Author: Momo Chan

My sister-in-law claimed to be a “prophet” and after a few accurate “predictions”, the whole family believed her without question. She said my savings would be stolen in a month, so my husband convinced me to transfer all my money. She said housing prices would plummet within six months, so my husband and mother-in-law forced me to sell the house my parents left me. When I was about to give birth, she even said the child in my belly was illegitimate and would bring disaster to the whole family! On a freezing winter night, my husband and mother-in-law kicked me out of the house without a second thought. In the end, my child and I died together. When I opened my eyes again, I heard my sister-in-law say: “Next month, all of my sister-in-law’s savings will be stolen. We must get her to hand over the money now.” 1 I looked at my sister-in-law’s pretentious expression, wishing I could tear her face off. But remembering I was three months pregnant, I held back. “That’s my own hard-earned money. It’s none of your business,” I said coolly. Margaret immediately narrowed her eyes and pointed at my nose, scolding, “What do you mean your money? You married into our Wilson family – your person, your money, it all belongs to my son!” “An orphan like you should be grateful to marry my son. How dare you talk back?” “It’s bad luck for a woman to manage money. Hurry up and hand it over!” I sat down and took a sip of water, replying calmly, “Aren’t you already in charge of most of Jack’s salary?” Margaret was speechless for a moment. My husband Jack quickly tried to smooth things over. “Sophia, Mom and Vanessa mean well. We’re all family, how could we harm you?” I looked at his hypocritical face, feeling nauseous. Family? I was the one being schemed against by this whole family! After I died, my soul floated in the air and saw many things. Only then did I realize Jack and Vanessa had been having an affair for a long time, with Margaret’s knowledge. The so-called “prophecies” were just an elaborate act they put on together to swindle my money and house. Thinking of my unborn child, thinking of how I died miserably on that snowy night, an overwhelming hatred nearly drowned me. In this life, I would make them pay blood for blood! “Sister, are you stupid?” Vanessa frowned and scolded when she saw I wasn’t moved. “We’re trying to help you out of kindness, but you’d rather be scammed than trust your own family!” Margaret put her hands on her hips, her expression even more sour and vicious: “Haven’t you learned your lesson? Last time Vanessa said you’d have a bloody disaster on your anniversary, you didn’t listen. What happened? You got hit by a car, didn’t you!” Yes, I was hit by a car. Multiple fractures all over my body, half dead, lying in the hospital for three months. Only after death did I realize it was all their plan. The pain of betrayal washed over me again. I clenched my fists tightly. I looked straight at Vanessa. “Sister, since you’re so prophetic, why don’t you tell me exactly how my money will be stolen? Give me some details so I can be prepared.” Vanessa clearly hadn’t expected me to ask this. Her face froze instantly. After stammering for a while, she became angry out of embarrassment. “I’m trying to help you. What kind of attitude is this?” “Then wait until you have a specific ‘prophecy’ before talking to me again.” “How dare you!” Margaret jumped up and down in anger. “Don’t think you’re so great just because you can earn a bit of money!” “If it weren’t for my son giving you the chance to go out and work, if it weren’t for Vanessa and me taking care of the house, how could you make any money?” “Your money should be ours. You should hand it over without us even having to ask!” I laughed bitterly at this shameless logic. “Which household bill – water, electricity, gas, daily expenses – haven’t I paid for? Has a single cent of Jack’s salary been used for the family?” “As his wife, I’ve never spent a penny of his money. But Vanessa, even the money for your underwear was paid by Jack, wasn’t it?” I had always been mild-mannered. No one expected me to bring this up so directly. Vanessa’s face instantly turned pale. Jack looked so embarrassed he wanted to find a hole to crawl into. Margaret suddenly came forward and shoved me hard. My lower back hit the corner of the table. I broke out in a cold sweat from the pain, but not a single person came to check on me. “What’s wrong with Jack helping his widowed sister-in-law?” Margaret sneered. “Don’t think you can ride roughshod over me and your sister-in-law just because you’re pregnant. If you give birth to a girl, I’ll throw her in the sewer right away. We don’t need that kind of bad luck in the family!” My anger instantly shot to the top of my head. I grabbed the glass of water on the table and smashed it at Margaret’s feet. “If anything happens to my child, you’ll be the first one I take down with me!” We had a huge argument, with Jack eventually coming out to smooth things over and make peace. That night, Jack walked into the bedroom with a bottle of red wine, pretending to comfort me and urging me to drink. I stared at him steadily. “Can pregnant women drink alcohol?” Jack’s expression froze for a moment before he quickly started making excuses with a smile: “This is imported non-alcoholic wine, basically fancy grape juice. It’s good for blood circulation and calming nerves. It’s good for pregnant women.” I didn’t expose him. I obediently drank that glass of cheap wine laced with drugs, pretending to pass out on the bed. Jack immediately used my fingerprint to unlock my phone. Margaret and Vanessa poked their heads in. Greedy expressions of triumph spread across all three of their faces. “I’ve already arranged it with Old Liu. Tomorrow he’ll show her my big gold bracelet.” “I’ve ordered the latest designer bag. Just waiting to pay the final installment.” “Once she has no money left, she’ll have to obey us and be our housekeeper!” I lay there with my eyes closed, listening to their ugly whispers, laughing coldly in my heart. Jack saw the balance in my account and his eyes widened: “Why is there no money at all?!” “And there’s a 200,000 dollar debt to the bank!” 2 Margaret and Vanessa’s faces instantly turned white. They jumped up and down anxiously. “My big gold bracelet!” “My bag! How will I pay the final installment!” “Where’s the money?!” Jack’s eyes were bloodshot. Like a wild beast gone mad, he pounced on me and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me violently. “Where’s my money? What did you do with the money?!” He started frantically ransacking the room, throwing my clothes, jewelry, and personal belongings everywhere. The whole room looked like it had been looted. I had already transferred the money and taken out a $200,000 loan on top of that. I wanted to make Vanessa’s “prophecy” come true. I collapsed on the floor, hugging my head and crying regretfully: “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have doubted Vanessa… I was scammed…” “Now I even owe the bank 200,000. What should we do…” I looked up with tearful eyes, helplessly looking at them: “Aren’t we family? Margaret, didn’t you say my money is your money? Now that I’m in debt, this debt… shouldn’t it be our debt too?” Vanessa was the first to jump out: “I don’t have any money!” Jack shrugged: “All my salary goes to Mom. I don’t have any money.” Margaret folded her arms across her chest, looking at me with a harsh expression: “You jinx! You were stupid enough to get scammed, why should we pay your debts? Dream on! Our Wilson family doesn’t need a daughter-in-law like you who brings bad luck!” “I don’t care if you have to sell your blood or your body or your organs. Pay off the debt yourself.” “If debt collectors come harassing us, I’ll be the first to push you out to pay them off.” “You hear me?!” They stormed out, slamming the door behind them. A few days later, Vanessa came to find me again with her “good intentions”. “Sophia, my eyelid has been twitching these past few days. I foresee that your house… will lose a lot of value within six months.” As soon as she finished speaking, Margaret and Jack started pressuring me in unison to sell the house my parents had left me before marriage. I flatly refused: “Not selling.” Margaret smashed a cup and started cursing: “Are you deaf? When I tell you to sell, you sell. Who are you to refuse?” “This house should have belonged to our Wilson family in the first place. How dare you act like you’re in charge?” While Margaret played the bad cop, Vanessa played good cop: “Sophia, I’m really doing this for your own good. Have you forgotten what happened with the money last time?” Before I could respond, Margaret said smugly: “It’s too late to refuse. I’ve already collected the deposit.” “The buyers are at the door.” She opened the door directly and brought in two people to view the house. “Don’t come in!” I blocked the doorway. Margaret immediately sat down on the floor and started wailing and making a scene: “Oh heavens! My daughter-in-law is trying to beat this old woman to death! Come quick, look! She’s abusing me!” “This ungrateful wretch, taking advantage of her pregnancy, not giving me food to eat or a place to sleep. Now she wants to kick me out. I can’t go on living!” Onlookers who didn’t know the truth started pointing fingers at me. “She’s pregnant herself but still so hot-tempered. Aren’t you afraid of karma affecting your child? What a vicious heart!” “Look at her. She must be a tyrant at home. Marrying a daughter-in-law like this is really bad luck for eight generations.” Jack grabbed my arm, looking impatient: “Stop blocking the way. Mom’s already taken the money. Just let them take a look.” “Don’t make a scene in the doorway and embarrass yourself.” I didn’t budge. Vanessa pretended to persuade me, her eyes full of vicious calculation: “Sophia, don’t be stubborn. You’ll cry when the house price drops. Haven’t you experienced the consequences of not listening to my prophecies?” 3 I had indeed experienced it. In my previous life, just because she said my child was a harbinger of disaster, I was kicked out of the house by them. On a snowy night below -30°C, I was wearing only a thin nightgown. The child in my belly seemed to feel the bone-chilling cold too, kicking me desperately. I felt like the cold would freeze both me and my baby to death. I knocked on the door frantically. My nails broke, my palms bled. I cried and begged them to open the door. But through the doorway camera, I heard the happy laughter of the whole family inside. “Let her freeze to death out there!” “Better if it’s two lives lost. Save us the bad luck!” That’s how I was frozen to death in endless cold and despair. “I know what you’re up to. The house – I will never sell!” I looked coldly at Margaret. Margaret felt guilty under my gaze, but still bristled up. She started yelling without thinking: “You really don’t care about your family at all, do you?” “Where will we get money if we don’t sell the house? My ten big gold necklaces, your sister-in-law’s bag, and the money Jack lost in stocks – how will we make that up?” After she finished speaking, she realized she had let something slip. Vanessa quickly tried to smooth things over: “Mom’s just talking nonsense because she’s upset. Sophia, it’s mainly because of my prophecy. You can’t not listen!” They had planned this long ago. Before I could respond, they directly took out my property deed and tried to hand it to the two house viewers. I rushed over to stop them. Margaret shoved me hard. I fell onto some broken glass. Multiple cuts instantly appeared on my body. A sharp pain shot through my lower abdomen. I clutched my belly, looking at Jack in pain. Jack scolded his mom: “Mom, you’ve gone too far.” I thought Jack still had a shred of conscience at that moment. But after steadying Margaret, he frowned at me instead: “Don’t fight with your mom. After they finish viewing the house, I’ll take you to the hospital.” My heart died completely in that moment. I turned to the couple who had been frightened by the scene. “If you dare buy this house, I’ll die right here today. Two lives lost.” The two of them shouted about bad luck, took back their deposit, and ran away. I took out my phone myself and called 91 Margaret was still holding onto the property deed and refusing to return it. I gave Jack an ultimatum. “Give me back the property deed. Otherwise, we’re getting divorced.” “According to marriage law, this is my premarital property. All of you, get out of here!”

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I used to think his love was the most beautiful thing in the world. Until it became the knife that carved scars into my flesh and soul. Four years ago, when Lucas fell into a family scandal, I took two million dollars from his cousin and spoke ill of him in front of reporters. Four years later, I was kicked out by his cousin. I knelt at Lucas’s doorstep, my face ruined beyond recognition even with a mask on. Lucas, impeccably dressed in a suit, carefully supported Jasmine, who was pregnant. Jasmine stared at my face and suddenly felt nauseous. “Honey, she’s disgusting.” Lucas comforted her, rubbing her back, while looking at me with disdain. “Didn’t my cousin give you money? Couldn’t you afford a piece of cloth to cover that ruined face?” I instinctively wanted to lower my head, but he grabbed my mask and yanked it down violently. The scabs tore open, blood trickling down my chin. I trembled in pain. He took out a hundred-dollar bill, slapped my painfully sore face with it, then stuffed it into my chest. “Enough to buy some disinfectant. Clean up that rotten face. You made my wife sick. Can you afford to compensate her?” I fought back tears. That two million dollars – I had anonymously hired a top lawyer to clear his name of all accusations. In return, his cousin poured boiling water on my face. Now, my burns were infected, and I could go into shock at any moment. As Lucas was about to leave, I crawled to his side on all fours, clutching his pant leg. Under his icy gaze, I struggled to speak. “Lucas, please, save my grandma. She has terminal lung cancer. She needs money for treatment.” Trembling, I pulled out a brand new designer box from my pocket. Inside was a scarf I had saved up for a long time to buy. Dark gray, his favorite color. I held the box with both hands, as if cradling the last flicker of hope. “Please, for old times’ sake. For how good my grandma was to you.” “She made dumplings for you so many times, always talking about how much you loved them. Please lend me money to save her. This is a small token of my appreciation.” I could barely continue, tears welling up in my eyes, but I held them back fiercely. Jasmine glanced at it and covered her mouth, laughing. “Even my dog wouldn’t wear that brand.” Lucas extended two fingers, contemptuously pinching a corner of the scarf. “You want me to lend you money to save that old hag?” He sneered. “Where was she when you took money to slander me back then? What kind of person could she be to raise a granddaughter who would sell anything for money?” Blood rushed to my head instantly. My whole body shook violently, fists clenched tight. Lucas watched my anger, a flash of excitement in his eyes. He relished the feeling of being able to ignite me so easily, then crush me into the mud just as effortlessly. He carelessly tossed the scarf to the ground. “Want to borrow money to save that old waste?” He looked down at me condescendingly. “Sure.” I suddenly looked up, with a hint of disbelieving hope. But when I saw the undisguised hatred in his eyes, my heart sank again. Jasmine seemed surprised, tugging at Lucas’s sleeve coquettishly. “Honey, don’t.” Lucas gave her an indulgent smile. “Be good, I’ll let you and the baby see something interesting in a moment.” He turned to me and said slowly, “Kneel here and say loudly, ‘My grandma Rose is an old bitch. She deserves cancer.’” He paused, savoring my face that had turned as white as paper. “Say it from the bottom of your heart, as genuinely as when you accused me in front of reporters back then. Say it once, and I’ll give you a hundred thousand. How about that?” Jasmine giggled beside him. “Say it quickly, or your grandma will die.” The world seemed to fall silent instantly. I looked at the disgust in his eyes for me, and suddenly flashed back to the image of him looking at me with eyes full of love. I couldn’t help but take two steps back. Anger, despair, and guilt towards my grandma rushed to my head at this moment. “Impossible.” I squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth. Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Then get lost.” I was on the verge of collapse. The image of my grandma’s haggard, desperate face and the doctor’s cold bill of payment involuntarily flashed before my eyes. In the end, the desire for grandma to live on crushed my last bit of dignity. I opened my mouth: “My grandma Rose… is… is an old bitch…” The moment these words came out, I heard the sound of my heart breaking. Lucas’s eyes suddenly flickered. He remembered when he was bullied by his cousin as a child, it was grandma who chased him away with a rolling pin for half a street to protect him. She always hid shrimp, his favorite, in the dumplings. But this hint of wavering disappeared in an instant. “Wait,” Lucas suddenly interrupted me and dialed a number. “How can there be a good show without an audience?” My heart instantly sank into an ice cave, an ominous premonition rising from the bottom of my heart. In less than five minutes, several cars stopped by the roadside. The car doors opened, and a group of reporters carrying cameras swarmed in with excitement on their faces. My pupils constricted violently. They were the same people I had spoken ill of Lucas to years ago. “Oh my God, Miss Zoe, what happened to your face?” The reporters snapped furiously at my face. I instinctively wanted to put on my mask, only to find that Lucas had already stepped on it. “Miss Zoe, are you kneeling here to repent?” “We heard you were abandoned by your sugar daddy? Now you’re back looking for Mr. Lucas?” I felt as if I had been stripped naked and thrown into a busy market. The immense shame and fear made my whole body rigid. Lucas watched this scene with satisfaction and slowly opened his mouth: “Face the camera with your ruined face and say it properly.” Some reporters started live streaming, focusing on my face. Tens of thousands of viewers instantly flooded into the live stream. “She doesn’t even care about her face for money, now pretending to be filial?” “Like grandmother, like granddaughter. They’re all scum.” “Her face is karma! Go die already.” I stared blankly at these vile words in front of me and opened my mouth again: “My grandma Rose is an old bitch.” Just as I was about to say the next sentence like a walking corpse, my vision suddenly went black and I fell forward. Lucas instinctively wanted to support me but deliberately stopped. At this moment, my phone rang. “Miss Zoe, we’ve stopped your grandmother’s painkillers. She was just rolling in bed in pain. When are you coming to pay?” Lucas snatched the phone from me, put it on speaker, and sneered at the receiver: “Tell that old hag her granddaughter is calling her an old bitch right now.” Jasmine clapped her hands and laughed beside him: “Nurse, you must let her grandma hear this!” I anxiously grabbed the phone back, about to say something, when I heard a long beep from inside. “I’m sorry, Ms. Zoe. Your grandmother has passed away.” I stood there stunned, the phone falling to the ground with a thud. Lucas’s gaze swept over my old phone that had just fallen at his feet. Covered in cracks, it looked jarring. He raised his foot and kicked it hard. With a crack, the phone hit the corner of the wall, the battery flew out, and the screen shattered completely. “No!” I let out a heartbroken roar. It contained voice messages my grandma had recorded one by one, full of her concern and advice for me. Almost with my last breath, I crawled on all fours towards the pile of debris in the corner. “Grandma!” I cried out, tears mixed with blood flowing down my face. I frantically scrabbled with both hands, trying to pick up those pieces. The sharp glass shards instantly cut my fingers, but I didn’t even notice. The reporters were even more excited to record this scene, their cameras precisely aimed at my distorted, anguished face. The barrage of comments in the live stream went crazy: “She deserves it.” “She even cursed her own grandmother. Asking for money? I think she’s just putting on a show.” Suddenly, a cold sneer came from above, piercing my collapsed nerves. Lucas looked down at me with bloodshot eyes, a flash of extremely complex emotions in his eyes – shock, hatred, and a hint of heartache he didn’t even notice himself. Jasmine leaned forward, frowning: “Honey, has she gone mad? Crying like this over a broken phone? Could it be that she has some scandalous photos with a sugar daddy in there?” Lucas’s gaze turned cold. “Look at yourself now. You’re crawling around like a mad dog for a broken phone?” He raised his foot, carelessly nudging the pile of debris with his toe. “If your grandma knew you were just cursing her, do you think she’d die again in her grave?” “Shut up!” I suddenly raised my head, my bloodshot eyes glaring fiercely at Lucas. He stared at the intense hatred and despair in my eyes, stunned for a moment. Jasmine pointed at my nose: “What are you yelling for? Your grandma, that old hag, raised a granddaughter as cheap as you. She deserved to die.” My grandma’s painful gasps before she died, the irreparable phone, the humiliation I suffered today, everything made my sanity snap completely. With a loud slap, a resounding slap landed on Jasmine’s face, instantly leaving a red handprint. She covered her face, staring at me in disbelief. “Honey, she hit me!”

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Zachary Shaw insisted I take care of his adopted sister Lily when she caught a cold. I refused, so he threw our son Alex out on the street to force me to comply. After I moved in, Alex and I were crammed into the attic, overrun with rats and mosquitoes. Zachary meticulously listed Lily’s preferences to me: “Lily doesn’t eat cilantro, so don’t put any in her food. Cut hard foods into small pieces – her stomach is sensitive.” “Don’t give her anything spicy, cold, or sour when she has a cold. She’s good at using me as an excuse to trick people, so be careful.” I silently noted it all down, agreeing to leave once Lily recovered. He halfheartedly agreed, but then turned around and bet Lily how long I would last. “This obedient dog will come running back as soon as I call.” Little did he know, when I said I was leaving, I meant never coming back. 0 “Zachary, I’m leaving once she’s better,” I said firmly. Zachary seemed taken aback for a moment. After a pause, he replied impatiently, “No one’s stopping you. Just don’t bother Lily.” He took Lily upstairs, leaving Alex and me busy in the kitchen. Perhaps as punishment, at lunch Zachary made me feed Lily. I carefully followed her preferences, alternating between spoonfuls of rice and soup. “Waaah Zach, it’s so hot!” Lily cried, ducking into Zachary’s arms. Before I could react, the bowl of soup was thrown at me. “Aria Montgomery, you knew the soup was scalding hot but still fed it to Lily. Are you trying to kill her?” Zachary snapped. I didn’t explain, but Zachary acted strangely. “Give this bowl of soup to Alex,” he ordered. He personally ladled out a bowl and handed it to our son. Before it could cool, Zachary had someone force it down Alex’s throat. I watched Alex’s face turn red, suddenly remembering the soup contained shrimp. “Zachary, stop! Alex is allergic to shrimp!” I cried. He acted like he couldn’t hear me, forcing bowl after bowl until Alex collapsed on the table, struggling to breathe. I tried to take Alex to the hospital, but Zachary had his men hold me back. “Make another batch of soup for Lily. You can leave once it’s cooled down.” I knew I couldn’t resist. Otherwise, my son’s life would be in Zachary’s hands. I obediently made four dishes and a soup, frantically fanning it to cool it faster. Lily waved her hand dismissively, complaining that dust had fallen in the soup. Over and over, I made batch after batch. She was finally satisfied and let me go. I grabbed Alex and called an Uber outside, telling the driver to get to the hospital as fast as possible. But we were still too late. Alex’s esophagus was severely damaged and required hospitalization. Before I could get Alex settled, Zachary called demanding I return. When I refused, he sent men to forcibly bring me back from the hospital. “Lily says she wasted the soup you made, so she specially made a new batch. Don’t be ungrateful.” I glanced at the still-steaming soup in the kitchen. “What do you mean?” Lily pulled me into the kitchen with fake sincerity. “Sis, I was careless earlier and Alex ended up in the hospital because of me. To make up for it, I made you a special batch. You absolutely can’t say Lily’s cooking is bad.” She stuck out her tongue playfully, giving me no chance to refuse. As soon as I touched the edge of the bowl, my hand jerked back. Lily immediately put on a pitiful act, blocking Zachary’s view. Then she pushed the bowl to the floor. “Ow! It hurts, Zach…” Before I could react, Zachary shoved me to the ground. “Aria Montgomery, what did you do to Lily?” I didn’t see any injuries on Lily, if only Zachary had looked closer. But he didn’t. My palm was embedded with shards, instantly staining the tiles red. I looked up to see Zachary already carrying Lily upstairs. Nestled in his arms, Lily flashed a smug smile. 0

Back in my room, I bandaged my hand, listening to Zachary’s voice in the hallway. “Our Lily is the best, isn’t she? Just put on some medicine and you’ll be all better. Be good, okay?” “I promise, tomorrow I’ll bring you everything you like.” In seven years of marriage, Zachary had never been so deferential. In the past when I was hurt or had cramps, he either ignored me or accused me of overreacting. My heart felt like it was being repeatedly squeezed, aching to the core. A phone call interrupted my thoughts. I glanced at the caller ID. As soon as Sophia heard my voice, she nearly cried with relief. “Aria, why did you take so long to answer? Don’t you know how worried I was?” I glossed over recent events, making an excuse that I was going to Paris to see her in three days. Sophia seemed to suddenly realize something, about to ask if I was being mistreated. The next second, Zachary barged in with a bottle of medicine. I quickly hung up. He tossed the items on the bed, his tone hostile: “I brought you medicine. Bandage yourself up quickly and go clean. Don’t hurt Lily.” I didn’t take it, just staring blankly at the bottle. Clearly Zachary had just opened it to apply medicine on Lily. But he forgot I’m allergic to erythromycin. Last time he carelessly applied it on me without checking, causing an allergic reaction that put me in the hospital. That night Zachary never came home. It was a neighbor who noticed something was wrong and called for help. The next day I saw on Lily’s social media that she and Zachary were embracing and passionately kissing amidst cheers from a crowd. “What are you doing? Does it hurt that much? Let me…” I deftly avoided his outstretched hand. He awkwardly froze mid-air, his low voice tinged with displeasure. “Aria Montgomery, you’ve had your tantrum. I’m giving you a way out, so don’t be stubborn.” “You’re a grown woman but can’t control your temper. Who are you trying to impress with that sour face?” But I wasn’t throwing a tantrum or losing my temper. “I heard you say three days earlier…” he began. I cut him off: “Sophia said she’s coming to see me in three days. It won’t interfere with you accompanying Lily.” Noticing my aloofness, a complex emotion flashed in Zachary’s eyes. I ignored him, suddenly remembering Alex left at the hospital. But I stood up too quickly, aggravating my wound. I couldn’t help but hiss in pain. Zachary pushed me back onto the bed, finally showing a hint of reluctance. “I’ve already arranged for someone to look after Alex. He can be discharged in a few days.” In the past, I would have just taken this as something he should do. But now it’s different. “Thank you,” I said softly. Zachary froze for a moment when he heard those two words, his expression a bit unnatural. “It’s fine, you can go now. Lily will be looking for you soon.” As he finished speaking, Lily appeared in the doorway wearing an ill-fitting dress. It was the custom-made dress Zachary had specially ordered for me when we got married. Afraid of dirtying it, I never wore it again after the wedding. Zachary’s face stiffened, his tone turning reproachful. “This was custom-made for Aria. Why are you wearing it?” Lily looked utterly dejected, reaching back to grab the zipper. But she couldn’t reach it. Her face instantly flushed red, tears welling up in her eyes. “Zach, don’t you remember? This is what you brought when you came to see me last time. You even said once I wore it, I’d be the lady of the Shaw family.” Ignoring my presence, Zachary wiped away her tears and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry Lily, it’s my fault. If you like it, I’ll have a hundred made for you.” Seeing Lily beam with joy, Zachary pulled her close and showered her with kisses. Then he took her back to the bedroom. The vows of the past were still fresh in my mind. But today I realized one person’s heart could be divided between two. 0

Before my hand had healed, I was rushing back and forth to the hospital. Seeing the bandage on my hand, Alex gently blew on it to make it feel better. My heart melted and I could no longer hold back my tears. Hot tears fell on Alex’s face as he looked up and said softly: “Mommy, please don’t leave me, okay?” My heart skipped a beat as I pulled him into my arms. “Mommy’s not leaving you. It’s just that if you stay with me, life will be very difficult from now on…” “I only want Mommy.” Hearing my son’s answer, a weight lifted from my heart. After a week of staying at the hospital, Alex was finally discharged and allowed to go home. During this time, I stayed with Alex while also arranging plans with Sophia. I sent Zachary a message. Lily’s cold was better and no longer needed my care. A minute after sending it, Zachary called. “Aria Montgomery, I order you to be here in 30 minutes. Otherwise I won’t hesitate to repeat what happened to Alex last time.” Remembering Alex’s flushed face, my heart trembled. “I’ve already made myself clear, Zachary. You promised to let me leave once Lily recovered.” He scoffed, his tone harsh: “Who says Lily is better? Until the doctor declares her fully recovered, you’re not going anywhere without my permission.” He added “I’ve already sent security to pick you up” before abruptly hanging up. I clearly heard Lily’s coquettish voice in the background. In the past, Zachary hated anyone interrupting his phone calls. When he had conference calls, I was never allowed to enter the room. Even if I had just showered and was freezing cold. When he chatted with friends, I wasn’t allowed to make a sound. Even if I was injured and needed his care. But now because of Lily, he had truly become someone I didn’t recognize. The memories flashed by in an instant. Alex and I got out of the car to see Zachary directing the servants to busily prepare. Seeing me, he tossed what he was holding to me. It was a guest list and menu. “Tomorrow is Lily’s birthday. I promised her a big celebration. Invite everyone on that list.” “Also, Lily says your cooking is good. You’ll make all the food tomorrow.” He commanded me like he would a servant. But after we married, even when my mother-in-law ordered me, Zachary would stand in front to protect me. Never letting me step foot in the kitchen. How laughable that he had forgotten his past promises, yet still presumed to have me handle everything alone. “Zachary, I refuse. This is not my responsibility and you have no right to order me around.” I turned to leave with Alex, but was stopped by security. “Sorry ma’am, you can’t leave without Mr. Shaw’s permission.” I calmly looked up at the guards blocking my way. They were all hired by me back when I worried about Zachary’s safety. I never imagined they would now only listen to him. “Fine, I’ll stay,” I paused for a second before stating my condition: “But after Lily’s birthday tomorrow, I’m leaving.” Zachary’s expression darkened slightly. After a long moment, he spoke: “I agree. But to prevent you from leaving on your own, I’ll look after our son for now.” With that, the guards took Alex away, completely ignoring my protests. “Aria Montgomery, you’d better not pull any tricks at Lily’s birthday.” “Be sensible and handle everything properly. Stop thinking about leaving. If Lily’s in a good mood, I might even give you some money to leave.” I said nothing, staring intently in the direction the guards had taken Alex. Zachary wasn’t wrong. With Alex here, I couldn’t leave either. I just never expected that this meeting today would be our final goodbye.

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Just because Chloe wanted to know whether a Tibetan Mastiff or a wolf was stronger, my boyfriend Liam locked me, a wolf-born, in a cage with a giant Tibetan Mastiff. I dragged my body, still weak from the recent abortion I had for him, and fought the Mastiff to the death. As I was being bitten to a bloody pulp, Liam was up in the stands covering the eyes of his frightened sweetheart Chloe. Seeing this, Liam’s buddies immediately started teasing: “Bro, this Aria really can transform into a wolf for you, fighting a 400-pound Mastiff for so long!” “But after you treat her like this for Chloe’s sake, she’s probably going to give up on you completely and stop chasing after you.” As soon as they finished speaking, someone retorted: “Our bro Liam is Aria’s imprinted lover. Once a wolf imprints, that bond never disappears!” “Even if Liam wanted to skin her alive to make a fur coat for Chloe, she would hand over her pelt without complaint!” Hearing this, Chloe looked at Liam with confused eyes and asked, “Liam, can she really go that far for you?” Liam’s lips curled into a smug smile. “Wolf-people must unconditionally obey and protect their imprinted lover.” “So even if I told her to die, she would still love me to the bone and obey without question.” He said it so casually, but it felt like my blood was flowing backwards through my veins. But Liam, you’re wrong. A wolf’s imprint is not impossible to break, and I’m not destined to only love you…

“Liam, but you’ve always kept her by your side. I’m afraid you might actually develop feelings for her someday,” Chloe said. Her words made the air fall silent for a moment. Then suddenly, an eruption of raucous laughter broke out. “Miss Chloe, you can rest easy! The only reason our bro Liam is with Aria is because you suddenly went abroad back then and broke his heart. Now that you’re back, do you think he’d still care about that lapdog?” “That’s right, the only interesting thing about Aria is her wolf identity. If she wasn’t a wolf-girl, Liam would’ve dumped her ages ago.” Hearing this, Chloe bit her lip and looked at the silent Liam. “Is that true?” “Mhm,” Liam responded lightly, his long fingers caressing Chloe’s face. “Of course it’s true. Compared to you, she’s nothing more than a plaything to pass the time…” Those two words – “plaything” – that he uttered so casually felt like two sharp blades stabbing into my heart. As I was reeling from the pain, I failed to notice the Mastiff across from me waiting for an opportunity to strike. Seizing the moment I was distracted, the Mastiff lunged at my throat with its blood-filled maw. I stared at those dripping fangs, closed my eyes in despair. “Aria! What are you doing?!” An angry roar snapped me out of my daze. When I opened my eyes, I saw the Mastiff had collapsed, hit by four tranquilizer darts. Liam stood in the stands staring at me, his eyes filled with panic and fury. He ordered someone to lift me, still in wolf form, out of the cage. His eyes bulging with rage: “Aria, are you trying to get yourself killed?!” “You could face off against two Siberian tigers alone to save me before, but now you almost get killed by a dog!” “Is it because you’re upset I put you in a cage for Chloe’s sake, so you’re deliberately acting weak to make me look bad?!” So he still remembered how I had fought two adult Siberian tigers without regard for my own life, rescuing him from their jaws. Back then, he had held me tightly in his arms, moved to tears, and promised to love and protect me for life… I believed him, but he hadn’t kept a single word of that promise… My injuries were too severe to maintain my beast form any longer. Amidst the jeers of the crowd, I transformed back into human form. Completely naked. Liam’s buddies got excited when they saw. “Damn! That slim waist and plump ass, so fucking hot!” “How come we never noticed before that Aria’s such a bombshell!” “Bro, she must be wild in bed! If I could just get a feel—” “Shut up!” Liam’s angry shout cut off the vulgar comments. He looked at me with furrowed brows and took off his own jacket. Seeing this, Chloe’s face immediately tightened. “Liam, Aria is still a girl after all. It pains me to see her in such a miserable state. Let me help her put on some clothes.” With that, she hurriedly took the jacket from Liam’s hands and bent down to drape it over me with a sympathetic expression. But the next second, she suddenly grabbed my hand and deliberately used my still-extended wolf claws to scratch hard across the back of her own hand. “Ouch! It hurts!” “What happened?!” Liam quickly stepped forward, pulling Chloe into his arms. Then he glared at me fiercely: “Aria, how dare you be so ungrateful! Chloe was kind enough to help you get dressed, and you dare to hurt her!” “I didn’t, she did it herself…” I tried to explain, but was cut off by Chloe’s tearful words: “Aria, I’m so sorry. Earlier when I said I wanted to see who was stronger between you and the Mastiff, it was just a joke. I never thought Liam and the others would take it seriously.” “It’s all my fault for having such a ridiculous idea. If hurting me will make you feel better, then go ahead and keep hitting me. I won’t fight back.” After saying this, she approached me with a pitiful look on her face. I instinctively felt a wave of disgust and wanted to push her away. Seeing this, Liam reacted as if facing a great enemy. “Aria, stop right there!” “Haven’t you caused enough trouble?! Chloe is kind and forgiving, but that doesn’t mean you can bully her like this!” Then he kicked me hard in the chest, sending me flying. I collapsed pathetically on the ground, my chest aching as I coughed up blood several times. But when I looked up, I met Liam’s cold eyes. He was going to take Chloe to the hospital to bandage her wound. One of his friends asked if they should bring me along, but he coldly replied: “She’s a wolf, tough as nails. She won’t die.” With that, he left the arena with everyone else without a backward glance. Watching Liam’s resolute back as he walked away, I remembered how excited he had been when he first learned he was my imprinted lover, hugging me with eyes full of deep affection. I naively thought he actually liked me. Until Chloe came back, and he started torturing me in various ways to make her happy, even making me transform into a wolf multiple times to kneel under Chloe as her mount. That’s when I realized his initial joy was never because he liked me. It was because he discovered he had gained someone who would love him steadfastly no matter how poorly he treated them… But Liam, I don’t want to love you anymore. I painfully crawled over to where my clothes were, picked up my phone, and dialed a number. “Chief, I want to extract my spirit root and erase Liam’s wolf clan imprint.”

“Have you lost your mind?!” The clan chief looked at me, brought back by clan members, his expression extremely grim. “After extracting your spirit root, you’ll become a normal human, not only exiled from the wolf clan, but also lose half your lifespan!” “How is that any different from seeking death?!” “But living like this is a thousand times more painful than death.” The chief’s expression softened as he looked at my weak state, but he still tried to persuade me: “Wolf clan descendants are already rare, and you’re from the strongest lineage. Even if you must extract your spirit root, at least leave behind offspring with Liam first.” Hearing this, I laughed bitterly. “Liam said he doesn’t like children. I’ve been pregnant several times over the past two years, but he always sent people to take me to the hospital for abortions.” “I’m really tired…” At this moment, my little wolf brother Tommy suddenly darted out and stood protectively in front of me. He bared his newly sprouted fangs at the chief who was pressuring me, and snarled: “No one can bully my sister! Watch out old man, or I’ll bite you!” Seeing this, the chief shook his head helplessly and finally relented. But my body was too weak now, and I needed to recover for five days before the spirit root extraction ritual could be performed. However, the very next day, Liam called. He demanded to know why I hadn’t returned all night, and ordered me to come back immediately. I couldn’t control my love for him, and agreed without any dignity. But Liam, in four days, this love will disappear… Clan members sent me back to the villa. When the door opened, I saw Liam sitting on the couch smoking a cigar. Tommy was about to rush over and bite him to avenge me. Liam didn’t panic at all, and coldly called out: “Aria—” He knew I wouldn’t let him come to any harm. As he expected, I quickly stepped forward and grabbed Tommy. “Sis, after how he’s treated you, you’re still protecting him!” Seeing the indignation on Tommy’s face, my heart ached terribly. I could only have the clan members forcibly take him away. After everyone left, Liam got up carelessly and handed me a diamond necklace. “I didn’t know you had just had an abortion that day. This is a gift to make up for it.” It was his secretary who had taken me to the hospital, yet now he claimed he didn’t know… I looked up at him, tears involuntarily welling up in my eyes. Seeing my weak and pitiful state, his face immediately tightened and he grew aroused. Perhaps to him, my only remaining value was for this. Then he gripped my waist, lifted me onto the table, and eagerly leaned down to kiss me. However, just as our lips were about to meet, his phone rang. Chloe’s coquettish voice came from the other end. “Liam, I’m not feeling well. Can you come see me?” Hearing this, Liam withdrew his hand from my waist and replied anxiously: “Alright, I’ll be right there.” “Liam—” I called out to stop him. “Why are you… so good to her…” Faced with my questioning, Liam replied in a deep voice: “Fifteen years ago when my adoptive parents abandoned me on the street, it was Chloe who gave me bread and saved me. She stayed with me through that most difficult time. If it wasn’t for her, I would have frozen to death in the snow.” Boy, bread, snow… Suddenly, some fragmented images flashed through my mind, but stopped abruptly after a sharp pain. But at this moment, I no longer had the energy to dwell on those long-lost memories. I looked at Liam, my voice trembling uncontrollably: “But I’ve saved you too—” “More than once.” Hearing this, his tone turned cold: “You saved me only because I’m your imprinted lover. That’s what you’re supposed to do for me.” With that, he shook off my hand and hurriedly left the villa. Watching Liam’s resolute back as he walked away, I recalled how excited he had been when he first learned he was my imprinted lover, hugging me with eyes full of deep affection. I naively thought he actually liked me. Until Chloe came back, and he started torturing me in various ways to make her happy, even making me transform into a wolf multiple times to kneel under Chloe as her mount. That’s when I realized his initial joy was never because he liked me. It was because he discovered he had gained someone who could be mistreated without care, yet would still love him steadfastly… But Liam, I don’t want to love you anymore. I struggled to crawl over to my clothes, picked up my phone, and dialed a number. “Chief, I want to extract my spirit root and erase Liam’s wolf clan imprint.”

Liam didn’t return all night. I lay awake until dawn. As soon as I walked out of the bedroom, I saw Tommy who had come to visit me. He was holding a bag of my favorite chestnut pastries, standing downstairs with a bright smile. “Sis! Come down quick! I got up at 5am and waited in line for over two hours to buy these! They’re still warm!” My nose stung with emotion as I rushed downstairs to hug him. “Aww, such touching sibling love—” Chloe suddenly pushed open the door and walked in. With a smug look, she said: “I’m here to get some clean clothes for Liam. He spent the whole night with me yesterday, he’s exhausted.” “I don’t know what got into Liam last night. I told him to be gentle since there’s a baby in my belly, but he kissed me so passionately he almost lost control.” She was actually pregnant with Liam’s child… “Liam said he hates children. He won’t let you keep it.” After I said this, Chloe burst out laughing. “Aria, is something wrong with your brain?” “I’m over two months pregnant already. Liam takes me for prenatal checkups every week, and even had special nutritional supplements brought in from abroad for me.” “You actually think he would make me get an abortion? What a joke!” “The reason Liam said that to you is because he finds you disgusting. He doesn’t want a half-breed wolf child!” I was struck speechless, my heart aching uncontrollably. Nine abortions in three years. It turns out he didn’t hate children, he just hated the one carrying the child – me… “How dare you bully my sister, I’ll bite you to death!” Tommy suddenly transformed into wolf form and lunged at Chloe. Although I held him back, Chloe was still scared enough to fall on her butt. In the end, she scrambled to her feet and ran away. But before leaving, she threw back one last vicious remark: “Aria, you dare make me look bad! I’ll make you regret this!” I thought she would go tell on me to Liam, making him come torture me. But when Liam returned that night, he acted as usual, even showing rare concern for me and Tommy. “Aria, isn’t your brother starting elementary school next year?” “He’s always been mischievous, with mediocre grades. I hate seeing you worry about him all the time, so I found a tutor who can help him study well over the summer break.” This was the first time he had shown concern for me since Chloe’s return. I immediately felt a warmth in my heart. I was so moved I choked up: “Liam, thank you for thinking of me and Tommy.” Seeing how touched I was, Liam’s expression tightened slightly.

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I was known as the frail and unstable heiress in our social circles, with a rare condition that required regular blood transfusions to survive. Dissatisfied with my father’s choice of Aiden as my fiancé, I kept nine men as my personal playthings at home. Whenever Aiden, the wealthy pharmaceutical heir, confronted me with reddened eyes, I just scoffed dismissively. But later, those nine men poisoned my blood supply and ran off with all my assets. As I lay dying, blood pouring from every orifice, Aiden hunted them down and tortured them to death, their blood staining the entire mansion red. He slit his own artery to feed me his blood, tears streaming down his face. “Chloe, my blood can cure any illness. Please, I’m begging you to live!” But despite draining himself dry, he couldn’t revive me. Only then did I realize the depth of his love. When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn to the day my father chose my fiancé. This time, I sent away all my boy toys, wanting only Aiden. I truly believed we would live happily ever after in this new life. But later, to redeem his cousin Lily who had gambled herself into debt, Aiden and my father conspired to offer me up at the gambling table… 0

At the casino, my body trembled uncontrollably. In my past life, Aiden had been willing to drain his own blood to save me. But just three minutes ago, he had drugged his own blood and forced me to drink it. He sighed regretfully, his warm fingertips brushing away my tears. “Chloe, I’ve replaced everyone at the casino with my own people. They won’t hurt you. You just need to put on an act to soothe Lily’s wounded feelings.” “You ruined one of her dresses yesterday. Consider this as making amends.” Even my doting father chimed in, “Think of it as character building. If it weren’t for you, Lily wouldn’t have run off to the casino heartbroken.” I was stunned speechless, my whole body shaking. I couldn’t believe these words were coming from my formerly overprotective father. Yesterday, Lily had seen my dress at the mall and lunged for it, but she slipped and tore her own clothes, embarrassing herself in public. She blamed me for “causing” her wardrobe malfunction to be photographed. Heartbroken, she had run off to the casino and lost everything. Compared to how these two men had doted on me in my past life, I felt my pupils constrict in shock. Could it be that they had been reborn as well? My body was rigid but my mind razor sharp as tears streamed down my face. Aiden positioned me in a pose that satisfied everyone, casino chips precariously balanced on my barely-clothed body. “Aiden, isn’t that Chloe, the crazy beauty from the Shen family? You’re setting us up… Wouldn’t your cousin be a better choice?” Several wealthy young men leered hungrily while nervously backing away, their clammy hands tentatively reaching for my body. Aiden leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed coldly on the changing room. “Since I brought her, feel free to enjoy. Her blood-nourished body gets wet at the slightest touch.” My whole body shook like a leaf. The Aiden I knew would fret for hours if a mosquito bite left a small bump on his carefully maintained body. Now he was handing me over to strangers without a second thought. Seeing me helpless like a fish on a chopping block, the men rubbed their hands eagerly. As they tore at what little clothing I had left, waves of humiliation washed over me. My heart shattered into a million pieces. In the distance, Lily emerged from the changing room with reddened eyes. Aiden pulled her into his arms tenderly. His doting tone made her giggle coquettishly. Those who had disrespected her earlier now kowtowed in apology. My emotions were a tangled mess. I remembered how in the past, Aiden would viciously punish anyone who so much as looked at me wrong. When Lily’s gaze fell on me, her eyes flashed with vicious glee even as she feigned concern. “Big sis, even if you’re used to being arrogant, you shouldn’t be naked in front of so many men. How embarrassing! You should all get closer to keep her warm.” As soon as she finished speaking, Aiden strode over and covered her eyes with his hand. “Don’t look, it’s dirty.” My fingernails dug into my palms as I trembled in pain, tears falling in big drops. It was June, but Aiden clearly understood Lily’s implications. He was indulging her, backing her up. This germaphobe who had once held my blood-soaked body and kissed me tenderly – why was he being so ruthless this time? Seeing Aiden leave, the men lost all restraint, crowding around the gambling table to play freely. Satisfied, they tossed me aside. The laughter in the room drowned out my heart-wrenching screams. Every breath was filled with the metallic taste of pain. I stumbled home on shaky legs, but froze at the doorway, my breathing nearly stopping. My clenched fists hung limply at my sides. Lily and I shared the same birthday. At that moment, my father and Aiden were celebrating her birthday at the table, countless gifts piled in the living room. Everything that should have been mine in my past life now had nothing to do with me. The three of them laughed and chatted around the dinner table, a warm family scene I had desperately longed for in this life and the last. It turned out Lily could obtain it so easily. I averted my gaze and snuck up to the second floor through the back door. As soon as I closed the door, I could no longer hold back and broke down sobbing. I had changed my personality for Aiden’s sake, but why had he and my father acted so out of character? This time, I wanted to love him properly, but he didn’t even give me a chance. Ashen-faced, I took out my phone. “Big bro, I’m coming to find you guys. I won’t marry him anymore.” 0

The man on the other end sighed, his voice icy. “Little sis, I’m glad you’ve come to your senses. Your second brother will be thrilled to hear this.” After hanging up, I lay on the cold floor sleepless all night. My phone buzzed once, shattering what was left of my frozen heart. A video from Lily. With trembling hands, I pressed play. By the end, my whole body was rigid with shock. “Big sis, did you sleep well last night? I arranged for the baby in your belly to come thank me. I specially chose quality DNA, no need to thank me.” I sat paralyzed, chilled to the bone. Lily had switched out the casino staff… In the final shot, I saw someone injecting something into my body. I rushed to the bathroom and vomited until I was spitting up blood. I scrubbed my skin raw with steel wool, tears and blood mixing together. In my past life, although Lily was adopted, she had behaved herself in the Shen household. But this time, it was like she had become a completely different person. A horrifying thought popped into my head – they had all been reborn. I dragged my battered body to the hospital in a panic, begging the nurse, “Please give me an abortion, I’m begging you.” Just as I finished speaking, the clack of high heels sounded behind me. I looked up to see Aiden striding over, his face dark with anger. “Big sis, you’re pregnant? But why are you asking the nurse for an abortion? Don’t you want Aiden’s baby?” Lily’s voice dripped with false concern. I rushed over and clutched Aiden’s hand tightly. “I’m not pregnant. This isn’t my baby. Lily switched out the casino staff and had them put… into me.” Aiden’s eyes flashed red as he pinned me against the wall, gritting his teeth. “You’re still trying to frame Lily even now? I thought you had improved, but you’re still as selfish as ever.” Even my father, who had rushed over at the commotion, slapped me hard across the face. “You ungrateful child! When will you learn to be as obedient as Lily? This is your own flesh and blood!” Blood seeped from the corner of my mouth as I swallowed the metallic taste. I watched them laugh uproariously, tears silently rolling down my cheeks. The two men who had loved me most had handed me over to the casino without a second thought. They would rather believe an outsider than ask their own daughter what happened. In my past life, I distinctly remembered them putting an entire medical team on standby at our mansion if I so much as coughed once. Helpless tears spilled over as I could no longer hold them back. Seeing me like this, Aiden’s heart clenched. He took a step towards me. But Lily began sobbing at that moment. “I’ve already forgiven big sis, why do you still want to frame me? I’m a victim too, I was almost…” She trailed off at just the right moment, making Aiden shake with fury. Her eyes gleamed with triumph as she looked at me. Rage boiled over and I glared at her venomously. I staggered to my feet and lunged at her. But I had barely touched a strand of her hair when Aiden violently shoved me away. I crashed into a cart, shattering IV bottles everywhere. Pain radiated through my entire body. As blood gushed from between my legs, I saw Aiden gently blowing on Lily’s scalp. While my normally composed father frantically called for doctors and nurses. I smiled as I blacked out. When I came to, I was tightly strapped to the hospital bed, unable to move an inch. My hands and feet were bound to the point of losing circulation. The nurses’ envious words drifted to my ears. “When will I find a man like Mr. Aiden? His fiancée yanked out one of his adopted sister’s hairs, and he called in the top hair transplant surgeon.” “I know right? He’s treating her like a mental patient to prevent her from hurting Miss Lily again. I’ve never seen restraints used like this before!” Their voices faded away. I looked up to see Aiden appear in the doorway. Was that a flash of pain in his eyes as he looked at me? I let out a cold laugh. He noticed my gaze and loosened the restraints, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Chloe, you’re being too unreasonable. Lily said you just got your period and weren’t pregnant at all. Your methods of getting my attention are too clumsy.” My breathing hitched. He so easily believed everything Lily said. “You should apologize to Lily. As compensation, give her your Four Seasons Villa. You don’t use it anyway.” 0

My eyes flew wide open in shock. The Four Seasons Villa was divided into Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter sections. It was the wedding gift my mother had specially designed for me. On her deathbed, she had used her last breath to make sure I signed the deed myself. Aiden had once held me and promised that we would let my mother witness our happiness there. How could he just hand it over to someone else? “I don’t agree!” I said forcefully. Aiden’s expression darkened as he coldly stared me down. “Lily’s health is fragile. The Four Seasons Villa was built with special temperature controls for each season. It’s perfect for her recovery. Don’t be so stingy.” The blood drained from my face, but I refused to back down. “You have a special constitution. If her health is poor, you can use your blood to nourish her.” Aiden’s face twisted. “No! Lily isn’t like you, she can’t stand the smell of blood. It’s decided.” I looked at Aiden with deep sorrow, suddenly remembering my father. That’s right! Father and Mother were so in love, he definitely wouldn’t agree to this! I rushed out of the hospital and home. When I happily approached my father, he slapped me hard across the face, shaking with rage. “Is this how your mother taught you to be so cold-blooded? For the sake of some trinket left by a dead woman, you’d let her suffer with her poor health!” My pupils constricted as my whole body trembled. Mother had been so good to Aiden, managing Father’s company until her dying day. But now the same people only had cold shoulders and cruel words left. I bit my lip until it bled. Aiden flinched at the hatred in my eyes. He was about to say something when Lily waved the deed in front of my face. “Thanks for making amends, big sis. Let’s put our grudges behind us now.” She pulled two tickets for a car race out of the folder. “Big sis, I’m inviting you to watch my race tomorrow. Father and Aiden will both be there.” My hand shook violently as I touched the tickets. I looked at the two men in panic. When I was little, I had been hit by a race car that went off course. I spent two years in the hospital, nearly giving up surrounded by cold machines. “I’m not going!” I tried to escape, but she grabbed me, her nails digging into my flesh like she was tearing off a chunk of me. Lily suddenly fell backwards uncontrollably, too fast to stop. “Ah, don’t push me…” She fell straight into the fireplace behind her. As flames flared up, Aiden pulled her out. She sobbed in his arms. “My hair got singed, what do I do? Big sis must hate me, I never meant to take anything from her.” I raised my eyes. “I said I didn’t do it. Will you believe me?” “Chloe, have you gone mad?” Aiden’s eyes blazed red, like he wanted to tear me apart. I laughed coldly as I looked at him. There was no point in explaining. He knew how terrified I was of cars, yet he still refused to believe me. Lily ran off crying. He raised his hand to slap me viciously. Then he chased after her like a madman. In the dead of night, I curled up in bed, my tears soaking the pillow. “Mom… why didn’t you take me with you…” I vaguely heard someone push open the door and carry me downstairs. When I opened my eyes again, the sharp screech of tires against pavement assaulted my ears. Everything around me was a blur. I bit my lip hard as waves of near-death terror washed over me. Vomit mixed with blood covered my body. I instantly realized Aiden was getting revenge for Lily. This time, I couldn’t even shed a tear. The car door opened and I tumbled out like a sack of meat. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, but I no longer had the strength to struggle. I didn’t understand why everything had changed in this life. Aiden and my father seemed like completely different people. But it didn’t matter anymore. It would all be over soon. I managed a small relieved smile as I slowly closed my eyes. 0

When I opened my eyes again, my body burned with pain. I wasn’t in a hospital, but a dark basement with a cheap bed. I touched my singed, messy hair, my heart shattering. The housekeeper hugged me gently with reddened eyes. “Miss, you’re finally awake. You’ve suffered so much. How could Mr. Aiden do this to you? He knew what you went through…” Tears silently rolled down my face. Yes, he used to personally drive me everywhere, knowing my fear. This time he had someone kidnap and race me around. My prized hair was burned on a whim. I let out a bitter laugh. In my past life he had loved me to death. In this life he loved someone else to death. We were never meant to be together. I had a long dream where my second brother took me away. All four of my brothers showered me with endless love. Just thinking about it made me smile. Aiden’s casually placed hands clenched into tight fists as he struggled to contain his anger. “Consider this punishment a warning. Why do you have to keep going after Lily? She’s not as lucky as you. Can’t you just let her have this?” I scoffed. As if Lily’s misfortune was my fault. Who should I blame for my current situation then? I met his eyes, my own stinging with unshed tears. “Aiden, have you really forgotten how much you loved me in our past life?” He looked dazed for a moment before furrowing his brow and coldly replying, “What nonsense are you spouting? You think we had a past life together?” He stormed off before I could respond. I laughed bitterly as I gathered my things, burning all the wedding supplies before heading to the airport. But as soon as I stepped out the front door, blinding headlights shone on me as a car sped straight at me. BANG! When I came to, Lily and I were tied to chairs. Her face was twisted with malice as she looked at me. “I know you want to leave. As it happens, I know a place where Aiden will never find you.” As she finished speaking, the men from the casino walked towards us. I stared at her in wide-eyed horror. But they walked right past me and went straight for Lily. The next moment, her screams echoed through the warehouse. “Even if you ruin me, Aiden still won’t like you! Please let me go!” Before I could process what was happening, the door was kicked open violently. Aiden strode in backlit dramatically. A small doll covered in needles hit me in the face, drawing blood. I shook my head frantically, face pale. “It wasn’t me…” But his handsome face was contorted with rage, his eyes like he was looking at a dead person. “We found your fingerprints in Lily’s car. What else do you have to say? Chloe, you’re still as disgusting as before!” I stared blankly as he carried Lily away. Every breath tasted of blood. Aiden, goodbye and good riddance. As the casino men swarmed towards me, I closed my eyes in despair with a bitter smile.

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Everyone in the city’s elite circles knew I was Julian Thorne’s ultimate favorite. For six whole years, I was the only woman Julian Thorne allowed near him. Rumor had it he was completely untouched, hadn’t even looked at another woman, much less touched one. My cheeks flushed at the thought. Only I knew that Julian Thorne had kissed every inch of me on my eighteenth birthday. “Stella, hurry up and grow up so you can marry me.” But when my aunt and I were both kidnapped and drugged with a powerful aphrodisiac, and he had to choose just one of us… He chose my aunt without a moment’s hesitation. He stayed with her at a hotel, indulging her every desire for what felt like nine long days and nights. His kidnappers broke my fingers and dumped me in a derelict beggars’ den. I had to disfigure my own face, ruining my stunning looks, just to protect my innocence. When I finally escaped, Julian Thorne immediately forced me to sign over my father’s entire inheritance to my aunt. “Stella, at least you still have me. But Amber… she has absolutely nothing left.” I stared at Amber’s face, almost identical to mine, and it suddenly hit me. All these years, I was just her replacement. A stand-in. Six years of exclusive devotion was just a privilege he’d given to her through me. I didn’t cry or make a scene. I calmly called the formidable, reclusive heir, Liam Knight. “Liam, I agree to marry you.”

My consciousness was fading, but then a familiar figure finally appeared in my blurred vision. “Julian, I feel awful.” My voice was hoarse. I struggled to look up, but Julian Thorne’s gaze was fixed on Amber White. He tossed two large duffel bags full of cash onto the floor, his voice cold. “I brought the five million dollars you asked for. Now, let them go, can’t you?” Amber whimpered, tears streaming down her face. “Julian!” Julian Thorne frowned, annoyed, then anxiously rushed towards Amber. It felt like a bucket of icy water had been dumped over my head, chilling my blood to the core. When Julian Thorne was about a yard away from Amber, the kidnapper carelessly tossed the detonator in his hand. “Julian Thorne, you can only save one.” “I gave them both the strongest aphrodisiac. Only a man can cure it.” “One will be pampered beneath you.” “The other… will be thrown into the streets, a plaything for countless men, tossed aside like trash.” He laughed maniacally, his eyes darting between the three of us. My hair stood on end, tears of terror welled up, and I screamed desperately. “Julian, please, take me with you!” “I’m scared, I’m so scared…” Julian Thorne hesitated, his brows tightly furrowed as he looked at me. “I want to save both of them. Name your price.” The kidnapper’s laugh was chilling. His palm slid across my chest, pinching the tender flesh until it bruised. “No, you can only pick one.” I cried out in pain, but then I saw Julian Thorne had already untied Amber’s ropes. He tenderly brushed over the red marks on her wrists, pulling her into his embrace and gently soothing her. “Don’t be scared, Amber. I’m here.” I gathered every ounce of strength I had, trying to awaken Julian Thorne’s love for me. “Julian, don’t leave me here alone!” Julian Thorne took a small step, and Amber leaned into his chest, her eyes heavy with desire, her hands fumbling with his buttons. “Julian, I’m so hot. Please help me, okay?” He frowned, looking conflicted, his voice low and hoarse. His words shattered my world, sending me straight to hell. “Amber’s honor…it’s critical right now, Stella. She can’t wait.” “They won’t dare touch you. Just wait for me. I’ll come back for you after I’ve settled her.” As soon as he finished speaking, Julian Thorne impatiently picked up Amber and rushed out of the warehouse. My mind went completely blank. I numbly stared at Julian Thorne’s decisive retreating back, tears streaming down my face. The kidnapper crudely patted my cheek, then dragged an iron bar from the corner. “Oh dear, Julian Thorne doesn’t want you anymore.” “But I heard he cares a lot about you.” “Tell me, if I were to cripple your hand, would he get angry?” Before I could react, the thick iron bar slammed down on the knuckles of my left hand. My face went pale, and a metallic taste filled my mouth. It hurt so much, like my flesh was being ripped from my bones. After my five fingers were shattered, I was roughly thrown into the trunk of a car and driven to a bridge underpass where the beggars lived.

When I opened my eyes again, a beggar was tearing at my clothes, pulling at my chest. I scrambled backward, my hand finding a stone. I nervously scanned my surroundings. “Get away! All of you, get away from me!” The beggar laughed, showing his yellowed teeth, and quickly snatched the stone from my hand. “Don’t struggle. Let us brothers take good care of you.” My whole body felt weak. I suddenly kicked the man off me, grabbed the stone, and aimed it fiercely at my wrist, where my main artery was. I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to stay awake. “If you dare come any closer, I’ll kill myself!” “If this gets big, the police won’t let you go. And Julian will make sure all of you pay for this.” Perhaps my threatening aura intimidated them, as they hesitated and didn’t dare approach. After all, I was wearing a diamond-studded dress and matching jewelry. I didn’t look like an ordinary person. My whole body burned, and I groaned in discomfort. Excruciating pain spread from my left hand. I stumbled and fell to my knees on the ground. The beggars eyed me eagerly, slowly stepping closer again. A few car horns honked from the bridge above. A pair of dark eyes stared down at me. My pupils constricted. Like grasping at a last straw, I cried out for help, “Liam Knight, save me!” In a matter of moments, Liam Knight’s bodyguards had thrown all the beggars into the lake and carried me into a car. I leaned against the car window, my nostrils filled with the scent of cedarwood from Liam. My breathing was heavy, and he immediately noticed something was wrong with me. “Stella, what’s wrong?” But as soon as his hand reached out, I grabbed it and pressed it against my cheek. “Liam, I feel awful…” His eyes turned cold. He lowered the partition, cutting off the bodyguards’ view. “To the hospital.” My whole body was burning hot. I tore at my clothes, desperate for a sliver of coolness. Liam Knight held my hands down and carefully poured mineral water into my mouth. He was so cool and smelled so good. I instinctively nestled into his arms, my hands restlessly roaming. “So hot, I feel awful…” Liam Knight restrained my hands and urged his bodyguards to speed up. My mind slowly cleared. I stared at the needle in the back of my hand. The nurse gently put a cast on my left hand, a sympathetic look on her face. “How did the patient get hurt so badly?” My heart ached. Julian Thorne kissing these very hands suddenly flashed through my mind. Julian Thorne loved to hear me play the piano more than anything. Every time a song ended, he would gallantly kiss my hands, caressing my knuckles, unable to let go. “Stella’s hands are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.” “They’ll look even better when they wear the ring I designed myself.” I snapped back to reality and asked, full of hope, “Nurse, can I still play the piano?” She shook her head regretfully. “Forget playing the piano. If it doesn’t heal well, you won’t even be able to pick things up in the future.” My phone chimed. It seemed Julian Thorne had finally remembered me. I unlocked my phone, and a video popped up. Julian Thorne passionately kissed Amber White’s lips, tearing her clothes to shreds. Their naked bodies intertwined, the sounds of their intimate gasps echoing. “Amber, I truly love you so much.” “You’re finally back in the country. I’ve missed you so much. I can’t live without you.” “I waited for you for six whole years only to realize that no one can replace you.” Amber sensually clawed at Julian Thorne’s back, then triumphantly looked directly at the camera. She asked in a sweet, cooing voice, “Did you treat Stella as my replacement, that’s why you pampered her so much?” The man nodded without hesitation, sealing her words with another kiss.

My phone slipped from my grasp, shattering into pieces on the floor. The sounds of the entwined man and woman abruptly ceased, but I clearly heard the sound of my own heart fracturing. Tears splashed onto the screen. Liam Knight rolled his wheelchair over to me. He wiped the tears from my eyes, his voice low and hoarse. “Don’t cry. You deserve better.” Liam Knight arranged my hospital stay. For nine full days, Julian Thorne didn’t come looking for me once. But during those nine days, he and Amber trended on Ins countless times. Paparazzi photos showed Julian had booked an entire hotel, spending days in his suite, seemingly tireless with a woman. The photos only showed half of the woman’s body, but it was clear Julian Thorne lavished her with extreme affection. The woman’s waist and arms were covered in hickeys, and a lustrous, emerald-green bracelet hung on her wrist. That was the Thorne family heirloom. Julian had personally promised me: “Stella, when you’re older, you’ll be the most respected woman in the Thorne family.” A sharp pain pierced my chest. I silently waited for the last IV drip to finish. Liam Knight dropped me off at the Thorne family mansion. Before he left, he pressed a new phone into my palm. “Call me if you need anything.” The White family and the Knight family had long been close, generations of family friends. When my parents were still alive, our families had even discussed an engagement. But I was so utterly obsessed with Julian, I swore I’d marry no one else, and gradually drifted away from my childhood sweetheart, Liam. I pushed open the villa’s front door. Julian, who claimed to be a germaphobe, was meticulously peeling a mango for Amber White. Amber provocatively glanced at me, then familiarly snuggled into Julian Thorne’s arms. Julian Thorne stood up guiltily, offering the freshly peeled mango towards my mouth. But I was allergic to mangoes. Even a tiny bit could be deadly. I forced a bitter smile. The stinging pain all over my body was nothing compared to the agony in my heart. Julian Thorne was a cruel executioner, torturing me slowly, leaving me utterly broken, as if by a thousand cuts. He gently wiped the remaining juice from my lips. “Sweet?” I didn’t answer. Then Julian Thorne pulled a property transfer agreement from his briefcase. The beneficiary was Amber White. The tight string in my brain snapped with a buzzing sound. I raised my voice in disbelief. “Julian Thorne, you want me to transfer all my property to my parents’ killer?” He frowned, displeased, his eyes cold enough to kill. “Amber just made some mistakes in her youth. How is that ‘killing your parents’?” Amber White had been envious of my father’s expanding company and deliberately sold our business secrets to a rival company. That rival company had then tracked my father’s whereabouts and deliberately engineered a car accident, causing my parents to perish in a fiery car crash. Julian Thorne had taken me in and raised me in the Thorne family mansion, promising to thoroughly investigate the accident for me. Everyone involved in the crash’s conspiracy had been sent to prison, except for Amber White, who fled to another country to seek refuge. I bit the inside of my cheek, snatching Julian Thorne’s phone to scroll through years of bank transfer records. For six years, every single month, he’d wired ten million dollars to Amber’s account. Amber White walked over, feigning sincerity. “Stella, don’t be mad at Julian.” “It’s all my fault. If only I hadn’t come back, Julian wouldn’t have to force you…” She cried, a picture of delicate sorrow. But Julian Thorne, a sucker for her tears, forcibly grabbed my wrist and scolded me. “Stella, for years you’ve been the city’s most pampered princess, someone I truly cherished.” “You have everything. Why do you still have to fight Amber for these small things?”

Like a madwoman, I struggled fiercely to break free from Julian Thorne’s grasp, but then I heard his subtle threat. “Don’t forget, the cemetery where your parents are buried is currently up for bidding.” “If you don’t behave, I can’t guarantee they’ll rest in peace.” The day my parents were buried, Julian Thorne had tenderly held me, promising sincerely: “Stella, I’ll take good care of you in your parents’ stead.” “You still have me; you can still rely on me.” Julian Thorne used to accompany me to the cemetery every year to pay respects to my parents, referring to himself as my husband in front of their tombstone. “Don’t worry, elders. I will protect Stella for life and make her the happiest woman in the world.” The familiar face was now utterly foreign. My tears flowed freely. Amber White softly pushed the agreement towards me, her eyes filled with greed. “Stella, as long as you sign, I’ll disappear from your sight immediately.” “I promise, I’ll never bother you and Julian again.” But the next second, she quickly rushed into the bathroom and dry-heaved violently. Julian Thorne glared fiercely at me, then yelled at the butler. “What are you waiting for? Call the family doctor!” My health was never good; I was always battling some illness or another. So Julian Thorne had hired a family doctor at a high cost, on call for me twenty-four hours a day. The doctor rushed over, panicked when he saw my body covered in red rashes, and frantically rummaged through his medical bag. But Julian Thorne stormed over, completely losing his composure. “Can’t you see Amber is in pain?!” “Get over here now!” The doctor looked at me helplessly, but I shook my head, my nails digging deep into my flesh, drawing blood. In those brief minutes, the doctor cast a sympathetic glance at me, then congratulated Amber White. “Ms. White, you’re… positive pregnancy!” I felt like I’d been struck by lightning, unable to move. I mechanically repeated the doctor’s words. “Positive pregnancy?” Julian Thorne’s face lit up with joy. He cupped Amber White’s face and kissed her, their noses touching. “Amber, this is our child.” Amber White knelt down in front of me with a thud, crying tears of regret. “Stella, it’s not that I want to take things from you.” “Julian and I were both drunk that night. It’s all my fault for not pushing him away.” She desperately kowtowed, begging me not to be angry with her, claiming the child was innocent. Julian Thorne almost always stayed by my side until I fell asleep, except for the night Amber White returned to the country. That night was also my twentieth birthday. After Julian Thorne placed a tiara on my head, he reluctantly told me that something had come up at the company, requiring his immediate attention. He left in a hurry, but when he returned, he was covered in a woman’s sickly sweet perfume. “Stella, I accidentally got it on me during a business dinner.” “You know, you’re the only one in my heart.” I looked at Amber White’s face, identical to mine, and understood everything. The atmosphere around me dropped. I slapped Amber White hard across the face. Immediately after, a burning sting appeared on my own cheek. “Stella, you’re being utterly unreasonable!” “Amber was generous enough to leave you the position of Mrs. Thorne!” I clutched my swollen face and sneered. “Julian Thorne, do you now expect me to be grateful to her and hand over everything with both hands?” “Dream on!” Julian Thorne’s face was ashen. He clenched his jaw, looking at the butler. “Take Ms. White to the attic! She’s become increasingly unruly and ill-mannered!” My body felt weak, and I was dragged by bodyguards, my hands pinned, utterly unable to resist. But the next second, the tightly shut front door was violently kicked open. A low male voice resonated. “Who dares lay a hand on my fiancée?” Liam Knight’s bodyguards rescued me. I collapsed into his arms, accidentally pressing on my bandaged left hand. “It hurts.”

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In my last life, my sister loved her husband so much she gave him everything. While my brother-in-law was starting his business, she frantically took out loans, racking up massive debts to support his company. She was deep in debt herself. My brother-in-law praised her as the best wife in the world. To pay off her own debts, she and my mom stole my identity information to get illegal high-interest loans. Later, the debt collectors showed up at my door. All my assets were stripped bare, but it still wasn’t enough to cover the deficit. My parents blocked me and even publicly disowned me on social media. Seeing this, the debt collectors forced me into sex work to pay off the debt. I contracted an STD, and in a daze, I was hit by a car while walking at a crossroads. Reborn, I found myself back in my brother-in-law’s second year of starting his business… My brother-in-law was visibly ecstatic today. His huge financial problem was finally solved; he was grinning from ear to ear. I watched him hug my sister, spinning her around excitedly, then gently kissing her. When David looked at Scarlett and said, “Honey, I really can’t thank you enough. It’s all thanks to the loan you secured,” my heart clenched. In my previous life, Scarlett’s debt grew so huge she couldn’t pay it off. She played the victim, getting Mom to spin tall tales and make empty promises, urging me to help her get a loan. When I refused, she stole my identity to take out more illegal online loans. It wasn’t until the debt collectors found me at my workplace that the world went dark as I heard the amount. All my assets eventually went to paying it off, but it still wasn’t enough. When I begged my parents for help, I only got a lecture and then they blocked me. Seeing they couldn’t squeeze any more money out of me, the debt collectors, desperate, forced me into prostitution. To pay off the debt, I had to take clients non-stop every day. I was forced to take on clients with special fetishes that even experienced sex workers wouldn’t touch. My body was abused until there wasn’t a single good spot left. I wanted to die, but even that wasn’t an immediate escape. My brother-in-law only cared about getting the company started. He didn’t worry about subsequent funding at all. He just spent a few thousand to rent a place and buy office supplies when he first opened. My sister, with only her husband on her mind, was obsessed with the fantasy of him starting a company and striking it rich. Whenever David frowned and sighed, “Company funds are tight again!” she would keep taking out loans to support his company, burdening herself with mountains of toxic debt. This time around, someone else can be the chump in that deep pit!

My brother-in-law truly wasn’t cut out for running a company. The money Scarlett had borrowed before was nearly gone in less than six months. David had been sighing a lot lately. That day, Scarlett came home and, before even sitting down for dinner, started crying to Mom about David’s company needing money, and how she’d already poured all her savings into it. Mom, feeling sympathetic, quickly wiped away her precious daughter’s tears. “This company has been open for three years now, wasn’t everything supposed to be fine? Why is it short on cash now?” Dad chimed in, “Can’t David’s family chip in?” David looked annoyed. “My mom did say she’d support me, but Scarlett said this is ‘our’ family business, and she insists on finding the funds herself!” With that, he turned to leave, glaring at Scarlett. “I told you we shouldn’t have come!” Scarlett quickly stood up and grabbed David. “Honey, don’t be mad. Mom and Dad didn’t mean it that way, right?” She looked pleadingly at our parents. “Mom, tell Chloe. Chloe’s a government employee, everyone says she’s a shoo-in for a loan.” Mom immediately shot a glance at me. “Chloe, can you help your sister? Your brother-in-law’s company will pay you back as soon as it makes money!” I quickly interjected, “Mom, how can I? I just started my career, I barely have any assets. How much could I possibly borrow?” Scarlett nudged David, who reluctantly spoke. “Chloe, you just need to put your name on it. We’ll handle how to get the loan and the monthly interest ourselves. We’ll even give you five thousand as a finder’s fee.” Hearing that, I almost burst out laughing. Mom still acted as if I was getting such a great deal. “Chloe, look how much your sister and brother-in-law are looking out for you. You just need to get a loan, and you’ll get five thousand. Isn’t that better than your job?” The whole family nodded in agreement, as if getting a loan really wasn’t a big deal. Yeah, Mom was always like that! When Scarlett fell as a child, she’d anxiously call her ‘precious girl,’ but when I fell, she’d complain I couldn’t even walk straight. In my previous life, even though I didn’t agree to the loan, Scarlett still convinced Mom. Together, they took my ID and secured countless illegal online loans that I could never repay in my lifetime. I knew that if I refused outright now, the result would be no different from my last life. I pretended to gather my courage and spoke. “Mom, of course, I’m willing to help Scarlett and David.” Seeing Scarlett sigh in relief, I added with a worried look, “But what if they can’t pay it back? I’m still on the same household record as you. If the debt collectors come looking for us, they’ll come for our whole family. I heard those shady debt collectors can be really brutal.” Hearing this, my parents looked at Scarlett. “Loans indeed require caution. How about it, Scarlett, let’s call Eleanor over first, and we can all talk it over.”

I knew my parents’ thoughts too well. Unless it directly impacted them, they wouldn’t budge. Because Scarlett was the first child in the family, Mom already showed her favoritism. I, on the other hand, was unwanted from birth. Originally, Mom wanted to try for another child, but by then her body wouldn’t allow it. So, she expected Scarlett to marry into our family, to stay home, to stay by her side. My sister and brother-in-law’s relationship was initially disapproved of by our family. He was from out of town and from a single-parent home, with his elderly mother relying solely on him to carry on the family name. Who knew my sister would be so utterly blinded by love for her husband? She took out mountains of debt for him to start his company, telling our parents that her husband secured the investment through his own capabilities. Our parents just went along with it. Who knew that after only three years, such a massive bombshell would drop? The company turned out to be a total sham. My parents still bragged proudly to everyone outside every day about their son-in-law running a big company and making tons of money. And now, they were whining about being broke and demanding solutions. My sister was great at manipulating Mom. She didn’t directly ask for money, but rather pressured our parents to make me get a loan. In my previous life, I was just a mute, only capable of refusing. This time, with myself and my family tied together in this mess, I wondered what my parents would choose?

Scarlett’s desperate juggling of debts, robbing Peter to pay Paul, finally defaulted. Scarlett was frantic, pacing back and forth. The moment I heard the news, I rushed to her place with Mom and Dad. Entering the apartment, I saw Scarlett’s mother-in-law, Eleanor, sitting in the living room, seething with indignation. “You’ve finally arrived! Look at this huge mess Scarlett has brought upon our family! How are we going to fix this?” I walked into the bedroom to see Scarlett. Her eyes were red and swollen as she sat on the edge of the bed. Scattered glass shards lay on the floor nearby. Clearly, there had just been a fierce argument. “Scarlett, what happened? Why is there so much broken glass on the floor?” Scarlett looked at me, then glanced towards the door. “David threw it…” “Why? Because of the debt? Weren’t you doing all this for him?” “Ugh, it’s all because Mom and Dad called David’s mom over. David and I had a huge fight!” In my previous life, by this point, she would have already convinced Mom to steal my identity. Then, she would have used the borrowed money to pay off the debt. But I would be the one to suffer the bitter consequences of the unpaid debt. I turned and walked out of the room, pointing angrily at David. “David, if it weren’t for you, would Scarlett be drowning in all this toxic debt? How could you argue with her and even smash a glass?” Mom jumped up in alarm. “What toxic debt? You said the company was just having cash flow problems, David! What’s going on?” David watched Mom freak out and just threw caution to the wind. “Running a company is never smooth sailing! Scarlett voluntarily took out loans to keep my company running!” His mother, Eleanor, added fuel to the fire. “Those were all Scarlett’s unilateral, voluntary actions! They have nothing to do with my son!” “Don’t even think about it!” I shouted. “Debts incurred during marriage are considered joint marital debts, David. I don’t need to explain this, do I?” To my surprise, David didn’t flinch at all. “That’s true, but most of the debt Scarlett accumulated was before we got married. As for the post-marriage portion, half of the $300,000, my mom and I will figure it out.” I truly hadn’t realized my sister was so utterly blinded by love, borrowing money even before marriage. “Son-in-law, I need to discuss what you’ve said with Scarlett’s father! We’ll come back tomorrow!” With that, Mom gave me a look and pulled Dad out the door. She didn’t even step back into the room to see Scarlett. Mom’s reaction was both expected and unexpected. It turned out they didn’t really love me. In the face of their own interests, they loved no one.

Just as I expected, Mom didn’t go to Scarlett’s place. But her not going didn’t mean trouble wouldn’t come knocking. Scarlett had been waiting for Mom to come clean up her mess all morning, but she waited and waited, and no one showed up. She stormed into our house, burst through the door, and started sobbing the moment she saw Mom. “Mom, you have to help me! David wants to divorce me now and won’t take responsibility for my debts. If this continues, I’ll die!” Yes, you will die if you don’t pay your debts. Are you just realizing that now? In my previous life, you dumped all these debts on me. Did you ever consider if I would die? After all, she was still the precious daughter Mom had cherished for so many years. Seeing Scarlett like this, Mom’s heart softened a bit. “I do want to help you, but how much more do you need? Your father and I don’t have $300,000.” Mom must not have understood that day, thinking Scarlett only needed to cover the remaining $300,000 in debt. Scarlett stammered, “Mom, it’s not $300,000. With interest, it’s $1.3 million now!” Mom’s face turned red with agitation. “What?! $1.3 million? You borrowed this much money behind our backs?” Scarlett looked at Mom, agitated, and dared not speak, just cried. At this point, Dad finally spoke up to defuse the situation. “Scarlett, this amount is too large. Let your mother and me think of a way. You go home today, and try to stabilize David. After all, he has such a big company running, there must still be some money coming in.” Seeing that the shock to Mom and Dad was indeed too great today, Scarlett wiped away her tears and went home.

A massive debt of $1.3 million! In our small town, even if we sold our house, it wouldn’t be enough! “No way, I’m going to Scarlett’s place to talk to her mother-in-law. After all, they were married, and her son spent all that money. Now he wants to just wash his hands of it!” With that, she dragged Dad out like a whirlwind. I don’t know what Mom and Scarlett’s mother-in-law discussed, but when I got home from work, I found Mom surprisingly calm. “Mom, how was it today? Is Scarlett’s debt problem solved?” Mom glanced at me, as if she had something specific to say but then said nothing. “What good could David’s mother say? All she did was push blame!” That night, just as I fell asleep, I felt a rustling sound in my room. I jolted awake. “Who’s there?!” The person seemed startled. “Chloe, it’s Mom. I came to see if you were covered properly!” She then said, “You’re sleeping soundly, so I’ll leave,” and quietly exited. So, you finally came, Mom. My heart finally settled, and a sense of liberation washed over me. After a while, I quietly got up and crept to my parents’ bedroom door. “This vile little wretch, I don’t know where she hid her ID. I just couldn’t find it. What are we going to do?” Mom complained to Dad, agitated, “If we can’t borrow this money, Scarlett is finished! Chloe, that vile little wretch, she has no family feeling at all!”

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The day my mother took her own life, I finally decided to divorce my cancer-stricken wife, who’d stolen my mother’s life-saving money. But just as I was about to speak, a row of bullet comments suddenly popped up before my eyes. “OMG! Male lead, whatever you do, don’t get a divorce! Just hold on a few more days, and you’ll be the heir to a powerful empire!” “Don’t let the female lead’s poverty and messy appearance fool you; she’s actually worth billions! She’s just pretending to be poor to test your sincerity. She’s completely obsessed with you!” “Male lead, don’t be stupid! What’s losing a mom compared to that? You’ll have money and a beautiful wife soon enough. Marrying into that elite family is what truly matters!” I stared at the constantly flashing comments. My eyes burned as I looked at my wife, who had just returned home after stealing my mom’s life savings and abandoning her to die a tragic death. “Alright, the silent treatment is over. Take this money to save your mom. Julian has already paid off your debts.” Seraphina awkwardly handed back my bank card, her flip-flops shuffling on the floor. Instantly, the bullet comments from earlier flashed through my mind. The next second, I fixed my gaze on her eyes, trying to find some truth hidden within them. “What are you staring at? Paying back debts is just how it is. Our family is so poor; what would we have done if Julian hadn’t lent us the money?” Her brows furrowed, and her voice carried a hint of subtle annoyance. She was probably still mad that day when I chose to use the money to save my mom first. I didn’t take the card, just stared blankly at the long-overdue bank card in front of me, my eyes suddenly red. The comments said she was worth billions. Could it be true? If it was true… I couldn’t help but mock myself. Then what was my mom’s life worth? And all the hardship I endured, working eight jobs a day, killing myself to earn her medical expenses? ….. Suddenly, I felt as if a massive rock was crushing my chest. It made me feel incredibly exhausted. I remembered when we were dating, Seraphina was a scholarship student, but she was hardworking and very clingy. Even after a two-hour bus ride, she’d come to see me every weekend for a date. During graduation season, she said her family was poor and asked if I’d be willing to move in with them after we got married. I agreed, saying it was fine if we were poor; we’d work hard and earn money, supporting both our parents together. Dating, proposals, engagement—we were like countless other couples, gradually moving towards marriage. But after graduation, her family inexplicably seemed to get poorer and poorer. Seraphina frequently claimed she was being exploited by shady companies, then fired, until a top-tier graduate like her was reduced to working as a server. I never doubted any of her explanations. Instead, I’d even smile and comfort her, saying it was fine, I’d support her even if she didn’t work. Turns out, my words came true in the worst way. Seraphina was diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer. The massive medical bills instantly crushed my meager $4,000 monthly salary. The night she was diagnosed, Seraphina knelt before me and cried for the first time. Her eyes red, she firmly suggested we break up: “Liam, you’re still young. Don’t pour your time and money into my bottomless pit. Let’s break up. I’ll live as long as I can. I don’t want to be a burden to you. My heart aches for you…” She said she’d find a quiet place to end her life and just asked me to bury her. My mom was there that day too. To make her give up the idea of suicide, my mom literally dragged Seraphina and me to the courthouse to get married. Afterward, she reminded me not to be heartless. She had accepted Seraphina as her daughter-in-law, and no matter what, we had to cure her illness, even if it meant selling everything we owned. Seraphina also promised to give my mom a healthy grandchild. “Mom, thank you and Liam for not giving up on me. I swear, if I get better, I’ll take good care of you and make sure you and Liam never live a hard life again…” Because of that promise, for five years, my mom willingly worked herself to the bone to pay for her medical expenses. Seraphina’s words were accurate; the cancer did get better. But just as life began to look up, she came to my mom again, pale-faced and on her knees, begging for money. She said she’d lost $200,000 on online stock trading and needed to pay off debts. Her expression seemed genuine, as if her world had crumbled. My mom believed her. She immediately wanted to give Seraphina the $200,000 she’d just saved for her own surgery, but in her haste, she suffered a sudden heart attack. That day, I saw the so-called bullet comments for the first time. “It’s all that manipulative jerk’s fault for egging on the female lead to fake cancer! Now she’s lying about debt to steal the male lead’s mom’s life-saving money. The female lead feels terrible…” “It’s because the male lead is so pathetic and poor! If he had money, would the female lead have been tricked by the male supporting character into doing all these tests?” “Poor female lead! She didn’t want to lie! She’s felt guilty for five years because of this! She’s not asking for money; she just feels insecure!” That male supporting character… were they talking about Julian? And what was this “faking cancer” and “testing” all about? My mind was a chaotic mess, seeing the dense words before me, but my mother’s surgery couldn’t be delayed. I still struggled, begging Seraphina to give the money back: “…Sera, Mom needs surgery urgently. This money has to go to save my mom first. Please, can you give it back?” But I never expected that because of that single sentence, Seraphina would take my mother’s life-saving money and vanish. “Liam, are you saying I’m a burden? You don’t understand! I didn’t even want your money! I… I really misjudged you!” With that last accusation, Seraphina slammed the door and disappeared without a trace. I cried and begged her to return the money in countless phone calls, telling her my mom needed it to live. But then, after Julian said, “Don’t bother Sera,” I was blocked. That night, my mom took her own life behind my back.

Before she died, she said, “Mom won’t be a burden to you anymore. Leave the money for Sera to pay her debts.” In her last moments, she was still thinking of Seraphina. But what about Seraphina? Now, my mom was dead, and she was returning the money, saying it was for Mom’s treatment… My eyes welled with tears, Seraphina’s words echoed in my ears, shattering and reassembling. All I heard was impatient anger: “Julian checked, and he said your mom was fine. I already returned the money. Are you still going to be mad at me?” Seeing I wouldn’t take it, she slammed the bank card at my feet: “Liam, are you disgusted with me? I only asked for a measly two hundred grand, and this is how you truly are? I even told Julian you weren’t a gold-digger! Liam, is this what you meant by ‘I’ll support you’?!” A measly two hundred grand? Turns out… she didn’t even care about $200,000. Suddenly, I didn’t want to argue with her anymore. Thinking I was still holding a grudge, Seraphina angrily kicked over a nearby stool. “I was going to visit your mom at the hospital, but with that attitude, I’m not going!” The door slammed shut with a bang, and her furious footsteps faded into the distance. The comments were fuming, frustrated beyond belief: “The male lead’s lost his mind! He lasted five years, what’s wrong with him now? Trust me, the female lead’s definitely gone to Julian to complain.” “If the male lead didn’t lack a powerful family background, would the female lead have to test him like this? My poor female lead, a broken, crying mess after being scorned by her husband again, right?” “This pisses me off! The male supporting character will definitely take advantage of this to stir up trouble! Male lead, hurry up and go comfort her!” After seeing the comments, I did follow Seraphina downstairs. But not to comfort her. It was to verify if her “elite family” background was real. I simply couldn’t believe that my messy, home-bound, cancer-stricken wife could one day be a high-society heiress, someone utterly unreachable for a commoner like me. I wanted to see it with my own eyes… I followed Seraphina through the village food street, past the garbage heaps swarming with flies… Then I watched her walk straight towards the luxury car parked at the street corner. It was that red Ferrari, the one I always noticed whenever I drove her to the hospital, just outside the rundown neighborhood… A quick search on my phone showed it was worth 8.88 million. Back then, I’d found it odd and even joked with Seraphina that there must be a big shot in this rundown neighborhood if someone could afford a sports car. Little did I know, the owner was right beside me. So many things suddenly made sense, and a bitter taste filled my mouth. But I couldn’t dwell on it. The sports car roared past, and I instinctively flagged down a taxi to follow. The car stopped in front of an exclusive club. I looked up and saw the familiar sign for ‘The Sovereign Club’. Seraphina had come to the very club where I had worked part-time for years. Watching her casually take the elevator directly to the top-floor private suite, it hit me: the top-floor VIP client the manager always talked about—the one who dropped a fortune in one night and had to be treated like royalty—was Seraphina all along… So, the floors I meticulously scrubbed clean on my hands and knees every night were to prepare for my own wife’s arrival. I clenched my fists, my heart growing colder by the inch. Just as I was about to burst into the suite and demand a divorce from Seraphina, the manager’s surprised voice came from behind me. “Liam? Oh, perfect timing! Quick! We need a hand!” Before I could refuse, I was shoved into a mascot costume and sent into the suite, where guests were already impatiently demanding a dance. The music inside was deafening, and a group of people were having a wild time. It was stifling hot inside the costume, my vision limited. I couldn’t see who was who, only awkwardly swayed my limbs to the music. I wanted to finish and leave quickly, but then a foot suddenly kicked me. A familiar voice exploded. It was Seraphina, furious: “What the hell, can’t you dance? You stepped on my foot!”

Her angry shouts were followed by the music cutting off. Everyone seemed to turn and stare at me. Seraphina’s kick sent me stumbling back, twisting my ankle. I didn’t want to make a scene or confront her in such a humiliating state, so I bit back the pain and bowed repeatedly, apologizing profusely. But Seraphina didn’t recognize my voice. And today, she lacked the approachable demeanor she always had when pretending to be poor. “What good is bowing now? My shoes are Chanel! Do you think a pathetic pauper like you can just step on them? So goddamn disgusting!” Julian’s lazy chuckle drifted over. “What? Away from Liam, and your good patience is gone? That pathetic loser only scorned you once, and your heart’s already broken?” He continued, “Well, a bet’s a bet! Break up with him already and marry me according to our engagement! You’re a high-society heiress; stop humiliating yourself with this pretend marriage!” Julian spoke casually, but his words grated on my ears. “Male supporting character, get lost! The female lead only loves the male lead! Even if she breaks up with him, she won’t marry you! You scheming jerk!” “My heart aches for the female lead. She’s being hounded by the male supporting character because of the family engagement, and she has to fake marriage to hide it from the male lead. She’s already going through so much; male lead, can’t you be more understanding?” “Ugh, what’s wrong with a fake marriage? If it were real, the male lead might be ruined by the male supporting character’s revenge! The female lead is just protecting the male lead…” My breathing hitched. My heart plunged into an abyss. Even… even our marriage was fake? In their words, Seraphina seemed to love me beyond measure. But everything she did was based on lies and deception; there was no trust whatsoever. Even my genuine desire to marry her was part of her scam. At this point, I seriously doubted if Seraphina had even an ounce of sincerity towards me. “What pretend marriage? Liam and I are truly in love!” The woman solemnly retorted to Julian. “This time his mom was genuinely sick, so I’m not going to hold it against him. After all, I’ve pretended to be poor and sick for five years, and he never left me. This doesn’t count!” She added, “One last test! I’m definitely going to win the bet against you. Afterward, I’ll bring them back to the Vance family, and Liam won’t have to suffer another day.” The bullet comments flooded the screen, all praising how much Seraphina loved me, but I found it utterly laughable. “Sera, no matter how much you love Liam, it won’t change the fact that he’s a commoner! The Vance family will never accept him, just like you’ll always despise that stepping on your shoes!” Julian’s long fingers pointed directly at me, his tone mocking and playful. Following his hand, Seraphina finally bothered to look down at me, her gaze undisguisedly cold. “He doesn’t even compare to my Liam.” Hearing the man’s blatant contempt, I let out a bitter laugh. The bullet comments suddenly went awkward. “Female lead, shut your damn mouth! That’s your husband! Stop the abuse!” “Too late! The male lead heard everything they said, oh no!” “Holy crap! Have mercy on our female lead! Imagining from her perspective, realizing the stepping on her shoes is her Liam, she must be freaking out with guilt!” “Chill! The male lead definitely won’t expose the female lead; he spoils her so much. He’ll protect his wife’s dignity…” I sneered. No way. I wouldn’t play this ‘pretend-poor’ game with Seraphina anymore. Reaching up, I pulled off the mascot head, ready to tell her I wanted a divorce. But Seraphina turned her head, sitting back on the sofa, as if even a glance at me disgusted her. Seeing this, Julian lit a cigarette for her, then casually glanced at me, scoffing: “Fine, fine, all poor people are the same, aren’t they? Unlike your Liam, who’s so ‘noble’ in his poverty, so ‘dignified.’ So, you’ll test him one more time? I’ll be waiting for your good news.” One more test? Had they even asked me? My hand was already untying the straps of the mascot head. I was so tired; I just wanted to say my piece and be done with it. But the next second, a stack of brand-new bills exploded at my feet. It seemed Seraphina wanted to prove to Julian that poor people would do anything for money. She looked down at me, a cold sneer on her face, and commanded: “Want those bills? Get on your knees and pick them up! I’m bestowing this upon you.” As her words fell, I didn’t hesitate. Under her disdainful gaze, I slowly bent down. Seeing my action, Seraphina turned to Julian, pouting. “Tsk! See? As long as the money’s right, what dignity do these poor folks have? They’d even sell their lives for me. How disgusting, right?” But I was only bending down to take off the mascot head. Seraphina continued to mock me: “If it were my Liam, he’d never bend down. He’d never grovel for money like this. So, Liam truly loves me; whatever I say, he’ll believe—” “Believe what?” Seraphina’s words were interrupted by my calm question.

The mascot head was ripped off, sweat-soaked hair clinging to my forehead. My eyes, fixed on Seraphina, were as still as dead water. “Believe that you, the esteemed heiress of the Vance family, pretended to be poor and scammed me for five years to test my true love?” Seeing that it was me beneath the mascot head, Seraphina froze, her pupils shrinking instantly. And at that moment, I finally got a clear look at her, sitting on the sofa, clad in exquisite high-end designer clothes. She was a completely different person from the messy state she was in half an hour ago at home. The bullet comments exploded. “OMG, OMG! The male lead actually confronted the female lead! How awkward!” “No, how can this male lead be so unforgiving! The female lead lied to protect his dignity; it wasn’t what she wanted to do! Can’t the male lead be a little more understanding?” “Ahhh, this is a bloodbath! I love watching the male and female leads fight and love each other.” The moment she saw me, Seraphina stood stunned, her lips trembling. But the next words out of her mouth were still an excuse. “What pretending to be poor? Honey, I’m at work! Let’s talk about this at home…” Her aura of nobility vanished as she quickly bowed and scraped, apologizing to Julian and the other rich playboys around her. “Bosses, my apologies, I just have a little family matter to deal with.” Her performance left the rich kids looking at each other in confusion. And I was so disgusted I almost wanted to vomit. We were clearly at the point of no return, yet she still wanted to fake poverty? Was it ever going to end? Saying this, Seraphina tried to pull me out, but I violently shook her off and roared, “Seraphina, you’re still going to pretend to be poor? Do you think I’m stupid? The Ferrari, the high-end club, everything you and Julian said—I heard it all!” “Stop torturing me, okay? Let’s just break up!” My eyes were bloodshot as tears streamed down my face. I thought with everything out in the open, Seraphina would finally confess. Explain, apologize, or at least show some regret. But instead, the woman broke into hysterical sobs: “Liam! Don’t break up! I… I’m actually Julian’s escort girl!”

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Five years into my marriage, I discovered our marriage certificate was a fake. The five years I thought were sacred vows, legally, never existed. The loving husband I thought I had was legally married to someone else. I left quietly, no arguments, no accusations. But he regretted it. 0 I handed my medical report to the nurse. “Can’t I use my husband’s health insurance for payment now? Is his coverage sufficient?” The nurse took my ID, typed some information into her computer, and frowned slightly. “Ms. Maxwell, your marital status shows as ‘single.’ We need your spouse’s ID and a valid marriage certificate to open your file.” I froze. “That’s impossible. My husband and I registered five years ago.” She turned the screen toward me—my marital status in the system was indeed blank. My fingers turned icy cold. I pulled our marriage certificate from my bag. “See? This is our marriage certificate. There must be a system error.” The nurse took the document, examined it closely, and her expression subtly shifted. “Your marriage certificate… it might be problematic.” She picked up a UV pen from the desk and shone it on the official seal. A real Registrar’s Office seal would display security features under UV light. Mine showed nothing. I remembered that day, five years ago. Marcus Thorne had insisted we use some special “private appointment” channel, claiming it would expedite the process at the Registrar’s Office. Now, it all felt like a twisted joke. I stumbled out of the hospital, my head spinning. The early summer sun stung my eyes. Standing on the steps, I suddenly thought of Marcus when he was eighteen. I had just started college, and I casually mentioned craving a specialty pastry from an old bakery across town. He skipped his afternoon classes, cycled across the entire city, and bought the last box just before the shop closed. When he delivered it to my dorm, his white shirt was drenched with sweat, but he still smiled and said, “Taste it quickly, it’s best warm.” On my twenty-fifth birthday, I was pulling an all-nighter in the lab, finishing a thesis. He waited downstairs until two in the morning, holding a thermal container filled with tiramisu he’d failed five times to make. I scolded him for not going home sooner, but he kissed my fingers and said, “I have to be there for every important moment of your life.” And now, at thirty, I stood on the hospital steps, clutching that torn, fake marriage certificate. I finally understood that those sweet moments were just seeds planted for this absurd drama unfolding today. I walked out of the hospital in a daze, clutching the marriage certificate that had been declared a “forgery.” Unconsciously, I found myself in the most bustling downtown mall. I mechanically pushed open the glass doors, and the cool air washed over me. Then, I saw them. Marcus Thorne stood in front of a jewelry counter, impeccably dressed in a suit. Beside him, Scarlett Hayes was bending her head, trying on a diamond ring. “Mr. Thorne is so thoughtful for his wife,” the sales associate beamed. “This is a limited edition piece; there are only three pairs in the entire city.” Scarlett shyly pursed her lips, and when she looked up at Marcus, her eyes sparkled like stars. “Honey, do you like it?” Honey. The word was a blunt knife, slowly slicing open my heart. Even more ironic, the diamond necklace around her neck was the exact same one Marcus had given me for my birthday last month, calling it a “one-of-a-kind gift.” Now, it adorned another woman. Marcus gently stroked her long hair, his voice filled with indulgence. “If you like it, we’ll buy it.” The sales associate exclaimed enviously, “You two are truly a perfect match, made for each other!” Made for each other? What did that make me? I stood hidden behind a marble pillar, gripping my ultrasound scan tightly. A sudden sharp pain shot through my abdomen, as if the baby was weeping for this grotesque play. My nails had dug into my palms at some point, but I felt no pain. So, the happiness of these past few years, it was all a lie. Since Marcus was so desperate to keep me in the dark, I would make him truly understand the consequences of deceiving me. 0

I turned and walked away, heading straight to my mentor, Professor Davies. The lab was empty that evening, only the innermost office still had its light on. I knocked softly and heard his familiar voice. “Come in.” Professor Davies looked up from a screen full of code, his eyes widening when he saw me, drenched from head to toe. “Rain?” “Professor,” my voice was calmer than I expected, “did you say there’s still a faculty position open at Cambridge?” He rose and handed me a towel. “Dry yourself first.” Only then did I realize I was trembling. Professor Davies said, “The Cambridge faculty is very impressed with your new concept.” He paused. “But a more critical position is at ETH Zurich—they need someone to lead their newly established AI Ethics Institute.” “How soon?” I clenched my fists. Professor Davies handed me a file. “Expedited visa processing will take two weeks.” I lowered my head, thought for a moment, and then said, “Professor, is there a way for me to get a new identity?” Professor Davies pulled a passport and plane ticket from a hidden compartment in his bookshelf. “Use this identity: Lin Moran, Visiting Scholar at Zurich University.” “Thank you.” The three words felt heavy as lead when I spoke them. He shook his head. “When you cracked that encryption system at MIT all those years ago, I knew you’d go far.” As I pushed open the front door of our house, the rich scent of butter and garlic wafted out. Marcus was stirring pasta with his back to me, the sleeves of his black shirt rolled up to his elbows. He turned and smiled, a smudge of tomato sauce on the tip of his nose. “Baby, you’re back. Dinner’s almost ready.” Chilled white wine sat on the dining table. My mind, however, drifted back to that summer night. That evening, dragging my suitcase filled with things from overseas, I heard a sound in the darkness. His black Mercedes was subtly rocking in a secluded corner. I don’t remember how I was drawn to it, how I saw Marcus holding that girl’s face and kissing her. “Rain!” I still remember the look on Marcus’s face when he tumbled out of the car—a mix of panic and embarrassment, but not a trace of guilt. His explanation sounded rehearsed countless times. “She looked so much like you, I couldn’t help myself…” After that, he practically lived on my doorstep, begging for forgiveness and showing me every single message on his phone. “I’ll make her quit tomorrow. I’ll never see her again in my life.” I softened, choosing to forgive him. But three months later, at the company’s annual gala, I saw her, dressed in her assistant’s attire, adjusting his tie. Marcus said, “I told her to leave, but then she apparently got hired back as an executive assistant *on her own merit*, and I couldn’t exactly interfere with company policy, could I?” Looking back now, this absurd play had signs all along. How ridiculous. I was just the most laughable supporting character in their love story. He plated my steak, medium-rare, drizzled with black pepper sauce, accompanied by my favorite asparagus. The knife and fork were placed at the perfect angle, just like on every anniversary for the past five years. I stared at his long, slender fingers as he cut the meat. I suddenly thought of how those hands had trembled as they unbuttoned my shirt on our first night together, and how they had clutched Scarlett’s waist, pressing her against an office desk, just last night. He rose and came behind me, resting his chin on my head. “Baby, I missed you so much.” After dinner, he suddenly suggested watching a movie. He picked *Notting Hill*. When the scene with the gallery walk came on, he squeezed my fingers. “Remember? We walked like that in Boston.” Of course, I remembered. Back then, he’d cupped my face and said that “company meetings were less important than our honeymoon,” ditching a multi-million dollar contract just to be with me. Halfway through the movie, Marcus’s phone lit up. He glanced at the screen, his thumb unconsciously rubbing his left wrist watch—a habit he had when he lied. “Urgent tax reports from Finance,” he said, rising. He even thoughtfully pulled the blanket higher onto my shoulders. “You go to sleep. Don’t wait up for me.” “Go ahead,” I pulled the blanket he’d given me tighter. “I’ll just finish the ending.” The moment the front door clicked shut, I threw off the blanket and rushed into the garage. His taillights hadn’t even vanished around the corner. I started the second car he thought I didn’t know about—Scarlett’s lucky charm still hung from the rearview mirror. 0

The 23rd floor of the office building was brightly lit. Through the blinds, I saw Scarlett wearing a nightgown identical to mine, twirling the leftover pasta with a fork. He laughed, leaning in to bite the other end, and as their lips met, she deliberately smeared sauce on his tie. “You’re awful~” Scarlett’s voice drifted through the barely closed window. “Didn’t *your wife* keep you satisfied?” He lifted her onto the desk, piled high with documents. “We’re the real deal, baby.” *The real deal*, huh? Just as that phrase struck me, “Marcus,” she drew out his name, her fingertip tracing the sauce stain on his tie. “Where’s my lucky charm? You promised it to me today.” My heart instantly stopped when Marcus pulled a velvet box from his inner suit pocket. It was the consecrated charm, one I had literally *begged on my knees* to get for him after his car accident, pleading for hours at a spiritual sanctuary until my knees were bruised. The spiritual guide had said its vibrant red color was supposed to ward off bad luck. “It’s beautiful~” Scarlett held the bead up to the light, the red glow reflecting on her face like blood. “You giving me this… won’t Rain be upset?” “Why would she be upset? I’ll just say I lost it on a business trip,” Marcus knelt to tie the red string around her wrist, his movements practiced, as if he’d done it a thousand times. “If she complains, I’ll just tell her to go kneel and get another one.” I bit down on my lower lip until I tasted blood. Scarlett suddenly tugged on his tie. “I want you to thread it yourself.” She conjured a fine needle and red thread. “Just like she did for you back then.” As the needle pierced Marcus’s fingertip, a spasm twisted in my stomach. In my sophomore year, he’d broken his leg playing basketball. I’d stayed up all night in his hospital room, using embroidery thread to weave a bracelet from the special wooden beads my grandfather had given me. The thread was too thick for the holes, so I used a strand of my hair to guide it, pricking my fingertips until they were dotted with blood. Now, he held the needle, and a drop of blood rolled onto Scarlett’s foot. She laughed sweetly, licking away the blood, her red tongue like a venomous snake’s. I took one last look at the entwined figures, then turned and walked toward the elevator. My pale face reflected in the mirror. As my car pulled out of the garage, the lights on the 23rd floor were still bright. I rolled down the window, and the night wind rushed in, blowing away the fake marriage certificate. At four in the morning, I stood by the villa’s floor-to-ceiling window, looking at a message Marcus had sent on my phone: “Urgent situation with the company’s Riverbend City project. I need to handle it personally. Can’t be with you for the next couple of days, baby. Get some rest.” I stared at the message for a long time, my finger hovering over the screen, eventually replying with just “Okay.” Two days later, Marcus returned, travel-worn, his suitcase filled with so-called “Riverbend City specialties”—even though the exquisitely packaged pastries clearly bore the logo of a famous bakery right here in our city. “I brought you a gift.” He smiled, pushing a blue velvet box toward me. Inside was a diamond necklace, the pendant shaped like a tiny computer. I let him put it on me. “There’s a surprise tonight,” he kissed my forehead. Marcus had booked out the entire Contemporary Art Museum. In the center of the exhibition hall hung a massive digital oil painting: my neural network algorithm diagram, published in an international journal, which he’d had someone render into art. The surrounding walls were adorned with my academic achievements from over the years; every title page of every paper was framed like a masterpiece. “Mr. Thorne is truly a model husband!” Mr. Collins exclaimed, raising his champagne glass. “My wife’s partner doesn’t even know what her thesis was about.” “Rain loves these things,” Marcus said, his arm around my waist, his fingers gently caressing my side. “I want to celebrate every important moment of her life in a special way.” His voice was so tender it almost made me believe that what I’d seen in his office that night was just a nightmare. Until my lower leg began to ache faintly, protesting from standing too long, my old injury flaring up. “Tired?” He noticed my stiffness and immediately waved for his assistant. “Go get her spare flats from my car, they’re in the grey storage box in the trunk.” Ben hurried off, and Marcus continued to chat and laugh with the guests. 0 Twenty minutes later, the art museum’s glass doors were pushed open, and a damp gust of wind, carrying rain, swept into the hall. Scarlett stood in the doorway, soaked through, water dripping from her hair. She held a shoe box, looking timidly at Marcus. “Mr. Thorne, the shoes you asked for…” I recognized the diamond-studded high heels she wore—Marcus had custom-ordered them from Italy last month, claiming they were a gift for a client’s wife. Marcus’s smile froze on his face. Scarlett stumbled toward me, leaving a winding trail of water behind her. “Rain,” she handed me the shoe box. “I’m so sorry, I was just nearby…” “Thank you.” I took the shoe box and calmly headed to the restroom.

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The first time I caught Derek Hayes cheating, he cried, swore on everything, and begged for my forgiveness. I caved, but what waited for me was his second affair. That time, he dragged my family into it, playing the victim, and I had no choice but to let it go. By the third time I caught him, Derek didn’t even bother to put on an act. He just smirked, completely at ease, “If you don’t like it, go find someone yourself!” So, I found a young male model and didn’t come home all night. Derek finally panicked. It was the night of my fifth wedding anniversary with Derek. I walked into the house and saw a woman’s purse on the living room sofa. Derek was nowhere in sight. My gut told me Derek was cheating again. I headed straight upstairs, and Mrs. Davis, our housekeeper, scurried after me. “Mrs. Wallace! Mrs. Wallace! Mr. Hayes is in a meeting upstairs!” I kicked open the study door. Sure enough, Derek, supposedly “in a meeting,” was standing at the desk. But beneath him was another woman, Amber Reed, his secretary. The air hung heavy with a sickening, messy scent. “What are you doing back so early?” Derek touched his nose, his voice sharp, slowly moving away from Amber. I was so enraged I laughed. “Do you even know what day it is?” Before Derek could speak, Amber, clearly annoyed by my interruption, cut in, “What’s wrong, sis? Isn’t it just your wedding anniversary today? Mr. Hayes remembers! He even had me prepare a gift.” She pulled down her bodycon skirt, which Derek had wrinkled, and swayed her hips as she walked towards me. With a flick of her hand through her long hair, she took off the necklace from her neck and dangled it in front of me. “Look, it’s Van Cleef & Arpels’ new collection, costs a fortune!” I snatched the necklace from her hand. While she was rolling her eyes and admiring her nails, I slapped her across the face. “How dare you hit me!” “I’ll take the necklace. And that slap? It’s to tell you, don’t just take what’s not yours!” “Serena Wallace! What are you doing?!” Derek rushed forward, shielding Amber behind him, squeezing my wrist until it bruised. He looked at me and then, unexpectedly, smiled. “We were just having some fun. Is that really worth this kind of outburst?” “I provide for you every month, food, clothes… what more could you possibly want?” “If you don’t like it, go find someone yourself!” I wrenched my hand free and slapped him again, leaving his face ashen. “Fine! I will! And I don’t need your reminder!” Downstairs, Mrs. Davis nervously approached me. “Mrs. Wallace, Mr. Hayes truly cares about you. Look at this table, it’s all for your anniversary…” On the dining table, a perfectly cooked Wellington beef, Bordeaux red wine, and candles flickering gently. Everything felt like a cruel joke. Without hesitation, I grabbed Amber’s purse and swept everything off the table. The crashing and shattering sounds were the perfect soundtrack for this anniversary.

This wasn’t Derek’s first time cheating. And he never doubted I’d make up with him. The first time I found out was in the car. I found a woman’s lipstick in the passenger seat. He tried everything to cover it up with lies, but he didn’t fool me. Finally, Derek confessed, claiming it was someone a client forced on him, and he had to play along to secure a deal. To beg for my forgiveness, Derek, running a 102-degree fever, knelt all night in the pouring rain outside the villa, swearing he’d never do it again. It wasn’t until he collapsed in the rain and our driver took him to the hospital that I finally gave in. I hadn’t forgiven him; I just felt sorry for him. Unexpectedly, less than six months later, I found a used condom under his office desk. I didn’t say a word that time. I just smiled, grabbed my bag, and left. Derek was both ashamed and furious. He immediately called my parents. As the CEO of a major company, Derek was someone my financially dependent parents and sister couldn’t afford to cross. He knew he wouldn’t have to say much; others would naturally “reason” with me on his behalf. Sure enough, the night I moved back in with my parents, my dad literally threw my bags out. “We know what happened, but the Hayes family has been nothing but generous to us! If you break up with Derek, who’s going to get your brother-in-law that job? Who’s going to cover your mom’s medical bills? And all my friends, they only kiss up to me because of Derek! You’d really just throw all that away?” “Exactly! You can’t be so selfish! If you ask me, you’re just not capable enough to keep a man’s heart!” My mom chimed in viciously. “Sis, maybe you should just have a kid like I did. You know, a baby really makes a man settle down!” My sister pretended to offer kind advice. I tried to argue with them, but not only did no one speak up for me, my mom even pulled her classic ‘heart attack’ move, clutching her chest and collapsing to the floor. “You get back to Derek right now and apologize! Or I’ll die right here in front of you!” Completely broken, I returned to Derek. Derek was overjoyed and gave me a large sum of money as an apology. But from that moment on, my heart turned to ashes.

This time, I didn’t go back to my parents’ place. I went straight to a high-end club and booked a private room. People say the best way to forget someone is to meet someone new. I took the black card Derek gave me, waved my hand, and told the manager to send a few male models over. Five minutes later, several young, muscular men, all over 6 feet tall, entered the room. Each one was tall and toned, and as they sat beside me, their raw masculine energy filled the air. We played games, chugging an entire case of foreign liquor. Finally, I swayed an empty bottle, tipsily asking them, “Each of you, tell me one good thing about me. The one who says the most will stay with me tonight.” The male models were instantly hyped. Finn, a red-haired guy, spoke first. “You’re gorgeous, sis! Beautiful skin, stunning and those long legs…” “Your personality is amazing, sis, you’re so cool and sweet at the same time, I love that!” “Your style, sis, it’s just so tasteful…” Perhaps it was the sudden rush of emotions from being drunk, but listening to them babble, I suddenly smashed the wine bottle to the floor. A loud *CRASH* echoed, startling everyone. I covered my face and started crying. “If I’m so great, why does he keep cheating on me?! Why?!” “What did I do wrong…” The young models were all taken aback, exchanging bewildered glances, speechless. Then, a male model who had been standing silently by the door spoke. “When you use someone else’s mistakes as a mirror, all you’ll see is a distorted version of yourself.” “True worth is never about who loved or betrayed you, but how you choose to love yourself.” At his words, I stopped crying and looked up. This male model seemed unfamiliar. He had sharp, striking features and dressed impeccably, with the best aura among all the models there. He looked like someone who could help me forget Derek. I wiped my tears and, choked up, reached out to him. “What’s all that philosophical mumbo jumbo? Come on, sleep with me.”

After being with Julian Carter, I gradually understood why Derek always cheated. The vibrant, youthful body and just the right amount of emotional intimacy – I had no reason not to like it. After that night, hooked on the thrill, I stayed at Julian’s place for several days straight. If I hadn’t run into Derek and Amber at the mall, I might have completely forgotten I was still a married woman. “Serena Wallace?” I heard someone call my name while I was picking out clothes at The Grand Pavilion Mall. I looked up, meeting Derek’s confused gaze. “What are you doing here?” How annoying. Amber was clinging to Derek’s arm, pouting. “Oh, wow, I didn’t realize you came to places this high-end now, sis.” In the past, I’d been with Derek through his struggles, knowing how hard he worked to start his business, so I never splurged. No wonder Derek’s friends used to say I was tacky and stingy, not classy enough. I wasn’t annoyed. I just tossed the men’s clothing I was holding onto the counter and waved to Liam, the sales associate. “Excuse me, could you bag these up for me? Mr. Hayes will be paying.” Liam, the SA, eagerly brought over the POS machine. I looked at Derek and Amber and said, “Well, I just realized something. If I don’t spend my own husband’s money, some random gold-digger will spend it for me.” “So I might as well be the one to spend it!” “Mr. Hayes, look at her! Is she saying *I’m* some ‘random nobody’?” Amber whined, shaking Derek’s arm. Derek, surprisingly, ignored her. Instead, he asked hesitantly, “Why are you buying so many men’s clothes?” “None of your business. From now on, I won’t meddle in your affairs, and you won’t meddle in mine!” I smiled, snatched his card, swiped it on the POS machine, grabbed the clothes, and walked away. “Serena Wallace, wait.” Derek quickly caught up to me, his voice dark. “I know you’ve been staying with your parents lately. Stay there as long as you want, but I’ll just say this: my mom is still waiting for a grandchild. If you don’t have one, plenty of other people will.” “So I advise you to know when to quit, before things get messy!” I nodded, feigning innocence. “I never said I wouldn’t have a baby. It just might not be yours. Would you like that?” “What do you mean?!” Derek was furious. “Isn’t it obvious? I found a man!” I left Derek standing there, walking away without a backward glance.

That night, Derek lay in bed, the memory of Serena’s words from earlier swirling in his mind. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Amber heard the movement and whined, “Mr. Hayes, are you going to let me sleep or not? We have work tomorrow!” Derek mumbled, “Don’t you think Serena’s been acting a little strange? She rarely went out alone before, never really shopped, and she barely ever wore makeup…” Amber’s hand became restless, stroking down from Derek’s chest, her voice casual. “Has she gotten lonely because you’re always out? Started sneaking around?” For some reason, Derek suddenly erupted in an unprovoked rage, grabbing Amber’s wrist. “What the hell did you just say?!” Amber’s hand hurt so much tears welled up. “I’m sorry, Mr. Hayes, I was wrong! Serena wouldn’t possibly cheat!” Derek scoffed, “Watch your mouth! Know your place!” After making Amber leave, Derek was completely unable to sleep. He smoked a cigarette on the sprawling balcony, and finally, unable to bear it any longer, dialed his in-laws’ number. The line rang busy for a while before his mother-in-law finally picked up. “Derek? So late, what’s wrong?” “Mom, tell Serena to come home tomorrow. I want to take her to see my parents.” “Serena? She’s not with you? She hasn’t been back here for days!” Derek’s mind exploded with a sudden *buzz*.

Being young is great, though it’s almost too much for me to handle. Julian Carter was thrilled with the clothes I bought him, saying he wanted to thank me properly. So… He kept me busy for most of the night, until the first hint of dawn appeared, and still he wouldn’t let me sleep. I clutched the sheets, drenched in sweat. “I really can’t anymore…” “Almost there.” Julian kissed me. “You paid me, so I have to work hard, right?” I was about to say he didn’t have to work *that* hard when my phone rang. It was Derek. I hesitated about answering, but Julian just pressed the screen off. “Serena, focus. Otherwise… I might never finish.” So I had no choice but to respond to his kisses with full attention. My phone screen went dark and lit up again, dark and lit up. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and answered. As Julian gave one last powerful thrust, almost on purpose, he let out a satisfied sigh right next to the phone. Derek, sensitive to the abnormality, his voice icy, “Serena Wallace, where are you?!” “I…” Julian covered my mouth, and I couldn’t speak. “Speak up!” Julian snatched the phone, his voice sharp. “Serena’s with me. Do you have a problem with that?” “Who the hell are you?!” Derek roared, enraged. “The other man, ever heard of it?” Julian scoffed, laughing. Derek cursed and threatened Julian, promising to make him pay. Even if Julian was brave, he was still just a male model. I didn’t want him caught up in my mess with Derek, so I quickly took the phone back. “What’s wrong, didn’t you yourself tell me to go find someone? Now that I actually did, Mr. Hayes isn’t happy?” “Serena Wallace, come home right now. We need to talk.” Derek’s tone was somewhat defeated. “Home? You mean your love nest with Amber Reed? Sorry, I find it dirty.” I intentionally emphasized the word “dirty.” Then I hung up, lay back without another word. Julian came to hug me. “What’s wrong? Hearing his voice upset you?” “No, I’m worried he’ll retaliate against you.” I sighed. “It won’t come to that. He can’t touch me.” Julian held me close. The pleasant scent of pine wood emanated from him, and I felt completely safe. I stopped worrying about any consequences and fell into a deep sleep. The next morning, I timed it so I would arrive home after Derek had left for work, intending to pick up some clothes. But Derek hadn’t left. He was lying on the sofa. The moment I walked in, he sat up, his eyes swirling with an emotion I couldn’t decipher. “Serena, that male model… what exactly does he have that I don’t?” I put my bag down and sat across from Derek. After more than a week apart, Derek seemed to have grown a few shades paler.

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