Author: Momo Chan

The day of the class reunion, my CEO husband deliberately lost a game. With his buddies egging him on, he was ready to get his marriage license with his first love and post about it on SnapChat. Everyone in the room started cheering, and my husband impatiently pulled out the divorce papers, demanding my cooperation. “It’s just a game, don’t take it too seriously.” I stayed silent for a long time. Everyone thought I was about to explode. Instead, I took the divorce papers and said calmly, “A divorce is fine, but I need you to do three things.” He agreed instantly, rushing me to sign, even eagerly promising, “Forget three things, I’ll do three hundred if you just sign. And when we get remarried, I’ll give you a lavish wedding!” But he had no idea. The moment he decided to divorce me, my mission had already failed, and I was about to be eradicated by the System. Only by completing the three tasks the System assigned could I survive. Watching me sign, my husband, Jackson Hayes, gleefully put away the divorce papers. Everyone exchanged glances, a smirk of satisfaction playing on their faces. It was only then that I understood. This class reunion was an elaborate trap, set just for me. On the virtual screen behind Jackson, four blood-red words screamed: “CONQUEST FAILED.” The System’s electronic voice drilled into my mind: “Host, only by remaining married to your conquest target for seven years can you offset the cost of a life-for-a-life deal. You are now an hour and a half short of seven years. In 48 hours, you will be eradicated.” Its tone shifted. “However, seeing your pathetic state, if you complete three tasks within the deadline, you can survive.” “Now, initiating Task One.” “Make Jackson Hayes confess his love to you in public.” I let out a laugh. I’d just signed the divorce papers, and now the System wanted him to confess his love to me? Ashley Miller stood up, her pretty face tight. “Jackson, if you agree to Chloe’s unreasonable demands because of me, then I’m willing to be punished! I’ll drink three shots of tequila!” Jackson’s eyes were filled with heartache. “It’s fine. She can’t cause any trouble.” I gave a self-deprecating laugh. Seven years ago, on our wedding day, Jackson had planned to run away for love, but Ashley had run off with all his savings. After that, he became convinced I was behind it, and we’d been at odds ever since. Childhood sweethearts turned bitter rivals. I thought that if I just truly loved him, I could eventually win him over. In the last two years, he had almost accepted our situation. He even knew to come home early to celebrate our wedding anniversary. But then, Ashley came back. That’s when I realized he’d never forgotten her. He even orchestrated this whole setup just to marry her. He’d even forgotten that today was our seventh wedding anniversary. Now, the seven stolen years were finally to be returned. But I still wanted to live. I spoke up. “Jackson Hayes, the first thing I want you to do is confess to me.” “Confess to me exactly how you confessed to Ashley Miller back then.” Jackson froze, his eyes wide with disbelief. The private room erupted. “Chloe, don’t be ridiculous! You’ve already signed the divorce papers, there’s no need to be so petty and embarrass Jackson!” “Jackson, don’t listen to her nonsense! She’s just trying to cause trouble!” It was ironic. These people had received countless favors from me, and now, seeing the Hayes Corporation’s growing influence, they wouldn’t stop mocking me. Ashley’s face was flushed with indignation. “Chloe, you really are just messing with him! Jackson, I won’t let you suffer this humiliation!” My nominal husband confessing to me was a humiliation in her eyes? I coldly surveyed the room, then yawned. “I’m talking to Jackson Hayes. Is it your place to interrupt?” “Jackson Hayes, if you don’t confess, I’m leaving. I won’t even bother getting the divorce certificate.” Having been together for years, I knew his temper. His brows furrowed, and he said impatiently, “I thought you were being sensible today. Turns out you just came up with a new trick. If I confess, you’ll obediently go get the divorce certificate?” It seemed he was truly desperate to marry Ashley and make it official. “Yes.” Jackson’s face darkened. He spoke as if bracing for death. “Chloe, be with me. I’ll buy you two bottles of milk every day and warm them with my body heat, so you always drink them at room temperature…” Ashley’s eyes welled up with tears. She murmured, “Jackson, you still remember.” Everyone in the room couldn’t help but applaud, marveling at Jackson’s deep affection, how after eight years, he still remembered the moment he confessed to Ashley. As the two stared into each other’s eyes, their gazes growing more intimate, I felt my stomach churn. I left my seat. “I have to go. Something came up.” Behind me, the room erupted in laughter, mocking me for digging my own grave. As I walked out, my best friend, Sarah, who had somehow heard the news, found me at the restaurant. She immediately started yelling. “Did you really sign the divorce papers with Jackson Hayes? Are you crazy? You gave up a marriage with a billionaire’s son to marry him, kneeling until your knees were raw. And now you’re just divorcing him, letting that scumbag Ashley take advantage?” I stayed silent. Back then, the Hayes family was on the verge of bankruptcy. To help Jackson, I abandoned the billionaire’s son and resolutely married him. My parents were furious and disowned me. I was ostracized by my family. As the wife, I couldn’t interfere in any Hayes family affairs, leaving me in an awkward position. But when Ashley returned, Jackson immediately arranged for her to be Vice President, even entrusting her with billions in funds. Love and dislike were truly obvious. My killer heels had chafed my heels raw, and I shifted uncomfortably. I couldn’t help but mock myself. “You think she’s a scumbag, but Jackson treats her like a treasure. What can I do?” Sarah sighed, supporting me and giving me strength. “Men are like shoes. If they don’t fit, we change them!” As she spoke, Jackson came downstairs, lovingly rubbing Ashley’s head. “Ashley, let’s go take our wedding photos first, then buy rings. When we get the license, I’ll pick you up with a thirty-car convoy!” His gaze met mine, and Jackson’s lips thinned into a tight line. His voice was icy. “Chloe, two more things. If you’re playing games, I won’t go easy on you!” I lowered my eyes and gave a bitter laugh. He didn’t know I’d wanted to avoid him for ages. I was only in contact with him to stay alive. Watching him walk away, I called out to the System in my mind. “Is this task completed?” “Barely satisfactory,” the System’s tone remained unchanged. “Now, initiating Task Two.” “Go on a date with Jackson Hayes for one day.”

My foot slipped. “Are you serious? It’s a miracle Jackson can even tolerate me today. If I ask him to go on a date with me, he’ll think I’m just messing with him!” The System was cold. “Host has no right to question. You may choose to abandon the task and be eradicated.” In the dead of night, I tossed and turned, thinking about the System’s task. *Bang!* Jackson kicked open the door, dragging me off the bed. In the darkness, his furious eyes glowed eerily bright. “Are you happy now? Because of the scene you caused today, Ashley went home sick. I took care of her until past midnight before her fever broke!” I pried his hand off me and forced a smile. “It was just a game. Couldn’t you have called it off? Who would actually take a CEO like you seriously?” Jackson choked, then sighed softly. “It was just a game. Why wouldn’t you cooperate?” I said carelessly, “The second thing is, tomorrow, you cancel all your work and spend the day with me.” Jackson’s face instantly turned cold. “Chloe, are you pushing your luck? You’re really taking advantage!” He slammed the bedroom door shut and left. My mouth felt bitter. I knew this would be the outcome. The next morning, he still knocked on my door with a scowl. “I lost a million today because of you. What do you want? Hurry up and say it.” Because of me? More like because he wanted to get his marriage license with Ashley as soon as possible. The System told me the date wasn’t important; the key was for Jackson to spend six continuous hours with me. I took Jackson to the mall to kill time. All the way, he was glued to his phone, never looking up. Occasionally, he would stop at women’s clothing stores or luxury boutiques, waving his hand to buy a lot of things. All of them were for Ashley. In seven years of marriage, he had never bought me anything. The dress I was wearing was pilling from too many washes. To retaliate against me, he even competed with my family’s business. My dad called me a traitor, and the industry blacklisted me. No one knew that despite my outwardly glamorous appearance, I lived on a meager salary from online freelance work. By midday, Jackson was visibly impatient. I quickly took him to a hotpot restaurant. Just as we ordered, his expression changed as he looked at his phone. He made a call, his voice filled with worry and urgency. “How can you not eat? You don’t have an appetite without me there? Okay, I’m coming back now!” He turned, grabbed his jacket, and rushed to leave. “Urgent company matter. I’m heading out.” I knew this had to be Ashley’s doing. “Will you come back?” My task wasn’t finished yet. He thought for a moment, then nodded. “I will.” But I didn’t expect him to come back with Ashley. Jackson carefully looked after Ashley, feeding her and wiping her mouth, like he was nursing a bedridden patient. They looked like an affectionate couple, and I was just a random person sharing their table. Whatever I wanted to eat next, Ashley would point to and demand for herself. I had no appetite and set down my forks. She looked triumphant, saying with exaggerated sweetness, “The dishes Jackson feeds me taste exceptionally sweet…” Under the table, she deliberately stepped on my foot. I hissed in pain, but Jackson ignored it. Fortunately, we only needed to watch a movie to complete the six hours, so I endured her. Who knew there were only two tickets left at the movie theater? Ashley spoke first, her eyes red-rimmed. “Jackson, you and Chloe go watch. I know she’s deliberately using the divorce as an excuse to spend time with you, but it’s okay, I won’t be a third wheel! I’ll leave now!” Jackson panicked, quickly pulling her back. “What are you talking about? Forget this stupid movie. I’ll spend the whole afternoon with you instead. How about I make it up to you?” I said patiently, “Jackson Hayes, just watch one movie with me, and I’ll let you go. I promise I won’t bother you anymore.” But Jackson pushed me away violently, and the popcorn I was holding scattered everywhere. “Chloe, stop acting! I’ve told you I could never like someone as selfish and conceited as you. Ashley is generous and kind and doesn’t blame you, but that doesn’t mean I’ll indulge you. I’ve already been more than generous by spending time with you at the mall today!” He took Ashley’s hand and turned to leave. “Warning! Host is neglecting mission. Electric shock punishment. Please persuade Jackson Hayes to return within one minute.” The next second, a powerful current coursed through my body. I instantly collapsed, my knees hitting the ground with a loud thud, my whole body convulsing. Almost biting through my tongue, I pleaded with all my might, “Jackson Hayes! Please, watch the movie with me, or I’ll die, please…” Jackson whirled around, seeing me on my knees. His pupils contracted, and he instinctively took a step forward. “Jackson, you go. Chloe is usually so healthy, but she suddenly fainted. She must be really sick. Go with her, don’t mind me.” Ashley suddenly spoke. Jackson’s steps halted, his expression turning cold. “Chloe, now you’re faking falls? Don’t pretend to be weak. Don’t make me look down on you even more.” He abandoned me. No matter how I called out, he never looked back. After a long time, the System’s punishment ended. My face was deathly pale, like I’d just been pulled from water. Many people gathered around, offering to take me to the hospital. The System warned me sternly, “Task Two completion is only fifty percent. If Task Three is not perfectly completed, Host, you will still be eradicated.” The panel changed, displaying only one line of text: “Make Jackson Hayes propose to you.” I gave a desolate laugh, losing all strength and collapsing to the ground. This was an impossible task. When I opened my eyes again, I was in the hospital. Sarah rushed to bring me water, her eyes full of sympathy. “The doctor said your organs are failing, and you won’t live more than three days. Does Jackson know? Is this why you’re divorcing him?” I knew this was a side effect of the System’s punishment. Three days? Only twenty-four hours left. I didn’t want to beg and have Jackson pity me. After all, I was once a privileged heiress; I had my pride. I shook my head. “No, Sarah. As a best friend, I want to ask you something. After I die, just tell everyone I went abroad to travel and settle down. Don’t let anyone see how miserably I died.” Sarah’s eyes turned red. She wiped her face. “When the avalanche happened, you saved Jackson Hayes’s life, but he thought Ashley saved him. He misunderstood and tormented you for all these years. You—” My phone on the table rang urgently. It was Jackson. Sarah answered, unable to help but blurt out, “Jackson Hayes, do you know Chloe is sick!”

I struggled to get up and stop her. On the other end of the line, Jackson paused for a second, then scoffed coldly, “Did Chloe tell you to play along? What’s a fall going to do?” “Tell her to hurry up and say the last thing she wants so we can get it over with. I don’t have time for her drama.” Seeing how impatient he was, I took the phone and said seriously, “The third thing is very simple. You just have to propose to me.” *Crash!* A harsh noise came from the other end of the phone, as if something had fallen. Jackson panicked. “Ashley, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me!” The next second, he lashed out at me. “Chloe, are you crazy? Are you out of your mind? I’m not playing with you anymore. Go get the divorce certificate or don’t, I don’t care. Anyway, in thirty days, we’ll be automatically divorced. I’m not like you, I’m not desperate to live. I can wait!” He hung up. My heart ached. I knew Jackson wanted to get rid of me, but I never knew he loathed me so much. The System was still urging me to complete the task. But now, I didn’t even have leverage over him. What else could I do? Fatigue washed over me like a tide. Even if I knelt and begged Jackson, he would just think I was pulling stunts. If that was the case, I might as well die with dignity. With that thought, I called him. He answered impatiently. “If you’re still talking nonsense about wanting me to propose, just go die!” He didn’t know he would speak a prophecy. My voice was flat. “I was just kidding. See you tomorrow morning at the courthouse.” Jackson sounded surprised. “That’s it? You’re being so straightforward? Are you really that kindhearted?” “Don’t want to? Fine then.” “No! You better not be playing games!” He agreed hastily. Nine o’clock in the morning, in front of the courthouse. Jackson started yelling at me for being one minute late. “Chloe, what are you pulling now? You really were faking yesterday. They say bad apples never spoil, you’ll probably live to be a hundred!” His buddies all looked on with mocking expressions. They were all waiting for Jackson and Ashley to get their marriage license, specifically holding confetti ready to celebrate. I found it amusing. In the past, when Jackson and I had agreements, he was never on time, repeatedly breaking promises and intentionally watching me flounder for his amusement. Today, I was only one minute late, and he was so agitated. “Yes, I was on purpose. I’ve changed my mind. The third thing is, I want you to carry me inside to get the divorce certificate!” It was less than a hundred yards from the entrance. Jackson looked at me suspiciously. “That simple?” Ashley still rushed out to object, as if I were committing some heinous crime. “Jackson is a CEO! How can you treat him like a servant and make him carry you? We don’t need this divorce certificate, I’ll wait for Jackson forever!” Everyone else’s faces also turned ugly. “Chloe, you’re too shameless! This is clearly a deliberate obstruction! I think you just don’t want the divorce certificate!” I curved my lips into a smile, perfectly at ease. Jackson, however, said decisively, “Fine. But if you pull any more stunts once we’re inside, I’ll make your life a living hell.” He walked up to me. I jumped onto his back without a second thought. Jackson let out a surprised “Hmm.” I was too light. Frighteningly light. Back then, I had a bold personality. I loved racing, hiking, rock climbing, and my muscle mass was not to be underestimated. He subconsciously asked, “Are you starving yourself?” I said faintly, “Just disgusted by you and Ashley to the point of losing my appetite.” Jackson twisted his lips. “That’s enough, Chloe.” When we got married, he was held down by ten bodyguards as he was dragged into the courthouse, forced to get the marriage certificate, his face filled with disgust. Now, he walked steadily towards the courthouse, step by step, but it was to divorce me. In a daze, I remembered seventeen years ago. Jackson got caught in an avalanche while skiing. I rushed into the snowfield regardless of the danger, my throat raw from shouting, until I finally found him. At that time, he had snow blindness, and his leg was injured, making him unable to stand. I half-carried, half-dragged him down the mountain for a day and a night, even cutting my wrist to feed him my blood to help him regain strength. In a blur, Jackson’s hot tears dripped onto my neck. “You’re so good to me. I’m going to marry you!” I chuckled, coaxing him not to break his promise. By the time we reached the bottom of the mountain, I should have frozen to death from hypothermia. That’s when the System bound itself to me. It said that my love for Jackson was truly great. As long as I could stay married to him for seven years, it would grant me health and longevity. I agreed, secretly thrilled, thinking it was a free pass, and that we would surely be happy. But I didn’t expect that when I woke up again, I would see him confessing to Ashley in front of the entire school. He said he would marry me. But what I waited for was his endless gratitude towards Ashley. I tried to explain, but he didn’t believe me. “The one who saved me was gentle like a goddess. You’re so crude and overbearing, how could it be you!” Snapping back to reality, I whispered into Jackson’s ear, “Jackson Hayes, we’re even now.” He stopped walking. “What did you say?”

My throat tickled, and I coughed up blood. The System’s punishment yesterday had ruined my internal organs. Even as I covered my mouth, a drop of blood splattered onto Jackson’s neck. He roared with rage. “Chloe, are you trying to die? Coughing on my neck, how disgusting! Wipe it off!” I wiped the blood from the corner of my lips, pushed his head back to face forward, and said calmly, “Look straight ahead, don’t look at me.” Jackson quickened his pace, approaching the divorce registration window. Before he could put me down, I jumped off myself, grabbed a tissue, and wiped his neck. He still looked unsatisfied, pulling out tissue after tissue, as if he’d touched something filthy. I couldn’t help but speak. “Jackson Hayes, since you’ve decided to be with Ashley Miller, then don’t let her down.” Jackson frowned, finally looking at me properly. “What are you talking about? It’s only been one day, and you’re already so petty you can’t stand it? Don’t worry, when this game is over, I’ll give you a lavish wedding. I won’t break my promise.” I curved my lips into a weak smile. On the divorce agreement, I fumbled to find the spot to sign. My eyesight was the worst of all my failing organs. Jackson took my finger and pointed to the spot, scoffing, “What’s wrong with your eyes? Are you so sad about divorcing me that you cried yourself blind?” I snorted. “I just got a sty from being exposed to you and Ashley’s sickening display.” Since Ashley returned, I hadn’t bickered with him like this in a long time. Jackson angrily shoved me. “Chloe, you still have such a sharp tongue!” I groaned, taking a moment to recover. His expression suddenly changed. “Are you really sick?” I pretended nothing was wrong. “No. Hurry up and finish the paperwork. I’m planning to travel abroad for a few days. There are plenty of fish in the sea, why obsess over one flower?” Everyone hearing this couldn’t help but snicker, looking at me with expressions that screamed, “Stop acting,” full of disdain. Jackson’s face remained ugly. He suddenly stood up. “No divorce.” “No divorce?” Ashley gasped in surprise, then her eyes welled up with tears, and she said plaintively, “Jackson, if you can’t bear to, it’s okay. I’m willing to be punished. I just have a slight alcohol allergy, I won’t die. I’ll go buy the tequila now!” I was speechless, not understanding what Jackson meant. I deliberately provoked him. “Don’t bother. Or are you really reluctant to let me go?” Jackson, as expected, couldn’t stand the provocation and quickly signed the papers. “If it weren’t for your sickly, pathetic face, I…” He stopped speaking. Then, with a grim face, he took the divorce certificate, turned, and sat down with Ashley at the marriage registration window. Everyone gathered around them, their faces joyful. My business here was done. I turned to leave, but Jackson suddenly called out to me. “Don’t go, wait until Ashley and I get our license and post on SnapChat. Then I’ll marry you again right away!” Divorce then remarry, did he think this was a game? I perfunctorily acknowledged him and walked out of the courthouse. On the virtual screen, the countdown showed thirteen hours left, enough time for me to handle my affairs. But I didn’t expect my vision to turn blood-red. “Host Chloe Davis, mission failed. Detected official divorce. Countdown reset to zero!” I never imagined the System had this up its sleeve. I leaned against the courthouse doorframe and crumpled to the ground.

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Just because my son poured a glass of cold water for the coughing bodyguard, my wife immediately declared he was trying to hurt someone: “Don’t you know cold water makes a cough worse? You’re so young and already trying to harm people. What will you become when you grow up?” My wife grounded Leo and locked him in his room for 24 hours, saying she needed to teach him a lesson. I begged her desperately, explaining that our son had a high fever and urgently needed medical attention. I told her to punish me instead. But Quinn scoffed dismissively: “You’ve spoiled him rotten, letting him run wild. And now he’s faking illness to escape punishment? He needs to be locked up for two more days to learn some discipline.” She was afraid I’d cause trouble, so she locked me in a different room. I slammed myself against the door, not caring about the consequences, but it was too late. Leo died right there, his high fever untreatable. Three days later, as I was packing up Leo’s belongings, Quinn returned from a trip with the bodyguard. She was in a cheerful mood, plucking a single rose from the massive bouquet of 999 roses she’d received from him and handing it to me: “Stop acting. So what if he was grounded for a few days? What could possibly happen? At worst, I’ll take you two on a trip in a couple of days and cheer him up.” But she had no idea our son was dead. And I knew, then and there, that I couldn’t spend another day of my life with her.

Before, if she’d given me a flower, I’d have been too excited to sleep. But now, clutching Leo’s tiny clothes, my heart was torn to shreds, numb from the pain. Her raised arm must have gotten tired because she angrily flung the flower at my face: “I only brought Declan with me for protection. Nothing happened between us. Who are you putting on this face for?” A thorn from the stem left a small cut on my cheek, a thin line of blood welled up. A flicker of concern flashed in Quinn’s eyes, and her temper softened slightly: “Whatever, I’m not going to waste my breath on you. Just so you know, I’m going away on a business trip for a year. You manage our son, don’t cause any trouble, I…” As she spoke, she suddenly gagged. Declan immediately rushed to pat Quinn’s back, feigning carelessness and letting a pregnancy test slip fall from his pocket. I picked it up. It read: four weeks pregnant. No wonder. Before, her trips with Declan would last for months. This time, she barely left before coming back. So, she was pregnant. She said she was going on a year-long business trip, but she was clearly trying to escape and secretly give birth to this child. My poor Leo. To try and please Quinn, he saw Declan, the one Quinn pampered the most, coughing. So, he copied what his teacher taught him and poured Declan a glass of water. But because it was cold water, Quinn decided he was being malicious, trying to harm Declan. Even though he was burning with fever, she ignored my desperate pleas and locked him in his room. I fought with all my strength to break free from the bodyguards’ grasp, slamming myself against the door to save him, not caring if it killed me. My tiny son was hot as a furnace, but his last flicker of consciousness was still shaking his head: “No, Daddy. Mommy said three days. The time isn’t up yet. Mommy will hate Leo if she knows.” They say real men don’t cry easily, but that day, I couldn’t control myself. Tears streamed down my face: “No, we don’t need this mommy anymore, Leo. I’ll take you to the hospital…” Tragically, it was too late. He couldn’t be saved. Before he took his last breath, he clutched my sleeve and choked out, “Why didn’t Mommy come see Leo? Was Leo a bad boy?” Looking into his hopeful eyes, my throat was raw. I couldn’t utter a single word. Now, seeing this pregnancy test, I only felt a bitter irony. If Leo had known that the mommy he adored had poured all her energy into another child, how heartbroken would he have been? I couldn’t control my rage any longer. I flung the pregnancy test slip in front of Quinn: “Quinn, this is what you call ‘nothing happened’? Have you ever considered how Leo felt?” A flicker of shock crossed Declan’s face. He hadn’t expected me, who usually endured every injustice in silence, to actually resist. He quickly lowered his head and explained to Quinn: “I’m so sorry, Quinn. I was just so overjoyed about being a dad that I kept the pregnancy slip in my pocket. I didn’t mean to drop it, and I certainly didn’t expect Caleb to see it. Please punish me.” Quinn raised an eyebrow and soothed Declan: “It wasn’t intentional. Don’t overthink it.” Then, she glared at me: “You have the nerve to bring up the child? Aren’t you the one who caused all of this?” “Caleb, everything happening today is your just desserts.” My gaze darkened. Years ago, Quinn wanted to use IVF to have a child for her idealized first love, Julian, who was supposedly dying of cancer. It turned out Julian was faking a terminal illness and then absconded with the charity funds. Her Grandma Evelyn, fearing Quinn would lose her mind, asked me to tamper with the IVF procedure. I refused point-blank. Though Quinn and I had a marriage certificate, we’d signed a contract long ago. We were only a marriage of convenience, not allowed to interfere with each other’s private lives. But Grandma Evelyn knelt before me, pulling out records of all the tuition fees she’d paid for me, from elementary school to my PhD, begging for my help: “My son and daughter-in-law are gone. Quinn is my only grandchild. If anything happens to her, I won’t want to live either.” Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I couldn’t refuse. I had no choice but to do as she asked. Quinn gave birth to my son, believing he was Julian’s orphaned heir, and cared for him meticulously. For a while, seeing how good I was with Leo, her attitude toward me improved significantly. She even suggested canceling our contract and genuinely building a life together. Then Declan appeared. She became completely infatuated with Declan’s face and mannerisms, which were ninety percent similar to Julian’s. She started spending nights out. She thought I didn’t know. At first, she met him in secret. Later, she even arranged for him to be her personal bodyguard, always by her side. But life was relatively stable, so I turned a blind eye. When Quinn eventually learned the truth and decided to send Declan away, he threw out a paternity test, accusing me: “Caleb used your trust to tamper with the IVF procedure, ensuring the man you love would have no descendants. And you, Quinn, you’re so foolish, enduring and sacrificing for him? You’re a complete joke!” Quinn flew into a rage on the spot. From that day on, her attitude toward Leo and me completely reversed. It was constant abuse, harshness, and punishment. I could suffer, but I never imagined Leo would lose his life because of it. Now, facing Quinn’s accusations, I couldn’t help but want to reveal the truth: “Quinn, about what happened back then…”

Just as I was about to speak, my phone vibrated. Grandma Evelyn’s name flashed on the screen. I looked up and saw the security camera in the living room blinking with a red light. I forced a bitter smile. Grandma Evelyn had been monitoring me. She would never allow me to reveal the truth. “Caleb, if you’ve got Leo’s clothes packed, come over. He’s waiting.” Grandma Evelyn’s voice was kind, yet a chill ran down my spine. I nodded and hung up. Quinn watched me suddenly pack my things without a word, raising an eyebrow: “What about what happened back then? Don’t tell me you’re going to say you had a reason too?” A flicker of anxiety crossed Declan’s eyes. He quickly interjected: “Quinn, no man can accept his wife having a child with someone else. You should consider his dignity as a man.” Quinn exploded in anger. She snatched a glass from the table and hurled it at me: “A good-for-nothing parasite living off my family, and he has the nerve to talk about dignity?” I didn’t say a word. As the glass shattered, I walked out of that suffocating house and headed to Grandma Evelyn’s old estate. The moment I arrived, Grandma Evelyn pressed a bank card into my hand: “Caleb, you and Leo have suffered so much. Take this money.” I knelt before her: “I don’t want money. I just have one request.” Grandma Evelyn quickly helped me to my feet: “If you want to leave, I’ll allow it. You’ve endured so many years of hardship. The favor I did for you back then has long been repaid. You don’t owe me anything.” I looked at Leo’s lifeless body, my eyes reddening: “Besides that, I want to take Leo with me, change his last name, and bury him in our family plot back home.” Grandma Evelyn hesitated. After all, I had married into Quinn’s family, and Leo not only bore Quinn’s family name but was also entered into their family tree. Knowing she wouldn’t easily agree, I handed her the crumpled pregnancy test slip: “Quinn is pregnant. She’ll have other children. But Leo only has me as family.” Grandma Evelyn remembered what Quinn had done to Leo. Unable to bear it any longer, she finally nodded in agreement. After handling Leo’s funeral, I cradled his ashes and returned home to get my documents. *Click!* The lights flickered on. Quinn was sitting in the living room, waiting for me, while Declan stood beside her with a smug, almost triumphant look. The atmosphere was eerily tense. Quinn was the first to break the silence, angrily declaring: “Look at what your son has done.” I raised an eyebrow, confused. Leo was dead. What could he possibly have done? Declan slowly patted Quinn’s back: “Calm down, honey. Don’t upset the baby.” “Leo added peanuts, which you’re allergic to, to your nutritious meal. He was just jealous of his unborn brother and wanted to harm him. It’s our fault, we didn’t discuss having a second child with him. He’s young, he doesn’t know any better. You shouldn’t be mad at him.” Quinn was furious: “It seems the last punishment was too light. He hasn’t learned his lesson.” He was just a three-year-old. How could he know anything about that? Besides, he was already dead… “Leo didn’t do it.” He was such a good, considerate boy. Until his last breath, he regretted pouring cold water and making Quinn angry. But Quinn believed someone else’s malicious lies and wanted to punish him. Ultimately, Quinn had transferred all her hatred for me onto our son. I’m so sorry, Leo. Mommy hated you because of me. You didn’t do anything wrong. I hugged the urn tightly, fighting back tears. Declan sighed: “If he didn’t do it, then did you?” Quinn became even more enraged, grabbing a tissue box from the table and throwing it at me: “It’s because you always cover for him that he became so unruly at such a young age! He needs a lesson today, to learn some discipline.” “Hand Leo over right now, don’t make me punish you instead.” He was so small. How could he possibly take the blame for such a serious accusation? I couldn’t take it anymore. Holding up the urn, I yelled: “Quinn, Leo was locked in his room and died from a high fever because of you!” “His ashes are right here! How could he possibly harm you?”

Quinn shot to her feet. “What did you say?” She rose too quickly, nearly stumbling. Declan quickly steadied her, his voice full of exasperation: “Quinn, he’s lied to you before. How can you still believe him?” “This afternoon, I clearly saw Leo wandering around the kitchen with a bag of peanuts, and then Grandma Evelyn picked him up.” Quinn immediately breathed a sigh of relief. She pulled out her phone and video-called Grandma Evelyn: “Grandma, is Leo with you?” Leo was dead. She would soon realize how terrible her actions had been. On the other end of the line, Grandma Evelyn smiled warmly: “Yes, he’s with me.” “Leo, do you want to talk to Mommy?” I lunged forward. And then, on the screen, I saw a child, crouched among a pile of toys, shaking his head, burying himself in his play. Grandma Evelyn sternly chided Quinn: “It’s all your fault for being so harsh on Leo. Now he doesn’t even want to talk to you.” My face turned ashen. I almost forgot. Quinn’s Grandma Evelyn had the most authoritative high-tech team in the world. Years ago, even before AI was prevalent, she’d used AI in a video call to let me assume Julian’s face, allowing Quinn to say her final goodbyes to him. Now, she was using someone else’s child to impersonate Leo, just to keep Quinn at ease. In this house, Leo and I were nothing more than tools, completely insignificant. It’s okay, Leo. Even if the whole world doesn’t love you, Daddy will always love you. I stroked the urn, speechless with grief. Quinn’s face darkened. She hung up the phone and snapped: “Caleb, you dared to lie to me again!” “Fine, your son is with Grandma Evelyn, so I can’t punish him. Then I’ll punish you.” “Declan, smash that useless thing in his hands.” I fought desperately to stop them, but I was no match for several bodyguards who quickly overpowered me. Seeing Declan raise the urn high, I fell to my knees, pleading: “Quinn, I beg you, give Leo back to me.” “I’ll do anything you want, please!” Quinn’s heart twisted in her chest. Just at the crucial moment, she suddenly called out, stopping Declan, and waved her hand: “Forget it. It’s just a broken box, no fun smashing it. Give it back to him.” Declan, looking disappointed, practically threw the urn back at me. I lunged forward, catching the box securely. With Leo back in my arms, I clutched the urn tightly, a mix of relief and despair washing over me. Declan sighed: “Quinn, you’re truly too kind.” “It’s okay. I’ll keep a closer eye on things from now on. After all, protecting you and the baby is my job.” Quinn’s hand went to her stomach. She suddenly called out to me as I was about to leave: “Wait. I said I wouldn’t punish Leo, but I didn’t say I wouldn’t punish you.” “Since you love taking the blame for your son so much, you can experience what an allergic reaction feels like.” “Order ten thousand lobsters for him. He’s not allowed to leave until he’s shelled every single one.” She knew I had a severe lobster allergy; even touching it would make me break out in hives. Even when our relationship was at its worst, she never allowed a single lobster on the table. Now, she must be completely insane with rage. I clutched the urn tightly. Looking at the enormous basin of lobsters before me, my eyes stung. The moment I picked up the first one to shell, my fingers began to turn red from the allergic reaction. Quinn turned her face away, standing with her back to me: “I’m tired. I’m going to rest. Don’t even think about slacking off. I’ll have someone watch you.” Declan helped her to the room. Facing the row of muscular bodyguards, I didn’t resist. I numbly continued shelling lobsters. As time passed, my entire body became covered in red hives, and my breathing grew increasingly difficult. In a haze, a pair of gleaming leather shoes appeared before my eyes. Declan grabbed my chin, his voice cold: “Just shelling lobsters is too light a punishment. You’re allergic, right? Then eat them.” He grabbed lobster meat and tried to force it into my mouth. With one quick move, I easily pushed him away. With his weak physique, he was no match for me. His only reason for being a bodyguard was Quinn’s longing for Julian. Seeing my resistance, Declan’s anger flared: “If you struggle again, I swear I’ll smash your son’s ashes.” I glared at him. He knew. He’d been deliberately trying to provoke me earlier! Declan saw me compromise and viciously shoved a handful of lobster meat into my mouth. For Leo, I didn’t dare to resist. Just at that critical moment, Grandma Evelyn appeared behind me, tapping her cane. She angrily confronted Declan: “You dare bully my family’s son-in-law? Get out.” Declan looked like he wanted to say more but eventually left, defeated. Grandma Evelyn dismissed all the outsiders. Ignoring the grease on my hands, she helped me up: “Caleb, stop shelling. You’re severely allergic now. I’ll take you to the hospital first, then help you leave.” I nodded, wiping the grease off myself before picking up the urn. A flicker of shame crossed Grandma Evelyn’s eyes. She explained: “Quinn is pregnant. Her emotions can’t be too volatile. I thought I’d wait until she’s more stable to tell her about Leo’s death.” “You and Leo have suffered so much again, Caleb. You *must* take this money.” As she spoke, she pushed two more cards toward me. I shook my head: “No, thank you. You’ve given me more than enough. I just want to leave peacefully with Leo.” Grandma Evelyn pressed the cards into my hand with more force, hinting: “Take it. Years ago, when Quinn’s first love ran off with her money, I forced you to switch the IVF samples, to make Quinn pregnant with your child.” “But I never imagined that my decision, the decision of this old woman, would lead to poor Leo’s death.” “I regret it deeply. I shouldn’t have forced you back then.” “This money isn’t much, but it’s my apology. I hope you’ll accept it.” “And please don’t blame this old woman. Quinn is my son’s only daughter, after all. She is my life.” She seemed to be pleading, but in reality, she was threatening me. If I didn’t take this hush money, I wouldn’t be leaving with Leo today. “Then, thank you, Grandma Evelyn.” I had no choice. Just as I was about to take the cards, *Crash!* A glass shattered. Quinn, in her pajamas, stood frozen in the doorway.

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The day my wife became CEO of the corporation. Before I could even celebrate with her, thugs kidnapped me and tossed me into a pool. I begged and pleaded, gasping for air, a pathetic mess. She stared down at me with disgust. “If you hadn’t left him for dead, Liam wouldn’t have died. This is your karma.” It was then I realized she’d always hated me for not saving her idealized first love, Liam, all those years ago. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on that fateful day. “When I confess later, can you play the music for me?” I heard that familiar voice. I looked up, meeting Liam Miller’s familiar face. In that instant, I knew I’d been reborn! On this very day in my previous life, Liam had asked Rachel Dawson—who would later become my wife—out to confess his feelings. But as the three of us left the mall, just as we were about to reach the confession spot, a billboard suddenly came crashing down from above. I was the first to react. I shoved Rachel, who was closest to me, out of the way. Both of us dodged just in time, escaping with only superficial scrapes. But Liam was crushed by the billboard, paralyzing him from the waist down, ending his street dance dreams forever. Two years later, Liam died by suicide, consumed by depression. Rachel didn’t even attend his funeral. So I always thought she didn’t care much for him. It wasn’t until after we were married, after I helped her rise to CEO, that she immediately had someone throw me into the water. Only then did I understand she’d been waiting for an opportunity to get her revenge. “You left Liam for dead to get to me! If it weren’t for you, he and I would have had a perfect family!” “You made me lose the man I loved! Die!” Gasping for air, drowning, I struggled, but Rachel pulled a plastic bag over my head. Layer after layer, her eyes filled with cold malice. She didn’t stop until I was like a fish out of water, completely out of breath. Then, with a look of pure disdain, she tossed my body into the ocean. Now, seeing Rachel coming down the escalator after shopping, a look of excitement on her face, I simply responded without a ripple of emotion. This life. I chose to stand by and watch.

Rachel held two coffees. One she drank herself, the other she handed directly to Liam. “Julian, I know you don’t drink coffee, so I didn’t get you one. You don’t mind, do you?” I smiled calmly. In my last life, her favoritism was so obvious. But I was foolish enough to think she was just being direct. Two minutes later, Rachel, laughing hysterically at something Liam said, finally realized I hadn’t caught up. She saw me standing at a trendy cafe, buying fruit tea. She called out to me from about fifteen feet away. “Ugh, what’s taking you so long? Can you hurry up?” I held up the order slip for my tea and waved it at them. “There are still a dozen orders ahead of me. Why don’t you guys go ahead?” “Seriously? Do you *have* to get that tea? The taxi will be here soon, and we’re not waiting for you!” “It’s fine. I can just call my own ride.” Seeing me dryly licking my lips, Rachel looked annoyed. She grabbed Liam’s arm and started walking away, muttering as she went. “Honestly, such a spoiled rich kid. Can’t he just wait until he gets home to drink some water?” Watching them walk away, I calmly picked up my fruit tea from the counter and followed slowly. A few yards from the exit, I heard screams erupt from the street. “CRASH!” The sound of tearing metal. The next second, the billboard came down from the sky. Rachel heard the commotion and immediately shoved Liam away. But she was the one caught, hit by the fifteen-foot metal frame. She crumpled to the ground, blood splattering from her head. The crowd instinctively formed a circle, children’s cries rising in a chaotic chorus. Liam, who had only suffered minor scrapes, scrambled to his feet. Urged by the onlookers, he finally remembered to call an ambulance. Gulp, gulp. I took two long pulls from my fruit tea. I guess this is what Rachel wanted to see in her last life.

I just got back to my dorm when I saw dozens of missed calls. I called my mom back. Her voice, close to tears, came through the phone. “You brat, where are you?” I told her I just got back to the dorm and my phone had died. My mom finally breathed a sigh of relief. “I told you not to go out in this stormy weather, but you wouldn’t listen. Look how scary things got!” “Your dad heard Rachel was injured near the town square and thought you were with her, so he rushed over too.” “From now on, when the weather’s bad, just stay in your dorm and read, got it?!” I used to hate my mom’s nagging. Now, hearing it over the phone, my heart felt warm. In my last life, when my parents found out I was missing, they knelt in the rain outside the police station, begging them to open a case immediately. And after Rachel became CEO, she not only purged my father’s loyal employees but also forced my dad, the former CEO, to live in a basement apartment. Yet, even that wasn’t enough for Rachel. Knowing my parents couldn’t handle the shock, she showed them videos of my abuse, blaming them for raising such a cold-blooded son. Learning I had died so painfully, my parents couldn’t take it. They literally died of shock and grief. Thinking of this, my eyes welled up. Hearing my silence, my mom raised her voice. “You knucklehead, not talking again! You probably put your phone aside to slack off!” “No… Mom, I was wrong before.” My mom paused, hearing the emotion in my voice. She thought I was worried about Rachel. “It’s okay, Julian. Rachel is a lucky girl, and your dad will help her out.” After hanging up with my mom, I stood on my dorm balcony and sighed softly. Rachel and I met when we were ten. My dad had just started his business, and her parents were divorcing. Since we went to the same school and were in the same class, we often did homework together. Later, in high school, Rachel and I both got into the honors class. Both our parents thought we’d continue like that forever, until Liam Miller showed up in our senior year. Liam was an arts student, not only good-looking but also an amazing street dancer. Ever since Rachel saw his performance, she’d been dying to meet him. I didn’t pay much attention at first. After all, Rachel always admired strength, and Liam was a total slacker when it came to academics. Besides, I’d personally seen Liam kissing a troublemaker in an alley, and his phone had a dozen backup girls. But Rachel wouldn’t believe me. She said I was just jealous. Well, this time around. I’m going to watch and see if she and Liam really end up together!

Rachel didn’t regain consciousness all night. My homeroom teacher, Ms. Evans, found me and urged me to visit her at the hospital. Everyone knew how close we were, so to avoid drawing suspicion, I followed her without a word. At the hospital. Rachel had internal bleeding in her brain. She was still in a coma when I arrived. On the hospital bed, only her nose was visible, hooked up to an oxygen machine, her legs encased in plaster casts and propped high. The doctor said she’d suffered a spinal injury and might be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Rachel’s mom, Mrs. Dawson, sobbed uncontrollably, kneeling on the floor. “Doctor, please! My daughter is a senior this year; her life has just begun!” Ms. Evans also pleaded. “Doctor, this child is Ivy League material. She has a math competition next month. You can’t give up on her!” In my last life, after Rachel won that competition, she soared, earning a guaranteed spot at a top-tier university. Now, hearing Ms. Evans mention the competition again, I clenched my fists. Math was my strong suit, but to avoid competing with Rachel, I hadn’t even signed up. Though I later got into a decent state university, a top-tier one was always my dream. Reborn, I wanted to make up for the regrets of my last life. Just as Ms. Evans finished speaking, a woman burst into the room, charging in recklessly. She grabbed Mrs. Dawson’s hair and yanked hard. “It’s all your fault! If your daughter hadn’t asked my son out shopping, he wouldn’t have been hurt!” “Flirting around at such a young age, and still trying to get my son to date her, ugh! You owe me for the medical bills!” At the doorway, Liam stood to the side, watching the whole spectacle like a detached observer. It wasn’t until my dad, Mr. Reed, came in to break up the fight that Liam’s mom, Mrs. Miller, was finally chased out. As Liam brushed past me, he threatened in my ear. “Remember, Rachel was the one who asked me out last night!” “If you say anything stupid, you know the consequences!” With that, he didn’t even spare Rachel a glance, chasing after his mom like she was contagious. I followed too. But I wasn’t chasing him; I was catching up with Ms. Evans. After all, Rachel always found me bothersome, and now she got exactly what she wanted. Even if she spent the rest of her life partially paralyzed. She should be happy, thinking she was hurt for the person she loved, right?

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I was linked to a Sickness Transmigration System. It dumped me into the body of the true heiress, despised by everyone. Everyone adored the fake heiress, who’d been carefully cherished by the family for sixteen years. My three brothers feared I’d try to claim what belonged to the fake heiress, so they constantly mocked and taunted me. My biological parents were terrified my presence would upset the fake heiress, so they went all out to make it up to her. They never once considered my feelings. They saw my desperate yearning for love as a threat, as sheer jealousy. Later, I was dying. Even later, my second brother found the diary hidden under my pillow. They fell apart. 0I was linked to a Sickness Transmigration System. It dropped me into the body of Elara Richard, the true heiress, half a year after she’d been found by the wealthy Richard family. On my very first day here. Someone splashed a whole plate of food right onto me. Hot curry sauce ran down my face and neck, and fish balls rolled off my clothes onto the floor. The heat stung. I stared at the boy in front of me, my face blank. My gaze was blank, devoid of any emotion. Everyone else was startled by his actions too. Eleanor, my mother, gasped, “Liam, what are you doing!” Liam’s face flickered with a hint of regret, but the words that burst out were nothing but blame. “It’s just that she always has that deadpan face! Jessica talked to her, didn’t she hear?” Jessica looked guilty at his words. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know it was because of me…” She looked at me apologetically. “My third brother didn’t mean it. Elara, can I apologize to you for him?” Liam instantly bristled. “Who is she, anyway? Why would you even apologize to her? Jessica, why do you even bother with her?!” I gave a faint, bitter smile. I wondered, too, what the original Elara meant to them. Jessica stood, surrounded by my three brothers, dressed in a pristine white dress, her hair perfectly styled. Meanwhile, my clothes were stained yellow with curry, and the smell of food clung to me, even without looking down. Jessica. The family’s precious darling. This name shouldn’t have been hers. I ignored Jessica. I picked up the last remaining fish ball that had landed on my lap, swallowing it along with the curry still clinging to my lips. It wasn’t the taste I remembered. I got up and left. “I’m full. I’ll head back to my room now, thank you.” As I turned, I met Mrs. Davis’s worried gaze. I managed a small smile for her. Silence fell over the dining table. Richard and Eleanor looked displeased. Marcus, my eldest brother, said in a low, stern voice, “Liam, you genuinely crossed a line this time. Elara didn’t do a thing.” 0

My original self in the previous world was already dead. Late-stage stomach cancer, died at eighteen. I had died a slow, agonizing death from the pain. There was no one by my side. Aside from that single fish ball just now, I hadn’t eaten anything solid for nearly three months. Perhaps the System, taking pity on my miserable existence, brought me to this world. This body also had stomach cancer. But it hadn’t progressed to a terminal stage yet. The System said the original girl had taken sleeping pills and committed suicide today. Frequent abdominal pain accompanied by coughing up blood had made her aware of her body’s problems. But she was afraid that speaking up would cause trouble for the Richards family. Making the family, who already disliked her, despise her even more. So she chose to simply leave this world. How foolish she was. The Richards family had vast resources; with proper treatment, she could have definitely gotten better. This family was truly ironic. They’d brought their biological daughter back half a year ago and still hadn’t noticed she was gravely ill. “Why am I here?” A girl who shared my unfortunate fate. Both orphans since childhood. Both afflicted with stomach cancer. Perhaps she was luckier than I. At sixteen, she was welcomed home by her biological parents. Perhaps she was unluckier than I. She never received a single shred of unconditional love before she left this world, becoming an angel. The System remained silent. “Has my arrival worsened this body’s symptoms?” I asked the System, feeling the metallic taste of blood in my throat. The System replied, “Yes. Just like your original self, you might… by eighteen.” “But if you cooperate with treatment…” I spoke calmly, “No treatment.” It didn’t matter. I was going to die anyway, so what did it matter? Besides, I didn’t want to live. 0

In the middle of the night, my stomach pain was unbearable, and I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. It felt like I was back in my previous life. Every night, I’d curl up, eyes wide open until dawn. My room was empty. My throat was parched. I fumbled my way downstairs in the dark, desperate for a drink of water. Instead, I ran into my second brother, Alex, in the living room. Alex was a professional gamer, so it wasn’t unusual for him to be up at two or three in the morning. He clearly noticed me too. He looked at me with a sour expression. Alex was the quietest member of the Richard family. The original Elara had never seen him in a good mood in the six months since she came home. I ignored him. I figured her very presence was enough to irritate him. I walked to the kitchen, hunched over. But I didn’t realize Alex was startled by my appearance. Under the dim nightlight in the living room. He clearly saw me sweating profusely from the pain, my lips pale. Aside from the angry red scald mark on my cheek, the rest of my skin was shockingly pale, almost translucent. I, however, was used to my sickly appearance, so I paid it no mind. I leaned against the sink, trying to rest, but the next second, a wave of nausea hit me, and I threw up blood. “Ugh.” I choked, tears welling up from the pain. A sound came from the kitchen doorway. Alex had followed me in. I quickly turned on the faucet to rinse the blood from the sink, then cupped my hands and drank a few gulps of tap water. Then I heard Alex’s deep voice. “If you’re going to drink water, drink warm water. Cold water can upset your stomach.” I softly hummed in response, lowering my head, trying to walk past him. The original Elara had barely exchanged words with Alex, and I certainly wasn’t eager to get tangled up with this family. But Alex grabbed my wrist. I turned my head to look at him, my voice hoarse. “Second brother, is something wrong?” Being so close, Alex saw the wound on my face more clearly. He frowned, silent for a moment, then asked, “Why haven’t you treated the scald on your face?” I looked at his seemingly impatient expression. I just assumed he thought it was some kind of attention-seeking stunt. I pulled my wrist free, nodded vaguely. “Yeah, I’m heading back now.” He was too close. Alex turned on the light, then walked closer to the sink, frowning. Though the blood had mostly washed away. He still keenly noticed the faint reddish stains lingering in the sink… 0

The next morning, as I went downstairs, I ran right into Liam near the staircase. My third brother had the most hostility towards the original Elara. He and Jessica were close in age, and their bond was the deepest. Perhaps Liam was simply too young. All he knew was that the sister he had pampered and protected his entire life had suddenly been replaced. This new girl, who had just been found, was going to steal everything from Jessica. He vented all his resentment on his biological sister. He resented her for shattering their perfect life. Little did he realize, the original Elara was the true innocent one. Liam looked at the obvious scald on my face, his eyes darting away. He deliberately didn’t speak to me, waiting for me to greet him. But I didn’t even glance at him, walking past him and away. Richard’s face was cold. “You’re a grown person, can’t you even treat a small scald yourself? What kind of impression will you make walking around like that?” Richard was a traditional patriarch, his eyes always on profits rather than family. He was probably just worried about me embarrassing him. Besides, the original Elara had only been home for half a year. She couldn’t play any instruments, paint, or excel in academics. Her grades were abysmal. She had no real value to him. Eleanor also looked disapproving. I scoffed internally. If it had been Jessica, she’d have probably been rushed to the emergency room the second it happened. Yet last night, not a single person had bothered to ask if I’d been scalded. Or if I was still hungry after eating so little. Their favoritism truly knew no bounds. “There’s no first-aid kit in my room.” Silence fell over the Richards family. Of course, the master bedrooms in the Richard family mansion were fully equipped. But when they brought the original Elara back, they made their biological daughter live in a guest room. And a guest room’s amenities were naturally sparse. The original Elara even used the public bathroom. Not one person offered to give the original Elara a different room. Eleanor looked at her daughter’s face, so similar to her own, flushed with the scald, and a flicker of panic crossed her heart. If it were Jessica, even a small injury would have the whole family doting on her. But when it came to me, there was no sound, no care. I was nothing like Jessica, not at all lovable. Liam retorted, “You didn’t say anything, how were we supposed to know it was that serious?” A dull ache started in my upper abdomen, and I couldn’t help but hunch over. The taste of blood welled up in my throat. I tugged at my backpack strap, my voice hoarse. “I’m going to school now.” Liam frowned. It felt like his imagination, but Elara’s posture seemed… off. 0

After the original Elara was found, she transferred to Liam and Jessica’s school. But Jessica didn’t want the original Elara to share the same car, afraid someone would discover she wasn’t the Richard family’s true child. So the original Elara always went to school alone. In those six months, due to Jessica’s subtle hints, she had suffered no small amount of bullying. But that foolish girl endured it all in silence. She probably knew that even if she spoke up, no one would care. And her family would never believe Jessica had instigated it. I had just pulled my textbooks from my desk when I saw the fake cockroach glued to the cover. The few kids waiting to see my reaction were already secretly covering their smirking mouths. The original Elara would have definitely just taken it. But for me, dealing with such problems was just another Tuesday. I just wanted to quietly wait to die here, but if they insisted on coming at me, I wasn’t some pushover they could walk all over. I snatched up the textbook with the fake roach still stuck to it and strode towards the girl who’d been openly enjoying the show. I slapped the book right onto her face. Before she could even shriek, I dumped all the books out of her desk and found an identical textbook. The original Elara had always been quiet and unassuming in class, never making a sound. Today, with my flushed face, I drew the silent attention of many classmates. Now, my once invisible self was causing such a commotion. The classroom instantly fell silent. The girl snapped back to reality and lunged at me like a maniac, trying to scratch me. I grabbed her hair and said coldly, “I’m letting bygones be bygones for what happened before. Don’t you dare mess with me again.” With that, I shoved her away and went back to my seat, slumping down. Not only was my stomach burning, but I also felt faintly nauseous, like I was about to vomit. The girl wouldn’t let it go, raising her hand to slap my face. Suddenly, her wrist was caught by Jax, who sat behind me. His rebellious face darkened. “Too loud.” The girl’s eyes widened when she saw it was Jax, and she instantly shut up. Jax was the undisputed king of the school, a total bad boy. His family had serious power and influence, so no one dared cross him. She went back to her seat and exchanged knowing glances with the others who’d been enjoying the show. A smirk played on their lips. 0

I was in so much pain I couldn’t straighten up, cold sweat beaded on my forehead, and I bit my lip hard to suppress the nausea. The frown etched on my face from the pain wouldn’t ease. This wasn’t right. It shouldn’t have progressed this quickly. This felt like late-stage. The next moment, I was suddenly lifted into the air. The jarring screech of a chair dragging across the floor made the whole class turn to look. I struggled, trying to get out of Jax’s arms, but I didn’t have enough strength and he held me even tighter. The tall, slender boy seemed to have endless energy. “Don’t move.” He seemed to see me like this for the first time: “I thought you were just a meek little mouse, always letting people walk all over you. Guess even the quiet ones snap sometimes.” As we walked, Jax sighed lightly: “How can you be so light?” Before we even reached the infirmary, Liam lunged forward, blocking our path, fuming. Liam’s anger surged, and he sneered coldly. “Elara, are you serious right now? Class is about to start, and you’re out here on a date with a guy!” “Clearly, you have no upbringing at all. You’re nothing like Jessica.” My heart suddenly twisted with a sharp pain. A wave of emotions, not entirely my own, surged through my chest, overwhelming me. It was always like this… No questions, just immediate blame. The pain intensified, and the taste of blood flooded my mouth. My eyes welled up with tears. I quickly ducked my head, refusing to acknowledge they were mine. Through his thin summer shirt. Jax seemed to feel the hot teardrops. His face was etched with confusion. He had a hot temper, and he said impatiently, “Who are you? Can’t you see she’s not feeling well? You just came up and started yelling? Go get some therapy if you’re sick, don’t throw a tantrum here!” He started to pull my face away, but then he looked down and saw the angry, bright red scald on my cheek. “Don’t scare me. We’ll be at the infirmary soon.” Even if only for a second, I saw Liam’s gaze sweep over me. He must have seen the blood at the corner of my mouth. His face instantly panicked. He wanted to follow, but Jessica, who had caught up, pulled him back. “Third brother, why didn’t you wait for me! You ran so fast?” Liam turned to look at her displeased expression, pushing down the unease in his heart, and stayed where he was. 0

Jax jostling me made me feel even more nauseous. I pushed at him, struggling to speak. “Want… to throw up…” Jax only heard a weak mumble. “What did you sa—?” Before he could even finish asking, I wretched, spewing everything out. I hadn’t eaten anything all morning, so what came out was just acidic water mixed with blood from my stomach. I tried my best to avoid it, but it still got on Jax’s clothes. I gripped his shirt, weakly apologizing. Jax’s face darkened, but he gently laid me on the infirmary bed, letting the school nurse take over. He silently went out to get a mop and rag to clean up my vomit. The school nurse applied medicine to my face and put me on an IV drip of glucose. “Young lady, why are you throwing up blood? Do you have any medical history?” The school nurse advised me to go to the hospital for a thorough check-up, just for peace of mind. I thanked him and explained that it was just because I hadn’t eaten breakfast. I didn’t need a check-up; I already knew this body’s condition. I silently asked the System why this was happening. The System’s mechanical voice quietly responded. “Because the original owner’s consciousness is fading faster.” Meaning she wanted to leave this world faster, right? The System remained silent. I gave a knowing, bitter smile. Elara. Her name, given by her grandma, held a hidden meaning: “to retain,” “to keep.” When Grandma Rose found the baby girl, still bundled in swaddling, she was stiff and purple, frozen in the bitter snow. Grandma Rose thought the original Elara had already frozen to death, but then her tiny finger moved. Grandma Rose took the original Elara home and named the little girl Elara. Grandma Rose was a woman of deep faith. She always said that saving Elara, retaining her, was fate’s decree, and her own heartfelt wish. At five years old, Grandma Rose passed away. The original Elara was sent to an orphanage by the neighbors. Later, the Richards family took her back and wanted to change Elara’s name. But she stubbornly refused; it was the only thing her grandma had left her. But now, Elara no longer wanted to follow fate’s decree. She just wanted to find the only person who had ever truly loved her: Grandma Rose… Perhaps it was the pain, or perhaps it was because of the girl. My eyes welled up, and I stared blankly at the ceiling. We were two souls adrift, bound by the same tragic fate. No need for introductions; we understood each other instantly. In that moment. I wanted to hold that girl deep within my soul, tightly. 0

I noticed Jax was still there and quickly wiped my eyes. I pursed my lips. “Thank you for bringing me here.” In my past life, I faced too much malice and always fought alone. Now, facing Jax, who had helped me, I felt a little lost. And I’d just thrown up on him… Jax raised an eyebrow. “Then, as repayment, how about you get me breakfast every day?” I hesitated. I didn’t want to get too involved with anyone. Jax saw my worn, faded canvas shoes and quickly added, “My meal card’s yours. What? Your thanks aren’t just empty words, are they?” I sighed, helpless, and could only nod in agreement. After school, I planned to go to the hospital. My body’s condition would only worsen. I needed to get some painkillers. The original Elara had a card; it was compensation given to her by Marcus, the Richard family heir, when she first returned. If ordinary painkillers worked, I wouldn’t even want to go to the hospital. Gastroenterology department. Dr. Miles was very young. Perhaps seeing that his patient was a young girl, he spoke softly, asking me where I felt unwell. For a moment, I actually felt like crying. Such concern was something I had never received in both my lives. I smiled at him. “Could you please prescribe me some morphine?” The doctor froze, unable to believe his ears. The young girl in front of him, barely old enough to be in school, was asking for morphine. I continued, “If not, then OxyContin, Fentanyl, just anything will do.” Dr. Miles choked, looking reproving. “What illness does this young lady have? Have you been checked? You can’t just take any medicine.” “I have stomach cancer, mid-stage,” I answered calmly and seriously. His expression instantly stiffened, and he even seemed agitated. “How is that possible? How old are you? Which hospital? Which quack diagnosed you?! Believe it or not, I’ll report them!” The doctor’s expression was a little amusing. I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’ve already been checked. It’s just been hurting more and more recently. Could you please prescribe me some painkillers?” Dr. Miles looked at the girl’s genuine expression, and his heart sank. “Do your family know?” “You’re so young. Why aren’t you fighting for treatment?” I sighed. This was one reason I didn’t want to come to the hospital. I had to play the victim. “My family knows. It’s just… we don’t have the money at home, and I have several older brothers, so I won’t get treatment.” Dr. Miles looked like he wanted to say more but eventually said nothing. I left the hospital with my medication. Unaware that Jax had followed me the whole way. 0

ax hid behind the door, feeling a chill run through him. After school, Jax had watched the girl wobble out of the school gate, worried she might faint halfway. After all, they’d shared a bond from half a year of him copying her homework. He inexplicably followed her. Unconsciously, he’d followed her to the hospital. He had planned to leave, but a strong emotion held him back. And then he overheard that the girl had stomach cancer. No wonder… she was coughing up blood. Jax felt a knot in his stomach, even wanting to slap himself. He had bullied the girl for half a year. He was a terrible person! But beyond that, a dense wave of heartache washed over him… When I got home, I intended to pack a few changes of clothes, preparing to move into the school dorms. But then I found my things had been moved. Mrs. Davis said, “Elara, Mrs. Richard gave you a new room.” “It’s on the same floor as Jessica, the one on the far east side. She said it’s so you and Jessica can bond better.” Mrs. Davis looked at me with pity. The Richards family’s favoritism was truly boundless. Almost the entire third floor belonged to Jessica, yet they’d given me only one room on the far east side. Ha. I felt a pathetic amusement on behalf of the original girl. Were they arranging this to warn me that my status in this family would never compare to Jessica’s? But it didn’t matter anymore. I was moving into the dorms anyway, and in just another half a year or so, I wouldn’t be in this world anymore. The daily, agonizing pain told me so. The girl’s desire to break free from this family, and from this world, was incredibly strong.

At the dinner table. I informed Richard and Eleanor that I wanted to live at school. The family, who had been chatting and laughing, instantly fell silent. Eleanor frowned. “Why do you suddenly want to live at school? Don’t you like the room your mother arranged for you today?” She suddenly remembered Mrs. Davis’s words from this morning: “Elara and Jessica’s rooms are quite different, I’m afraid Elara might overthink it.” She then had a sudden realization, thinking Elara had complained to Mrs. Davis, and said impatiently, “Don’t be so jealous. Jessica’s room has been hers for sixteen years.” “You’ve only just moved in. Don’t compare everything to Jessica. If you really want it, we can get an interior designer to renovate your room in a while.” Richard’s face was even fouler. “Why aren’t you as sensible as Jessica? What will people think if they find out that I, a prominent Richard, let my daughter live at school? It’ll just be a joke.” Liam suddenly thought of the boy who had held me today and became annoyed, speaking without thinking. “Could it be for the convenience of flirting with some wild guy?”

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My name is Chloe, and I’m a senior year student at a dance academy. With a stunningly beautiful face, a tall, slender figure, and curves in all the right places, I didn’t just capture the hearts of every guy on campus. I also had my rich boyfriend, Blake, wrapped around my little finger. But lately, I’d been in a bit of a bind. I was pregnant. Three months along, to be exact. “Baby, you’re graduating soon anyway. I’ll take responsibility. You’ll be Mrs. Blake.” Blake held me face-to-face on his lap, mumbling his words. His reassurances comforted me slightly, but I still had my reservations. “But I have a really important international dance competition in eight months. I’m worried I won’t recover in time…” Blake, though, promised me again. “I’ll take you somewhere tomorrow. I guarantee you’ll have a smooth delivery and recover super fast!” The next day, Blake indeed took me to the place he claimed would help me recover smoothly. “Blake, isn’t this just a swimming club?” Blake led the way, holding my hand, and all along the path, men stared at me with undisguised awe. They flaunted their muscular chests, their swim trunks stretched tight. Being stared at so intensely by a group of towering men, I couldn’t help but feel my steps falter. And in the crowd, there were a few even more imposing Black men. If I got surrounded by *them*… The thought made me shiver. “Baby, relax. When have I ever lied to you?” Blake squeezed my hand, and I snapped back to reality, quickly lowering my head and hurrying to keep pace with him. I secretly chided myself. How could I have had those thoughts about other men? Ugh, it must be these pregnancy hormones surging, making those thoughts even more intense. I mentally chanted to clear my head, but to my surprise, Blake led me directly in front of one of the Black men. Compared to the group I’d seen earlier, this man’s physique was even more terrifying; his arms were as thick as my thighs. “Blake, long time no see.” The man flashed a wide, white smile at Blake, but his gaze landed on me. “Hello, I’m Mike.” Mike extended his hand to me. But for some reason, as he raised his fingers, they brushed directly across my chest. I yelped and recoiled. Just as I was about to get angry, I saw both Blake and Mike looking confused. Was I overthinking it? Thankfully, after that little incident, Mike didn’t make any more inappropriate moves, and my heart slowly calmed down. Soon, I finally understood why Blake had brought me to Mike. “Baby, this is Coach Mike, the one who’ll make sure you have an easy delivery and recover your body and figure incredibly fast afterward!” “Wh-what?” I couldn’t believe it. This male Black man was going to be *my* birthing coach? Before I could even react, Mike, as if to prove himself, reached out and effortlessly pulled me onto his lap. And his hands, with no regard for boundaries, immediately forced my legs open… 2 “What are you doing?! Let me go!” I shrieked again, trying desperately to break free from Mike’s grip. But his strength was immense; he easily held me still. I could only look to my boyfriend, Blake, for help. “Blake! Help me!” But Blake acted as if he hadn’t seen my distressed expression. Instead, he bent down and squatted in front of me, openly scrutinizing me. “Mike, what do you think of my girlfriend?” His words were incredibly strange, as if he were trying to sell me to Mike! Mike’s deep voice rumbled above my head. “She’s a dancer, so her physical condition is good. But precisely because she’s a dancer, she has many hidden injuries.” “These old injuries might hinder her postpartum recovery. It’s definitely necessary to intensify the training.” As he spoke, Mike’s hand gripped me hard, as if checking a product. His hand was large, his skin rough, completely unlike Blake’s pampered rich-kid hands. It felt strange on my skin. “No…” But the two of them ignored my struggles and protests, continuing their conversation. Finally, they released me. I practically scrambled away, my eyes filled with resentment as I looked at Blake. Blake finally seemed to realize something and quickly moved to comfort me, his tone softening. “Baby, Mike was just doing a basic assessment. His movements were a bit rough, that’s all.” “But don’t worry, the follow-up training will definitely be effective. Mike was introduced to me by my family!” I was quickly distracted. “Your family also knows Mike…?” The thought of what just happened made my cheeks flush even more. Blake nodded and even explained in detail, and my doubts were once again dispelled. Since Blake’s family recommended him, I decided to trust Mike this once! So when Blake decided to leave first, leaving me alone with Mike for training, I didn’t immediately refuse. Later, every time I thought of my naive self in that moment, I repeatedly felt the urge to slap myself hard. But that was for later. For now, Mike stood before me like a towering structure, his shadow completely enveloping me. “Chloe, go change into your training clothes. We’ll start soon.” Mike handed me a set of so-called training clothes. But the moment I put them on, I was stunned. What kind of training clothes were these? They were even more revealing than my dance outfits! The top was made of thin straps, barely covering anything. A small movement in front of the mirror, and I felt like I was about to expose myself. No! How could I appear before Mike in such clothes?! I bit my lip, but just as I thought about changing back, Mike’s massive figure appeared behind me without me even realizing it! His eyes gleamed, and he extended his long arm, trapping me directly in front of the mirror. 3 “Let me go! What do you want…?” An intense pressure surrounded me, and I stammered out the words! He finally released me, but that didn’t mean he was letting me off the hook. Instead, he started to push his luck. “Chloe, the second step of training is to fully understand the body’s structure. Do you want me to test each part, or will you tell me actively?” Mike’s voice was deep, as if it carried some strange, hypnotic power. I quickly swallowed, not daring to speak. But what I didn’t expect was for Mike to simply use his hands to verify. My neck, my lower back, my heels… His hands were rough, and the way he “verified” left me mortified. He was like a lion eyeing its prey, his gaze predatory! Is… is this really training? I bit my lip hard, using the pain to force myself to stay clear-headed. “I… I don’t want to train anymore. I want to go home…” But the next moment, Mike’s large hand directly covered my slightly swollen belly. “I feel a cute little one in here. You know, my training can help the baby grow better.” “A smooth birth also ensures a safe and healthy baby… Chloe, do you really not want what’s best for your child?” Mike’s persuasion seemed to touch the softest spot in my heart. Perhaps pregnant women naturally develop maternal instincts, but I was defeated by Mike’s few words yet again. “Alright, fine, let’s train…” Thinking this way, I felt that if I maintained this mindset during training, I wouldn’t have any other inappropriate thoughts about Mike. But I had completely underestimated Mike. He pushed open a door inside the room, revealing a private swimming pool behind it. Before leading me into the water, Mike looked at my slightly bulging belly with an incredibly pious expression. He even showed a strange, paternal affection! Something felt off… But before I could react, Mike picked me up and carried me into the water, beginning to touch me freely! “Mmph!” “Training step three: regular hot spring baths and massage to boost your hormones, ensuring faster postpartum recovery.” Mike said, his hands becoming bolder. My body began to tremble. But for the sake of my baby, and for my own postpartum recovery, I could only endure it for now. I constantly comforted myself, trying to calm my inner turmoil with maternal love… Even if I felt the colossal body of the tall man behind me, I had to pretend not to notice! But Mike’s next move made my entire body go numb. I couldn’t control myself anymore…

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Because I was diagnosed with a terminal illness, my wife urged me to give up treatment and leave all my assets to our son. Even my eight-year-old, Kevin, had absorbed it all, asking me more than once, “Dad, when are you going to kick the bucket? Mom says I can’t get my inheritance until you’re gone!” Later, when I went back to the hospital for a follow-up, a zombie outbreak hit. To save themselves, Brenda and Kevin tried to trick me into a horde of zombies. But when Brenda learned I carried a precious zombie serum, she righteously demanded my blood. “We’re family! It’s your duty to save me!” I slammed the door, trapping her in a room swarming with zombies. “Sorry, I don’t know you.” 1 All the way from the hotel to the hospital, Brenda and Kevin were fuming. Once we got there, they plopped down on the waiting room bench. They wouldn’t stop muttering. “Typical, burning through our money. I told you it’s a lost cause, but no, you just *had* to come to this fancy hospital. It’s a money pit!” “Mom, you promised that house would be put in my name. Dad won’t go back on his word, right?” My heart felt utterly cold. I dragged my body, still battling a low fever, into the long registration line. My nose felt warm, and then a nosebleed started again. I quickly cupped my hand over it, my eyes searching for the restroom. It was the weekend, and the first-floor lobby was packed, stretching as far as the eye could see. The anxious questions of patients and their families, the shouts of doctors and nurses clearing paths, the constant calling of numbers over the loudspeaker – it all blended into a chaotic mess that made my head pound. People were pressed so close, even breathing felt difficult. It was like I was inhaling everyone else’s exhaled carbon dioxide. Amidst the noise, a piercing scream caught everyone’s attention. But it lasted only a few seconds. After all, in a hospital, screams and cries were nothing out of the ordinary. People murmured and speculated, sighing at fate’s cruel twists. I thought of the stark, sharp words “LEUKEMIA” on my test results and let out a bitter laugh. My body had always been so healthy, and I’d kept up a regular exercise routine for years. Anyone who knew me, colleagues or friends, always praised how fit I was. How could I suddenly get leukemia? I don’t know how long I’d been waiting; my nosebleed had already stopped. Finally, it was my turn. Just as I was about to hand my ID through the window, a nurse suddenly ran in from the side, anxiously whispering something to the nurse at the counter. That nurse gave me a “one moment” gesture, stood up, and left. I muttered about my bad luck. Soon, impatient grumbling started behind me. People in line couldn’t wait; many moved to other lines to re-queue. I hated to give up on the progress I’d made, so I stayed put, waiting. But quickly, I realized something was off. This was the biggest hospital in the city, with ample medical staff and resources. So, what kind of emergency would pull even a registration nurse away? I waited ten minutes. She still hadn’t come back. After thinking it over, I decided to head to the restroom first to wash the blood off my face. I didn’t notice. The moment I stepped into the restroom, the lobby erupted in a chorus of roars and screams. 2 Before I even left the restroom, I caught a strong whiff of blood. Even for a hospital, this intense smell was completely abnormal. I pressed my ear closer to the restroom door, listening carefully. The noise outside seemed even louder than before. But mixed in with the chaos were some unnatural sounds. They were a bit like drunken retching, yet far more terrifying, almost inhuman. For some reason, a chill ran down my spine. If Brenda and Kevin knew, they’d probably mock me for being a coward, call me neurotic. But I trusted my gut feeling. I carefully pulled the door open a crack and peeked out. Outside the door, almost everyone was scrambling to escape. Some rushed towards the main entrance, others towards the stairs. Every face was contorted in terror, like they were running for their lives. But the door blocked my view of the entire lobby. I moved as quietly as possible, pushing the crack wider, then squeezing out sideways. When I finally saw what was happening in the lobby, I immediately raised my hand and bit down hard on the web of my thumb to keep from screaming. People scattered like headless chickens. The main entrance was already a dense pile of bodies, pushing relentlessly forward. The people at the very front were pressed tightly against the glass, no longer moving. Yet, more kept surging towards the exit. The information desk had been overrun. Dozens of people were huddled inside, cowering, and others kept clambering over the counter. Looking towards the direction people were fleeing, I saw a few figures in hospital gowns, covered in blood, limping slowly. Their limbs twitched uncontrollably, bending at angles no human body should. Those chilling growls were coming from their mouths. An elderly man, unsteady on his feet, was knocked to the ground by the stampeding crowd. I watched, horrified, as a man staggered over to the old man and bit into his neck. Blood erupted instantly. The others—or whatever those creatures were, no longer human—instantly became frenzied, moving with shocking agility to swarm the old man. Within ten seconds, the old man was torn beyond recognition, a bloody mess. Then, that gruesome, mangled pile of flesh on the ground twitched, stood up, and joined the horde of wandering creatures. Clearly, everyone had witnessed the tragedy. The crowd fell silent for two seconds. Then, someone, I don’t know who, was the first to snap out of it and screamed. “Z-Zombies! Run! There are really zombies!” I never thought scenes I’d only seen in novels and movies would actually happen in real life. Snapping back to reality, I frantically searched for a suitable hiding spot. The restroom and the main entrance were diagonally opposite. Plus, the main entrance was completely blocked by bodies. Escaping the hospital was impossible. The stairs were right next to the restroom. Now, going upstairs seemed like the best option to find a way to survive. I tiptoed, trying to make no sound, and took two steps at a time up the stairs. Soon, I realized I was wrong. The second floor seemed even worse. Blood, like it had been splattered everywhere, already formed a thin, sticky layer on the corridor floor. Several doctors in white coats were already victims, roaring incessantly in the hallway, searching for their next target. Despite my caution, a few zombies spotted me. They lurched towards me, blood-filled mouths gaping beyond recognition, quickly attracting the attention of other zombies in the corridor. The hospital corridor was a long loop, and zombies were closing in on me from both directions. Down on the stairs, first-floor zombies were also starting to search for living people upstairs. I shuffled my trembling legs, backing up continuously. Until my back hit the hard wall. There was nowhere left to go. The zombie on my left was just two steps away, reaching out with a hand missing two fingers. I let out a bitter laugh, closing my eyes in resignation. Suddenly, something hard jabbed my lower back. It felt like a doorknob. By sheer reflex, I pressed the handle, twisted, ducked inside the room, and locked the door. A zombie rushed past, its putrid stench brushing against my clothes. After the close call, I gasped for air. I quickly patted myself down. No wounds. I finally relaxed, sinking to the floor. Thank god, I was still alive. 3 I leaned against the wall and rested for a bit, slowly regaining my composure. Shaking, I immediately pulled out my phone and dialed 91

Before it could even connect, police sirens wailed from outside the window. My eyes lit up. I rushed to the window. Only one police car was parked downstairs. Three officers, fully geared up, quickly got out. But they weren’t here to rescue us. They swiftly pulled down the fire shutters over the main entrance and the perimeter fence. While cutting off the zombies’ escape route, they also cut off my chance to escape the hospital. The police car’s loudspeaker blared, repeating: “Survivors inside the hospital, please remain calm. Find enclosed spaces to protect yourselves and wait patiently for military rescue.” The loudspeaker’s sound agitated the first-floor zombies. They repeatedly slammed their bodies against the glass, creating terrifying thuds. After three repetitions, the police car sped away. My rekindled hope shattered again. I felt a wave of despair. I pulled out my phone, mechanically dialing 911 again and again. But it was always a busy signal. I don’t know how many times I dialed until my arm ached, and the phone slipped from my grasp. Without food or water, trapped in this small consultation room, no bigger than ten square meters, I wondered if I’d live to see rescue. My phone suddenly rang. I tensed up and quickly answered. But it wasn’t the police. It was Brenda’s voice. “Where are you? Are you okay? Kevin and I are so worried about you. He keeps asking for his dad.” She handed the phone to Kevin. “Dad, come find us! I’m scared!” For some reason, both their voices were muffled and low, like they were in a very small space. A flicker of suspicion sparked in my mind. When Brenda first learned I had leukemia, she’d repeatedly urged me to just give up treatment and not waste money. Even my eight-year-old, Kevin, had absorbed it all, asking me more than once, “Dad, when are you going to kick the bucket? Mom says I can’t get my inheritance until you’re gone!” After several such instances, my heart had grown cold. Before coming to the hospital, I had already made up my mind: no matter the follow-up results, I was divorcing her. I’d rather take my assets to the grave than let those ungrateful leeches get a single cent. How could two people who so eagerly wished for my death suddenly care about my safety? I kept my guard up, not answering directly, but instead asked: “Where are you guys? Are you okay? You haven’t been bitten, have you?” “No, no! Luckily, I hid fast. The moment I realized something was wrong, I ducked away. We’re in the first-floor restroom now. There’s a small window here. Come find us, we can climb out together!” I replied, feigning surprise: “Really? That’s great! I’m coming right now.” Two minutes later, I whispered impatiently: “I’m here. Where are you?” Brenda sounded excited: “You’re sure you’re here, right?” I snapped, annoyed: “Of course! What are you doing? Hurry up!” “Good, that’s great!” Before she could finish, a ridiculously loud, obnoxious tune blared from the bathroom. It was Kevin’s smartwatch. Brenda and I had even picked that ringtone together. The music echoed through the entire building, enraging the zombie horde. They roared and surged towards the first-floor corner. Amidst the roars, Brenda’s voice turned manic: “Alex, you’re going to die anyway. Just make yourself useful to us!” Maybe my heart was already numb. Hearing her words, I felt no ripple of emotion, only amusement at her stupidity. Thanks to her, the second-floor corridor was now empty. Stepping out, I looked down. Two figures, one large and one small, dashed from the janitor’s closet near the stairs towards the main entrance, only to be blocked by the heavy fire shutter. Seeing this, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. The call hadn’t hung up yet. Brenda’s furious curses and screams came through the line. “Oops, I forgot to tell you guys, the main entrance is completely blocked. No way out now.”

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On our fifth wedding anniversary, my normally aloof professor husband, Alistair, actually cooked for me for the first time. He pulled me close, his eyes full of tenderness. “I’ve neglected you before, Sera. I promise to make it up to you, tenfold.” For the next week, he showered me with daily homemade desserts and candlelight dinners. I genuinely believed my efforts had finally paid off, that I’d melted this ice-cold heartthrob. Even if I was stuffed to the gills every day, I refused to waste a single gesture of his affection. Just as I was lost in this blissful fantasy, a mocking pop-up notification flashed before my eyes: “Professor Alistair Finch is secretly signing his wife up for a life-or-death gamble so he can be with his thirty-years-older ‘true love’!” “He’s even sneaking fattening agents into Sera Thorne’s food, just to be safe. What a devoted man!” That’s when it hit me. My husband was utterly obsessed with Anya, the campus facility manager, who was in her fifties! The “life-swap system” would steal my vitality and restore her youth if I weighed more than Anya in a month. Then, Alistair could finally be with her, just as he wished! I stared at my husband, who was now holding out another pitcher of milk tea to me. Without a second thought, I ordered five pounds of specialized livestock growth enhancer, ready to give him a taste of his own medicine. A month later, seeing Anya’s weight double, Alistair’s eyes blazed with fury. … “Darling, this is the first pitcher of milk tea I’ve made just for you this summer.” Alistair placed the huge pitcher of milk tea in front of me. “Drink it while it’s warm, quickly. It won’t taste as good when it’s cold.” Recalling the pop-up notification, a flicker of suspicion crossed my eyes. I tentatively raised a hand to stop him. “Honey, I don’t really want to drink it.” “I stepped on the scale today and found I’d gained thirty pounds! If I keep drinking like this, I’m afraid I’ll be a two-hundred-pound胖 blob in less than a month…” I hadn’t even finished speaking when Alistair blurted out, “That’s fantastic!” Seeing the genuine delight in his eyes, I finally knew the notification hadn’t lied. My husband was deliberately trying to fatten me up, all to make me lose the life-or-death gamble next month, to hand over my youth and vitality to Anya! I was furious at his heartless betrayal, and a wave of raw disgust surged through me. I’d met Anya. She was the campus facility manager at the university where Alistair taught. She was over fifty, and easily weighed over two hundred pounds! And she wasn’t just heavy; she was short, so her weight seemed to pile up horizontally. At first glance, she looked like a moving mountain of flesh! And *she* was the object of my husband’s obsession? To be with her, he was willing to sacrifice my life without a second thought! “Sera, I didn’t mean it’s good that you’re gaining weight.” Alistair realized his blunder and quickly tried to compensate, adopting a tender expression. “I meant, even if you gained two hundred pounds, you’d still be my precious wife. I’d never dislike you!” But as soon as he finished his sweet talk, he impatiently put a straw into the milk tea pitcher and held it to my lips. “So, let’s drink this, okay? Come on, darling, open wide…” He still hadn’t given up, but I absolutely refused to drink this deadly tea. So, I just raised my hand and knocked it over. Alistair was caught off guard, splashed with milk tea. His usually cold face contorted with anger. “Sera Thorne, what the hell is wrong with you?” “I went to all that trouble to cook for you, and this is how you treat my thoughtfulness?” Hearing his accusation, a storm of hurt churned inside me. My eyes immediately welled up. “Alistair Finch, so you *do* realize it was a ‘trouble’ to treat me well for once?” Alistair and I met in college. He was known as the ice-cold heartthrob, with his brilliant academic record and aloof demeanor. I came from a privileged family and was the beautiful campus queen, yet I willingly sacrificed all my pride, obsessively pursued him for four years, just to finally make him acknowledge my existence. Even after five years of marriage, he rarely touched me. Even our occasional moments of intimacy were brief and unsatisfying. I just assumed he was naturally cold and not into that sort of thing. I even convinced myself that as long as I was with him, enduring a life devoid of passion and excitement was fine. So, a week ago, on our wedding anniversary, when he personally cooked a candlelight dinner and remorsefully told me he’d love me forever, I was overjoyed. I thought he’d finally seen my devotion, that I’d melted this iceberg. I never imagined it was all just an act of deep affection, a scheme to take my life for another woman! I stared fixedly at Alistair, hoping to see guilt or remorse on his face. But there was nothing. Alistair looked as if I’d hit a raw nerve, and he threatened angrily, “If you don’t eat it, don’t even think about getting another one of my homemade lunches!” 2 Not only had he not abandoned his malicious plan to take my life, but he hadn’t hesitated for a second. My seven years of devotion had been all for nothing! My heart completely died for him. I swore I would never let his scheme succeed. To avoid tipping him off, I deliberately lowered my gaze, feigning disappointment. “Honey, I was wrong.” “You’re so busy, yet you worked so hard to cook for me and improve our meals. I shouldn’t have thrown a tantrum and spilled your sweet milk tea…” My feigned submission made Alistair sigh in relief. He, too, put on a loving facade, embracing me reassuringly. “It’s okay. It’s normal for girls to have weight anxiety. I don’t blame you.” “Oh, by the way, darling, haven’t you always loved soufflés? I’ll make you one tomorrow. This time, you *must* eat it all, don’t waste a single bite.” He sounded so patient. Who wouldn’t praise him as a perfect husband? However, the moment I pretended to go shower and left the living room, he immediately revealed his malicious true colors. “Alistair, she didn’t drink the milk tea. Do you think she figured out you were doing it on purpose…?” The person on his video call had a face so wide it practically filled the entire screen, and even a ten-level beauty filter couldn’t hide her age spots and wrinkles. Yet, my husband seemed utterly blind to them, his eyes filled with adoration as he called her “honey” over and over! “So what if she found out? Sera Thorne has been obsessively pursuing me for years. Do you really think she’d be willing to refuse anything good from me?” “Anya, I thought we were destined to be apart because of our thirty-year age difference, but then you suddenly got bound to a life-gambling system that can steal vitality and youth!” “This must be the heavens moved by our true love, granting us a chance to grow old together! I won’t let us miss this opportunity for anything!” Alistair Finch, a mathematics professor, was a staunch materialist, yet he was now devoutly thanking heaven just to be with Anya… Even though I saw his malicious true colors, my heart still ached. But Alistair seemed determined to hurt me more, to make sure I couldn’t soften. He twisted the knife deeper into my heart. He spoke my name with utter disdain: “If it weren’t for needing a good background and connections for my tenure review, and Sera Thorne coming from a prominent family with a CEO for a father, I would never have married her.” “I suppose I fulfilled Sera Thorne’s delusional fantasy, so it’s only right that her vitality should be transferred to you.” “Not to mention, I didn’t directly inject her with fattening agents. I even pretended to be deeply in love, cooked her one lavish meal after another, letting her presumptuously enjoy the kind of treatment that should rightfully belong only to you, Anya.” He comforted Anya. “So even if Sera Thorne finds out the truth, she should die without regrets. Don’t feel any pressure about it.” Alistair Finch’s shamelessness utterly shattered my worldview! Die without regrets? How thick could his skin be to say something like that with a clear conscience?! After enjoying my devotion during our marriage, then shamelessly demanding my father’s help to become the youngest university professor, not only did he show no gratitude, but he wanted to steal my life and drain my last bit of value! How could such a good thing exist in this world?! At that moment, Alistair’s instructions to Anya reached my ears: “However, to be safe, Anya, I’ll make you slimming salads during this period…” Originally, I’d planned to expose his attempt to drug me with fattening agents and cut ties with him then and there. But now, I changed my mind. Simply letting him suffer the consequences wasn’t enough. I needed to give him a taste of his own medicine! I wouldn’t be satisfied until his reputation was utterly ruined! 3 I called my dad’s company: “Didn’t you develop a specialized growth enhancer for livestock a while ago? How does its effect compare to the regular one?” Alistair only knew my family owned a big company but had no idea our main business was animal feed. Giving me fattening agents – he was practically begging for death! The R&D lead respectfully replied, “It’s night and day, Ms. Thorne!” “Just ten milliliters injected into livestock can make them gain ten pounds rapidly in a short amount of time!” Hearing that, I was instantly satisfied. “Prepare three large barrels and send them over.” Alistair loves to mess with food, does he? I’d love to see who fattens whom into a pig first! Early the next morning, I saw Alistair carrying cooked dishes out of the kitchen. “Sera, you’re awake! Perfect, wash up and let’s eat.” Usually, at this hour, he’d still be asleep. It seemed my refusal of the milk tea yesterday had given him a sense of urgency. To quickly get me to two hundred pounds and ensure his ‘true love’ would win, he wasn’t even sparing breakfast! How diligent of him! My counter-attack plan was already in motion. Since he was actively walking into it, I wouldn’t hold back. I feigned delight, grabbed my forks, and immediately sat down. “Honey, you’re so sweet! But why are there vegetables today? I remember you usually only make meat dishes.” Alistair smiled and explained, “A balance of meat and vegetables is healthier.” “Oh, I see. You’re so thoughtful, honey.” I pretended not to notice his faint guilt, complimented him, and then picked up a forkful and put it in my mouth. “Delicious.” Alistair watched me clean my entire bowl, then smiled with relief. He then casually prompted me to step on the scale to check my weight. “Huh? How did I gain another five pounds? I barely ate anything!” Hearing my exclamation, my husband quickly came forward to comfort me. “Maybe the scale is broken? How could you gain five pounds from one meal, right, Sera?” I nodded, playing along with his words. “Then, honey, remember to buy a new one!” “Of course.” I changed my clothes, ready to go out, and glanced into the kitchen. Alistair was busy again, but this time, he was making a vegetable salad. Noticing my gaze on the lunchbox, a flicker of guilt crossed Alistair’s eyes, and he over-explained, “Darling, I’m taking lunch to school.” But that very afternoon, I scrolled through my TikTok feed and saw an identical lunchbox and salad. The caption read: *He said this was just a small token of his affection, with an even bigger surprise waiting for me…* How incredibly lucky, to meet someone much younger who truly loves me. That lunchbox, that caption… could the person who posted this video be Anya? My interest was instantly piqued. I clicked on her profile and found that every post flaunted various expensive gifts. I was all too familiar with those designs. I’d seen them all in Alistair’s Amazon shopping cart. Since they were women’s styles, I naturally assumed they were for me. Every time I saw them, I’d get excited for ages, looking forward to receiving his surprise one day, only to be disappointed every time. It wasn’t that the timing wasn’t right; it was that the recipient was wrong. I clicked on Anya’s videos and noticed she never showed her face. Every caption boasted about the affectionate “toy boy” who gifted her these things. She’d amassed a large following of middle-aged women in their thirties and forties. Every time Anya posted, they’d flock to the comments, praising her luck for finding such a loving toy boy. Little did they know, this wasn’t their “sister” she was talking about—it was her daughter! I found it absolutely sickening. Just as I was about to close the comments, I sharply noticed a very familiar ID. *FinchV*: Something beautiful is about to happen. 4 In the blink of an eye, Anya replied below: *I can’t wait! ❤️* They weren’t even trying to hide it anymore! I gripped my phone, forcing myself to calm down. There was only one week left until the life-gambling game’s weigh-in. I wondered if Alistair would still be smiling then! But what I hadn’t expected was that, despite my efforts to keep a low profile, Alistair had other plans. That very evening, he actually brought Anya home with him. Alistair seemed oblivious to my tightly furrowed brows, enthusiastically introducing her to me: “Sera, this is a highly respected senior colleague from my university. She’s been a great help to me in my work, and I truly admire her.” A campus facility manager with “great prestige”? You’re just blind for falling for this ugly thing and trying to boost her status. I fought the urge to roll my eyes and gestured for Alistair to continue. “Well, she’s thinking of changing jobs, and I remember you once mentioned the company needed a VP. So, I thought she could take the position.” At that, I couldn’t hold back. “Alistair Finch, have you lost your mind?” “Otherwise, why would you even suggest something so ridiculous? Can any random person off the street become a company VP?” “Oh, wait, no. Given this ‘senior colleague’s’ size, she’s more like a pig!” Both their faces instantly changed. Alistair, especially, roared at me, “Sera Thorne, how can you insult a senior colleague like that! She takes such good care of me!” “How did your parents raise you? Where’s your upbringing! Apologize to her, now!” Taking care of him in bed, perhaps? I suppressed the urge to completely lose it and retorted angrily, “Saying no to idiots—that’s exactly what my parents taught me!” Alistair was about to speak again, but Anya pulled his hand, consoling him. “Alistair, you’re just trying to help me out of kindness. If it’s not possible, then let it be.” “You two shouldn’t argue because of me.” Her understanding demeanor moved Alistair deeply. His usual aloofness was forgotten. After shooting me a harsh glare, he doted on Anya, asking about her comfort as he saw her out. He didn’t return until the next day, but he was back to being his ‘good husband’ self, apologizing and sweet-talking me. However, the double-dosed meals the next day told me he wanted to tear me limb from limb. And wasn’t that exactly what I wanted to do to him? We continued our charade, sleeping in the same bed yet worlds apart, for several more days. Then, on the evening of the seventh day, as I feigned sleep, I heard a voice in my mind say, “Life-gambling game weigh-in, officially starting!” I opened my eyes again to find myself standing on a massive circular platform. A sinister voice came from behind me. “Sera Thorne, confused, aren’t you?” I turned at the sound and saw another platform not far away, with Anya standing on it, hands on her hips, laughing wildly. “This is the Scales of Fate! Whoever weighs more will surrender their life force to the other!” “You didn’t know, did you? All these days, Alistair Finch has been secretly giving you fattening agents, all to make you heavier than me, so he can swap your youth for mine!” The life-swap system, with its twisted sense of humor, split a screen to Alistair. He looked at me and said, “Sera Thorne, if you had just been obedient and given Anya that VP position, I would have considered giving you a dignified end!” “But you’re ungrateful and asked for trouble, so I won’t hold back!” “Anya, once you win, just suck her dry!” “Sera Thorne, you’re finished!” Seeing them so sure of their victory, I sneered, “Oh really? I don’t think so!” “Weigh-in complete! I announce that the winner of this competition is—” Anya strode forward, chest puffed out, ready to claim her prize, when the System’s voice echoed eerily, “Sera Thorne!”

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Caleb Thompson and I had been in love for ten years. Then, right before our wedding, he suddenly vanished without a trace. The next time I saw him, he was sweetly holding hands with another woman. He told me he was on an undercover mission, that the woman was just his target, and I was the only true love of his life. Later, when the mission ended, he blocked her everywhere and came home to marry me. For six years, our life together was blissful. I had long forgotten about the past, until I went to file some official paperwork. “Ms. Hayes, our records indicate you are still unmarried.” Those words sent a shockwave through me. “That’s impossible. My husband, Caleb Thompson, and I have been married for six years.” “The system shows Mr. Thompson is indeed married, but you are not.” “Then who is his wife?” “Alexa Monroe.” The very woman who was Caleb’s undercover target all those years ago. The clerk handed me all the processed documents. The name “Alexa Monroe” pierced my heart. A whirlwind of memories flashed before my eyes, all the moments of these past years. Six years ago, Caleb and I had a grand wedding ceremony. To make it up to me, he gave up his dream and quit his job, just to be by my side. He had a fortune in flowers flown in, simply because I’d once said I liked them. He even personally traveled to South Africa to pick out gemstones and crafted our wedding rings with his own hands. For six years, we were sweet and devoted. All our relatives and friends called us the perfect couple. It was all a lie. I walked like a zombie back to our doorstep. Before I even stepped inside, I heard Caleb talking on the phone. “Be a good boy, sweetheart. Daddy will come see you tonight, okay?” “Make sure you listen to Mommy. Daddy will bring you a gift.” Caleb was cooing softly, using that syrupy sweet voice a tough guy like him usually despised. “You’re doing great, babe. Just a little longer, and we’ll finally be a family…” That last sentence exploded in my mind like a bomb. My blood ran cold. He had a child already. When we first got married, he’d traveled frequently for a year. For the last four months of that period, he’d been completely incommunicado. Now, it seemed, that must have been when the baby was born. When he returned from those trips, he always smelled faintly of baby formula. I even teased him, saying he’d suddenly turned into a big softie, a total daddy, at his age. Now, it all made sense. “I love you both. You’re the ones I love most in this world.” I listened as Caleb kept pouring out his love to the person on the other end. He hadn’t said those words to me in six years. He always said old married couples didn’t need to say mushy things like that. Turns out, he was saving them for someone else. For six whole years, I had lived in a fake dream, completely oblivious that his heart had changed long ago. I tried to escape but tripped. Caleb heard the commotion and immediately hung up. Seeing me on the ground, he rushed over and scooped me into his arms. I fought back the surge of disgust, tearing myself away from his embrace. Seeing my reaction, he looked guilty, hesitant as he spoke: “Riley, what’s wrong?” I stared at him, trying to find a flicker of genuine concern in his eyes. “It’s nothing, just wasn’t watching where I was going and took a tumble.” He helped me to the sofa, got out the first-aid kit, and carefully cleaned my wound. That serious look always made me mistakenly believe he still loved me. Caleb nervously darted his eyes up. “Riley, I have to go out of town soon. There’s a crucial project that’s run into some trouble. I’ll be gone for a few days.” My heart sank into a frozen abyss. I forced a smile. “Okay. Have a safe trip.” After he left, I made a call. “I’m willing to accept the company’s assignment to work in France.”

“Excellent. Prepare your paperwork, and you can depart next week.” “Perfect, right after the design competition finishes, we’ll be ready to go.” Hanging up, I looked around. This place, which had held six years of our supposed happiness, now seemed utterly ridiculous. I packed my bags, tossing everything that represented ‘us’ into the trash: the photos we’d taken together, the matching custom mugs, the good luck charm he’d sought for me with such devotion… From high school sweethearts to my wedding day, from fifteen to twenty-five, all the love from those years went straight into the garbage. As soon as I finished packing, my phone rang. It was a colleague. “Riley, there’s a document here at the office that needs your signature at the client’s office.” I left for work immediately. As I exited the client’s building, I saw a familiar figure. “Daddy, take me to the amusement park!” Caleb scooped up the child, his voice soft with affection. “Alright, Daddy will take you.” Then he saw me. Caleb set the child down. Before I could even speak, he grabbed my arm and explained, “It was just so sad for the kid to not have a dad around… so I brought him out to play.” I no longer believed a word he said. This whole scene just felt pathetic. Suddenly, the child picked up a rock from the ground and threw it straight at my head. *Thud!* Blood streamed down my face. Alexa’s eyes immediately welled up with tears. She grabbed my hand and said, “Oh, dear, he’s just a child. Please don’t blame him!” “That’s right, he’s just a kid! Don’t do anything rash!” The couple played off each other, pretending to be terrified, like I was about to commit murder on the street. I glared at Caleb. “Didn’t you say you’d blocked all her contact information? How do you already have a child this old with her?” Caleb instantly panicked, his eyes darting nervously. “I… we just happened to run into each other on the street.” “Yes, and then I saw this child who looked so much like me…” It was a pathetic excuse, but I no longer cared. Caleb waited nervously for my reaction. Alexa stood beside him, her face filled with obvious jealousy and resentment. Suddenly, the child charged at me like a little cannonball. I was knocked to the ground, my stomach hitting the curb of the flower bed. “Leo, are you okay?” Caleb anxiously checked on his energetic son. The frantic look on his face made it seem as if the child was the true victim. Their happiness, as a family of three, burned my eyes. Beneath me, I felt a warm, wet sensation. “Blood? Why are you bleeding?” Before I lost consciousness, I vaguely saw Caleb’s worried face. When I woke up again, Caleb was sitting by the hospital bed. “Sign this!” He frowned slightly, handing me a document. “Some busybody passersby called the police earlier. This is a statement saying you won’t press charges.” “Get up and sign it quickly. I’ll explain everything about Alexa later.” I couldn’t be bothered to watch Caleb’s act. I turned to the nurse beside me. “Excuse me, what happened to me?” The nurse’s curious, almost nosy eyes darted between us. “You were pregnant, and you lost the baby. But you’re still young. Take good care of yourself, and you can have more children later.” Her voice held a hint of pity. She offered a few simple words of comfort before leaving. Caleb cleared his throat awkwardly. “You can have more children later, don’t worry about it. Just sign this.” I raised my hand and swatted the document away. Was my baby worth less than a piece of paper? Seeing this, Alexa, who had been eavesdropping outside the door, walked in. “Please, dear, just sign it. Leo is still so young, he didn’t mean it.” “If you have any anger, you can take it out on me. Hit me, curse me, anything.” Tears streamed down her face the moment she entered, as if someone had tormented her. “That’s right,” Caleb added, “and to get you to the hospital, Alexa got hurt too.” He gently blew on her barely-scraped skin, his face full of concern. Alexa raised an eyebrow at me, a blatant taunt in her eyes. I let out a self-mocking laugh. My baby dying was a minor detail, but her scraped knee was a huge deal. I stood up, ready to go home. Caleb tried to stop me, but then Alexa cried out from behind him: “Honey, my scratch hurts so much!” Hearing her, Caleb’s steps faltered. I scoffed, my resolve to break up with Caleb hardening even further. I had lost everything — my baby, my husband. All I had left was my career. I needed to focus on the design competition tomorrow. Before bed, I double-checked all the necessary materials, making sure everything was perfect. The next day, as soon as I entered the venue, security personnel approached me. “Ms. Hayes, your entry has been accused of plagiarism. You are disqualified from entering the venue. Please leave!” The loud voice echoed through every corner of the hall. Everyone looked over, curious. “No way, isn’t that Riley Hayes, the genius designer in our industry? She plagiarized?” “She won a national award at eighteen! Could all her past works be copied too?” This design was my life’s work for the past three years; there was no way it was plagiarism. Just as I was about to question the organizers, I saw two familiar figures in the crowd.

I stared hard at Caleb, trying to figure out what he was up to. “I announce that the first-place winner of this design competition is – Alexa Monroe!” Alexa Monroe’s design was identical to mine! My rage completely consumed me. I pushed through the crowd, intending to confront that conniving couple. I hadn’t walked two steps before Sarah Jenkins, a colleague I knew well, stopped me. She pulled me aside. “Riley, I just asked for you.” “The organizers said that when they received two identical design entries, they already questioned Alexa.” “But Alexa provided all her design sketches to prove her originality.” Her expression towards me was sympathetic. “And… Thompson Industries had pulled strings. They promised the organizers unconditional funding for the next ten years if they acknowledged Alexa as the original designer.” Every word was a dagger to my heart. My mind went blank. I couldn’t understand why Alexa would steal my work. Watching Alexa and Caleb mingle and work the room, I charged forward. Before I could even speak, Caleb clapped a hand over my mouth and dragged me outside the hall. “Why?” I demanded, my eyes red. His gaze flickered nervously, and he stammered, “Alexa has nothing. I just wanted to make her happy.” “And you think you have the right to use *my* hard work to make her happy?!” He frowned, looking agitated as he loosened his tie. “I’ll divorce her later and marry you. It’s just… it’s not easy for her, raising a child alone…” I felt a surge of nausea. I didn’t want to argue with him anymore. I quickly walked back into the hall, where my boss was standing on stage, making an announcement. “Alexa Monroe is our company’s newly appointed Design Director!” “And in the future, she will also serve as the General Manager of our French branch!” “How could this be?!” I cried out, my voice hoarse. Alexa walked towards me with a triumphant smirk, leaning close and whispering in my ear: “Now, both your husband and your job are mine.” “Oh, and by the way, while you were in the hospital yesterday, I had your parents’ ashes relocated. A little *rearrangement*, you know?” I trembled with fury, unable to stop myself from slapping her across the face. As I raised my hand for a second slap, Caleb shoved me hard to the ground. “Security!” he bellowed. At his command, several burly men immediately pinned me to the floor. A man’s large hand pressed painfully against my face. Alexa ran over, feigning distress, and said to everyone, “It’s all a misunderstanding! It’s my fault! Please, don’t hit her!” Caleb tenderly stroked her cheek. When he looked at me, his expression had shifted from gentle affection to pure disgust. “Look at Alexa, so sensible, so composed, unlike you! You’re always causing a scene!” “Get on your knees and beg her forgiveness, and we can put this whole thing behind us.” I scoffed, staring at them with intense hatred. The man I had loved for ten years… now I finally saw his true colors. I closed my eyes, unable to look at them anymore. Caleb grew angry. He gestured to his bodyguards. “Take her home. Starve her for a few days. Let’s see if she still dares to disobey!” My hands were bound, and the bodyguards forcibly dragged me into a car. Inside the car was an unexpected passenger – Caleb’s son. I was trapped in the car by the bodyguards, and the child was like a savage. “You hurt my mom! I’ll kill you!” A knife plunged into my abdomen. Blood stained the car seats. Outside the car, Caleb simply waved a hand, telling someone to send me to the hospital, while he rushed to comfort Alexa. When he had finally calmed Alexa down, he remembered me. He searched frantically throughout the hospital, but couldn’t find my room. “Hello, can you tell me which room Riley Hayes is in?” The nurse looked up, confused. “Riley Hayes? We don’t have a patient by that name here.” She spoke while flipping through records. “Who are you to her?” “I’m her husband.” “My condolences, sir. Ms. Hayes was brought in very late, and due to severe blood loss, she has already passed away.”

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My son, Arthur, was critically ill, desperately needing a liver transplant. My wife, Vivian Hayes, was the only perfect match. I pleaded with her for twenty days. Finally, she agreed to come back and donate. I waited outside the operating room all day, but she never showed. That same day, Vivian’s childhood best friend, Julian Thorne, posted photos on his Ins of their round-the-world trip. “Sending love from day 20 of our global adventure! Dr. Hayes gave up her fellowship to help my son realize his dream of traveling the world.” It was then I realized: the very first day I begged Vivian, she had already left for a trip with Julian and his son. That evening, Vivian called me: “Liam, Noah aced his finals, and his wish is for his mom and dad to travel the world with him.” “You know, he doesn’t have a mom…” “I couldn’t bear to see his wish go unfulfilled. We’ll be back in three days.” “And then, I’ll donate my liver to our son.” Three days later, when Vivian arrived at the hospital, all she saw was Arthur’s death certificate. … In the hospital morgue, I gazed at my son Arthur’s serene face, a crushing pain in my heart that stole my breath. Arthur had always been such a good kid, never giving me much to worry about. But I couldn’t even guarantee his health or his life. My son had suffered sudden liver failure, requiring an urgent transplant. The only person in our entire family who was a match was my wife, Vivian Hayes. But the day after the matching results came in, her company sent her abroad for a prestigious fellowship. On her first day away, I begged Vivian to come back and donate her liver to Arthur. She said the overseas fellowship was a rare opportunity, and she didn’t want to give it up. In the middle of her trip, I pleaded with her for another eighteen days. She still refused, cold and unfeeling. On her nineteenth day abroad, the doctor said Arthur’s condition had worsened, and he needed a transplant as soon as possible. I begged her again to come back, to save our son first. But she claimed if she left mid-program, her entire career would be ruined. She told me to transfer Arthur to a major medical center and find more people to match. The specialist hospital was completely full; they refused to admit us. Helpless, we had no choice but to return to the city hospital. Arthur was ravaged by his illness, his face ghostly pale. He looked at me with eyes full of hope: “Dad, why isn’t Mom back to see Arthur yet?” “Is Arthur being bad? Did I make Mom angry?” I didn’t know how to comfort him. I just thought maybe I hadn’t explained clearly enough, that Vivian might have misunderstood how serious Arthur’s condition was. So, I reached out to Vivian again, bringing Arthur’s lead doctor with me, begging her to rush back and save our son. With the doctor’s confirmation, Vivian finally relented. She agreed to take two days off to come back and donate her liver to Arthur. But on the day of the surgery, I sat outside the operating room, waiting all day. What I got was the news that my son couldn’t be saved and had passed away. Vivian still hadn’t shown up. I pulled out my phone, wanting to ask Vivian why she wasn’t there. Instead, I saw a photo Julian Thorne had sent me. In the picture, Vivian, holding Noah’s hand, was leaning into Julian’s embrace, smiling radiantly. My hand trembled as I opened Julian’s Ins feed, and the glaring content hit me. “Sending love from day 20 of our global adventure! Dr. Hayes gave up her fellowship to help my son realize his dream of traveling the world.” If Julian hadn’t posted that on Ins, I wouldn’t have known that the wife my son and I desperately waited for was actually traveling the world with another man’s child. I clutched my son’s already cold hand, my heart twisting into a knot, suffocating me. Just then, Vivian called: “Liam, Noah aced his finals, and his wish is for his mom and dad to travel the world with him.” “You know, he doesn’t have a mom…” “I couldn’t bear to see his wish go unfulfilled. We’ll be back in three days.” “In three days, I’ll donate my liver to our son.” My mind went blank. Just one day ago, I would have jumped for joy. But now, I couldn’t feel happy at all. My son’s life, in her eyes, wasn’t as important as a stranger’s wish. Vivian must have sensed something, because she asked anxiously, “Liam, why aren’t you saying anything?” I snapped back to reality and asked what was on my mind: “Vivian Hayes, do you know how sick our son was?” Vivian froze. It seemed only then she realized Arthur’s condition couldn’t be delayed any longer. “Liam, don’t worry, I’ll buy a ticket and come back right away.” From the other end of the phone, Noah’s innocent voice chimed in, “Mommy, for the last stop, Noah wants to go to romantic Paris. Will you take Noah?” Vivian paused for a moment, then spoke to me: “Liam, my friend at the major medical center said Arthur isn’t a critical case. Three days later for treatment is still fine. Just be the bigger person and wait for me to come back.” I should have known this would be the outcome. Ever since Julian Thorne got divorced and returned, Vivian’s entire world revolved around him and Noah. She promised to celebrate Arthur’s birthday with us, but she stood us up because Noah had a cold. She always said Noah didn’t have a mom and she had to take care of him, telling my son and I to be more understanding. She gave Arthur’s birthday gift to Noah, telling us to be more understanding. She canceled family gatherings to take Noah to the amusement park, telling us to be more understanding. She knew Arthur and I would forgive her, that we’d wait for her, right where we were. That’s why she acted with impunity, ignoring us, hurting us. But this time, I couldn’t be understanding. Because my son had no future. And my marriage with Vivian Hayes had reached its end. 2 Hanging up the phone, I prepared Arthur’s body for viewing. Before he went into surgery, Arthur had asked me, full of hope, “Dad, will I see Mom when I wake up?” I answered firmly, “Yes, Arthur. You’ll be all better after you sleep.” But I let Arthur down. Until his dying breath, Vivian never came back to see him. Perhaps she had a gut feeling, because Vivian kept sending me messages, asking about Arthur’s condition. I just watched her messages, neither replying nor blocking her. The next day, I arrived at the hospital early to handle Arthur’s funeral arrangements. To my surprise, I ran into Vivian. Julian Thorne rushed into the hospital, carrying Noah. Vivian was running beside him, shouting at the nurses, “Hurry! Save him!” People quickly moved out of her way. I couldn’t dodge in time and found myself blocking her path. She skidded to a halt: “Liam, Noah suddenly fainted. I need to get him checked first.” I nodded, stepping back two paces to clear her way. Vivian looked at me, bewildered. She couldn’t understand why I had become so understanding. Before, when she favored Noah, I would always try to stop her, I would complain. Now, I was silent, proactively moving aside for her. “Liam, don’t be mad. I’m going to donate my liver to Arthur right now.” Saying this, she let go of Noah’s hand and reached for mine. Julian caught up from behind, grabbing Vivian’s hand. “Vivian, please don’t go.” “Liam, I know you hate Noah for taking Vivian’s affection, but Noah is just a child. Please, let him go.” Under Julian’s emotional plea, Vivian chose to stay with him, leaving without a backward glance. A young nurse nearby comforted Julian: “Don’t worry, brother-in-law. Dr. Hayes is known for being fiercely devoted to her husband. If you ask, there’s nothing she can’t do.” “Unlike those shameless homewreckers who don’t know their place.” The people around us, like sharks smelling blood, began to whisper and gossip furiously. “So, he’s the other man? A grown man being a homewrecker, not even bothering to hide it in front of the actual spouse. How thick-skinned!” “Exactly! When his son was admitted earlier, he even claimed to be Dr. Hayes’ husband and wanted us to arrange a retired professor for his son’s surgery.” “What a shameless homewrecker. It’s karma that his illegitimate child died.” Vivian had always insisted on keeping her work and personal life separate, so she never brought Arthur or me to any hospital events. She didn’t want her colleagues to know about us. After Julian returned, she claimed he was new to the area, so she took him to hospital events, openly introducing him to her colleagues. When her colleagues chuckled and said her “brother-in-law” was handsome, Vivian just smiled and implicitly agreed. All her colleagues at the hospital believed Julian and Noah were her husband and son. On the contrary, Arthur and I were considered the shameless other man and illegitimate child. In the hallway, Vivian stopped me. She took a step forward, trying to kiss me, but I turned my head, avoiding her. “Vivian Hayes, this is your workplace.” Vivian’s hand froze in mid-air. She pouted, trying to be cute. “Liam, stop being mad, okay?” “I’ll go donate my liver to Arthur in a bit.” I lowered my head, hiding my emotions: “It’s not needed anymore.” Because Arthur was gone. And a mother who broke her promise had no right to see him again. If Arthur knew his longed-for mother had been traveling the world with someone else’s son, how heartbroken would he be? Vivian sensed my sadness. She pulled two boxes from her bag: “These are gifts for you and Arthur.” The box for Arthur contained a Transformers action figure. I stared at the toy, lost in thought for a moment. Last year, for Arthur’s birthday, Vivian was on a business trip abroad. Arthur wanted a genuine Transformers figure, and Vivian video-called him to let him pick one. But when she returned, that genuine Transformers toy was already clutched in Noah’s arms. Arthur cried, wanting the toy, but Vivian coldly criticized him for being petty and fighting with his “brother” over toys. Now she had bought the Transformers toy Arthur had always wanted, but it was too late. Arthur was gone. Seeing my lack of reaction, Vivian grew anxious. She grabbed my hand, just about to say something, when Julian walked in. “Vivian, the doctor said Noah has leukemia and needs a kidney transplant.” Vivian’s eyes were filled with urgency. “Don’t worry, I’ll go get tested for a match right away. I won’t let anything happen to Noah.” She dropped my hand and followed Julian away. I called out to her: “Vivian Hayes, aren’t you going to see Arthur?” 3 Vivian paused: “I…” Julian quickly interjected: “Liam, please don’t compete with me. Noah is waiting for Vivian to save his life.” Vivian let out a sigh of relief: “Liam, don’t be angry. I’m a doctor; my duty is to save lives and help those in need.” “Wait for me, I’ll be there in a moment.” With that, Vivian hurried away with Julian. I watched their retreating backs and murmured, “No need, Vivian Hayes.” I heard nurses discussing that Vivian had successfully matched for a kidney transplant and had already signed the donation agreement. She could have the transplant after a week of recovery. Even though I already knew the outcome, my heart still twisted with a sharp, piercing pain. After running around all day, I found an empty office to rest. As I entered, I walked in on Vivian and Julian, passionately kissing, completely lost in each other. Seeing me, Vivian quickly pulled away from Julian and rushed to explain: “Liam, Noah is sick, I was just comforting Julian.” I couldn’t help but sneer: “Comforting requires kissing each other?” Vivian tried to explain further, but Julian, eyes red, pulled her back. “Liam, don’t blame Vivian. I was the one who kissed her first.” I scoffed mercilessly: “You must be starving to eat anything put in front of you.” With that, I turned to leave. Vivian followed me out. “Liam, please let me explain. I only see Julian as a brother.” Julian’s hoarse voice came from behind: “Vivian, the doctor said Noah’s condition is very dangerous. He needs a transplant immediately.” Vivian hesitated for a moment, then explained to me: “I’ll donate my kidney to Noah first.” She still left without a backward glance. It was truly ironic. Her own son needed a liver transplant, and Vivian stayed far away. Her childhood friend’s son needed a kidney transplant, and Vivian immediately volunteered to donate her kidney. It was so clear then. Love and indifference, so starkly visible. If only I had realized sooner, if only I hadn’t placed all my hope in Vivian, Arthur might still be alive. In that moment, I completely gave up hope. I went home to pack my bags. All of Arthur’s and my belongings, I packed them all away. If this was the end, then it had to be a clean break. After packing everything and printing out the divorce papers, a faint glow appeared on the horizon. The sun was rising. A new day had begun. I walked into the first rays of morning light, leaving the home where Vivian and I had supposedly shared a decade of love. As I hailed a cab, I opened my phone. Vivian’s messages flooded in, one after another. “I’m donating my kidney to Noah tomorrow at 9 AM. Come early to take care of me.” “Noah can’t drink or eat after surgery. Prepare some cotton swabs to moisten his throat later.” “Don’t worry, once I recover, I’ll donate my liver to Arthur.” “Once Arthur is better, let’s go on that world trip together. We’ll go to Switzerland to see the Northern Lights, ski in the Alps, experience all the breathtaking scenery across the globe.” I closed the messages, letting out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. Vivian Hayes, we have no future. At eight o’clock, I took Arthur’s body to the funeral home, but at the corner, I ran into Vivian. “Liam, is this…?” I looked at her coldly: “Vivian Hayes, Arthur passed away. His cremation is at noon. Do you want to come with me to say goodbye?” Vivian stumbled back two steps. “Impossible. How could that be?” Julian steadied Vivian: “Liam, why do you keep cursing Arthur? Arthur is perfectly fine.” Julian kept spouting nonsense, provoking me. I couldn’t help but slap him across the face. Julian licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, looking at me defiantly: “Exposed, huh? Is Liam getting upset and resorting to violence?” “Enough!” Vivian snapped, and the noisy environment suddenly fell silent. Vivian walked closer, step by step, staring at me fiercely: “Liam Walker, I just didn’t donate my liver to Arthur the way you demanded. Do you really need to lie to me?” She abruptly overturned the gurney transporting Arthur’s body. With a crash, Arthur’s small, frail body fell to the floor right in front of us.

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I was cycling to my high school reunion when a speeding Cullinan slammed into me, sending me flying. I picked myself up, wincing in pain, ready to confront the driver. But then, my girlfriend stepped out of the car, glaring at me. “Alex, I told you to stay home! Why are you here, making a scene with that old bike of yours?!” Liam Davies, leaning out of the driver’s seat, sneered. “Well, well, if it isn’t our old class president! My bad, I thought it was just some clueless delivery guy.” He casually pulled a wad of cash from his wallet and tossed it at my feet. “Here, that should buy you a new one. Oh, and keep the change. Go rent a decent car. “I know you can’t afford a Cullinan, but seriously, don’t show up to the reunion on that beat-up piece of junk.” I glanced at my bike, sprawled on the ground, and a cold smile slowly curved my lips. This wasn’t just any ordinary bike. Its name was the Trek Butterfly. … I sank to the ground, my palms stinging, a dull ache throbbing in my right knee. An hour earlier, my girlfriend, Chloe, had called me. “Alex, don’t bother coming to the reunion today. I’ll just catch a ride home later.” “Everyone else’s partner is either a senior executive or a rich kid. I don’t want them to know you’re still just a low-level employee who can’t even afford a car.” But I was worried about Chloe, so I rode my bike to follow her. I was approaching the hotel intersection when a black Cullinan ran a red light, speeding straight into me. The car door opened, revealing a familiar face: Liam Davies, my old high school classmate. What made my chest tighten even more was seeing Chloe, my girlfriend, clinging to him, a sweet smile on her face. “Well, well, if it isn’t Alex, our straight-A class president!” Liam’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Haven’t seen you in years since graduation. How’d you end up like this? Showing up to the reunion on a bike?” Chloe frowned, her perfectly made-up eyebrows furrowed, her voice laced with impatience. “Alex, I specifically told you to stay home. Why are you aimlessly riding that old bike of yours around?” I swallowed my anger and reached out to Chloe. “Come here. You’re my girlfriend. Stay away from him!” To my surprise, Chloe instantly bristled like a cornered cat. “Alex, what’s that supposed to mean?! He and I are just friends! Are you just so twisted inside that you see everything as dirty?!” “Liam’s driving a Cullinan at such a young age, and he was my first love! You’re just jealous of him!” She pointed disdainfully at my bike lying on the ground. “If Liam hadn’t specifically driven his Cullinan to pick me up today, did you expect me to sit on the back of your pathetic bike and be laughed at by the entire class?” Liam chimed in, feigning concern, “Class president, I’m really sorry about your bike. Just name your price. Chloe was my first love, after all. I can’t stand to see her living a hard life with you.” “If we hadn’t broken up back then, Chloe, you wouldn’t have…” He trailed off, and Chloe bit her lip, her gaze at me filled with even more resentment. My thoughts drifted away. Chloe was our class beauty. In high school, Liam skipped class all the time and his grades were a mess, yet Chloe always seemed to gravitate towards him. Later, because of his abysmal grades, Liam’s family paid to send him abroad. The day they broke up, Chloe cried her eyes out. I stayed with her on the rooftop all night. She leaned on my shoulder, sobbing, “Alex, you’re the best to me. Will you stay with me forever?” For that sentence, I gave up better opportunities and went to the same university as her. We naturally became a couple. I thought everything would head in a good direction, but then Liam suddenly returned to the country, making a grand show of it. Chloe often showed me his Ins posts, where Liam flaunted his luxury cars and mansions. Her complaints about me grew more and more frequent. I slowly stood up, brushing the dust from my clothes, my voice calm. “Liam Davies, my bike? I don’t think you can afford to replace it.” The two of them looked like they’d heard the funniest joke in the world. Liam even exaggeratedly covered his mouth. “Class president, did you hit your head? My Cullinan cost five million on the lot. You think I can’t afford your junk bike?” “Alex, what are you talking about?!” Chloe shot me a fierce glare, then turned to Liam, flashing a fawning smile. “Don’t mind him. He’s just a low-level employee now, hasn’t seen much of the world. Not like you, Liam, doing incredibly well! I heard your dad is the CEO of Meridian Holdings, right?” I watched them in silence, feeling a bit speechless. Meridian Holdings? Wasn’t that one of my family’s companies? Looks like the CEO of Meridian Holdings might need a change. I looked at the bike on the ground. Though it looked ordinary, I’d bid an insane amount for it at an auction last month. It was the only one of its kind in the world. I’d planned to give it to Chloe when I proposed and reveal my true identity, but it seemed… “Alright, take this money and buy a new car.” Liam pulled a stack of hundred-dollar bills from his wallet and tossed them on the ground. “Consider the extra a gift.” Chloe looked at me like I was a piece of trash. “Alex, hurry up and take your junk and leave! Don’t embarrass me!” With that, she linked her arm through Liam’s and got into the Cullinan without a backward glance. I pulled out my phone and dialed my lawyer. “Mr. Thompson, cancel all gifts in Chloe’s name. Yes, including that villa and the company shares.” After hanging up, I gently picked up the bike and shook my head. This was the one and only Trek Butterfly in the world. It was worth a hundred Cullinans. If Chloe couldn’t appreciate it, then so be it. 2 There was no need for me to go to the reunion anymore. I turned to leave, but then I heard exaggerated calls from behind me. “Hey! Class president! Don’t go!” A black Audi pulled up beside me, and a few familiar faces stepped out. “Old friends, it’s been too long! Let’s hang out.” I politely declined, but Jake threw an arm around my shoulder, squeezing so hard it hurt. “How can a reunion be complete without our class president? Come on, get in our car!” “No need.” I coolly pulled his hand away. “Don’t be shy!” On the other side, Ben had already taken the liberty of lifting my bike, which was still on the ground. “Your bike’s broken. We’ll help you put it in the trunk.” I frowned, about to refuse, but then I noticed them exchange a knowing look, a malicious smile playing on their lips. It suddenly dawned on me that these guys used to be Liam’s flunkies in high school. Clearly, Liam had put them up to this. I scoffed inwardly and decided to play along. “Alright, then. I appreciate your help.” I was curious to see what game Liam was really playing. Inside the hotel’s VIP room, I pushed the door open just as I heard a burst of exaggerated laughter. “Chloe is our class beauty, and she and Liam are a match made in heaven!” Mia, the former literature club president, raised her wine glass. “If only some loser hadn’t swooped in back then…” “Exactly!” Ryan, the former sports captain, chimed in. “Liam’s the young master of Meridian Holdings now. Some people aren’t even fit to tie his shoelaces!” The room suddenly fell silent—everyone had seen me. Chloe’s face instantly soured. She instinctively tightened her grip on Liam’s arm. Liam, on the other hand, flashed a smug, triumphant smile and raised his glass in a toast to me. “Well, well, if it isn’t our class president? Welcome, welcome!” “Alex,” Chloe’s voice was icy. “Who let you in?” “Your lovely classmates, of course,” I swept my gaze around the room, letting my eyes linger on Jake and the others. “Hard to refuse such a warm invitation.” Before I could say another word, Jake suddenly spoke up loudly, “There’s no reason you can’t come to a reunion! Since you’re here, join us!” He pushed me into a seat. “Come on, sit down! Everyone was just talking about you and Chloe!” Then, a snide voice piped up, “I say, Class President, Chloe and Liam only broke up because you took advantage of the situation. Now that the real guy’s back, shouldn’t you be smart enough to step aside?” Laughter erupted through the room. Someone even whistled. Jake stifled a laugh and patted my shoulder. “It’s just a joke, Class President. Don’t take it seriously.” Everyone was staring at me with mocking expressions, waiting to see how I’d react. I simply smiled faintly and clapped. “You’re right. They truly are a perfect match.” I looked directly at Chloe. “I wish you both a fresh start and a happy future together.” Chloe abruptly stood up, her face flushed crimson with fury. “Alex! What do you mean by that?! You shamelessly chased after me just to say something disgusting like that?!” “Don’t be mad, Chloe.” Liam gently put his arm around her shoulder, then turned to me with a cold smirk. “If your own life’s a mess, don’t blame people for speaking their minds.” Another round of grating laughter. “So what if he got good grades? He still has to work for others.” “Liam could just drop a few dollars, and it’d be enough for Alex to live a lifetime.” I stared coldly at these former classmates. “Since I’m not welcome here, I’ll take my leave.” Liam gave a subtle nod, and Ben stepped forward to block my path. “Class president, don’t be in such a hurry. Wasn’t your bike accidentally damaged?” He deliberately emphasized “bike.” Jake also feigned concern, stepping closer. “Yeah, how will you get back so late? Or maybe…” He pulled out a fifty-dollar bill. “How about we all chip in for your taxi fare?” I looked at these pathetic clowns, suddenly feeling utterly bored. So, they called me here just to watch their pathetic performance again. “This kind of boring reunion,” I straightened my collar, “don’t bother inviting me anymore.” Just as I was about to leave, two burly security guards suddenly blocked the doorway. Liam’s voice came from behind me, carrying a dangerous undertone. “Alex, are you… disrespecting me?” 3 The room instantly fell silent. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the show to begin. I slowly turned around, seeing Liam’s malicious grin. “Alright, here’s the deal. What you just said hurt Chloe’s feelings. If you get on your knees and bark like a dog three times in front of Chloe, then crawl between my legs, I’ll let you go. How about it?” Chloe averted her gaze but said nothing to object. All eyes in the room were fixed on me, some mocking, some pitying, but most were filled with schadenfreude. The security guards grabbed my shoulders, their grip so tight it sent a fresh wave of searing pain through my injuries. I stared coldly at Liam. “We were classmates. Do you really need to humiliate me like this?” Liam slowly swirled his wine glass, a victorious smile on his face. “Alex, do you remember high school? You, flaunting your class president status, always meddling, even reporting me to the teacher for being a few minutes late.” “And in the end, you even dared to touch *my* woman!” He suddenly smashed his wine glass on the floor. Glass shards scattered, making the surrounding classmates flinch. “Now, *I* call the shots here!” He stood up, looking down at me. “I booked this entire hotel. My dad is the CEO of Meridian Holdings. Here, who dares to disrespect me?” I scoffed. “So? Are you going to illegally detain me?” “Illegally detain?” Liam exaggeratedly spread his hands. “Classmates, did any of you see me detaining him?” Jake and the others immediately chimed in, “No! He’s clearly just refusing to leave!” I pulled out my phone. “Fine, then I’ll call the police.” Liam’s eyes hardened, and he signaled the security guards. “Teach him a lesson!” A guard’s fist slammed into my freshly injured knee. The sharp pain made me grunt, and cold sweat instantly drenched my back. I looked up at Chloe. She stood beside Liam, her eyes flickering, but in the end, she closed her mouth and remained silent. “Chloe,” I questioned her, my voice hoarse, “Are you just going to stand there and watch?” She bit her lip, finally speaking in a cold tone. “Alex, you’re the one who acted like an idiot first. Don’t blame Liam for getting angry.” The surrounding classmates also started chiming in, urging me to back down. “Alex, just swallow your pride!” “You’re just an ordinary guy. Liam’s family has massive wealth. You can’t win against him!” “Yeah, riding a bike, why are you still putting on airs?” I looked at the faces of these people and suddenly found it utterly laughable. Slowly, I straightened my body. Though my knee trembled with pain, my eyes were chillingly cold. “Liam Davies, I’m warning you for the last time. I’m not someone you want to mess with!” The room erupted in laughter. “Hahahaha! Did you hear that?!” Liam laughed, doubling over. “Riding a beat-up bike, and still talking like that?!” He clapped his hands, and two waiters brought my bicycle in. It still had scratches on it. “You said my Cullinan couldn’t afford your bike, didn’t you?” Liam sneered, kicking the wheel. “My car could lose a speck of paint, and it’d be enough to buy ten of these pieces of junk!” I almost laughed out of sheer anger. This Trek Butterfly was the only one of its kind in the world. Its frame was studded with Swarovski diamonds, and the custom craftsmanship alone took two years. When I used to ride it, discerning rich folks would respectfully ask specialists to handle it, terrified of damaging even a single diamond. But now, these people were treating it like some bargain-bin item? I looked at Chloe, deciding to give her one last chance. “Chloe, if you come back to me now, I can pretend none of this happened today.” I pointed to the bicycle. “This bike, I originally intended it as your engagement gift.” Chloe froze for a moment, then looked at me like I was insane. “Alex, are you trying to humiliate me? In your eyes, I’m only worth a pathetic bicycle?!” She clutched Liam’s arm. “Alex, let me tell you, I’d rather cry in Liam’s Cullinan than laugh on your pathetic bike!” Liam smugly pulled her closer. “Hear that? Give up now, alright?” Just then, my phone rang. It was my parents. They’d already heard what happened from Mr. Thompson. “We always thought that girl was ill-intentioned, son. It’s good you cut your losses now! We heard you were hurt. Where are you now? Do you want us to send someone to pick you up?” I thought for a moment, then spoke. “Actually, I do need your help with something.” I looked up, directly into Liam Davies’ bewildered face, and said, word by word. “Dad, can you tell that David Davies to come to the Meridian Hotel now? Yes, the CEO of Meridian Holdings.”

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