Author: Momo Chan

Just because the female intern got drunk at the company team building event, my husband took advantage of my business trip to bring her home. He made Tiana wear my lingerie and used up all the condoms in the house in one night. After receiving an alert from the security camera on my phone, I immediately sent the footage to the company’s group chat with 500 people. “Is Mr. Huo so frugal that he can’t even afford to book a hotel room?” I commented sarcastically. Liam was so caught up in the moment that he thought it was a private message. He replied without even stopping his actions: “You’re just a tool I married to please my family. Do you really think you’re Mrs. Huo? If you know what’s good for you, hurry up and buy more condoms!” The group chat fell silent, everyone secretly watching our confrontation. I let out a cold snort. Since he treated me like a tool, I’d show him the consequences of angering this “tool”! 0 I immediately withdrew all resource support for the Huo family and terminated all cooperation with them. Five minutes later, Liam called me furiously. “Mia, what’s the meaning of this? I just made a mistake in the heat of the moment. Do you have to make such a big deal out of it?” “And what’s with you posting that video in the company group chat? Tiana is just a young girl. How can she ever show her face at work again?” The usually dignified and composed Liam was now angrily shouting and listing my faults for the sake of an intern, without mentioning a word about how his infidelity had hurt me. Even through the screen, I could almost feel his spit flying at my face. I replied calmly, “You have five minutes to get that woman out of my house.” “Oh, and she can keep that lingerie set. I find it disgusting now.” Five minutes later, Liam sent me a video. The stained bedsheets had been changed. The bedroom was clean and tidy. Both the lingerie and Tiana had disappeared from the Huo residence. Satisfied, I notified the Zhou family: “The cooperation will continue as usual.” Then I sent him another video, showing all the contracts with the Huo family’s profits reduced by 10%. “Liam, this is just a warning. If you really piss me off, do you think you can still comfortably sit in your current position?” Feeling unsatisfied, I found photos of several shirtless foreign models with six-pack abs and sent him some intimate selfies with them. “If you think drunk sex is no big deal, then I don’t mind starting a second spring of my own.” The “typing…” indicator on the chat window showed for a long time, but no message came through in the end. I knew he was suppressing his anger, but I no longer wanted to cater to his emotions. Back in the day, Liam was a notorious playboy in the city, a regular at bars. His ex-girlfriends could form a line twice around the city. But ever since the Huo family announced the arranged marriage, he cut off contact with all other women and knelt outside my house for six months through wind and rain. He said he was foolish before and only realized what true love was after meeting me. Combined with what he said in the group chat, I now understood that the Huo family wouldn’t let those shady ex-girlfriends of his into their home. He only married me to please his family. For two years after our marriage, he did indeed behave himself and didn’t fool around. Every day he just went between the company and home, either accompanying me or working overtime. I thought he had truly settled down, but I didn’t expect Liam to start preying on women close to home, moving his flirting grounds from bars and nightclubs to the company. Looking back now, all those promises and vows were nothing but bullshit. This time, stopping the cooperation and withdrawing resources was just to teach him a lesson. The next day when I returned from my business trip, I just wanted to go home and catch up on sleep. But I received a call from the company manager. There was an order that needed Liam’s signature, but he had gone out early in the morning with Tiana. I had no choice but to head to the company. After signing the papers, Liam still hadn’t returned. I took out my phone, about to call him, when a payment notification popped up on the screen. “Your Black Card completed a payment of $328,260 at Loro Piana at 9:30 AM.” My brows furrowed. This store only sells high-end women’s jewelry. Using my card to buy jewelry for another woman? Interesting. Leaving the company, I took a cab straight to the brand store. Through the display window, I saw Tiana excitedly putting on that necklace, hooking her arm through Liam’s and happily giving him a kiss on the cheek. Seeing her delighted expression, Liam affectionately pinched her nose. Liam was always extremely serious about work and would never skip work without reason. He only took one day off each year on my birthday. But now he ignored company business just to take an intern shopping. I walked into the store with a gloomy face. Seeing me, Tiana immediately let go of Liam and smiled ingratiatingly with a shrug: “Mrs. Zhou, what brings you here?” I glanced at her cheap act with disdain: “Do I need to report to you where I go? I should be the one asking – as an intern, can you just skip work whenever you want?” Tiana didn’t dare speak, looking guiltily towards Liam. He steadied his expression: “I brought her here. She’s not adjusting well to the company, so I brought her out to relax a bit.” Then he patted Tiana, telling her not to mind and to go back to the company first. Tiana was about to leave when I stopped her sternly: “The necklace is mine. Take it off! Wearing someone else’s lingerie is one thing, but you like secondhand jewelry too? Addicted to mooching off others?” She froze for a moment, lowering her head in embarrassment as her face turned bright red. I pointed at the necklace around her neck and looked at Liam: “An intern is worth such an expensive gift? Liam, did you not hear what I said yesterday?” Liam looked impatient: “That’s enough, Mia. You already humiliated Tiana at the company yesterday. Can’t I make it up to her a little?” I couldn’t help but laugh: “Make it up to her? So this is the extent of Mr. Huo’s abilities – using his wife’s card to please other women.” “A $300,000 necklace – is she even worthy of it?” Confusion flashed in his eyes. After checking the card in his hand, he realized he had used the wrong one. Having lost face in public, he immediately became enraged, the veins on his hand almost popping out. “Mia, if you’re upset, take it out on me. Don’t bully a young girl. Besides, if you hadn’t humiliated Tiana so badly, would I have done this?” “It’s just a damn necklace. I’ll pay you back double, okay?” 0

I crossed my arms and smirked coldly: “Liam, you think it’s just about the money?” “This brand is exclusively for our high-end clients. What status does an intern have to wear the same jewelry as our VIP customers? What will the clients think?” I looked down condescendingly at Tiana, who was hanging her head silently: “Some people just don’t know their place. They think sleeping with the boss will let them climb the social ladder. Hah, a common whore can never become a phoenix.” Liam’s face darkened, angrily throwing the black card at me: “That’s enough, Mia! Even if Tiana made a mistake, she’s just a young girl without all those ulterior motives you’re imagining. These past few months, she worked so hard on company orders that she was hospitalized with a bleeding ulcer. As her boss, it’s only right for me to reward her. You have no right to interfere!” Liam was like a rooster on steroids, stubbornly refusing to back down in front of me. Of course, he’s the big hero in Tiana’s eyes now. How could he lower himself to be henpecked? I let out a cold snort, bending down to pick up the card and patting his face: “Liam, don’t forget whose status gave you access to this black card. Don’t act tough with me. Remember my warning.” Ignoring his iron-gray face, I glanced at Tiana, who looked like she wanted to bury her head in the ground: “Since Miss Ruan is so capable, as Mr. Huo says, then the company’s orders will be up to you now.” Liam was furious to the extreme, quickly pulling Tiana away. Watching their retreating figures, I immediately called the purchasing department: “Change the brand for the clients’ exclusive jewelry. I find it inauspicious.” Just as I hung up, I received a message from a business partner: “Mrs. Zhou, this isn’t very sincere of you. It’s bad enough you didn’t come to lunch, but you sent Mr. Huo with some green girl instead. Don’t you take me seriously?” I smiled and replied: “That’s my husband’s new mistress. Old Zhang, bring out all your lecherous old men who like to get handsy and drink. I’ll give you an extra 5% profit next time.” Seeing the “OK” gesture he sent back, I leisurely found a spa and started getting a massage. I was about to doze off when Liam’s calls started bombarding my phone. As soon as I answered, his piercing roar came through. I had to lower the volume. “Mia, you’re deliberately targeting Tiana, aren’t you?” “Old Zhang refused to sign unless Tiana fed drinks mouth-to-mouth to over a dozen men. It was bad enough that they groped her all over, but then they wanted to take her to a hotel, saying all her orders were obtained by sleeping around!” “They even insulted me, saying I’m a kept man who can’t even properly leech off a rich woman, and that I should go be a male model instead!” “This must be your doing behind the scenes. I never thought you’d stoop so low!” I comfortably turned over: “They’re just talking nonsense. How can you take it seriously?” “Or… did they hit the nail on the head?” The other end was so angry his breathing became rapid: “What nonsense are you spouting! If it weren’t for you, this order wouldn’t have fallen through. Tiana cried her eyes swollen. Are you satisfied now?” I couldn’t help but smile: “I just wanted you to see your true place. Without me, you’re nothing.” Liam was so angry he was speechless, abruptly hanging up the phone. I opened the video Old Zhang sent me, watching the whole thing with satisfaction before forwarding it to the company group chat. “Intern Tiana is incompetent. She engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior during negotiations, violating company policies. She is hereby terminated effective immediately.” HR received the directive and immediately removed Tiana from the work system. I thought Liam would behave after this lesson, but I didn’t expect him to be even more outrageous than I imagined. A few minutes later, HR called me nervously: “Mrs. Zhou, something terrible has happened. Tiana has been promoted!” “Promoted? She had a baby?” “No, promoted to Vice President!” 0

“What?” I was so shocked I flipped over and sat up on the massage bed. “Who authorized this?” “It… it was Mr. Huo.” I unconsciously gripped my phone tighter. I had just announced Tiana’s termination in the group chat, and he immediately promoted her to VP. This was an open declaration of war against me. A few minutes later, Liam indeed published Tiana’s promotion announcement on the company website. He even assigned his personal bodyguard to chauffeur Tiana to and from work from now on. In Tiana’s newly posted moments, she was wearing high-end jewelry and a custom gown, smugly drinking my prized vintage wine with Liam. The whole company was gossiping that Liam was going to kick me out and install Tiana in my place. I clenched my fists tightly. Since Liam was determined to push her, he couldn’t blame me for not giving him face. Half an hour after Liam’s announcement, I immediately convened the board of directors and revoked Liam’s authority over personnel appointments. Then I restructured the company departments, completely sidelining Tiana. You want to be VP? Then be a figurehead to your heart’s content! I assigned all the difficult clients and challenging orders to Tiana to handle. Let’s see if that empty VP title can make clients respect you. After doing all this, I felt as exhausted as if I’d fought a battle. I went home and fell into a deep sleep. Tonight was my father’s 60th birthday banquet. Usually, I would bring Liam along to celebrate with him. But this year, I didn’t want to bring him anymore. On the way to the Zhou residence, I had just finished selecting a gift when I received a call from the housekeeper. “Miss, Mr. Huo and Miss Ruan have already arrived. The master asked me to check why you haven’t come yet?” My hand holding the gift box froze for a moment, anger immediately surging in my heart. This pair of scumbags wasn’t satisfied with disrespecting me at the company. They actually had to make trouble in front of my father. I called the driver to rush back to the Zhou residence at top speed. As soon as I entered, I saw Tiana sitting close to Liam in my seat. This bitch’s intention to take my place was clear as day. My father didn’t know about what had happened at the company these past few days. He still thought Tiana was my good friend and even smiled at her cheerfully. I immediately darkened my face and walked straight behind Tiana: “Get lost. Who do you think you are to attend my family’s private dinner, let alone sit in my seat?” She looked embarrassed, glancing at Liam for help. Liam tried to suppress his displeasure as he looked at me: “Mia, Tiana is just here with good intentions to wish your father happy birthday. How can you speak to her like that?” He let out an angry huff, but this was at the Zhou residence, at my father’s birthday banquet. As a junior, he couldn’t argue with me for Tiana’s sake. He could only swallow his emotions and pull out a chair from the side for Tiana to change seats. “Hmph, completely unnecessary.” A rat paying New Year’s respects to a weasel – obviously up to no good! I ignored him and had the servant bring a new chair. The one she sat on was too dirty for me. Many prominent figures had come today. I didn’t want to make the scene too awkward, so I planned to settle accounts with the two of them after the banquet was over. When I went to the restroom midway through, I overheard Tiana complaining resentfully on her phone. “Who does Mia Zhou think she is? She’s just relying on having a good father. If I had her family background, I’d definitely be no worse than her!” “Look at her arrogant attitude, with her nose in the air. Hmph, I’ll teach her a lesson today!” My heart sank immediately. I rushed out of the bathroom, but Tiana had already disappeared. Back at the banquet, I saw her obediently pouring tea into my father’s cup. After filling the teacup, she took advantage of everyone’s small talk to discreetly drop an inconspicuous white pill into the cup. My heart plummeted. I quickly stepped forward to stop her. But before I could open my mouth, I saw my father pick up the teacup and drain it in one gulp, even praising Tiana on the side for being so thoughtful. “Dad, don’t drink it! There’s something wrong with that tea!” 0

I shouted as I rushed through the crowd. The living room instantly fell silent, all eyes turning to me. But it was too late. My father had just put down the cup when his face contorted in pain. He clutched his chest and collapsed to the ground. The guests were terrified. Some of the more timid ladies even screamed. I panicked and hurried to help my father sit up, but his whole body was limp. His throat was red and swollen, his face turning purple as he was about to suffocate. “Liam! Call an ambulance quickly!” I frantically wiped the tears from my face, instinctively calling Liam’s name in the chaos. Then I turned to Tiana, who still hadn’t put down the teapot, and snarled through gritted teeth: “You bitch! What poison did you put in my dad’s cup? If anything happens to my father, I’ll make sure you pay!” Seeing me cursing at Tiana, Liam put down the phone he had just taken out and pulled her behind him protectively: “What nonsense are you spouting, Mia? Tiana saw your dad was thirsty and just poured him some water out of kindness. How dare you falsely accuse her like this?” “Besides, the old man was fine just now. How do we know this isn’t some act you and your dad cooked up to bully Tiana in front of everyone? The Zhou family is really going too far!” “Apologize to Tiana right now and clear her name, or don’t even think about going to the hospital!” This was absolutely ridiculous. I was about to explode with anger! My father’s pulse was already very weak, his face turning blue. Every second of delay increased the danger. I suppressed my fury and fumbled to take out my phone to call 911 myself. The surrounding guests also started criticizing Liam: “What kind of son-in-law are you? Your father-in-law is in this state and you’re not rushing to save him!” “Exactly! Something this serious happened and he’s still siding with that woman to scold his own wife. Talk about having his priorities backwards!” “The man is about to die. Can’t you deal with other issues later? Get him to the hospital first!” Faced with everyone’s disapproval, Liam’s expression grew increasingly unsightly. But he still maintained an all-knowing attitude: “Can’t you all see? The old man is just putting on an act to help her. He’s always been in good health. How could he faint from just drinking some water? He’s clearly faking it!” Tiana also defended herself pitifully: “Mrs. Zhou, I know you dislike me, but how can you mistreat your own father just to frame me? If you leave now and something happens at the hospital, I won’t be able to clear my name.” “That’s right,” Liam chimed in. “Mia, tell your dad to stop acting. It’s getting obvious.” My emotions had reached the breaking point. I was almost consumed by rage. With all my strength, I slapped Liam across the face, making him stagger back two steps. “Liam, you beast! If I hadn’t seen her slip in the poison with my own eyes, you would have let my dad die at your hands!” “My dad’s face is turning purple. Are you blind?!” Hearing my hysterical outburst, Tiana showed no guilt at all. Instead, she looked smug. Liam, after being berated by me, finally lost his temper: “Fine, Mia. You’re still in denial…” “Enough!” My eyes flashed with murderous intent as I furiously called the security to drag him away. The ambulance arrived just in time. I quickly sent my father to the hospital: “Liam, we’re getting a divorce! If anything happens to my dad, I’ll make you two scumbags pay with your lives!”

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In my previous life, my sister Hazel always encouraged me to skip classes, stay up all night gaming, and sleep during lessons. Whenever I tried to study, she would mock me for being a goody-two-shoes. But behind my back, she was burning the midnight oil and secretly studying with top students during holidays. When the college entrance exam results came out, Hazel successfully got into an Ivy League university. After graduation, she landed a job at a top tech company and married a programmer earning six figures. Meanwhile, I barely scraped by in the exam, disappointing our parents who sent me off to work in a factory. I ended up marrying a good-for-nothing who abused me during pregnancy, leading to my tragic death during childbirth. After I died, Hazel spoke at my funeral, saying I was actually quite smart but didn’t apply myself to studying. She claimed all my misfortunes were self-inflicted, unlike her who knew from a young age to study hard and change her fate through education. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself sitting in a gaming cafe, in the midst of an intense match with my teammates. I shook my foggy head, grabbed my dirty backpack, and ran home. Back at the house, Hazel was diligently writing under a desk lamp. Seeing me return, she quickly hid her papers and asked, “Sis, why are you back so early? You left the team one player short, what about your teammates?” It had always been her who called me to the gaming cafe, while she pretended to be tired and went home to study in secret. I took out my brand new textbooks and pinned my target university on the wall. Hazel immediately flew into a rage: “You want to get into Harvard? How dare you even think about Harvard?” Not only would I get into Harvard, but I would also make her understand that natural talent isn’t something she could catch up to with mere hard work. I looked at the “Pentakill” screen on the computer, smelling the strong odor of cigarettes and sweat, hearing my teammates cursing at our loss. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I looked around. I had been reborn, back to when I was seventeen, a month before the first mock exam in my senior year. I picked up my dirty backpack from the floor and ran out, ignoring my teammates’ anxious questions behind me. I had promised to help them reach the top rank, and my leaving meant certain defeat for them. But my future was far more important than their fleeting victory. Ignoring everyone, I ran home as fast as I could. It was already 1 AM, but the light in Hazel’s room was still on. Her shadow was projected on the window, her hand moving rapidly across paper. I pushed open her bedroom door, startling her. She hurriedly tried to hide the papers under her arm. I had my phone out, recording the whole scene. Faking a yawn, I asked, “Weren’t you tired? Why aren’t you asleep yet?” Trying to appear calm, she said, “I woke up to use the bathroom and realized I hadn’t packed my bag. I’m just packing up and then I’ll go to sleep.” The light in Hazel’s room went out, and I turned on my long-unused desk lamp. I took out my textbooks, which didn’t even have my name written in them yet. In my previous life, I had barely scraped by into high school thanks to last-minute cramming in middle school. Hazel, shocked at my sudden studiousness, told me that being good at studying wasn’t cool – hanging out with the popular kids was what mattered. There was an expensive class at our school, full of students from rich and powerful families who got in through money rather than grades. Believing Hazel’s words, I started skipping classes to game with them every day. We took pride in who was the best gamer. With a little effort, I became the top player among them. But what I didn’t know then was that they were all rich kids who would transfer to international programs in junior year and study abroad for senior year. After returning, they would work in their family businesses. My parents were just ordinary office workers. Without getting into a good university, I could only work in a factory. I was pretty, so as soon as I started at the factory, a guy named Jake took a liking to me. I told Hazel about it, and she encouraged me to pursue true love. She said love couldn’t be measured by money, and as long as Jake loved me, true love could conquer all. I believed her and had a child with Jake before marriage, without even a proper engagement. We hastily got our marriage certificate. But as soon as we were married, Jake started abusing me verbally and physically. Whenever he got drunk, he would say that Hazel and I had the same mother, so why was Hazel so outstanding while I was as dumb as a pig. I cried as I thought back to the past – I used to be the more brilliant one. I could solve any problem at a glance and had a photographic memory. My middle school teachers couldn’t believe how poorly I did in the high school entrance exam. Later, when I was in labor, Jake refused to let me have a C-section, leading to the death of both me and the baby. During labor, I called Hazel countless times, but she always said she was busy. As soon as I died, she showed up immediately. At my funeral, everyone sighed about how the former little genius had ended up like this. Hazel pretended to be heartbroken as she told everyone, “My sister was actually very smart, but she didn’t like studying. Everything that happened to her was her own doing. Unlike her, I knew from a young age to study hard and changed my fate through education.” After everyone left, Hazel gloated and revealed the reason for her deception. It turned out that I had always been smart, and our parents’ attention had always been on me. She was so jealous that she went crazy and used my trust in her to set me up. This time, I absolutely wouldn’t fall for it again. I wanted to show her that talent is talent, and it’s not something she could surpass just by working hard. I took out some paper, wrote down my goal of getting into Harvard, and stuck it on my desk. I took out my freshman textbooks and started reading from the first page. By 3 AM, I had finished two books, the knowledge already taking root in my mind. I slept for two hours, then got up and was the first to enter the classroom to start the morning reading. By the time my classmates arrived one after another, I had already memorized two volumes of freshman and sophomore English vocabulary. “Iris is actually studying, how strange!” “There’s only half a year left until the college entrance exam, no matter how hard she tries now, it’s useless. At most she might get into a community college.” “With her grades, even a public community college would be difficult. She’ll probably have to pay high tuition for a private one.” I ignored others’ idle chatter. When the exam results came out, everything would be clear. Hazel, as usual, entered the classroom just as the bell rang. As soon as she saw me, she asked, “Sis, why didn’t you wake me up this morning?” “From now on, I’ll be at school at 5 AM every day. If you can get up, come with me. If not, set your own alarm.” Hazel asked curiously, “You don’t study, what are you coming so early for?” Lucas, sitting behind me, excitedly told Hazel, “Your sister came early to memorize English vocabulary. She seems to have memorized two books already. I don’t know what’s gotten into her!” Hazel was stunned for a moment, then angrily said, “Sis, we’re just here to get a diploma. After graduation, let’s work in a factory together. I’ve already checked, if you work well in an electronics factory, you can earn over $3,000 a month!” I took out my phone and showed her the video: “If the factory is so good, why are you secretly studying at night?” Hazel’s face immediately turned pale when she saw the video. Lucas snatched my phone and pointed at Hazel, shouting, “You little liar, Hazel! No wonder you always run off in the middle of our gaming sessions. So you’ve been secretly studying at home!” “You study in secret and still only score in the 400s, your brain must not be very good, huh?” Hazel’s face turned red with anger. She opened her textbook and started memorizing vocabulary. She repeated one word over and over more than a dozen times but still couldn’t remember it. After school, I still accompanied the rich kids to the gaming cafe. I wouldn’t cut ties with them – after graduation, they would all be valuable connections for me. In my previous life, all the relationships I had worked hard to maintain ended up benefiting Hazel in the end. After leading them to five consecutive victories, I rushed back home. My parents saw me come home and sarcastically remarked, “Oh, you actually know how to come home early. Didn’t you say you’d rather die in the gaming cafe?” “If you have the guts, stay there every night and don’t come out. Let’s see what you get in the college entrance exam.” In my previous life, my parents had tried everything to get me to study properly. But I believed Hazel’s words and just wouldn’t listen. As a result, my parents gave up on me and, apart from not letting me starve, stopped caring about me. After I died, they were heartbroken for a long time. My mom even stayed in the hospital for an extended period. I suddenly knelt down in front of my parents: “Dad, Mom, I’m sorry. I was foolish before. I will definitely study hard and get into a good university.” My mom looked at me in surprise, turning away to wipe her tears. My dad quickly helped me up: “Good, it’s good that you know to study. Dad always knew you weren’t bad at heart. Although there’s not much time left, just do your best. Worst case, we can always have you repeat a year.” I nodded: “Don’t worry, Mom and Dad. I can get in on the first try. I’m going to get into Harvard.” At this moment, Hazel came out of her room with a textbook: “Sis, why are you back? Didn’t you go to the gaming cafe with Lucas and the others?” She deliberately walked over to me and immediately covered her nose: “Oh my, Sis, the cigarette smell on you is so strong, it’s choking me!” My mom came over to smell me too, then immediately slapped me across the face: “I knew you couldn’t change your ways. You just came back from the gaming cafe and you’re lying to us about studying hard. With your scores barely over 200 in every test, and still skipping class to game, if you could get into Harvard, even a pig could get into Harvard!” Dad sighed in disappointment and went back to the bedroom with Mom. With no one else around, Hazel finally showed her true colors: “Sis, don’t waste your effort. You only have half a year, you can’t surpass me. I’ve been holding back – my real level is definitely not just 400 points.” I gave a cold laugh and went back to my room to study. Actions speak louder than words. I would use my results to show everyone my true ability. We had a small test every week. Although I was improving, I still couldn’t pass. Hazel stopped pretending and showed her true level, directly scoring second in the class and tenth in the grade. The homeroom teacher praised me for improving, saying I had hope of getting into a public vocational college. I looked at Hazel’s test paper – she couldn’t solve the most difficult questions. Her brain really wasn’t up to par. Hazel put her test paper in front of me, deliberately showing me her score: “Sis, look, full marks in English, 129 in math!” “Let me see yours. Tsk tsk, 59 in math. Not bad, not bad. If the full score was 100, you’d be just one point away from passing. Too bad our full score is 150, and you need 90 to pass.” “Oh my, you’re a bit unbalanced. You got 60 in language. Hmm, you’re better at liberal arts than sciences.” Lucas tried to persuade me: “Iris, you’re not cut out for studying. Just give up. You haven’t been pulling all-nighters gaming with us lately. Without you, we keep dropping ranks.” Hazel pretended to scold Lucas: “How can you say that about my sister? My sister is going to get into Harvard.” As soon as Hazel finished speaking, the class erupted in laughter: “A total score of less than 400, getting into Harvard? That’s hilarious!” “Does she think Harvard is run by her family, that she can just go whenever she wants?” I ignored them and took out practice exam papers to work on. Suddenly, our homeroom teacher burst into the classroom like a whirlwind. The teacher put a stack of scratch paper on my desk: “Iris, is this your scratch paper?” I nodded. The teacher excitedly hugged me: “Genius, you’re a genius!” “The principal always said I was mediocre and could only teach regular classes. Who would have thought I could produce a student capable of getting into Harvard!” Hazel looked at the teacher in shock: “Mr. Johnson, my sister has improved in this test, but her total score is only 397. How could she possibly get into Harvard?” The teacher patted my shoulder: “She can, she definitely can. Your sister is the smartest person I’ve ever seen.” Lucas muttered quietly: “Has Mr. Johnson gone crazy?” The first mock exam soon arrived. After the results came out, the school-wide rankings were posted in the corridor. Hazel ranked 20th in the grade, while I ranked 988th. Hazel immediately started mocking me: “Oh, our future Harvard student has made quite an improvement. You’ve reached 988th in the grade.” The students all laughed. The grade director stood nearby and said meaningfully: “Iris should be first in the grade.” Hazel looked at me hatefully: “Even though you’re doing so poorly, why does everyone still believe in you? I don’t believe you can go from barely over 200 to 700 points in half a year.” I leaned close to her ear and said, “Let me tell you why they all believe I can get into Harvard!” I put all my test papers and answer sheets in front of her. Her eyes grew wider and wider. “This is impossible!” “It’s absolutely impossible. You must have cheated. I’m going to report you.” On my answer sheets, I hadn’t done any of the simple, basic questions. But I had solved all the more difficult ones. And of the questions I had solved, Hazel had only gotten half right. Hazel ran to the principal’s office with my answer sheets. She burst in without knocking: “Principal, I want to report Iris from Class 12 for cheating in the mock exam.” Sitting across from the principal were all the subject teachers from our class. Seeing Hazel and me, the principal beckoned me over: “Iris, you’ve come at the right time. We were just analyzing your situation. Can you explain why you didn’t do any of the simple questions, but solved all the difficult ones, and even used simplified methods?” “I just started trying hard, and I didn’t want to discourage the average students by immediately scoring first in the grade.” I deliberately glanced at Hazel and continued, “I wanted to take it slow, so I only did the questions I thought were worth doing. I’ll perform properly in the third mock exam and the college entrance exam.” The homeroom teacher smiled and said, “See? Iris’s approach is exactly as I guessed.” The principal immediately decided to transfer both Hazel and me to the advanced class. We both refused. I felt I could do well anywhere, while Hazel wanted to stick to her plan of leading me astray. After school, Hazel brought Lucas and the others to block my way: “Sis, let’s go to the gaming cafe for an all-nighter tonight. I have a ranking match.” I readily agreed and led them to five consecutive wins. Just as I was about to go home to study, a man who looked clearly seven or eight years older than me stood beside me, bending over to embrace me from behind. “Your operation still has some problems. Let big brother teach you how to play.” I quickly slipped out from under his armpit, the strong body odor almost making me throw up. “Who are you?” Hazel quickly explained: “Sis, this is Jake. He’s the toughest guy in our area. With him protecting you, absolutely no one will dare mess with you.” Jake took out a cheap cigarette, lit it in what he thought was a cool manner, and blew out a smoke ring. “Iris, I’ve taken a liking to you. You’re my girlfriend now. Come on, let’s go home.” Hazel smiled and handed me my backpack: “Sis, it’s your lucky day that Jake likes you. Go with him quickly. I’ll cover for you with Mom and Dad.” Jake reached out to grab me, but I quickly dodged: “Don’t touch me.” Jake grinned, showing a mouthful of yellow teeth, looking very excited: “Why are you pretending? Your sister said you throw yourself at any guy you see.” Lucas grabbed my hand, letting me hide behind him: “I don’t care who you are, Jake. Get lost. If you dare touch a hair on Iris’s head, I’ll kill you.” Everyone was looking at Jake. He might have felt his authority was being challenged and became enraged. Cursing, he lunged at Lucas. In the end, we all ended up at the police station. Lucas was bruised. Jake was worse off, with a broken nose, crying and whining at the police station for the officers to help him. My parents arrived at the police station and immediately started scolding me: “You’re not only ruining yourself, but you’re also dragging your sister down. How many times have I said, you can ruin yourself if you want, but don’t make Hazel become like you.” My mom was about to hit me but was stopped by the police. “Mrs. Summers, please calm down. The situation isn’t what you think.” Afraid that the police would tell my mom the truth, Hazel’s lips quivered and she cried to my mom: “Mom, my sister has improved recently. She even scored over 400 points. I thought as long as she didn’t go gaming, she could keep improving. When I saw her go to the gaming cafe again, I called her to come home. Who knew she had a boyfriend from the streets, and we got into a conflict.” “Mom, I don’t want to watch my sister ruin herself. Why don’t you send her to an internet addiction treatment center? When she’s cured and comes back, she can take the college entrance exam again. I’m sure she can get into Harvard then.” My mom looked at me and sighed: “Ah, I guess that’s the only way. Iris used to be so smart. It’s all because of those games that she’s become like this. I’ll contact the center tomorrow.” Lucas, his head wrapped in bandages, rushed in front of my mom to explain: “Auntie, don’t listen to Hazel’s nonsense. Today it was Hazel who actively called Iris to game. That Jake guy was also brought by Hazel, trying to force Iris to be his girlfriend. Iris didn’t agree, so I got into a fight with Jake.” Hazel looked at Lucas in horror, her eyes darting around before she burst into loud sobs: “Lucas, I know you have a crush on my sister, but you can’t slander me for her sake! How could I possibly know someone like Jake?” If my sister hadn’t been hanging around gaming cafes all the time, how would Jake have targeted her? Maybe my sister already had something going on with him. My mom, without listening to reason, slapped me again: “You’ve disappointed me too much. It’s bad enough that you don’t study well, but now you’re mixing with these unsavory characters. We must send you to the internet addiction treatment center. It’s a good chance to cut ties with that Jake guy too.” Hazel stood behind my mom, looking at me smugly.

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My girlfriend returned from a month-long business trip with her old flame, only to find that I had changed. She helped her old flame steal my project, but instead of quitting in anger, I busied myself helping him write proposals. For the sake of her old flame’s year-end bonus, she ruined the design I had worked so hard on. But rather than trying to prove myself, I took all the blame and accepted her punishment. Even when she wanted to promote her old flame to general manager, breaking company rules, I didn’t get angry. Instead, I voluntarily gave up all my shares for my girlfriend to distribute freely. My girlfriend was puzzled by my sudden obedience. Her old flame was smug. “See? I told you the cold treatment would work. Make him lose you once, and he’ll become docile.” My girlfriend had a moment of realization and smiled, saying I was being good and that she would promote me. She even unexpectedly suggested I propose to her. But she seemed to have forgotten that during our cold war, she had already signed my resignation letter. And I had already broken up with her. From now on, we would have a clean break, with no more entanglements. 0

“This project proposal is urgent. Have it done before you leave work,” Fiona said coldly, dropping a thick stack of documents on my desk before turning to leave. As soon as she disappeared around the corner, my colleagues gathered around, chattering away. “Isn’t this Zack’s project?” “His projects are the hardest, with lots of requirements and difficult research. Forget finishing by tonight, it might not even be done by tomorrow evening.” “The boss is really biased towards him. He doesn’t do his own projects but pawns them off to others.” “…” They clustered around me, speaking without restraint. I knew full well they weren’t really speaking up for me, just stirring up drama. Everyone knew that CEO Fiona was my girlfriend, yet she heavily favored my rival, Zack. Back then, she not only broke protocol to promote Zack to project manager, but she even handed him the million-dollar project I had spent a month securing and over a month of sleepless nights nearly completing. When I protested, Fiona put it to a public vote to decide the project’s ownership. These colleagues who pretended to speak up for me unanimously voted for Zack when it came time to cast ballots. Afterwards, they explained to me that they were pressured by Fiona’s intimidation and asked me to look after the new colleague. This kind of thing happened many times after that. My colleagues were still “sympathizing” with me, but this time I didn’t storm off to Fiona’s office to confront her like before. Instead, I calmly accepted the project brief. Seeing this, my colleagues’ eyes widened. They were about to say something more when Fiona came down from upstairs. They immediately fell silent and hurried back to their desks. Fiona seemed to be in a good mood and ignored their little movements. She reminded me to leave the completed proposal on her desk. Seeing me nod, she turned on her heel and left without looking back. She had put on elaborate makeup and was wearing a skirt that barely reached her knees. It didn’t take much imagination to know she was off to meet Zack. This had been happening frequently over the years. It all started when I discovered Fiona and Zack’s goodnight messages to each other. When I confronted her about it, Fiona thought I was being petty and angrily brought Zack into the company, breaking protocol. To punish me for my suspicions, she deliberately favored Zack, taking him to various social events, and even feeding him and wiping his mouth in front of everyone at company dinners. When I got angry, she gave me the silent treatment. When I apologized, she would use it as an opportunity to team up with colleagues to lecture and criticize me. Everyone said I wasn’t being a big enough man. I often reflected on this, wondering if I wasn’t open-minded enough, which led to our current situation. But later, when I accidentally discovered that Zack was her first love, I finally understood. She was just using the excuse of desensitizing me to my “pettiness” as a cover to openly maintain her connection with her old flame. Even without the incident of me seeing their chat history, Fiona would have found other excuses to be with Zack. After they returned from their recent business trip together, although they still frequently met for meals, drinks, and sports like before, I could sense that their relationship had become more subtle. But fortunately, I no longer cared. Our five-year relationship had come to an end. This farce needed to end too. After finishing the proposal, I was the only one left in the office. I opened my phone to find that Zack had posted several updates on SnapChat. The background was a fancy restaurant, with a romantic candlelit dinner on the table in front of them. Fiona was elegantly cutting Zack’s steak for him. The caption read: “Steak cut by the lady boss herself must taste extra delicious.” In the comments, several colleagues were praising how sweet they looked together. Zack jokingly boasted further that Fiona, who usually doesn’t drink, had half a bottle of red wine to help him celebrate the project’s success. The comments section became increasingly lively with various speculations. Fiona didn’t explain, only saying “It’s what I should do.” Some clueless person asked when they could drink to their wedding. Fiona replied with three dots, while Zack sent a “naughty” emoji. I didn’t get angry and call Fiona like I used to, only to be scolded by her for their ambiguous relationship. Instead, I sent her a message saying I had finished the proposal, then left the file in her office before driving home. When I got home, I saw that Fiona had replied to my message. “Lucas, this is Zack. Thanks for your hard work on the project. I’ll treat you to a meal sometime.” Fiona always kept her phone close and would get angry if I so much as checked the time on it, accusing me of invading her privacy. Now she had handed it to Zack, letting him read our chats and reply to my messages. I let out a scornful laugh. Different status in her heart indeed led to different treatment. However, I felt strangely calm at this moment. Things that used to feel earth-shattering now seemed trivial. Feelings always change, only hard work never betrays you. I pulled up my calendar and checked the date. Not long ago, when Fiona and Zack went on a “business trip” that was really just a vacation, I took the opportunity to submit my resignation. As expected, when Fiona was with Zack, all her attention was on him. She approved it without even looking. Now, I just had to wait three more days for the handover to be completed, and I could leave for good. After some thought, I called my former advisor at the research institute abroad. I had joined the institute as an outstanding graduate, enjoying preferential treatment. But when Fiona said she needed people to start her company, I quit without hesitation. Despite my advisor’s repeated attempts to dissuade me, I resolutely returned to China to help her build the company from scratch. Looking back now, I realize how foolish I was. When the call connected, I explained my intention. I thought I’d be scolded, but to my surprise, my advisor sighed and told me he had known about my situation for a while and had been planning to invite me back. “But this time, have you really thought it through?” he asked. I nodded, “Yes, I’ve thought it through. I’ve already taken care of the resignation process.” “Resignation? What resignation?” A startled cry came from behind me. I turned around to see Fiona pushing open the door. 0

Looking down, I saw that my advisor had already hung up. I naturally turned off my phone. “A friend who’s planning to quit his job,” I said. Fiona frowned, suspicion rising in her mind. “What kind of friend talks about work stuff with you this late?” As I was pondering how to explain, her phone suddenly pinged with a message from Zack, saying he had encountered a stray kitten on his way home and had specially gone to buy a sausage for it. A smile involuntarily lifted the corners of Fiona’s lips. Seeming to realize I was still there, Fiona suppressed her smile and said perfunctorily, “Don’t chat about negative things with your friends. Use that time to learn more about the project instead.” Her cold tone was completely different from how she spoke to Zack. I didn’t argue or complain that the project had already been given to Zack. Fiona didn’t pay me any more attention either, smiling as she replied to the message while heading to her room. Soon after, her hearty laughter could be heard from the room. She had completely forgotten how I had been by her side all these years, working tirelessly day and night, cutting off all contact with my friends. But it was just as well, saving me the trouble of arguing with her. I returned to the small study converted from a storage room and took out the English materials I hadn’t finished reading. After five years, the direction of the research institute had changed. If I wanted to go back, even with my advisor’s help, I needed to have strong skills myself. Fortunately, my foundation was solid, so it wouldn’t take too long to pick things up again. “You’re reading English magazines?” Just as I was engrossed in my studies, Fiona suddenly entered the room. She reached over and took the magazine, flipped through a couple of pages, then tossed it back. With a sneer, she said, “Why are you reading this? Can you even understand it?” “Just browsing,” I replied coldly. I put away the materials and asked, “Did you need something?” In the past, whenever Fiona came to me on her own initiative, I was always very enthusiastic. Perhaps not expecting me to be so cold, she was taken aback for a moment. Her expression became somewhat unnatural. “There is something,” she said. “Zack just completed a big project, and I’m planning to promote him. It’s also a good way to encourage other employees. What do you think?” Fiona looked at me. She asked for my opinion, but I knew this was just a notification, not a real consultation. I still nodded, “I have no objections.” “But there need to be penalties as well as rewards, otherwise the team will be hard to manage,” she continued. “You haven’t completed a project in such a long time, so I’m thinking of temporarily transferring you to an entry-level position. I’ll bring you back later when the time is right.” “Don’t worry, it won’t be for too long. I’m thinking of the overall situation here. You’re my boyfriend, so you should support me, right?” I laughed inwardly. So even now, she didn’t know about my resignation. She could deduce Zack’s mood from the slightest hints and know what he liked from small details. But now, as her boyfriend, my resignation letter had been signed by her own hand, and she was completely unaware. Indeed, care and indifference can be seen in just a few words. Seeing that I didn’t speak, Fiona thought I was going to argue with her like before. Her expression immediately darkened. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t agree. I’ve already sent out the notice, and your office has been given to Zack.” “Either you accept the transfer, or you leave,” she threatened. “But let me advise you, the company is about to go public. You should think carefully before you walk away.” Her tone was confident that I wouldn’t leave. This kind of thing had happened too many times. In just one year, because of a few words from Zack, my position in the company had been lowered again and again. If I could endure it then, Fiona was sure I would be even less willing to leave now. I smiled bitterly. “I didn’t say I disagreed.” “Alright then, that’s settled,” Fiona said, her mood lightening. I didn’t say I disagreed, so that meant I agreed. Just as she was about to leave, she seemed to notice something and came back. “I remember you used to have our photo on your desk. Where is it now?” I finally realized what she meant. Actually, not just on the desk, but on the walls of my room and in my wallet, there were photos of us everywhere. I had been constantly reminding myself that no matter what Fiona did to me, she still loved me. But when I learned about Zack and Fiona’s relationship, I realized how ridiculous I had been. These photos, each one of them, were mocking how much of a clown I was. I didn’t want to explain much, so I said flatly, “The frame broke accidentally, so I put it away.” “Why are you so clumsy with everything?” Fiona frowned in disgust, immediately looking down to check if there was any broken glass on the floor. “Make sure you clean up properly when you have time. Don’t let anyone get hurt.” With that, she stood up and walked out of the study. Watching her back, I couldn’t help but laugh self-mockingly. Of course, she wasn’t concerned about me. Her words clearly meant she didn’t want Zack to get hurt. This was our home, but she had brought Zack here many times. At first, she came secretly. Later, when I questioned her about the strange occurrences, she immediately produced evidence that it was just for work. She then took the opportunity to rebuke me for being jealous and petty, and subsequently began bringing Zack home openly out of spite. As time went on, I fell into self-doubt. Every day I reflected on whether I was wrong. Now that I think about it, if I had used that time to focus on anything else, I could have been successful. The next morning, Fiona announced the good news of Zack’s promotion, as well as my demotion to the lowest level. My colleagues didn’t know I had already resigned. While they congratulated Zack, their eyes were full of sympathy when they looked at me, secretly speculating whether I would throw a tantrum again. To their disappointment, I remained calm, as if nothing had happened. Over the next few days, while Fiona was hosting a celebration party for Zack, I was applying for a visa. When they were relaxing at an amusement park, I was clearing out my things. In the end, the stuff I wanted to take with me didn’t even fill one suitcase. When they were entertaining clients at a club and being urged to drink from the same glass, I was handing over all my work. … Two days later, on my last day at the company, I completed the final procedures at HR. “Go to the CEO’s office before you leave. The boss is looking for you,” the HR person said without looking up. I was about to refuse, but then I thought, I’m leaving tonight. If Fiona goes out with Zack as usual and doesn’t come home, this might be our last meeting. After all, we’ve been together for five years. There should be some kind of farewell ritual, right? Thinking of this, I went upstairs to the CEO’s office. Just as I was about to push open the door, I saw through the glass wall that Fiona was sitting on the sofa wearing a short skirt, while Zack was lying down with his head on her lap. They looked very intimate. 0

I hesitated. I was considering whether I should step back when Zack spotted me first. He cried out in surprise and hurriedly sat up. “Brother Lucas, why are you here?” Fiona’s face also showed a hint of nervousness. She hastily pulled down her slightly disheveled skirt, then angrily said to me, “Lucas, who allowed you to come up?!” “Didn’t I say before that without my permission, you’re not allowed to come upstairs and disturb me?” Fiona had mentioned this rule before. But the original wording was that except for Lucas, no one was allowed to come upstairs and disturb her without permission. Before, I thought Fiona was giving me special treatment, but now I understand what she really meant. However, I’m used to it now. Not wanting to dwell on it, I said flatly, “HR said you were looking for me.” Fiona snorted coldly, strode to her desk, and angrily pressed the intercom. Less than two minutes later, the HR person came upstairs. “Did you tell Lucas I was looking for him?” Fiona asked coldly. Sensing the tense atmosphere, the HR person looked at Fiona’s icy face, then at Zack, and became so nervous they couldn’t speak. After a while, they finally said, “I don’t remember.” “Hmph.” Hearing this, Fiona seemed like a victorious general, coldly glancing at me and speaking sarcastically. “Interesting, isn’t it, Lucas?” “I thought you had really learned your lesson, but I didn’t expect you to still be so scheming. Since you’re so worried about me, why don’t you move upstairs and keep an eye on me all the time?” “Or maybe put a camera on me to satisfy your curiosity?” I was speechless. “Fiona, don’t be angry. I believe Brother Lucas is just concerned and didn’t mean any harm,” Zack gently rubbed Fiona’s back, then looked at me and said, “Brother Lucas, don’t misunderstand. I was just tired earlier, my head was hurting, and the boss wanted to help me feel better so I could continue working.” “Everything we do is for the company, don’t overthink it.” I looked at his smug expression, as if he wanted me to overthink. Even though I didn’t know the whole story, I was sure this was Zack’s mischief. The HR person was shrewd, knowing Zack was Fiona’s favorite. So when they sensed the atmosphere was off, they didn’t dare to tell the truth. But even if they had, Fiona probably wouldn’t have believed it. I remained silent, but Fiona was still fuming. She angrily said, “No need to explain to him.” “Personal matters are personal, company matters are company matters. Since we’re at the company now, let’s follow company rules!” “Lucas didn’t follow company regulations, so all of this month’s bonus will be deducted, and his salary will be cut in half.” The HR person hurriedly said, “Boss, Lucas has already…” They probably wanted to mention my resignation, but before they could finish, Fiona glared at them. “I don’t want to hear any of his excuses. Do as I say!” The HR person didn’t dare say anything more and turned to go downstairs. I thought for a moment and prepared to leave too, but Fiona suddenly called me back. Perhaps because she had vented her anger, she now looked calmer. She spoke earnestly, “Lucas, I’m not deliberately targeting you, but this is the rule I set. If I don’t punish you, it might be hard to convince others in the future.” Zack nodded in agreement, “That’s right, Brother Lucas. Next time when you’re unsure about something, you should ask the boss first. If not, you can always ask me too.” Hearing him say this, Fiona nodded approvingly. “Zack cares about the company. He knows more about company affairs than anyone else.” Then she glared at me again, “Unlike you, what can you do besides being jealous? Can’t you learn from Zack?” Learn what? Learn how to deliberately interfere in other people’s relationships, or learn how to deliberately steal other people’s achievements and set them up? I sneered but couldn’t be bothered to expose them anymore. Seeing that I didn’t speak, Fiona thought I had realized my mistake. She took a couple of steps towards me, straightened my collar that wasn’t even messy, and said earnestly, “I know why you’re doing all this, and I’m really disappointed in you.” “But I have to say, since coming back this time, you’ve indeed become more sensible. To reward you, we’ll go take wedding photos tomorrow and put the wedding on the agenda. But don’t get too excited, marriage is just…” “Marriage?” Before she could finish, I let out a light laugh. I brushed off her hand. I handed her the resignation letter I had prepared. “But we’ve already broken up.” “Also, I’ve resigned. From now on, we have no relationship whatsoever.”

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Suddenly, after I got pregnant, Gabriel became incredibly attentive to me. He canceled all his social engagements and personally cooked for me. Everyone envied me for finding such a devoted husband. Until I accidentally discovered a document in his study – “Agreement for Directed Blood Donation During Pregnancy and Newborn Cord Blood Donation”. My name and ID number were clearly listed! In the beneficiary column was Aria Song, the love of his life he had kept abroad for seven years… From outside the door came his gentle, doting voice. “Don’t worry, Aria. I’m personally overseeing her. Nutrition, rest – everything is according to the highest standards. I guarantee the baby will be born healthy. Your life-saving treatment is absolutely assured!” So all those carefully prepared prenatal meals, the mountains of supplements – none of it was out of love for me. It was to raise me into a qualified “blood bank”! “Aria, don’t worry. When the baby is born, I’ll personally take it to the operating room.” “It’s an honor for her and the baby to contribute to your recovery.” Overhearing Gabriel’s phone conversation through the door, my stomach churned violently. Fighting back nausea, I opened the agreement I had found in his drawer – Agreement for Directed Blood Donation During Pregnancy and Cord Blood Donation. The agreement clearly stated: Party B, Olivia Chen, will provide 200cc of blood every 15 days during pregnancy for Miss Aria Song, who suffers from aplastic anemia. Party B will voluntarily donate the child’s cord blood after delivery for Miss Aria Song’s emergency treatment. … So all that blood the nurses had been drawing wasn’t for tests, but for Aria. And the date on this contract was the day after I found out I was pregnant. I remember Gabriel running back excitedly that day, hugging me and spinning me around. It turns out he wasn’t overjoyed, but had finally found the cure to save his true love’s life. My whole body felt drained of blood, chilled to the bone. I flipped from the first page of the agreement to the last. Supplementary terms were printed in bold black font. “If cord blood typing fails, Party B Olivia Chen must agree that when the child meets surgical conditions, they will undergo bone marrow transplant surgery for Miss Aria Song.” “As compensation, after successful surgery, Mr. Gabriel Gu will pay Miss Olivia Chen a one-time mental anguish fee of $1 million, and immediately terminate their marriage.” “Custody of the child will belong to Mr. Gabriel Gu.” My child. The child I risked my life to conceive. From before they were even born, their own father had put a price tag on them, turning them into a walking blood bag and bone marrow bank! Seven years of love, all that time he was good to me. I thought it was belated happiness. I never imagined it was actually cold-hearted calculation! “Thud.” The agreement slipped from my hands. My whole body went limp, and I had to grip the desk to keep from falling. The study door opened. Gabriel walked in carrying a bowl of bird’s nest soup. Seeing my pale face, he frowned slightly. “Olivia, why are you in the study? The doctor said you need more rest.” His voice was as gentle as ever, but I couldn’t help feeling nauseated. I had originally wanted to confront him about the agreement, but instead overheard that conversation. My heart burned with a thousand questions I wanted to ask him, but I trembled, unable to speak. His gaze followed mine to the agreement on the floor. He froze for an instant. But in just a second, his eyes returned to their usual calm, without even a hint of panic. He calmly walked over, picked up the agreement, put it back in the drawer, and locked it. The whole process was smooth and fluid, as if he was just handling an unimportant document. Then he came to stand in front of me, looking down with a tone of resignation and condescension. “You heard everything?” “Olivia, it’s not good to touch other people’s things without permission. But since you already know, I won’t hide it from you anymore.” “Aria is very ill. The doctors say this is her only chance.” “Olivia, you’ve always been kind-hearted. You’ll help me, won’t you?”

I stared into his eyes, which I once thought held the stars and sea. Now I realized they were a bottomless, icy pool. My kindness meant letting him treat my child like medical waste to save another woman? It felt like a burning coal was lodged in my throat. The searing pain left me unable to speak, only able to stare at him intently. Gabriel grew uncomfortable under my gaze. He looked away, his tone taking on a hint of barely noticeable irritation. “Don’t look at me like that.” “This won’t affect our child. The doctors have assessed it, it’s very safe.” “After it’s done, that million dollars will be enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life.” He paused, as if realizing his tone was too harsh, and softened his voice with a hint of coaxing. “Olivia, Aria is a human life too. We can’t stand by and let her die.” “You give birth to the child, get the money, we part ways amicably. It’s good for everyone.” Good for everyone? Using my child, my life, to save Aria – how is that good for everyone? If he really thought that, why did he work so hard to make it up to me all this time? In an instant, all those nights we spent in each other’s arms, him cooking for me, worrying about me – all those sweet memories of the past became carefully calculated schemes. It all became utterly disgusting! “Is that so?” I looked into his eyes, my voice hoarse and unfamiliar. “Then what if… I refuse?” The mask of tenderness Gabriel had worn for nine months shattered completely. He straightened up, looking down at me, his eyes cold as ice. “Olivia, you don’t have a choice in this matter.” “My woman and child should share my burdens.” With that, he turned to leave, stopping at the door without looking back. “Tomorrow at 9 AM, the driver will take you to the hospital. You’d better cooperate!” There is no greater sorrow than the death of one’s heart. My whole body went limp. I slid down the cold desk to the floor, unable to shed even a single tear. My phone vibrated in my pocket. I woodenly took it out. It was a bank deposit notification. $500,000. Sent by Gabriel. A down payment. He was always so thorough in everything he did. I stared at that string of numbers, suddenly laughing. So this was the marriage I had persevered in for seven years… I loved for seven years, was a fool for seven years. From now on, it was all over. From here on out, I would start planning for myself.

Early the next morning, I didn’t wait for the driver. Contrary to my usual style, I put on elaborate makeup and changed into the white dress Gabriel liked best. Seeing me come downstairs, Gabriel looked up and scanned me, his eyes filled with scrutiny and warning. I returned a docile smile, obediently sitting across from him. “Gabriel, I’ve thought it through.” My tone was calm. “You’re right. Helping Miss Aria won’t cost me anything.” “I’ll be good and do as you say.” Gabriel clearly hadn’t expected me to agree so quickly. “It’s good that you see it that way.” “I’ll have the lawyers redraft that agreement. If you cooperate, the compensation can be increased by another $500,000.” He was always so confident about me. I lowered my eyes, hiding the mockery in them. “The money’s not important. What’s important is, I have one condition.” “Go on.” I raised my head, looking straight into his eyes. “I want to meet Miss Aria.” “After all, I’m the child’s mother. I have the right to know who my child is saving.” “And… I want to see for myself what kind of woman is worth you going to such lengths for.” Gabriel’s brow furrowed, as if weighing the pros and cons. I continued to push, my voice tinged with a hint of grievance and trembling. “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything. I just… just want to let myself give up completely.” “Let me see her, and I can let go of all my fantasies about you, and calmly… complete this transaction.” Perhaps the word “transaction” pleased him. Or perhaps my current appearance, sufficiently pitiful and submissive, was enough. He was silent for a moment, then finally nodded. “Fine.” “I’ll arrange it for this afternoon.” The first step of my plan was successful. That afternoon, Gabriel personally drove me to that expensive private hospital. Compared to the ordinary single room where I had my prenatal checkups, Aria’s room was a VIP suite on the top floor, filled with sunlight, as cozy as a princess’s chamber. It seems favoritism is evident in every detail. Hiding my bitterness, I looked up. Aria was wearing pink hospital pajamas, her face pale as she leaned weakly against the headboard. Seeing Gabriel enter, her eyes lit up, her voice sweet and soft. “Gabriel, you’re here.” Her gaze fell on me, especially on my belly. That fragility instantly mixed with a barely noticeable hint of scrutiny and smugness. Gabriel walked over, tucking her blanket with practiced tenderness that could melt ice. “Aria, I brought Olivia to see you.” Only then did Aria turn her full attention to me, giving me an apologetic smile. “Mrs. Gu, hello.” “I’m so sorry that my illness has caused you so much trouble.” As she spoke, she gave a weak cough, her eyes rimming with red. “If there was any other way, I wouldn’t have agreed to Gabriel doing this.” “I hope you don’t blame him, he’s just too worried about me.” What a pitiful white lotus. In a few words, she absolved herself of all responsibility, while highlighting Gabriel’s deep love for her. I stood silently, just quietly looking at her. Then I smiled. I walked to her bedside, leaned down, and whispered so only the two of us could hear. “Miss Song, your acting is truly impressive.” “But you’d better be able to fool Gabriel for the rest of your life, and pray that I never reveal the truth.” Aria’s expression changed instantly!

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Five years ago, I lost my memory in a car accident. Lucas Lin told me he was my lover. He saved me, took care of me, and we naturally got married. For five years, I devoted myself to him, taking care of his every need. I thought I was the happiest wife in the world. But when I was about to tidy up the study, I overheard a conversation between Lucas and his childhood sweetheart. “Lucas, Aria has been so dedicated to you these past five years. She practically waits on you hand and foot! I’m getting jealous~” Lucas fondly stroked her head, “Silly girl, all that menial work is what she’s supposed to do. I’d never let you do such things.” Furious, I pushed open the door and accused Yvette of being a homewrecker. To my shock, she produced a marriage certificate with Lucas, claiming I was the one intruding on their relationship. In the ensuing scuffle, I hit my head on the bookshelf and regained my memory. It turned out I was actually the heiress of the wealthiest family in town! Looking at Lucas, who was still berating me, and the sniffling Yvette in his arms, I turned and dialed my bodyguard’s number: “Ethan, your young miss has been bullied!”

“Miss Ruan! We’ve finally contacted you! We’ve locked onto your location. I’ll be there to bring you home within three hours.” On the phone, Ethan’s voice was as steady and reassuring as ever. “Alright.” After hanging up, I rinsed the bleeding wound on my forehead with cold water. My reflection in the mirror was pale, but my eyes were no longer filled with the docility and confusion of the past five years. Instead, they were ice-cold. My name is Aria Ruan, or rather, I finally remembered that my name is Aria Ruan. The only daughter of the Ruan family. After treating my wound, I came out of the bathroom. Lucas was standing in the upstairs hallway, looking down at me condescendingly, still cradling the sniffling Yvette in his arms. “Hey, Aria, if you’re not dead, stop pretending!” His voice was full of disgust. “You could have dodged just now. Why did you deliberately hit the bookshelf? Don’t you know you scared Yvette? Come here and apologize to her right now!” These outrageously shameless words pierced my heart like a steel needle. I can’t believe I played the role of the submissive “Aria” for five years for a man like this. Countless images flooded my mind like a tidal wave. The life that belonged to “Aria Ruan” was as clear as if it had happened yesterday. Along with it came a surge of hatred. Five years ago, I woke up from a car accident with no memory. It was Lucas who held my hand and gently told me that he was my fiancé of many years, the only person I could rely on in my life. I believed him, clinging to him like a lifeline as I returned home with him. He not only erased my past but gave me a false identity, complete with a fake marriage certificate that now seems laughably absurd. For five years, I cooked and cleaned for him, managed everything at home so he could focus on his career without worry. I even ate nothing but plain noodles for a month straight to save money to buy him a nice watch. I thought my devotion would earn his cherishment. But everything that just happened made me realize that my five years of deep affection were nothing but an exciting game in their eyes. Seeing that I kept staring at him without responding, Lucas’s face flashed with inexplicable panic, but it was quickly replaced by impatience. He tossed out a sentence: “Hurry up and make dinner, Yvette’s hungry.” Then he took Yvette back to the bedroom, no longer paying attention to me. I looked down at my rough hands, hands that should have been playing the piano and painting oil paintings, now covered with calluses and small wounds. With a cold laugh, I returned to my room and locked the door. The time displayed on my phone screen showed two hours and fifteen minutes left until the three-hour deadline. Alright, I’ll play along with you a little longer! Lucas and Yvette came out of the bedroom to find an empty dining room and a cold stove. Their faces instantly darkened. “Aria! Where the hell are you? Where’s dinner?” He angrily kicked open my door. “I’m tired. I don’t feel like cooking,” I said. Lucas looked as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. “You’re tired? What could a woman who stays at home all day be tired from? Get your ass to the kitchen and make dinner!” “Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you let your ‘legal wife’ cook?” “After all, I’m just a crazy woman who stole her nest, aren’t I?” I threw Yvette’s words back at them. Lucas’s face alternated between shades of green and white. He probably never expected that I, who had always obeyed his every word, would suddenly become so sharp-tongued. Yvette crossed her arms and emerged from behind him, her voice dripping with sarcasm: “Lucas, darling, look at her attitude! What’s the big deal about asking her to cook? It’s like we owe her something.” “I think you’ve spoiled her rotten these past five years!” She turned to me, chin held high: “Aria, I suggest you remember your place. You eat our food, live in our house – isn’t doing some housework only right? Don’t be so ungrateful.” I laughed, laughed so hard tears nearly came to my eyes. “Your house?” I stood up and walked towards them step by step, my gaze fixed on Lucas. “Lucas Lin, tell me, who does this mansion really belong to?”

Lucas’s eyes darted around, unable to speak. This mansion was bought shortly after I lost my memory, using a bank card he had coaxed me into using. That card, I now realize, must have been from my Ruan family account. He used my money to buy the house, yet had the audacity to make me believe I was dependent on him for survival. “And you,” I turned to Yvette, “That new Chanel dress you’re wearing must have cost quite a bit. I wonder which card it was charged to?” Yvette’s face changed color. I took a step closer, sneering, “It was the supplementary card Lucas gave you, wasn’t it? Do you know who’s been paying off the bills on that main card every month?” Over these five years, Lucas’s career was just starting, and his income was far from enough to support such lavish spending. All the bills were paid by me. I used to think it was proof of Lucas’s love, entrusting me with his money. Now I understand I was nothing more than their human ATM. Yvette was left speechless by my questions, but after just a second, she straightened her back. Far from showing any shame, her face displayed a challenging defiance. “So what?” she shrieked, her voice shrill. “Aria, what are you getting so worked up about? If it weren’t for Lucas kindly taking you in five years ago, who knows which gutter you’d be rotting in right now!” “Every penny you’ve spent, every bite of food you’ve eaten, it’s all thanks to Lucas’s generosity! Without him, you’re nothing!” Lucas also shielded Yvette behind him, glaring at me furiously. “Aria, what’s wrong with you!” “I work my ass off outside, give you a home, let you manage the money – that’s because I trust you! Your money is my money, isn’t it? What’s wrong with using some of it to buy Yvette a dress? What right do you have to make such a fuss? Don’t forget, I’ve supported you for five years!” “Don’t think you can turn the tables just because you got a little hurt. Let me tell you, without me, you’re nothing!” “Is that so?” I looked at his face, flushed red with guilt, the last trace of attachment in my heart disappearing. I forcefully shook off his hand. “Lucas Lin, we’ll soon see who is nothing without whom.” But Lucas kept staring at me intently. “Who said you could leave me?” “So what if the marriage certificate is fake? We’ve lived together for five years, our relationship is real, isn’t it?” “Don’t worry, to the outside world, you’ll always be my wife.” “Lucas darling, sister must be in shock. We should give her some time to accept it,” Yvette interjected, seeing the situation. She curled her lips into a malicious smile, deliberately emphasizing the word “sister”. Then she turned to me, her nose in the air: “By the way, Lucas and I had quite a night yesterday. Go change the sheets and wash them, will you?” “Remember to wash them by hand. They’re silk, don’t ruin them in the washing machine.” As she spoke, she deliberately thrust out her chest, making sure I could see the love bites on her neck. Lucas also glanced at me, as if everything was perfectly normal. “Yvette’s right, you should find more things to do. Then you won’t have time for these silly thoughts.” He flashed Yvette a playful, indulgent smile: “Looks like you’re not tired yet. Let’s continue tonight.”

I watched their little back-and-forth act, feeling like I was watching two clowns putting on a desperate performance. The wall clock pointed to 7:30 PM. Ethan should arrive in about half an hour. Thinking about finally going home, I couldn’t even be bothered to get angry. I just curled my lips into a faint smile. “You want me to wash them? Sure!” With that, I yanked the filthy sheets off the bed and flung them straight into Yvette’s face. Then, taking advantage of her panicked screaming, I dragged her towards the washing machine. My actions caught Lucas off guard. He didn’t react for a moment. The next second, I roughly shoved both Yvette and the sheets into the washing machine. “Dirty things should be washed together!” “Ah! Aria, you bitch! Let go of me!” Yvette shrieked, kicking and flailing. I easily grabbed her wrist. Five years of housework had made me much stronger than this pampered woman. Lucas finally reacted, rushing over and kicking me hard in the abdomen. The force was so great it knocked me to the ground. He then fished Yvette out of the washing machine and held her in his arms. Yvette cried in his arms, looking utterly pitiful. “Lucas, darling, how could she do this to me? My wrist hurts so much…” Lucas glared at me, his eyes full of fury. “Aria, I really underestimated you!” I lay on the ground clutching my stomach, cold sweat beading on my forehead from the pain. His face contorted with rage. “Stop pretending! I just kicked you once.” Then he viciously stomped on my wrist. The bones made an ominous creaking sound under the pressure. “Ah!” The excruciating pain made me cry out involuntarily. Lucas leaned down, his eyes as sharp as knives. “Apologize to Yvette right now. Say you were wrong! Otherwise, I’ll cripple this hand of yours today!” Yvette stood to the side, still wiping her crocodile tears. “Lucas, darling, make her kneel and lick my shoes. Then I’ll forgive her.” “You heard her? Yvette’s giving you a chance.” Lucas said, pressing down even harder with his foot. I gritted my teeth, enduring the intense pain as tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. Not from the pain, but from the utter absurdity of these past five years. Ethan, where are you? Your young miss is about to be bullied to death! Just then, an enraged voice rang out. “Who dares to bully our young miss!” A dozen blinding headlights suddenly illuminated the entire courtyard. A man in a black suit, tall and straight as a pine tree, stepped out of the lead car. Behind him was a row of bodyguards with stern expressions. The ferocity on Lucas’s face instantly froze, turning into shock. Ethan strode over in a few quick steps and kicked Lucas flying. Then he took off his suit jacket and gently draped it over my shoulders, covering my disheveled state. He knelt on one knee, carefully cradling my bruised hand. His eyes, as he looked at me, were filled with the tenderness of someone who had lost and regained a priceless treasure. “Young miss,” his voice trembled slightly with excitement. “I’ve come to take you home.”

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The Curator and all the experts were high-fiving and shaking hands, celebrating a major win. Only Chloe, my junior colleague, the so-called genius who claimed she could commune with the ‘spirits’ of artifacts, was clinging to my leg, her eyes red and glistening. “Harper, I know your methods are outdated, but you can’t just give up like this! The relics need you!” I coldly pulled my leg away. In my past life, every time she ‘appraised’ an artifact, she’d just light a ‘Spirit-Scent Incense’ and accurately state its age, material, and even its hidden stories. But all of that? It was data I’d pulled from sleepless nights in the lab, my own research. In the end, she framed me as a national treasure thief, and I died unjustly in prison. Now, I’ve been reborn to that exact moment: she was holding a fake legendary Dragon’s Seal, just about to light her ‘mystic incense’ to ‘read’ it. Chloe looked at me, her expression wounded. “Harper, I know they don’t understand, but you believe me, right?” The incense stick wavered in her hand, a thin trail of green smoke curling upwards. In my last life, I was completely manipulated by that innocent, pitiful act. “Chloe, are you really going to perform your little occult show in front of all these experts?” My voice was so calm, it even surprised me. She froze for a second, clearly not expecting me to say that. “Harper, I truly can sense the history of artifacts…” “Enough!” The Curator slammed his hand on the table. “What ‘sensing’? This is an artifact appraisal center, not some fortune-telling booth!” Other experts shook their heads, sighing. “Chloe, it’s good for young people to have ideas, but this method…” “It’s just ridiculous!” “We’re here for scientific research, not superstition!” Chloe’s tears finally spilled. She bit her lip, her face stubbornly defiant. “I know you don’t believe me, but I really… I really can sense it!” With that, she lit the incense stick. Pale green smoke slowly rose, filling the room with a strange, heavy scent. I stared at that incense stick, a wave of immense fury swelling inside me. In my past life, it was this very incense stick that made everyone believe in Chloe’s ‘divine power,’ making her famous overnight, while I became her stepping stone. “Experts, please observe!” Chloe closed her eyes, putting on a show of piety. “I can sense the history of this legendary Dragon’s Seal…” She began to babble, talking about emperors’ grievances and tears of blood from history. But soon, her tone shifted. She started rattling off the exact scientific data I’d spent several sleepless nights compiling. The experts in my past life listened, their jaws dropped. They actually ended up believing she could ‘read’ the artifacts. But this time, I wouldn’t let her succeed. “Chloe, are you done with your act?” I suddenly stood up. Everyone looked at me, including Liam, who was sitting next to me. “Harper, you…” Chloe opened her eyes, a flicker of panic in them. “You think lighting an incense stick will fool everyone?” I sneered. “Do you even know what’s been added to this stick?” Chloe’s face instantly went pale. “You’re lying! It’s just regular sandalwood incense!” “Regular sandalwood?” I walked over to her, snatched the still-burning stick from her hand. “Then why does it contain hallucinogenic compounds?” The conference room fell silent. The Curator frowned. “Harper, what do you mean by that?” I turned to the Curator, my voice sharp and clear. “Curator, I suggest we immediately perform a chemical analysis on this incense.” Chloe’s hands began to tremble. “Harper, why are you doing this to me? I just wanted to prove myself…” “Prove yourself?” I scoffed. “Or prove how clever your deception is?” Liam stood up, looking at me with concern. “Harper, aren’t you getting too worked up? Chloe hasn’t done anything. Don’t scare her…” I turned my head to look at him, a wave of profound disappointment washing over me. He was just like this in my past life. Even when he knew Chloe was problematic, he always used that gentle tone to make excuses for her. “Then you tell me, what’s the scientific basis for ‘Spirit-Scent Incense’ appraising artifacts?” “I didn’t… it’s just…” “Just what? Just that you think I’m being unreasonable, that I’m targeting your perfect, innocent little junior sister?” Liam’s face flushed. “Harper, don’t talk like that.” “Alright! Everyone quiet down. We’ll test the incense’s components now. Get someone from the forensics lab down here.” The Curator made the final decision.

The forensics lab colleague came in with the report. “The results are out. It’s just regular sandalwood incense, no additives.” My heart sank. Hard. Chloe immediately looked up, a triumphant glint in her eyes. “Harper, you see? I wasn’t lying. I really don’t know why you have such a prejudice against me…” The Curator cleared his throat. “Harper, your accusation just now was a bit… over the top.” “Wait.” I forced myself to stay calm. “Even if the incense is fine, it doesn’t prove she can actually ‘read’ artifacts.” Chloe bit her lip, looking wronged. “Harper, why won’t you just believe me?” She relit the sandalwood incense, and the green smoke curled up again. “I’ll demonstrate again, to prove I really can sense the history of artifacts.” The experts in the room started whispering among themselves. Some were clearly impatient with this ‘occult’ performance. “Ridiculous!” One expert directly stood up. “I don’t want to waste my time watching this trick.” “Exactly! What era is this, still doing all this superstitious stuff?” another expert echoed. Chloe’s tears streamed down her face. She spoke in a trembling voice. “This ancient jade disc… it’s crying out in pain. It’s not the real legendary Dragon’s Seal…” The conference room erupted in laughter. “She couldn’t even tell that?” “Everyone knows it’s a fake!” “You called us here just to hear this?” A few experts directly stood up, ready to leave. I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This time, finally, it wouldn’t… “It’s a celadon jade from the ancient lands, hardness 6.5, density 2.95, containing tremolite 87%, actinolite 11%, and other minerals 2%.” Chloe suddenly spoke. The experts who were leaving stopped dead in their tracks. “The craftsmanship uses late ancient polishing techniques, but the carving style is clearly medieval. There’s a clear anachronism.” “The patina on the jade surface is artificially aged, using tea water and smoke treatment…” The laughter died down instantly. These data points? I’d worked until 3 AM last night in the lab to get them! I hadn’t even released them to anyone yet! “There are three tiny air bubbles inside the jade, located at the dragon head, belly, and tail, which are characteristics of modern casting techniques…” No! Impossible! The Curator, shocked, flipped open my detection report on my desk. His face instantly changed. “This… these data points are perfectly consistent! Not a single word off!” Everyone’s gaze snapped to me. “Harper, did you tell Chloe in advance?” an expert questioned. “Impossible!” I quickly defended myself. “My report was just finished last night. I haven’t shown it to anyone!” Liam looked at Chloe in astonishment, his eyes starting to show a mix of curiosity and admiration. “Chloe, you really can sense all this?” Chloe opened her eyes, tears welling up as she looked at me. “I don’t know why either. Harper, you see, it’s really talking to me. Now… do you believe me?” I felt a wave of dizziness, as if the world was spinning. History wasn’t just repeating itself; it was crashing down on me even faster. “This is incredible!” The Curator’s attitude completely shifted. “Chloe, your ability…” “It’s simply a gift!” “Our country’s artifact appraisal field is about to see a prodigy!” Praise erupted from all sides. “No!” I suddenly stood up. “She must have seen my experimental data in advance!” “Harper, what else do you have to say?” The Curator frowned. “She broke into the lab last night!” I was nearly hysterical. “She stole my data!” Chloe cried even harder. “Harper, I was in my dorm all last night. My roommates can prove it…” The Curator’s attitude completely changed. “Harper, this is getting tiresome. Chloe clearly has this talent. If you’re jealous, just say so.” “Harper, that’s enough!” Liam finally exploded. “Why are you pushing Chloe like this? Is it so hard to admit someone else is talented?” “I’m not pushing her! I’m just trying to prove…” “Prove what? Prove that you’re jealous of her talent?” That sentence hit me like a thunderbolt. Everyone looked at me with strange eyes, filled with disdain, disappointment, and the mocking gaze reserved for a clown. And Chloe, she stood there, tears in her eyes, yet unable to hide the triumphant smile playing on her lips. Just like in my past life. I closed my eyes, my fists clenched. Was I truly unable to escape this outcome?

The next day’s appraisal meeting. On the table lay a rare Renaissance landscape painting. I’d once again pulled an all-nighter, working until 3 AM, conducting a detailed age analysis and technique study on this painting. Ink composition, paper fibers, mounting process – I verified every single detail repeatedly. I was like a drowning person, clinging desperately to science as my last straw. Chloe sat across from me, holding that same sandalwood incense stick. “Harper, you didn’t get much sleep last night again, did you?” She looked at me with concern. “Your eyes are so dark.” I ignored her. The Curator pointed to the painting. “Today, we’re appraising this piece. Harper, is your report ready?” “I won’t need a paper report today. I’ve memorized everything.” I looked at Chloe. “Why don’t we let Chloe go first?” Chloe nodded, lighting the incense. Green smoke rose again. She closed her eyes, putting on that pious act. “I hear the painting’s voice…” “It says it was created by the master Leonardo da Vinci, using fine linen canvas and mineral pigments blended with linseed oil…” The pen in my hand snapped. I had just finished analyzing these data points last night! How could she possibly know! “The mountains in the painting use sfumato techniques, the trees employ atmospheric perspective – typical of da Vinci’s style…” The Curator’s eyes widened. “My god! Chloe, you can even sense the painting techniques?” Chloe opened her eyes, triumph sparkling within them. “It also told me that this painting was once cherished by a renowned 19th-century collector. That person loved it so much, they’d look at it every day…” She started fabricating poetic stories, packaging my scientific data into emotional narratives about the artifact’s ‘soul.’ Everyone listened, utterly captivated. “Chloe, your ability is truly miraculous!” Liam’s gaze softened. “I never knew you had such a gift.” I was left on the sidelines, like an irrelevant clown. An expert whispered, “Harper’s technical skills are amazing, of course, but the efficiency difference is just too much…” “Yeah, what Chloe can solve in minutes takes Harper all-nighters.” “Times are changing. We need to keep up.” My fists clenched, my chest ached as if a hole had been torn through it. Chloe, however, smiled humbly. “This is all thanks to Harper’s excellent guidance. I’m just lucky enough to understand what artifacts are saying.” “Chloe, you’re too modest!” Liam praised. “This kind of talent is one in a millennium.” I watched his gaze on Chloe soften more and more, a growing sense of dread rising within me. The scenes from my past life began to replay. The Curator stood up. “I’ve decided that from now on, Chloe will primarily handle the appraisal of important artifacts.” I snapped my head up. “Curator, I don’t think that’s appropriate…”

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The night of my engagement, I found my CEO fiancée and her eighteen-year-old assistant on the company rooftop. Seraphina calmly tightened her open, revealing nightgown, kicking a few used condoms into the corner. But before I could even react, Jace clutched his chest, crying that my footsteps had been too loud and scared him, causing his heart condition to flare up. My fiancée ordered her guards to tie me up and hang me upside down from the edge of the roof for two days and two nights. “That’ll teach you for scaring my Jace on purpose! Since we just got engaged, I’ll go easy on you this time, just a small punishment!” Jace then broke into a smile. He pushed Seraphina against the rooftop wall, kissing her wildly right in front of me, until they were breathless and flushed. He only left when he was satisfied. Before he left, he subtly tucked a sharp piece of glass beneath the rope. With each swing, the rope quickly frayed and snapped. I didn’t die from the fall, but my legs were shattered. I was confined to a wheelchair for life. Yet, on the very night I was hospitalized, I saw Jace post a photo on SnapChat. The picture showed ten condoms blown up like balloons. “Sister promised to go unprotected! She says that useless waste is done for, and tonight she wants me to give her a baby!” I clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my flesh. Eight years of a relationship, and I never imagined we’d end up like this. I immediately contacted the cutting-edge neuroscience medical team I’d anonymously invested in three years ago. “Add another hundred million to the investment. Fix my legs.”

When Seraphina heard I was going to call the police, she immediately FaceTimed me, demanding answers. “Jace is just a playful kid, a little bit immature. He didn’t mean to cut the rope.” “Look, I’ll apologize for him. Let’s just drop this small matter, okay?” “I promise you, our engagement will continue. Even though you’re a cripple now, with you as my husband, nobody will dare to laugh at you!” I hung up the phone and pounded my numb legs, consumed by grief. We were childhood sweethearts; we’d been together since we were eighteen. I still remember a younger, innocent Seraphina swearing under the sun that she would love me forever, her heart never changing. But it had only been eight years, and her heart had already changed. In her eyes, Jace getting a fright was a major event, but my shattered legs she casually dismissed as “a small matter.” It turned out, love and indifference were starkly obvious. I hired the most professional legal team to gather evidence of Jace’s deliberate harm, then called the police. The lawyers quickly got back to me. Seraphina had ordered all company surveillance footage deleted the moment the incident happened. She had chosen Jace’s side once again. Her protectiveness toward him chilled me to the bone. Seraphina furiously rushed to the hospital, raising her hand and slapping me across the face. She snapped, annoyed: “Dean, you’re calling the police over such a small thing? Didn’t I already apologize for Jace?” “He’s just an eighteen-year-old kid! You’re a whole decade older than him, why are you being so petty with a child?” “Besides, you were the one who scared him first! He has a weak heart and gets easily frightened. I haven’t even tried to blame you, and you’re already turning the tables on me!” She finished speaking and sat by my hospital bed, threatening: “Our engagement just got put on the schedule. You don’t want me to unilaterally cancel it now, do you?” “Your legs are broken, and if you get dumped too, what will happen to your parents? They’re already not in the best health; if they hear this double blow of bad news, it could literally break their hearts, and something terrible might happen!” I stared hard into her eyes, unable to believe she would use my parents to threaten me, all for Jace. Five years ago, Seraphina was in a car accident. Both her kidneys were damaged, and she urgently needed a transplant. My entire family got tested for a match, and only my mother was a match. Despite her age, she immediately decided to donate a kidney to Seraphina, which is why her health has been declining ever since. At the end of the year my mother donated her kidney, Seraphina was being chased by a rival she’d angered. Both our families had just left a restaurant when a masked man with a knife rushed toward Seraphina. Her biological parents instinctively hid, but in that critical moment, my father stepped forward and took a knife for her, puncturing his lung. My parents’ health suffered because they successively saved Seraphina. They genuinely loved her and had long considered her part of our family. But Seraphina was not only ungrateful, she was using them to threaten me into withdrawing the police report. I pulled at the corner of my mouth, a bitter taste filling my heart. “Why? Seraphina, haven’t my family and I been good enough to you?”

Perhaps it was the depth of my disappointment, but my voice was trembling. Seraphina looked as if she’d heard the funniest joke, a disdainful smirk playing on her lips. “I didn’t beg you to be good to me. Wasn’t it all your voluntary effort?” “Besides, it’s not like you didn’t have ulterior motives, right? Wasn’t it because you wanted me to marry into your family and give you an heir?” I lowered my head and chuckled bitterly, unable to utter a single word of rebuttal. A moment later, I slowly spoke. “So, the vows we made when we were eighteen… have you forgotten them all?” A flicker of guilt crossed Seraphina’s eyes, but it vanished in less than a second. She arrogantly lifted her chin, irritated. “Those were childhood vows. Why are you bringing them up now?” “I know you’re resentful, but you don’t need to get lawyers involved, do you?” “Dean, you weren’t this petty before, were you? Why have you become so unreasonable now?” I closed my eyes, not wanting to continue the conversation. Seraphina scoffed. “Don’t forget to withdraw the police report. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee I won’t say things to your parents!” Only after she left did I open my eyes. But the tears, rebellious, streamed out. I buried my face in my hands, letting out cries of anguish. That night, I sent Seraphina a message. “I can withdraw the police report, but our engagement is off. We’re even from now on.” “Cancel the engagement?” Seraphina frowned, demanding, “Dean, what game are you playing now? You love me so much, how could you bear to cancel this engagement?” “Alright, you don’t have to act in front of me! I’ve already promised you that I’ll let you be my husband, and I’m not going back on my word!” Just then, her phone rang. It was the special ringtone she’d set just for Jace. She’d also arranged a special passenger seat for him, a special workstation. Her favoritism for him was everywhere. Jace’s whining voice came through the phone. “Sister, I saw a limited-edition designer couple’s diamond ring. One for each of us! Come pay for it, quick!” “Wait for me, I’m coming right away.” Her reply was swift and decisive. It was clear she truly cared for that eighteen-year-old assistant. I lowered my gaze. The silver ring on my ring finger was still the couple’s ring we had handmade together when we first got together. So many years had passed, the ring was worn and faded, but I still couldn’t bear to take it off. Seraphina’s silver ring, though, had long since disappeared. Chuckling mockingly, I took off the ring on my ring finger and threw it into the trash. It was half a month later when I was discharged from the hospital. As soon as I was wheeled out, I saw Seraphina, waiting impatiently. “I’m pregnant.” My heart seized. Even though I felt I no longer loved her, hearing this news still brought a pang of pain. After she spoke, she ordered someone to take my wheelchair, then had me moved into a black sedan. “Jace hasn’t reached the legal age for marriage, so we can’t get our license yet.” “I’ve already announced to everyone that I’m pregnant with my fiancé’s child. Today, you’re going to marry me. Once the baby is born, we’ll get a divorce.” The car door shut, and we sped towards the marriage registry. I sat in the car, clenching my fists, my knuckles white. “Seraphina, what makes you think I’d be willing to accept this child?” She replied indifferently, “Because it’s your parents’ wish. I’ve already called them, and they agree we should get married immediately.” “Oh, and of course, I told them I was pregnant with *your* child. Don’t spill the beans when you talk to them later.” “Otherwise, if they find out the golden grandchild they’ve waited so many years for isn’t happening, they might be devastated again!” I trembled with rage. She watched me, amused. “You’re getting a child handed to you for free, you should be happy!” “Besides, marrying me has been your wish for years, hasn’t it? You proposed to me so many times before, and I never agreed to get married.” If Seraphina had agreed to marry me before, I would have been ecstatic. But now, I just felt a wave of nausea. I couldn’t hold back and dry-heaved a few times in the car. Seraphina immediately covered her nose and mouth in disgust, scornfully saying, “If you’re going to throw up, get out and do it! Don’t you dare stain my car!” “This car is Jace’s favorite! I promised to give it to him once he gets his driver’s license!” Those words were like a dagger stabbing into my heart. Eight years together, and the gifts Seraphina had given me were always random souvenirs. But for Jace, she was so thoughtful and generous. In that moment, I decided I would stop deceiving myself. I let go of that eight-year relationship. Three years ago, I had secretly invested in an international medical team. Now, I took out my phone and sent a message to the team leader: “Add another hundred million to the investment. Fix my legs.” The reply came quickly: “Understood.”

The car soon arrived at the marriage registry. Seraphina ordered someone to push me to the marriage registration counter inside. She had even pre-booked the VIP channel. As soon as I was at the counter, she forced me to sign. I picked up the documents to be signed and tore them into pieces, just like our relationship, which had reached its end. “Seraphina, if you try to force me to sign, I’ll have no choice but to call the police.” Seraphina’s expression immediately turned cold. She yelled at me, “If you don’t sign, what about the baby in my belly? Do you want him to be born a bastard?” “I don’t care. You’ll sign today, whether you want to or not! Otherwise, I’ll jump from this rooftop, and it’ll be two lives lost!” This wasn’t the first time Seraphina had threatened me with suicide. In the past, whenever she pulled that stunt, I’d immediately give in to all her demands. But this time, I wouldn’t bow down to her. I looked at her coldly, calmly saying, “Your life or death has nothing to do with me. Either way, I won’t sign this.” The staff at the counter, hearing this, realized I was unwilling to register the marriage. They loudly declared, “According to Article 9, Section 2 of the Marriage Law, if both parties are not fully willing, the marriage registration authority shall not register the marriage.” “Marriage is not a game. You two should go back, discuss it thoroughly, and then come again!” I grabbed my ID back and pushed my wheelchair out. But just as I reached the lobby entrance, my wheelchair was knocked over by someone rushing in. I toppled over with the wheelchair, crashing into the glass door. A sharp pain shot through my head, and a warm liquid trickled down. I lay on the ground, unable to get up, the pain in my head making me dizzy. The person who had bumped into me rushed into Seraphina’s arms, their voice tearful. “Sister, are you going to abandon me? I don’t want you to marry anyone else. Can’t you wait for me for two more years?” Seraphina’s eyes also reddened. She hugged him tenderly, comforting him, “Okay, okay, don’t cry. I’ll wait for you.” Jace turned his head, looking at me lying on the ground, showing no intention of helping me up, nor a word of apology. “Why are you trying to steal my sister from me? You know she’s already pregnant with my child! Why are you trying to break up our family of three?” “I know you’re forcing Sister to marry you! Even if your legs are broken, you shouldn’t use Sister’s entire life to compensate for yours!” “I’d rather go to jail than let Sister marry someone like you. Go tell the police that I’m the one who hurt your legs. I’m willing to take full responsibility!” His tearful accusations immediately drew the attention of the surrounding crowd. These people stared at me with contempt, unable to resist cursing out loud. “I can’t believe a cripple like him has such a wicked mind, deliberately breaking up someone else’s family!” “Using his disability to emotionally blackmail a pregnant woman and forcing her to marry him, how shameless!” Everyone around pointed fingers at me. Jace looked at me triumphantly, a victorious smile on his lips. The two of them walked past, arm in arm, intimately, like a newlywed couple who had just registered their marriage. I endured the intense pain, lying on the ground, lowering my head, not wanting anyone to see my pathetic state. It wasn’t until a staff member noticed me that they helped me up and put me in a taxi. This incident still reached my parents’ ears. Jace had come prepared. The people who mocked me at the marriage registry were all hired by him. He’d also had someone secretly film a video and post it online, causing me to be cyberbullied. My parents brought me home, caressing my numb legs, tears streaming down their faces. “I can’t believe Seraphina could be so heartless! Dean, don’t worry, your dad and I will go abroad with you to treat your legs. You’ll definitely get better!” “As for that ungrateful snake Seraphina, ever since she started her company, your dad and I have been quietly cleaning up her messes behind the scenes.” “Since she’s the one who acted so heartlessly, it’s about time we settle accounts with her properly!” Three days later, my parents and I boarded a flight to another country. As soon as we landed, Seraphina frantically called. I answered the phone, my voice impatient. “Is there something you need?” Seraphina’s voice was anxious. She kept asking,

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In the third year of my marriage to Sarah Montgomery, I overheard her friends asking her: “Sarah, if we pretend to be you and take turns holding hands and kissing your husband, he really won’t notice?” Sarah carelessly smoothed a stray strand of hair from her temple, utterly unbothered. “He has face blindness, he won’t notice.” “But just so we’re clear, have your fun, but don’t sleep with him. I don’t want seconds; that’s just dirty.” For the past three years, the person I’d been dating, holding hands with, and kissing, was never Sarah Montgomery. Of course, I knew. I also knew that for the past three years, the one I’d been holding close in bed every night, wasn’t Sarah either. The phone rang just as I carried Chloe Miller out of the bathroom. Chloe was a clingy little siren. Taking advantage of a brief pause, I nudged her waist. “Phone.” She finally glanced at her phone, pouting, a hint of annoyance in her expression. She quickly flipped it over, then playfully leaned in to kiss my earlobe. “Hubby, I’m gonna take this call.” Chloe said, then disappeared into the balcony. I silently put on my pajamas and went downstairs, opening the car door and slipping inside. From the car’s Bluetooth, which was connected to Sarah Montgomery’s phone, came her cool voice: “Tomorrow, you switch with me.” Chloe chuckled softly. “What, only three years and you’re already having withdrawals?” Sarah paused, likely having a drink, her voice a little hoarse. “Not really. Grandpa’s birthday is tomorrow, so I need to bring him. Oh, and a reminder, it’s Ashley’s turn on Friday.” As soon as she finished, a chorus of laughter erupted. “No way, Sarah, you’re seriously that generous? You just got married and you’re already lending your husband out for us to ‘play’ with?” Sarah’s nonchalant voice came through. “It’s a blind box game. You play, you lose, you pay up. It’s just Liam Henderson; I can afford to lose him.” “But just so we’re clear, have your fun, but don’t sleep with him. I don’t want seconds; that’s just dirty.” Someone “tsk”-ed. “What are you scared of? Who would ever actually *want* him?” “Still, Liam Henderson has a great body. Sarah posted a picture of him right after he showered in the group chat, those abs, *tsk-tsk-tsk*. None of you five felt a thing?” “I kinda did.” Chloe’s sweet, flirty voice suddenly broke the silence. Sarah’s end went quiet. The silence that followed was so thick, it sent a chill down my spine. “Just for fun, I’m not a home-wrecker.” Chloe said leisurely, “But wouldn’t sleeping with him be perfect? His birthday’s in a few days, aren’t you planning to announce this whole thing then?” The raucous music on Sarah’s end drowned out Chloe’s voice. But I could still hear Jake Peterson laughing in her ear. Jake was Sarah Montgomery’s first love. I grew up alongside Sarah, watching her and Jake go from strangers to lovers. But Mr. Montgomery didn’t like him. He’d threatened that if Jake didn’t leave Sarah, the Petersons would be forced out of this state. For Jake, Sarah had no choice but to agree to an arranged marriage with me. Eighteen years of secret love, and my dream finally came true. Only now, I realized it was nothing more than a game among these rich kids from the elite circles. Jake laughed, echoing. “Right, Sarah, his birthday’s in a few days. Why don’t you give him a big present and tell him the truth?” “From the moment you two got married, you’ve been taking turns with him… When you think about it, Liam Henderson is like a shared toy, everyone gets a turn.” “Shut up.” Sarah and Chloe’s angry voices came out at the same time, and the phone line fell silent again.

Chloe spoke lazily. “After all, he’s Sarah’s husband. Provoking him like that isn’t good.” “We won’t touch him, that’s not happening.” I couldn’t make out what Sarah said, the other end was a chaotic mess, drowning out her voice. The call lasted fifteen minutes. I turned off the Bluetooth and got out of the car. That wrenching pain had long passed, now hidden beneath a calm exterior. But it was still there, tiny and persistent, like a swarm of ants gnawing away at my insides. As I walked upstairs, I ran into Chloe, who was about to leave. She seemed to be in a hurry, her buttons were misaligned, and the exposed skin of her collarbone was covered in suggestive red marks. Seeing me, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, diving into my arms and wrapping her hands around my waist. “Where did you go, hubby? I thought I lost you.” “Just went downstairs to take out the trash.” I lowered my head, my palm stroking her cheek, my fingertip tracing the mole near her eye. Sarah Montgomery also had that mole near her eye. Chloe’s amber eyes deepened as my finger slid down. The moment my fingertip touched her lip, she opened her mouth, catching it and gently biting down. Chloe had a habit, like a biting cat, determined to leave all her marks on me. Even if this territory wasn’t hers. Chloe’s breathing grew heavier, her eyes burning with unresolvable desire. She pulled me upstairs, her small body tackling me onto the bed. I suddenly pressed her hands down. “Sarah Montgomery, stop using birth control. Give me a child.” Chloe’s pupils flickered. She stared at me, a fierce glint in her eyes. That night, Chloe transformed from a docile house cat into a fierce, untamed wildcat. She was exceptionally wild. … I found out Sarah Montgomery was deceiving me a few days before our wedding, when I received an anonymous video. The video was taken in a private room at a bar, with Sarah sitting beside Jake Peterson. She proposed a blind box dating game, and a group of them drew lots, and I was the one chosen. Besides Sarah Montgomery, there were four other “players.” Chloe Miller was also chosen. “Boring.” She impatiently flipped the table, then abruptly stood up and left the private room. “You guys play if you want.” Jake Peterson laughed, smoothing things over. “It’s fine, four people can still play, but you guys need to watch your limits. For Sarah’s sake, don’t take it too far.” That’s when I realized the wedding I had anticipated for eighteen years was just the starting signal for a game. My heart clenched so tightly, I couldn’t breathe. The anonymous sender messaged me: *[It’s not too late to cancel the wedding now.]* I ignored it, sitting numbly, staring at the video all night. It was a commercial marriage alliance; our family was climbing the social ladder by marrying into the Montgomery family. I had no right to cancel the wedding. The wedding proceeded as planned the next day. But before the ceremony ended, Sarah Montgomery took a call, changed out of her wedding dress, and left. That night, it was Chloe Miller who came home. I had face blindness, but I wasn’t stupid. After secretly loving Sarah Montgomery for eighteen years, how could I not recognize her? In my world, people were only divided into three types. Men, women, and Sarah Montgomery. That night, Chloe stood with her arms crossed, looking at me with a mocking, playful smirk. I remember she seemed to want to say something that day, but before she could open her mouth, I walked over and kissed her. “Sarah Montgomery, I knew it, you’d come back.” Everything that followed seemed to fall into place naturally. Four people took turns pretending to be Sarah Montgomery. Every year for my birthday and anniversaries, I received five gifts. We were like any normal couple. Dating, holding hands, hugging, shopping, kissing. But the one who came home at night was always either Sarah Montgomery or Chloe Miller. It was too easy to tell Sarah Montgomery and Chloe Miller apart. Sarah recoiled from my touch, her eyes holding an unmistakable loathing with just a glance. Chloe, however, was always delighted. She had many tricks up her sleeve and was incredibly clingy. She’d join me for a long hike, walking twenty miles, and still have the energy to keep me up until dawn. She loved all forms of physical contact, clinging to me and calling me “hubby,” then getting so breathless from my kisses she couldn’t speak. “Baby, I really, really like you.” That word, “like,” she’d whisper it into my ear a million times a night, then playfully demand that I reciprocate. Eventually, it turned into resentment. Sometimes I’d drift off to sleep, hazy with exhaustion. In my dreams, someone would trace my features, murmuring to themselves: “Why did you marry her, even knowing she was deceiving you?” “Why don’t you divorce her? Do you love her that much?” I wanted to ask her too. Why did she go back on her word and join this game? I treated her as Sarah Montgomery’s substitute. What did she see me as? I never asked, and Chloe never answered. In my vague world, another type of person emerged: Chloe Miller.

Chloe left early the next morning. The mess in the house had been meticulously cleaned up. Sarah Montgomery called me, telling me to come downstairs. When I opened the car door, Jake Peterson was sitting next to Sarah. He gave me a provocative smile. “Excuse me, Liam Henderson, I’m also going to see Elder Montgomery. You don’t mind, do you?” Before I could reply, Sarah impatiently spoke. “Liam Henderson, get in the car.” I closed my eyes for a moment, ignoring Jake’s taunt. After getting in the car, I asked Sarah, “Didn’t you buy me breakfast?” Sarah froze for a moment. I deliberately smiled. “You forgot, when I woke up this morning, you said you were going to buy me breakfast.” I didn’t know when Chloe had left. But Sarah’s face went from pale to dark after hearing me, and Jake gasped. “You two… slept together?” His tone held an ill-concealed triumph. I didn’t answer. Instead, I feigned surprise and looked at Sarah. Sarah “hmm”-ed, her face turning even worse. She picked up a bubble tea from beside her, preparing to drink it. I added fuel to the fire, continuing: “Didn’t you say last night you were going to quit bubble tea? High sugar isn’t good for the baby, we’re supposed to be preparing for pregnancy.” *Clatter.* The bubble tea fell to the ground. Sarah’s dark eyes swirled with a chilling coldness, as if threatening to swallow me whole. Jake Peterson, however, smiled meaningfully. “Is that so? Well, I’m really looking forward to your baby.” I smiled gently, looking at Sarah. “I’m looking forward to it too. For us to have a complete family.” Sarah’s irritation was visible to the naked eye. This irritation reached its peak when Chloe Miller appeared. Chloe carried her bag, wearing an expression that seemed to relish in the unfolding drama. She was with a few other people I couldn’t distinguish. But judging by Chloe’s demeanor, they were likely the other three who’d impersonated Sarah. “Sarah Montgomery, aren’t you going to introduce us?” I intertwined my fingers with hers. “Are they your friends too?” “Chloe Miller.” Before Sarah could speak, Chloe extended her hand to me. “Nice to meet you, brother-in-law.” The words “brother-in-law” were deliberately emphasized. In bed, Chloe sometimes played games and would purposely call me “brother-in-law.” Hearing it from her now, in this setting, it carried an inexplicable intimacy. Sarah slapped my hand away, pulling Chloe outside. Jake Peterson’s triumph in his eyes became even more obvious. He smiled, looking at me. “Liam Henderson, is Sarah’s temper really bad? Only I’m close enough to her that she treats me well.” “Not that bad.” I smiled, going along with his words. “She’s been quite well-behaved lately.” Jake chuckled. The others burst into laughter too. I felt incredibly uncomfortable among this group. Just then, I received another anonymous message: *[Come to the backyard.]* I went out, half-believing, half-doubting. I hadn’t walked two steps when I heard Sarah Montgomery’s voice from behind the rockery: “He touched you? Why did he say he wanted to prepare for pregnancy?” Chloe Miller stood with her hands in her pockets, leaning lazily against a tree. “What, you’re having second thoughts?” “He’s my husband!” Sarah frustratedly grabbed her collar. “He didn’t touch me.” Chloe impatiently waved her hand away. “But what if he did? He wouldn’t even notice anyway. And even if he did, at most it’d lead to divorce, and wouldn’t that be perfect for you to be with Jake Peterson?” Sarah hesitated, then irritably picked up the bubble tea beside her. But then she seemed to think of something and tossed it into the trash. “You’re not planning to divorce her?” Chloe narrowed her eyes, her voice turning cold. “Aren’t you afraid Liam Henderson will get angry if he finds out?” “He won’t,” Sarah said with certainty. “He loves me very much, he won’t get angry. Once his birthday is over in a few days, and the game ends, I’ll properly settle down and live with him.” “In any case, you need to rein it in. Liam Henderson wants a child, and I’ll give him one, it’ll be compensation for deceiving him these past three years.” “What about Jake Peterson then?” Sarah said nothing. I lowered my gaze to my phone, where the divorce papers from my lawyer were in my inbox. Before the wedding, I had genuinely intended to live a proper life with her. I didn’t even ask for her love; simply living as respectful partners would have been enough. From the moment I learned the truth until the wedding day, I gave her countless opportunities, waiting for her to confess to me. But she never did. Three years. Whether it was with Sarah Montgomery or Chloe Miller. I was tired of this game. After dinner, Sarah Montgomery and I went home together. As I leaned over to buckle her seatbelt, my phone lit up. Sarah merely glanced at it, then pushed me away and got out of the car to answer the call.

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The summer break kicked off with a school-organized volunteer trip to an orphanage, where we’d live for a month. As a med school representative, I quickly noticed something was off with one of the orphan boys. Julian, who looked eight years old, had the bone age of a forty-two-year-old! In my previous life, I spilled the beans about his bizarre check-up results to my classmates, warning them to steer clear of the kid. But they scoffed, accusing me of being a cold-blooded monster for bullying a poor orphan. The next day, Julian vanished. Rumors flew that I’d driven him to believe he didn’t deserve to live. My classmates, furious, cornered me on the rooftop, demanding I jump to my death to atone for their accusations. The orphanage fence was old and rickety, and I ended up smashed onto the pavement below, dying instantly. Then I opened my eyes. I was back. Back to the very first day at the orphanage. This time, I decided to tell them Julian’s check-up was perfectly normal. **01** Standing at the orphanage gate, a swarm of kids rushed out to greet us. My eyes immediately locked onto him – Julian. He threw himself into Brittany, a junior from the finance department, clinging to her. “You smell so nice, big sister!” he chirped. “Unlike the other big sister over there, she smells stinky.” Julian shot me a dirty look as he finished. Last time, I’d noticed Julian’s behavior was way out of line. He’d bury his head in Brittany’s chest, acting all sweet, but then he’d deliberately touch her thigh. When I kindly warned Brittany, she snapped at me, self-righteously, “Riley, do you have any humanity left?! Or is it just that you’re so used to being groped that everyone else seems ‘dirty’ to you?!” Her words sparked a wave of laughter among the other students. The gossip spread like wildfire, painting me as a classist, snobby, cold-blooded monster. They constantly sabotaged me, even egging on the orphanage kids to torment me. “That big sister is a bad person! Don’t be like her!” The orphanage kids were young; they believed whatever the adults told them. They copied everything they heard, constantly pelting me with pebbles, sprinkling sand in my bed, and some even intentionally putting cockroaches under my covers! In the end, when I fell from the roof, it was them—the kids, egged on by my classmates—who swarmed me and pushed me over the railing! This time, I decided I wouldn’t meddle in their affairs. I clutched my bottle of disinfectant and medical equipment. “That’s the smell of alcohol, it might be a bit strong,” I told Julian, “but it helps keep everyone healthy!” Hearing me, the other kids crowded around, their big eyes wide with curiosity. “Wow, big sister, you’re so smart!” “Can this water really protect us? Can you give me some?” Seeing their innocent faces, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of emotion. These precious little angels had been corrupted in my past life by those classmates, who were always sucking up to the powerful and stepping on the weak. This time, I vowed to protect their purity! “Of course! Every day, I’ll use this disinfectant to wash your hands and keep you safe!” As soon as I said that, the children started jumping up and down, cheering for me like I was a superhero. But Derek from the Business Management program wasn’t thrilled. He was always the center of attention, and seeing me surrounded by adoring children, his face immediately fell. He strode forward and kicked the bottle of disinfectant out of my hand. “Oh, so you think you’re some kind of savior around here, huh?” he sneered. “You’re so good at buttering up these kids. Are you from here too?” He laughed. “Seriously, Riley? You’re an orphan too? No parents?” The children instantly went quiet, their faces falling in disappointment. Being told they were “parentless”—they probably heard that a lot. But Derek just said it right to their faces. “Derek, are you insane? How can you say that in front of the kids?!” I stared at him, shocked. Before Derek could reply, Julian spoke up from the side. “Derek didn’t say anything wrong, big brother.” He giggled. “Are you really parentless, big sister? Hehe.” Brittany and Derek exchanged a look and burst into laughter. “Julian, you’re so funny!” Brittany exclaimed. “After this volunteer trip, I’m going to adopt you as my little brother!” But Julian buried his head in Brittany’s chest again. “I don’t want to! I want to be Brittany’s *baby*.” Brittany was still basking in the glow of being liked by a child. She didn’t even notice that Julian, barely eight years old, had a noticeable bulge in his crotch, pressed against her. **02** The next morning, I woke up early to draw blood for the children’s physicals. When it was Julian’s turn, he completely shut down. No matter what I said, he refused. “This woman’s a liar! She’s taking our blood to sell it! Don’t trust her, everyone!” In my previous life, Julian pulled the same trick. Back then, I just thought he was a scared kid, terrified of needles. The other kids, hyped up by his words, went wild and wouldn’t let me draw their blood either. Julian even grabbed a syringe and lunged at me. “You want my blood?! I’ll stab *you*!” The other students followed suit, grabbing syringes and trying to stab me! My body was covered in countless tiny puncture marks, nowhere untouched. The other students just stood there watching, completely unconcerned. “That’s not our problem. I’m a finance major, this isn’t my field,” one said. “Seriously? You think you’re going to be a doctor? You should just drop out and get a factory job!” another scoffed. I even tried to ask the school for help, to get out of the volunteer trip. But when my classmates found out, they cornered me. Derek viciously kicked me. “This volunteer trip is tied to all our credits! We can’t have any screw-ups!” he snarled. “If you chicken out and mess with our grades, I swear I’ll make you pay!” Brittany crouched down, her eyes narrowed menacingly. “If you don’t draw their blood and complete the check-ups, then *I’ll* be drawing *your* blood. Understand?” Her dad was a notorious figure in the city’s organized crime scene, and she’d always thrown her weight around at school. Once, a student dared to contradict her in front of everyone, and the next day, that student was found badly beaten on the outskirts of town. I knew she wasn’t kidding. In the end, I had to ask the orphanage director for help to resolve the situation. After I discovered the irregularities in Julian’s medical report, I immediately told my classmates. But they didn’t care, accusing me of deliberately targeting Julian, saying I was a cold-blooded animal! It ultimately led to my innocent death. This time, all I wanted was to protect myself. Facing Julian’s defiant glare, I stood up and addressed all the children. “Kids, this is a magic wand that can draw all the bad stuff out of your bodies!” I announced cheerfully. “Once the bad stuff is out, everyone will be super strong! Plus, I’ve got candy for all of you!” As expected, the children eagerly lined up, all wanting their blood drawn. Only Julian remained, clinging desperately to Brittany’s neck, rubbing his face against her chest. “I don’t want to, I don’t want to! No blood draw!” Derek was getting impatient. “Come on, hurry up, don’t drag it out. If you mess with our credits, I swear I won’t let you off, you brat!” Seeing there was no way out, Julian reluctantly allowed me to draw his blood. The entire time, the look in his eyes was filled with a chilling killing intent that sent shivers down my spine. After collecting all the samples, I locked myself in my private room in the dorm. I started testing each sample, one by one, until the last one was done. I looked up and realized it was late into the night. Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed past the window. I immediately tensed. The next second, the lights in my room went out, and the door creaked open. In the moonlight, I saw Julian, his face grim, staring intently at me. **03** I forced myself to stay calm. “Julian, little one, what’s wrong? Do you need something?” His hands were clasped behind his back, as if hiding something, and he stepped closer, inch by chilling inch. “Did you finish testing my blood sample?” I nodded, fighting back the rising panic. “Yes, I just finished.” He stared me down, trying to read my expression for any hint of a lie. “So, what did you find?” I swallowed hard, backing away until my spine hit the cold wall. “Julian, your check-up report… there’s a problem!” As soon as I said it, Julian lunged at me like a madman! In the nick of time, I shouted, “Your iron levels are low! A bit anemic, actually! You need to eat more, kiddo!” Julian suddenly froze. I saw him hurriedly stash something behind his back. It was a gleaming fruit knife! My shouting quickly drew the attention of my classmates in the next room. They gathered outside my door. “Riley, why’s your room dark? Oh, Julian, why are you here?” Julian instantly plastered on his usual innocent smile. “I just came to see if big sister Riley was done with her work. She must be so tired working so late!” He bounced away amidst their praises. But I knew for sure now: Julian was hiding something big. His blood oxygen levels and bone age clearly showed he wasn’t a child at all! He was a forty-year-old man! What was he doing, pretending to be a child in this orphanage? If he was just freeloading off them for food and shelter, that wouldn’t be enough to make him want me dead. Soon, a staff member came and restored the power to my room. “That’s weird. Your power lines were cut from the outside.” The staff’s words only confirmed my suspicions. Julian definitely had a bigger secret! First thing the next morning, I went to the director’s office. “Director, may I see the students’ files?” The director was surprised by my request, frowning. “What do you need them for? We usually don’t show them to outsiders, it involves the children’s privacy.” I remembered how, in my previous life, when my classmates cornered me on the rooftop, the director simply stood by his window, watching my plight, without the slightest intention of helping me. This time, I didn’t dare tell him my true suspicions. I had to lie. “My aunt and uncle don’t have kids and are looking to adopt an orphan. I wanted to see if there were any suitable children to help them find the right one.” The director finally lowered his guard, smiling as he pulled a thick binder from his drawer and handed it to me. “Oh, I see. All the children’s records are here. You can look at them in my office, but you can’t take them out. We have several well-behaved children here; take your time choosing.” I took the binder and started flipping through it. I’d reached the very last page of the thick file, but there was no information about Julian. “Director, why isn’t Julian’s information in here?” A flicker of unease crossed the director’s eyes, and his face immediately hardened. “Why do you want Julian’s file? I heard you two had some disagreements a few days ago. What’s the real reason you’re asking for his file?!” He said, and then, with a click, he locked the office door from the inside. A bad feeling instantly washed over me . Why was the director so alarmed by my question about Julian’s file? What was the director’s relationship with Julian? What secrets were they hiding? “Julian, that kid, he’s a handful sometimes, but he’s bright! You know, Director, most of the kids in the orphanage have some health issues. But Julian, he looks perfectly fine!” I rambled, trying to reassure him. The director visibly relaxed, awkwardly saying, “I was just trying to open the door for some air. How did it get locked? Guess I’m getting old.” He cleared his throat. “Julian, he was adopted once before, but the adoptive parents said he had violent outbursts, always breaking things and screaming to be brought back here. They were forced to return him. To avoid a repeat, I removed Julian’s file from the general records.” I nodded, then left the office. The next second, a dark figure slammed me into the corner. **04** Julian’s eyes were filled with murderous intent as he glared at me. “What were you doing talking to the director?! Were you investigating me?!” He barely reached my ear, but his strength was terrifying! “I just wanted my aunt to adopt you, that’s all. My aunt and uncle run a restaurant. You’d be well-fed, I promise.” I pretended to be casual. He violently flung my wrist away, his face twisted with rage. “I like it here with everyone! Just leave me alone!” he snarled. “If I catch you snooping again, you’ll regret it!” With that, he dragged me to the bathroom at the end of the hall and locked me inside one of the stalls. The bathroom was out of the way, near the staff offices, so normally no one except the director would pass by. I pulled out my phone and texted my classmates, but they all claimed to be busy, and no one was willing to come and unlock the door. I decided that if no one came by midnight, I’d have to call the police. But around eleven at night, I suddenly heard a girl crying from inside the bathroom! My blood ran cold. No way this is actually happening, right?! Then I heard words mixed with the sobs: “Waaah, why… waaah, if only I had a mommy…” I instantly realized it was one of the orphanage children crying. I whispered, “Little one, it’s big sister Riley. Can you open the door for me?” The child immediately shrieked in terror, then took a while to articulate a full sentence. “Are you really big sister Riley?” After confirming my identity, the child opened the door. The crying child was Lily, a quiet and easily overlooked little girl among the other kids. I crouched down to wipe her tears. “Tell big sister, why are you crying? Did someone hurt you?” Lily was trembling all over, just sobbing. I reached out to comfort her, but she suddenly winced, as if in pain. I lifted her shirt and discovered her body was covered in bruises and cuts! “Lily, tell big sister what happened. Big sister promises, I’ll get you out of here!” She finally started telling me her story. My tears streamed down my face, and I was shaking with fury as I listened. The moment I woke up tomorrow, I would call the police! After taking Lily back to her room, I returned to mine to gather evidence for the police report tomorrow. Passing Brittany’s room, I heard muffled moans and gasps coming from inside. “Derek, go easy!” I heard Brittany pant. “Why won’t you let me touch you?! Okay, okay, I get it, it’s just your little… thing.” I paid them no mind, rushing back to my room and locking the door. First thing the next morning, I was woken by a commotion in the courtyard. I looked out to see Brittany yelling at Derek, raging. “You scumbag! Why didn’t you tell me you were hooking up with Chloe?!” Derek and Chloe stood hand-in-hand, looking utterly bewildered. “Why do I need to tell you who I’m dating? What’s it to you?” Derek retorted. *Slap!* Brittany slapped Derek across the face, utterly distraught. “Then why did you come to my room last night and do *that* with me?! I’ll have my dad kill you!” Chloe looked shocked. “Brittany, what are you talking about? Derek was in my room all night!” **05** By now, everyone had rushed into the courtyard to watch the drama unfold. Brittany, humiliated, turned her fury on Chloe.

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For ten years since I was found and brought home, my relationship with Chloe, the fake heiress, was as close as real sisters, practically inseparable. Even my mother, Eleanor, used to say that Chloe didn’t care for her as much as I did. I once swore I’d give my life to protect our unique family of four. But then, Chloe’s sudden cerebral aneurysm ruptured, and she was on the brink of death in the ER. Yet, I refused to operate. I chose instead to practice a basic suturing technique. My boyfriend, Dylan, yelled at me, his voice raw with disbelief. “Audrey! Only your microscopic dissection technique can save your sister! All the specialists in the hospital are waiting for you! The surgical window is closing, less than an hour left! What are you still hesitating for?!” He was right. I was the only person in the country who could perform that level of surgery. But I just calmly hummed in response, continuing to tinker with the medical model. My parents, Eleanor and Richard, rushed in, tears streaming down their faces. “Audrey! That’s the sister you swore to protect with your life! How can you just stand there and watch her die?!” I gently pulled away from them and held out my right hand This hand, which had once performed countless medical miracles, was now trembling ever so slightly. “I’m sorry, Mom, Dad. This hand of mine… it’s ruined.”

The air in the room instantly froze. The expressions on their faces morphed into pure shock. They stared intently at my right hand. That slight, yet fatal, tremor was a death sentence for any top surgeon’s career. My mom’s lips trembled. “How… how can this be?” she stammered, disbelief etched across her face. “It was fine yesterday! Are you just overtired?” “It’s idiopathic tremor. The cause is unknown,” I said, pulling my hand back and sliding it into my lab coat pocket. “Maybe it’s fate.” “Fate?” My dad, Richard, frowned, his voice laced with accusation. “Audrey, don’t talk nonsense! Are you… are you still blaming us?” I didn’t answer. My gaze simply returned to the surgical simulator. Eighteen years ago, I was found in a small, forgotten town and brought back to the Stevens family. It turned out that Chloe, the precious daughter they’d raised for eighteen years, was an imposter. And I was the true heiress. My adoptive parents had died young, and my life had been incredibly difficult. When I returned to the Stevens’ home, I was sensitive and insecure. It was Chloe who gave me the most warmth. She taught me etiquette, bought me beautiful clothes, and defended me everywhere, saying we were real sisters and that I shouldn’t feel constrained. My parents also said that Chloe was their daughter too; they loved both of us like their own, equally cherished. Because Chloe’s original family background was very poor, they couldn’t bring themselves to send her away, so they decided to raise both of us. I was grateful to them, and I was grateful to Chloe. I studied hard, pushing myself to become their pride, swearing I would protect our family of four. Until now… Seeing my silence, Mom’s tears suddenly gushed out. She yelled at me, “Audrey! Are you still holding a grudge?! Just because we doted on Chloe a little more, you’re holding it against us, and now you’re going to just let her die?!” “Did you forget how much Chloe cared for you?! When you stayed up late studying, who was it that constantly made you nourishing soups?!” Her words pierced my heart, and for a fleeting second, it ached. Dylan quickly stepped forward to support my mom. “Eleanor, please don’t get upset. Audrey isn’t like that!” He then turned to me, his eyes filled with heartache. “Audrey, I know you have your grievances, but Chloe is innocent! You can’t let your personal feelings overshadow your duty as a doctor!” My dad, Richard, who was always a dignified university professor, had reddened eyes and a hoarse voice. “Audrey, even if your hand is injured, you could at least go in and guide them! Chloe is your sister, you can’t just stand by and watch her die!” But I remained unfazed, simply continuing to adjust my equipment. My mom finally broke down. She dropped to her knees with a thud, sobbing hysterically. “How could I have raised such a cold-blooded, heartless daughter?! Chloe is so kind, she always let you have your way, and now… now you’re going to force her to die?!” Her cries were piercing, as she pounded the floor, drawing curious and judgmental stares from other medical staff outside. I just smiled faintly. “Then that’s her fate, I suppose. There’s nothing I can do.” Then, I sat back down and picked up the operating stick of the surgical simulator again. On the screen, the robotic arm began its work once more. I was completely focused, as if everything outside had nothing to do with me. Seeing my cold demeanor, my dad swayed slightly. Dylan looked at me, seemingly utterly disappointed. He took a deep breath, as if making a momentous decision. “Richard, Eleanor, don’t beg her anymore.” He turned to my parents, his voice firm. “Let me do it!”

Dylan stepping forward instantly rekindled hope in my parents. “Dylan! You… do you really have confidence?” My mom, Eleanor, gripped his hand excitedly. Dylan glanced at the two elderly people on the ground, then at me, a look of profound compassion on his face. He spoke with a heavy heart, “Audrey isn’t willing to act, and I understand. After all, she carries the prestigious title of ‘The Hand of God,’ she cannot afford to fail. But I can’t just stand by and watch Chloe die!” His words, while seemingly understanding of me, subtly nailed me to the pillar of shame for “abandoning someone to die out of concern for my reputation.” The colleagues who had rushed over to see what was happening now looked at me with even greater disdain. Dylan turned back to my parents, requesting again, “Richard, Eleanor, please trust me! I’ve followed Audrey’s microscopic dissection technique in every surgery she’s done. I’ve memorized all the theory and the essence. Please allow me to combine traditional surgical methods with her theories to take a risk for Chloe!” “Good! Good boy!” My dad, Richard, was so moved that old tears streamed down his face. “Dylan, if you save Chloe, our Stevens family… half of our family fortune, it’s yours!” Upon hearing those words, I, who had been silent all this time, finally lifted my eyes. I looked at my ecstatic parents and the righteous Dylan, calculating silently in my mind. Half of the Stevens family fortune was at least a hundred million. But… I slowly stood up, looking at Dylan, and said mockingly, “You want to use my technique? Did you get my authorization?” Dylan froze for a moment, then looked at me, exasperated. “Audrey Stevens! What time is it now? You’re still arguing about this? Saving a life is what matters!” “Saving a life is one thing, patents are another,” I said, shrugging indifferently, my tone firm. “Without my authorization, if you dare to touch that scalpel, I’ll sue you until your reputation is ruined, and you’ll never wear a lab coat again for the rest of your life.” “You!” Dylan’s face turned pale with anger. My dad, Richard, was trembling all over, pointing his finger at my nose. “Audrey Stevens! You’re utterly unreasonable! For money and a patent, you’re willing to disregard your sister’s life?!” I looked at him coldly, as if he were a stranger. “Make your decision quickly. The patient can’t wait.” Time ticked by, second by second, and the murmurs around us grew louder, but I showed no sign of impatience. “Fine! I agree!” Finally, my dad gritted his teeth and accepted my terms. “As long as you authorize it, I’ll immediately hire a lawyer afterward and transfer half of all the shares in my name to you!” I smiled, pulled a voice recorder from my pocket, and pressed the record button. “Dad, please say it again. You are voluntarily granting me half of the Stevens Group’s shares as authorization fees for my patent.” My dad’s face turned purple with rage, but he humiliatingly repeated the statement. I pocketed the recorder with satisfaction, then nodded at Dylan. “Go on. I hope your hand is steadier than mine.” With that, I walked straight out of the office, ignoring the disgusted looks from my parents and Dylan’s disappointed gaze. I didn’t go home. Instead, I went to a coffee shop across from the hospital and ordered the bitterest black coffee. Through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, I could see the lights on in the surgery ward building. They got what they wanted. And so did I.

For the next few days, I took leave. Hashtags like #TrueHeiressLetsFakeHeiressDie, #EvilSisterAudreyStevens, and #TheViperWithin took turns trending. My entire background was dug up. Netizens concocted a vulgar drama: “Country Bumpkin Heiress Returns to Rich Family, Jealously Harms Kind Sister at Every Turn.” Chloe’s social media accounts were unearthed, filled with heartwarming anecdotes of how good she was to me, accompanied by gentle captions, making me appear even more despicable. I didn’t look at my phone. I simply locked myself in my apartment, polishing an old photo frame over and over. Inside the frame was a gentle, scholarly middle-aged man – my mentor, Professor Hayes. Three days later, the news exploded: “Devoted Boyfriend Steps Up, Miraculously Saves Girlfriend’s Sister,” “A New God Is Born! Dr. Dylan Successfully Completes Ultra-Difficult Intracranial Surgery!” The reports painted Dylan as a hero. He faced the camera, saying emotionally, “I only did what I had to do. Audrey Stevens is my beloved, and her sister is my sister.” This statement made me, the actual sister, seem even more cold-hearted. Online, the condemnation against me reached its peak. Then, an even bigger piece of news broke. TheraMed Innovations, a domestic medical device giant, grandly announced a deep strategic partnership with Dr. Dylan to jointly develop and promote a改良版 (improved version) microscopic dissection technique and related surgical instruments. A week later, I received a call from the hospital director. His tone was an unrefusable command. “Audrey Stevens, tomorrow at 9 AM, the hospital is holding a city-wide neurosurgery expert consultation meeting, which will be live-streamed. As the patent holder of this technology, you must attend.” I knew it wasn’t an invitation. It was a summons. They wanted me to witness Dylan’s triumph with my own eyes. The next day, I arrived punctually at the hospital’s International Conference Center. The hall was packed with neurosurgery experts from across the city, and reporters from major media outlets, flashbulbs constantly firing. As soon as I walked in, I saw a dazzling sight. Dylan and Chloe, seated in a wheelchair, were surrounded by a group of reporters, with my parents, Eleanor and Richard, hovering around them. The true family of four. Suddenly, just a second before the meeting was about to begin, Chloe tearfully addressed the cameras. “Everyone, I’m sorry to take up your valuable time. But today, I need to reveal the truth!” Her pale face was streaked with tears, making her appear utterly fragile and instantly capturing everyone’s attention. “My aneurysm rupture wasn’t an accident! It was… it was caused by my sister, Audrey Stevens, from long-term poisoning!” The revelation hit like a bombshell! The entire room erupted, and all the cameras instantly swiveled to point at me. Chloe cried even harder, clutching my parents’ hands, sobbing, “From the day she came back to the Stevens family, she’s constantly bullied and ostracized me! I endured it, for the sake of Mom and Dad raising me, not daring to ruin our family harmony! But I never imagined she would be so cruel as to try and take my life!” Dylan gently stroked her shoulder, seemingly giving her the courage to speak the truth. He then produced several lab reports. “I didn’t dare say anything before, fearing it would harm Audrey Stevens’ reputation. But after this surgery, I obtained irrefutable evidence proving that Chloe was poisoned with a chronic neurotoxin! I can’t let her continue to harm Chloe!” The live stream exploded. The comments section scrolled wildly. The hashtag #TrueHeiressPoisonedFakeHeiress shot to the top of the trending list at rocket speed. I stood at the entrance of the conference hall, surrounded by countless eyes filled with revulsion. Reporters’ questions bombarded me. “Dr. Stevens, did you really poison your sister?” “Why would you do such a thing? Was it out of jealousy?” “Do you even have the right to be a doctor anymore?” I ignored everyone and walked towards my biological parents. I looked at them, my voice trembling slightly. “Dad, Mom.” “Do you also believe I’m that kind of person?” My question brought a momentary silence to the room. “Audrey, we gave you a chance…” My mom cried, “Chloe presented the evidence… we… we’re so disappointed in you!” My dad, Richard, turned his head away, his face etched with sorrow, unable to look at me. “See? A true monster, even her parents disown her!” “What a monster hiding in plain sight. After doing something like that, the Stevens family should never have taken her back!” “She absolutely cannot be allowed to practice medicine again!” The malicious whispers filled my ears. I stood under the spotlight, isolated and helpless, like a criminal already condemned by the whole world. Just then, several uniformed police officers entered the hall. Their expressions were serious, their voices loud. “We received a report about intentional poisoning. Who called it in?” Everyone’s eyes landed on me. Even Dylan and Chloe couldn’t help but let a smirk tug at their lips. In the police officers’ sharp gaze and the deathly silence of the entire room, I calmly raised my hand. “Officers.” “I made the call.” For a moment, time in the entire conference hall seemed to stand still. Everyone looked at me as if I were insane. Calling the police on myself? What kind of move was that?

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