Rachel Thompson once had a happy family. Her husband, Thomas Wilson, ran a successful restaurant, while Rachel stayed at home as a full-time mom. However, fate had other plans. In May 2005, Thomas, with whom Rachel shared a deep bond, passed away in an accident, leaving her with a 1600-square-foot house and a 3-year-old daughter. At 28, Rachel felt her world crumbling, but for her daughter’s sake, she had to be strong.
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One morning, Rachel took her daughter Lily to the supermarket. While storing her bag in a locker, she turned around to find Lily gone. Panic-stricken, Rachel searched the entire store but couldn’t find her little girl. She was terrified, having already been pushed to the brink by her husband’s death. The thought of losing her daughter was unbearable. Just as despair was setting in, Rachel ran out of the supermarket and saw Lily standing not far away. The little girl was contentedly eating a lollipop, her other hand firmly held by a young man in his mid-twenties.
Rachel rushed over, hugging Lily tightly while profusely thanking the young man. He sheepishly scratched his head and explained that he had found Lily alone on the street, guessing she had gotten separated from her mother. Fearing for the child’s safety, he had waited with her, believing her mother would come looking. He advised Rachel to be more careful, warning about the dangers children could face. Rachel agreed, insisting on treating him to a meal as a thank you.
During their conversation, Rachel learned that the young man’s name was Jake Collins. He came from a rural background, with parents who were farmers. After finishing middle school, he had moved to the city to make a living, starting as a construction worker. Through hard work, he now ran his own construction contracting company.
After the meal, they exchanged SnapChat contacts. Jake often messaged to ask about Lily. Rachel later found out that Jake was three years younger than her and unmarried. His fondness for children and their shared experiences brought them closer.
As they spent more time together, Jake expressed his feelings for Rachel. He admired her independence and capability, sympathized with her struggles, and wanted to help her care for Lily. Rachel, in turn, accepted Jake’s affection.
However, their relationship faced opposition from Jake’s parents in the countryside. They couldn’t understand why their son would choose a woman three years older, especially one with a child. But Jake was determined, willing to cut ties with his parents to marry Rachel, which both surprised and deeply moved her.
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On February 14, 2006, Rachel married Jake, who was three years her junior. Jake’s parents, still strongly opposed to the marriage, didn’t attend the wedding. The newlyweds moved into Rachel’s house. Jake was an excellent stepfather to Lily, often doing more than Rachel herself in caring for the child.
A year later, Rachel gave birth to their son, Kevin. While Kevin’s arrival brought joy, it also increased their financial burden. Rachel, overwhelmed with childcare, temporarily leased out her restaurant, leaving Jake as the sole breadwinner.
Unfortunately, Jake’s company faced a crisis when two employees died in a work accident, resulting in hefty compensation claims. To make matters worse, Rachel developed mild postpartum depression, often lashing out at Jake and the children. Jake had no choice but to ask Rachel’s mother, Linda, for help. With her support, Rachel’s condition gradually improved.
Feeling the weight of financial pressure, Jake desperately sought a higher-paying job but was repeatedly turned down due to his lack of qualifications. One day, while pondering how to make money amid piles of steel pipes at his worksite, an idea struck him – he decided to sell the pipes illegally.
Knowing the high demand for steel pipes at construction sites, Jake thought he could siphon off a small amount without anyone noticing and sell them for a good price. On his night shift, he arranged for a scrap dealer to help him transport the pipes. Unfortunately, they were caught by a site worker who had forgotten something. The construction company reported the theft, and Jake was sentenced to one year in prison for embezzlement, along with a $5,000 fine.
During Jake’s imprisonment, his parents, upon learning of the situation, came to Rachel’s house and caused a scene. They didn’t even inquire about their newborn grandson or visit Jake. Instead, they berated Rachel, calling her a seductress who had bewitched their son into marriage and now caused his imprisonment. They demanded $30,000 in compensation from Rachel. She scraped together the money to send them away, then broke down crying in her mother’s arms, lamenting her misfortune and Jake’s poor choices.
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On my birthday, my wife Zoe, who had promised to spend the day with me, was nowhere to be found.
I waited from morning till night, asking everyone I knew, but no one had heard from her.
Just as I was about to call the police, I saw trending photos online of my adopted brother Leo passionately kissing Zoe.
Above them were dazzling, grand fireworks.
The headline read: “Evans Corp CEO Lavishes Millions on Adopted Brother – Sibling Love or Secret Affair?”
Leo even posted birthday celebration photos with Zoe on Instagram. There was a small cut on Zoe’s lip.
The caption read: “I’ll always love you, sis.”
I commented: “Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together.”
Immediately, I was bombarded with calls from Zoe:
“What do you mean by wishing us happiness? Leo and I are just siblings, don’t be so jealous!”
“Leo’s fictional skin condition* flared up on his birthday and he was suicidal. What’s wrong with me keeping him company for a normal birthday? Do you want his birthday to become his deathday?”
“Leo saw your comment and thinks he’s a homewrecker now. He’s really upset. Delete it and apologize right now! Otherwise I’ll divorce you!”
I coldly replied: “Fine, let’s get divorced then.”
*Note: “Skin hunger syndrome” is a fictional condition invented for this story, not a real medical diagnosis.
There was a long silence on the other end. Just as I was about to hang up to clear my head, Zoe started cursing angrily:
“Jack Evans, you’ve got some nerve!”
“You think I’ll fall for your divorce threat? You chased after me for seven years like a lovesick puppy. Now you’re trying to play hard to get?”
I clung to one last shred of hope: “What if I’m not playing hard to get this time?”
Zoe’s voice dripped with disdain: “You think I’d believe that?”
Then, amidst the roar of fireworks, I heard increasingly heavy breathing on the other end of the call.
Remembering how Zoe said she was just keeping Leo company for a normal birthday without his “skin condition”, I felt like a complete fool.
We dated for three years and have been married for four.
Zoe always treated intimacy with me as a chore, never initiating or showing enthusiasm, always finding excuses to avoid it.
But now, she was doing those things with another man under the fireworks…
Perhaps my prolonged silence made Zoe feel guilty.
She tried hard to steady her shaking voice as she commanded:
“Stop being unreasonable! Go delete that Instagram comment right now! Apologize to Leo!”
“I’ll be home soon after I finish keeping Leo company!”
Keep him company? How exactly? By getting as physically close as possible?
She held me in such low regard that she barely bothered to hide it anymore. I couldn’t keep swallowing my pride and ignoring this blatant cheating.
I swallowed the bitterness and took a deep breath:
“Zoe Chen, I’m not playing hard to get. Let’s meet at the courthouse tomorrow at 10 AM to file for divorce.”
I had given her countless chances.
Before, when she and Leo would hug intimately in public, I could believe her explanation that they were just close siblings.
When Leo would always kiss her cheek affectionately, I chalked it up to habits from living abroad.
I didn’t want to think the worst of the woman I loved and idolized.
But Zoe kept pushing it further and further, rubbing my face in it!
She knew how long I had planned our birthday trip together in advance, but she still didn’t care at all.
Zoe was about to keep yelling at me when her voice suddenly changed pitch.
Leo’s fake innocent voice chimed in: “I didn’t mean to, sis! You won’t be mad that I was too rough, right?”
The phone was snatched away. The sound of slapping became clearer, and though my wife stayed silent, she couldn’t hold back her soft moans.
Even if I was a complete idiot, I knew exactly what was happening on the other end now.
In a fit of rage, I threw my phone across the room. It shattered the mirror, but also hit the volume button.
The dirty sounds grew louder, drowning out the fading fireworks.
“Ah! Leo, stop!” The call was abruptly ended.
I picked up my cracked phone from the glass shards and dialed a long-unused number.
“Grandfather, I’m willing to come home now. I also agree to the arranged marriage with the Xu family.”
After ending the call, I pondered for a long while. Zoe and I never should have met.
I shouldn’t have thought she was a good person just because she looked like my first love.
Zoe is Zoe, Olivia is Olivia.
A fake is just a fake.
Thinking back to when I first met Zoe, I could only laugh at myself.
I had just graduated then, before being recognized by the Evans family. My father was gravely ill and I was drowning in debt.
The Xu family used a $1 million check to buy me off, so Olivia could study abroad.
$1 million is barely enough for a watch to me now.
But back then, that $1 million not only covered my father’s medical bills, but also cleared all my debts.
I used the remaining $100,000 as startup capital to become a clothing reseller.
Luckily, I quickly earned back $1 million.
After that, I invested in some unpopular internet and AI companies.
Unexpectedly, in just a year, those companies turned a profit and were raking in money.
Zoe was the daughter of a distributor, working part-time in accounting at her family’s company.
When I paid the final installment early, she was surprised:
“Didn’t you say last month you needed to delay payment for your father’s surgery? How can you pay so quickly now? Does that mean you don’t need to keep paying?”
She carefully probed: “My condolences…”
Good news puts people in high spirits. Seeing her face so similar to Olivia’s, I smiled and explained:
“My father’s surgery was very successful. The stocks I invested in also multiplied several times over, so paying the final installment is no problem. Thank you for your concern.”
She put away her prying curiosity and surprise, returning a sweet and innocent smile.
Seeing that smile on a face 90% identical to my first love’s, I couldn’t help falling for her.
Even knowing she wasn’t truly innocent, but calculating and probing, I still fell deeper and deeper in love with her.
When I love someone, I want to give them my best. So I catered to her every whim.
She said she was close with her adopted brother and hoped I would help mentor Leo.
So I introduced Leo to my business connections as my future brother-in-law and even helped him land some big deals.
But she would often go stay overnight at Leo’s apartment to keep him company.
Whenever I expressed the slightest doubt, she would immediately explode:
“You know Leo has that skin condition*! We can’t let anyone find out about it. Only I can help him as his sister. Stop meddling in my family’s private matters.”
A notification popped up – it was the divorce agreement from my new lawyer.
I was about to open it when I saw 999+ notifications on Instagram.
I clicked in and found someone had logged into my account.
After logging back in, I saw Zoe had posted an apology to Leo using my account:
“As a brother-in-law, I shouldn’t have left inappropriate comments on my wife’s brother’s post, insulting their sibling relationship. I was being dirty-minded and narrow-hearted.”
She even attached an animated gif of my face photoshopped onto a pig, repeatedly bowing and saying “I’m not human.”
This was my main account with many followers and clients. My inbox was flooded with people asking what was going on.
Some even asked if I had some kind of threesome fetish.
I was furious, wishing I could strangle Zoe.
Right after the apology post came a call from Leo.
He arrogantly said:
“My sister married a boring guy like you because she thought you were reliable and family-oriented. But now you want a divorce just because you’re jealous of me? Don’t you understand? Marriage isn’t something you can just end on a whim.”
“My sister is already exhausted from keeping me company. Now she has to deal with the mess you made in the comments. You really know how to make trouble for people!”
*Note: “Skin hunger syndrome” is a fictional condition invented for this story, not a real medical diagnosis.
I laughed bitterly. Zoe and Leo really were raised together – even their twisted logic was identical.
They fool around under the guise of a sister keeping her brother company on his birthday. They stand me up on my own birthday, and then have the nerve to blame me!
I coldly hung up on Leo, deleted the Instagram post, and made a new post clarifying my account had been hacked.
Then I sent the finalized divorce agreement to Zoe and blocked her and Leo’s contact info.
However, an unknown number started blowing up my phone.
Thinking it was one of Zoe’s tricks, I angrily answered:
“Mr. Evans, due to the withdrawal of medical support, your father has passed away. Please come to the hospital to claim the body as soon as possible.”
My blood ran cold. I felt like I’d fallen into an icy pit.
I struggled to steady my shaking body, my voice trembling: “W-what? Could you please repeat that?”
The person patiently repeated the message.
My head was spinning. I couldn’t accept this reality.
My father had a heart attack and became paralyzed 8 years ago. Although his heart surgery was successful, he needed long-term care and rehabilitation, requiring large monthly medical payments to keep him alive.
I had set up automatic payments for his medical fees long ago. How could the medical support possibly have been withdrawn?
I was silent for a long time. The staff member, likely used to people unable to accept a loved one’s passing, suggested I log into the system to confirm myself.
I took a deep breath, held it, and logged in with my eyes squinted to tiny slits, afraid to look.
But I still gradually confirmed the fact of my father’s death.
As grief overwhelmed me, a text came from the unknown number:
“Jack Evans, you’ve really done it now! Not only do you dare to bring up divorce, you even dare to block and delete me!”
“Did you forget that I control all your bank cards and assets? Now, unblock me immediately, add me back, and get on your knees to apologize! Otherwise your dad can just wait to die!”
So Zoe was the one who withdrew my father’s medical support!
I stared at those vicious words with an icy gaze, wishing Zoe would die in my father’s place.
Back then when Zoe said she felt insecure and feared I would cheat once I got rich, I put all my assets in her name.
I originally thought Zoe was just promiscuous and unfaithful. I never imagined she would be so vicious as to use my father’s life to threaten me!
I gritted my teeth in hatred, my eyes blood-red, nearly crushing the phone in my grip.
Out of what little remained of our marital affection, I had planned to let her off easy.
But she shouldn’t have been so vicious. She shouldn’t have killed my father who was all I had left!
I will make her pay double for this!
The housekeeper brought over the Xu family’s engagement token.
I opened it to find the phoenix jade pendant my first love had given me.
It came with a note that said: “Returning the jade intact.”
This pendant was the token of love my first love had given me. Hers had a lovebird engraving.
The lovebird and phoenix, a perfect match made in heaven.
She said the pendants were family heirlooms, only given to their most beloved.
Later when we were forced to break up, the Xu family took back the pendant.
I never expected it would return to my hands again!
I suppressed my excitement and solemnly wrote on the paper: “Together until our hair turns white.”
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Just before I took my last breath, I finally agreed to sign the divorce papers.
Ten years of love couldn’t withstand one taunt from his first love.
I clutched the pen and died in Jack’s arms.
Jack, who had patiently asked me for divorce 100 times after our marriage,
Broke down crying uncontrollably after my death.
Later, he took my ashes and disappeared into the sea.
Just before the waves engulfed him, he said:
“Lucy, I was wrong. If there’s another life, I’ll make amends.”
Perhaps moved by his words, when I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the fifth year after we first met.
Looking at the completely changed Jack before me,
I finally understood.
Maybe our ending was too tragic in the previous life, so in this life he just wanted to choose the path he truly desired.
But when I was lying in the hospital bed again,
He cried until his eyes were red, cursing himself over and over for being useless.
“Who do you choose, me or her?”
Mia clung to Jack’s arm, dragging her suitcase.
Though phrased as a question, her tone left no room for doubt about the answer she expected.
I stared blankly ahead, muttering,
“The feelings were never that deep anyway. No need to pretend to be heartbroken.”
Jack looked up sharply at me.
“What did you say?”
I jolted, meeting his gaze.
His eyes swirled with complex emotions –
Suppressed feelings, reluctance to let go, and the joy of reunion after a long separation.
With just that one look, I knew he had come back too.
I looked at this man who had tormented each other for ten years in our past life.
Fighting the pain in my chest, I opened my trembling lips:
“I said…”
Mia impatiently cut me off.
“God, you’re so annoying!”
She stepped forward, jabbing my shoulder with her long, manicured nails.
“Someone like you, apart from your pretty face, is completely ordinary in every other way. Just finish school like a good girl and don’t covet what isn’t yours.”
In the past, I would have argued endlessly with Mia.
But now I knew that no matter what, Jack would always take Mia’s side.
Forget it.
Looking past Mia, I saw Jack’s pained expression.
She turned and linked her arm through Jack’s, her eyes glinting slyly.
“Let’s go. My dad is waiting for us. I heard their new drug research is making progress…”
Jack’s brow furrowed, then he spoke in a cool voice:
“This kind of life is too cloying. Mia and I rented an apartment near campus. You can come visit sometime if you’d like.”
With that, the two of them turned and left.
The 20-year-old Jack was just like the 25-year-old Jack.
For Mia’s sake, he abandoned me again without hesitation.
It made sense. Given another chance at life, he surely didn’t want to repeat past mistakes.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
Emma beside me mistakenly thought I was crying because of them.
She rolled up her sleeves, ready to chase after them.
I grabbed her sleeve to stop her.
“Let it go, Emma. He’s choosing what he wants. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Jack turned back at my words.
Though his expression remained calm, his eyes were turbulent,
Full of sorrow and reluctance to part.
I wiped away my tears, avoiding his gaze. I didn’t want to read too much into his thoughts.
Then I pulled Emma with me back to the dorm.
Ending our entanglement while there was still a chance to salvage things might not be such a bad thing.
In our past life, to please Mia,
He gave me 100 divorce papers after we married,
Just to satisfy all of Mia’s unreasonable demands.
Even in my final moments, one phone call from Mia was enough to draw him away from my hospital bedside.
He simply didn’t love me anymore.
I was foolish not to let go until my dying breath.
Heaven took pity and gave us another chance,
But no one asked if I wanted to go through it all again.
I suddenly remembered Jack’s last words before he died:
“Lucy, I was wrong. If there’s another life, I’ll make amends.”
But no matter what he meant,
I didn’t want to keep tormenting each other anymore.
Lucy, don’t soften your heart.
Lucy, don’t look back.
Suddenly I felt warmth trickling from my nose. I reached up to touch it – a streak of bright red.
The same pitiful state as my past life…
At least Jack didn’t see it.
I spent the whole night processing the emotions of reliving this life.
The next day I went to class with puffy eyes.
Just as the bell rang, Jack slipped into the classroom.
The 20-year-old him wasn’t as composed and mature yet.
His fluffy head would often burrow into my arms like a puppy.
But now, we could never go back to that.
My heart ached at the thought.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t even notice someone sit down beside me.
Seeing no reaction from me, the person slammed their backpack loudly on the desk.
I startled, finally turning to look.
Jack’s face was scrunched up in annoyance, dark circles under his eyes.
He ignored my gaze, burying his head in his arms like he was sulking.
He quickly fell asleep, his breathing even.
His phone kept buzzing on the desk.
On impulse, I picked up his phone.
I tried my birthday as the passcode.
It worked – he hadn’t changed it.
The first thing I saw was his chat with Mia.
All the previous messages had been deleted.
There was just one message from him:
“Are you still mad?”
Mia’s messages came flooding in one after another:
“Who told you to sleep in the study last night!”
“You said you were over Lucy!”
“You promised me! Don’t blame me if I change my mind!”
My hands trembled uncontrollably.
I couldn’t help remembering countless nights in our past life,
When Jack would rush off at Mia’s phone call.
Even when I was on my deathbed, Mia only had to tell a small lie,
And Jack abandoned me without hesitation.
Though I had resolved to let go in despair,
My heart still ached unbearably in this moment.
I still couldn’t face the reality that he didn’t love me.
But life is for living. This time,
I refuse to watch the one I love treat me coldly again.
I refuse to repeat the same mistakes.
When Jack woke up, I was long gone.
I thought avoiding him would keep things peaceful between us.
But I didn’t expect to see Jack again so soon in the cafeteria.
Even though I had told myself countless times to let go,
Seeing him again still made me panic for a moment.
In just a few days, the once sunny and cheerful Jack had changed drastically.
He now spent his nights in bars and clubs, reeking of cigarettes and alcohol.
At the moment, he had his arm around Mia, smiling down at her.
He looked like the stereotypical rich playboy.
He let his friends joke crudely:
“Why bother eating here in the cafeteria, Mia? Don’t tell me you and Jack are looking for a new place to get frisky!”
Amid the raucous laughter, Mia scolded coyly:
“Don’t be silly. I just happened to have class today and wanted a change of scenery with Jack for lunch.”
I had my back to them,
But every word stabbed into my heart.
Jack used to hate cafeteria food.
In the past, he only came because I begged him to accompany me.
Now he moved naturally, his arm around Mia as she leaned into him.
He must be very happy now.
This is good. It strengthens my resolve to leave.
I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms.
Taking a deep breath, I stood up to leave.
A voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Is that Lucy?”
Mia’s surprised tone drew everyone’s attention.
My pride was trampled under her feet.
She continued speaking:
“Oh my god, you’ve gotten so thin! You need to eat more, or you’ll look even more pathetic and poor!”
She shoved a plate of food in front of me.
Jack’s smile faded as he finally broke his silence, his voice cold:
“That’s enough, Mia. Let’s go.”
Mia glared at Jack, her face darkening.
But in the blink of an eye, she put on an innocent expression again.
“Oh, okay!”
Then she tilted the hot plate of food towards me, spilling it all over me.
I couldn’t dodge in time and fell backwards onto the floor.
Mia gasped dramatically, crouching down to help clean the food off me.
Her sharp nails left bloody scratches all over my skin.
I cried out in pain, trying to stop her:
“Stop! Stop! It hurts! It really hurts!”
The scratches from her nails were unlike normal cuts.
They kept oozing blood in tiny beads.
Jack rushed over, yanking Mia away.
He frowned as he examined my wounds, his voice shaking:
“How did this happen? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
I pulled my wrist from his grasp, but before I could answer,
Mia’s shrill voice cut in:
“Jack! If you can’t keep your promise, don’t blame me for changing my mind!”
Jack’s face darkened ominously. He seemed to be holding back his anger, on the verge of exploding.
Their friends looked at my face and joked:
“Hey Jack, she looks familiar. But lately I’ve seen her getting into some rich guy’s Porsche a lot.”
At those words, Jack’s eyes flashed dangerously. He snapped his head up, fury and jealousy in his voice:
“Whose car?”
“Are you that desperate?”
“Or do you only go for rich guys? How many backups do you have besides me?!”
His accusations made me angry and hurt.
He was the one who chose someone else,
Yet I became the target of everyone’s criticism.
But any explanation would be useless now.
I struggled to stay calm, just looking at him steadily.
I forced a smile and said:
“So what if I did?”
He violently flung my arm away. I stumbled backwards.
Emma had just gotten her food when she saw this scene.
She rushed over and shoved Jack hard.
“Jack, what the hell is wrong with you!”
When she picked me up, I had already passed out.
A streak of red trickled from my nose.
Jack was frozen in shock at the blood on my face.
“How… how did this happen…”
“It’s too early… no… this isn’t right…”
He moved to carry me to the hospital.
Mia dramatically collapsed to the ground, her voice urgent:
“Jack! Think carefully!”
Jack’s feet seemed rooted to the spot.
Emma clutched me tightly, glaring viciously at the two of them.
In the silence, Emma grit her teeth and used all her strength,
Somehow managing to carry me on her back and push through the crowd to the hospital.
I was woken by Emma’s sobs.
When she saw me open my eyes, she cried even harder.
“How could you get sick? Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Why didn’t you come to the hospital sooner!”
I tried to raise my hand to wipe her tears,
But my body felt like it was on fire. I had no strength to lift my arm.
The hospital room door was suddenly flung open with a bang.
Jack rushed in.
When he saw me lying pale and lifeless in the hospital bed,
All the strength seemed to leave his body. He broke down sobbing.
I lowered my eyes to look at his wretched state.
Just like in our past life – too little, too late.
Why?
Emma thought Jack was faking his deep love after abandoning me.
She got up and started shoving him out.
The commotion attracted a doctor.
Jack was forced out.
My eyelids felt heavy. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
My body was already so weak at this point.
Even in this new life, fate hadn’t spared me.
I felt like my strength was draining even faster this time.
Before I could rest,
Mia pushed open the door, her face full of disdain.
What a lively day.
She smiled smugly.
“Lucy, did Jack come?”
“Hah, you don’t really think he came to see you, do you?”
She waved her wrist.
“My wrist just twinged a little and he insisted on rushing me to the hospital.”
I barely opened my eyes, my voice flat:
“You’ve seen how pathetic I am. Now get out.”
She seemed unsatisfied with my response and got angry.
“Stop acting all high and mighty!”
Then she seemed to think of something and sneered:
“Aren’t you curious why he obeys my every word?”
I stared at her intently.
I knew she was blatantly flaunting Jack’s preference for her,
But I still couldn’t help wanting to hear her say it again.
She snorted derisively.
“Aren’t you curious why someone as young as you got this disease?”
My brows furrowed. The strange rapid progression of my illness this time had bothered me, but I never thought there was a reason.
Hearing her words sent chills down my spine.
“To tell you the truth, your illness is from drugs I had people put in your dorm water cup. It took time, but finally showed results, hahaha!”
My mind was reeling. But she got more and more excited as she spoke.
“I originally just wanted to teach you a lesson, but Jack felt bad for you! How could he feel bad for you! He clearly likes me! Back then I only joked about dating his friend as a prank! Who told you to show up in the middle!”
Mia was nearly hysterical.
“Don’t you deserve to die? Just enjoy… enjoy your last moments alive.”
“Oh right, that idiot Jack actually believed me when I said I had medicine that could cure your illness, how hilarious hahaha…”
SLAP!
Emma rushed over and slapped her hard across the face, her eyes blazing red as she roared:
“You murderer! You’ll pay for this!”
Mia clutched her face, her expression turning vicious.
“What can I possibly pay for! You bunch of nobodies, what power do you have to make me pay! It’s her own fault! She should never have appeared in Jack’s life in the first place!”
I finally understood. In both lives,
All my suffering came from Mia’s selfish desires.
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The private island I gifted my daughter for her graduation was brazenly used by my wife’s male secretary to host a scandalous party.
Ryan Thompson, my wife’s secretary, was covered in suspicious marks as he forcefully tried to make my daughter Emma play strip poker with him.
I landed a solid punch on his face and ordered him off the island.
But he had his bodyguards pin me to the ground. He then pressed his filthy foot onto my face, grinding it down.
“Your wife gave me this island, you kept man. You have no right to tell me to leave,” he sneered.
“This is all courtesy of your wife. Why don’t you lick my foot clean? Then have your daughter entertain us properly, and I might spare your miserable life.”
As I watched him lunge towards Emma, my expression darkened completely. I pressed the panic button on my smartwatch.
“If you dare touch my daughter,” I growled, “you’ll pay for it with your life!”
0
Halfway through my daughter’s coming-of-age party, the doors burst open. A drunken man stumbled in, followed by over a dozen burly bodyguards. His eyes locked onto the nearest girl, and he ordered his men to drag her over. As his hand reached for her chest, I stepped in, furious.
I shoved him away with my shoulder and shouted at the security outside, “What are you doing? Get this man out of here now!”
The drunk steadied himself and puffed out his chest. “Do you know who I am, kid? I’m Olivia’s chief secretary, Derek Chen. You should be bowing and calling me Mr. Chen!”
He jabbed a finger at the ground. “I run this place in Sullivan Industries. This island? Olivia bought it for my birthday celebration!”
His bodyguards jeered, “Better show some respect, boy. If you make Mr. Chen happy, you’ll be set for life!”
I felt sick to my stomach. Over the years, I’d heard rumors that my wife Olivia was keeping a lover. But I’d been too focused on helping our daughter Emily overcome her severe PTSD to pay much attention. I’d turned a blind eye to Olivia’s indiscretions.
I grabbed Derek by the collar and lifted him off the ground. “Listen here. I’m the majority shareholder of Sullivan Industries. If you don’t want to die in international waters, take your trash and get off my island. Now.”
Derek froze for a moment, then burst into mocking laughter.
“Oh my, if it isn’t Olivia’s useless stay-at-home husband in the flesh!” He called out to his men, “Look here, boys! This is the loser Olivia keeps around to do the laundry and look after the kid. She’s been done with him for years and he doesn’t even know it!”
The bodyguards roared with laughter.
Derek looked me up and down with disdain. “Get on your knees and beg, and I might let you live.”
I stared at him coldly and pulled out my phone. “Luke, bring extra security to the ballroom.”
Before I could finish, several bodyguards pinned me down. Derek snatched my phone and tossed it into a champagne bucket.
I let out a cold laugh. “You can’t afford to replace that, boy. Your life is hanging by a thread now.”
Derek grinned wickedly. “Can’t afford it? A nobody like you? Olivia would give me the whole company if I asked!”
“I’m trying to teach you a lesson here, for your own good. You should be thanking me on your knees!”
The pressure holding me down suddenly increased. As I gritted my teeth to fight back, Derek’s eyes raked over me lecherously. Without warning, he delivered a vicious kick between my legs.
Blinding pain shot through me. My face went pale as I lost all strength.
Derek cackled. “Useless piece of trash. Might as well castrate you and feed you to the dogs!”
“You’re just a kept man. Go back to doing the laundry and changing diapers instead of playing businessman.”
“Calling for your assistant? As if you have the right!”
“I’ll cripple you today, and Olivia will praise me for it.”
0
Derek pointed at the shocked guests. “Listen up, you peasants! This island is my birthday gift from Olivia. It’s my territory!”
“If you want to live, you’d better behave. If I’m in a good mood, I might let you all leave alive!”
“We’re overseas, not far from international waters. If I’m not happy, I’ll feed you all to the sharks!”
My daughter Emily was red-faced with anger. She raised her hand to point at Derek, but before she could speak, he leered at her and lunged forward.
I struggled against the bodyguards holding me down, but more piled on top of me.
Emily tried to run, but Derek deliberately stepped on the hem of her dress.
The fabric tore and Emily fell to the ground in a heap.
Humiliated and furious, Emily shouted, “Olivia is my mother! Aren’t you afraid she’ll punish you for treating me like this?”
Derek laughed nastily. “Olivia told me I’m the apple of her eye now.”
“You’re just a mistake from when she was young and stupid. If I get rid of you and your useless father, Olivia will praise me for removing the obstacles to her freedom as a woman!”
He grabbed Emily roughly and grinned at the guests. “Since you’ve come to play on my island, I’ll arrange some entertainment as the gracious host.”
He shoved Emily forward. “This little bitch loves playing princess, doesn’t she? Ever seen how the girls serve drinks at a nightclub?”
“Go get some alcohol and use your mouth to feed it to every man here!”
“If you don’t perform well, I’ll strip off that fancy dress and make you dance for us all.”
Emily struggled desperately.
I broke free from the bodyguards and rushed to shield Emily behind me.
Derek spat on the ground. “How dare you ruin my fun? Beat him to death, boys.”
Over a dozen men swarmed me, raining down blows.
I curled around Emily, protecting her with my body. My only thought was to keep her from having an episode.
The click of high heels approached. Olivia walked into the ballroom, surveying the chaos with confusion. “Why are you all still on my island?”
A classmate nervously explained, “Mrs. White, we’re celebrating Emily’s coming of age party.”
Olivia’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh, I got the date wrong. I thought you’d all left yesterday.”
Derek’s arrogant demeanor vanished. He threw himself into Olivia’s arms, sobbing. “Darling, these peasants won’t let me stay on the island. They even beat me!”
Olivia’s gaze swept coldly over the guests. “I don’t recall inviting you all to meddle in my personal affairs. Please leave immediately.”
Emily broke free from my protection and stumbled forward in her torn dress, crying out.
“Mom, it’s my coming-of-age party today! This creep deliberately ripped my dress to humiliate me!”
Derek clung to Olivia’s leg, wailing. “Darling, it’s not true! The little slut stripped to seduce me!”
The bodyguards chimed in, “It’s true, Mrs. White! Mr. Chen was badly bullied. They even called him useless!”
Emily burst into tears. “He hit Dad and bullied me first! Get out, all of you!”
Olivia’s eyes flashed dangerously. With a resounding slap, she struck Emily across the face.
“Shut up! You’re just as useless as your father, hiding at home and playing crazy since you were little!”
“How did I give birth to such a worthless thing!”
“Apologize to Derek right now! Then take your loser friends and get off this island!”
“Remember, I’m in charge of this family!”
“You and your useless father will obey me without question!”
Derek wrapped his arms around Olivia’s waist, putting on a show of distress.
“Darling, don’t be angry. A little hardship is nothing to me.”
“But your daughter… she shouldn’t have taken off her clothes to seduce me!”
“I’m your man after all. I… I’ve betrayed you!”
My stomach churned with disgust. I felt like I might vomit.
Olivia patted Derek soothingly. “Don’t worry, dear. I don’t even consider that useless girl my daughter anymore.”
She turned to Emily. “You little bitch, trying to steal my man at such a young age!”
0
Rage surged through me. I stepped forward and slapped Olivia twice across the face.
“Olivia White, you seem to have forgotten who gave you everything you have today! How dare you lay a hand on Emily!”
Olivia was the daughter of my father’s war buddy. When her parents died when she was young, she came to live with my family. My parents raised her like their own daughter.
I pursued her for ten years before we married. After the wedding, I gave her everything.
I started a company for her. When she said she didn’t want to be a housewife, I left the company to fully support her from behind the scenes.
And now, for the sake of this scumbag, she publicly struck our daughter!
Olivia cradled her cheek, disbelief written across her face.
“James Sullivan, you dare to hit me?”
Derek immediately began shrieking. “How dare you! A kept man hitting people! Beat him!”
The coward had seen me take on several bodyguards earlier, so he hid behind Olivia and urged the others to attack.
Over a dozen men rained blows on me as Emily cried out.
“Mom, stop them! Don’t hurt Dad!”
Olivia approached, her voice ice cold.
“Do me a favor. Apologize to Derek and take the ungrateful brat home.”
“Then we can still be a family!”
I spat out a mouthful of blood. “Apologize to him? He’s not worthy.”
Derek wailed even louder. “Darling, it’s all my fault. I’m not worthy. I’ll leave! I’ll jump into the sea as soon as I’m outside. I’ll let your kept man and the little girl have their way!”
Olivia’s expression changed. “James! Don’t forget you promised to listen to me in everything when I agreed to marry you.”
I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth. “Do you still deserve that promise now?”
Olivia snarled, “He’s just a secretary who makes me happy! What about you?”
“You spend all your time fussing over that useless brat! Ignoring my feelings, neglecting the business. You’re nothing but a shameless parasite!”
Emily broke down sobbing. “You’re the shameless one! I don’t have a mother like you!”
“You abandoned me alone in the park back then! The nanny took the blame for you!”
“You told her to buy coffee, then took a call and left!”
“I was almost assaulted by a homeless man! It was all your fault! You’re a monster!”
Emily’s accusations hit me like a thunderbolt!
So the root of our daughter’s long-standing fears was abandonment by her own mother!
“You bitch!” I slapped Olivia again, enraged. “You’re not fit to be a mother! If I’d known you were the one who hurt Emily, I would have thrown you out long ago!”
Olivia’s head snapped to the side from the force of the slap. When she turned back, her eyes glittered with venomous hatred.
“You dare bring up the past? I should have stripped her naked and thrown her to the beggars back then!”
Her poisonous glare pierced Emily. “You stole your father’s attention as a child, and now you want to seduce my man? You want men that badly? I’ll give you what you want!”
She jabbed her finger at Emily and screeched.
“Tear off her clothes! Whoever ruins her gets a million dollars!”
The bodyguards lunged at Emily like hungry wolves!
I struggled desperately to reach her, but the earlier kick and my injuries left me pinned down by two burly men, unable to move.
“No! Stop! She just turned 18. I’ll do anything, just let her go!”
I howled in anguish as I watched over a dozen rough hands rip at Emily’s dress. My daughter’s pale skin was exposed to the cold air.
The sound of tearing fabric pierced my ears.
The bodyguards hastily undid their pants, their heavy bodies pressing down on Emily’s trembling form.
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I Took Care of My Critically Ill Girlfriend for Three Years
When I was about to propose to her, I overheard her talking on the phone with her first love:
“I never planned to marry Daniel Thompson. Back then, I broke up with you because I found out I had severe kidney disease. He was willing to stay by my side and take care of me, so I reluctantly stayed with him. Actually, I just treated him like a servant. Now that I’ve found a kidney donor, we can get married after my surgery.”
What she didn’t know was that the kidney being donated to her was mine.
0
Hearing Lily say this, I looked at the diamond ring in my hand and laughed bitterly, then turned and gave the flowers to the nurse’s station.
Three years of constant care and devotion still couldn’t compete with her ideal first love.
I needed to wake up.
She was no longer that innocent little girl who would let me ride in the same car with her to school, who would warn bullies not to pick on me, and who would secretly slip me her snacks.
I went back to my car and ate the lunch I had made myself.
Low salt, low oil, barely palatable.
She had to eat this kind of food to control her condition.
To help her adjust, I went from only knowing how to cook instant noodles to now being able to make hundreds of dishes.
I also had to vary the staple foods. If two meals in a row had the same dishes, she would throw a tantrum and refuse to eat.
I still had to deliver meals to the hospital on time every day, watch her eat, and then finish her leftovers.
Sometimes she would smile innocently and joke, “Daniel, you’re really like a dog.”
At least now I wouldn’t have to eat those awful leftovers like a dog anymore.
Thinking about it this way, I suddenly felt much lighter.
It turns out my love for her had also been worn away over these three years.
No wonder I didn’t feel heartbroken or want to cry, just disappointed and feeling these three years were wasted.
Love is a two-way street. Fortunately, I’ve woken up now.
Lily called.
“Daniel, where the hell are you? I’m starving to death!”
I had already adjusted my mindset and calmly said, “Lily, Chris is coming back. I wish you both happiness.”
Lily was stunned. “You overheard my phone call? How could you eavesdrop on my calls? That’s my privacy! I don’t care, you come apologize to me right now, or else I’ll…”
I continued, “You don’t want me anymore? Fine, I’ll hire a caregiver for you. I’ll explain the breakup to your father.”
Lily was silent for a long time, then said, “Daniel, I’ll say it one more time. If you don’t come apologize right now, even if you come begging on your knees tomorrow, I won’t forgive you.”
I hung up the phone.
The hospital called again to confirm the kidney donation information. I said, “I’m sorry, I’ve decided not to donate.”
0
Back at the company, I deleted the hourly alarms reminding me to send her jokes, and buried myself in work.
Not having to rack my brains for jokes, I felt more relaxed, and my work hours became much more productive.
I hadn’t been this immersed in work for a long time, and I momentarily forgot about the end of the workday.
Until my secretary came to knock on the door.
Without looking up, I said, “Come in.”
Hearing my voice, the secretary seemed surprised and said as she entered, “Mr. Thompson, didn’t you go to the hospital to deliver food to your girlfriend?”
I looked at the time – it was already 5 PM.
Usually, I’d have to rush home by 4:30, buy ingredients, cook, and run to the hospital to deliver food without even having time to take a sip of water.
The nurses often teased me: “The most devoted boyfriend ever.”
“Not going anymore. Is there something you need?” I asked.
The secretary hesitated before speaking, “The company is having a dinner tonight. Would you like to join us…?”
“Sure, it’s on me,” I replied.
I used to devote all my energy to Lily, and I didn’t even realize how long it had been since I’d had dinner with my employees.
Everyone enjoyed this meal very much. After dinner, we went to a bar for round two.
As soon as we sat down, I saw a familiar figure.
Lily was dressed scantily, but her sickly body held no beauty. Flanked by her two best friends, she was confidently dancing in the center of the floor.
Her body couldn’t handle this kind of partying. In the past, I always earnestly advised her to focus on treatment and not go out playing with her friends.
Now, with no one to stop her, she was indulging recklessly.
I sent a message to Mr. Sanders, asking him to come pick Lily up.
Many of my employees were my college classmates, and they immediately recognized Lily. Pointing in that direction, they said, “Boss, isn’t that your girlfriend? Isn’t she sick?”
I smiled bitterly as I drank, but before I could explain, we heard Lily shouting while holding a bottle: “Finally free from that lapdog Daniel! Now no one can stop me from coming to bars anymore!”
Her friend asked, “Lily, did you really break up?”
Lily scoffed, “We were never really together. He was just my servant. Chris is my real boyfriend. Now that he’s back in the country, of course I have to keep my distance!”
They were about to come say hello, but hearing Lily say this, they were all dumbfounded.
“Boss, you…”
I waved my hand, also pretending to be nonchalant: “That’s right, she was never my girlfriend. I was just taking care of her for Mr. Sanders because she was sick.”
They clearly didn’t believe me, but out of respect, they didn’t expose the lie.
Hearing my words, Lily walked over, pointing at me with a slightly drunken look in her eyes.
“Daniel, what are you doing here? This place is so expensive, can your salary even afford one bottle? You guys probably don’t know, but your coworker here is the son of my family’s driver. I’m his employer.”
My employees couldn’t sit still anymore and wanted to stand up for me.
I waved my hand, gesturing for them to calm down.
Five years ago, I founded this company. Last year we went public, and my net worth skyrocketed.
Now even Lily’s father wouldn’t dare to be disrespectful to me. The reason my dad still worked as a driver was that he was sentimental and didn’t want to be idle, so I bought the villa next to the Sanders’ for him to live in.
Lily had been in the hospital for years and didn’t follow financial news, so she had no idea I was no longer a small-time employee.
0
I picked up a beer bottle from the table and asked my secretary, “How much is this beer per bottle?”
The secretary replied, “Twenty dollars.”
Lily crossed her arms and sneered, “Did you hear that? Twenty dollars. For someone like you who thinks taking a cab is too expensive and always carpools with coworkers, that must hurt, right? Considering your dad’s loyal service to my family, I’ll treat you to this bottle. Drink up and get out of here. Don’t embarrass yourself.”
I had indeed changed cars quite frequently this past year.
Some were gifts from business partners, some I bought because I liked them.
Every time the driver dropped me off at the hospital, Lily would see me getting out of a luxury car from the window with my lunchbox, and she’d say with disgust: “Why don’t you just buy a car? Or at least take a cab. Stop carpooling with rich coworkers all the time. You’re poor but pretentious. I find it embarrassing even if you don’t!”
I never explained. I was planning to tell her when we got married as a surprise. Who knew…
“No need for you to treat me,” I said.
I looked around at the people watching the scene unfold.
When Lily was speaking recklessly earlier, the bar owner thought there was trouble and even stopped the music.
So now everyone was watching us.
I smiled and said, “Drinks are on me tonight. Everyone, drink as much as you want. It’s all on my tab.”
The crowd was stunned. After hearing Lily say how poor I was, they thought I was joking.
My secretary stood up and said, “Our CEO is treating everyone to drinks.”
When they heard I was actually a CEO, everyone cheered excitedly: “Thank you, Mr. Thompson!”
The bar owner cheered the loudest.
A few young women in revealing outfits came over: “Mr. Thompson, are you single?”
I nodded, “Of course.”
They all rushed over to toast me: “Mr. Thompson, can we add you on SnapChat?”
“Sure,” I accepted without hesitation.
Lily snorted lightly and pushed those women aside: “Are you all blind? He’s just putting on an act! He has no money! He’s definitely not a CEO!
Daniel, is this really necessary? Are you willing to spend your father’s life savings just to stand tall in front of me for once? Do you want me to call your dad?”
My secretary couldn’t help but retort: “What life savings? Our CEO is one of the top 50 on the new rich list. He’s handsome, talented, and worth over a billion dollars. You’re the blind one for not treasuring such a great man!”
Lily didn’t believe it at all: “I know you’re his college classmate. I’d be an idiot to believe you covering for him. Worth over a billion? How dare you say that. If he’s really worth over a billion, I’ll kneel down and lick his shoes.”
“Then go ahead and lick,” I said.
My subordinates pulled up all the news reports about me and shoved their phone screens in Lily’s face.
0
Lily was surprised.
Not by the news, but by how these coworkers were all protecting me.
“I didn’t realize you had such good connections, Daniel. How much did you pay them to cover for you like this?”
The girls who wanted to add me on SnapChat exclaimed while looking at their phones: “Wow, it’s true! Daniel Thompson, CEO of Thompson Tech. A new generation entrepreneur who shot up the rich list. A role model for young entrepreneurs. Mr. Thompson, you’re amazing!”
Lily was stunned. Just as she was about to search for herself, her friend shouted: “Chris! Over here! Come quick, someone’s bullying Lily!”
Lily’s face immediately lit up: “Chris!”
Chris walked over in designer clothes, clearly giving off rich kid vibes.
He glanced at the thin, sickly Lily with a hint of disgust in his eyes, but still put his arm around her shoulder affectionately and said, “Who dares to bully our Miss Sanders?”
Lily’s cheeks flushed as she said proudly: “See? You ignorant girls who’ve never seen real rich people. This is a true wealthy heir, the son of the city’s top billionaire family, my boyfriend.”
She looked me in the eye, emphasizing the word “boyfriend”.
In our three years together, she had never publicly called me her boyfriend.
Even when her father asked, she only said: “Some lapdog is willing to revolve around me. I pity him, so I didn’t reject him.”
After showing off, Lily pointed at me: “Chris, it’s him. I’ve already made things clear, but he won’t stop pestering me.”
Chris pushed up his sunglasses arrogantly: “Daniel Thompson, why are you still bothering Lily?
She doesn’t like you, and your status isn’t worthy of her.
Considering you took care of her for three years, when we get married, I’ll specially reserve a seat for you. You don’t need to bring a gift, just bring some takeout containers.”
I snorted with laughter: “First of all, let’s be clear, I’m not bothering her. Our company is having a dinner and we happened to run into each other. Secondly, for your wedding, I won’t come empty-handed. I’ll definitely give you two a big gift.”
Lily rolled her eyes: “Alright, stop putting on airs. I’ve already texted your dad to come see what you’ve become. If you kneel down and apologize now, I’ll have Chris cover the trouble you’ve caused tonight. Otherwise, you might have to work here for ten years to pay it off.”
Chris looked confused: “What trouble?”
I took out a black card and put it on the table: “Thanks for the concern, but I can afford this small amount. I’ve also texted your dad to come see what you’ve become.”
Lily was startled: “Why did you text my dad? Still so nosy! Chris, hit him! Beat him up!”
Chris stared at my black card in shock. He knew this wasn’t something a small-time employee could possess.
Lily pushed him: “What are you waiting for? Hit him!”
Chris didn’t dare move: “Daniel, you… you’re not being kept by some rich older woman, are you?”
“Chris!” My company’s HR manager, who had just arrived, heard Chris say this.
He rushed over to defend me: “How dare you talk to our CEO like that?”
Chris was utterly confused: “CEO? He’s a CEO?”
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**1.**
Seven days left.
The scene was terrifyingly clear: a blood-splattered zombie lunged at me, its pale, decaying face looming larger and larger.
I didn’t even know where it bit me before I blacked out.
Now, I was waking up, it was evening. After college, I chose to be a streamer.
I’d gotten into the habit of sleeping in the afternoon and starting my stream once I woke up.
I wasn’t sure if the previous image was just a dream, but one detail stuck with me vividly.
If this was a second chance, then tonight, one of my favorite celebrities was about to have their world come crashing down.
The only reason I remembered it so clearly was because I used to be a huge fan of this particular star. My childhood crush was just too perfect, leaving a deep impression.
Sure enough, at 9 PM, a trending topic suddenly exploded: “Jax’s secret baby bombshell.”
It was a rebirth!
Seven days from now, a global catastrophe would erupt – the zombie virus.
At first, it only appeared in a few coastal cities, quickly debunked by officials.
I never paid attention to such unsubstantiated rumors. I just went with the flow online, yelling a few times about “believing in science,” then ignored it.
Just three days. Only three days.
The zombie virus spun out of control. Initially, the government still used drones to announce they wouldn’t abandon anyone. Days later, even the drones vanished without a trace.
In my previous life, I survived for a month and a half purely on the snacks I’d hoarded.
Once they ran out, I had no choice but to venture out for supplies.
I hadn’t even made it out of my apartment complex before a zombie tackled me to the ground.
It was truly horrifying.
The signal went out too fast in my last life. What I regretted most was dying without knowing if my parents were safe.
Thinking of this, I immediately called them.
“Hey, Mom, Dad. It’s been snowing a lot in Silverwood City lately. Could you come visit? I’m craving Mom’s homemade lasagna, could you come help me make some?”
My parents were those caring parents who always grumbled about how useless I was, still unable to make lasagna at my age, even as they promised they’d be right over tomorrow.
Thankfully, they lived in the neighboring town of Maple Creek, so it wouldn’t take too long to get here. The sooner I got them close, the sooner I’d feel at ease.
After retiring from their teaching jobs, they’d been enjoying retirement at home.
I’d tried countless times to get them to move in with me, but they always felt they’d be a burden, stubbornly refusing.
They’d visit every month or so, always bringing a carload of food.
This thought made me frantically SnapChat my dad: “Dad!!!! Don’t forget my cured sausages!!!!”
Cured sausages last forever, even without a fridge.
In my last life, the power went out on either the third or fourth day of the apocalypse. I frantically scribbled notes about the power issue on a piece of paper.
My paper was already filled with notes. Since finishing my college thesis, I hadn’t used this much brainpower. Honestly, my thesis wasn’t even this exhausting, because this was literally a matter of life or death.
It had been so long since I really thought.
Even after my nap, I was still incredibly sleepy. I tucked the paper under my pillow, thinking about the tough fight ahead tomorrow, and drifted into a deep sleep.
**2.**
First, I needed to reinforce the doors and windows.
My apartment was on the twenty-first floor. I bought this top-floor unit after college with my streaming income.
To be honest, I was broke and didn’t want to ask my parents for money again, so I chose a place far from the city center.
Who would’ve thought that when the apocalypse hit, this complex would actually be safer?
There weren’t many supermarkets nearby, but luckily, there was a Costco warehouse store.
With that thought, I immediately called an installation company to have technicians come and reinforce my doors and windows.
“Miss, your door is sturdy enough already. It’s like a fortified steel door, like something out of a bank vault. No need to reinforce it.”
“My dad insisted on replacing this door for me. He always said a girl living alone wasn’t safe. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t like such a heavy door, but I couldn’t win against my dad back then.”
I then had the technicians replace all the glass in the apartment with the highest-grade bulletproof glass, and also add a one-way film.
It was supposed to take three days to complete, but I just slipped them an extra ten thousand dollars. The technicians’ eyes practically disappeared into smiles.
“Can you guys try to finish this afternoon? My mom’s coming over, and she’s incredibly security-conscious, always worrying about worst-case scenarios.”
Perhaps seeing that I was someone who wasn’t afraid to spend, one of the technicians even asked if I wanted security bars installed.
“Install them!”
I couldn’t drive, which posed a huge problem for getting supplies.
My dad forced me to learn in college. At first, I was enthusiastic, until my driving instructor almost broke my spirit, and I failed the road test five times in a row. I finally gave up.
To keep my dad from yelling at me, I even tried to brainwash him: “Don’t worry, self-driving cars will be the norm soon anyway!”
I first took a taxi to Costco. On the way, I used my banking apps to check how much money I had.
My streaming career had been pretty lucrative over the years. All in all, I still had over seven hundred thousand dollars.
I’d tell my parents when they got here. With their savings, we’d probably have over a million and a half.
**3.**
I needed to buy so many things, and I didn’t dare choose home delivery. In the apocalypse, people were the scariest things.
I headed straight for the shelf-stable food section.
Normally, I could order these online and have them delivered in batches to different locations, but the problem was that Silverwood City had been hit by a continuous health advisory this year.
There were still two active lockdown zones, so deliveries couldn’t get in.
I cleared out the entire shelf of ready-to-eat meals: about 150 shelf-stable meal kits, 100 ready-to-eat meals, and over fifty dehydrated soup pouches and instant noodle cups.
Fortunately, Costco’s shopping carts were huge; I pushed two. While waiting in line to pay, I got a call from my dad. Don’t let his age fool you; my dad had a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
I just made up an excuse and called him over. “Dad, can you rent a cargo van and come to Costco? Yeah, yeah, I’m a streamer, remember? I’m planning a big giveaway.”
The installation workers sent a message saying the bulletproof glass was replaced. Without a second thought, I paid them and added, “The local health situation is getting tricky again, guys. Buy more food to keep at home.”
My dad would be here soon, which meant I could buy even more things. So, I immediately left my unpaid items with a store associate, asking them to watch it, and then pushed a shopping cart to start a new round of purchases:
10 cases of yogurt, 12 bottles per case
15 cases of sparkling water, 12 bottles per case
20 cases of instant noodles, 24 packs per case
50 high-capacity power banks
50 cases of bottled water, 12 bottles per case
15 cases of spicy ramen packs, 12 packs per case
10 bags of flour, 20 kilograms per bag
10 bags of rice, 20 kilograms per bag
100 boxes of potato chips, 20 cases of pull-apart bread, 50 bags of soy milk powder, 50 bags of black sesame paste
Thinking I’d set up solar panels in the afternoon, I also bought 50 pounds of pork, 50 pounds of beef, and 50 pounds of lamb.
My home fridge was too small; I’d need to buy two large chest freezers.
These things definitely weren’t enough. Even though Costco was a warehouse store, I couldn’t buy too much from just one place. I’d need to visit several stores.
Just as I finished paying, Dad arrived in a large cargo van. Seeing the supermarket staff loading items into the truck, my dad joked, “Sweetie, are you going all out? How much are you planning to give away?”
As soon as I got in the car, I noticed my old man had turned serious.
“Avery, what’s really going on? The house glass has been replaced, you’ve bought so much stuff, and you’re rushing your mom and me over.”
I had thought about this question last night, and coming up with excuses had given me a headache. I also knew I couldn’t hide it from them, so I decided to tell them the truth.
My parents were older and had lived through tough times.
Perhaps because they’d been high school teachers, constantly interacting with kids from the new era, their acceptance of new things was sometimes even stronger than mine.
When I told them I died in my apartment complex in my previous life, my dad’s eyes reddened. Perhaps death felt far away, but parents always empathize with your suffering.
“Just reinforcing the doors and windows isn’t enough. We need to make it soundproof. What if someone hears something and tries to break in?”
My dad was a whirlwind of action. As he spoke to me, he called my mom.
Just like that, the worry that had kept me awake all night about an excuse was resolved.
There was still a third of the cargo van’s space left. We followed the navigation straight to the farmer’s market and bought a huge haul there too:
10 bags of potatoes × 150kg
10 bags of cabbage × 150kg
10 cases of apples × 20kg
10 cases of oranges × 20kg
I remembered reading zombie apocalypse hoarding stories in college where the protagonists raised chickens. I quickly mentioned this idea to my dad.
“No, chickens make noise.”
My gaze shifted, and I saw fish. I clapped my hands. “We’ll raise fish!”
Today was Wednesday. Most people in the complex were at work, and since the location was a bit remote, the occupancy rate wasn’t high.
Our family of three moving supplies up to our small attic, trip after trip, didn’t attract any attention.
My mom, a biology teacher, looked at the existing supplies and suggested we buy some seeds.
We still lacked too many things. We left my mom to organize at home, and my dad and I rushed out again.
We headed straight for another Sam’s Club in Silverwood City. This time, with my dad’s decades of experience, buying things was much more organized:
20 bags of rice × 20kg
20 bags of flour × 20kg
50 cases of canned fruit, 20 cans per case
30 cases each of various canned meats, 20 cans per case
50 packs of dried noodles
50 cases of bottled water, 12 bottles per case
15 cases of bread
50 packs of instant rice noodles
15 cases of spicy ramen packs, 12 packs per case
20 buckets of soybean oil × 20kg
20 bottles of dish soap × 2L
20 packs of toilet paper × 12 rolls
30 bottles of body wash × 700ml
50 bottles of laundry detergent × 2L (might not use this much, as water would become a luxury later, but my mom had a slight obsession with cleanliness. If push came to shove, we could purify rainwater. Silverwood City, though in the north, was quite rainy, like a traitor to its northern location.)
50 toothbrushes
50 tubes of toothpaste
20 bars of soap (only my dad used these)
50 bottles of shampoo × 600ml (a little from each brand)
20 boxes of egg yolk pastries, 6 per box
50 bags of ham sausage
I cleared out the entire shelf of sanitary pads. Looking at the quantity, it should last me until menopause, no matter what.
This Sam’s Club was far from home, and since I worked as a streamer, hardly anyone in Silverwood City recognized me, so I shopped freely.
Remembering that the power would go out soon after the zombie outbreak, and natural gas would also be gone, my lazy self quickly told my dad to install solar panels.
As a former high school physics teacher, this small problem was no challenge for him. If natural gas was gone, our stove wouldn’t work.
Thinking of this, I hurriedly bought 5 air fryers, 5 small pans for cooking, 5 rice cookers, and 2 induction cooktops for hot pot.
At the checkout, my dad’s acting skills kicked in. “Avery, your boss is really something. Donating to charity is one thing, but why decide to donate supplies? And then make a young woman like you come buy it all!”
We had bought so much, the cashier’s eyes were practically slits from smiling.
“It must be for the lockdown zones. Companies come here to buy things like this quite often these past few years.”
After the staff loaded everything onto the cargo van, my dad and I headed straight to the mall.
My mom had reminded me about this.
If zombies could break out, who knew if the weather would turn abnormal? Even though Silverwood City was in the north, what if we encountered extreme weather?
5 sets of summer pajamas per person, 5 sets of winter pajamas per person, 10 sets of loungewear
10 pairs of summer slippers per person, 10 pairs of winter slippers per person.
7 pairs of sneakers per person.
15 thick blankets, 15 thin blankets
20 sets of bed linens
8 down jackets per person, 10 sweaters, countless summer clothes
500 sets of disposable underwear
When we got home, we found the soundproofing already underway.
Perhaps because my mom paid generously, there were eight or nine technicians in our thousand-square-foot apartment.
When no one was paying attention, I asked my mom where she put the supplies.
“On the rooftop.”
This was an unspoken agreement among the complex residents: the rooftop always belonged to the top floor.
When I bought this apartment, I had visited the rooftop. Because the building was so tall, the rooftop railing was a good five feet, three inches high, and this building was the tallest in the vicinity.
If you bent down, you wouldn’t be seen from below. Luckily, I had my parents; I honestly hadn’t thought about soundproofing or anything like that.
With money paid, the work naturally sped up.
It was finished by around 8 PM. After seeing off the installation technicians, our family moved everything from the rooftop to the attic, and then brought up the rest of the supplies from the truck.
“We still need to buy some medicine. And some multivitamins. Water isn’t enough either. Here, Avery, tomorrow you and your dad go buy water. Visit several stores, buying a little from each. I’ll go buy seeds and soil tomorrow. I’m just worried no pharmacy will dare sell antibiotics because of the health advisory.”
I paused for a moment. Medicine might actually not be an issue. I rushed into the room and brought out two large medicine chests.
“Oh, Mom, you forgot! You and Dad always bring me so many medicines when you visit, and they’re all recently dated. The last time was about ten days ago…”
Seeing the two overflowing medicine chests, our family finally felt relieved. “Even though your dad and I don’t have high blood pressure or anything, it’s always good to have some just in case.”
My dad and I were busy moving supplies from the rooftop. We were truly exhausted today. My mom just boiled some noodles for a quick dinner. The next morning, we just had some milk powder and bread before heading out again.
**4.**
Six days left.
“Dad! Don’t forget the solar panels and the large chest freezers. The freezers can go in the study. There should be enough space for two large ones.”
No sooner said than done, we headed straight to the mall to buy two large chest freezers. Good thing it was cold now, otherwise the meat we bought yesterday would have spoiled.
We also bought several sets of solar power systems. No particular reason, just in case one broke. My dad said he could fix them, but what if?
While buying the solar systems, we also popped into the neighboring store and bought several thick blackout curtains.
There was still space left in the cargo van, so I took my dad straight to buy water:
10 large water jugs × 19L
10 packs of bottled water × 12 bottles
Then we went to pick up what my mom had bought:
50 packs of various seeds (including easy-to-grow vegetables and fruits like cabbage, bok choy, potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumbers.)
10 bags of unhulled wheat × 30kg (These have a long shelf life; we can grind them by hand if needed.)
50kg chicken breast
20kg chicken wings
20kg chicken feet
20kg beef
These items filled the cargo van.
On the way back, we stopped at pharmacies to buy medicines that didn’t take up much space: vitamins, blood pressure medication, etc., buying small amounts from multiple stores.
We also bought 20 tubes of anti-itch cream, 10 tubes of corticosteroid cream, and 20 bottles of Vitamin E lotion.
The whole morning passed like this.
Thankfully, the elevator was spacious enough for the freezers. We moved things up trip after trip.
After a quick lunch, my mom, whose stamina couldn’t keep up, stayed behind to organize.
My dad and I continued shopping, this time heading straight for larger supermarkets like Auchan:
70 bags of salt
10 cases of soy sauce × 12 bottles
5 cases of vinegar × 12 bottles
3 cases of oyster sauce × 12 bottles
20 packs of paper towels × 12 rolls
20 packs of facial tissues × 12 packs
We also bought soybeans. If soy sauce ran out later, we could brew our own.
My mom used to do it when she wasn’t so busy, back when I was a kid.
At this point, all the shopping coupons from three supermarkets—Dafasco, Yonghui, and Yaohan—were used up.
“Heh heh, I had no idea I’d accumulated so many coupons.”
**5.**
Five days left.
Today’s task was much easier. So far, the only thing we were short on was water. We needed to buy water in multiple trips.
Oh, right, and we needed to buy some self-defense tools.
To be fully prepared, we drove the cargo van and bought another 50 large jugs of water, 19L each. I also bought several kitchen knives and a few small knives for defense.
Passing by a gym, I had a sudden idea to buy a treadmill for home. I could run on it every day; otherwise, my physical fitness wouldn’t keep up. Even though we had tried to make every possible preparation, what if?
Thinking of this, I went to a car dealership and looked at an RV.
The salesperson raved about it, saying it was bulletproof, had a high chassis, and was super safe.
Last night, at dinner, I mentioned that if things got really bad, we’d have to leave, so a car with high safety ratings was essential.
I went with the salesperson to complete the paperwork and arranged to pick up the RV in three days. When I got home, I found my mom had bought a lot of lemons.
These last a long time if refrigerated. This would be our vitamin supplement for when the apples and oranges ran out and the tomatoes weren’t ripe yet.
Four days left, my dad dragged my mom out to stock up on even more supplies.
I don’t know how my dad managed it, but he even brought back several barrels of gasoline. “We’ll put it in the RV when it arrives. If things get bad, we’ll leave.”
For the next few days, I tried my best to go live every day, reminding everyone to stock up on supplies.
Forgive me for not being able to say more; I was too insignificant. I just wanted my family to be safe. I truly couldn’t be a savior.
When we got home, my mom went to organize supplies as usual, and my dad continued working on the composting toilet on the rooftop.
Our apartment, aside from paths for walking and sleeping, was completely filled with supplies.
My grandparents passed away early, and my parents didn’t have other siblings, so that was one less thing to worry about. But my mom had many colleagues.
She subtly hinted to a few close ones to buy more things for home, using the old line about the health advisory getting serious again, better safe than sorry.
My mom had been strict all her life, so her words carried a lot of credibility. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be direct, but this whole thing was just so unscientific.
If not for their blind trust in me, my family would never have believed it.
My parents lived in a faculty apartment complex bought by their high school.
It was crowded, in a busy downtown area, and an older complex, so the safety factor wasn’t good.
That’s why we decided to stay in Silverwood City.
Of course, that’s what I told them when explaining why they should come over.
All in all, we bought 200 large water jugs of drinking water.
Besides various bottled waters and drinks, we also bought several large water collection systems, and plenty of water purification tablets. Water wouldn’t be an issue.
A few days ago, my dad had already connected the solar panels. After testing them and confirming they worked, he connected the fridge and the two large chest freezers to them.
The garbage problem was tricky. I heard the unit next door was empty, so I simply rented it out specifically for garbage storage. We had to handle sanitation properly.
With just one day left, the internet, just like in my previous life, reported malicious attacks in coastal areas. Our family exchanged glances.
My dad took out the heavy-duty locks he bought from the hardware store and locked the stairwell from the 19th to the 21st floors.
After observing for days, these floors seemed to be empty.
“Dad! Mom! We’re going to be okay!”
**6.**
The zombie outbreak.
Ever since it hit Ins, we’d set up a watch schedule at home. Mainly because I’d forgotten exactly when the zombies appeared in Silverwood City.
While we still had internet, the three of us quickly got our phones, iPads, and whatever else we had to download variety shows and TV series.
My mom even bought a stack of books, saying learning never stopped as long as there was life.
Whether we’d actually study, I didn’t know, but I figured that pile of books would hurt if you threw it at someone.
It was my turn to watch tonight. I was watching an old TV show while looking out the window.
With my extensive experience from my previous life, I knew these zombies were especially sensitive to light.
So, at night, we no longer turned on any lights. This trick not only protected us from zombies but also from other people.
Suddenly, I saw the security guard at the complex entrance stumbling towards us, followed by two blood-covered “people.”
The guard was running and screaming for help. It was too late, after 2 AM. Besides me, no one else was likely awake.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to help, but there was truly no point. My eyesight was always good, and the complex had streetlights, so I could vaguely make out the blood-splattered arm of the guard.
It took less than two minutes, and the guard stopped screaming for help, instead stumbling around like a headless chicken.
I dialed 911, reporting the situation in the complex, while also rushing back inside to wake up my parents. My dad was okay; he adapted quickly to new things.
My mom, however, wasn’t. It took a fright before she spoke: “Will these things turn into people?”
I didn’t need to answer; I believed my parents already knew the answer.
My dad, seeing my mom was scared, put an arm around her shoulder and comforted her, “What’s there to be afraid of! We’re all together! Even if the sky falls, I’ll protect you two.”
This commotion probably meant no one was getting back to sleep, so we decided to hold a family meeting and discuss everything.
“To kill them with one blow, you have to hit their heads. Hitting other places is useless. They don’t feel pain anymore.”
“Don’t worry,” my dad said. “Your mom and I already know all about this from watching *The Walking Dead* the other day.”
Seeing my parents calm down, I took a deep breath and said one last thing: “Dad, Mom. There’s one thing I have to say. In the apocalypse, the scariest thing is human nature. We can only ensure our own safety; we can’t be saviors! I know you’ve been teachers your whole lives, but this is the apocalypse! You have to protect yourselves!”
Thankfully, my parents weren’t the type to be overly compassionate. They exchanged glances and slowly but firmly nodded. “Don’t worry, we understand. As long as our family is safe.”
**7.**
Day one of the zombie outbreak.
I stayed on watch until 6 AM. Unable to sleep, I decided to wait until my mom made breakfast before going to bed.
Around 7:50 AM, people started leaving for work. My heart sank, and I saw a man from the building across the street exit, briefcase in hand.
Perhaps it was a common ailment of modern young people, but he was walking and looking at his phone, completely oblivious to a “person” lunging at him from behind, biting his arm and refusing to let go.
“Damn it, are you crazy?!”
With his shout, another zombie rushed over.
The man finally realized something was wrong, running back towards his building and yelling for help.
An old man, out for his morning walk, suddenly stepped forward and knocked both zombies down.
Before he could say anything, the man who had just been bitten tackled him to the ground.
“Get off me! Get off!”
I couldn’t bear to watch the scene below. Many people were leaving for work in the morning, which meant there would undoubtedly be many casualties.
The complex residents finally realized something was wrong, and no one else came out.
Sleepiness washed over me. I gave my parents a few instructions and then went back to my room to sleep.
When I woke up at noon, my mom had already prepared lunch.
Now that the zombies had just broken out, electricity and water were still stable, but we’d agreed last night that we shouldn’t use the range hood.
The range hood was noisy. Zombies were one thing; they were mindless.
But we were afraid of attracting other survivors. With our family’s physical condition, we’d be easy pickings.
It was okay if our quality of life was lower. With our amount of stored supplies, we could definitely wait for rescue. If supplies ran out and rescue still hadn’t come, then we wouldn’t survive anyway.
One difference from my last life was that we still had a signal this time.
The complex residents’ SnapChat group was tallying the number of survivors in each household.
Since the outbreak had just begun, some people still fantasized that order hadn’t completely broken down. My dad and I discussed it.
“Let’s not report our numbers. We have enough supplies anyway. And we’re a small group. What if someone comes to raid us?”
I agreed wholeheartedly.
While I was washing my face, my mom served lunch, saying, “I saw in the group chat this morning, everyone’s doing pretty well.”
The group she mentioned was her old colleagues. My mom had subtly hinted to them, and they had all stored some supplies.
Lunch was stir-fried cabbage and tomato beef. After eating, we each got an orange.
“After lunch, I’ll stand watch. Avery and your dad can take turns on the treadmill.”
Just then, my phone suddenly rang.
It was a FaceTime call, and the ringtone was extremely loud. I quickly lowered the volume and switched to voice mode. It was one of the complex’s property management staff.
“Hello, resident, are you home? We’re counting survivors. Why haven’t we seen your reply?”
My family exchanged glances. “Oh, I’m not home. I’m back in my hometown.”
“Okay, okay then.”
After hanging up, we looked at each other. “What do you think he meant by making a video call?”
My dad reacted quickly.
“I remember now, a few days ago, your mom and I were driving the RV to buy stuff, and we ran into someone on the way back who asked us why we were buying so much!”
This could be a big deal or a small one. The three of us immediately put down our bowls.
“Even though I got the other elevator card a few days ago, using the excuse that I lost mine, what if?”
This complex had two units per floor, and you couldn’t get up without an elevator card.
“Avery, do you remember when the power went out?”
“Probably in two or three more days.”
“Crap.”
My dad went out first, stopped the elevator on the twenty-first floor, and then cut its power.
“Even though this isn’t humane, there’s no other way! As long as our family can be safe!”
To be honest, we didn’t know how many families lived in this building. Not stopping the elevator before was a consideration for other people’s escape.
“Actually, this is better. The stairs are safer. The elevator would be a disaster if something went wrong.”
We could only comfort ourselves this way.
I wasn’t a saint. I wouldn’t put myself in danger to let others escape. But I still felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
“Avery, don’t think about it. Your dad and I checked before. Even though the elevator goes straight to the underground parking, the elevator shaft is pitch black, making it far more dangerous. Taking the stairs, whether up or down, offers a higher chance of escape.”
We could only comfort ourselves like this. After dinner, my dad grabbed the watering can and went to water the seeds in the foam boxes.
Since it was daytime, a tiny corner of the thick blackout curtains on the balcony was opened, just enough for sunlight to spill in.
Before he finished watering, we saw a drone flying in the distance. Along with the drone came an automatically playing broadcast.
“Dear residents, we are facing an unprecedented disaster. Please stay home and await government rescue. Please trust us, we will not abandon anyone.”
Honestly, I was really curious why I never saw rescue in my last life, even when I died.
I was too ordinary, too insignificant, and too selfish. Even with a second chance, I only wanted my family to live well.
After watering, I started watching the self-defense videos I downloaded a few days ago. The complex’s loudspeaker suddenly blared.
“Attention, residents! Let us believe there will be hope!”
Instantly, zombies from all directions began to scurry like headless chickens, searching for the source of the sound.
The complex’s loudspeakers were installed at the entrance of each building.
I couldn’t really understand why, in the 21st century, when everything could be solved by phone, they needed these loudspeakers.
As the loudspeaker blared, the zombies near our building immediately swarmed around. I couldn’t help but curse them as idiots in my mind.
“Avery, will they come up?”
I didn’t remember this part. In my last life, I was alone and so scared during the day that I’d just drift into a daze.
“Mom, don’t worry. We’re on the twenty-first floor. We’ll be fine.”
I said that, but I wasn’t so sure myself. Luckily, it was just a false alarm.
The loudspeaker fell silent, and the zombies went back to wandering aimlessly.
My sharp eyes spotted the man who had gone to work this morning with a briefcase. His arm was covered in blood, and he was stumbling around.
He was still wearing his suit, looking like an executive. What a waste.
**8.**
Day three of the apocalypse. Still just the daily drone broadcasts telling everyone to stay home and not give up, with rescue nowhere in sight.
Most of the young people living in this area worked at a large tech campus nearby. Young people, you know, not many have the habit of hoarding food.
In my last life, if it weren’t for all the snacks I hoarded during Black Friday sales, plus the freebies from manufacturers, I wouldn’t have survived even a month.
In the morning, when Dad was on watch, he saw a man and a woman emerge from the building across the street. They were completely bundled up, moving cautiously.
Around the thirteenth floor, a window opened, and two heads, an old man and a boy, popped out. The boy, about twelve or thirteen, was holding a drone.
A phone was attached to the drone’s tail. Seeing the man and woman go down, he quickly launched the drone and flew it in the opposite direction.
Not everyone parked their cars in the underground garage; some were parked along the road in the complex.
The drone flying in the opposite direction suddenly made a loud noise, loud enough to attract all the zombies.
The man and woman seized the opportunity to get into their car, an SUV.
I remembered this couple vividly. They were the first to go out for supplies and return safely, bringing back a significant amount.
Anyway, I remembered that in my last life, this family didn’t venture out again before I died.
Sure enough, about an hour and a half later, the couple drove back.
The little boy kept staring at the complex entrance. When he saw his family’s car, he quickly launched the drone in the opposite direction again.
The couple had quite a haul. The trunk and back seats were packed, probably every inch of space except for where people sat was full.
Just like in my last life, after they took their supplies upstairs, they turned back. I knew they were going to look for solar panels, and they’d come back with two cars.
In every way, this couple’s courage was admirable. Soon, as residents ran out of supplies, everyone would have to go out looking for more.
The number of zombies would increase, and searching for supplies would become even harder.
Around 2 PM, the couple returned with two vehicles. The man was driving a cargo van, and the woman was in their SUV.
The nearby zombies had already been led away by the little boy. The couple quickly moved the goods upstairs.
The cargo van was entirely filled with water and rice.
This life, I lived in relative comfort, allowing me to observe more closely what the couple brought back.
Solar panels, various canned goods, rice, flour, oil, daily necessities. I even spotted seeds and soil.
Oh, and they brought back a huge bag of potatoes. Potatoes were easy to grow and could become a staple food later on.
The woman opened the passenger door, revealing a huge bag of medicine inside.
Even though I knew they got home safely in my last life, I still breathed a sigh of relief.
The couple must have reached home safely; the little boy reeled in the drone and closed the window.
This couple sent a signal to the outside world: hurry and go out to find supplies, while there weren’t so many zombies, while there were still supplies outside.
My mom stopped watching TV, focusing intently on that family. Seeing them arrive home safely, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“They’re really brave, aren’t they?”
“They’ll be even braver tonight. That couple will go out again. If I remember correctly, they might clear out the entire Costco.”
Around 11 PM, it was my turn to stand watch.
I saw the couple who had just returned in the afternoon leave again. The little boy operated the drone, flying it far away, even attaching a small light to it, putting all his effort into protecting his parents.
To be honest, while I didn’t know what the outside world looked like right now, judging by this couple’s two safe returns, their fighting prowess wasn’t weak.
Sure enough, this time they brought back two large cargo vans, two truckloads of supplies in one go.
The last time, the couple drove the cargo vans back and returned in their own SUV, finishing up all the hauling by almost 5 AM.
Generally, families with elders and children would have the highest level of security for their doors and windows. So, this family might be able to live comfortably until the very end.
My mom had been a high school teacher for many years, even serving as a head of department for a long time.
Her biological clock woke her up before 6 AM every morning. I told her about what happened, and she sighed, “Everyone’s struggling.”
**9.**
Day four of the apocalypse, water and electricity were cut off.
At first, only the water stopped. I was preparing to cook, and when I tried to add a spoonful of water, the faucet wouldn’t run.
My dad, who was brushing his teeth, still had a mouthful of foam. Then the electricity went out.
My dad watched the TV and sighed. This would make life even harder for ordinary residents.
Even if someone wanted to go out for supplies, most residential buildings were seventeen or eighteen stories high.
Modern young people generally lacked physical exercise, so carrying things up floor by floor might kill them. And that was the best-case scenario.
What if there were zombies on one of the floors?
When I woke up in the afternoon, I found the internet was also cut off.
The complex residents’ SnapChat group messages stopped this morning, still saying, “Please wait for rescue.”
This had little impact on our family.
My dad, the old man, was still happily watching TV, emphasizing to my mom, “This martial arts master’s last name is Miller, just like ours. Maybe we were family five hundred years ago!”
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The day Chloe’s wedding to Julian was supposed to happen, my love jumped from the eighteenth floor.
I opened his studio, and it was filled with countless portraits of Seraphina.
The strokes were wild and frenzied, almost deranged, yet they pulsed with his overwhelming affection.
My friend Maya said, “Julian loved Seraphina for ten years. She was his only light.”
When I opened my eyes again, I saw Julian, cornered by the school bully Jax in our classroom. I quietly closed the door.
Later, he knocked on my window in the pouring rain, his voice hoarse and desperate.
“Chloe, are you… are you giving up on me?”
Astrophysics professor Julian recently discovered a new asteroid. During his interview, his exceptionally striking appearance made him an instant trending topic.
The public’s focus quickly shifted from the asteroid to his almost otherworldly face.
When news broke that the asteroid was named after his beloved, netizens instantly erupted. While praising their picture-perfect romance, everyone started digging to find out who “R.a.n.” was.
I hugged my phone, biting back a triumphant grin.
At the end of the video, the reporter chuckled, asking, “Professor Julian, is there anything you’d like to say to your beloved, R.a.n.?”
Julian froze, his eyes, dark as midnight, trembling slightly.
“Happy wedding.”
His tone was calm, yet it held an almost imperceptible edge of despair, on the brink of shattering.
I instantly stiffened.
Happy wedding? What did that even mean?
“Oh, come on!” Maya, beside me, playfully nudged me.
“Chloe, your Professor Julian seems so stoic, but he’s actually quite the romantic, huh? Celebrating your wedding anniversary like it’s your actual wedding day.”
Was that it?
Looking at Julian’s seemingly tender eyes in the video, my cheeks instantly flushed.
I had been with Julian for ten years.
I’d seen him transform from a sullen, almost lifeless boy to the composed, refined professor he was now.
Ten years ago, he transferred to my school and became my deskmate. The boy had porcelain skin and features that seemed painted, but he looked at me with pure annoyance.
And now, he was naming an asteroid after me, and his usually cold, aloof eyes softened with fondness and tenderness whenever he spoke of his beloved.
Today was our one-year wedding anniversary.
I cradled my stomach, curled up on the sofa.
I planned to tell him the news about my pregnancy the moment he walked through the door.
However…
The news I received instead was Julian’s death.
He had jumped from the eighteenth floor.
Clutched tightly in his hand was a single note.
“Death is merely a return to the cosmos.
Billions of years from now, we will reunite among the stars.”
Accompanied by Maya, I arranged Julian’s funeral.
He had left a will, stating that all his assets were to be donated after his death.
For some reason, I was eerily calm these past few days.
Seeing Maya’s eyes swollen from crying, gritting her teeth at Julian’s memorial picture, yet still trying to comfort me, I almost wanted to laugh.
After the funeral, I received a call from his lawyer.
“Mrs. Julian, Mr. Julian owned a villa not included in the donation… You can come arrange for its transfer whenever you have time.”
The villa was in the suburbs, south of the city.
I pushed open the front door, speechless at the sight before me.
The main hall was filled with portraits.
The strokes were wild and frenzied, almost deranged, like rough sketches from a beginner.
But the person in the portraits came alive, made vivid by the overflowing, intense affection captured within them.
It was Seraphina, our high school’s ‘It Girl’.
Ten years. I had never once heard her name from Julian’s lips.
I had no idea his feelings for her were hidden so deeply.
I stumbled forward a few steps, steadying myself against a table.
Neatly arranged on the table were several amber pieces.
Each encased a small fruit candy, a dried flower, and a fragment of a glitter nail.
The amber was smooth and rounded, clearly often handled and cherished.
Things Seraphina had carelessly discarded, he treated as precious treasures.
My wedding ring, which I had personally chosen for him, lay discarded nearby in a dried-up paint palette.
My heart clenched with sharp, shooting pains, and tears welled uncontrollably in my eyes.
Sitting down, I masochistically opened the notebook on the table.
It was a chronicle of Julian’s ten-year unrequited love.
On his first day of transfer, he received a fruit candy from Seraphina, the girl who sat in front of him, along with a friendly smile.
It was as if a ray of sunshine had pierced his shadowed, inner world.
For the gloomy boy, who had suffered domestic abuse and bullying, it was the first pure act of kindness he had ever received.
He fell for her then and there.
He wanted to lock her away, to possess her, to make her smile only for him.
But he couldn’t bear to drag such a bright, vibrant girl into his darkness.
R.a.n. wasn’t Chloe. It was Seraphina.
It was his wedding gift to her.
I flipped through the entire notebook. There were only a few brief mentions of me.
“My new deskmate is too nosy, annoying.
…
Married. A bit regretful, but I must be responsible for her.”
All the breakfasts I brought him when he had low blood sugar, the bullies I chased away for him, the time I dragged him by the hand out of the fire his deranged, abusive father started, all these years of my companionship and comfort… he didn’t mention a single one.
The only thing he couldn’t forget was Seraphina’s vibrant smile from all those years ago.
Each word was a slow, agonizing slice to my heart.
I clenched my fists, breathing deeply.
The crisp, clean scent of pine, his scent, still seemed to linger in the air.
I felt nauseous.
Some people are just inherently vile, unworthy of salvation.
I pressed my palm to my stomach.
He didn’t deserve me bearing his child.
Just as I was about to stand, I heard a sound from the doorway.
Two figures pushed the door open and stepped inside.
It was Julian’s best friend, Liam, and Seraphina.
Liam’s eyes were red-rimmed, his voice hoarse.
“This villa… Julian left it for you.
You were once his only light. Back then, he was so depressed he almost didn’t make it. It was looking at your photos that helped him get back on his feet.”
Seraphina stood blankly, her eyes misted over.
“After he received his full scholarship, he didn’t even need to attend classes anymore, but he came every day just to get another glimpse of you…”
Liam’s voice trailed off as he finally spotted me behind the bookshelf.
He froze.
Then, with a disgusted frown, he asked, “What are you doing here?”
He strode forward and shoved me hard.
“Get out! Don’t you dare defile the only peaceful place Julian had!
If you hadn’t clung to him so relentlessly, he wouldn’t have ended up like this!”
I stumbled from his push, and a dull ache spread in my lower abdomen.
I steadied myself, then swung my hand back and slapped him hard across the face.
“What does that have to do with me?!
I never forced him to date me, or to marry me!
He missed out on Seraphina because he was a spineless, pathetic coward!”
Seraphina’s teary voice suddenly cut in.
“He… didn’t receive the love letter I sent him?”
Liam and I both froze.
“What did you say?”
“Before the college entrance exam, I put a love letter on his desk, but I never heard back from him…”
Her voice was laced with a bitter laugh, and when she looked up again, her eyes held a hint of resentment.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” She stared at me, her gaze piercing.
“You were jealous of me, so you threw away the letter?
You made us miss out on ten whole years… and now he’s gone, and we’re separated by death…”
I knew nothing about this.
But Liam believed her.
“You evil bitch!”
He gritted his teeth and lunged at me. My stomach hit the corner of the table with a sickening thud.
A searing pain ripped through me, and blood slowly began to seep out.
My vision blurred, and I collapsed onto the floor, unconscious.
When I opened my eyes again, I was holding a textbook, dressed in my school uniform, standing outside the janitor’s closet.
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I was obsessed with Liam for two years after we got married. He hated me.
How much did he hate me?
I was in a car accident, fractured multiple bones, and ended up staying in their hospital for half a year. He, a prominent orthopedic surgeon, never visited me once.
No one liked me. Everyone said I was the one who drove Sierra away, that I was a heartless monster.
Right after the accident, when I couldn’t move, everyone around him felt relieved for him.
“Liam, you’re finally free for a while.”
When it was time for me to be discharged, his friends all breathed a sigh of relief on his behalf.
“Chloe’s getting out. She’s going to torment Liam again.”
True to their word, the first thing I did after being discharged was find Liam.
But it wasn’t to cling to him anymore.
Instead, I handed him a document.
“Liam, this is what you wanted.”
“What?”
I smiled softly.
“Open it and see for yourself… Liam, I don’t want the house, I don’t want the car. I wish you even greater success in the future. I hope our paths never cross again.”
After handing over the divorce papers, I stepped back and melted into the crowd.
“Nurse, what’s going on with the patient in the next bed? No one’s come to see her.”
“Hmph, maybe she did too many rotten things. Everyone’s probably staying away from her.”
Even while I was in a coma, I could hear conversations from outside. But in that dark world of unconsciousness, I struggled with every fiber of my being to wake up, yet I couldn’t.
Finally, after countless attempts, a cup from the next bed clattered to the floor, the sound jolting me awake.
“Oh my, dear, you’re awake!” Mrs. Stone gasped.
I stared at the ceiling, unable to move a muscle.
“Honey, I’m so sorry, did I scare you awake by dropping the cup?”
No, I should have thanked her for dropping the cup. It was the shock that finally allowed me to open my eyes. No one knew how terrified, how utterly helpless I felt in that dark, comatose world.
Word of my awakening quickly reached the doctors. They came to examine me, saying it was a good sign that I’d finally woken up. But among all the doctors in their white coats, I didn’t see Liam.
I hadn’t heard his voice while I was comatose. And he hadn’t shown up since I woke.
“Where’s Liam?”
A few doctors exchanged glances.
“Dr. Ryan… he’s in surgery right now. He can’t come over.”
“Oh.”
“How’s my body doing?”
“When the accident happened, you landed on the back of your head, resulting in significant bruising in your brain, which was the cause of your coma.
You also suffered a fractured right hand, a severe fracture in your left thigh, and several other fractures and soft tissue contusions.
In short, your injuries were very serious. As of yesterday, you had been unconscious for forty days. Thankfully, you were brought to the hospital quickly.
The blood clots in your brain are slowly reabsorbing, and your fractures have been surgically repaired and casted. They’re healing well.”
Dinner time arrived. Mrs. Stone, from the next bed, fed her husband while turning to ask me, “Little girl, who is this Dr. Ryan you keep talking about? Is he someone very important to you?”
He… he’s my husband.
What kind of surgery takes eight hours? And he can’t even spare a moment to see his wife after she wakes up?
I shook my head. “Just an acquaintance.”
“Oh, I see.”
“What about your family?”
Only one caregiver was looking after me. During my coma, she was the one who bathed me, changed my catheter… she did everything. I doubt anyone in the entire hospital was worse off than me.
I concocted a reason. “They’re all in another city, and it’s hard for them to travel.”
My parents divorced when I was in middle school because my dad cheated. I was put in my dad’s custody. My mom was devastated and moved overseas.
My dad is a businessman, constantly flying between cities. Other than making sure my allowance card was loaded, he never had time to care for me.
Oh, right, three years ago, he had a little brother with his new wife.
I was the one who pursued Liam. Or maybe not ‘pursued’ in the sense that he eventually came to love me back.
It’s just, even after we married, he was always cold to me. He treated me with less than a third of the tenderness he showed Sierra.
Maybe, if Sierra hadn’t left, he would have married her instead.
“Oh no, why is the blood flowing backward?” Ms. Davies, the caregiver who brought me my meal, exclaimed.
I turned my head and saw that the IV line in the back of my hand was completely filled with blood. The caregiver immediately pressed the call button.
The nurse who came in was Megan, my former high school classmate. The impatience was written all over her face.
She roughly ripped off the tape on my hand and pulled out the needle. It was true; back then, almost everyone in our class secretly called me a home-wrecker, malicious, and a ruthless climber.
She replaced the line and left.
Ms. Davies and Mrs. Stone both looked upset. The caregiver picked up my meal, ready to feed me, and said, “Maybe she’s just in a bad mood.”
“No, I noticed it. She’s just… really rude to this girl. When our old man needs medicine, she’s perfectly fine.”
I didn’t say anything, just told her, “Could you please buy me a small table? I’ll put my food on it and eat by myself.” My right hand was still in a cast, so only my left hand could move.
Before, if Megan had treated me like that, I would have torn into her. But now, I just felt too exhausted to argue about anything.
Liam walked in when I was clumsily trying to eat, wrapped up like a mummy. Eating with my left hand felt so awkward.
When he entered, my spoon, halfway to my mouth, froze in mid-air. I must have looked utterly pathetic in that moment.
He glanced at me, then turned his gaze to Mr. Stone in the next bed. “What’s the situation?”
…He was here to see the patient next to me.
I lowered my head, mechanically shoveling food into my mouth, my whole body feeling numb.
“Doctor, you’re here! My husband suddenly has terrible elbow pain.”
Liam gently loosened Mr. Stone’s cast. “Is that better?”
“Much better, it doesn’t hurt as much.”
Mrs. Stone asked, puzzled, “Did they change doctors? Wasn’t it Dr. Evans before?”
“He has a family emergency, so I’m covering for him for two days.”
“Oh, I see. You look so young, doctor, and you’re already working at City General. That’s incredible!”
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
Liam sidestepped Mrs. Stone’s question. “The cast was too tight before, compressing the elbow, which caused the pain. If this happens again, call a doctor immediately.”
After he finished tending to Mr. Stone, he seemed to linger. I just kept my head down, mechanically eating.
Then, a pair of white shoes appeared by my bed. A nurse rushed over. “Dr. Ryan, ER!”
The white shoes that had appeared in my peripheral vision vanished again. I looked out into the darkness and sniffed.
From then on, Liam never visited me again. Dr. Evans returned, so Liam didn’t need to cover for him anymore. Mr. Stone, me, and the other patients on this ward were all Dr. Evans’s patients.
I heard there was a multi-car pile-up that night, with many injured. I also heard Liam went to another state for a medical exchange.
When he returned, there was a major fire in the city, and the hospital was overflowing. Later, I heard he was dispatched overseas for further study. In short, he was always busy.
The bed next to mine saw a constant rotation of patients. Once I could get out of bed, I pushed myself through physical therapy.
I was determined to stand up again, to be a normal person. No matter how painful the rehabilitation, I gritted my teeth and persevered in that therapy room, just like the other patients.
Of course, during this time, I became the laughingstock of my old social circle.
The untouchable ice queen, bedridden after an accident, unable to care for herself, needing everything done for her.
Before, we were all medical students from a top university. But during my internship year, I injured my finger and couldn’t be a surgeon. I gave up on that career. Several of my former classmates got jobs at City General.
But no one felt sorry for me. They only thought it was my karma. After all, everyone believed I had霸道地逼走了 Sierra, forcing her to go abroad.
“You’re completely back to normal. That’s amazing.”
Four months later, when I walked a stretch of road without any aids, my physical therapist clapped. “Thank you for your dedication.”
“It’s your incredible willpower. Honestly, your comminuted thigh fracture was extremely severe, but you’re the only person I’ve seen who never uttered a single word of pain throughout the entire long process.”
I smiled and said nothing.
I was discharged. I completed the paperwork and took a taxi from the hospital.
It had been almost half a year since I’d been back. I paused for a moment, my finger touching the fingerprint lock. The door opened to a faint smell of dust.
Just as I’d guessed, Liam rarely came back either.
I tidied the sofa and opened the comforting chicken and rice soup I’d bought downstairs. I’d only taken two spoonfuls when my phone vibrated again.
I looked at the messages in the group chat and fell silent.
“Chloe’s discharged.”
“Whoa, already out? Wasn’t she badly injured?”
“She’s going to come back and cling to Liam again. Liam must have owed her something in a past life to be tormented by her like this.”
“Stop it, she’s still in this group. If she sees it, watch out for revenge.”
“Shoot, wrong group!”
The messages in the chat were quickly deleted. I turned off my phone and continued eating my soup. I slept alone that night; Liam didn’t come home.
The next morning, I lifted my stiff hand, rubbing my eyes. After a moment, I got up and dressed. I grabbed the things from the coffee table and headed out.
Just before closing the door, I paused for a second, taking one last look at the three-bedroom apartment I had meticulously designed.
*Slam.* The door closed as I left.
In the orthopedic ward hallway, I saw Liam. They had just finished their morning meeting, and a group of doctors in white coats were coming out of the conference room.
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My parents are famous, but I can only see them on TV.
They rush to the frontlines of war, claiming the environment is dangerous, and left me with my grandmother in the countryside.
But later, they adopted their colleague’s daughter.
They kept her by their side, compensating her for everything they owed me.
She became their precious one, able to stay with Mom and Dad without the barrier of a cold screen.
When they finally remembered me, I had already forgotten my feelings for them after a high fever.
0
I fell ill. It wasn’t serious, but it lasted for a long time.
It all started with a bet between me and my adoptive sister. We were competing to see who could climb to the top of the mountain first. The winner would get our parents to attend their parent-teacher conference.
When I finally reached the summit, exerting all my strength against the morning breeze and dew, I saw my parents and adoptive sister, the three of them smiling as they set up a tent to capture the sunrise.
Seeing me arrive, Sophia grinned and said, “I only said we’d race to see who gets here first. I never specified how we’d get here.”
She continued, “Emma, don’t you get it? To reach the same destination, you have to rely on your own two feet, but I have our parents to lift me up. You were destined to lose from the start.”
My parents stood behind her, holding cameras. Upon hearing our conversation and realizing what had happened, they looked a bit embarrassed and were about to invite me to watch the sunrise with them.
But I had already turned to leave without a second glance.
“Let her go!” I heard Mom’s angry voice from behind. “Why can’t she be more understanding like Sophia? If she knew how to be close to her parents, instead of always having that cold, sullen face, we wouldn’t ignore her!”
Hearing this, I couldn’t help but find it somewhat amusing. My parents always said I never knew how to soften my attitude, never knew how to be affectionate and please them.
But in the fifteen years of my life that they were absent, I couldn’t even see them, let alone be close to them.
How could I know how to do something no one ever taught me?
After returning home, I fell ill. Although I had only been exposed to a bit of wind and dew, I developed a high fever and felt weak and dizzy.
Before completely passing out, I called an ambulance for myself.
Then I sank into darkness. In my unconscious state, I saw my childhood again.
When I was very young, I could only see my parents on television, and that was the only place I could see them.
They were nationally renowned journalists, college sweethearts with shared ideals.
After graduation, they chased their common dream, running to the frontlines of various important news events.
Later, they even volunteered to go abroad to war zones, living and eating with refugees devastated by war.
Before they left, they took a photo.
In the picture, I was still a baby, held in the arms of a smiling man and woman, the three of us nestled together happily as a family.
At that time, I didn’t know that this would be the last time in my life that I would be embraced by my parents.
It was also this moment that made the child in me regret and beat my chest countless times.
I hated myself for not being more precocious – so that I could have known what it felt like to be in my parents’ arms.
It must have been an experience worth remembering for a lifetime.
But there are no “what ifs” in life.
Communication wasn’t as advanced in those days, so I was left with my grandmother who lived alone in the countryside.
The old lady wasn’t very good at using the mobile phone my parents had left her. At the beginning of each month, she would walk over ten miles to the post office in town, leaning on her cane, to see if there was any mail for us.
When I got a bit older, she would take me with her.
Before each trip, I would always put on my best clothes that I usually saved for special occasions, and wear two flowers on the neat braids Grandma had done for me.
I thought my parents could see me through the letters, so I had to dress up beautifully to see them.
But I never received any letters. It wasn’t until third grade, when my language teacher assigned us to write a letter to our mothers, that I suddenly realized letters were only sent one way.
My parents wouldn’t suddenly appear in the post office to hear me tell them how much I missed them.
Fortunately, even without letters, there was still television.
My parents had been abroad for many years and hadn’t come home for the Spring Festival for seven or eight years.
Occasionally, they would ask someone to bring some appliances to Grandma’s house in the old village.
When that 45-inch color TV was installed in the house, it drew many villagers to come and watch.
Grandma didn’t mind, inviting everyone in to watch TV together.
After the antenna was set up and the TV turned on, it happened to be the evening news. After the well-dressed anchor said a few words, the scene changed, and a couple in plain clothes appeared on the screen, holding microphones.
At that moment, my eyes lit up.
The people in the news were my parents. They were standing in front of the smoke of war, briefly introducing the local situation and calling on the whole society to lend a hand to these refugees who had suffered undeserved disasters.
I looked at their faces, much more weathered than in the photos, and walked dazedly to the TV.
“Dad, Mom…” I looked up, calling out to them loudly, but got no response.
0
From then on, watching the news became my unwavering hobby.
They weren’t on the news every day, but whenever they were, I would always have a good dream that night.
In my dreams, my parents would take me with them, and I could go on adventures with them.
They would hold me in their arms, ruffle my hair, and call me “baby.”
Later, when I entered junior high school, I went to study in town.
By that time, mobile phones had started to become more common.
One day after school, I found that old mobile phone that hadn’t been turned on for a long time in the drawer of Grandma’s bedside table. I charged it up again and when I found the number with my parents’ names in the contacts, my heart started pounding uncontrollably.
The call didn’t go through; the phone had been out of service for a long time.
Later, I saved up money for a long time, reciting that number representing my parents every day.
Finally, on my birthday, I gave ten dollars to the owner of the small shop at the entrance and borrowed her phone to dial that number.
The phone rang for a long time, and just when I thought no one would answer, that gentle male voice that had been lingering in my dreams day and night sounded.
“Dad!” I exclaimed his name excitedly, telling him I was his baby.
But he was silent for a long time, as if he couldn’t remember that he had a baby back in his hometown.
When he spoke again, his voice was a bit hurried. He said, “Baby, Dad’s busy with work. I’ll contact you later. Be good and listen to your grandmother back home.”
He hung up without waiting for my reply.
I held the phone, warmed by the heat from my ear, feeling a bit disappointed.
This was the first time I had spoken to my father in my memory.
A child’s intuition is actually keen, and on that day, I suddenly realized something.
My parents didn’t necessarily miss me as much as I missed them.
From then on, I still couldn’t break the habit of waiting for the news in front of the TV, but I was no longer as excited as before when waiting.
Once, I had fantasized that I was a loved child, thinking that Mom and Dad also wanted to see me through the screen.
But now, I finally understood that they probably didn’t love me.
To them, I was a strange existence that hadn’t left much impression due to the long separation.
0
The turning point came when I was in high school. At that time, I was buried in my studies every day, hoping to enter the news industry for college.
High school required boarding, so naturally, I no longer had the chance to watch the news every day.
One day after self-study, I saw Grandma standing at the classroom door, leaning on her cane.
She had even put on new clothes for the occasion.
As soon as she saw me, she excitedly said, “Baby, your parents are back. Let’s go meet them.”
At that moment, the books in my hands fell to the ground, and the whole world was filled with a ringing sound.
I was going to see my parents. They were finally no longer just cold images existing on the screen.
I could throw myself into their arms and act spoiled, or hold their hands, sit beside them, and show them all the awards I had received over the years.
I grew up in the countryside and didn’t have any special talents. These certificates praising me for being top of the class every year were the only things I could proudly show them.
I wanted to know if they would be proud of me.
I hurriedly followed Grandma to the bus station.
While waiting, I fixed my hair countless times.
I also quietly bought a pack of wet wipes to clean my face.
Using the reflection from the steel armrests of the station seats, I kept adjusting my appearance over and over, constantly regretting that I should have washed my hair before coming out.
I was afraid that my first impression on them would be bad, but then I thought that since they were my parents, they shouldn’t mind.
By then I had entered puberty, and my vague sense of self-esteem had already taken root.
I thought, since my parents had neglected me so much when I was little, when I met them, I should also act a bit reserved. That way, we’d be even.
Grandma and I ended up not being able to wait for my parents.
After sitting at the station until late at night, my dad’s friend came to find Grandma. He said my dad had called him, saying they had landed in the capital and would only stay for a week. After finishing their handover, they would set off again, so there was no need to come back to the old home.
They told us not to wait anymore.
I listened to this news in a daze, my head buzzing. I felt they would indeed do something like this.
I just felt a bit of contempt for them in my heart.
I thought, Grandma is old, and even I know to be filial to her, but they let their own parents’ expectations fall through time and time again.
Perhaps they weren’t as wonderful as I had imagined. Perhaps… they weren’t even as good as me.
After returning home, I developed a high fever.
During my illness, I learned from my uncle who came to visit me about the reason for their return to the country this time.
The war zone they had been in was completely destroyed by artillery fire. The attack came too suddenly, and the journalists were slow to evacuate. Many people were injured.
My parents, in order to record the city under artillery fire in the first place, forcibly delayed until the last moment.
Their best friend – the photographer who had followed them through life and death – also lost his life because of this.
Bearing the life and expectations of their friend, they were even more unwilling to stop.
After returning to the country for recuperation, they quickly geared up to return to the front lines of the war.
As if to express their guilt, they had someone buy new phones for Grandma and me.
They even took the initiative to call me.
But we were indeed strangers, and after exchanging a few pleasantries on the phone, we had nothing more to say.
Before hanging up, Dad told me to study hard, saying that Mom and Dad were waiting for me at the front.
But my attention was all on the clear voice of a little girl calling “Dad!” from their end of the phone.
Yes, they had adopted their colleague’s daughter.
That girl, five months younger than me, was very pitiful.
Her name was Sophia. Her mother had passed away when she was very young, and now she had lost her father too.
My parents took her in.
War is cruel and dangerous, yet they kept Sophia by their side.
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After crossing into another world, I stayed by Zane Blackwood’s side for ten years.
But in ten attempts to bear his child, each time the baby died because he was protecting his true love.
The first time, just as the egg was born, he heard his beloved Ruby was under attack. Without a word, he transformed and ran off wildly.
Leaving me alone to watch over the lifeless embryo.
The second time, Ruby complained of feeling cold, so he gave away the heated stone bed meant for incubating our egg.
Later, he became the most revered Serpent King of the tribe and promised I would be his most honored queen.
He swore he would give me a child.
But this tenth time, even though the egg had already cracked open, Zane held Ruby in his arms. She was under the influence of an aphrodisiac, and he solemnly vowed:
“Aria, wait for me for three days. Once the poison is cured, I’ll return to continue incubating our egg.”
I had already waited ten years. But these three days, I was no longer willing to wait.
Later I heard that the Serpent King went mad searching every corner of the beast tribe lands. His scales fell off, his eyes turned blood-red, striking terror into all creatures.
But he could not find me anywhere.
When Zane left holding Ruby with her flushed cheeks, I didn’t try to stop him.
After all, this was already the tenth time he had abandoned our egg midway through incubation for Ruby’s sake.
I was long used to scenes like this.
It’s just that this time, our hatchling had already broken through its shell. Its fragile body was still covered in blood from hatching, its temperature slowly dropping…
Yet Zane didn’t even spare a backward glance.
In the cold wind, I sat alone in our nest. Only my friend Lily the rabbit secretly slipped me a seed:
“Aria, this is a seed of the Forget-Me-Not flower,” Lily said in a low voice.
“Plant it, and in seven days it will mature. If you eat it, you can conceal your aura and forget everything from your past.”
I looked down at the unremarkable seed in my hand, feeling like a thousand-pound stone was pressing down on my heart.
But in the end, I nodded.
Then Lily left too.
Inside the incubation cave, only I remained, holding the now stiff and cold hatchling, silently waiting for three days.
Zane had lied to me. He never came back.
I smiled faintly and tossed the cracked eggshell into the fire pit. The last glimmer of hope in my eyes extinguished along with the flames.
That evening, a heavy snow began to fall in the valley. The cold wind gusted into the cave, stinging my cheeks.
I buried the hatchling’s body along with the seed in the soil.
My fingers were frozen red, tears crystallizing into ice.
When I looked up again, I saw Zane watching me from afar, snow piling up on his shoulders.
I thought I must be seeing things.
But in the next instant, Zane strode through the wind and snow, pulling me into his embrace.
I was immediately enveloped by his familiar scent of winter pine, reminding me of our first meeting ten years ago:
Back then he was just a small emerald snake, nearly dead from a wolf’s bite.
It was me, newly arrived in this world, who cut out half of my own beast core to feed him.
From then on, Zane and I carried the same winter pine scent.
No matter how far apart, Zane could always find me by following that scent.
“Aria, I’m back,” he said.
“I’m sorry, Ruby’s poison came on so suddenly, I had no choice but to stay with her,” Zane nuzzled my cheek, his voice impossibly gentle.
“Don’t be angry. In just three short days, I missed you and our child terribly.”
The child he claimed to think of constantly – its corpse was already cold.
Zane pressed his forehead to mine, his breath warm, his gaze reverent.
But he was clearly wrapped in an aura of lust, his fingertips still stained with Ruby’s rouge. Yet here he was, cradling my ice-cold ankles, bending to kiss them inch by inch:
“Aria, trust me one last time. Ruby lost a fox tail because of me years ago and can never take human form again. I owe her, I have to repay that debt…”
Zane had always been gentle with me, which only made it more painful when he hurt me.
His voice lowered, tinged with careful hesitation:
“Aria… Ruby is pregnant with my child.”
“I plan to marry her and let her give birth to the baby.”
Zane’s words pierced my heart like a blade:
“Aria, after Ruby has the baby, I’ll separate from her.”
“It’s the only way I can make amends to her.”
Zane’s gaze held a hint of uncertainty, as if testing my reaction.
But how could Zane not know that years ago, I had cut out half my own beast core to save him? For ten years since then, I too had been unable to take human form.
Who would repay the debt of my kindness?
The pain in my chest felt like it would split me open.
Zane’s thumb brushed my cheek as he cradled my face like a precious treasure:
“…Aria, don’t cry.”
Oh, so I was crying?
“…Alright then. Go ahead and marry her.”
I sighed softly.
Zane froze for a moment, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes – guilt, helplessness,
“Aria, this is Ruby’s first time being a mother. You have more experience, so I was hoping you could give her some advice.”
I had been a mother so many times, yet not a single one of my offspring had survived.
I closed my eyes briefly, only saying “Okay.”
Ruby truly lived up to her fox heritage, naturally alluring and seductive.
She clung affectionately to Zane’s arm, yet her eyes held an air of innocence, giving her a unique charm:
“Big sister Aria, you have so many nice things here!”
She liked this and wanted that, sweeping up all the items in the cave for herself.
All the precious herbs and beautiful furs I had prepared for the baby were claimed by her:
“Hehe, big sister Aria, it’s not like you’ll be using any of this stuff anyway, right? So why don’t you just give it all to me?”
Ruby rummaged around, smiling sweetly as she spoke.
Lily couldn’t stand it anymore. She started to speak up, but before she could say a word, Zane’s iron-like tail slammed her against the wall. Blood immediately spurted from her mouth!
If I hadn’t stopped him, Zane would have crushed Lily’s beast core right then and there.
“Oh my,” Ruby immediately put on an insincere smile:
“Big sister, don’t be mad, I was just joking. Oh? What’s this?”
Ruby pulled out a necklace inlaid with snake scales, her eyes lighting up.
“Big sister Aria, can I borrow this to wear for a bit?”
Years ago, before Zane became the Serpent King, his only wedding gift to me was a necklace made from the hardest scale on his body.
Now, even this one symbol of our love, Ruby wanted to take away.
I held the still-bleeding Lily, feeling cold all over, my nails digging into my palms.
But Zane’s face was full of indulgence as he lightly tapped Ruby’s nose:
“Of course. Whatever you want.”
All the hurt and anger I had been holding back instantly evaporated.
Who could defy the Serpent King’s beloved?
The tribespeople gathered at the cave entrance, whispering amongst themselves.
Their gazes toward me were full of sympathy and pity.
The wedding day arrived.
The tribe was decorated with lanterns and festive decorations. The ceremony was far grander than my wedding to Zane had been all those years ago.
Ruby wore a dazzling gown, the snake scale necklace glittering at her throat.
I turned away dejectedly, only wanting to leave this heartbreaking place.
Where I had planted the seed, tender shoots had emerged.
As if my lost child was greeting me.
I had just reached out my hand, not even touching the leaves, when a foot stomped down hard:
It was Zane’s personal guard in his icy armor.
“Aria Winters, how dare you openly try to harm the Serpent Queen?!”
Ruby lay on the soft furs, her face pale, her fox eyes tinged red with distress.
“Zane, my love…” she choked out, grasping Zane’s hand.
“It hurts so much… Will the baby and I… make it?”
Zane gripped her hand tightly, his eyes full of concern.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll save you no matter what.”
Only then did he turn to look at me, his gaze as cold as ice.
“Ruby was poisoned. That’s why she fell off the cliff on our wedding day, almost losing the baby.”
Zane’s voice was slow and deliberate, chillingly cold.
“The poison… was on the snake scale necklace you gave her!”
The air seemed to freeze instantly.
Zane threw the necklace at my face, cutting a bloody gash.
I stared at Ruby in disbelief, but the guard’s foot pressed down harder on my back, forcing me to the ground.
Ruby’s hand gently caressed her belly as she gave a sad, helpless smile:
“Sister Aria, I know you don’t like me, but… the baby is innocent…”
“The antidote!”
Zane’s tail slammed the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. His massive serpent shadow loomed in the daylight.
“I don’t have it.”
I bit my lip hard, my eyes bloodshot.
He stared at me, his tone ice cold:
“No antidote? Then give Ruby the other half of your beast core. That will save her too.”
My whole body shook.
My beast core?
I only had half a beast core left inside me, barely keeping me alive. If I cut it out again…
“Zane, have you gone mad?”
I stared at him in disbelief, my heart clenching painfully.
I had carried his children ten times, given up half my beast core for him.
Now he wanted me to cut myself open again to save his new love?!
My nails dug into my palms as I trembled violently.
“Aria, this isn’t a request.”
Zane looked at me, his tone frosty, his gaze like he was looking at an unrepentant criminal – full of righteous pity.
The guards immediately dragged out a small figure.
She was pinned to the ground by the snake tribe guards, a cloth stuffed in her mouth, her eyes wide with panic.
“Aria! Mmph mmph!”
“Lily!”
I desperately tried to go to her but was held back firmly by the guards, unable to move.
Zane slowly turned, looking down at me coldly:
“Either give up your beast core, or she dies. I’ll count to three.”
It felt like my heart was being ripped to shreds. Tears welled up in my eyes.
“Three.”
“Two.”
Seeing I wouldn’t speak, Zane’s blade sliced off half of Lily’s ear.
“Ahhh!”
He raised his hand again.
I laughed bitterly in despair.
Zane was willing to kill my best friend for the one he loved.
“Fine.”
I slowly closed my eyes, my nails digging into my palms as I said softly,
“I’ll do it.”
“Mmph?!” Surprisingly, Lily had the strongest reaction.
She shook her head frantically, tears and blood streaming down her face.
Zane’s gaze finally softened for an instant, while Ruby covered her mouth, a hint of a smile showing.
The blade pressed against my chest, its sharp edge slowly cutting into my skin. The searing pain nearly made me collapse.
The beast core inside me was slowly carved out, blood pooling on the ground.
The air filled with the scent of winter pine mixed with the metallic tang of blood, so strong it was nauseating.
Finally, the dull, lightless half of my beast core fell from my body into Zane’s palm.
I collapsed to the ground, blood dripping from my body onto the cold stone floor.
And Zane… he was still tightly holding Ruby in his arms.
Ruby cradled the half beast core, letting out a soft laugh.
“Thank you, sister Aria.”
Her smile was gentle, like a mockery of me.
In utter despair, I slowly closed my eyes, letting the blood flow from my fingertips.
Fading into unconsciousness.
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