, but he never introduced me to his colleagues. I snapped back to reality and replied, “No, I might have to work overtime next weekend.” “Well, suit yourself.” Adrian gritted his teeth and hissed. I did not go, but I did not expect him to take Sophie instead. My phone buzzed incessantly when I was writing medical records in the office. I had to open it and found out that someone had added me to the group chat for Adrian’s company’s team building event. The pictures from different activities in the event streamed in, and a lot of them featured Sophie. She was having a great time with Adrian’s colleagues, blending right in. During one of the activities, Adrian carried Sophie in his arms like a princess, lifting her from one end of the lawn to the other. Meanwhile, Sophie held onto Adrian’s neck, pressing her cheek against his chest. If she lifted her head just a bit more, she could have kissed his chin. Everyone in the group chat was cheering them on, tagging the two and saying they were a perfect match. Given Adrian’s high position in the company, people were eager to flatter him. One after another, they lined up to comment on how well-matched they were. Since I had been added to the group, it would not look good if I pretended not to see it. So, I followed the crowd and typed two words in the chat, [Perfect match.] I also added a clapping emoji. With a click, I exited the digital charade and put my phone on silent mode. By the time I finished writing the medical records, it was already dark. I took out my phone and found that Adrian had called me dozens of times. One WhatsApp message after another popped up.

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I, Calvin Gibson, started an online romance with our company’s Vice President, Miriam Wilson. There’s no way I could meet her in real life. She doesn’t know yet that the guy she’s dating online is actually a company employee. ***** Miriam’s been in a terrible mood lately. Everyone who’s picked up on this has become extra cautious, not daring to slack off at work. Miriam’s been working crazy overtime, and we don’t dare leave before she does, so we end up working until eleven or twelve every night. I’m so exhausted I’ve got dark circles under my eyes, and my skin’s looking pretty rough. Honestly, I’m probably the only person in the entire company who knows the real reason behind Miriam’s foul mood, but I can’t say anything. Because Miriam just went through a breakup. And her “ex” is me. She just doesn’t know it yet. It all started when my online girlfriend and I decided to meet in person. We met online.

On the fourth anniversary of my secret relationship with my brother Noah Geller, I, Bailey White, had carefully prepared a surprise and was waiting at home for his return when I received his phone call. The background was noisy, but I could still hear every word clearly. “If it weren’t for my fight with Evelyn, how could I possibly be with Bailey? “Just thinking about being with her makes me sick. How could someone be so despicable, actually liking her own brother? Absolutely shameless! “But Evelyn’s back now, and I’ll marry her right away. Even if we don’t get married, I don’t care. I can keep playing around with her since she truly loves me.” The call ended amid a burst of laughter, and I couldn’t stop trembling. So our four years together had been nothing more than the product of his momentary spite. Heartbroken, I finally agreed to marry another man. On my wedding day, I calmly addressed Evelyn James as “Mrs. Geller.” Noah, who was always composed, completely lost his composure in that moment. ***** On our fourth anniversary, I cooked a whole table of Noah’s favorite dishes at home. I kept imagining his surprised expression when he walked through the door, but I waited for a very long time. I called him over and over, but no one answered. Just when I was getting anxious, the phone rang. It was Noah calling. I excitedly answered, asking urgently, “Where are you?” However, his cold and disgusted voice came through the phone. “If it weren’t for my fight with Evelyn, how could I possibly be with Bailey? “She actually likes her own brother—how disgusting!” In that instant, I felt like I’d fallen into an ice cave. I had imagined countless possibilities for his call. Maybe he’d be sweet-talking me, or saying he was almost home, or at least explaining why he was late. But I never expected to hear those words. After he hung up, it suddenly started pouring outside. I threw away all the food and stood by the window in a daze. Noah saw me standing by the window looking lost as soon as he got out of his car. The rain outside had soaked half of my clothes, but I seemed completely unaware. He immediately ran over to close the window and draped his coat over my shoulders. He said with concern, “Why are you standing by the window? Go take a hot shower and change into dry clothes.” He skillfully prepared my bath water and laid out my pajamas. “I’ve got the hot water ready at just the right temperature. Go wash up quickly so you don’t catch cold.” After my shower, Noah naturally took the hair dryer from my hands and dried my hair. Looking at that gentle man in the mirror, I couldn’t connect him with the voice on the phone. “Do you find me disgusting?” I asked softly. His hair-drying motion paused. “Why would you ask that? What happened? Did someone say something to you? Don’t listen to their nonsense…” Seeing his anxious and caring expression, I forced a smile. “It’s nothing, I was just asking.” Noah put down the hair dryer and gently hugged me from behind. He nuzzled his head against my neck, half apologetic and half playful. “Bailey, I was wrong today. I was too busy. I’ll definitely spend quality time with you tomorrow, okay?” If this had been before, I would have softened and patted his head, saying, “I forgive you.” But now, I just gently pushed him away and said quietly, “Noah, don’t do this.” Noah chuckled softly and held me tighter. That night, he wrapped his arms around me from behind, his warm breath falling on my neck. “Bailey, I want you…” I suppressed the emotions rising in my heart and interrupted him, “I’m not feeling well today.” Noah’s restless hand paused, then he sighed. “Alright, then rest well tonight.” I quietly closed my eyes in the silence.

I had once been the sole heir of the White family, but an accident took my parents’ lives, and I became an orphan overnight, sent to an orphanage. It was Noah who took me out and brought me away from there. I was eleven then, and he was eighteen. He was also an orphan, but he gave me a home. From then on, I became Noah’s little shadow. He took me everywhere, saying I was his only family. Young as I was, I didn’t understand emotions and mistook my dependence and gratitude toward him for love. On my eighteenth birthday, emboldened by alcohol, I confessed to Noah. “Noah, I like you.” He froze for a moment and tried to push me away, but I held him tightly. Taking advantage of his surprise, I planted a kiss on his face. Noah turned his face away and said quietly, “Bailey, you’re drunk.” I clung to him. “I’m not. I just like you, Noah.” That night, he rarely lost control, pulling me into his arms and kissing me for the first time. From that day on, we secretly became a couple. He took even better care of me, handling every aspect of my life, big and small. Back then, I was intoxicated by the sweetness of love, thinking that as long as we liked each other, it could last forever.   The next day, Noah surprisingly didn’t go to the office. He took me to an amusement park, watched a movie with me, and brought me to my favorite restaurant. Everything seemed so perfect—well, it would have been if not for that phone call. Halfway through dinner, Noah excused himself to the restroom. That’s when I saw the message from someone labeled “Babe”: [Noah, I’m not feeling well. Could you come keep me company?] Such a cheap trick, yet Noah fell for it completely. When he returned from the restroom, he glanced at his phone and hurriedly prepared to leave. “Bailey, something urgent came up at the office. Go ahead and finish eating, don’t wait for me. I’ll make it up to you next time, okay?” he said. Before I could even respond, Noah had already walked out of the restaurant. I looked down at the friend request that popped up on my phone and accepted it. The person using the same couple’s profile picture as me sent a message: [Like the profile pic? I picked it out.] Then came a photo—two people kissing in what looked like a nightclub setting. Though I couldn’t see the face clearly, I recognized Noah instantly. The bracelet on his wrist was one I had personally braided and put on him. I’d never seen him take it off. Yet here he was, holding another woman. Tears splattered onto my phone screen as I stared at that photo in shock, the last shred of hope in my heart completely shattered. I wiped the tears from my eyes and dialed a number I’d never called before. “Ivan Stewart, I agree to marry you.” There was a long silence on the other end before he responded excitedly, “Really?” I nodded. “Really.” Ivan was the heir to the Stewart family fortune and had been my classmate from elementary school through college. I knew he’d always liked me, which was why he’d specifically asked his father, Jared Stewart, to propose an arranged marriage between us. At the time, I was completely devoted to Noah, so I firmly refused. But Ivan didn’t give up. Instead, he chose to wait patiently. He once told me, “Bailey, I know you don’t like me, but I can wait—wait for you to turn around, wait for you to like me. If you ever change your mind, I promise to marry you with all the grandeur you deserve.” I always thought I’d never agree to marry Ivan, but reality hit me like a freight train. After hanging up, I took a cab back to the villa alone.

  During the ride, I couldn’t help but check Evelyn’s social media. The moment I saw her profile, I felt like I’d fallen into an ice-cold abyss. I used to think everything I had was because Noah loved me. But reality slapped me hard across the face. Evelyn’s social media was filled with photos of various gifts Noah had given her. Some she kept, while others she didn’t want—and those unwanted gifts had somehow ended up with me. In that moment, I felt nothing but bitter irony. The things I had treasured were actually someone else’s leftovers, things she couldn’t be bothered with. Through Evelyn’s posts, I pieced together their entire love story. She and Noah had fallen in love at first sight, quickly becoming inseparable. Noah would pause important meetings for her, and when she said she “wanted something,” he’d spend millions at auctions to buy priceless collectibles for her. When she was sick, he’d cancel everything to stay by her side, personally cooking for her. Their love was like something out of a movie—the domineering CEO and his precious little wife. And me? I guess I was the evil supporting character. Every time Noah went to take care of her, he’d lie to me about working overtime at the office. Ridiculously, I believed him every single time. I’d even feel sorry for him working so hard and would rack my brains to make him delicious meals. And all of that food ended up in Evelyn’s stomach. She bragged on social media that it was made by Noah’s house cook. [Noah’s house cook makes pretty good food, though I prefer it spicy.] Reading this, I suddenly understood why Noah’s taste had changed. Someone who used to hate spicy food had suddenly developed a taste for it. When I asked him about it, he said, “Because you like spicy food, I want to feel closer to you, so I thought I’d try to appreciate spicy flavors too.” I was so moved by those words at the time, thinking Noah truly cared about me. After all, he was willing to change for me. It was all lies! All that talk about wanting to understand me—complete bullsh*t! He used my love for him as an excuse to trample all over my feelings! He used the food I made to please another woman! I was shaking with rage and couldn’t help but send Evelyn a message: [Do you know who actually makes Noah’s food?] She replied instantly: [Of course I know. What other housekeeper would make love-filled lunch boxes for her employer? But since Noah calls you the housekeeper, I naturally won’t blow his cover.] I was trembling with fury. So in Noah’s eyes, I was nothing more than a free housekeeper. How utterly ridiculous!

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“Ms. Newman, are you certain you want to change your name? Once changed, your diplomas, various certificates, and passport will all need to be updated accordingly.” Anne nodded. “I’m certain.” The clerk continued trying to dissuade her. “Changing your name as an adult is actually quite troublesome, and your original name sounds lovely. Why don’t you reconsider?” “No need.” Anne signed the name change consent form. “Please go ahead and change it.” The clerk said, “Alright, the name you want to change to is Marina Bennet, correct?” Anne nodded. “Yes.” She would use her new name to fly far away. This was the direction she had set for her future. She was going to leave this place completely. Anne asked, “Can I go change the name on my passport now?” The clerk replied, “Yes, this is your name change receipt. Take this downstairs to process your passport name change.” Anne completed the passport information update as quickly as possible. As for other documents like her diploma, she left everything untouched. After all, she would be leaving with her new passport in a week. Her past identity could stay here—she no longer needed it. Walking out of the administrative building with her new passport, she faced New York’s iconic skyline. On the large screen covering the building’s exterior wall, an interview with Jonathan Graham, CEO of Graham Group, was playing. The interviewer keenly noticed his subtle gesture and asked with a smile, “Mr. Graham, I notice you keep touching your ring. It’s just an ordinary silver ring, isn’t it? Does it have special meaning?” Jonathan smiled warmly and raised his hand to show her. “This is my wedding ring.” The interviewer said, “Oh? I’m sorry, I assumed someone in your position would have at least a diamond wedding ring, and a substantial one at that.” Jonathan replied, “I crafted this wedding ring myself, polishing it bit by bit, and even engraved my name and my wife’s name inside the band.” The interviewer exclaimed, “Wow, there really are two sets of letters—JG and…” Jonathan said, “And AN. My wife is Anne Newman.” The interviewer gushed, “Wow, I really envy your wife. How lucky must she be to marry you?” But Jonathan said, “Actually, I’m the lucky one for being able to marry her.” The surrounding crowd was making envious sounds. Only Anne, the person in question, smiled sarcastically. She and Jonathan had truly loved each other deeply once, from their school days until now—they had walked together for fifteen years. In the eyes of classmates and teachers, they were the most enviable couple on campus. Until two months ago, when she received photos from a strange woman. The girl in the photos looked barely twenty, wearing sexy stockings and a nightgown, with purple and blue marks covering her from neck to chest. Without much thought, it was obvious she had just experienced intense sexual activity. She made a provocative gesture at the camera. On her index finger was a silver ring, slightly oversized—clearly a men’s style. Inside the ring band was engraved a line of English letters: JG&AN. Later, she saw that girl in Jonathan’s office. Her name was Maeve Hicks, a recent college graduate, twenty-one years old, Jonathan’s newly hired personal assistant. At that moment, Anne’s mind went blank. She desperately wanted to storm into the office and ask, “Personal assistant—does that include your sex life?” But she never asked. The marks all over Maeve’s body in that photo had already explained everything. Amid the surrounding gasps of amazement and envy, Anne quietly left and walked into a jewelry processing shop. When she removed the ring from her left ring finger, her heart ached so much she could barely breathe. The shop owner asked, “Miss, what jewelry would you like to have processed?” She said, “This ring—please melt it down.” The shop owner looked puzzled. “This ring has engraving on it. It must have special meaning, right? Are you sure you want it melted down?” She nodded. “Yes, please do it as soon as possible.” Half an hour later, Anne returned home with an elegantly packaged jewelry box. When Jonathan came home, it was already past ten at night. He held a bouquet of flowers. “Sorry, Anne, I’ve been too busy with work lately and haven’t had time to spend with you. I brought your favorite freesias—do you like them?” As he leaned closer, Anne caught a whiff of perfume on him that wasn’t hers. Glancing sideways, she spotted a faint bite mark below his Adam’s apple. At his shirt collar, there was an obvious lipstick stain, glaringly red. Anne let out a cold laugh. Were you busy with work, or busy getting carried away with Maeve? Jonathan looked puzzled. “Why aren’t you saying anything?” Anne pushed him away. “I’m a bit tired.” He said, “Should I carry you to bed?” With that, he bent down, preparing to sweep her up in his arms. Anne pushed him away again. “You’re tired too. Take a shower and get some rest.” Jonathan reached out to take her hand but suddenly noticed something. “Anne, where’s your wedding ring?” Anne said, “I took it off.” Jonathan frowned and asked, “But I made that with my own hands. It’s proof of our love. Why did you take it off?” Anne replied dismissively, “I’ve gained some weight recently. It doesn’t fit properly anymore.” Only then did Jonathan’s expression soften, and he smiled again. “Then I’ll take it to the jewelry store to resize it sometime.” Anne said, “We’ll talk about it later.” “By the way, what’s that on the table?” Jonathan pointed to the exquisite jewelry box on the table and asked with some surprise, “Is this a gift for me?” Anne nodded. “Yes.” Inside it was a small silver piece. She had melted down their wedding rings and placed them inside. But Jonathan looked delighted. “What’s the occasion? You actually prepared a gift for me?” Anne’s heart grew cold again. “Today is our wedding anniversary.” Jonathan’s expression instantly turned panicked. He coaxed her almost pleadingly, “I’m sorry, Anne. I’ve been really busy with work lately. How about we go out for dinner tonight? I’ll make a reservation right now…” Anne said coldly, “No need. I already ate.” Jonathan suggested, “Then let me take you out to see the night view? We could take a walk by the river?” Anne said, “I’m tired. I want to sleep.” Jonathan wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, his tone coaxing, “Come on, Anne. We haven’t taken a walk together in so long. I feel like you’ve been a bit cold toward me lately. If this continues, I’ll start wondering if you’ve fallen for someone else.” Have I fallen for someone else? Your heart left me first. And this time, I’m going to take back my heart completely, along with myself. Everything. On the way out, Jonathan drove while enthusiastically sharing recent happenings. Anne sat in the passenger seat, turning her head to look out the window, ignoring everything he said. Because when she was fastening her seatbelt, she had felt a woman’s stocking in the seat crack—clearly worn. She quietly pushed it back and pretended nothing had happened. Since she had already decided to leave, she didn’t want to argue about anything anymore. Besides those useless lies, she would get nothing. Since she couldn’t have it, she wouldn’t want it anymore. When they reached the river, Jonathan got out first and walked around to open her door. “Anne, we’re here.” Anne didn’t really want to come, but this used to be their favorite place when they were dating. If it started here, then let it end here too. “Wow, isn’t that Mr. Graham from TV today? The one who made the wedding ring himself!” “I remember—what a perfect husband!” “He’s even shielding Mrs. Graham from the car roof so she won’t hit her head getting out. He’s so thoughtful!” Suddenly, Jonathan’s phone rang. He said somewhat apologetically, “Sorry, Anne. Wait here for a moment. It’s work-related. I’ll take this call and be right back.” Anne said, “Go ahead.” Jonathan instructed, “Just wait here for me. Don’t wander off.” The people around them exclaimed again. “Mr. Graham loves his wife so much—he’s even worried she’ll get lost.” “He spoils her so much!” Only Anne remained expressionless throughout, standing by the river, gazing at the shimmering water in the night. When Jonathan saw the caller ID earlier, he couldn’t suppress the smile at the corner of his mouth. That smile carried affection, sweetness, and a hint of intimacy. So how could that call possibly be about work? But she was too lazy to expose Jonathan’s lie. The wind from the river was a bit cold, so she simply returned to the car to wait. On the car’s display screen, Jonathan’s social media account was still logged in, synced with his phone. Chat messages were appearing one by one. The other person’s nickname was “Greedy Cat.” Jonathan: Missing me? Greedy Cat: I’m a bit lonely on nights when you’re not here. Jonathan: Greedy Cat, wasn’t seven times with you today enough? Greedy Cat: Not enough. I want more. Jonathan: Alright, tomorrow at work, in the office, I’ll satisfy you. Greedy Cat: Then I’ll wear black stockings to work tomorrow. The content that followed became increasingly explicit, full of crude flirtation and vulgar language. Anne felt cold all over and turned off the screen. Her whole body was trembling—whether from cold or anger, she didn’t know. Her nails dug into her palms. Jonathan returned quickly, about fifteen minutes later. He got back in the car and patted his chest with relief. “When I finished the call and turned around, I didn’t see you. You scared me to death. Thank goodness you’re okay.” Anne no longer wanted to look at that hypocritical face and kept her head down, looking at her hands. She said, “It was cold outside, so I came back to the car.” Jonathan said, “Good. You can be wherever you like.” Anne suddenly looked up. After seeing their chat records, this statement took on another meaning for her. Wherever you like. The stocking in the passenger seat crack… Could it be that they had done it in the passenger seat too? Anne suddenly felt nauseous and pushed open the car door to vomit.

Jonathan panicked and rushed forward to check on her. “Anne, what’s wrong?” Anne was violently sick, and it took her a long time to recover. She couldn’t understand why Jonathan, who loved her so much, would cheat on her. Wasn’t he afraid she’d find out? Or did he think he was being discreet enough to keep it hidden from her forever? The evening breeze cleared Anne’s mind considerably. Jonathan asked with concern, “Anne, are you okay? If you’re not feeling well, I’ll take you to the hospital right now.” Anne said, “No, I probably just had something bad at dinner.” Jonathan said, “Then come to the office tomorrow and find me. We’ll have lunch together.” Anne let out a cold laugh, thinking to herself, “Go to the office to watch you and Maeve having sex in your office?” She suddenly felt mischievous: “Sure, I’ll go to the office with you tomorrow morning, keep you company while you work, then we’ll have lunch together, and come home together in the evening.” Jonathan hadn’t expected her to agree at all, and his expression immediately became somewhat strained: “But I’ve been pretty busy with work lately. I might not be able to stay with you the whole time.” Anne said, “You do your work. I’ll just wait for you in your office.” Jonathan had no choice but to say, “Alright then.” After returning home, Jonathan offered to run a bath for Anne and went into the bathroom, but unusually closed the door behind him. Anne went downstairs alone and got back in the car. After starting the engine, the latest chat messages immediately popped up on the screen. Jonathan: [Plans have changed. We can’t use the office tomorrow.] Greedy Cat: [So disappointed.] Jonathan: [Don’t be disappointed. I’ll take you to the rooftop. It’ll be more thrilling.] Greedy Cat: [Wow, you’re the best.] When Anne returned to the bedroom, Jonathan had just come out of the bathroom: “Anne, your bath is ready. Go soak for a while.” Anne said, “No thanks, I want to rest.” Jonathan nodded: “Alright, sleep if you’re tired. By the way, that gift you left on the table—can I open it now?” Anne said, “Wait another week.” Jonathan asked, “Why wait another week? I want to see what you got me right now.” Anne said, “Because…” She thought to herself, “Because in a week, I’ll be gone from your life forever.” She said, “Because the gift will only be meaningful in a week.” Jonathan kissed her gently on the forehead: “Okay, I’ll do whatever you say.” Early the next morning, Jonathan’s phone started ringing after six. He turned it off and pulled Anne closer: “Ignore it. Let’s sleep a little longer.” But the phone rang persistently again. Jonathan frowned, getting annoyed: “It’s not even work hours yet, and they’re calling non-stop this early. I’m going to fire all these useless executives sooner or later.” He turned off the phone again. When the phone rang for the third time, Jonathan finally got up impatiently: “Anne, sleep a little longer. I’ll go see what’s so urgent.” Anne softly hummed in acknowledgment and turned away from him. Jonathan took his phone and left the bedroom. Soon after, his figure appeared outside the front door downstairs. A delivery person in a yellow uniform was standing outside, handing him a package. Jonathan took it, but when he returned inside, his hands were empty. Anne asked him, “Is the company situation serious?” Jonathan said, “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Rest well, and I’ll make you breakfast.” Whether from guilt or genuine concern about her stomach upset, Jonathan made an exceptionally lavish breakfast. Milk, eggs, bread, jam, and her favorite oatmeal. He said, “You can’t eat just anything anymore. I’ll find you a housekeeper to come cook for you every day.” Anne said, “That’s not necessary.” Jonathan said, “Be good and listen to me, or I won’t have peace of mind at work.” Anne said, “Jonathan, can I ask you something?” Jonathan said, “Go ahead.” Anne put down her knife and fork, her tone calm: “The seven-year itch—do you think there’s truth to it?” Jonathan immediately showed a look of disgust: “That’s just an excuse other men use when they fall out of love. I’m different. I’ll only love you for the rest of my life.” Anne frowned: “Only love me for the rest of your life?” Jonathan nodded: “Yes.” Anne asked, “What if you fell in love with another woman?” Jonathan said, “Then may I die a horrible death.” Anne smiled sarcastically: “Such a heavy oath—aren’t you afraid it might actually come true?” Jonathan said, “I’m telling the truth. Why should I be afraid?” Anne picked up her knife and fork again and spread jam on her bread. Jonathan said earnestly, “Anne, you have to trust me.” Anne simply said, “Let’s eat.” Jonathan said, “You still don’t believe me? Do I have to cut out my heart and show it to you before you’ll believe me?” Anne said, “People at the company are waiting for you. Don’t be late.” Jonathan finally relaxed and sat down across from her: “Let them wait. They’re a bunch of useless people anyway. I’m going to fire them all sooner or later.” Anne asked, “Fire her? Could you bear to do that?” Anne said “her,” not “them.” She didn’t know if Jonathan caught it, but she heard him say, “Besides you, there’s nothing I can’t bear to part with.” After breakfast, the two headed to the company together. Anne really didn’t want to sit in the passenger seat and insisted on sitting in the back. “I get carsick. The back seat’s more comfortable, and I can get some fresh air,” she explained. Jonathan didn’t push her. “Alright then, I’ll try to drive as smoothly as possible.” When they arrived at the company entrance, Jonathan quickly got out and walked around to open the rear door for her. As Anne stepped out, she was once again surrounded by employees during the morning rush hour. Several executives even jogged over with beaming smiles. “Mrs. Graham, you’re here! Mr. Graham always says you love coffee—I’ll go buy some for you right away.” Another chimed in eagerly, “I’ll get the snacks! Mrs. Graham, you like little cakes, right?” Jonathan laughed and teased, “You guys better stop buying her food. She’s put on a little weight lately—can’t even get her wedding ring on anymore.” “Mr. Graham, that’s not right to say,” one executive quickly interjected. “Mrs. Graham looks perfectly slim to me. If the wedding ring doesn’t fit, the ring must have shrunk!” “That’s some pretty obvious flattery, don’t you think? How could silver shrink?” “You don’t understand, Mr. Graham. You care so much about Mrs. Graham—as long as she’s happy, you’re happy, and we all get to live the good life too!” Jonathan shook his head with a smile. “Alright, you’ve figured out exactly what I like to hear.” Everyone burst into laughter. Anne was practically escorted into his office by the crowd. Fruits, snacks, coffee—everything was there. Jonathan even used his computer to find her a TV series. “Anne, I need to get to work. Just watch your show here, and if you need anything, have Zac outside help you out.” Anne deliberately asked, “What about your personal assistant Maeve? I haven’t seen her today.” Jonathan frowned slightly. “I’m not sure either. I’ll have HR call and check later.” Before leaving, he affectionately ruffled her hair and said softly, “Wait for me to come back, and we’ll have lunch together.” After Jonathan left, the executives gradually dispersed as well. Anne noticed his phone was still on the desk and was about to chase after him when she accidentally overheard a conversation between several executives. “The rooftop? Mr. Graham and Maeve are getting bolder and bolder.” “Who knew Mrs. Graham would suddenly show up at the company today? They had to change locations at the last minute.” “Should we still send condoms up there today?” “No need. When Mr. Graham went up just now, I saw he had several boxes stuffed in his pocket.” “Haha, Mr. Graham’s really something—managed to get condoms right under Mrs. Graham’s nose.” “Delivery apps, obviously. So convenient these days—you can buy anything.” Anne suddenly understood. Those phone calls this morning were from delivery drivers. Jonathan had placed an order early in the morning for condoms, clearly preparing well in advance for today’s “rooftop rendezvous.” “Wonder if a few boxes will be enough. Last time Mr. Graham and Maeve went at it in the car for a whole day and night—Maeve was walking funny the next day.” “If it’s not enough, we’ll just send more! As his subordinates, we’ve got to take good care of Mr. Graham.” “Didn’t you just say we should take good care of Mrs. Graham too?” “Ha! What does she know? A few snacks and she’s completely fooled. With Mr. Graham’s status, how could he possibly have just one woman? Anyway, he’s got money and power—playing around with women is totally normal, as long as we keep it from Mrs. Graham.” “True. She seems pretty naive—shouldn’t be hard to keep her in the dark.” Just then, Jonathan appeared. “Don’t talk nonsense in front of Anne, got it?” The executives nodded repeatedly. “Understood, Mr. Graham.” One couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you bring Mrs. Graham today? Now you and Maeve have to hide on the rooftop, and we have to watch every word we say.” Jonathan shot him a cold glare. “Anne is my wife. If she wants to come, she comes. Who are you to question that?” The man laughed awkwardly. “You’re absolutely right…” Jonathan issued another stern warning: “Take good care of Anne. She had an upset stomach yesterday, so don’t give her anything cold. And if anyone dares to mention what’s going on between Maeve and me, they’re out immediately. Clear?” The executives nodded and voiced their agreement with smiles. Anne didn’t listen to the rest of the conversation. She hurried back to the office and quietly placed his phone among the pile of snacks. After a while, Jonathan returned. He maintained that same gentle, caring demeanor. “Greedy Cat, what are you eating?” The nickname “Greedy Cat” made Anne feel nauseous. Fighting back her discomfort, she asked, “Didn’t you go to a meeting? Why are you back already?” Jonathan said, “I left my phone here. Did you see it?” Anne shook her head. “No.” Jonathan rummaged through the pile of snacks and pulled out his phone. “Found it mixed in with the snacks. Take your time eating—I’ll head out now.” This time it was Anne’s phone that rang. She answered it. The voice on the other end asked, “Hello, is this Marina Bennet?” Anne replied, “Yes, that’s me.” The person continued, “Ms. Bennet, your flight to Norway scheduled for next week has been successfully ticketed. Please bring your passport for boarding.” Anne asked, “Do I need to bring any other documents besides my passport?” The person answered, “No, just your passport will be sufficient.” Anne said, “Alright.” After hanging up, Jonathan asked with slight confusion, “Passport? Anne, what do you need a passport for?”

Anne said, “It’s a friend of mine. She lost her passport and asked me how to get it replaced.” Jonathan hurried toward her and pulled her into a tight embrace. “You scared me to death. I thought you were going abroad without me.” Anne turned her head away and threw up again. He carried a heavy, sickly sweet scent mixed with some woman’s perfume. Jonathan gently patted her back with concern. “What did they feed you? I specifically told them you’ve been having stomach issues these past few days and to take good care of you. Just wait—I’m firing all of them right now!” This time Anne pushed him away with all her strength. “Fire whoever you want, but stop using me as an excuse, okay?” Jonathan was caught off guard by her sudden outburst. “Are you mad at me? Is it because I was busy with work today and didn’t spend time with you?” He said, “How about this—tomorrow I’ll cancel all my meetings and spend the entire day with you. Sound good?” Anne laughed bitterly. “Spend the entire day with me?” Jonathan said, “Yes, I’ll be with you all day.” Anne took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “I hope you can keep your word.” That night, it suddenly began to pour. From the moment Anne got home, she couldn’t stop throwing up. Jonathan tried to get close to her, but she firmly refused. “Don’t come near me. The smell on you just makes me throw up even more.” Jonathan sniffed his sleeve and said, “Maybe you don’t like this cologne. I’ll switch to a different one next time.” Anne said, “You know damn well the problem isn’t the cologne!” Jonathan said, “Okay, don’t be angry. I won’t wear any cologne from now on. That should work, right?” Anne splashed cold water on her face and looked up at her pale reflection in the mirror, and at Jonathan standing outside the bathroom door, anxiously holding a cup of hot water. She just couldn’t understand why, even today, he still carried that sickly sweet scent of intimacy with Maeve and her perfume, yet could so naturally pretend to love her. She couldn’t understand why Jonathan seemed to care about her, yet still betrayed their relationship without any regard. Maybe that executive was right: “Men fooling around outside is no big deal, as long as they keep it from the woman at home.” She had misjudged him. She wasn’t that naive or easily fooled, and she wouldn’t compromise herself or abandon her principles anymore. If love was no longer pure, she’d rather have none of it at all. The next morning, Jonathan took her to the hospital. After a series of tests, the doctor gave his diagnosis. “She appears to have stress-induced gastritis.” Jonathan asked, “What’s stress-induced gastritis?” The doctor explained, “It’s when a patient experiences severe emotional trauma recently. The impact is so significant that it disrupts gastrointestinal function, causing vomiting.” Jonathan turned to Anne. “Have you encountered something upsetting lately? Tell me about it—maybe I can help you solve it.” Anne turned her face away, avoiding his approach. “You can’t solve it.” He said, “Just tell me. There are very few things in this world I can’t solve.” Yes, this was indeed something only he could solve. For a moment, Anne wanted to ask him: if she and Maeve were both drowning, who would he save first? But then she thought better of it. She shouldn’t place her fate in someone else’s hands. She could swim. She could save herself. She no longer needed Jonathan. She had applied to art school in Norway under the name Marina Bennet. She had given up her dream of painting to marry Jonathan, but from now on, she would live for herself. Jonathan suggested, “Anne, let me take you to see a movie this afternoon. There’s a new comedy out that you’d probably enjoy.” Anne asked, “This afternoon? Don’t you have to work?” He said, “We agreed that I’d spend the entire day with you today. I keep my word—I don’t go back on my promises.” The next second, his phone rang. He was about to decline the call, but after staring at the caller ID for a few seconds, his expression grew hesitant. Anne watched his face transform from initial irritation to resignation. She smiled coldly. “Go ahead and answer it. Company business is more important.” Jonathan said, “I’ll make it quick. Give me five minutes.” Anne nodded. “Okay.” Jonathan was about to leave with his phone when Anne suddenly called out to him. “Just take it here. I don’t understand your company business anyway, so there’s no risk of leaking secrets.” Jonathan stopped awkwardly. After hesitating for two seconds, he answered the call, his voice tinged with anger. “Didn’t we agree you wouldn’t call today? What’s going on?” Anne could vaguely hear a woman crying on the other end. In front of her, Jonathan’s tone became cautious. “Fine, I got it. Hold on.” After hanging up, Jonathan said to Anne with slight embarrassment, “The company has an important document that needs my signature. The manager is already here at the hospital, downstairs. I’ll sign it and come right back—thirty minutes tops.” Anne nodded. Jonathan practically ran out of the examination room. The doctor smiled at her. “Mrs. Graham, Mr. Graham really loves you. He’s even willing to put aside work for you.” “Yes.” Anne forced a smile. “Excuse me, doctor, I need to use the restroom.” The doctor smiled back. “Of course.” As soon as she stepped out of the examination room, Anne saw Jonathan, too impatient to wait for the elevator, running down the stairs. He did go downstairs. But that floor was the maternity ward. Her phone buzzed. Maeve: [Ms. Newman, I’m so sorry, but he probably won’t be able to spend time with you today. One call from me, and he comes running to my side immediately.] Maeve’s messages kept flooding in. Maeve: [Oh, and check this out. This is my ultrasound report—I’m pregnant.] Anne enlarged the image and finally made out the line at the top of the report: [8-week embryo, threatened miscarriage.] Maeve: [Yesterday we did it several times on the rooftop, tried all kinds of positions. Maybe we got too rough—the baby’s showing signs of threatened miscarriage. Ugh, it’s all his fault. He said he was like a dead fish with no energy around your pasta, but with me he wanted to try something exciting.] Maeve: [The doctor said that whether we keep the baby or terminate, the father needs to sign the papers, so I had to call him down here. After all, compared to his stomach bug, his child is more important, don’t you think?] Anne took a cab home from the hospital alone. She went to Dave Jacobs’ law firm. She said, “Hello, I’d like to retain your services to draft a divorce agreement.” She asked for nothing, and Dave was reliable. Half an hour later, she had the complete divorce agreement in hand. Dave told her, “No signature from the husband required. As long as you two live separately for two years, this agreement will automatically take effect.” As Anne walked out of the law firm with the agreement, Jonathan called. He said, “Anne, where are you? I’ve searched the entire hospital and couldn’t find you.” Anne said, “I waited for you for a long time and you didn’t show up, so I went home.” Jonathan said, “Good, I’m glad you made it home safely. Sorry, there really was an emergency at the company that I had to handle personally. I might need to go on a business trip for a few days. Take good care of yourself at home. Next week, I’ll definitely clear my schedule to spend time with you.” Anne sighed softly. When a lie is told ten thousand times, no one will ever believe it again. Now, she felt no emotional turmoil whatsoever. She said flatly, “Okay, go ahead.” Jonathan said, “You’re so understanding. I’ll bring you some freesias when I get back tomorrow.” “Understanding?” Anne asked. “Jonathan, do you prefer women who act cute and clingy, who won’t let you go? Am I too understanding, so I’m boring?” Jonathan paused. “How could that be? Of course I love you most. Whatever you’re like, that’s what I love.” Anne asked, “Would you ever fall in love with another woman?” Jonathan assured her, “Of course not.” Anne said, “If you change your mind, I’ll leave you forever.” Jonathan chuckled. “Go ahead and run. I can shut down airports and train stations. As long as you’re still called Anne Newman, I’ll never let you leave me.” But my passport no longer says Anne Newman. I’m now Marina Bennet. Anne emphasized again, “I’m serious. I have ways to leave you, and ways to make sure you can’t find me.” Jonathan still laughed, as if coaxing a cat. “Fine, run first then. I’ll give you three days, then I’ll come find you. Like I said, as long as you’re still called Anne Newman, no matter where you run, I can find you. You can’t shake me off.” Can’t shake you off? Anne smiled. Well, we’ll see about that.

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On my birthday, my boyfriend set off the most dazzling fireworks for his childhood sweetheart. A passerby captured the moment on video and quickly uploaded it online, where it quickly went viral, garnering an endless stream of well-wishes. His friends joked about me, asking, “What do you think about this?” I replied indifferently, “I just watched it. What else could I do?” The video spread like wildfire online, with the comment section filled with praise for them as a perfect match. As I listened to the joyful laughter of the fireworks in the video, the feast in front of me only made my heart sink deeper. —— It was my birthday, and Alex had promised to come home early to celebrate with me, but he called in the afternoon to say he had an unexpected engagement and would be late. I believed him and was still looking forward to celebrating my birthday with him when he got back. Little did I know, his “engagement” was to accompany his childhood sweetheart, Vivian, in setting off fireworks. How ironic it was. In the video, Alex’s handsome face, usually aloof and cold, was filled with laughter, and his eyes were full of tenderness as he looked at Vivian. This was a smile I had never received. Before this, I thought he was just naturally not a smiling person, incapable of expressing affection. I laughed in self-mockery, unwrapped the cake, and ate it in silence. The greasy, sweet taste spread in my mouth, but suddenly, it felt pretty pointless. I took my phone and called Alex. He answered quickly, and his voice was as cold as ever. “What’s up?” As he spoke, I could clearly hear the sound of fireworks in the background. After a two-second silence, I swallowed the cake in my mouth and asked calmly, “Where are you?” “At the office. What’s the matter.” He seemed to have moved away from the riverside, and the sound of fireworks was gone. His voice was still calm, showing no signs of the panic one would expect when lying. I glanced at the video on my tablet and felt even more disinterested. “Let’s break up.” “You’re making a fuss again.” I sneered, “Browse the videos online more often, Mr. Internet Celebrity.” With that, I hung up the phone. Since I had proposed the breakup, I shouldn’t stay at his place any longer. I looked at the untouched dishes on the table, got up, and went to the kitchen to find some containers to pack them up. Then I packed my belongings and took a taxi back to my small apartment, which I hadn’t visited in a long time. Finishing all this, I took a taxi back to my small house that I hadn’t visited in a long time. After I graduated from university, my parents bought me a small apartment in this city. After getting together with Alex, he always said that our homes were too far apart, and it was troublesome for us to commute between them, so he asked me to move in with him. Actually, the distance between these two houses was just the distance between him and me. We looked close, but our hearts seemed to be separated by the Pacific Ocean. Back in the long-lost small house, I tidied up simply and went to bed after washing up. The next day, I found only a few messages on my phone. [What’s the matter with you now?] [Come back when you’ve calmed down. Don’t be too willful.] It seemed he came home last night and found out I had moved out. I didn’t reply to his messages and just went about my own business. This kind of thing wasn’t the first time it had happened. Vivian would call him whenever something was wrong. She would even ask him to accompany her when she was awakened by thunder at midnight and couldn’t sleep. I had questioned him and quarreled and argued with him. But he said, “People with a dirty heart see everything as dirty.” Every time he abandoned me to go to Vivian, he would send me roses afterward to appease me. And I would continue to be deeply immersed in this relationship as if nothing had happened. But I was tired this time.

As I stepped out of the company after work in the evening, I saw him standing outside. Dressed in a suit, he had a handsome face and a tall and strong figure with excellent body proportions, just like a model on the runway. Passersby couldn’t help but look at him. If it were any other day, I would have gone up to him and asked him to get in the car to keep others from looking at him. But this time, I just wanted to pretend I didn’t see him. I walked towards the station on my own, and Alex quickly caught up with me. He didn’t mention the incident and said calmly, “It’s Jason’s birthday today. He invited us to have dinner together.” I stopped and looked at him. “Sure.” We got in the car, and there was a silence inside. The wind blew in from outside the window, and I smelled a faint scent of jasmine. It was the scent of Vivian. The scent wasn’t unpleasant. On a whim, I asked, “Do you like the smell of jasmine?” Alex’s eyes flickered slightly. “It’s okay.” “Really?” I thought, “Then why have I always smelled this scent on you before?” I didn’t say anything more. We arrived at the agreed hotel, where they had been waiting for a while. Seeing us come together, Vivian was obviously surprised. “Good evening, Alex, Isabella. We’ve been waiting for you for a long time.” I smiled indifferently and looked at Jason. “I’m sorry. I came in a hurry and didn’t bring a gift.” Jason is Alex and Vivian’s childhood friend. Alex always took me with him to their gatherings, and gradually we became acquainted. “I’ve given him a gift. You don’t need to feel sorry.” Alex led me to the table. The remaining two seats were opposite each other. I didn’t know if they arranged it on purpose. I let go of his hand and walked straight to the seat opposite. Alex’s expression changed slightly, but he didn’t say anything and sat down next to the empty seat beside Vivian. I knew what his friends were thinking. They never approved of Alex and me being together and were always cold to me. Before, I wanted to get along with them, and I would give them gifts I carefully selected for every holiday. But I’ve never seen anyone really use the things I gave them. They probably didn’t want to accept me from the bottom of their hearts. I was too naive to see such an obvious thing until now. I didn’t say a word and ate quietly. Alex chatted with them with ease, peeling shrimp without stopping. He never eats seafood unless someone peels the shell for him, and he will reluctantly try a bit because he finds it troublesome to peel it himself. However, he didn’t mind the trouble now. He peeled a whole plate of shrimp, moved it in front of Vivian, and then slowly took a wet wipe and wiped his hands carefully. This was a treatment I had never had. Seeing this, I felt depressed. I decided to let him go, but I still felt sad when I really saw him like this. Jason also noticed his actions. He looked at my expression and nudged Alex, teasing, “Don’t favor one over the other. Peel some shrimp for your girlfriend too.” Alex seemed to realize it for the first time, looked at the empty plate on the table, and said, “Order another plate.” “No.” I took a sip of my drink and said calmly, “I don’t like shrimp.” “How about fish then?” “I don’t like it.” Alex looked at the table, his eyebrows slightly wrinkled. “What about chicken?” “I don’t like it either.” He looked surprised, seemingly not expecting me to say this without hesitation. Meeting his gaze, I took a napkin calmly, wiped my mouth, and added, “I don’t like anything you said.” “Isabella, are you angry?” Vivian said cautiously, “Why don’t you eat this plate of shrimp? Please don’t be angry with Alex.”

Her timid look made me look like the bad guy. “How could I be angry? Please enjoy your meal. I just remembered I have some unfinished work, so I’ll take my leave.” With a calm smile, I picked up my bag, ready to leave. “Come on, are you still upset about Alex setting off fireworks for Vivi?” Jason mentioned deliberately, his gaze filled with provocation. Hearing him bring up this, Vivian spoke up, “I’m sorry, Isabella. I was in a mood back then, and Alex just wanted to cheer me up with that. Alex, you should apologize to Isabella.” Alex frowned upon hearing this, “I just set off some fireworks. Why should I apologize?” His words caused the atmosphere to freeze. Vivian smiled subtly at me from where he couldn’t see, as if silently declaring her possession over Alex. It was laughable. The person who did wrong had no idea that he was in the wrong. Just like before, he never realized his own faults. He thought he could just casually appease me and move on from this. I smiled, “Yes, you’re right. The fireworks were quite a spectacle. Keep it up next time.” With that, I left without looking back. The moment I closed the door, I heard Vivian’s voice. “Alex, go apologize quickly. Isabella is obviously angry.” “Don’t mind her. She’ll be fine in a few days.” His words stabbed at me like a sharp sword. What on earth had I done before to make him so confident? I walked out of the hotel slowly. The cool breeze of the early autumn night was refreshing. I strolled along the bustling streets, with couples passing by, their affectionate displays genuinely enviable. Before Vivian came back, Alex and I were just like them. We held hands tightly, unwilling to let go for fear of losing each other. So, why did things turn out this way? I felt heavy breathing, a bit suffocated. Seeing an ice cream truck on the side of the road, I thought for a moment and bought an ice cream. The moment I got the ice cream, I suddenly remembered his words vaguely. “You know you get a stomachache from eating ice cream, but you still can’t resist it.” I took a bite in a daze, and it was salty. “Your ice cream tastes off,” I said to the ice cream truck owner, my voice trembling. The owner glanced at me and handed me a tissue. “Miss, maybe you need to wipe your tears first.” I looked up, my eyes blurred, and I realized that tears had fallen on the ice cream. No wonder it tasted salty. I sniffed, turned around, and went home. I received a message from Alex as soon as I got home [Have you arrived home?] I glanced at it and didn’t reply. Soon, he sent another message: [Everyone didn’t have a good meal because of you today. Let’s invite them to dinner another day.] I still didn’t reply to him. He seemed to have lost patience and called me directly. I put down my phone and turned a deaf ear. When I came back after washing up, the phone had already fallen silent. Before going to bed, I habitually browsed through the WhatsApp statuses and unexpectedly saw a photo Vivian posted five minutes ago. The driver was driving in front, and Alex and Vivian were sitting in the back seat of the car. In the photo, he was resting his eyes languidly, while Vivian was shyly looking at the camera in a posture that leaned against him. The caption of the photo was: [It turns out I am still your first choice after so many years.] I gave a self-mocking smile and replied to her: [Congratulations.]

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After my husband Frankie Anderson’s brother died, his wife Amelia Anderson brought back two birds from the mountains—a large bird and a small one. Amelia said she wanted to give these two birds to my daughter Phoebe Anderson as pets. I looked up information and discovered these two birds were vultures—birds of prey. I told Amelia to release them immediately before they could hurt anyone. But I never expected that mother vulture to be so intelligent. It stared at me with its sharp eyes and made harsh, guttural calls. From that day on, this mother vulture held a grudge against me. Every day it would drop bloody chicken bones into my plate and even took the opportunity to peck out my eye. I called in people from the forestry department to capture the vulture. But Amelia secretly damaged the cage and let the vulture escape. Later, Amelia said it was inconvenient for me with my injured eye, so she offered to take Phoebe out to play. They happened to encounter a flock of vultures. Phoebe’s neck was pecked by the mother vulture, her artery was damaged, and blood wouldn’t stop flowing. The smell of blood attracted more and more vultures. I threw myself forward desperately trying to protect Phoebe, but both Phoebe and I were torn to pieces by the swarm of vultures. We died without even having intact bodies left. When I opened my eyes again, Amelia was showing me the cage in her hands. This time, I’m going to make her taste the same pain. ***** The flock of vultures loomed over Phoebe and me. Their calls seemed to carry triumphant boasting. I lay dying in a pool of blood, my one good eye helplessly watching them carry away Phoebe’s severed head. “Amelia, what kind of birds are you carrying?” Frankie asked. He curiously bent down and leaned closer to the cage to look. The mother vulture immediately positioned itself in front of the young bird, glaring at Frankie with its feathers standing on end. Its beak was razor-sharp with barbs, capable of effortlessly tearing flesh from a person. That bone-deep pain seemed to linger in my body, making me shudder involuntarily. I pulled my toddling Phoebe behind me, cold sweat unconsciously soaking my clothes. Amelia said, “I found these in the mountains. The big bird was with the little one—so pitiful. When I saw this big bird, it reminded me of myself. Your brother died too young.” Amelia wiped at nonexistent tears in the corners of her eyes and handed the cage to me. Then she said to me, “Charlotte, you’re a mother too. Could you really bear to watch this big bird wander around alone with her child? Besides, I heard that when wild birds voluntarily come to someone’s home, they bring good fortune to that family.” Charlotte James is my real name. That mother vulture, like Amelia, looked at me with expectant eyes. I knew it was intelligent. In my previous life, I firmly refused to let Amelia keep such fierce birds in our home. As a result, it held a grudge against me, ultimately leading to tragedy. This time, I wouldn’t be so foolish. As if afraid I wouldn’t agree, Amelia stuck her finger into the cage and touched the mother vulture’s tail feathers. She said, “Look how well-behaved this bird is. They’d be perfect companions for Phoebe to play with.” The mother vulture wanted to stay, so it gently flapped its wings, its feathers softly brushing against Amelia’s hand. I calmly pushed Phoebe further back, then looked down at the mother vulture. At this moment, its eyes didn’t yet hold the hatred they had when it killed me in my previous life. I forced myself to smile. I said, “Amelia, you’re right. We’re both mothers. Even with animals, who could bear to watch one struggle with her child?” Amelia was startled by my words, and the smile immediately disappeared from her face. She said, “Charlotte, aren’t you the one who loves cleanliness the most? These birds will spread bacteria when they flap their wings.” I gritted my teeth and forced myself to touch the mother vulture’s feathers with my finger. I said, “Amelia, you don’t understand. Appropriate contact with small animals helps improve children’s immunity. Hasn’t your son Ethan Anderson been clamoring to have a pet?” Amelia threw down the cage, and the young bird inside cried out from being jostled. The mother vulture immediately shielded the young bird with its wing. Amelia said, “What good can come from boys playing with birds?” After saying this, she even yanked out one of the mother vulture’s feathers and stuck it in Phoebe’s hair. She said, “I think Phoebe is better suited to play with birds. She looks like a little bird herself.” Amelia went into the house without looking back, naturally missing the malicious stares both the mother vulture and I directed at her retreating figure. I knew Amelia wasn’t feeling sorry for the bird—she was feeling sorry for herself. She became a widow at such a young age, raising Ethan alone in the city without a job, inevitably facing people’s scorn. Frankie, out of family loyalty, used the excuse that his lumber mill needed workers and personally went to the city to bring Amelia and Ethan here. He said this would not only give Amelia an income but also provide extra help caring for Phoebe and me. But seeing our harmonious marriage made Amelia uncomfortable, and she constantly caused trouble for me. I thought since we were all family, I should be patient. But I never expected that in the end, I couldn’t even save my own life and Phoebe’s. I gripped Phoebe’s small hand tightly. Since I could start over, I was going to make Amelia pay an equal price for her actions.

In my previous life, I insisted on giving the birds away. But every time I brought it up, Amelia would sit on the floor crying while clutching the bird. Whenever she cried, Frankie would come out to mediate. He’d say, “Charlotte, Amelia has no one to rely on. Just be patient with her. They’re just two birds—we can afford to keep them.” Eventually, under Frankie’s persuasion, we each made concessions. I stopped talking about giving the birds away, and Amelia promised to keep both birds caged. But that was only when Frankie was home. The mother vulture acted docile, completely putting Frankie at ease. Once Frankie left for the forest station, Amelia would secretly let the bird out. I was constantly scratched and bloodied by it. Yet Amelia would just hold it protectively in her arms, blaming everything on me. She’d say, “Charlotte, why does it only scratch you and not others? You must have scared it. Did you touch its baby? I never realized you were so vicious—you won’t even spare little birds.” Then she’d go crying to Frankie, telling him I was heartless and took my anger out on the birds, which was why I got hurt. Frankie was fed up with this and would come home scolding me for being cruel enough to pick fights with two birds. I was furious and would argue with Frankie. Whenever this happened, Amelia would reward the mother vulture by feeding it live chickens. Having received this benefit, the mother vulture would scratch me even more viciously the next time. It even spat bloody bones and flesh into my plate. It wasn’t until it pecked out one of my eyes and I was screaming that I’d kill it that Frankie finally agreed to hand the bird over to the forestry department. Before the mother vulture was taken away, I saw Amelia feeding it raw meat again. Amelia said, “It’s not that I don’t want to keep you—it’s just that woman is too vicious and doesn’t like you. She’s too stingy to feed you meat, wanting to save it all for her man so he’ll have energy in bed. That woman not only got my husband killed, but now she wants to drive you out too. She said that as long as she’s alive, she’ll kill your baby first, then kill you.” The mother vulture stared at me through the window with its sharp eyes, my face wrapped in bandages. It opened its beak wide, letting out a harsh, grating cry. With tears in her eyes, Amelia put both birds into a cage she had tampered with beforehand. The workers hadn’t gotten far before the mother vulture broke out of the cage and flew into the mountains with its young. Soon after, it gathered a large flock of vultures and flew back to seek revenge on me. Seeing the birds circling overhead, Amelia carried Phoebe outside. Then she deliberately left Phoebe alone by the roadside. The isolated Phoebe was discovered and injured by the mother vulture, and her pitiful cries drew me running outside. By the time I rushed over to protect Phoebe, Amelia had already run far away. I was torn apart by the flock of vultures until I was a bloody mess, collapsing beside her, too weak to struggle anymore, and died in agony. They believed Amelia’s words that I wanted to harm the little bird, so they used Phoebe to get revenge on me, even tearing her apart and carrying off the pieces to intimidate me. I suppressed the hatred in my heart, took a deep breath, and walked over to pick up the birdcage. I said helplessly, “What is Amelia doing? She brought them back but doesn’t want to keep them anymore. This mother bird even has a baby with her—they’re so thin it breaks your heart to see them.” Frankie frowned and glanced at me, asking, “Charlotte, haven’t you always been uninterested in animals?” I found a thick cardboard box and lined it with cotton. Then I said, “I think they’re too pitiful.” Frankie didn’t think much of it. After a quick look, he found an excuse to knock on Amelia’s door and went in to comfort her softly. I placed the cardboard box under a tree in the yard, then opened the birdcage. My whole body was trembling slightly, but I still forced myself to reach my hand inside. The mother vulture flinched and looked at me warily. I cut a few pieces of fresh meat from the refrigerator and placed them in the cardboard box. I smiled and said, “Go ahead and eat, don’t be afraid. The cage is too small, but this cardboard box has good ventilation. You can fly whenever you want.” The mother vulture observed me for a long time before cautiously poking its head out, picking up a piece of meat to feed the baby vulture. Seeing that I truly had no intention of harming them, it finally brought the baby bird into the cardboard box.

Amelia shouted, “Charlotte, what are you feeding those birds?” She rushed over and pushed me aside. When she saw the meat in the box, she flew into a rage and kicked the cardboard box over. Then she roared, “This meat is what I bought for Ethan’s beef pot roast. How could you use it to feed these two beasts? Isn’t corn enough for two birds? How can you be so stupid? I paid for this meat.” In my past life, the more I resisted the vultures, the more Amelia rewarded them. Forget meat—she’d even feed them freshly killed chickens. Now that her plan wasn’t working, she was showing her true colors. I smiled and said, “Amelia, didn’t you know? These birds are vultures, and they’re protected animals. Besides, vultures are carnivores—they’ll starve to death without meat. Amelia, you’re so kind to have brought them home. You wouldn’t begrudge them just these two pieces of meat, would you?” Amelia was so angry she was panting, glaring at me. Naturally, she didn’t notice the mother vulture staring at her face with hateful eyes. I pulled out two hundred dollars and stuffed them into Amelia’s pocket. Then I said, “Amelia, I’ll pay to buy more meat for Ethan and bring back a few pieces for the vultures too. Since they’ve come to our home, we’re meant to be together. I certainly can’t let them go hungry.” Amelia took the money, rolled her eyes at me, then turned and walked away. She muttered under her breath, “Idiot!” I pretended not to hear, put the cardboard box back in place, then filled a small dish with water for them. The mother vulture completely let down her guard around me. After eating and drinking her fill, she even nuzzled my fingers with her head. Over the next few days, I fed the vultures meat on schedule every day and personally went to buy live chickens. I placed the chopped chicken meat in Phoebe’s hands and guided her hand to the mother vulture’s beak. I looked at the two vultures with loving eyes, though my heart was pounding nervously. But to spare Phoebe from experiencing that heart-wrenching pain again, I had to take this step. The mother vulture looked at Phoebe, then at me, and opened her mouth to eat the chicken meat. I held Phoebe and whispered to her, “Phoebe, these two birds are just like you and me. I love you very much, and the big bird loves the little bird too. They’re your friends. You need to give them a warm home, okay?” Phoebe nodded vigorously and gently stroked the mother vulture’s back. The mother vulture showed no resistance at all. She said, “I want to protect them well.” The mother vulture raised her head to look at us, her eyes seeming to glisten with tears. Every day I patiently taught Phoebe how to care for them, and Phoebe learned earnestly. Within a few days, she was playing happily with the vultures. The young vulture would hop onto Phoebe’s hand, and the mother vulture would wrap her wings around Phoebe’s small hands. We were getting along harmoniously when Ethan came running over with a bucket and soaked the cardboard box completely. Steam was still rising from the water in the bucket. I immediately lifted both vultures out, but my hands got blistered from the heat. I asked, “Ethan, what are you doing?” Ethan wasn’t afraid of me and made a face at me. He said, “My mom said she found these two birds, so they belong to our family. I can do whatever I want with them.” Ethan’s commotion drew Amelia outside. She said, “I thought it was something serious. They’re just two beasts, aren’t they? If they die, it’s no big deal. Charlotte, you can treat them like treasures if you want. But how can you involve the child in this nonsense? Your hands are all red from the burns. Never mind. I’ll get revenge for you. I’ll kill these two birds right now and roast them to nourish your body.” With that, Amelia headed for the kitchen to get a knife. I roared, “Don’t you dare!” I clutched both vultures tightly to my chest, not letting Amelia get close. Amelia laughed and said, “Charlotte, have you lost your mind? You’re protecting these two beasts like they’re your children?” She grabbed the knife and slashed toward the young vulture in my arms.                         I screamed in terror, “No!” I raised my hand to shield the baby vulture, but Amelia showed no mercy and slashed my arm directly. The baby vulture let out a mournful cry as it fell to the ground, and Amelia immediately chopped off its head with her knife. I stared at her intently, wondering: “What grudge could possibly drive her to go to such lengths to kill me?” My desperate attempt to protect the baby vulture made the mother vulture completely accept me as her master. Amelia, who had killed its child, was destined to face punishment. The mother vulture broke free from my arms and bared her talons at Amelia. The mother vulture clawed Amelia’s arm until it was bloody, forcing her to drop the knife and flee with her head covered. Ethan was terrified and stood frozen in place. After attacking Amelia, the mother vulture charged at Ethan and scratched his head directly. Ethan burst into tears. Amelia wanted to save Ethan but was afraid of being clawed by the mother vulture. She sat on the ground sobbing, her cries drawing neighbors out to watch the commotion. Living a second life, I had learned to strike first and seize the initiative. While Amelia was still crying, I started crying first and said, “Amelia, how exactly have I offended you? You actually tried to hack me to death! You’re the one who brought these two birds back. You said you felt sorry for them and insisted on keeping them at home. But you never took care of them once – I’ve been looking after them for you this whole time. What did I do wrong?” I had always been well-mannered and constantly yielded to Amelia. This was the first time I had argued with her in front of so many people. Amelia was so shocked her mouth fell open and she froze in place, even forgetting to cry. Then she cursed, “Charlotte, you’re talking nonsense! That beast was clearly trying to hurt Ethan.” I kicked over the water bucket. Then I shouted, “Then tell me, why would Ethan get attacked by the bird? Phoebe is so small, yet the bird didn’t hurt her. How did Ethan get scratched?” Amelia hesitated and said, “Ethan was just trying to give them a bath.” Hearing her words, the surrounding neighbors all laughed. It was the first time they’d heard of someone wanting to bathe birds. I held up my scalded hand and said, “With freshly boiled hot water? These are protected animals. If I hadn’t blocked it, Ethan would probably be going to jail. And now you’ve killed a protected animal and even came after me. You better prepare for prison.” This time, Amelia completely dropped her act and crawled up to lunge at me. She roared, “What are you saying, you b*tch? How dare you curse me! I’m going to tear your mouth apart! I’m going to scratch up your face and see how you seduce Frankie then.” I snorted coldly, forming a bold suspicion in my mind. But before Amelia could reach me, Frankie pushed open the courtyard gate and stopped her: “What’s all this commotion about?” The neighbors enthusiastically filled Frankie in. Amelia had always been aggressive and had quarreled with all the surrounding neighbors, so naturally they wouldn’t side with her now. One woman said, “Amelia kept calling your wife a b*tch. How can she say such things?” Another woman said, “Yes. She also said Charlotte was seducing Frankie. They’re husband and wife – that’s not seduction.” A man said, “I think she’s man-crazy, so she can’t stand seeing them as a loving couple. Frankie takes care of them for his brother’s sake, and she’s truly ungrateful.” The darker Frankie’s expression became as he listened, the more he picked up the knife from the ground and threw it against the courtyard wall. The neighbors fell silent and sheepishly returned home. He said, “I’ll send the birds away tomorrow.” Frankie was afraid that if things escalated, Amelia would really go to prison, so he gave gifts to every household, asking them not to spread the word. Amelia shot me a triumphant look, then followed Frankie inside with Ethan. I crouched on the ground to carefully examine the mother vulture’s condition. Using the pain in my arm, I forced out tears. I said, “I don’t blame you for hurting people. We’re both mothers – protecting our children isn’t wrong. I’m sorry I didn’t take good care of you both. You should fly away and forget these sad things. If you stay here any longer, they’ll kill you too.” I sobbed audibly, my tears dripping onto the mother vulture’s feathers. The mother vulture flew to my shoulder and nuzzled away my tears with her head. Before flying away, she stared at Amelia’s bedroom window for a long time. After that, she never appeared again. But I knew she would definitely return. Sure enough, she didn’t disappoint me.

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The moment my SAT scores came out, I, Anna Barnes, took the bottled water my mom Ella Barnes handed me and the beaded bracelet my friend Lionel Murphy gave me, and passed them both to Ryder Carter—the guy who’d been bullying me for ages, someone with AIDS and terrible grades. Because in my past life, I drank that water, and my SAT score ended up becoming my adopted sister Aubrey Barnes’, while her score became mine. Within days, my body began deteriorating rapidly for no apparent reason. I started coughing up blood, running fevers, and eventually the pain was so intense I could barely get out of bed. Meanwhile, Aubrey, who had been suffering from stomach cancer, miraculously recovered. I begged Ella to take me to the hospital, but she not only refused—she mocked me, saying I was faking it, cursing at me before locking me in the basement. While I endured the agony of illness, they were outside throwing a lively celebration party for Aubrey. In the end, I died alone in that basement. After my death, Aubrey used my scores to shine at a prestigious university and even got together with Lionel. Only then did I realize that the water Ella had given me was a swap potion—once I drank it, my grades would be stolen. And the beaded bracelet Lionel gave me would transfer Aubrey’s illness to me if I wore it for three days, completely draining my life away. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day we checked our scores. ***** “What are you spacing out for? Take it!” The familiar voice snapped me back to reality. Realizing I’d truly been reborn, I stared intensely at the water and beaded bracelet before me, a chill rising in my heart. In my past life, it was because I accepted these two items from Ella and Lionel. Three days later, my grades had swapped with Aubrey’s. Not only that, but my body began rapidly deteriorating—constant high fevers and frequent coughing up blood. At the same time, Aubrey, who had been tormented by stomach cancer, suddenly regained her health. Her complexion was rosy, her condition excellent—nothing like someone who’d been ill. I was in agony, grabbing Ella’s hand and begging her to take me to the hospital. She shook me off and coldly scolded, “You’re just being dramatic! Aubrey got better, so now you’re pretending to be sick? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to!” Then they dragged me into the basement. After that, they threw a celebration party for Aubrey, completely ignoring whether I lived or died. Eventually, I was tortured to death from prolonged lack of water and food. After my death, I watched helplessly as Aubrey took the acceptance letter that should have been mine, got together with Lionel, and enjoyed the life that should have been mine. Only then did I finally understand—the water Ella gave me that day was a swap potion, and the beaded bracelet Lionel gave me was a luck transfer charm. My scores, my health—they had all conspired to transfer everything to Aubrey. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day we checked our scores. Looking at Ella and Lionel with their hypocritical faces, I remained expressionless, smiled as I accepted what they handed me, then turned and gave everything to Ryder. Poor grades plus AIDS—double debuff maxed out. They love swapping so much? This time, I’ll let them swap to their heart’s content!

After handing everything to Ryder, confirming he drank the water, and watching him smugly put on the bracelet, I finally felt at ease leaving the house. I bought a bottle of real water and an ordinary bracelet similar to the beaded one Lionel had given me, then returned home. Seeing me wearing the bracelet with the water bottle half-empty in my hand, Ella and Lionel visibly relaxed. A few days passed, and Aubrey truly seemed like a different person. Her previous sickly appearance had completely vanished, replaced by a rosy glow on her face. Even her steps were much lighter, and she radiated unprecedented vitality. I huddled in the corner of the sofa, pretending to cover my mouth and cough a couple of times. Seeing this, Aubrey immediately swayed over to me, her face full of smugness and mockery. “Anna, feeling unwell again? You look so pale—don’t tell me you’ve got some serious illness? How pitiful.” She then flaunted the diagnosis report in her hand. “Oh, by the way, you probably don’t know yet—I went to the hospital today, and the doctor said I’m completely recovered. Tell me, isn’t that fate? Looks like all your good fortune has transferred to me.” Watching her gloating expression, hatred surged within me. But I still suppressed my anger and forced a smile. “Congratulations, Aubrey. Though you know, good fortune has a way of… going back where it came from.” Ella, who had just walked in and heard about Aubrey’s recovery, immediately broke into a brilliant smile. She grabbed Aubrey’s hand, her eyes full of affection. “My precious daughter, your illness is finally gone!” she said excitedly, her eyes even welling up with tears. When she turned to look at me, her expression instantly turned cold, her tone filled with disgust. “Some people are always sickly and pathetic—nothing but a burden!” Hearing those words, my eyes couldn’t help but redden. In my previous life, this was exactly how Ella treated me. She would either hit or scold me, and after I got sick, she became even worse, wishing I would drop dead right in front of her. Yet I was her biological daughter, while Aubrey was merely her adopted one. Soon, the day came to apply for schools. Aubrey seemed so confident that she had successfully switched our grades that she didn’t even bother checking her scores before starting her applications. I coughed violently a few times, then asked with feigned curiosity, “Aren’t you going to check what score you actually got?” She responded impatiently, “Mind your own business. I know what I got. As for you, what’s the point of high scores anyway? With your poor health, you’ll die of illness sooner or later. When that happens, won’t it all benefit me in the end?” She spoke smugly, her face twisted with perverse pleasure. Looking at her disgusting expression, I felt a wave of intense nausea. I said, “Oh really? Well, you’d better be careful that all that good fortune doesn’t crush you.” My words made her face flush with anger, and she was about to retort when Lionel pushed the door open and walked in. “Lionel!” The moment she saw him, Aubrey immediately threw herself at him, her voice sickeningly sweet. “Anna’s coughing so badly—I’m afraid her illness might be contagious.” She deliberately snuggled closer into his arms. Lionel steadied her and frowned at me, his tone as gentle as always. “Anna, if you’re not feeling well, go rest in your room. Don’t push yourself.” In my previous life, I was fooled by his gentle facade, thinking he truly cared for me. Only after death did I realize he had been secretly conspiring with Aubrey all along. In the end, they even plotted together to take my life! Now that I’ve been given a second chance, I swear I’ll make them pay the price they deserve!

At this thought, I let out a soft laugh, a flash of sarcasm crossing my eyes. “I just coughed a few times—what’s there to be afraid of? “But Lionel, you’d better be careful. If you catch something else because of your lifestyle choices, that would really be a loss.” Lionel’s expression shifted slightly. He couldn’t grasp the deeper meaning in my words and assumed I was just being jealous, making snide remarks. Though annoyed, he maintained his composure and said quietly, “Anna, don’t overthink things. I’m just worried about you.” I didn’t want to hear any more of his nonsense, so I cut him off. “College applications are due in the next couple of days. Have you guys decided which schools you’re applying to?” Aubrey’s eyes gleamed with smugness as she said coquettishly, “Of course. I’m applying to New York University. “I want to go to college with you—after all, only a place like that is worthy of me.” “As for certain losers,” she shot me a sideways glance and snorted, “even if she applies to the best schools, it won’t matter. She probably won’t even get into a regular college.” I gently traced the ordinary bracelet on my wrist, the corners of my mouth lifting in a serene smile. “New York University?” I said. “That’s certainly a good choice. “But Aubrey, are you sure you’ll get accepted? NYU’s admission standards are pretty high.” Aubrey’s face darkened, and she was about to explode when Ella suddenly interrupted, “Don’t spout nonsense. Aubrey has recovered, and she did great on the exams. She’ll definitely get into New York University. “You’re not fit to be mentioned in the same breath as her! Get lost—I can’t stand looking at you!” Without waiting for my response, she pulled Aubrey to her side, saying with concern, “Aubrey, don’t pay attention to her. Once you get into a good college, I’ll throw you a celebration party. When that acceptance letter arrives, let’s see what she has to say then.” I stood to the side, listening quietly, a wave of desolation washing over my heart. In my previous life, Ella had acted exactly like this. Once she successfully switched our scores, she couldn’t wait to show off Aubrey’s grades, completely disregarding whether I lived or died. I pretended to nod obediently and returned to my room. Over the next few days, I continued to put on a sickly appearance on the surface while secretly keeping close tabs on their movements. Sure enough, Aubrey really did apply to New York University. That very day, Ella began organizing a celebration party for Aubrey, spending an entire day just calling to invite friends and relatives. She even dipped into her personal savings to buy Aubrey a dress worth over ten thousand dollars. Learning that Aubrey had gotten into a prestigious school, relatives flocked over to congratulate her. My second aunt, Violet Barnes, sidled up to Ella, eyes full of envy. “Ella, you’re so blessed! Aubrey is so capable—getting into New York University!” Ella beamed with joy, nodding enthusiastically. “Aubrey really is amazing!” My third aunt, Mary Barnes, went so far as to directly hand Aubrey a gift. Aubrey smiled sweetly, graciously accepting all the gifts and flattery. Amid all the praise, I received a text from my good friend Paige Lynch. [Anna, Ryder seems to be sick. I saw him coughing up blood yesterday.] I gripped my phone tightly, my gaze sweeping over the smug Aubrey and Ella, a cold smile playing at my lips. Compared to my previous life, Ryder’s condition had manifested a full week earlier. It seemed the backlash from the bead bracelet was already accelerating. Now I couldn’t wait to see what expressions Ella and Lionel would wear when they discovered that the health and test scores they had schemed so hard to steal would ultimately amount to nothing. As the celebration party drew closer each day, I intensified my act of being sick. I coughed violently every day, as if I were about to hack up my internal organs. I walked with an unsteady gait, applied special makeup to create a sickly complexion, and looked utterly frail and weak. Whenever I put on this performance, Aubrey and Lionel would show expressions of disgust, as if I were something filthy. Ella, in particular, would constantly mock me with cold sarcasm, calling me a burden and a sickly weakling. Finally, under my carefully orchestrated performance, the celebration party proceeded as scheduled. The party was held at the largest hotel in town, with a luxurious and grand setting. A huge backdrop read: Congratulations to Aubrey Barnes on her acceptance to New York University. Ella wore an elegant dress, linking arms with Aubrey and beaming with joy. Lionel stood nearby, his gaze frequently falling on Aubrey with tender eyes. Meanwhile, I stood in the corner dressed plainly with a pale complexion, like an outsider. Guests arrived one after another, offering their congratulations to Aubrey. Aubrey basked in everyone’s compliments, her face glowing with smug satisfaction. Just then, the mail carrier delivering acceptance letters arrived. “Aubrey, quick! Your acceptance letter is here!” Ella excitedly nudged Aubrey. Aubrey’s face lit up with joy as she hurried forward. The guests all raised their phones, ready to capture this joyful moment. The next second, the mail carrier called out loudly: “Is Anna Barnes here? Please sign for your New York University acceptance letter!” The air instantly froze. Aubrey’s smile froze on her face, and Ella’s complexion turned deathly pale. Lionel also looked at me in disbelief, his hand that had been supporting Aubrey recoiling as if he’d been electrocuted. All the raised phones hung suspended in mid-air, and the crowd fell into stunned silence. From the corner, under the gaze of hundreds of eyes, I slowly stood up, walked forward, took the envelope, and said clearly: “Thank you, I’m Anna.” “No! That’s mine!” Aubrey suddenly snapped back to reality, screaming as she rushed over, trying to snatch the acceptance letter from my hands. Ella also glared with furious eyes, shouting sternly: “Anna, what are you making a fuss about? Give the acceptance letter back to Aubrey right now!” I chuckled softly, gripping the acceptance letter firmly in my hands, and spoke slowly: “Mom, you’ve got it wrong. This has my name written on it.” Someone whispered: “Could it be that both Anna and Aubrey got into New York University?” But the next second, the mail carrier denied this: “Impossible. New York University is very hard to get into. Only one person from this entire area was accepted.” With these words, everyone present showed curious expressions, their gazes turning in unison toward Ella and Aubrey. Aubrey still refused to believe it, trembling as she opened the score-checking website. When she saw the score displayed on the screen, she instantly froze. She mumbled: “Impossible! Where’s my score? My health has recovered, so my score should also be…” Violet sneered: “I knew it! Aubrey’s grades have always been terrible. There’s no way she could get into New York University!” Mary loudly chimed in: “She acted like it was real! Turns out she only scored that little!” The scene immediately erupted in whispered conversations. Ryder, who had been eating fruit by the buffet table, seemed to find this interesting and craned his neck to join the commotion. Aubrey’s gaze inadvertently swept over him, and when she saw the beaded bracelet on his wrist, her face instantly became even more ashen. She asked: “Ryder, where did you get that bracelet?”

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I’ve returned to Christmas 1980. On this day, my general husband Edward Allan was supposed to return to the army. I lied about being pregnant and had someone rush to the train station to bring Edward back. In my previous life, right after Edward left, Daniel Stewart broke into my room that night. I didn’t want to be violated by him and fought desperately, eventually waking up Edward’s parents, Caleb Allan and Esme Allan, in the next room. But they immediately assumed we were having an affair, stuffed us into sacks, and beat us mercilessly. Caleb cursed: “Daisy, how long has Edward been gone to the army? You shameless woman can’t even wait and are already having an affair with someone.” Daisy Smith is my real name. Esme cursed: “I’m going to beat you two adulterers to death.” Covered in blood, I sat on the ground begging for mercy, insisting I was innocent. But to escape responsibility, Daniel insisted that I had seduced him. Even Edward, who received the news, refused to believe me. To kill me, he rushed back overnight. Edward cursed: “You whore, I’m going to kill you right now so you can’t seduce any other men.” In the end, I was drowned alive in the river, while Daniel was also sentenced to prison for adultery. Only after my death did I learn that Edward and his family had long set their sights on the village chief Jacob Hunter’s daughter, which is why they conspired to frame me and used me to eliminate the Allan family’s creditor, Daniel. In this new life, I smiled as I looked at Edward sleeping soundly under the covers. ***** “Stop sitting around daydreaming all day without doing any work. Esme is cooking, so hurry up and help her.” Caleb urged me with a tone of disgust. I looked up in confusion, glancing around. Seeing this familiar room, the cabinets, and the calendar on the wall showing Christmas 1980, I immediately realized I had been reborn. I rolled my eyes at Caleb, then lifted the curtain and walked toward the kitchen. As soon as I reached the doorway, I heard Esme and Edward’s sister Mia Allan whispering quietly. Mia said: “Mom, Edward has already taken his luggage and left for the train station. Daniel will come tonight. As long as this goes smoothly, we can not only get rid of that barren woman but also develop a marriage alliance with Jacob’s family, and we can kill Daniel under legitimate pretenses. This way, my creditor will be gone too. We can achieve three goals with one action.” Seeing Mia’s confident expression, Esme also revealed a sinister smile. She said: “Daisy takes up the position without doing what she should. Now that Edward has become a general, she’s even less worthy of him. We should get rid of her early with that old bachelor, then find Edward a woman with better connections.” Standing outside the courtyard, I shook my head, thinking: “She’s truly vicious.” Hearing them mention Daniel, I recalled my previous life’s ordeal and clutched my chest, feeling a sharp pain. In my previous life, Edward had just returned to the army, and I was exhausted from spending several days with him, so I went to bed early that night. But I never expected that in the middle of the night, Daniel, that old pervert from our village, would enter my bedroom. He was very strong, and I couldn’t resist at all, only able to beg him to spare me. Just as we were struggling, Caleb and Esme burst in. Seeing me and Daniel disheveled, they were furious and immediately stuffed both of us into a sack and beat us severely. They cursed while beating us. Caleb roared: “You shameless whore! I’m going to beat you to death today. Do you think the Allan family is easy to bully?” Esme cursed: “How long has Edward been gone? You shameless woman couldn’t wait and seduced another man, sleeping with him.” I begged through tears, but they just wouldn’t listen or believe me. They immediately sent a telegram to Edward, who had just returned to the army, telling him to come back quickly and divorce me. Under the accusations of Caleb, Esme, and Mia, and with Daniel’s persistent claim that I had seduced him, Edward was convinced I had done wrong and pushed me into the pond to drown. Right after I died, he married Jacob’s daughter. Only then did I realize that this was all a conspiracy by the Allan family against me. Remembering the despair and suffocation of my tragic death in the previous life, I gritted my teeth in hatred. In this life, I won’t let any of them escape punishment. After hearing their conversation, I quickly found a familiar villager and asked him to help me go to the train station to bring Edward back.

As soon as Edward returned from the train station, he pulled me close and asked excitedly, “You’re pregnant? That’s wonderful! The Allan family finally has an heir! I’m about to get promoted too—this is truly a double blessing! “Do my parents know about this? I need to tell them right away.” I quickly grabbed his arm. “Everyone says the first three months of pregnancy are unstable. Let’s wait until my condition stabilizes before telling them. If something goes wrong, wouldn’t we just be getting their hopes up for nothing?” After hearing my words, Edward nodded repeatedly. “You’re very thoughtful. I’ll listen to you.” Just then, I heard movement outside. Looking up, I saw Daniel hiding by the window, angrily spitting on the ground before turning and disappearing into the night. I figured he left in anger because he saw Edward inside the house. Edward was very happy after returning, and I made sure to encourage him to drink. Before long, he was drunk and fast asleep. Looking at Edward sleeping soundly under the covers, I smiled. I had just turned off the lights when I heard commotion in the courtyard. The show was finally about to begin. In less than two minutes, Esme and Caleb burst through the door. As soon as Esme entered, she started shouting at the top of her lungs, as if afraid the neighbors wouldn’t hear: “Daisy, you shameless woman! Edward just returned to the army, and you’re already fooling around with another man! We’re still living in this house—do you think we’re all dead? I’m going to make sure everyone sees what kind of person you really are!” I clutched the blanket, refusing to show my face. Esme jumped onto the bed and started hitting us wildly through the covers. She cursed, “You shameless slut, how dare you betray Edward! Get out from under that blanket right now! I’m going to make sure everyone sees what a disgraceful woman you are!” Seeing that I didn’t dare show my face or make a sound, Esme became even more pleased, thinking her scheme was working. Her shouting grew louder, and she even ran out to the street yelling, “Come quickly! Daisy is fooling around with another man! I’m too ashamed to live!” Soon, neighbors from nearby came rushing over. Esme pinched herself hard, and tears immediately began flowing. She pitifully grabbed the people who had come and said, “What sins has the Allan family committed to end up with such a shameless woman? We’re truly cursed.” Seeing her cry so heartbrokenly, everyone rushed to comfort her. A few people who loved drama even rushed into the bedroom, saw the mess on the floor, and immediately retreated with red faces, embarrassed. A crowd gathered at our front door, sympathizing with Esme. One man said, “I never would have imagined that Daisy, who always seemed so proper, could do something like this.” A woman said, “Esme, Edward has brought such great honor to the Allan family. How could his wife be this kind of woman? He’s truly unlucky.” Mia also stood with her arms crossed, looking like she was enjoying the show. She said mockingly, “Society’s moral standards are getting worse and worse. Daisy, you should at least have some conscience, right? We’ve been so good to you, felt sorry for you as a woman, didn’t make you do the heavy housework, and this is how you repay our kindness—by being so ungrateful. “Edward is the only general within dozens of miles. We haven’t even had a chance to enjoy the good life yet, and we can’t let a woman like you ruin Edward’s future. I need to send Edward a telegram right away and have him come back to divorce you.” Hearing their gossip, Esme became even more furious. She grabbed the carrying pole from the courtyard and charged into the bedroom again, but I had already gotten dressed and was standing by the door. Seeing Esme charging at me angrily, I patted my belly and said, “You want to hit me, right? Go ahead and hit my stomach! I’m carrying the Allan family’s grandson right now—just try hitting me once!” The carrying pole Esme held in mid-air suddenly stopped.

Seeing my confident demeanor, Esme froze. She asked, “You’re not lying to me, are you?” Caleb followed her into the room. He sneered, “Esme, don’t believe a word she says. Even if she really is pregnant, who knows which man’s child she’s carrying?” Hearing this, I said angrily, “What are you talking about? Get out of here right now and stop disturbing Edward’s rest.” As I spoke, I moved to push them out. Hearing my words, Esme became even more confident. She roared, “Bah! You shameless slut. Mia saw Edward drag his suitcase to the car with her own eyes. He left this city long ago. How could he possibly be sleeping at home?” Mia chimed in from the side, “That’s right, I personally saw Edward off to the car. How could he still be home? I could tell long ago that this woman was no good, dressing like a seductress. “Oh, and Mom, I’ve seen her getting cozy with Daniel several times. The man in bed is probably Daniel.” After hearing Mia’s words, Esme tried to push further inside. She said, “Caleb, the person sleeping in that bed must be that Daniel she seduced. We have to stand up for Edward and not let him be betrayed like this. “Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson on Edward’s behalf.” Hearing Esme’s inflammatory words, Caleb flew into a rage, snatched the carrying pole from Esme’s hands, and rushed into the inner room to strike hard at the figure under the covers. I threw myself protectively over Edward, shouting, “Caleb, stop hitting him! He’s…” Before I could finish, Caleb angrily interrupted, “I don’t care who he is, no one can betray Edward!” On the surface, I was protecting Edward. But in reality, all my weight and force landed squarely on Edward’s body, and that weight was no lighter than the carrying pole. Because he was drunk, Edward couldn’t wake up immediately and only let out a few pained groans under the heavy blows. Seeing me desperately protecting my “lover,” Esme became even more furious, thinking I was utterly shameless. The more I protected Edward, the harder they hit. The harder they hit, the happier I felt inside. Caleb panted heavily as he struck. He said, “Don’t I know Edward’s voice? That groan just now wasn’t his at all! If you keep lying, I’ll beat you too. “I’m going to beat this bastard to death today. He’s really asking for it.” To make sure everyone outside could hear, I deliberately shouted loudly, “Caleb, Esme, stop this! He really is Edward, your own son! Please stop hitting him, I’m begging you. If this continues, he’ll really be seriously hurt.” Seeing me clutching the covers tightly, refusing to let them pull them back, Esme became even more convinced I was guilty and that there really was someone hidden under the blanket. She reached out to grab my hair, but I was prepared and dodged to the side. Her head smashed directly into the wall, immediately swelling into a large bump. Having missed me, Esme said furiously, “Caleb, quick! Let’s stuff this man into a sack together.” In the dim light, the two of them were so focused on getting the person into the sack that they didn’t bother to look closely at the man’s face under the covers. Edward was thus efficiently stuffed into a sack by his own parents and dragged out to the courtyard. When the onlookers saw the “adulterer” being dragged out, they immediately swarmed around him, beating him savagely. Blood seeped through the sack, staining the courtyard ground red. I threw myself on the sack, crying and shouting loudly. But in reality, I wasn’t using any real force—just putting on a show. I shouted, “Stop hitting him! He really is Edward! If you don’t believe me, you can open the sack and see for yourselves!” I knew the more I protected that sack, the angrier they would become. Sure enough, just beating him wasn’t enough to satisfy them anymore. Caleb grabbed the entire sack and threw it into the courtyard pool. Caleb had incredible strength from years of farm work. He seized the sack and kept pushing it down into the water. He said, “You’re Daniel, right? You can’t control your lower half, so today I’ll let you really enjoy yourself.” Once, twice… Edward inside the sack was soaked by the cold water and slowly regained consciousness. He began twisting his body frantically inside the sack, trying to break free. Edward shouted Caleb and Esme’s names loudly, but his hoarse, alcohol-roughened voice didn’t get their attention—instead, it made them even angrier. I pretended to pace anxiously by the pool: “Caleb, please spare him. If this continues, he’ll die.” Hearing my words, Caleb suddenly turned vicious. He roared, “I only have one son this accomplished. I must avenge him. I’m going to destroy this man right now.” Caleb went into the house and came out with a knife, then said, “I’ve been a veterinarian my whole life. Today, I won’t castrate cattle—only men.” My face went pale with terror: “Caleb, you can’t do this. No man could bear such a blow. Leave him some dignity.” Esme’s eyes blazed with fury as she cursed, “Have you no shame? You keep pleading for Daniel. He really must have satisfied you in bed.” Then she urged Caleb on: “Hurry up, Caleb. This is what adulterers deserve. If he wants to be a man again, he’ll have to wait for his next life.” With a cruel smile on his face, Caleb walked toward the sack containing Edward without hesitation. I rushed to stop him, then pretended to trip over a stone, and could only keep shouting: “Caleb, I’m begging you, don’t hurt him. You’ll regret this.” Caleb spat a thick glob of phlegm at me: “If I don’t teach him a lesson today, that’s when I’ll regret it.” With that, he aimed at the sack and stabbed down with steady, precise, and vicious force. As he stabbed, he cursed angrily: “You’ll never be able to harm another man’s woman again. I’ll make sure you can never be a man for the rest of your life.” After Caleb stabbed several times, Edward’s struggling inside the sack noticeably weakened. Soon, Edward stopped moving altogether. Watching Edward’s blood splatter everywhere, I sat on the ground, overjoyed inside but wearing deep sorrow on my face, as if I’d lost all strength. Just then, I suddenly spotted Daniel in the crowd. Our eyes met, and he immediately turned to run. I rushed into the crowd and grabbed him: “Why are you running? Do you have a guilty conscience?” Seeing me grab Daniel, Mia asked, “What are you doing here?” Daniel looked at her strangely: “If I’m not here, where should I be?” Esme pointed in confusion at the sack now stained bright red with blood and asked in horror, “Then who’s in that sack?”

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After the plane crash, I refused the last life jacket that my husband Anthony Peterson’s brother Nicholas Peterson, who was the captain, handed to me, and then plummeted straight down from 330 feet. This was because in my previous life, I had accepted the life jacket Nicholas offered me and survived, but Nicholas died tragically in the crash. After Nicholas’s tragic death, I felt extremely guilty. Anthony proposed taking care of Nicholas’s wife Zoey Peterson and their son Jack Peterson, and I was forced to agree due to my guilt. Even my only chance to be promoted to department head at the hospital, I gave up to Zoey at Anthony’s request. Until my seventieth Christmas, I actually saw Nicholas, who was supposed to be dead, appear before me. He said to Anthony: “Anthony, thank goodness you came up with this fake death plan back then. Otherwise, after the plane crash, as the captain who caused the death of a whole plane full of people because of drinking, I would definitely face serious consequences and spend my whole life in prison. “It’s just that we’ve wronged Cora. She’s been deceived by us her entire life.” Cora Kelly is my real name. After hearing Nicholas’s words, I, who had endured everything my whole life, was so angry that I coughed up blood. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the plane crash. Nicholas said: “Cora, this is the last life jacket on the plane. Put it on quickly.” Looking at the life jacket Nicholas handed me, I felt terrified. Seeing that I didn’t take it, he showed an anxious expression. Then he urged again: “Cora, the plane is about to crash. Put on the life jacket quickly. “If something happens to you, how am I going to explain this to Anthony?” In my previous life, it was because I accepted his life jacket that I lived my entire life in guilt, and finally died of anger after learning the truth. In this life, I didn’t make the same mistake and firmly refused his offer. After I pushed Nicholas away, the plane plummeted rapidly. Amid screams and piercing wind, the plane crashed into the sea, and I lost consciousness from the tremendous impact. When I woke up again, I was already in a hospital room, wrapped in bandages all over my body, with only one arm able to move. Only then did I realize I had broken many bones, but fortunately, I had survived. Seeing me awake, Anthony excitedly shouted: “Cora, you’ve been unconscious for three days and nights. You’re finally awake. You nearly scared me to death.” Then, tears poured from his red, swollen eyes as he cried in great sorrow: “But Nicholas wasn’t so lucky. We still haven’t found any trace of him. I guess he must be dead.” I was stunned, thinking: “Nicholas is dead? I clearly didn’t accept his life jacket. How could he die in this life?” However, whether he was dead or alive this time, his family couldn’t blame me anymore, and I wouldn’t have to feel guilty about this for decades. Just as I was thinking this, I saw Anthony suddenly sit by my hospital bed, crying as he said: “Cora, Nicholas probably won’t be coming back this time. “But Zoey is so young to lose her husband, and she still has to raise two-year-old Jack. “So, Cora, considering that Nicholas gave you the last life jacket during the plane crash, please let Zoey bring Jack to live with us from now on.” I was stunned for a moment and raised an eyebrow. I asked: “How do you know about him giving me the life jacket on the plane?” In my previous life, Anthony used my guilt to force me to give in again and again. Hearing my words, Anthony froze for a moment, his expression becoming somewhat unnatural as he hesitantly said: “I heard it from the surviving passengers on the plane. “Besides, I know Nicholas very well. In a life-or-death situation, he definitely wouldn’t abandon you. “So we can’t abandon them either. Right?”

We’ve been married for eight years, so I saw right through his lie, but I didn’t call him out on it. Thinking about my tragic past life, I let out a bitter laugh. Anthony thought I was unwilling, and his expression darkened. He said with displeasure, “Cora, don’t you have any conscience? Even though Nicholas’s death isn’t directly related to you, considering he gave you his last life jacket, you shouldn’t be so heartless.” I laughed until tears came, then looked at him coldly. I said, “Anthony, Nicholas’s body still hasn’t been found. How can you be so certain he’s already dead? “You’re so eager to declare him dead—are you trying to fake his death so he can escape responsibility for the dozens of lives lost in that plane crash caused by his drinking?” The moment I finished speaking, I felt a sharp pain across my face. Anthony stood up and slapped me hard. He cursed viciously, “Cora, what are you talking about? Nicholas is the pilot. How could he possibly drink? If you dare spout such nonsense again, I’ll teach you a lesson.” I bit my lower lip hard and endured it. If it weren’t for my multiple fractures preventing me from moving, I would have fought back already. I coughed and cleared my throat, then said gently, “Anthony, it’s not that I don’t want to help Zoey, but Nicholas’s body hasn’t been found yet. We need to give Zoey an explanation. “Nicholas is very lucky. I have a feeling he’s still alive.” Anthony’s whole body stiffened, and he unconsciously clenched his fists. He said, “Cora, three days have passed, and we haven’t heard anything about Nicholas. He must be dead. “While you were unconscious, Zoey and I already discussed it. We’ve decided to go to his company tomorrow to process the death certificate. “From now on, I’ll have Zoey and Jack move into our house. We’re going to…” I urgently interrupted him, “Anthony, what do you mean? How can you give up searching for Nicholas so easily? He’s your own brother. “Don’t worry. I have several friends who work in professional search and rescue teams. I’ll have them search for Nicholas with everything they’ve got. “Besides, we must report this to the police and find some influential social media bloggers to help. The more people involved, the better our chances of finding him.” Anthony’s expression kept changing. Then he said with some difficulty, “Cora, this is also Zoey’s opinion. Since she doesn’t want to keep looking for Nicholas, there’s no need for us to waste more manpower and resources, right?” I gently grasped Anthony’s hand with my only movable hand. Then, with red-rimmed eyes, I choked out, “Anthony, you’ve always cared about Nicholas the most. Don’t you hope he’s still alive?” “Of course not. I just…” He became anxious and pulled his hand back, trying to explain. I pretended to comfort him with concern, “Anthony, let’s not rush to conclusions. Let’s wait until the search team and police give us their results, okay? “After all, Nicholas is the pilot. To avoid unnecessary controversy, the airline won’t be so quick to declare him dead.” Hearing this, Anthony had no choice but to agree. He said, “Fine. But we absolutely cannot report this to the police, and we can’t contact social media bloggers either. “We don’t need to find a search team either. That would be too troublesome. Let’s just wait for the police to give us their final search results.”

After Anthony stayed with me in the hospital room until my IV drip was finished, he left. In this life, I didn’t immediately agree to let Zoey and Jack move into our house like I had in my previous life. I knew Anthony must have gone to notify Nicholas and discuss countermeasures with his family. After he left, I made two phone calls. Regarding Nicholas’s situation, I wasn’t just going to call the police—I was also going to contact social media influencers with large followings to help increase exposure. As soon as those influencers posted their videos, the story became a hot local topic. Nicholas’s act of giving his life jacket to a passenger as a pilot during a critical moment quickly gained significant attention. Actually, finding Nicholas wouldn’t take three days—three hours would be enough. Before I died in my previous life, I already knew where he was hiding. In this life, he was definitely still hiding in the same place. Upon receiving the news, Anthony rushed back to the hospital. However, as soon as he walked in, he angrily accused me: “Cora, can’t you understand what people are saying? Who told you to take it upon yourself to contact social media influencers? Your thinking is truly malicious—you’re deliberately trying to get Nicholas killed.” His chest heaved with anger, and his entire body trembled with rage. I felt immensely satisfied inside, but I didn’t show it on my face. I pretended not to understand and asked: “Anthony, what are you talking about? I did this to get more people to join the search for Nicholas. I had good intentions. Why do I get the feeling you’re particularly afraid of Nicholas being found? Do you want Zoey to lose her husband and their child to lose his father? Or do you have inappropriate feelings for Zoey and want to use this opportunity to actually take care of both of us women at the same time?” Anthony’s face turned terrible, and in extreme anger, he cursed: “Cora, if you keep talking nonsense, believe it or not, I’ll really divorce you!” For the past eight years, whenever he got angry, he would threaten divorce to force me to apologize and submit to him. But this time I wouldn’t compromise anymore—I already planned to divorce him anyway. I dropped the expression from my face and looked at him calmly, saying: “Fine, then let’s get divorced.” Anthony hadn’t expected me to say that. He opened his mouth in surprise, staring at me in disbelief. Before he could say anything, my phone rang. I answered with one hand and put it on speaker. The person on the other end said: “Ms. Kelly, I have good news for you. We’ve located Mr. Peterson. We’re about to go find him right now.” I replied: “That’s wonderful news. I’ll have our family members meet up with you right away.” After hanging up, I sent the location to Anthony. I said: “What are you standing there for? Are you so happy you’re stunned? Hurry up and go bring Nicholas back.” Anthony’s face darkened, and he pressed his lips tightly together. Without saying a word, he turned and left anxiously. I sneered inwardly. He was so rushed because he had to reach Nicholas’s hiding place before the search and rescue team. Sure enough, when Anthony returned to the hospital that evening, he looked heavy-hearted and said sadly: “We found Nicholas, but he’s already…” He shed a few tears at just the right moment, his eyes reddening as he continued: “Cora, I won’t be able to stay at the hospital with you for the next few days. I’ve already hired a caregiver for you. I’m going back to our hometown first thing tomorrow morning to bury Nicholas.” I frowned and forced a trace of sadness into my expression, saying: “But our country now advocates cremation. Especially for families like yours with public positions—how can you set an example by doing something that goes against the country’s wishes?” However, Anthony insisted on burial, saying it was the hometown custom. Anthony said: “Cora, as long as no one reports it, we won’t have any problems. Besides, would anyone really deliberately cause trouble for a dead person? No one could do something so shameless.” Anthony set out before dawn the next day. But before he could bury Nicholas, the police arrived. He had no choice but to angrily drag the death-faking Nicholas to the funeral home. On the day of cremation, I insisted on being there to see Nicholas one last time. Anthony wouldn’t let me come along, saying sternly, “Cora, you’re still hospitalized. Why do you have to go? Even if you want to make a scene, there’s a time and place for everything.” Just like in my previous life, I used the same moral argument to constrain Anthony. I said, “Nicholas gave me his life jacket at that critical moment between life and death. Can’t I at least see him one last time?” Anthony was left speechless and had to agree. In the funeral home lobby, all the Peterson family members had gathered. They exchanged glances with each other, then Anthony tried to send me back. Anthony said, “Cora, Nicholas has already felt your sentiment. You’re still injured, so you should head back early.” I frowned, unhappy, and said, “How can that be? I haven’t seen Nicholas one last time yet. Which refrigerated casket is he in now?” As soon as I finished speaking, Anthony’s expression changed. He said, “I told you he’s already received your sentiment. You need to get back to the hospital right now. Once I get busy, I won’t have time to look after a patient like you.” I got anxious too and said loudly, “Anthony, what do you mean by that? Why are you stopping me from seeing Nicholas one last time? Don’t tell me he’s not even in a refrigerated casket? Are you still planning to secretly transport him away for a burial?” People around us all looked over, and even the funeral home staff heard the commotion. Anthony stared at me with fierce eyes, and after a while, he said coldly, “Fine, I’ll take you to see him.” He waited for quite a while, and only after receiving a phone call did he wheel me to the innermost refrigerated casket. Looking at Nicholas in the casket with his lips frozen purple, I almost burst out laughing. Anthony said, “Cora, now that you’ve seen him, can we go?” I nodded, and Anthony couldn’t wait to get me out of there. At that moment, several police officers walked over and stood in front of the Peterson family members, saying, “We received a report that someone was planning to secretly remove a body. So please cooperate with our work and complete the cremation process properly under our supervision.” Anthony’s face went pale, and he hurriedly pulled out his phone to call someone. But it was already too late. Before he could finish his call, I saw the display board showing that Nicholas was next to be cremated. The Peterson family members standing in the glass observation area were all extremely anxious, and Anthony was so frantic he wanted to rush in directly. He shouted, “Wait! You can’t cremate him.” But there was no time left. The next second, Nicholas was pushed into the cremation furnace. At the same time, a scene appeared in the cremation furnace that shocked everyone present.

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My boyfriend and his so-called “sister” checked into a hotel and got caught during a prostitution sting operation. When I went to bail him out, he had hickeys all over his neck and was busy comforting her while she sobbed into her hands. “Her apartment’s lock broke, and she was so scared, so I stayed with her,” he said. If this had been before, I would’ve flipped out and demanded answers. But this time, I didn’t want to play the jealous, crazy girlfriend anymore. I calmly signed the release papers and didn’t say a word. My friend from the operation team asked, “Family?” I shook my head. “Just neighbors.” Then I looked down and texted my mom. [That arranged marriage you mentioned? Fine, I’ll do it. Give me three days, and I’ll come home.] —— When we left the station, Gwyneth Averill, still sniffling, climbed into the passenger seat of my car. I didn’t feel like arguing, so I started the car. Just as I put my hand on the wheel, she grabbed my arm. Except, she wasn’t looking at me. She turned to my boyfriend Gerard Morgenthal instead. “I’m scared. I don’t like riding in someone else’s car,” she said, her eyes filled with tears, her nose red. She looked like the very definition of helpless. I pulled her hand off me. “Then get out.” The air in the car instantly froze until Gwyneth’s tears spilled over, and she started crying. From the backseat, Gerard’s voice came sharp. “Yvaine, do you always have to be so harsh? You know she’s traumatized because of her brother’s situation. Can’t you just be a little considerate?” he snapped. “Get out. I’ll drive.” Before I could respond, he got out, yanked open my door so hard that it rattled, and let the freezing wind rush in. I shivered but didn’t move, just sat there and stared at him. The always-calm Gerard was suddenly rough and impatient. He actually unbuckled my seatbelt and dragged me out of the car. I stumbled, nearly falling to my knees, but managed to catch myself. Without looking at me, he slid into the driver’s seat and leaned over to gently touch Gwyneth’s hair. “Hush now. I’ll take you home first.” “Oh, Gerard, you’re so good to me!” Gwyneth said, throwing me a smug little look. Before he drove off, Gerard left me with one sentence. “You’re an adult. Figure out your own way home. I’ll be back after I drop her off.” I stood there, frozen, as their car sped away. Before they turned the corner, I saw that bitch lean over and kiss his cheek. Just then, my phone buzzed, and I picked it up with my fingers still stiff. “Sweetheart, did you see Glenn’s photo?” Glenn London—the guy my mom wanted me to marry. Tall and good-looking. On the other end, my mom sounded relieved. “Oh, sweetheart, you’re finally growing up. Your dad’s getting old. Over the years, he’s been furious about you running away from home. It’s good that you’re coming back.” I looked up at the insects buzzing around the streetlight, my thoughts scattered. I ran away all those years ago because I didn’t want this kind of life. Then I met Gerard, and for a while, I thought I’d hit the jackpot. Seven years. I stood by him through everything from nothing to something. But every time I brought up the future, he’d just say, “It’s too soon.” I had quietly terminated my pregnancies because of that. More than once. I was so naive, thinking his love alone would be enough. But now, I can’t take it anymore. In the end, I took a cab home. Gerard must’ve felt guilty because he came home not long after. He walked in just as I was packing my things. Clothes were out of my wardrobe—most of them stuffed into bags already. “Why are you packing your clothes?” he asked, looking uncertain. “Decluttering,” I said flatly, hoping he’d just take a shower. The cloying scent of perfume on him made me feel nauseous. He hesitated for a moment, not sensing anything amiss, and continued talking to himself.   “Well, losing it might not be the worst thing. When we get married, we can just buy another one. Or maybe even upgrade to a bigger place. What do you think?” Gerard sounded like he was seriously picturing our future. He kept sneaking glances at me, watching for a reaction. I noticed, of course, but I pretended I didn’t. Normally, I’d be over the moon—probably crying happy tears. But now? I didn’t feel like shedding even a single tear for him. My coldness killed his vibe. He could tell I was upset, but he wasn’t about to try and fix things. The fact he’d even made an effort tonight was rare enough. When he went to shower, his phone started buzzing nonstop. The noise was driving me crazy, so I picked it up and glanced at the screen. Gwyneth had sent him a bunch of photos—wedding photos of the two of them. Some in classic outfits, some in modern style. My chest tightened, the pain dull but heavy. So, this is how it was. His impatience was reserved just for me. I thought back to the time I’d excitedly dragged him to look at wedding outfits with me. But he bailed on me every single time. “It’s all the same. Just pick something,” he’d said. That frown of his is still burned into my memory. His impatience with me? That was real. And the tenderness in those dozens of photos? That was real, too. “What the hell are you doing?” Suddenly, steam rolled in as Gerard stormed out of the bathroom, snatching the phone out of my hand. He yanked it so hard that I fell onto the bed. “Do you not understand the concept of privacy?” His face was flushed from the hot shower, but his voice was ice cold, sending a chill down my spine.

I glanced down at my hand. His grip had left a scratch, and now it was bleeding. Honestly, even if he hadn’t caught me, I wouldn’t have scrolled any further. I’d already seen it all before—the thousands of flirty messages. I’d read them all one sleepless night, from midnight to sunrise. By the time I was done, my eyes were swollen, but I still had to fake being fine, pretending I’d just woken up. Who would’ve guessed? Seven years of being together, and our conversations were always just me—nagging, pleading, trying to spark something. Once in a while, if he was in the mood, he’d toss me an emoji as a reply. I was nothing but a clown. “Sorry,” I muttered, lowering my eyes. “I won’t touch your phone again.” He froze, caught off guard by my reaction. “Those photos… Gwyneth said trying on wedding dresses is exhausting, so I… I just helped her try some on. That’s all,” he stammered. “You know her brother passed away. I was just doing this for him. Don’t get the wrong idea.” I stayed quiet, letting him stumble through his pathetic excuses. Kurt, Gwyneth’s brother, had been Gerard’s friend. Back when Gerard was struggling to get his business off the ground, Kurt rushed to deliver a flashdrive to him but ended up in a car accident. He was rushed to the ER but didn’t make it. Before he died, he made Gerard promise to look after his sister. And Gerard kept that promise. He took care of her really well. What started as a distant concern turned into him involving himself in every little detail of her life. I sniffled. There were only a few days left before I left for good. I didn’t see the point in holding anything back anymore. “Don’t worry about me getting the wrong idea,” I said softly. “Honestly, if you and Gwyneth got married, I think it’d be a good match…” Before I could finish, his hand struck my face, the slap ringing out sharp and clear. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he yelled. “Gwyneth only sees me as her brother! Do you think she’s as cheap as you?” The sting on my cheek burned hot like fire. Yeah, Gwyneth isn’t like me. She didn’t throw herself at him like some cheap fling. Tears welled up in my eyes, but before they could fall, I caught the flicker of panic on his face. His tone softened. “I… I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry.” For a moment, I wanted to tell him everything. “Gerard, I’m getting…” But his ringtone cut me off. He answered, and a woman’s voice echoed through the cold quiet bedroom. “G-Gerard! I had a nightmare! I dreamed about my brother… I’m… I’m so scared…”   “Hey, hey, it’s okay. I’m on my way now.” Gerard’s voice was anxious as he threw on some clothes he could find, ready to leave. Just as he reached the door, he paused like he’d remembered something. “What were you about to say earlier?” But I’d already tucked my emotions away. “Nothing. We’ll talk when you’re back.” The next morning, I woke up to an empty bed, his side untouched. With just a few days left before I was planning to leave, I went ahead and quit my job. Most of the clothes I packed last night were meant for donation anyway. I carried the bags outside to meet the delivery guy, but the noise across the hall stopped me in my tracks. The place was buzzing with workers hauling in brand-new furniture. Even in the crowd, my eyes landed on Gerard instantly. He had his arm around Gwyneth’s shoulder, directing the workers as they arranged the furniture. That attention to detail? Classic Gerard. When we moved in together, he did the same—took time off work to oversee everything personally. “Home should feel just right,” he’d said back then. But now, the home we shared barely had any trace of him left.

“Miss? Hey, Miss? Your shipping code?” The delivery guy’s voice snapped me out of it. The noise must’ve caught their attention too because before I knew it, as soon as the delivery guy left, Gwyneth came bouncing out. “Hey,” she began. “I’ve been having too many nightmares, so Gerard bought this place for me. We’re neighbors now!” She leaned in close, playing up the wide-eyed, innocent act. Her exaggerated blinking was almost comical. But I couldn’t bring myself to like her, no matter how hard I tried. I turned to leave, but before I could get far, she suddenly stumbled backward, as if some invisible force had shoved her. She crashed into a worker moving a cabinet and hit the edge with her lower back. “Ahhh!” Her cry of pain was laced with tears, and Gerard came rushing out at the sound. He immediately pulled her up, his hands gently massaging the spot where she’d hit. Concern poured out of him in waves. “Yvaine, can you stop acting like a jealous little girl?” His disbelief stung almost as much as his words. Gwyneth looked pale and started waving her hands weakly. “Gerard, don’t… don’t be mad at her. This… This is my fault,” she said. “I shouldn’t have moved in and caused trouble. I’m just… not supposed to be here.” “Don’t say that,” Gerard replied. “You’re my sister!” A headache pounded at my temples. Watching their little “family bond” unfold for the hundredth time was nauseating. Before I could close my door, Gerard blocked it with his hand. “Yvaine, apologize to Gwyneth!” I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Why the hell should I apologize for something I didn’t do?” “You’ve done worse plenty of times!” he shot back. I let out a bitter laugh. He always believed what he wanted to believe. Gwyneth, meanwhile, shook her head like a martyr. “Please don’t fight because of me. I’m sorry—it’s my fault I didn’t stand properly…” Gerard held her hand and glared at me like I was the villain. “I can’t believe I never saw you for what you are,” he said. “So petty, so vicious—you can’t tolerate even the smallest things.” His words cut deeper like a knife than I’d like to admit. But I still didn’t apologize. Gwyneth kept whining about the pain, so Gerard scooped her up and carried her downstairs. Watching his back as he walked away, I suddenly remembered I had to visit the hospital myself. My sleep had been a mess for ages. I couldn’t even pinpoint when the insomnia started. After going through bottles of melatonin, I finally decided to get some actual help. The hospital wasn’t too crowded today, and I got my prescription quickly. But on my way out, I saw them again. It wasn’t surprising, really—this was the closest hospital to our place. Gwyneth was in Gerard’s arms, cradled like a princess, while he carried her meds in one hand. People couldn’t help but stare as they passed, envy written all over their faces. “Look at her boyfriend,” I heard a pregnant woman say, elbowing her own man.   Gwyneth looked shy, but Gerard didn’t seem to care. We bumped into each other right at the elevator. I didn’t say much, but Gwyneth started fidgeting in his arms. Her face was bright red. “Gerard, put me down already.” Gerard frowned. “You’re hurt. Stop moving.” Then, out of nowhere, he turned to me. “What are you doing here? Are you sick?” I held up the bottle of medicine in my hand. “Just some insomnia.” He paused like he was thinking. “I’ll have my assistant pick up some lavender. Put it in the bedroom; it might help.” He was about to say something else, but the girl in his arms cut him off. Gwyneth let out a soft whimper like a kitten. The elevator kept going down—until suddenly, there was a loud bang, and it came to a dead stop. The lights went out. In the pitch black, I crouched down. My whole body started shaking. I’m terrified of the dark. Gerard didn’t forget. He called out to me. “Yvaine? Yvaine, are you okay?” I choked out a shaky reply. “M-Mm-mm.” “Gwyneth, get down for a second,” he said. “Yvaine’s scared of the dark…” But Gwyneth started sniffling softly in the corner. “But I’m scared too, Gerard! Don’t let me down…” Gerard didn’t say anything to me after that. His attention was all on her, soothing her in that gentle voice of his. Meanwhile, my palms were clammy, and my body wouldn’t stop shaking. This wasn’t the first time. Years ago, Gerard and I had been stuck in an elevator together. The lights had gone out, and we were stuck between floors. I was so scared I couldn’t even cry, just shook and broke into a cold sweat. Back then, Gerard had held me. He’s a neat freak and hates any kind of mess, but that day, he hugged me so gently. No complaints, no disgust. Just like how he was now—comforting Gwyneth. “G-Gerard…” I whispered. The darkness made me feel fragile; tears slipped down my cheeks. I found myself craving the warmth of his arms again. But then he shattered that small, stupid hope. He replied, “Gwyneth’s hurt…” I didn’t say another word. Just buried my head in my arms and stayed quiet. After what felt like forever, the lights flickered back on, and the elevator started moving again. As soon as we hit the first floor, I staggered to my feet and rushed out. When I got home, I was still in a state of shock. Mom had sent me pictures of wedding dresses to pick from, but I couldn’t focus on them. I just sat there, quietly watching the clock tick. I don’t know how long it was before Gerard came back. He walked in with a bouquet of lavender and a bag of takeout. I opened it. A container of lobster bisque. Gerard had forgotten I was allergic to shellfish. He didn’t even notice. He just muttered an apology. “You haven’t eaten yet, right? Eat this while it’s hot.” I opened the lid and drank every last spoonful. The hives broke out almost instantly, but I didn’t care. “Come back for dinner tomorrow,” I said. “It’s your birthday.” He froze, surprised, but then nodded quickly. I got up and went to take some antihistamines. Making a dish had never been my thing. The only thing I’m halfway decent at making is birthday spaghetti. But tonight, no matter what I did, it kept turning out wrong. I didn’t want to waste it, so I forced myself to eat the failures. I kept an eye on the time. Once Gerard came home and had his birthday dinner, I’d leave. For good this time. But he never showed up. Instead, he called. “Gwyneth burned her fingers while cooking. I need to take her to the hospital,” he said. “You go ahead and eat without me.” His lies have always been terrible. My main Facebook account couldn’t see his updates anymore. But my alternate account? It showed everything—a photo of him and Gwyneth standing by a cake, streamers floating in the background and frozen mid-air, and two of them smiling and holding hands. “Hello? Hello?” Gerard’s voice brought me back. He was still on the phone. I just let out a slow, shaky breath. “It’s… It’s okay. No rush.” Then, from my alternate account, I liked his post. I tossed the spaghetti straight into the trash. Gerard doesn’t love me anymore. Letting him go would probably make him happier anyway, so I dragged my suitcase out of the house. On the way, I put together all the evidence of Gwyneth and Gerard’s years of flirting and posted it on my main Facebook account. Plenty of our mutual friends would see it. If I’m leaving, well, I’m not leaving quietly. Before the plane took off, I sent Gerard one last message. [Happy birthday. Goodbye.] I didn’t even bother saying it was over. Seven years of being together with no commitment—there wasn’t much to break up in the first place. Even the abortions didn’t mean anything to him—just collateral damage in his mess of a life. Right before I turned my phone off, the calls started flooding in, and I accidentally picked up one.

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