Author: Momo Chan

Two months after a car accident left my face disfigured, my husband Jack and his sophisticated sister Olivia got together. When my parents found out, not only did they not blame Jack, they actually urged me to step aside. Even my own daughter looked at me with disgust. “I don’t want this ugly freak as my mom. I want Aunt Olivia to be my mom,” she said. I calmly agreed and chose to leave the Jiang family, cutting ties with them completely. After years of hard work and struggle, I finally achieved financial freedom. Later, I adopted two children from an orphanage. Under my careful nurturing, they became a rising tech star and a business tycoon worth billions. Watching them succeed, I decided to indulge myself for once and go on an aimless backpacking trip. Halfway through my journey, Jack showed up with our daughter. Seeing my disheveled appearance from roughing it, their faces were full of mockery. “Looks like we were right. After leaving the Jiang family, you’re just barely scraping by like a beggar.” “My parents want to see you now. We’ll give you one more chance to come back with us.” “It’ll also let you experience the wealthy lifestyle we Jiangs enjoy now, you beggar.”

My daughter Lily also looked at me smugly. “You left the Jiang family so decisively back then. I thought you had some skills up your sleeve. Turns out you’ve just been wandering around homeless this whole time!” “If I were you, I’d find a block of tofu and smash my head into it. Save everyone the oxygen you’re wasting.” I paused for a moment, looking at Lily with a complicated expression. I couldn’t believe that after all these years, she was still so disrespectful, with no regard for her elders. But I wasn’t angry. I just looked at them calmly. “What does this have to do with you?” From the moment they kicked me out of the Jiang family, I no longer had any connection to them. “Your Jiang family may be doing a bit better now. You might even be comparable to one of Ethan’s subsidiaries.” “But that’s your own business. No need to brag about it to me.” Seeing that I wasn’t showing the reaction they wanted, the father-daughter pair were taken aback for a moment. After a while, Jack looked at me with disdain. “You’ve been reduced to wandering homeless, yet you’re still so stubborn?” “If it weren’t for Dad wanting to see you for his 80th birthday, we wouldn’t even bother looking at you.” “But since Dad asked, whether you agree or not, you have to come back with us.” Jack’s tone was full of determination, just like in the past. I still shook my head. “Those are your parents!” “From the moment I left, I no longer had any parents.” Although they raised me, I had already repaid that debt when I left empty-handed, leaving all the assets to them. Seeing that I was still so stubborn, Lily’s face became even more contemptuous. “You’ve been reduced to wandering homeless. No need to put on an act in front of us.” “Us bringing you back is a favor to you, understand?” “But even if you come back, don’t you dare have any ideas about Aunt Olivia. We’ll never let that happen.” Looking at her increasingly fierce expression, my heart sank a little. She had always been extremely cunning, even as a child. When she was just 7 or 8 years old, in order to stay with her aunt forever, she deliberately ran into the middle of the road to lure me over. When a speeding car approached, she suddenly dodged to the side. But I, focused only on saving her, was hit and thrown several meters. While I was seriously injured in the hospital, she slandered me, saying I was trying to take her with me to commit suicide, all to help her aunt enter the Jiang family smoothly. Later, when I told Jack about this, he just sneered. “She’s only 8 years old. How could she have such vicious thoughts?” “I think you’re the truly vicious one, framing your own daughter for your own benefit.” What he said wasn’t wrong. If I hadn’t experienced it myself, I wouldn’t have believed an 8-year-old could have such malicious intentions. But that was the reality, no matter how unbelievable. The flesh and blood I once cherished more than my own life had become the one who hurt me the deepest. Looking at Lily before me now, in my heart I already saw her as a complete stranger. Just as I was lost in thought, Jack and Lily kicked aside the dog Yellow that had accompanied me for years, and roughly dragged me into their car. I struggled desperately, wanting to check on Yellow’s condition, but was no match for the two of them. Lily even took out a fruit knife from the car and waved it in front of my face. “You ugly freak, you’d better behave. Otherwise I’ll disfigure the other side of your face too!”

Even though I had long decided to cut ties with her, seeing her vicious expression still made my heart ache. No matter what, I was still the mother who gave birth to her and raised her. Yet she treated me like this. I obediently stopped struggling and sat quietly in the car. Because I knew Lily wasn’t simply threatening me. If I continued to make a fuss, she really would follow through on her words. After all, in her eyes, her own birth mother was no different from a beggar on the street. “That’s more like it. As long as you obediently listen to us, we won’t let you keep wandering homeless. We’ll keep you in the Jiang house like a pet, since Grandpa still needs you.” “You probably don’t understand the wealth of our Jiang family now.” She held up the Cartier watch on her wrist, waving it in front of me like she was showing off. “This watch was a gift from Aunt Olivia. It cost over $70,000. You could never afford something like this in your entire life.” “As a poor beggar, you need to know your place. Don’t try to put on airs in front of us. It won’t do you any good.” Even though I was Lily’s birth mother, it didn’t stop her from lecturing me with the attitude of an elder. Listening to her words, my whole body started trembling with anger. I really didn’t know what kind of environment the Jiang family was raising Lily in, to make her so utterly disrespectful. Arriving at the Jiang house entrance, I immediately sent a message to my two adopted sons, telling them to come pick me up from the Jiang house right away. I didn’t want to stay in this place for even a second longer. Just as I sent the message, a familiar figure walked out of the house. “Sister, it’s been so many years. How did you end up in such a sorry state?” “You’re bringing shame to our whole Lin family!” The speaker was my sister, Olivia Lin. Olivia’s eyes were still full of disdain for me, and she even tilted her head up slightly as she spoke. She seemed to have forgotten that she only got everything she has now because of my generosity. “Olivia Lin, let go of me, and let go of yourself too!” I tried to use a calm tone to communicate with Olivia. She had always been strong-willed since childhood, liking to compete with me on everything. For her sake, I had already given up too much. My education, my family, even half my life I had given to her. But she didn’t seem to appreciate my good intentions at all. She was still as arrogant as before. Olivia looked at me mockingly. “Let go of you? Do you even deserve to say such things in your current state?” “Know your place. You’re no different from a beggar now. From now on, as long as you behave like a good dog in our Jiang house, you can still enjoy some of the Jiang family’s glory and wealth.” As she spoke, Olivia lightly clapped her hands, having a servant bring an exquisite gift box and place it in front of me. “This is the birthday gift I prepared for Dad. It cost over $300,000. I’ll let you have a good look today to broaden your horizons.” Saying this, Olivia took out a piece of Hetian jade from the box and held it out in front of me. Just as I was about to reach out and take it, Olivia suddenly slapped me hard across the face. “Something like this is just for you to look at. Is it something someone of your status can touch? You may not mind the dirt, but I’m worried Dad will find it dirty!” I was stunned by her sudden slap. After a long while, I finally held back my tears and looked at her. “If you didn’t want me to touch it, why did you hold it out in front of me?” Olivia chuckled. “I just wanted to humiliate you a bit. Is that not allowed?” My heart suddenly understood. She simply wanted to humiliate me. Jack, who had been watching this whole scene, showed no intention of stopping it. There was even a hint of mockery in his eyes. But I seemed to have gotten used to this kind of scene many years ago. In their eyes, Olivia was not only beautiful, but also cultured. She could do no wrong. No matter what she did, they would unconditionally shield her. And I would always be the one to swallow my anger and grievances. Most of the time, I didn’t even have the right to argue with her. Just then, the roar of car engines sounded outside. My parents also arrived at the Jiang house, led by Jack’s driver. Olivia and Jack immediately walked over excitedly to help my parents out of the car. “Dad, Mom!” When they walked up to me, I softly moved my lips and called out to them. But they just glanced at me coldly before walking into the house with Olivia and the others. It seemed they found it beneath them to even say a word to their daughter. I stood there watching their backs as they entered the house, feeling as if my whole being was being torn apart in pain.

“Grandpa and Grandma are calling you inside.” After I don’t know how long standing in the cold wind, Lily finally came out and told me in an unfriendly tone. I nodded and followed behind Lily into the house, my face pale. “Rose, after all these years, can you still not let go of what happened back then?” As soon as we entered the living room, my father sitting on the sofa questioned me sternly. I shook my head, looking at him with incomprehension. “Do you think this is something easy to let go of?” Back then, Olivia not only took over my family, but also guided the young Lily to push me into the abyss. Yet they not only didn’t see it as Olivia’s fault, but turned all the blame on me. How could I possibly let go so easily? My mother snorted coldly as she looked at me. “Even if Olivia hadn’t married Jack, do you think you’d still be worthy of him?” “A woman like you with no education and a ruined face – Jack would probably be laughed at just taking you out for a walk. How did I give birth to such an ungrateful daughter?” Hearing my mother’s words, I once again felt as if my whole being was being torn apart. During my school years, my grades were not bad. They were even better than Olivia’s. Unfortunately, our Lin family wasn’t well-off at the time. Supporting one college student was already a struggle, let alone two. After their constant persuasion, I had no choice but to give up my studies and start working to support Olivia through school. Later, with our family’s all-out support, Olivia not only went to college, but also got into graduate school. Olivia naturally became their pride and joy, while I, the sister who gave up everything for her, not only didn’t receive their gratitude, but was belittled to the bone. In their words, it all seemed to have become my fault. I could no longer control the emotions in my heart and shouted at them. “Put your hand on your heart and ask yourself, is this really my fault?” The room fell into a brief silence. My father sighed and finally spoke again. “Olivia is your younger sister. As the older sister, shouldn’t you have yielded to her a bit?” “It’s all in the past now. There’s no use dwelling on these things anymore. I just hope you can let go of all grudges and stay by our side to take care of us. Jack’s business is growing bigger and bigger now. We can’t let the two of them be distracted.” Hearing his words, I laughed coldly in my heart. Now I finally knew their purpose in calling me back – the family needed a maid, so they wanted to call back their obedient daughter to be the maid. If it weren’t for this, they probably wouldn’t have even remembered my existence as their daughter. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and tried hard not to feel too hurt. “I can only stay here for one day. I can’t stay by your side forever.” Even if they had spoken a little more tactfully, or shown a bit more warmth towards me, as their daughter, I would have stayed by their side without hesitation. But their words and actions were too hurtful, completely extinguishing the last bit of hope I had for them in my heart. “You think you still have a choice in this matter? Rose Lin, let me make this clear to you today – no matter what, you must stay by Mom and Dad’s side to take care of them.” Jack’s tone was full of arrogance, leaving no room for argument. I looked at him in disbelief. “Do I not even have the right to choose my own life anymore?” Jack snorted coldly. “Isn’t staying in our Jiang family better than begging everywhere? We’re all doing this for your own good.” Before I could react, Jack waved his hand. Several of the Jiang family’s servants rushed over, roughly tied me up, gagged me, and locked me in a guest room nearby. The guests watching this scene had long become used to it. They all knew that Jack had abandoned a previous wife before. And I knew without thinking that I was that previous wife Jack had abandoned. My facial features were just too distinctive. “Rose Lin, I think you have far too many issues now. Today I’ll have someone help correct this nasty habit of yours first.” Jack said these final words to me before directly locking the door. Inside the room, several servants holding clubs were eyeing me menacingly. Before I could react, those servants had already started beating me viciously with their clubs. The intense pain made me curl up my body and struggle constantly. Soon, my whole body was covered in blood. However, those servants seemed to have received instructions from Jack and showed no signs of stopping. Gradually my consciousness became fuzzy, and I felt like I could barely breathe. Only then did Jack walk in again, looking at me with a ferocious expression. “If you don’t agree to stay, I’ll beat you like this every day until you agree!” Hearing Jack’s words, my heart was filled with despair. Was I really going to be trapped here like an animal for the rest of my life? Tears mixed with blood kept falling down my cheeks. I felt like I had fallen into a bottomless abyss once again.

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My wife went on a 3-year business trip abroad. When she returned, I went to pick her up at the airport. To my shock, she wasn’t alone – there was also a 6-month-old baby. My coworkers joked: “The kid may not be yours, but at least your wife still is!” But then my wife handed me divorce papers. This time, I was the one who didn’t want her anymore. Amber was my wife. She was a stunning beauty, a real knockout. Soon after joining the company, she quickly climbed the corporate ladder. Three years ago, she left for an overseas assignment. “Three years for a million dollars,” she said. “When I come back, we’ll be set for life.” Today was the day of her return. I took the day off specially to pick her up. At the airport, I spotted her from afar. After three years apart, my wife’s figure had filled out a bit, which suited her well. I waved to her, then noticed a woman in her 50s next to her, holding a baby. As they got closer, Amber took the baby in her arms. I was stunned, then assumed she must be helping out. How kind of her. “Honey!” I called out excitedly. Amber walked over and handed the baby to the older woman. “You two go wait in the car first.” The baby started crying. The woman comforted him: “Don’t cry, sweetie. Mommy will be back soon!” I froze. Mommy? I stared at Amber. “What did she mean by ‘mommy’?” Amber said grimly: “Jack, we need to talk.” She walked to the side and I hurried after her. Up close, I noticed she smelled of baby powder. Her body also had the shape of a new mother. “Amber, what’s going on with that baby?” “Don’t tell me you were gone for 3 years and had a kid!” Amber’s face was cold. “You’ve seen it all. I won’t lie to you. The baby is mine, but I’ll explain everything.” “Go home first. I’ll contact you after I wrap up some work stuff. That’s all for now!” Without another word, she turned and left. I was dumbfounded. It took me a while to react and chase after her. But I saw her being embraced by Eric as they got into a Mercedes. Eric! My heart sank. Three years ago, Eric had also gone abroad on business. When he left, I’d given him some expensive gifts and asked him to look after Amber. Looks like he took “looking after her” way too far! I clenched my fists and drove back to the office. With the baby, Amber would surely go home first. I didn’t care which home – it certainly wasn’t mine anymore! Red-eyed with anger, I stormed into the office. I overheard some people gossiping in the break room. “Amber got promoted as soon as she came back. Goes to show how being pretty helps your career!” “More like she used her son to get ahead. Eric can’t marry her officially, so he had to give her something!” “Jack’s pretty chill about it though. Doesn’t seem to mind his wife being a surrogate!” Hearing their words felt like a knife to the gut. They all knew Amber had hooked up with Eric abroad, and kept it from me! I’d been played for a fool, left in the dark while joking with them about missing my wife. I’d told Amber I wanted to visit her abroad, but she made excuses about it being inconvenient and a waste of time and money. She’d pleaded: “Jack, I’m doing this for our future. Can’t you just be patient?” Patient? I’d waited faithfully for 3 years, only to get this result. I cleared my throat. The group turned and saw me, their faces turning awkward. “Jack, uh… came for some coffee?” “Yeah, and to hear you guys gossip,” I replied coldly. One of them boldly said: “Hey Jack, it’s really not a big deal. Most guys would kill for this chance!” “You got your full salary these 3 years while your wife was making bank abroad. Now she’s back as a director!” “How’s it feel? Got any tips to share?”

He looked at me smugly. I knew he’d never respected being on my team and slacked off constantly. He was good at kissing ass though. Team 2 had asked for him, and I’d planned to transfer him at the end of the month. Now I realized I couldn’t fire him anymore – might as well let him go early. But before that, I had to put him in his place! I smiled at the guy who spoke. “For a grown man, you sure love to gossip. You’d make a great busybody.” “You know, I do have some advice. Want to hear it?” to hear it?” I beckoned him closer. He leaned in and I growled in his ear: “How about you strip naked and sell yourself, asshole!” “What did you say?!” I shrugged. “Isn’t this the advice you wanted? Can’t handle the truth?” “Jack, you’ve got some nerve! Yeah, you’re fine with being a kept man. The kid’s not yours, but at least you’ve still got your wife! When Eric moves to HQ, you can have her pop out another one. Two for one deal!” The group burst out laughing. I snapped and punched him, pinning him to the ground. This chicken-legged punk was no match for my fists. He wailed and begged for mercy. The others watched and laughed at first, but when they saw I was really going to town on him, they rushed to pull us apart. I shook out my hand. “Who’s the kept man now, loser?” “Jack, I’m calling the cops!” “Go ahead!” Just then, Eric showed up. “What’s all this commotion about? Who’s calling the cops?” “Mr. Cui, Jack beat me up! Look what he did to me!” Eric glared at me. “Jack, what’s wrong with you? This is a workplace, not a boxing ring!” “Your performance bonus is getting docked this month!” Mike sneered. “Jack, I won’t press charges. Just pay me $5000 and we’re good.” I laughed. “Sure, go ahead and call the cops. I recorded your trash talk earlier. If this gets out, none of us will look good!” Mike was about to explode but Eric held him back. “Enough! Everyone get back to work. Adults need to take responsibility for their actions. Mike, come with me.” Mike stormed off angrily with Eric. I looked around coldly at the group. “Anyone else want to gossip behind my back? This is what you’ll get!” “Jack, aren’t you afraid of getting fired?” “Yeah, you’re being pretty cocky!” I shrugged. “What’s there to be afraid of? Worst case, I find a new job. I’m not worried – can you guys say the same in this economy?” That shut them up. I may not brag, but my skills speak for themselves. To be honest, I would never have joined this company if Amber hadn’t insisted. In 5 years, my performance was outstanding. We all knew how Amber got her management position. At first she was grateful, but over time she started believing it was all her own merit. No rush. I wanted to see what they were really thinking. When Mike came out half an hour later, HR was with him, watching him pack up his desk. I was surprised. “Listen up everyone. From now on, anyone who harasses or provokes others at work will be fired immediately!” “Mike is the example!” Everyone turned to look at me. My heart sank. They were doing this on purpose! As Mike passed me, he sneered: “Jack, you sold out your wife to get ahead. You disgust me!”

I laughed but said nothing, just watched him leave. Then I turned to look at Eric’s office. The bastard was clearly trying to provoke me. I was about to storm into his office when HR stopped me. “Hold on, Mr. Cui is in a video call. You can’t go in.” I glared at him. “I just beat up Mike and got away with it. What do you think will happen if I punch you? Will Eric fire me or you?” The HR guy froze, not daring to stop me. I was about to go in when Eric came out. Seeing me at the door, he frowned. “What do you want?” “Mr. Cui, you seem to have forgotten. Didn’t you say you’d give me an explanation?” “Or would you rather discuss this here?” Eric thought for a moment. “Let’s talk outside. Follow me.” He gestured for me to come along. I followed him, watching his furrowed brow. In the parking garage, Eric handed me an envelope. I felt it – about $1000. “What’s this supposed to mean?” “Jack, take the money and you can keep working here normally. Don’t make a fuss about this.” “Keep working normally? You slept with my wife and you want me to act like nothing happened?!” I grabbed his collar. “Tell me the truth. When did it start?!” Eric’s face darkened. “I don’t need to give you details. Besides this, there’s also a bank card with $3 million. That’s $1 million for each year – not a bad deal.” “You have 3 days, Jack. This is my final offer. For each day you delay, I’ll deduct $1 million!” I was about to say more but he cut me off. “Think it through before you speak to me again.” “After all, I call the shots at the company now. If you don’t agree, once word gets out, I can crush you easily!” He was threatening me! I scoffed and slapped him hard across the face! I dragged him out of the car and started beating him! Eric was 7-8 years older and half a head taller, but he was all talk. He was no match for me at all! Soon I had him pinned on the hood. He yelled furiously: “Jack, you dare hit me?! I’ll fucking kill you!” I kneed him hard. His face went white with pain. I grabbed his throat and roared: “Eric, you bastard! How dare you touch my wife!” Suddenly a strong force knocked me over. Security had arrived and pinned me to the ground. Eric got up, livid. “Call the police! Call the police!” “Don’t call the police!” It was Amber. She came through the emergency exit. I realized she’d been there the whole time! “Let him go. I need to talk to him.” Eric waved the guards off and got in his car. The guards released me but stood nearby, ready to jump in. I glared at her with bloodshot eyes. “You told me you were forced into it. Just say the word and I’ll help you get justice!” Amber sighed impatiently. “Don’t be stupid! Jack, let’s end this peacefully!” I stared at her, suddenly filled with rage. “Amber, we’ve only been married 4 years! You’ve been cheating for 3!” “How could you do this to me?!” But Amber was eerily calm. “Should I call you naive or just plain dumb? When has a newbie like me ever gotten an overseas assignment?” The company had a policy of only sending men on foreign projects. I was shocked when Amber was chosen. But she said she was talented enough to be the exception. Even with the policy, they’d make an exception for her. Now she was using this to mock my naivety. She glanced at her phone. It showed a family photo of the three of them. How ironic! “Jack, you can’t give me what I want. Let’s get divorced!”

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The day college applications were due, my childhood sweetheart, Asher, who’d pretended to be poor for three years, was finally going to confess his true identity as an heir to a vast fortune to his goddess, Seraphina. He claimed he’d found true love – someone who didn’t care about his family background. But recalling how Seraphina had secretly seduced other rich guys behind his back, I couldn’t help but step in. I stopped her, waved a million-dollar check in her face, and told her to get lost. The next morning, his eyes blazing red, Asher told me he’d seen through the gold-digger. He decided we’d go abroad for college together. Yet, Seraphina, in a fit of spite, married an abusive man. She was beaten to death while pregnant; she and her unborn child perished. Asher hugged me, saying he didn’t care. But the day my family’s company went public, Asher, who was now my husband, teamed up with outside rivals to launch a hostile takeover, bleeding my family dry of all our assets. My father went bankrupt overnight and jumped to his death. My mother was tormented by Asher until she died. When I confronted Asher, demanding to know why, he dragged me to Seraphina’s grave. “Seraphina died because of you! How dare you, a murderer, live as a high-society lady?” “If you hadn’t humiliated her with your money, how could she have become so heartbroken and desperate that she married that scumbag?” “You made me lose the love of my life forever. I’ll make your entire family pay for her!” He pushed me off a cliff with his own hands. My body was never found. When I opened my eyes again, I saw Asher, dressed in cheap, off-the-rack clothes, about to deliver a coffee to Seraphina. I simply turned away, a cold resolve settling in my heart. This time, I was going to watch closely. Would his true love still want him when he was just a penniless nobody?

I was back on the day college applications were due. After Asher revealed his identity as a wealthy heir, he successfully proposed to Seraphina. Amidst the cheers and teasing of the crowd, I quietly slipped away. “Aubrey, stop right there!” I ignored him. He strode after me, grabbing my wrist with a force that felt like he wanted to crush my bones. I winced, struggling against his bruising grip, my eyes on the livid finger marks blooming on my skin. “Why are you hiding? Trying to play hard to get again?” “I just wanted to tell you, I’m not going to Cambridge. I promised Seraphina I’d go to vocational school with her.” Seeing me lower my head in silence, his tone softened slightly. “I know you’ve always struggled academically. You studied day and night just to keep up with me, barely managing to get second place in the entire school for this exam.” “But let me make this clear: Seraphina is the woman I’m going to marry! Stop bothering me.” Seraphina, in her high heels, came strutting over, clinging to Asher, playing the innocent. She twirled a can of soda in her hand, her eyes glinting with a clear challenge. “Asher, don’t be so mean to Aubrey, dear.” “You’re so smart, from such a good family background, and you’re willing to go to vocational school for me… I’m so touched.” “But now that you have me, you need to keep your distance from Aubrey. After all, there’s no room for a third person in a relationship.” Asher shot me a triumphant look, pulling Seraphina closer. “For Seraphina, I can give up Cambridge, give up everything!” “All your so-called efforts? They mean absolutely nothing to me.” Before he met Seraphina, he always told me that if he got a special admission slot, it would definitely be for me. That’s why I, who was never a straight-A student, had worked so hard. All I wanted was to get into the same college with him. Now, just to appease Seraphina, he was willing to let that slot go to waste. As they spoke, Seraphina’s hand suddenly slipped, and the entire can of soda spilled all over my portfolio. “Oh my! Aubrey, you pushed me so hard!” I was stunned. I hadn’t even touched her. “You clearly drenched my work on purpose! How dare you accuse me first?” Asher instantly became protective. “Aubrey! What are you trying to pull now?” “Seraphina is the kindest girl I’ve ever met. Don’t you dare falsely accuse her!” Seraphina nestled into his arms, her eyes welling up. “Asher, my hand hurts so much.” “Don’t blame Aubrey. It’s not the first time she’s picked on me, anyway.” Asher’s rage completely flared. He grabbed my chin, then, in front of everyone, he locked lips with Seraphina in a passionate, mocking French kiss. “Look closely! Seraphina is my true love! If you dare to bully her again, don’t blame me for forgetting our childhood friendship!” He pulled a crystal hairpin from his pocket and tossed it casually at my feet. “This is your compensation. You’ve always been obsessed with me since we were kids. This should be enough.” “This piece of trash? Only you would value it. Don’t bother me with your cheap affections ever again.” I recognized the crystal on the hairpin. It was from a fancy Parker fountain pen. When I was fifteen, I’d worked a summer job for two months, saving up to buy that pen, hoping to make his birthday gift more meaningful. He’d once said that with this pen, his grades would skyrocket. I suppressed the icy chill in my eyes, looking at him calmly. Seraphina laughed, picking up the hairpin and putting it in her hair. “Asher, wasn’t this what you promised to give me? Why did you give it to Aubrey?” “The crystal is so pretty. As a hairpin, it’s much more valuable than on a pen.” Asher gently took her hand. “You’re my fiancée now. Such a cheap hairpin isn’t good enough for you.” “I’ll take you to buy something better right now.” Then, right in front of me, he deliberately stomped on the fountain pen lying at my feet, crushing it. “Aubrey, you’re not going to Cambridge anyway. These things are useless to you now.” “Better to throw them away early, so you don’t feel sad later.”

I pushed open the front door. My dad was ironing the shirt I needed for tomorrow’s interview. My mom brought out a warmed glass of milk. Our home was filled with a comforting scent. Seeing them so healthy and vibrant, my eyes welled up, and tears streamed down my face. My parents, confused, looked at me with concern. Just then, Asher’s mom, Mrs. Hayes, arrived at our door. The moment she stepped inside, she grabbed my hand, her eyes brimming with tears. “Aubrey, dear, I know you’re the most sensible one.” “Asher has been completely charmed by that wicked girl. His father and I, we’ve always believed you are our future daughter-in-law.” “Please, talk some sense into him. Being with that woman will only ruin his future.” I subtly pulled my hand away. In my previous life, she had begged me just like this, only to later tell Asher that I was just jealous and meddling. “Mrs. Hayes, he’s your son. I can’t control him.” Mrs. Hayes’s face stiffened, then she cried even harder. “How can you say that?” “You’ve always wanted to go to Cambridge with Asher since you were little, haven’t you? You worked so hard, so afraid of falling behind him?” “Don’t you feel bad seeing him completely give up his Cambridge future?” “He could even get someone else in with him!” My phone suddenly rang. It was Asher. I answered in front of Mrs. Hayes and put it on speaker. Asher’s icy voice came through the phone. “Aubrey, did my mom come to find you?” “I’m warning you, I will never let you ruin my life again.” “Whether I go to Cambridge or not, I will absolutely never take a vicious woman like you with me.” Mrs. Hayes heard her son’s words and instantly fell silent, her face fluctuating between pale and flushed with embarrassment. I looked at her and said, every word distinct. “Did you hear that?” Then, I hung up. Mrs. Hayes stood there, dumbfounded, unable to speak for a long time. My dad walked over, frowning. “How could Asher talk like that?” “What has our Aubrey ever done to him?” My mom also looked displeased. “All these years, for the sake of our children’s friendship, our family has provided significant business support to your Hayes Corporation.” “If Asher chooses someone else, then our business dealings will be a different matter from now on.” Mrs. Hayes’s face turned green and white. “No, no, Asher is just confused for now.” “Aubrey, don’t worry, I’ll talk to him properly later.” I looked at her coldly. “I don’t care for his charity, either.” Mrs. Hayes stomped her foot in frustration. “But without Asher, how will you get into Cambridge?” “Your grades are so bad, you cried every time there was an exam.” “Besides following Asher, what other way do you have?” I smiled faintly. “You don’t need to worry about that, Mrs. Hayes.” My dad walked over, his tone serious. “Since Asher isn’t willing, then forget it.” My mom nodded too. “Exactly. My daughter is so outstanding, why should she have to rely on anyone else?” Seeing their reaction, Mrs. Hayes slinked away. She reached the door but reluctantly turned back. “Aubrey, are you really not going to reconsider?” “Without Asher, you really can’t get into Cambridge.” I closed the door, ignoring her desperate pleas. My parents looked at me, their eyes filled with affection. “Sweetheart, don’t listen to her nonsense.”

The next day, I walked into the Cambridge admissions office’s video interview room. During the interview, I performed exceptionally well, confident and poised. I was a completely different person from the nervous, insecure follower I was in my previous life. After the interview, I ran into Seraphina, who had been waiting downstairs for a long time. She was dressed head-to-toe in designer clothes. Seeing me, she immediately puffed out her belly. She deliberately waved an ultrasound photo in front of my face. “Aubrey, dear, Asher and I are having a baby.” “He’ll have to take care of us from now on, so he can’t be like when we were kids, letting you follow him everywhere.” I glanced at the ultrasound. The date was last week. They’d only been together for half a month. “I know you saw me shopping at the luxury store with the hot guy from the next class last time. So what?” “Asher only believes me now. I’m going to be the future Mrs. Hayes!” Her voice was deliberately sweet, but it couldn’t hide the mockery in her eyes. She even deliberately caressed her belly, as if it held the utmost honor. She pressed closer, practically backing me into a corner. “That Cambridge special admission slot originally belonged to Asher. He can give it to anyone he wants.” “Now he’s given it up for me and the baby. Do you really think you still have a chance?” “Someone like you, you’re just not cut out for it. You keep struggling, it’s honestly exhausting to watch.” Seeing my indifference, Seraphina’s eyes became even more vicious. She suddenly swayed, gasped, clutched her stomach, and fell backward. “Ow! Aubrey! Why did you push me?!” A tall figure abruptly rushed over. Asher’s face was livid as he quickly caught Seraphina. He raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face! The crisp sound of the slap echoed through the empty hallway. My cheek instantly stung, and I stared at him in shock. “Aubrey! You vicious woman!” Asher roared, his eyes bloodshot. “How dare you push Seraphina? She’s carrying my child!” “You think you got an interview and you’ll pass? Without me to secure you a special admission, you’ll never even get close to Cambridge!” He pointed a finger at my nose, every word dripping with extreme insult. Seraphina leaned into his arms, sobbing weakly. “Asher, my stomach hurts so much… did Aubrey hurt it?” “Don’t blame her, dear. She probably didn’t mean it.” Asher’s gaze grew even colder. He stared fixedly at me. “Get lost! Don’t you ever appear in front of me again!” Tears welled up in my eyes, but I fiercely held them back. I didn’t explain, didn’t argue. I just dragged my heavy steps away from that toxic place. Behind me, Asher was still raging. “Let her pretend! Without me, she’s nothing!” Seraphina’s voice, laced with victorious glee, softly echoed his words. “Asher, don’t be angry. She’s not worth it.” “She’ll regret it. Just wait until she comes crying to you.”

I stood backstage in the school auditorium. Today was the senior class appreciation event, held after college application submissions. Seraphina walked in, arm in arm with Asher, instantly drawing everyone’s attention. Her designer gown was a stark contrast to my plain white tee. Students immediately gathered around, showering them with compliments. “They look amazing! A goddess and a genius, a match made in heaven!” “Asher actually chose to stay and study domestically for Seraphina! Who could compare to that kind of devotion?!” “Seriously, he was a shoo-in for Cambridge, and he just gave it up like that. So impressive!” Seraphina echoed their laughter, her voice filled with gloating. “Aubrey, dear, don’t blame Asher.” “After all, a place like Cambridge is truly an unreachable dream for ordinary people.” Students on the other side chimed in. “Is Aubrey still standing there? Does she regret not holding onto Asher?” “With her grades, does she really think she could get into Cambridge on her own? Overestimating herself!” “She’s been his annoying shadow since childhood, now she’s finally been completely dumped!” Asher waved his hand dismissively, looking even more smug. “It’s nothing. That special admission slot? I can activate it anytime.” “Worst case, once Seraphina gets tired of staying in the country, I’ll just take her to Cambridge for a couple of years of fun.” His gaze fell on me again. “Aubrey, who told you to push Seraphina that day?” “You want to go to Cambridge with me? Heh, that’s absolutely impossible now.” I looked at him calmly, without a single ripple of emotion. Asher, seeing my indifference, his eyes grew colder. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and opened an email. “Perfect, Cambridge sent an email today.” “It should be the final confirmation notice for that special admission slot.” His voice was loud, as if deliberately letting everyone around him hear. “It’s good to make some people give up completely. Don’t always covet things that don’t belong to you.” Seraphina excitedly leaned over. “Wow, an email from Cambridge!” Just as Asher was about to open the email, the auditorium doors suddenly burst open. Mr. and Mrs. Hayes walked in, their faces ashen. They clutched a thin piece of paper tightly in their hands. It was the vocational school admission letter that had arrived at their house a few days ago. Mrs. Hayes spotted Asher immediately and rushed over. “Asher! You ungrateful brat!” She waved the admission letter, almost poking Asher’s nose with it. “What is this?! Southwood Vocational School?!” “Didn’t you say the Cambridge spot was yours, and you could go anytime?!” Asher’s face instantly went pale as a ghost. “Mom! What are you doing?!” Mr. Hayes walked forward, his face grim. “You rotten kid, did you really think you could hide this from us?” “You better tell me honestly, what’s going on? You’re still lying!”

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I was Darian, the Apex Vampire of the Nether Realm. A decade ago, nine humans willingly traded their souls, signing a pact with me to become my blood servants. They believed that if chosen as my companion at the Grand Embrace Ceremony, they would gain eternal access to my potent blood. Every single blood servant worked tirelessly, collecting soul fragments for me daily, showering me with flattery. All of them, that is, except for Seraphina. She alone disdained to fawn over me. Yet, she was the one I desired most. I even gifted her rare, powerful souls I’d hunted myself. I genuinely believed that by choosing her as my companion at the upcoming Grand Embrace Ceremony, my deepest wish would be fulfilled. But then, Seraphina, who usually showed me no emotion, *dared* to forcefully kiss Caleb, the human boy I had rescued. And Caleb? He was her own brother. They’d become my blood servants to save a dying Caleb. I should have realized it then. Yet, when I granted them their twisted wish, they were consumed by a furious regret.

“Oh gods, the Ceremony is almost here! What if the King chooses *me*?” “What are you scared of? The King despises our attempts at flattery. Just keep up your act, and you’ll be safe.” “Thank goodness for Seraphina. If she hadn’t caught the King’s eye with her aloof demeanor, we might never have been able to stay with Caleb!” “Shh, keep your voice down! She’s the unlucky one, stuck with the King’s attention.” “I’d rather *die* than be chosen by him. I have to marry Caleb. He’s my only light in this damn Realm!” I sat beneath the garden gazebo, my fingertips subtly tightening. So, all this time, their obedience, their excessive flattery, their pathetic attempts to appear inferior… It was all a charade. They were simply infatuated with Caleb, hoping to disgust me enough that I’d reject them as potential companions. Caleb, the one I’d saved a decade ago by sharing my blood, had never signed a pact with me. Naturally, his power couldn’t compare to that of my blood servants, and he couldn’t complete his daily tasks alone. My blood servants would regularly share their collected soul fragments with Caleb, Allowing him to submit his quotas to me. Vampires cannot fall in love with humans. I had always believed their actions were out of pity. It never once crossed my mind that it was *love*. Just then, a strange sound drifted from another corner of the garden. I followed the noise, my gaze falling upon a patch of ground where moonlight dappled through the leaves. There, the usually cold and aloof Seraphina was clinging tightly to Caleb. She kissed him with a desperate urgency, a burning passion I had never witnessed in her before. “Caleb, don’t worry,” Seraphina’s voice was urgent, yet firm. “I will *never* let him choose me.” “Even if he does, I won’t agree to the Embrace. I will *never* become his companion.” Caleb gently pushed her away, a perfectly feigned look of distress on his face. “But, Seraphina, to be embraced by the King grants you his purest blood, eternal life just like him. It’s an opportunity countless souls dream of.” “I don’t care!” Seraphina immediately retorted, cupping his face. “I have no interest in eternal life. I only care about you. I just want to be with *you*.” Standing in the shadows, a chilling realization washed over me. The blood servants I had chosen, the ones who had showered me with flattery… they *all* loved Caleb. I, Darian, the mighty King of the Nether Realm, had become nothing more than a pathetic joke. I was never short of blood servants desperate to be my companion. Since they were so unwilling, I decided to grant them their wish. The next day, I issued a new decree. “Effective immediately, all blood supply to my blood servants will cease.” My blood servants primarily subsisted on the blood I provided, supplied by human thralls. Cutting off this supply meant they would have to hunt humans themselves. “From this day forward, you will hunt for your own blood and soul fragments in the human world.” They exchanged bewildered glances, assuming I was simply in a bad mood. No one dared to object, accepting their fate. With this, they would be constantly busy, traveling between the human world and the Nether Realm, with no time left to coddle Caleb. Without Seraphina and his other admirers “feeding” him, Caleb’s tasks naturally went unfulfilled. He knelt before me, his face ashen, unable to even utter a plea for mercy. “Task failed. You will report to the Sun-Scorched Peaks of the Nether Realm for sun-desensitization training,” I declared, my voice devoid of emotion. The Sun-Scorched Peaks were the closest point to sunlight in our realm, a torture chamber, a living hell for us vampires. When Seraphina heard the news, her face went deathly pale. She raced there without a moment’s hesitation. I watched from a distance as she unfolded her not-so-broad bat wings, Straining every fiber of her being to shield Caleb from the scorching sunlight. The sun pierced through her wings, leaving her almost desiccated, yet she stubbornly held on. I averted my gaze, my heart untouched by a single ripple of emotion.

That night, I led my elite vampire guard in a brutal raid on the human Templar Knights. The battle raged on through the night. Only as dawn approached did we finally claim victory. I had expended a vast amount of blood and dark energy, leaving my body weaker than it had ever been. Even the faint glow of the rising sun on the horizon felt almost unbearable. I stumbled back to the Sun-Scorched Peaks of the Nether Realm, where the intensifying sunlight instantly enveloped me. The rays seared my skin, piercing my very bones. The pain was so intense I could barely stand. Seraphina and Caleb stood not far away. She saw me, saw my agony and my weakness. But she didn’t come to my aid. She didn’t spread her wings to shield me, not even for a flicker of sunlight, as she had done for Caleb. She simply stood there, cold and unmoving, a cruel satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. “My King,” she sneered, “you look utterly pathetic right now.” “This is your karma for punishing Caleb yesterday.” I looked at Caleb, standing so perfectly protected beside her. Suddenly, the decade of favoritism I had shown Seraphina felt utterly ludicrous. While I was recovering, the special Blood Artifact Auction, held in preparation for the Grand Embrace Ceremony, began. Most of the vampires in the Realm would attend, either to choose suitable artifacts for their future companions or to bid on rare, powerful souls. I had no intention of choosing a companion, but I was still intrigued by the countless bizarre blood artifacts on display. The auction was held within a massive cavern, its walls embedded with glowing crystals. My eyes immediately fixed on a potent soul, sealed within a crystal vial. The energy radiating from it was pure and immense, enough to completely heal the wounds I’d sustained in the recent battle. Just as I prepared to bid, I saw Seraphina fiercely competing for that very same soul. “Seraphina, darling, let it go. It’s too valuable. Besides… the King is here too.” He glanced in my direction, his eyes devoid of any reverence. Seraphina shook her head stubbornly, gently patting his hand. “You were burned by the sun, Caleb. You need this to heal.” Then, she abruptly turned to me, her eyes filled with their usual contempt. “Unlike *some* vampires, who only fight a minor skirmish with humans and then need a powerful soul to heal. What a disgrace to our kind!” A vampire’s hearing far surpasses that of any human. Her words, every single one of them, pierced straight into my ears. Fine. *Excellent*. I raised my hand, announcing an even higher price. Seraphina, not one to back down, immediately countered. Whispers began to ripple through the cavern. “Isn’t she the King’s blood servant? Why is she bidding against her master?” “Bidding? She’s using soul fragments granted by her master to compete for an item for *another man*! Isn’t she publicly humiliating the King?” A cold sneer touched my lips. I triggered the final bid. It was the signal for the highest bid, meaning the item was mine. I thought I had won, that I had thoroughly humiliated her. However, as I prepared to draw on my dark energy, to retrieve the soul fragments from my spatial storage to pay, I found my power utterly blocked, refusing to obey. What in the hell was going on? The entire hall fell silent for a beat, then erupted into thunderous laughter. “Hahahaha, have I been out of touch with the royal family too long? Since when was the King nothing but a hollow shell?!” “He just fought *one* battle and now he’s this pathetic?” “Can’t even produce the soul fragments and still dares to trigger the final bid? How utterly clueless!” While they didn’t dare say these things directly to my face, out of respect for my title, My enhanced senses picked up every mocking whisper. The tide of their laughter still threatened to drown me. At that moment, Seraphina, holding Caleb’s hand, slowly approached me. A victorious smile played on her lips as she calmly paid for the soul fragments, claiming the powerful soul. Right in front of everyone, she opened the crystal vial and allowed Caleb to absorb the soul on the spot. Watching the unbridled, triumphant smile on her face, a chilling truth suddenly dawned on me. Last night, she had uncharacteristically delivered my tribute blood herself. She’d said it was the sweetest human blood she’d specially hunted, hoping it would help me recover quickly. She, who had always disdained to flatter me. That sudden warmth, that tainted blood… it was all for this auction. For Caleb, to publicly humiliate me, she had been willing to cast aside her dignity and play me like a fool. “My King, thank you for your generosity.” Caleb, his strength restored, walked up to me, a taunting smile on his face. “If you hadn’t generously gifted Seraphina so many soul fragments before, we really wouldn’t have been able to afford this precious item today.” A sharp, searing pain suddenly tore through my heart. The dark energy within me began to surge uncontrollably. This was… a sign of my transformation into a demon. I couldn’t be bothered to endure their petty, gloating faces any longer. Under the confused and wary gazes of the crowd, I rushed back to my castle. I needed to seclude myself immediately.

The day of the Grand Embrace Ceremony was also destined to be my day of transformation into a demon. All I needed was to infuse my lifeblood into the ancient Blood Artifact, and I would shatter the shackles of my current power, becoming the first true demon in the entire history of the Nether Realm. I sat on my throne in the center of the ceremony hall when a raven descended from the sky, landing on my shoulder. It carried a message from the Divine Realm. It was Astraea. That woman had been stuck to me like glue for centuries. Knowing she was coming, a headache immediately bloomed behind my eyes. I was just about to announce that no companion would be chosen at this ceremony. Suddenly, a violent tremor of dark energy erupted from deep within the castle. Someone had breached the barrier I’d set for my seclusion. The backlash hit me, my dark energy spiraling out of control, forcing the demonic transformation ritual to begin prematurely. Beneath my skin, power surged like boiling lava. “Quick, bring the Blood Artifact!” Seraphina, seeing my state, immediately commanded in a loud voice. A blood servant rushed forward, presenting the ancient Blood Artifact to her. I struggled desperately to control the raging power inside me, cold sweat beading on my forehead, reaching out to take the artifact. Just as my fingertips were about to touch the Blood Artifact, Seraphina suddenly lunged into my arms. Something cold, something radiating a divine aura, plunged violently into my heart. Blinding pain erupted. I shoved Seraphina away with all my might. Looking down, what was impaled in my chest was no Blood Artifact at all. It was a gleaming silver cross—a holy relic of human priests! She had conspired with humans, swapping out my artifact! My dark energy, as if finding an outlet, was being violently siphoned away by the holy relic. Strength drained from me. I crashed to my knees. The hall erupted into chaos. Meanwhile, my nine blood servants, as if on cue, swarmed me, pinning my limbs and body down. Just then, a human priest in white robes appeared before me, seemingly out of nowhere. He chanted arcane words, casting a spell that steadily transferred the dark energy siphoned from my body directly into Caleb. “My King,” one of the blood servants whispered, pressing down on my shoulder, “when you were poring over ancient texts in your private chamber, you must have overlooked that tattered scroll in the corner, didn’t you?” “It records that a vampire’s bloodline and sufficiently powerful dark energy are the keys to becoming a demon.” “Ten years ago, you used your own blood to save Caleb, so your bloodline flows through him.” “Now, by transferring all your dark energy to him, he can take your place and become the Nether Realm’s first demon!” Caleb greedily absorbed my dark energy, while excitedly calling out to the priest, “Father!” Father? It clicked. They had been deceiving me from the very beginning. This wasn’t some impulsive betrayal. This was a ten-year-long conspiracy. “Did you really think we *wanted* to be your blood servants?” Seraphina pressed down harder on my profusely bleeding chest, twisting the holy relic deeper. “You are the most powerful vampire in the Nether Realm, the King of all our kind. To utterly destroy the vampire race, we had to start with you.” “That’s why we orchestrated that pact a decade ago.” “Once Caleb becomes a demon, his power will transcend yours, and our soul pact with you will be null and void.” With my dark energy completely drained, I collapsed, my consciousness fading. Seeing my power gone, the vampire forces below descended into chaos, scattering in a frantic flight. The blood servants, along with the priest, slashed my flesh, broke my bat wings, and gutted my insides. They dragged me to the human world, throwing me into a grand cathedral, where they strung me up high with chains. The skylight above, completely unobstructed, was aimed directly at the scorching sun. They intended for me to hang there, exposed to its relentless rays for ninety-nine days. After hoisting me in the center of the cathedral, they busied themselves attending to Caleb, who was adjusting to his new demonic bloodline. This, ironically, gave me a chance to breathe. I don’t know how long passed. The scorching sun finally receded, and a full moon slowly ascended. Its cold, clear light filtered through the skylight, bathing my broken body. A melodious female voice, laced with a hint of schadenfreude, echoed softly in my ear. “Only a few months apart, and the Nether Realm has fallen so low?” “Tsk, utterly pathetic.” Astraea, the crazy woman who had chased me for centuries. She slowly walked up to me, raising a hand to brush against the chains binding me.

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My son was a star student, accepted into a top university, but my husband dragged him to the hospital for a vasectomy. Just because our son defended me and kicked my husband’s first love, Serena. To get revenge for Serena, my husband ordered his bodyguards to forcibly take our son to the hospital. When I found out, I knelt on the ground, desperately pleading with him. “Damian, what are you doing?! Luke is your own son! What did he do wrong?” “Take it out on me, please, just don’t hurt him!” His eyes were cold as ice as he kicked me away. “It’s because you didn’t raise him right. He damaged Serena’s uterus. I’m just having him sterilized for a while as punishment. That’s fair!” I searched frantically, finally finding the hospital where my son was, only to see him leap from a high floor… And on the phone, I heard only Serena’s mocking voice: “Damian, my injuries are fine now. If Chloe knew you secretly divorced her for me, she’d really make a scene.” My mind went blank. When I finally came to, I dialed a number I hadn’t touched in years. “Please, come save my son! If you save him, I’ll agree to anything!”

The moment I rushed to the hospital entrance, I heard gasps erupt from the crowd. I looked up sharply, and a dark shadow plunged straight down from the high-rise! A dull thud echoed, heavily striking my heart. Time seemed to stand still. I saw him. It was my son, Luke. He was still wearing the red T-shirt I’d bought for him. Now, that red was soaked with blood, making it even more jarring. My legs gave out, and I practically crawled to his side. “Luke! Luke! Look at Mom!” My hands trembled, but I didn’t dare touch him, terrified he’d shatter like a porcelain doll. He struggled to open his eyes, his fractured gaze focusing on my face. Bloody foam spilled from his mouth. With his last ounce of strength, he clutched the hem of my shirt. “Mom… it’s… it’s not… sterilization…” His voice was barely a whisper, each word a knife slicing through my heart. “They… they gave me… gender reassignment surgery…” “I… I can’t live like this.” *Boom!* My mind went blank instantly, and the world spun around me! Before I could even process this cruel truth, a group of strangers in black suits rushed over. They were expressionless, their movements swift and precise. They roughly dragged my dying son and me away. “Who are you?! Let go of my son! Help!” My screams and struggles were so futile against them. A black bag was violently pulled over my head, and I was shoved into a car. I don’t know how long passed, but the car finally stopped. Luke and I were brutally thrown onto the cold concrete ground. The hood was ripped off, and the suffocating smell of mildew and dust filled my nostrils. It was an abandoned warehouse. The single metal door clanged shut, locked from the outside. *It’s over.* They were going to trap us here to die. I fumbled around. Thank goodness, my phone was still in my pocket! This was our only hope! Trembling, I dialed Damian’s number. “Damian! Save Luke! We’ve been kidnapped, he’s dying!” On the other end of the line, Damian’s voice was filled with contempt and impatience. “Chloe, what new trick are you pulling now? It’s just a small procedure, why are you making such a fuss?” “It’s true! He jumped from the building! He’s bleeding so much! We’re in a warehouse in the suburbs, please…” Before I could finish, Serena’s delicate cries came through the phone. “Damian… is Chloe mad at me again? It’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have let you get revenge for me…” “It’s my bad, go comfort her quickly, don’t let her fight with you because of me again…” Damian’s voice instantly turned cold, full of disgust. “Enough! Chloe, stop trying to gain sympathy with these tactics, it’s sickening!” *Beep… beep… beep…* The call was ruthlessly cut off. I clutched my phone, my blood feeling like it had instantly frozen. My last sliver of hope, extinguished by his own hand. A tidal wave of hatred surged from deep within me, threatening to consume me whole. At the edge of despair, I looked at my son, whose breathing was growing weaker in my arms. My finger slid across the screen, stopping on a number I hadn’t touched in years. My eyes turned cold and resolute as I dialed that number. “Please, come save my son! If you save him, I’ll agree to anything!”

Soon after I hung up, dozens of top-of-the-line ambulances, loaded with advanced equipment, swarmed into the abandoned warehouse. Medics in sterile gowns rushed to my son’s side, their movements swift and professional. I saw a glimmer of hope and immediately grabbed one of the doctors by his white coat, crying incoherently, “Save him! Please, save my son!” But the doctor just shook his head gravely, his cold gaze falling on me. “Hope is slim. His injuries are too severe – ruptured internal organs, massive blood loss. He’s missed the optimal rescue window.” His voice was devoid of emotion, like he was pronouncing a death sentence. “Ma’am, you should notify your husband. Prepare for the worst.” Husband… Damian… Those words stabbed me like poisoned darts, leaving me bleeding internally. Tears of regret blurred my vision. I remembered years ago, how I was forced to marry Damian to pay off my father’s massive company debts. Back then, we seemed affectionate in public, but behind closed doors, we were just polite strangers. Only with the birth of our son did a flicker of warmth enter our cold, business arrangement. Damian held the tiny infant, a rare, genuine smile gracing his face, and our relationship slowly warmed. I naively thought things would continue to be good. But then, his first love, Serena, returned to the country, and everything changed. Damian’s tenderness and patience vanished overnight, given entirely to another woman. I had thought about divorce, about leaving this suffocating home with my son. But my selfish father had pointed a finger at me, roaring, “Chloe! If you dare divorce, I’ll jump off this building! Our whole family will be ruined because of you!” I retreated. For my family, I silently accepted Serena’s presence. I thought my forbearance would buy me peace, but she only grew more brazen. One day, she even tried to push me down the stairs. It was my son who fiercely protected me. And it was because of that intervention that my poor son suffered this terrible calamity! The red light of the emergency room went out. My son’s heartbeat stopped. Like a puppet drained of its soul, I numbly pulled out my phone. Clinging to a final shred of hope, I dialed Damian’s number. The phone was noisy on his end, party music blaring. My voice trembled uncontrollably: “Damian, our son… he’s gone. Can you come back, just to see him one last time?” “Chloe, what game are you playing now?” His voice was utterly cold, laced with impatience. “To get me to come back, you’d even lie about something like this? How pathetic are you?” I pleaded humbly: “I’m not lying, Damian, please, just a glance, a final glance!” “Ha, if I believe a single word you say today, I’m an idiot!” “Serena’s birthday party just started. I don’t have time to play along with your drama. Don’t call me again!” “If you dare disturb us again, your father’s company can expect to go bankrupt!” *Beep… beep… beep…* The call was mercilessly disconnected. I clutched my phone, the world instantly quiet, leaving only an endless roaring in my ears.

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After three years on a top-secret mission overseas, I was finally back. Before I left, my superiors strongly urged me to take a dedicated security detail, a whole unit just for my safety. But the first call I got when my boots hit American soil wasn’t from my wife. It was from Brad, my old college class president. “You loser,” he sneered, his voice dripping with condescension. “Heard you’re down and out. Perfect timing, actually. I’m getting married, and I’m feeling charitable. Come see how the other half lives.” Then he dropped a wedding invitation into our old group chat. But when I saw the photo of my wife on the invite, I froze. My stomach twisted into a knot. To prevent a colossal misunderstanding, I quickly typed back, “Are you *sure* that’s your wife?” Brad lost his mind. He bombarded the chat with a string of angry 60-second voice messages. “Whose wife do you think it is, you moron?! Yours?! What kind of trash are you to question me? My wife is the heiress of the Lu family, the absolute powerhouse in this city!” “In this city, the Lu family *is* the law. If you get down on your knees right now and beg me like a dog, I might just be in a good mood and let you off the hook.” “Otherwise, I’ll make sure you can’t even *breathe* in this city!” I scoffed, a cold sneer twisting my lips. “You want me to kneel to you? You’d better make sure you’re even *worthy* of it first!” The leaders of the most influential families in the country bow to *me*. I’d like to see if this ‘Lu family heiress’ he’s so proud of dares to disrespect *me*!

As soon as I pulled up to my mansion, Chloe, my wife, pinged me on SnapChat. “Hey, hubby! I’m out with my girlfriends for a few days. If you miss me, you know we can always connect, virtually. 😉” Chloe and I had been married for ten years. She was vain and a complete gold-digger, but in bed? We were a perfect match. Even when we were miles apart, she’d make sure we connected, *intimately*. She swore she was only mine and knew exactly how to drive me wild. But deep down, I sneered. *Playing around*? She’d probably been busy warming other men’s beds for ages. The next day, I blew off the invites from the city’s most powerful families. I had a more important destination: the address on Brad’s wedding invitation. As I stepped off my yacht, a massive, 10-foot wedding photo dominated the entrance. Thousands of roses were meticulously arranged beneath it, forming giant letters: “Chloe & Brad: Forever Together.” Brad stood in the center of our college classmates, soaking up their adoration like a king. “Bro, Brad, you’re absolutely killin’ it! You actually landed a Lu family heiress!” “The Lu family? They’re practically royalty! You’re set for life, man!” “Brad, don’t forget us little people when you’re swimming in cash!” Even Professor Davies, our notoriously stern college advisor, was practically fawning. “Brad, you failed six courses in one semester, and yet, I *still* awarded you that scholarship. I saw it then! You were just too ‘cool’ to bother with exams, but I knew you had real-world hustle. You were destined for a massive glow-up!” Brad puffed up with self-importance, his nose practically in the clouds. But I just found it pathetic. “Lu family heiress”? Chloe was an orphan. Nobody special. Her real name wasn’t even Chloe Lu. She was just… *Chloe Smith*, born into nothing. After we got married, she constantly complained about her ‘unrespectable’ past. To make her happy, I pulled some strings and *poof*, she was a ‘Lu.’ I used my influence to grant her a new, powerful identity. I effectively *made* her a ‘Lu family heiress.’ And now, that *gift* was Brad’s biggest bragging chip. I stepped forward. A few old classmates spotted me, their faces twisting with blatant disgust. Noticing the yacht behind me, someone sneered, “Did he rent that yacht just to show off? Asher, did you take out a loan just to afford that rental?” Others chimed in, laughing. “Seriously, what’s with the act? Brad’s wife is a Lu family heiress. You’re not even in the same league as her, you pathetic loser!” “Right? Why bother with this pathetic show-off stunt, renting a yacht, when you could just grovel for Brad’s mercy like the dog you are? What a waste of ego!” The crowd erupted in jeers. My voice was flat. “I didn’t rent it. I *bought* it. A billion dollars. Cash.” The words hung in the air for a second, then several people doubled over, roaring with laughter. Brad’s face turned scarlet. He snatched a champagne bottle from a nearby table and *slammed* it against my head. “Stop trying to fool me, you ass! This is *my wife’s* yacht!” “So that’s why you asked if she was *really* my wife. You’re her dirty secret, aren’t you? Her *side piece*! You leech! Being a sugar baby isn’t enough for you? You dare bring *her* yacht to *my* wedding to make a scene?!” Blood trickled down my forehead, and the entire venue fell silent. Someone stammered, incredulous, “Brad, is he serious? Is this yacht really your wife’s?” Brad scoffed, pulling a photo from his wallet. “Who else could afford something like this besides my wife?” The photo showed two people in swimsuits kissing on the yacht. The stern featured custom couple art and engraved initials. A few people circled my yacht, their eyes widening. “Holy crap, it’s exactly the same!” “Asher, you’re not even a man! Being a home-wrecker? Have you no shame?!” Brad’s face was twisted with fury. “You disappeared for three years… was she hiding you away?” At his words, everyone immediately looked at me with disdain. “Remember how many rich women threw money at Asher back then, and he always turned them down? Guess the cash wasn’t enough for him. What a shameless loser.” “Who knows how many sugar mamas he’s been milking dry? He’s probably got more STDs than dollar bills!” “Being a home-wrecker is one thing, but to show up *here*, at *our* wedding? That’s just pure trashy audacity!” Professor Davies and the other teachers looked absolutely disgusted. “You morally bankrupt individual! Don’t you dare claim you were ever our student!” “I’m too ashamed to even know you!” The wedding was being live-streamed. The commotion quickly drew all the cameras to me and Brad, the comment section exploding with hate. Insult after insult scrolled across the screen. I ran a hand over the blood trickling down my face, my gaze locking onto Brad. “You’re laying hands on people before you even know the full story?” Brad’s arrogance swelled. “Yeah, I’m hitting you, you pathetic bastard. So what?” With that, he barked at someone nearby to grab a can of spray paint. He snatched it, then started defacing my yacht, spraying haphazard lines across the hull. “You’re a side piece! What right do you have to question me?!” “ASHER IS A WHORE” blared in huge, ugly letters across the side of my yacht. My voice was cold. “Destroying private property is a crime, you know.” Brad scoffed. “Crime? What’s law got to do with it? My wife is a Lu family heiress! In this city, if I tell the cops to jump, they’ll ask ‘how high?’!” “And you, you’re not just morally bankrupt and a home-wrecker! You’re parading around in *my wife’s* yacht!” “After a piece of trash like *you* tainted it, I don’t even *want* this yacht anymore!” He actually ordered the captain of a nearby vessel to *ram* mine. The sickening crunch of glass and metal echoed across the water as a massive dent appeared in the hull. “Brad’s going to be a Lu!” someone yelled from the crowd of classmates. “We gotta teach this punk a lesson for Brad!” A mob of them surged onto the deck, pouring corrosive liquids onto the yacht, scratching the paint, bashing the hull with anything they could find. In no time, my yacht was a twisted, battered wreck. I clenched my jaw, suppressing a tremor of rage. “I advise you to stop now. Otherwise, the consequences will be far beyond anything you can imagine.” Brad scoffed. “Consequences? Who do you think you are? My wife could crush you like an ant.” Hearing this, the others laughed even harder, smashing with renewed vigor. Suddenly, someone yelled, carrying a solid black, heavy-looking metal box. “This guy hides things so well! Is there something valuable in here?” Brad snatched a small axe and brought it down, splitting the box open. “What’s this? A crown? Must be fake gold, right? Some cheap trick, thinking he’s a king?” I glared at him, a warning in my voice. “Don’t touch that. You can’t afford to pay for it.” This was a priceless artifact, something I was meant to deliver to the national archives. I hadn’t yet processed it because I came straight to this wedding. But Brad, hearing me, practically jumped in a fit of rage. “What do you mean, *I* can’t afford it?! That’s hilarious!” “*My wife’s* fiancé can’t afford your pile of trash? Who are you trying to impress?!” He flung the crown to the ground, doused it in alcohol, and flicked a lighter. The flames licked at the gold, but after a long moment, the crown remained utterly unharmed. Someone’s voice, full of doubt, cut through the laughter. “That crown… it looks like… the Napoleon Coronation Crown. It could fetch *billions* at auction!” Brad’s anger intensified. “Billions?! How could a side piece like him have that kind of money?! He must have stolen it from my wife!” “So what if I turn it into junk right now? Trash like him deserves nothing but trash!” He raised the axe again, smashing the crown until it was a mangled, unrecognizable mess. I watched his furious, insane actions with a cold, detached gaze, saying nothing. Trillions in assets? Laughable. Chloe was always vain. After we got married, global limited edition haute couture gowns and custom jewelry? She owned every single piece. But she was still unhappy. She hated being seen as ‘new money’ or some bumpkin because her ‘family’ had no real standing. To make her happy, I had her officially registered as a Lu. But these idiots actually believed Chloe was a true Lu heiress, fantasizing about the Lu family’s trillions in assets. With Brad leading the charge on the crown, the others were quick to follow suit. They rampaged through the yacht, tearing and smashing my other priceless collections. I was about to intervene when my secure comms device buzzed to life. I answered immediately. “Reschedule the meeting. Send my security detail to my location. Now.” Brad’s cronies noticed my actions, snatched the device, and stomped on it repeatedly. “You pathetic piece of trash, trying to call for backup, are we?” “Laughable! Who’s he going to call? His ‘friends’ from the escort service? Don’t tell me a bunch of spineless pretty boys are coming to save you!” “Seriously, you’re addicted to acting tough, aren’t you? We’re old classmates, we know what a loser you really are!” “You’re a good-for-nothing! You actually think putting on airs will change the fact that you’re trash?!” I looked at the shattered comms device, my voice sharp and deadly. “I hope you’ll still be laughing this hard in a few minutes!” Brad’s eyes bulged. He lunged, slamming his fist into my nose. “Still trying to act tough now?! Your weak, pampered body is going to threaten me? I’m going to teach you a lesson today!” I sidestepped, and Brad, propelled by his own momentum, face-planted onto the deck. He scrambled up, enraged. “Everyone! Hold him down!” Just then, someone held up a string of sandalwood beads. “This fell off the loser! Must be something valuable, right?” My heart plummeted. My voice was a raw snarl. “Give that back!” Brad snatched the beads, a cruel smile twisting his lips. “So tense? It’s just some cheap piece of wood. Is it an antique or something?” I lunged for it. “It’s not valuable, but it’s important to me! Give it back now!” My mother’s ashes were sealed inside those sandalwood beads. When I was a child, I was kidnapped. My mother, to save me, bravely walked into the kidnappers’ hideout and offered herself in my place. I watched, helpless, as she was chained to the ground, and the kidnappers, like savage beasts, unleashed their depraved cruelty upon her. When they were done, her body was drenched in blood, twisted into an impossible, grotesque angle. After she died, I sealed her ashes inside that bracelet. It never left my wrist. I always felt like she was still by my side. It was my only memento, my most sacred treasure. It was my red line, my absolute untouchable. I would *never* allow anyone to take it from me! Brad watched me, a triumphant, malicious grin spreading across his face. “The more you care, the more I want to destroy it!” He lifted it, making a show of tossing it forcefully into the sea. My vision blurred with rage. “No! Just give it back, and I’ll do anything! *Anything*!” Seeing my desperation, Brad laughed, his eyes glinting with pure malice. “Alright, how about this? Get down on your knees and *lick my shoes*. Then I *might* think about giving it back to you.” A roaring static filled my head, my mind went utterly blank. The metallic tang of bile filled my throat as I remembered my mother’s horrific death. I squeezed my eyes shut, and slowly, painstakingly, lowered myself to the deck. With a numb tongue, I licked the filth from his shoe. The cruel laughter spread through the crowd like a plague, but I barely registered it. I urgently rasped, “Now will you give me back the beads?!” “I said I’d *consider* it,” Brad chuckled. “Who said I’d actually give it back?” He gave a sick smile, then *slammed* the beads onto the deck, shattering them into a million pieces. “No!” My eyes burned with unshed tears. I lunged, my fist smashing into Brad’s face! “You deserve to die!” Brad screamed, his face contorted in pain, as he spit out a mouthful of blood. Just as I prepared to strike again, my old classmates rushed forward, pummeling me with kicks and punches. “You got a death wish?! How dare you hit our Brad!” “Brad’s going to be a Lu! Do you know who you’re messing with?!” “That bracelet was probably just some payment from another sugar mama anyway. Just go service a few more rich old ladies, you can replace it, right?” I clenched my fists, blood dripping from between my fingers. “You will all regret this. I swear, I will make you pay a hundred times over!” Piercing laughter erupted around me, laced with undisguised mockery. “Pay a hundred times over? You’re telling jokes now?!” “You’re a nobody! What else can you do besides mooch off rich women?! If you lick *everyone’s* shoes clean, maybe we’ll go easy on you!” “You’re a homewrecker, preying on old classmates! You deserve to be gelded!” Someone aimed a vicious kick at my knee, and I collapsed, hitting the deck hard. The mocking laughter swelled like a tidal wave, drowning me. “Hahahaha, pathetic! He’s already on his knees! What a spineless loser!” “If you crawl through our legs, one by one, maybe we’ll let you off, hahahaha…” Professor Davies pulled out his phone, aiming it at my pale, bruised face. “Look, everyone! This was our department’s ‘brain’ back then! Look at him now! I always knew he’d end up a total loser!” Their sneering laughter stabbed into my eardrums like sharp needles. I clenched the shattered fragments of the beads in my fist, the sharp edges digging into my skin. A desperate cough ripped through me, tasting of iron, mixed with flecks of blood. The wedding live stream’s camera recorded my pathetic state, the comments section exploding with hate, insults scrolling past in a furious blur. They stomped on me, grinding their feet into my ribs, the pain excruciating, bone-deep. I bit down hard on my lip, the metallic taste of my own blood filling my mouth, and rasped out, “You will all regret this!” Brad grabbed my hair, forcing my head up, and spat in my face. “Still living in a fantasy world? Who do you think you are? I could *piss in your mouth* right now, and no one would stop me!” The words had barely left his lips when a low, thunderous roar ripped through the air. Hundreds of dark, predatory attack helicopters descended from the sky. Their doors slid open simultaneously, and fully armored special ops teams rappelled down in perfect synchronicity. 22 The sheer spectacle silenced the entire crowd. All eyes fixed on the formidable helicopter formation.

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It was late June, and the world was baking under a scorching 100-degree Fahrenheit heatwave. My family was chilling in the living room, blasting the AC and munching on ice-cold watermelon. Me? I’d locked myself in my bedroom and cranked the heater to max. “Electricity isn’t free, you know? Turn that off!” my dad, Robert, bellowed. My brother, Kevin, sneered, “Too much studying has fried your brain! Hope you roast, you psycho!” “Open this door, or you’re sleeping in the hallway!” my mom, Sharon, threatened. I didn’t react. In fact, a faint smile played on my lips. Because they had no idea. Tonight, the global temperature would plunge by a hundred degrees. The extreme cold apocalypse was coming. “This station reports, abnormal high temperatures have persisted for ten days, and are expected to climb to 113 degrees Fahrenheit…” The late June sun was a blazing fireball, mercilessly scorching the earth. Outside my window, the leaves drooped, wilted and lifeless. Heat waves distorted the asphalt road. I stood by the window, sweat beading on my forehead and trickling down my cheeks, but my heart felt like a block of ice. I had been reborn. Memories from my past life flooded my mind like a tidal wave: After a prolonged heatwave, the sudden, extreme cold had paralyzed the city within hours. My family of four was trapped in this old apartment complex. Food spoiled quickly in the summer, and we had no stockpiles. Within five days, we were running dangerously low on supplies. Kevin, my brother, cried and howled every day from hunger. Mom and Dad took my last cookie to appease him. They completely ignored the fact that I’d had nothing but a sip of thin gruel for three days. Later, to survive, they sent me—their useless bookworm daughter—out to brave the elements and find food. I was dressed in flimsy clothes and searched for a day and a night. After endless hardship, I finally found some provisions. But when I returned, they not only snatched away the food and water but also locked me out. I curled up in the sub-zero hallway. I watched, helpless, as Mom, Dad, and Kevin sat around a warm hotpot, the steam blurring their smiling faces. What a cozy family scene. And I? I was locked outside, my fingers turning black from frostbite, my breath freezing into ice crystals on my eyelashes. I remembered Mom’s last look at me, as if I were a piece of worthless trash. “Better to freeze to death out there than waste our food here.” That was Dad’s last line to me, shouted through the closed door. “No one will fight me for food now!” Kevin cheered excitedly. And now, I was back. Back to the last day before the extreme cold apocalypse struck. My hand trembled as I pulled out my phone. June 30th, 9:17 AM. Less than fourteen hours until the global temperature plummeted. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and took a deep breath. This time, I wouldn’t be the naive fool who let herself be sacrificed. “Avery! What are you doing with the door shut in broad daylight?” Mom’s shrill voice pierced through the thin door, and I flinched. In my past life, at this very moment, I would have been in the kitchen helping her make a cooling drink for Kevin before his afternoon tutoring. I took a deep breath and looked at myself in the mirror. Eighteen years old, fresh out of final exams, wearing a faded T-shirt, my bangs stuck to my forehead with sweat. Who would guess that beneath this innocent face lurked a soul that had experienced death? “I’m changing!” I casually replied, my fingers flying through the drawers. The scholarship envelope from school after my exams was still tucked under my textbooks—eight thousand dollars. Add to that my hidden earnings from part-time jobs and birthday money over the years, and I had a total of fifty-eight thousand six hundred and fifty-two dollars. This money might barely cover my college expenses, but in the final hours before the apocalypse, it was my lifeline. A sharp honk from outside startled me. A delivery truck pulled up downstairs. Something clicked in my mind, and I frantically opened my phone to check my delivery status. Before I was reborn, I’d bought a down jacket, thermal underwear, and a thick down comforter during an off-season clearance sale. They were all out for delivery right now. I quickly sent an urgent text to the delivery driver, then dialed Mr. Henderson, the hardware store owner. “Mr. Henderson, it’s Avery from Building 7. I urgently need a batch of construction materials…” After hanging up, I stared blankly at the family photo on the wall. In the picture, Dad had his arm around Kevin, sitting front and center. Mom sat beside Dad, smiling. I, however, stood awkwardly on the very edge, like an outsider. This photo perfectly summarized my standing in this family. A superfluous accessory.

“Knock, knock, knock!” A violent pounding on the door jolted me from my thoughts. “You lazy girl, how long does it take to change? Get out here and mop the living room floor!” Mom’s voice was laced with impatience. “Almost done!” I replied, even as I frantically placed orders on various delivery apps: Emergency rations, canned goods, water purification tablets, first-aid kits… My fingers flew across the screen, every cent spent with surgical precision. When I finally opened the door, Mom stood with her hands on her hips. She wore a cheap floral print pajama set, her hair messily tied up. “What took you so long?” She eyed me up and down. “You look pale. Heatstroke?” I shook my head, noticing the deepening lines around her neck. In my past life, on the third day of the apocalypse, it was her who strangled my neck with a scarf, forcing me to go out and find food. *“Anyway, you’re going to die eventually, so you might as well contribute to the family.”* “What are you staring at? Go bring in the laundry from the balcony!” Mom shoved me, then turned and walked towards the kitchen. “We’re having noodles for lunch. Fry three fried eggs. Kevin gets an extra one.” Just like always, there were no fried eggs for me. But this time, I didn’t complain. Instead, I walked silently to the balcony, already planning my renovation. My room was only about 65 square feet, but it was enough to transform into a mini-shelter. In my past life, when the apocalypse hit, our whole family huddled in the master bedroom because there was an old electric heater in there. But in temperatures of negative sixty degrees Fahrenheit, that bit of heat was completely useless. The midday sun was blindingly fierce. I mechanically gathered the clothes, all the while observing the building’s structure. We lived on the top floor, the sixth. There was no rooftop access, and the buildings were spaced far apart. This was both an advantage and a disadvantage: it would be hard for anyone to breach from the roof, but insulation was absolutely critical. “Avery, get me an ice-cold cola!” My brother Kevin’s voice drifted from the living room. I turned and saw him sprawled on the couch, playing on his phone, his T-shirt pulled up to reveal his pale, soft belly. In my past life, he was the first to suggest kicking me out: “She’s so smart; she’ll definitely find food.” I silently grabbed a cola from the fridge. As I handed it to him, I deliberately let the condensation from the bottle drip onto his phone. “Are you blind?!” He jumped up, suddenly enraged, and shoved me. I was prepared, sidestepping easily. He, however, stumbled from the force of his own push. “Avery! You made Kevin angry again!” Mom rushed out of the kitchen, a rolling pin still covered in flour in her hand. “He didn’t hold it steady himself.” I said calmly, watching Mom immediately turn to comfort Kevin, stroking his head as if he were a three-year-old. Fifteen-year-old Kevin, spoiled rotten, was a literal overgrown baby. Dad didn’t come home for lunch. He was a small manager at the district power company, always acting high and mighty outside. In my past life, when the apocalypse hit, he was the first to snatch the canned food I’d found. At 2 PM, after confirming Mom had taken Kevin to tutoring, I immediately got to work. Mr. Henderson arrived with two workers, hauling in materials: A blast-proof door, double-layered tempered glass, insulation wool, soundproofing panels… “Little lady, are you building a panic room?” Mr. Henderson chuckled, wiping sweat from his brow. “We had a break-in,” I said, reciting my rehearsed lie. “My parents are busy with work, so they asked me to oversee the renovation.” During the three hours of construction, my palms were sweating from nerves, terrified my family would return unexpectedly. The workers, though curious, worked incredibly fast, spurred on by the extra payment. When the last insulation panel was installed, my small room had been transformed into a solid, insulated box. “This room could probably withstand a bomb now,” Mr. Henderson half-joked. “But little lady, are you sure you want to stay in here in this heat?” I smiled and paid them an extra five hundred dollars for their hard work. The moment they left, I began arranging the interior. The bed was pushed into a corner, making space for stockpiled supplies. My desk became a workstation. The closet was packed with cold-weather gear. Finally, I installed a simple deadbolt on the inside of the door. This was a lesson learned with my life. At 6 PM, I took a taxi straight to a wholesale warehouse supermarket on the city outskirts. Pushing two shopping carts, I swept through the aisles like a madwoman bracing for the end of the world: Twenty cases of bottled water, thirty bags of emergency rations, fifty cans of meat, five ten-kilogram bags of rice, solid alcohol fuel, first-aid medicines, vitamin tablets, freeze-dried vegetables… “Student, are you opening a convenience store?” the cashier asked curiously as she scanned my items. “School summer camp,” I quickly made up an excuse, my eyes glued to the time on my phone. 6:47 PM. Less than five hours until the apocalypse. In the delivery truck on the way back, the driver kept glancing at me in the rearview mirror. “Little lady, buying so much stuff. Are you moving?” “Yeah,” I mumbled, looking out at the bustling crowds. How many of these laughing, chatting people would survive tonight? News reports from my past life said the first wave of cold killed a third of the city’s population. When I finally hauled the last of my supplies into my room, it was already pitch dark. Dad, uncharacteristically, was home for dinner. He frowned as I walked in. “Haven’t seen you all day. Where have you been messing around?” “Friend’s gathering.” I kept my head down and hurried towards my room. “Stop right there!” Dad slammed his chopsticks on the table. “You’re getting more and more disrespectful. Can’t you even say hello when you see people?” I turned around, seeing three pairs of eyes fixed on me. Kevin still had food stuck to the corner of his mouth, his eyes full of malicious glee. “Dad, Mom, Kevin, I’m back.” I recited the words mechanically, then slipped into my room and locked the door without waiting for a response. Angry curses from Dad and Mom’s soothing voice drifted from outside the door, but none of it mattered anymore. It was 8:00 PM exactly. Four hours until the apocalypse. The first thing I did was switch the AC from cooling to heating, setting the temperature to the highest, 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot air immediately blasted from the vent, and the room temperature began to climb. In less than three minutes, the knocking started, just as I’d expected. “Avery! What the hell are you doing?! Turning on the heater in this weather?!” Dad roared from outside, the doorknob rattling violently. I didn’t respond, continuing to check my supply list. Drinking water, food, medicine, warm gear… Everything was in order. Most importantly, the small diesel generator and ten barrels of diesel, hidden in a secret compartment under my bed. “Electricity isn’t free, you know? Turn that off!” Dad started banging on the door with his fists. “Too much studying has fried your brain! Hope you roast, you psycho!” Kevin’s mocking voice rang out, followed by a dull thud as he kicked the door. “Can’t even use an AC right!” Mom’s voice was the most piercing: “Open this door, or you’re sleeping in the hallway! We don’t need such an undutiful daughter!” I sat on the edge of my bed, feeling the rising temperature in the room. Even as sweat trickled down my forehead and into my collar, a smile unconsciously spread across my lips. This time, it was you who were locked outside. I stared at the clock on my phone: 11:59 PM. The final minute. Sweat had already soaked through my T-shirt. The room thermometer showed 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but I stubbornly kept the heater on. This was necessary preparation: When the extreme cold arrived, a well-insulated room would cool down slowly, not instantly freeze. The numbers flickered, then reset to zero. 12:00 AM A strange, eerie silence suddenly enveloped the entire world. The chirping of cicadas, the hum of cars, even the sound of the wind – everything vanished in that moment.

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I woke up to my boss handing me half a billion dollars. In a rush of adrenaline, I blurted out, “Hubby!” He just chuckled, a glint in his eye. “Only half a billion and you’re calling me ‘hubby’? What if it was five billion, would you marry me then?” My eyes widened. “Is that even an option?” **1** Early that morning, a text notification jolted me awake. Still half-asleep, I picked up my phone, then practically shot up from bed the moment I saw it. My bank account. Half a billion dollars. The sender? My boss, Damon Thorne. Was my boss kidnapped? Did he lose his mind? Why would he randomly send me half a billion? My hand trembled as I dialed Damon Thorne’s number. The second he picked up, my nerves got the best of me, and I stammered, “B-b-b-boss… hubby…” The moment the word left my lips, I wanted to bite my tongue off. Just because half a billion landed in my account didn’t mean I could abandon my principles and call my boss “hubby.” There was a long silence on the other end. “What? I just gave you half a billion and you’re calling me ‘hubby’ already?” Me: “…” My bad, sir! My bad! “Five minutes. I’m waiting downstairs.” Classic domineering CEO vibe. I rushed downstairs. A Rolls-Royce was parked by the entrance—the same car I’d helped him choose. I stood in front of the car, bowing slightly. “Good morning, Boss.” Inside, a man with sharp features and an undeniable aura of power sat. He gave me a cool glance, then his thin lips parted. “Get in.” My heart hammered in my chest as I cautiously slid inside. “Starting today, until midnight on the 10th of next month, you must spend all half a billion dollars I’ve given you.” His words were concise. Me: “?” He added, “Don’t ask why. Just spend the money. If you fail to complete the task…” His eyes narrowed slightly. “You’ll have hell to pay.” I instinctively touched my neck, a shiver running down my spine. Half a billion dollars! This wasn’t just a few thousand. I was just an average person; I’d never seen so much money. How was I even supposed to spend it all? I had absolutely no clue. “Can I buy a house?” I asked cautiously. He shook his head. “No. Property purchases are invalid.” “Then, stocks?” “Stock purchases are invalid.” “What about—” My boss seemed annoyed by my questions. He simply tossed a document at me. I opened it and my face just fell. It was full of legal jargon, but the gist was clear: “I cannot use this half a billion to generate personal assets, nor can I donate it…” This was impossible! “Boss, what am I supposed to do then?” Damon was ruthless. “I’m only responsible for giving you the money. The rest is up to you.” He gave me a month off from work. My sole task for that month was to spend all half a billion. Not a single cent could be left in the account. I sent a SnapChat to my best friend, Chloe, asking for help: *Hey, girl, how do I spend money?* *Spend what money? You’re the kind of person who only has five bucks and change in your account, can’t even get extra cheese on your bagel!* I paused for a moment: *Actually, I probably have enough money to buy every bagel shop in the world now. Chloe, calm down. I need to tell you something. I have half a billion dollars.* Chloe: *What kind of dream are you having in broad daylight?* I screenshotted my bank balance and sent it to her. Five minutes later, Chloe replied. *Alright, smarty pants, you’ve learned to Photoshop. And it’s not April Fool’s Day, sis.* *I’m not lying! I really have half a billion.* Chloe rushed over to my place. After calling the bank and confirming I wasn’t joking, her eyes looked at me differently. Her eyes practically screamed, “Sugar Mama, feed me!” “There’s a job for you. Are you interested?” I asked. I raised my hand. “I’ll pay you this much.” Chloe: “Five thousand a month?” I replied, “Five million a month.” Chloe nearly fainted. When she came to, she grabbed my hand. “Girl, from today on, you’re my breadwinner, my lifeline!” **2** I immediately transferred five million to Chloe and had her sign a contract. Because every dollar I spent, and how I spent it, had to be accounted for. After Chloe left, I was about to take a shower and get into bed to figure out my next spending strategy when Damon called. “How come you only spent five million today?” *Only!* “Boss, I’ll try harder tomorrow.” He was silent for a moment, then patiently asked, “What did you do today?” I dutifully explained everything. His tone on the other end seemed to relax. “Looks like you haven’t become completely brain-dead from following me around all these years. You know how to think outside the box. Keep it up.” The next day, Chloe excitedly called me. “I’ve thought of a great way to spend money!” “What is it?” “Rent a yacht.” Have you ever been on a luxury yacht? I have. With my boss. He was invited to some yacht party, and I went with him. Looking at the incredibly lavish yacht, my mouth hung open wide enough to fit a golf ball. I casually asked my boss, “How much does a yacht like this cost?” He replied indifferently, “Probably over a hundred million.” If buying a yacht cost over a hundred million, how much would renting one cost? The yacht manager looked me and Chloe up and down, a hint of disdain in his eyes. “Our yachts, even if we rent them out, have a strict vetting process.” “What’s the vetting process?” Chloe asked cautiously. The manager snorted. “Minimum capital verification of ten million dollars.” I handed him my phone. The yacht manager’s face instantly went green. His attitude did a complete 180-degree turn. “Oh, my! You’re clearly a young lady from a prominent family! Such elegance! You want to rent a yacht for a birthday party, right? I can arrange it for you.” I waved him off. “No need. What’s your highest daily rental fee?” “Three hundred thousand a day.” “That’s too little. How about five hundred thousand a day, and I’ll rent it for ten days?” The yacht manager looked incredulous. “Five hundred thousand?” “Do you think it’s too little? Then I’ll add another hundred thousand a day.” The deal was smoothly closed. After signing the rental agreement, I held the contract, deep in worry. “Spending money is exhausting.” Chloe gave me a thumbs-up. “I used to think you were timid and meek, like a frightened little bird. I never expected you to be so domineering when spending money!” I didn’t want to be. Last night, I had a nightmare. I dreamed I hadn’t spent the half a billion in a month, and my boss was looking at me with a sinister glare, holding a cleaver, saying he’d chop me into a million pieces if I didn’t spend the money. I woke up crying. Then I checked my bank balance and cried even harder. I had to speed up my spending. The moment I transferred the money, my boss called. “What have you done?” Ugh. I suspected my boss had nothing better to do all day than watch my account. “N-nothing, I promise. I’ll spend the money strictly according to the rules in the contract. Don’t worry.” I told Chloe to contact our high school classmates to prepare for the party. Chloe contacted a bunch of people, but they all thought I was joking. Chloe asked me what to do. I pondered for a moment. “Just tell them that everyone who comes will get a one hundred thousand dollar gift envelope.” Chloe didn’t understand my logic. She was supposed to be my assistant. I explained, “It’s my birthday today. They’re coming to my birthday party. If they give me a fifty-dollar gift, I should give them something back, right?” Chloe gave me another thumbs-up. “Your way of thinking is truly bizarre.” The next day, looking at the overwhelming crowd, I twitched my lips. “I remember our class only had fifty people, right? Isn’t this a bit too many?” **3** Chloe laughed. “It’s fine if they’re from the same school!” I nodded. “Whatever. The more, the merrier. One more person means I can spend another hundred thousand. Worth it. Count the number of people, and we’ll hand out the gift envelopes later.” Chloe thumped her chest. “With that humble-bragging tone, consider it handled!” That evening, the yacht was brightly lit and buzzing with activity. I stood on the deck, holding a glass of champagne, gazing into the distance, and sighed deeply. “I used to only think making money was hard. Now I realize spending money is even harder.” A sarcastic voice drifted over. “A country bumpkin, no matter how dressed up, is still a country bumpkin. What are you trying to prove?” That familiar voice. I turned around and saw my high school nemesis, Tiffany Woods. Tiffany came from a wealthy family and was always the center of attention in class. She looked down on “poor people” like me, so she’d bully me constantly. Sometimes she’d corner me in the restroom, sometimes she’d rip my test papers, sometimes she’d throw my backpack in the water. I always—endured it. Because my mom used to say, “Child, our family has no backing. We came from the countryside. Just bear with it. Studying hard is the most important thing.” What could I do? When I couldn’t bear it anymore, I just endured it more. But my endurance only led to Tiffany’s bullying escalating. How did Chloe invite that menace? “What’s wrong? Did you win the lottery?” I eyed her. “Yeah, are you jealous?” I subtly looked her over, then casually remarked, “Your bracelet looks pretty expensive, doesn’t it?” She preened like a peacock. “Of course! This bracelet is a limited edition.” My bad, I had one too. Just the genuine article. Of course, I rented it. But the cost of renting it for one day was enough to buy that bracelet. My heart squeezed, like taking a sip of soda straight from the fridge. A sharp pang hit me, then a wave of pure relief. But then I thought, this isn’t my money. Why should I feel a pang? I deliberately rotated my wrist. “Ugh, why does my hand feel so sore?” Chloe appeared at just the right moment. “Oh my god, why are there two identical bracelets?” Chloe’s loud voice attracted a crowd. I put on an innocent act. “I don’t know! Maybe mine’s a fake? When I flew on a private jet to pick it up a while ago, the sales associate told me it was one-of-a-kind in the world.” Chloe and I played along. “You know, high-end knock-offs are getting really good these days!” Everyone’s eyes weren’t blind; they could tell the real thing from the fake at a glance. Under everyone’s scornful gazes, Tiffany ran away with her tail between her legs. I figured she wouldn’t dare show her face in public for a long time. Spending several million to get my revenge was definitely worth it. As for why I was wearing *that* bracelet? Coincidence? No way. If I hadn’t done my research beforehand, I wouldn’t have gone to such lengths for this stunt. The way she humiliated me back then, I was going to make her embarrass herself in front of everyone now. “Smiling so happily? Did you find some money?” A familiar voice came from not far away. That voice. My scalp tightened. Damon Thorne emerged from the shadows, looking at me with a half-smile. “You spent millions renting a bracelet just to show off?” Oh, crap. Was he here to settle accounts? Didn’t he say I could spend the half a billion however I wanted? Why was he coming back to haunt me now? “Good evening, Boss.” He glanced around, a slight curl of his lips. “So this is how you spend money, Riley Morgan. I’m impressed. You used to be so timid and frugal, and now with half a billion, you’ve completely let loose.” My tongue slipped. “It’s all thanks to you, Boss!” He shot me a side-eye. I quickly corrected myself. “No, no, Boss, I’m just diligently spending money to meet your expectations!” He looked at me quietly, then said, “Just be careful with that bracelet. Don’t scratch or bump it. And remember to return it when you’re done.” “Yes, sir!” Seeing that Damon wasn’t leaving, my smile became a little strained. “Boss, it’s getting late?” **4** He nodded. “I know.” You know? Then why aren’t you leaving? Do you want me to invite you to stay the night? “So, Boss, good night?” I was already hinting so obviously. My boss let out an exaggerated yawn. “It is late. Take me to my room.” I was completely petrified. “You’re staying overnight on the yacht?” He smiled. “What’s wrong? I contributed fifty dollars for your birthday, and I even brought a gift. Don’t I have the right to stay overnight on the yacht? Oh, and don’t forget to send me my hundred thousand dollar gift envelope later.” I wanted to cry. Goodbye, my cute younger guys. I had planned to party all night with them. Now, they had all turned into sea foam. “Why do you look a little disappointed?” Damon watched me with amusement. I gave a dry laugh. “Haha, not at all, not at all! Boss, it’s an honor to have you at my birthday party!” “Flatterer.” He rolled his eyes at me. I rented the yacht for ten days, but I couldn’t party all night, every night. Because I had to spend money quickly. After Chloe handled the yacht arrangements, she followed me onto a private jet, loaded with bags. It was Chloe’s first time on a private jet, and she was as excited as a giddy ape. I, however, had grown accustomed to it. Before, I was serving my boss. Now, others were serving me. For the first half of my life, my travels were limited to company team-building trips. Bali, Maldives, Provence—to me, they were just names associated with money. But now, we chartered a private jet and visited every place we wanted to see. We enjoyed the highest level of luxury. We stayed in presidential suites. We ate gourmet food. But after all the fun, a deep sense of emptiness settled in. I don’t know if you’ve ever felt this way. When you were a kid, you craved ice cream. You’d think about it constantly, even study incredibly hard to get a perfect score just to earn it. But once you finally had it… It just felt… average. I lay on the soft bed and asked Chloe, “How much money have we spent so far?” “All in all, about twenty million.” I covered my face and sighed deeply. “Why is spending money so hard?” Damon also came to check on my progress. And he didn’t just call; he came in person. I couldn’t sleep that night, planning to use the moonlight to seriously brainstorm how to spend more money. But then, my boss already occupied the best spot. Seeing his tall, slender figure, I froze. “B-b-b-boss?” He turned around, moonlight falling on him. In the shadows, his dark eyes seemed to absorb the night, making his emotions unreadable. “I’m only thirty. Not old yet.” he said. “You’re not… stalking me, are you?” He said indifferently, “I’m not that bored. I’m here on a business trip, and I thought I’d observe your spending progress. But your spending speed is really too slow. You have less than twenty days left, and you still have over four hundred million to spend.” My head ached. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Boss, why do you insist on giving me half a billion and making me spend it in a month, with so many rules? Are you playing some kind of game?” He pursed his lips. “Don’t ask too many questions. In short, the money I gave you is clean. Spend it without worry.” Well, that put my mind at ease. He was so rich, half a billion was probably a drop in the ocean to him. “Boss, spending money is so tiring.” I complained to him without thinking. His eyes seemed to hold starlight, and he wasn’t as strict as usual. “You seem to be having a lot of fun spending it.” “Think bigger.” He patted my shoulder. “Besides having fun, you can do other things.” A thought sparked in my mind. “Boss, do you mean I can get some boy toys—” His eyes instantly became extremely dangerous, his voice like it was forced out through gritted teeth. “You can try.” I instinctively shrank my neck. I was just joking. Why did he look like he was about to chop me up and feed me to dogs? What was he so jealous about? But his words gave me an idea. Eating, drinking, and playing—even if I burned through money, it would be too slow. Why didn’t I invest in a movie? A single investment of several hundred million. Wouldn’t that be fast? The next day, I headed back, bringing my party-crazed best friend with me. Knowing I wanted to invest in a movie, Chloe was a little worried. “Didn’t your boss say this half a billion couldn’t generate personal assets?”

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After five years with Chloe, it felt like she only saw me as her personal ATM. She brought her ex-boyfriend, Liam, who had the mental capacity of an eight-year-old, back to our home. She claimed Liam thought she was his mother and that she had to take responsibility for him until his memory returned. To keep him happy, she spent my money taking him on trips. She’d forget our anniversaries but always remembered his birthday, and she’d demand I grovel and apologize to him without even knowing what happened. She even forced our engagement ring off my finger and gave it to him, just because he said he liked it. My heart was utterly crushed. I decided to give up. But then, when I moved on with someone else, Chloe looked at me with red-rimmed eyes and asked, “Can’t you… please not marry her?” 0 One evening, Chloe and I were kissing passionately on the bed, just about to get more intimate. Suddenly, her ex-boyfriend, Liam, burst through the bedroom door. Chloe glanced at the doorway, frantic, and tried to escape my embrace. She even shoved me away forcefully. I was caught off guard and tumbled off the bed, my head hitting the floor with a painful thud. But Chloe didn’t even notice my condition. She walked straight to a whimpering Liam and gently asked him, “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Liam buried his face in Chloe’s arms, crying aggrievedly: “I had a nightmare again. I dreamt Mom didn’t want me anymore. “Mom said I wasn’t Uncle’s child, and Uncle didn’t like me, so Mom was going to throw me away. “I’m so scared. What should I do?” The “Uncle” Liam kept talking about was me. Even though he claimed he had amnesia and called Chloe “Mom,” he stubbornly insisted I wasn’t his dad; I was just “Uncle.” A bad uncle trying to steal his “Mom.” I stood rooted to the spot, stunned. Watching Chloe gently pat his back. Listening to her soft reassurances: “Don’t be scared, I’m right here. “No one dares to throw you away, not even Uncle. “Mommy always loves our little Liam the most.” I was supposed to be her boyfriend. But at that moment, I felt as superfluous as a stranger. My girlfriend was cupping another man’s face, telling him she loved him the most. A bitter ache spread through my chest. I clenched my fists, my nails almost digging into my palms. The next second, I watched Liam kiss Chloe’s cheek. The veins in my forehead pulsed with fury. When Liam’s crying finally subsided, he let go of Chloe. He looked at me with a hint of apology, then said: “I’m sorry, Uncle Alex. “I was too scared, that’s why I lost control and kissed Mommy in front of you. “You don’t mind, do you? You’re just a normal boyfriend. I’m Mommy’s precious baby.” Of course, I minded, but what could I do? Liam and Chloe used to date. After they broke up, they still worked at the same company. It just so happened that during a company retreat, they were involved in a car accident. Liam shielded Chloe with his body but was knocked unconscious by the impact. So, Liam was Chloe’s lifesaver. A few days ago, Liam finally woke up, but he had amnesia. His mind had regressed to that of a child. He couldn’t remember anyone but insisted Chloe was his “Mommy.” And Chloe actually agreed to play “Mommy,” bringing him home to care for him. Originally, I was against it. But Chloe said: “Liam saved my life. “Now he doesn’t remember anything, and he only thinks I’m his mother. He has no one but me. I can’t just abandon him. “If you’re going to be so petty and can’t understand, then I’ll just move to the company dorm with him.” Clearly, this “son” Liam was more important to her than I was. My heart just seized up. A suffocating pain wrapped around me, like thorny vines. Chloe and I were never on equal footing from the start. She was proud, but also stunningly beautiful and from a privileged background. Countless guys chased after her. I was the one who fell for her first. I shamelessly pursued her for half a year before she finally agreed to be my girlfriend. In front of her, I had always been humble. I didn’t want to lose her. So, no matter how reluctant I was, I put up with it. However, Chloe’s indulgence towards Liam far exceeded my expectations. She allowed Liam to place their joint photo right in the center of the living room bookshelf. In the picture, Liam was smiling brightly, linking arms with Chloe. And Chloe had a tender smile gracing her lips. It was a total eyesore. Chloe’s expression darkened, and she said coldly: “I’m just taking a picture with my son. Are you going to be jealous about that too? “You weren’t like this when you were chasing me. You know I don’t like controlling, narrow-minded men.” Her sharp tone made my eyes sting with tears. Her brow furrowed deeper, a clear sign of annoyance. “Don’t be so dramatic. I don’t like it.” When Liam cried, she would gently comfort him. When it was me, she just found it annoying. I swallowed the lump of hurt in my throat, the pain in my heart growing heavier. A few days later, Liam suddenly wanted to travel. Chloe called me for money, saying she wanted to go on a trip. I thought Chloe wanted a romantic getaway with me, so I happily transferred her $200,000 for the trip and even hired a caregiver and nanny for Liam. However, I waited and waited in my office but heard nothing from Chloe. Then, the caregiver called. Chloe and Liam weren’t home. A terrible possibility echoed in my mind, so I called Chloe. “Hello? What do you want?” Her voice was impatient. “Where are you now?” I asked cautiously. “Didn’t I tell you? I’m traveling. If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.” And she did. My heart suddenly felt like it had been punched, a bitter ache spreading through me. Just then, my phone chimed with a text message. “So sorry, Uncle! Mommy and I are traveling!” The unfamiliar number sent a picture: Chloe and Liam wearing matching outfits, holding hands, sitting on chairs at an airport. They were incredibly close. “Mommy and I are clearly wearing matching parent-child outfits, but so many people said we looked like a couple and called us sweet.” “Uncle, why didn’t Mommy bring you on the trip? France is beautiful.” Every day after that, I received messages from that strange number. Sometimes it was photos of them eating together, sometimes videos of them holding hands, even pictures of them gazing at each other in front of the Eiffel Tower, or kissing each other’s forehead. Even… a photo of them lying together on a white hotel sheet. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I called Chloe to confront her: “So you took the money I gave you to travel with him? What about me? I’m your boyfriend. Did you even think about me when you were lying in bed with him?” “Why are you yelling? I told you, he just sees me as his mom, and I only see him as a child. Can you stop being so sensitive?” “No matter how immature his mind is, he’s still an adult man. What if—” “You just love to maliciously speculate about people. Now you’re talking about ‘my money’ and ‘your money’ so clearly. When you were chasing me, you said you’d spend all the money you earned on me. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” “But I—” “I’m not like you, breaking promises and being irresponsible. I promised I’d take responsibility for him, and I will. If you can accept it, fine. If not, then let’s break up.” “No… don’t break up… have fun…” I knew she couldn’t see me on the other end of the phone, but I still forced out a difficult smile. “Can we go to the Seine River tomorrow?” I heard Liam’s whining voice on the phone. “Of course, honey. Whatever makes you happy. Just get well soon.” Chloe’s voice was so incredibly gentle, I had never heard her speak like that to me. Listening to their laughter through the phone, my chest tore with pain. What was I to Chloe, really? A dispensable boyfriend? Or an unrequited, ever-giving ATM? A bitter ache and raw despair twisted in my gut. My vision blurred. 0

On the night of our fifth anniversary, I sat alone on the sofa at home. Before me were the anniversary gift I’d bought for Chloe and the elaborate dinner I’d prepared. She and Liam hadn’t returned from their trip yet. *She won’t forget, she always remembered these dates. She cares about them the most.* But even by eleven o’clock, Chloe still hadn’t come back. The food had been reheated several times. *Maybe they couldn’t get a flight, or it’s the time difference… she’ll definitely call.* I murmured, trying to comfort myself. Midnight. She hadn’t returned, no messages. Our anniversary was over. I stared blankly at our SnapChat chat box. Amidst the sea of green, only a few emojis were from her. The last time she sent me a message was half a month ago. Just then, my phone finally chimed with a notification. I eagerly picked it up, but my smile froze. It was Liam. The message contained photos of him and Chloe at Disneyland. In the pictures, they were beaming, cheeks pressed tightly together, looking sweeter than a couple deeply in love. “Uncle, Mommy and I went to Disneyland today! Uncle, you haven’t been with her, have you? Uncle isn’t mad, right?” “Uncle, Mommy said she won’t be back for another two days, because tomorrow’s my birthday, and Mommy wants to stay longer and give me a surprise.” “So Uncle will have to wait a bit longer. Anyway, Uncle won’t mind, right? Uncle isn’t petty enough to argue with a child, is he?” I put down my phone and ignored it. For the first time, large tears rolled down my face. I ate the already cold food ravenously. The thought of Chloe perhaps eating or playing with Liam at that very moment made my stomach churn with disgust. 0

A week later, they finally returned. I walked through the door of our home and saw Liam pounce on Chloe on the sofa. His face was nuzzling her neck, and she was giggling playfully. Rage exploded in my chest. I quickly stepped forward and pulled the two of them apart. “What exactly are you two doing?” “Doing what? Were we doing anything inappropriate?” Chloe said, her voice dripping with self-righteousness. I was about to retort when I noticed a ring on Liam’s hand. “What is this?” I grabbed his hand and forcefully yanked the ring off. “You gave him our engagement ring?” “Mommy, Uncle is so mean! He hurt me!” “He just thought it looked pretty and wanted to wear it. Why are you so aggressive? You scared him! Apologize right now!” With that, she actually came straight for me, trying to forcibly take the ring from my hand to give back to Liam. Feeling my resistance, she let go, her voice impatient: “Can you be reasonable for once? Either we talk, or we break up.” Seeing Chloe’s self-righteousness and her unwavering defense of Liam, I was utterly crushed. “Fine. Break up then. I won’t apologize. It’s not my fault.” “Don’t you dare regret this. Even if you beg me later, there’ll be no going back for us,” Chloe said, her face grim, staring at me coldly. The disappointment and pure disgust in her eyes were crystal clear. “I won’t.” I calmly took off the ring from my finger, placed it on the table, and turned to leave this woman who had become so utterly foreign to me. Five years of dating, and even though I knew Chloe’s feelings for me were barely a tenth of mine for her, I still loved her fiercely and without reservation. Because I loved her, I indulged her, tolerated all her little tantrums. Whether it was money or anything else, I always tried my best to satisfy her. But I never expected her to take it for granted, to trample on my sincere feelings again and again, even giving our engagement ring to Liam just because he liked it. A suffocating pain wrapped around my heart, tightening its grip until I could barely breathe. I swallowed the lump of hurt in my throat, digging my nails into my palms, trying to stay composed. Let’s break up. Because I loved her, for five years, I tolerated all her bad temper and occasional cold shoulders. I endured her indulgence and favoritism towards Liam, and Liam’s deliberate provocations. I never thought it would lead to this. What man could tolerate his girlfriend unconditionally favoring her ex-boyfriend, even turning on him for the ex’s sake? It’s better to just let it go. Loving her was truly exhausting. After moving into my new apartment, I received a message from her. “Send me some money. I’m taking Liam out for dinner tonight and I’m short.” Even though she had broken up with me, she still came to me for money, ordering me around with that same sense of entitlement. But Chloe, we’ve broken up. We have nothing to do with each other anymore. This is where it ends for us.

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When my friend sent me a video from a private lounge at a high-end club, I was watching the recording of my daughter’s kindergarten performance. In the video, my wife, Chloe, had her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, and beside her was her childhood sweetheart, Blake. Amidst the deafening music, Blake leaned in and kissed her. Around them, friends screamed and cheered them on. Chloe didn’t push him away. In fact, as he pulled back, she drunkenly licked her lips. The camera shook, sweeping across scattered items on the floor—it was her Hermès bag, zipper wide open, revealing a picture of our family of three inside. I turned off the video and called her. Her sweet, yet slightly impatient voice came through: “It was just a game, Liam. You’re not going to be petty about it, are you?” I smiled. Then I’d show her just how petty I could be. Games, after all, come with consequences. I texted my fund manager directly. The next second, Chloe’s call came through, which I promptly ignored. She called my assistant next. Mark politely replied, “My apologies, Ms. Henderson, Mr. Hayes is currently with an important client.” Playing hard to get? As if I couldn’t play that game too. Within half an hour, my office door was violently thrown open. Chloe, in her high heels, stormed over to me, her face contorted with rage, and slammed her phone onto my desk. “Liam Hayes, are you insane?! Stellar Tech was supposed to be our family business, Henderson Corp’s, next big acquisition! Are you trying to destroy us by shorting it now?!” The elegant and poised Chloe, who always presented herself as the epitome of grace, lost her composure for the first time in front of me, looking like a furious, scorned woman—all for her childhood sweetheart. I slowly set down my fountain pen and looked up at her beautiful face, twisted by anger. “You have twenty minutes.” “What?” “Kick him out of your car, then send that car to be destroyed,” I said calmly. “That passenger seat is where my daughter always sits, *her* spot.” Ten minutes later, Mark sent me a photo. Chloe’s white Maserati was being fed into the massive compressor of a metal recycling plant. I immediately notified my fund manager: “Close out the position and transfer all profits to a charity foundation.” Then, I sent Chloe a picture. The landscape painting in her study—her most treasured piece, a priceless, one-of-a-kind masterpiece by a famous artist—was now my canvas. I’d drawn a ridiculous turtle on it with a marker. “Chloe, this is also a game. Remember, this is your first warning. Next time, you’ll face the consequences.” On Chloe’s end, there was dead silence. I knew she must be absolutely furious. But I was even angrier. Our marriage began with love. I had single-handedly supported the nearly bankrupt Henderson Corp, turning Chloe from a sheltered heiress into a renowned beautiful CEO in the business world. I thought our relationship was solid as bedrock. But she, with her own hands, had smashed a crack through it. The millions that evaporated in an instant? That was just the beginning. That night, Chloe didn’t come home. The next day, I had Mark dig up all the information on Blake, then headed directly to the private club where they’d arranged to meet.

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