Author: Momo Chan

On the day of my birthday party, my grandfather, Harvey Macleod, asked me which guy from the Cameron family I was going to marry. I didn’t hesitate for a second and picked Arthur Cameron from the Cameron family. My family’s elders were all shocked as hell. After all, everyone in our circle knew that the heir of the Macleod Group was head over heels in love with Charles Cameron, the eldest son of the Cameron family, and would rather die than marry anyone else. In my previous life, I did get married to Charles. But just three months later, I caught Charles having an affair with my illegitimate cousin, Eliza Macleod. At that moment, his eyes were full of tears, and he begged me for forgiveness. “I’m begging you. It was just an accident.” I softened my heart, but Harvey still found out about it and had Eliza sent far away to a foreign country. Charles thought it was my doing and hated me with a passion. In the following few years, the elders in my family passed away one after another. Our company always got beaten to the punch in the market, and our top-secret documents were stolen. I was hit and killed by a car on the day I found out I was pregnant. Given a second chance at life, I decided to let them have their love. But I never expected that when the news of my engagement was announced, Charles burst into the engagement party and begged me to marry him.

As soon as I stepped out of the study, I saw Charles Cameron. He was sitting in the middle of the crowd, decked out in a designer suit, but his eyes kept drifting towards the door. When his friends saw me, one of them nudged him hard. “Here comes your groupie… Oops, I mean, your fan.” Charles gave me a dismissive glance. “What are you doing here?” he said, sounding disappointed. In my past life, I would’ve rushed over and tried to smooth things over with him. But the image of that truck slamming into me was still fresh in my mind, so I just replied coldly, “It’s my birthday party. Why wouldn’t I be here?” Charles instantly flew off the handle when he heard how icy I sounded. “Violet Macleod, what’s your deal? Looking for a fight? I took time out of my schedule to come to your party, and this is how you act? Just because you ran to your grandpa doesn’t mean we’re getting married.” One of his friends chimed in, “Violet, what’s your problem? Apologize to Charles! If you hadn’t shamelessly pestered Charles every day, he wouldn’t have bothered with you.” I was speechless. “If you’re not happy at my party, feel free to leave. And as for my wedding plans, they’ll be announced at my grandpa’s 80th birthday party next month. It’s none of your business, so don’t bother asking.” Although I intended to marry Arthur Cameron, I had not yet asked him. Though in my previous life… I couldn’t be so hasty as to announce it here now. “Wedding plans?” One guest perked up. “Sounds like their grandfathers are finally ready to step down. We’ll finally know who’s taking over the Cameron Group.” My grandfather, Harvey Macleod, and Frankie Cameron, Charles’ grandfather, had been best friends their whole lives and should have retired ages ago. Since I was the only daughter in the Macleod family, they’d made a deal that whoever I married would get a 20% share of the Cameron Group from Frankie. In my previous life, with the 15% Charles already owned, marrying me made him the boss of the Cameron Group. Things were about to change big time for the Cameron Group. His friends started cheering. “Charles, you’re gonna be the top dog!” Charles looked proud. “Violet, just because I’m marrying you doesn’t mean you’ve won. I can’t stand how smug you look. “I learned my lesson from last time. I’ll marry you, but there’s no way I’ll become a part of your family. Before we marry, you’d better give your poor sister a good job.” I was about to tell him it had nothing to do with him when I realized that he’d been reborn, too. In my previous life, it was a servant of the Cameron family who tipped me off about his affair with Eliza. And now, he was still up to the same tricks. I was about to kick him out when I heard a timid voice behind me. “Violet?” Eliza Macleod came over, looking weak, with bruises all over her face. Everyone started whispering. Charles rushed to her, looking heartbroken. “What happened? Who did this to you?” Before Eliza could answer, Charles turned around and glared at me. “Violet, how dare you play these dirty tricks again?” I tried to explain, but Eliza interrupted me, “It’s nothing serious. I just tripped on the way here. Today’s Violet’s birthday. Even though she’s never liked me, I still wanted to wish her well.” Charles shot me a look of disgust. “Violet, you could never be as kind as she is.” Eliza grabbed Charles’ arm. “Don’t be mad, Charles. I’m sure one day Violet will forgive me.” Charles wrapped his arm around her protectively. “Let’s go see a doctor right away. I don’t want you getting hurt worse.” As they walked away, he shot me a warning look. “Violet, keep your hands off Eliza. If you mess with her again, our engagement party will not happen on time.” With that, he dragged Eliza away.

That night, the birthday party was in full swing, but Eliza and Charles were nowhere to be found. They didn’t show up until the party was almost over and only my close friends of the same generation and a few close businessmen were left chatting. Eliza had changed her clothes. Her face was flushed, and her lips were swollen. Charles looked like he was on cloud nine, and there were faint red marks peeking out from his open shirt collar. Everyone knew what they had done and kept looking at me, while my friends just shook their heads, looking like they wanted to say something but held back. In my previous life, I would’ve stormed over and smacked Eliza. But this time, I just picked up a cup of coffee from the table and took a sip. Charles stood protectively in front of Eliza, waiting for me to blow up. When I ignored them, though, he started scowling, clearly annoyed. Eliza pulled Charles in and started kissing him right there as if no one else was around. Charles didn’t stop her and even let her sit on his lap. It was their business, and I couldn’t care less. But my best friend, Sienna Smith, couldn’t take it anymore and yanked them apart. “Eliza, Charles is practically Violet’s fiancé! You’re so shameless.” Before Eliza could respond, Charles exploded. “Sienna? Last I checked, the Smith family has a bunch of projects funded by the Cameron family. How dare you lecture me? Violet hasn’t said anything. Who are you to butt in?” “Charles, watch your mouth,” I shouted. Sienna was kind to me, and I wasn’t about to let him trash-talk her. “The leading man at the Cameron Group hasn’t stepped down yet. What makes you so sure that I’ll pick you and that you’ll get that 20% stake?” Charles stared at me, then burst out laughing. “Are you trying to play hard to get? Everyone knows you’re crazy about me. Who else is there? One of my sisters has married off overseas, and the other has locked in her room making art all day. And my little brother’s in jail doing time. You wanna join him?” Then, he thought of something and added, “Look, Violet, whatever beef our families had is old news. Your mom’s gone, and no amount of holding grudges will bring her back. Let it go, for everyone’s sake. Eliza’s innocent in all this.” Innocent? I almost laughed out loud. When my mom, Amelia Macleod, was pregnant, Eliza’s mom, Ivy Wilson, showed up at our door with Eliza. She claimed my dad, Blake Macleod, had knocked her up and ditched her, and she called Amelia a homewrecker. During the fight, Ivy pushed Amelia down the stairs, and Amelia and the baby died. But it turned out that Eliza wasn’t even Blake’s kid but was my deadbeat uncle’s, and Ivy was just a cocktail waitress. Amelia and the baby were the real victims. Lost in thought, I didn’t notice Charles grinning. He thought it was my acquiescence and happily said, “Oh yeah, happy birthday.” With that, he added, pulling off his tie and tossing it at me, “Here. It is for you.” Eliza said in a loud voice, “Charles, do you think she’ll like it? She might blame me for stealing her gift again.” As she spoke, she tugged at her collar to show off a necklace. Charles shrugged. “Don’t worry. She doesn’t like anything but what I’ve used. You didn’t steal anything. Once I give something to you, it’s yours.” They snickered as the tie smacked me in the face. It stung like a slap. In my previous life, I had indeed enjoyed collecting things that Charles had used, including the ring he wore when we met, the tie from our wedding, and the watch from his big promotion. I kept them in fancy boxes, thinking they were precious mementos. He laughed at me and said they were all rags that were worn once and thrown away, and that I was the only one who considered them a treasure. Mortal things were precious because they were endowed with feelings, and he didn’t love me, so he naturally wouldn’t understand. I sighed, picked up the tie, and chucked it in the trash can, saying, “Trash belongs in the trash.” Charles went crazy. “Fine, Violet! Our wedding’s getting put on ice!”

That night, Eliza and I got home together, and she had a smug look. “Violet, so what if you marry Charles? You can have his body, but you’ll never have his heart. Oh, maybe he won’t even let you touch his body either,” she said. Without Charles around, she finally dropped her innocent act. “I made your mom dead, and I can sure as hell steal Charles, the man you love the most. Just wait, Violet. Everything that’s yours will end up being mine eventually.” Eliza thought she could get on my nerves, but I just gave her a cold glance. “Then I wish you could move out of the maid’s room soon,” I said. After that, I ignored her and walked straight into the mansion. Harvey came to talk to me and said that Arthur needed some more time to think it over. Charles probably almost forgot that he had another younger brother. Frankie had a daughter who had given up her inheritance rights to become a cop because she had fallen in love with a policeman. Later, they both died in the line of duty, leaving behind only their son, Arthur. Frankie and his daughter had had a huge falling-out because of that marriage decision. After she died, Frankie felt remorseful. But Arthur didn’t go back to the Cameron family very often. With my reminder, Frankie felt that he owed Arthur. Even if Arthur didn’t marry me, Frankie would still leave him a portion of his property. Charles was dead set on getting the Cameron Group, but he had no idea that he could never get it all. I was looking forward to seeing how Charles would fare in this life. On the day of Harvey’s 80th birthday, all the big shots in our circle showed up. To make sure the party went smoothly, I checked Harvey’s health with the doctor one more time. When Eliza saw me there, she walked straight towards me. These past few days, Charles had taken Eliza to a bunch of luxury stores. I checked her social media account, and every single fancy Instagram post was screaming about how close they were. When she saw me, she came over and smiled, “Violet, Charles is such a great guy. He took me to buy so many luxury things. And not only that, he even measured me himself and said he was going to order a custom-made dress for me.” Seeing I ignored her, she continued, “Charles also said that even after you two get married, I shouldn’t be shy around him. We’ll be family, and he should do things for me.” Eliza kept interrupting my conversation with the doctor. I turned around and was about to tell her to buzz off. But when I saw the brooch on her chest, I froze. That brooch was the birthday gift my parents had given me when I was a kid. They loved each other deeply. Amelia had designed the brooch herself, and Blake had found the best craftsman in Winussland to make it. It was a symbol of their wish for me to have a happy and fulfilling life. Later, after that horrible thing happened, Amelia died, and Blake lost his will to live and never came out of his room. So, I never received a birthday gift from them again. There was only one such brooch in the world, and I didn’t even want to wear it myself. I grabbed Eliza’s collar, pushed her into the corner, and looked down at her. “Where did you get this brooch?” Suddenly, Eliza started choking up. “Violet, even though you’ve always hated me, I’ve always thought of you as my dear sister. Charles just bought me a few clothes because he felt sorry for me. You shouldn’t hit me just because you’re angry.” I wasn’t falling for her act. I didn’t ease up my grip and said viciously, “Tell me. Where did you get the brooch? Who gave it to you?” Eliza just stared at me with widened eyes. I was so disgusted that I tried to snatch the brooch, but another hand grabbed my wrist tightly. A cold voice came from behind me. “Violet, what are you doing? Do you want to hit her right in the open?” Charles stood protectively in front of Eliza and glared at me. “Is this how you, the Macleod family, treat your kin?”

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The day my ex-boyfriend, Spencer Drayton, became the world boxing champion was the same day I, Madeleine Ford, got my terminal diagnosis. During the live broadcast interview, the host asked Spencer who’d been his rock during the hardest times. He called my number. “Back then, you dumped me because you thought I was a nobody, got rid of our kid, and ran off with someone else. Any regrets now?” I glanced at the date the doctors predicted I’d die and laughed, a wild, almost freeing sound. “Maybe we should just get back together. I get a champion boxer boyfriend. You get a five-year-old son. Win-win.” He hung up instantly. On the broadcast, Spencer’s laugh was ice-cold. “Thanks to my ex for giving me this humiliation. It’s what drove me to where I am today.” I smiled through my tears, wiping them away. He had no idea. If I hadn’t walked away, he would have died in that ring. A friend request popped up on my phone. The profile picture was of my ex, Spencer. After a moment’s hesitation, I hit accept. Instantly, a fifty-thousand-dollar transfer notification followed. The message attached: [I want to see the child.] It took me a long moment to process what he meant. A knot of complicated feelings tightened in my chest. I accepted the money, then typed back: [Okay. Where are you?] He dropped a pin, a private, members-only club. I transferred the funds straight to my adopted son Theo Ford’s account, pulled myself together, grabbed my purse, and headed for the club. As I approached the private room, a familiar voice drifted out. Peeking through the door crack, I saw Spencer standing tall and straight. Seven years had passed. He looked more mature, more grounded, though his features were fundamentally unchanged. But the woman beside him wasn’t me anymore. From the way he was dressed, it was clear he’d just finished a livestream and rushed straight here. His new girlfriend, Tessa Sutton, had thrown him a victory party here, celebrating him becoming the youngest champion ever. Spencer cradled Tessa’s face, brushing a tender kiss across her forehead. I snapped my head away, a sharp pain lancing through my heart. All I wanted was to leave right then and there. Suddenly, the door was yanked open. Startled, I looked up. Spencer stood there, his face a mask of indifference. His cold gaze swept over me, head to toe, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “After all this time, not even a hello before leaving? That’s a bit rude, don’t you think?” I stared at him, a thousand unspoken words catching in my throat. I swallowed them down. What came out was, “You wanted to see the child, right? Can you come with me now?” Spencer froze. Then raw fury ignited in his icy eyes. He slammed me against the wall, his hands digging into my shoulders as he growled, his voice low and furious, “Seven years ago, you vanished without a word, and now this is the first thing you say to me?” A sharp, throbbing ache radiated from where his fingers pressed into a bruise on my shoulder. I gasped against the pain but showed a brittle laugh. “Mr. Drayton, are you afraid Ms. Sutton might get jealous? I’m sure she would be delighted to hear I have a child, wouldn’t she?” I aimed the last words at Tessa, who had followed him out and now stood possessively in the doorway. Shock registered on both their faces. Pain flickered in Spencer’s eyes, mixed with something unreadable. Before he could speak, Tessa glided to his side, looping her arm through his, staking her claim. She shot me a sharp look, her voice dripping with mockery and pity. “Darling, I heard Ms. Ford has been all alone, you know. “Raising a child by herself all these years… it must have been terribly difficult. Perhaps the poor boy’s never even met his father. Her asking… She’s probably just trying to keep the child happy, don’t you think? “After all, she’s not like me. I have a man to take care of me, time for shopping, trips… living life to the fullest. “Which reminds me. I suppose I owe Ms. Ford a thank you for being so cruel back then. If she hadn’t been, I never would have met such a wonderful man, would I?” Faced with Tessa’s smug display, I said nothing and offered no defense. My mind flashed back seven years. Spencer was just a hungry young fighter then, fresh off a win, heading into the finals. And me, on the eve of his biggest fight, leaving him with nothing but a note and a medical report from my abortion. He was crushed, lost the finals, and spiraled into a year of self-doubt. He almost got kicked out of the gym.

My thoughts snapped back to the present as Spencer leaned down to kiss Tessa’s forehead again. His eyes swam with unmistakable affection. “Honestly? I’m glad she was so heartless back then. Otherwise, I never would have found my life’s greatest fortune. “That couture gown you wanted? It’s hanging in your closet. Stop trying to save my money.” He released me and laced his fingers through hers. Finally free from his grip, I felt the room tilt. I stood there, staring at their intertwined fingers, a tightness forming in my chest. A wave of dizziness made my vision blur, and I felt like I was suffocating. I had zero interest in witnessing their perfect love story. I turned to leave, stumbled, and pitched forward, hitting the carpet hard. My purse flew open, scattering pill bottles everywhere. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tessa’s red stiletto quickly disappear beneath the hem of her dress. “Oh, goodness, Madeleine! Are you alright? Clumsy me, I didn’t see you turning and must have tripped you! I am so sorry.” Her tone held zero actual apology. Spencer started to reach for me, but Tessa’s sharp gasp stopped him. He pulled his hand back. “My God, Madeleine! You’re dying? No way! You seem perfectly healthy!” Spencer snatched up the medical notice that had fallen out, his eyes landing on the words Critically Ill. Fury contorted his features. “Madeleine, have you no shame? Stooping this low just to get my sympathy! “After all these years, you haven’t changed a bit! Still full of cheap tricks!” I struggled upright, looking at Spencer’s powerful, healthy body with a stab of envy. I yanked the notice from his grasp, plastering a smile on my face as I slowly gathered the pills, my voice soft and sweet. “Oops, you caught me. So, Spencer… feeling generous enough to spare some charity for a poor, pathetic woman like me?” Tessa dabbed at crocodile tears, leaning dramatically into Spencer’s chest. But the look she shot down at me was pure spite. “Darling, Madeleine must be telling the truth. “Think about it. If she hadn’t left you, she wouldn’t be facing this karma now. We should help her. She’s so terribly pitiful.” Every word was a poisoned dart, reminding Spencer how I’d supposedly ditched him when he had nothing. The fire in Spencer’s eyes turned to ice. “I don’t waste my kindness on just anybody.” He wrapped an arm around Tessa’s shoulders and turned away. She made a show of pleading my case until he silenced her with a kiss. She shot me a final, triumphant glance over his shoulder. I picked up the last flattened pill box and tucked it into my purse, then pushed myself to my feet, leaning heavily on my throbbing knee. As their figures vanished into the elevator, I pressed a hand to my violently trembling chest, gulping for air. Systemic lupus erythematosus… My organs were shutting down, one by one. Infections were spreading. My clock was running out. And he was perfectly healthy. This stable, healthy life he had, I’d sacrificed everything for it back then. And he still had no idea.

Back then, Spencer was boxing’s rising star, an undefeated dark horse tearing through the ranks straight to the championship final. The betting odds against him hit an insane 170:1. Someone powerful got nervous. They cornered Spencer with threats, bribes for the whole nine yards. They ordered him to take a dive in the final round. The carrot, a ten-million-dollar check, would be his the moment he agreed. Spencer took the check. Then he walked straight to the authorities with the check and a recording of the conversation, blowing the whistle on them. That was Spencer then, pure integrity, disgusted by the corruption of fixed fights. Even though the money involved was huge, because no actual deal was finalized, the authorities only issued a stern warning, no real punishment. But Spencer had made powerful enemies. They didn’t come after him directly. Instead, they went for his coach, Cole Locke, the gym owner. I never learned the specifics of their conversation, but from that day on, Cole started working on Spencer. Trying to persuade him, manipulate him. He even stooped to using me. I was a month pregnant by then. Spencer refused Cole point-blank. “Cole, I get it. I really do. But my kid’s about to be born. I don’t want him growing up hearing whispers, carrying the shame of a father who threw fights.” “If we keep it a secret, who’s gonna know? Besides, think about the money, not just your rep! Look how thin Madeleine’s gotten! She needs proper food now she’s pregnant, and babies cost a fortune! You want them stuck in that crappy little apartment forever?” Spencer’s eyes blazed. “If I win the championship, the prize money will fix everything!” Cole threw his hands up. “Get real, kid! You’re a rookie! How are you gonna beat a champ with ten years under his belt? You’re gonna lose anyway! Since it ends the same, why not take the cash and lose?” Spencer wouldn’t budge. The conversation ended badly. Meanwhile, I was tied up in some empty room, watching my fiancé’s determined face on a grainy monitor. He wasn’t wrong, not for a second. My heart swelled with pride for him. But then they brought him in, the champion Spencer was supposed to fight, and showed him to me. A chilling wave of dread washed over me. As Spencer’s partner, I’d done my homework. While he trained, I studied his potential opponents. The boxer about to face Spencer in the ring nicknamed the Death Truck, was known for his explosive power, which he used to violently knock his opponents down. His opponents rarely walked away. Most ended up crippled. Some didn’t end up at all. Spencer couldn’t beat him, not like this. I knew it with chilling certainty. He didn’t have that killer instinct, that utter disregard for another human life. If they met in the finals, Spencer wouldn’t just lose. He’d likely be maimed or, worse, die. So, I made a choice. I would take the fall, wear the shame. My baby needed money. I needed money. He had to lose, but not like that, not broken and bleeding. He had to walk away healthy, with a future. So, I took their money and agreed to their terms. The day before the fight, I left the note and the clinic receipt. He trusted me, believed I loved him unconditionally, and I would never leave. That betrayal hit him exactly as hard as I knew it would. As I had expected, he was still sluggish when he stepped into the ring and was easily knocked down. The opponent kept his promise, leaving him with only a few light injuries to ensure that his future career wouldn’t be affected. Otherwise, according to their original plan, they would have completely sidelined Spencer. I was quite satisfied with this deal. But later, whenever I saw him on screen or on the field, sweating and full of energy, I couldn’t help but feel a subtle, dull pain in my heart. Yet, at the same time, I was happy. After all, he was finally shining in the world he loved. My phone buzzed. Caller ID showed a law firm. A man identifying himself as a lawyer informed me that the fifty thousand Spencer had sent was technically company funds, co-owned with Tessa.

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To help his adopted sister, Rosalind Sterling, get taller, my brother Ashton Sterling forced me, Seraphina Sterling, to give her my legs for grafting. He found a preacher, a man calling himself a True God, who hacked my legs off with an axe while I was still conscious. Worried his precious Rosalind might feel guilty, Ashton then ordered someone to shove dog legs into the bleeding stumps, claiming they were specially made, lifelike prosthetics for me. The agony was unbearable. My wounds weren’t treated, weren’t even cleaned, left to fester along with the filth from my loss of bodily control, the stench sickening. But Ashton forbade the caregivers from helping me. “Still got the energy to scream? Means it doesn’t hurt enough. No medicine for her for a few days. Let her learn her lesson.” Near death, I used my last ounce of strength to drag myself off the bed, crawling towards the door, wanting only to beg Ashton for a shred of dignity in my final moments. But he kicked me away with cold eyes. “Disgusting. Don’t scare Rosalind.” Later, when he heard wild dogs had dragged my body away, Ashton scoured the mountains and knelt in every church, desperate just to find my bones, to bring me home.

When my adoptive mother, Lucinda Fairfax, returned home carrying my ravaged remains, bones gnawed clean by wild animals, Ashton was in the middle of ordering men to destroy our home, Lucinda’s and mine. The inside was already smashed to pieces. The stray cats I’d taken in were terrified, fur on end, hiding in corners. Lucinda rushed inside, shielding the cats like a mother hen protecting her chicks, pointing a trembling finger at Ashton as she cursed him, “These little ones were the last thing Seraphina cared about! They’re all she had left! “You monster! You already killed her! Isn’t that enough?” Ashton sneered, “Tsk, still playing the dedicated cat lover? Fake death, huh? Even if she were really dead, I wouldn’t donate a penny to this broken place. “The legs she gave up were too skinny anyway. Tell her to crawl back out here and saw off another section for Rosalind, or else I’ll kill these pests!” Lucinda swayed on her feet. She clutched the bag in her arms tighter, whispering, “She’s gone. She’s already dead! “She’s right here, in this bag! If you don’t believe me, take it and get it tested! Just please, leave these kittens alone! Seraphina won’t rest in peace if you hurt them!” For a fleeting second, Ashton seemed moved, but then he violently swatted the bag away. “Trying to trick me with a bag of pork?” Lucinda’s eyes were red as she scrambled to protect my remains, but Ashton stepped forward, grinding the bloody fragments under his heel. He grabbed Lucinda by the hair. “Old hag, hand her over, now!” Tears streamed down Lucinda’s face from the pain. One of the cats darted forward anxiously, only to be kicked away hard by Ashton. That was the first cat I ever rescued. She was fifteen years old. I wanted to pick her up, to soothe her, but my spectral form passed right through her again and again. Just then, Ashton shoved Lucinda away. Lucinda was in too much pain to cry out, but she still struggled to crawl over, gathering my scattered remains back into the bag. “Seraphina… Seraphina… I’m so sorry…” Seeing this, Ashton let out a cold laugh. “Still acting? I bet Seraphina learned how to ruthlessly bully Rosalind from an old hag like you! “If she’s dead, I’ll set off fireworks all night to celebrate one less menace in the world!” Just as he finished speaking, his subordinate, Cole Banks, walked in and reported, “Mr. Sterling, we haven’t found any trace of Ms. Seraphina Sterling!” “Ha, very well.” Ashton laughed, choked with anger, “Let’s see how long she can hide!” With that, he dragged Lucinda to the pigsty entrance and ordered his men to dump a bucket of pig feed over her. “Seraphina’s remains, huh? Still pretty fresh. What, couldn’t you even bother to make your scam look realistic? “So precious, are they? Let’s give the pigs a treat!” He then emptied the contents of the bag into the pigpen and tossed Lucinda aside. “If Seraphina doesn’t crawl out by sunset tomorrow, I’ll turn this place into a cat graveyard!” As he left, he spat into the pigpen. His followers did the same, one after another. One man even urinated directly onto the remains. Lucinda, despite being at her absolute limit, shielded my ravaged body with her own, letting the urine soak her completely. The cats meowed incessantly. A few, passing near where my spirit stood, let out mournful cries.

That night, Lucinda packed her bags ahead of time. She didn’t dare gamble with the cats’ lives. But just as she was about to load the cats for escape, their terrified screams echoed from the yard. Lucinda rushed out frantically, only to find Ashton standing there with an electric shock baton, watching her with vicious eyes. “Where do you think you’re going?” Lucinda weakly opened and closed her mouth. “What will it take… for you to leave us alone?” “Hand over Seraphina.” At his words, Lucinda’s eyes reddened again. She looked close to breaking. “Seraphina is dead! “You killed her!” Ashton stared coldly at Lucinda, then scoffed, “Old hag, I’ve already exposed your act. Stop pretending! “She played the cat lover, slept with rich old men for money… If she died, wasn’t it all for nothing?” I stared blankly at Ashton, my ghostly heart aching. Lucinda couldn’t hold back anymore and screamed at him, “Seraphina is your sister, the one you lost for ten years! How dare you speak such nonsense about your own sister? “Do you have any idea what she gave up for these cats? She’d rather starve herself…” Ashton interrupted Lucinda with a vicious slap, “I only have one sister, and her name is Rosalind.” Beside him, Rosalind heard this and clung to Ashton’s arm coquettishly. “Oh, Ashton, Seraphina would be so sad to hear you say that. It’s my fault for taking her place… I should go apologize to her. I’ve learned all my manners now…” Ashton pulled her back protectively. He gently wiped the corner of her eye, his own eyes full of concern. “Rosalind, you’re too kind. If it weren’t for Seraphina, you never would have suffered so much out in the countryside.” “Seraphina only wanted what was best for me, too.” Rosalind covered her mouth with a delicate cough, spitting blood into her palm. Seeing the blood, Ashton panicked. “What’s wrong?” Rosalind refused to speak. He immediately dialed a doctor, frantic. After hearing the diagnosis, that I had supposedly poisoned Rosalind, he exploded with rage, “That bitch! “I was actually considering giving that bitch a shred of dignity! But she refuses to learn! Fine, then they can all just die!” He stormed towards his car, ignoring Lucinda’s desperate attempts to block him, and slammed his foot on the accelerator, aiming straight for the cats huddled together. Most of the cats were old or disabled. Lucinda threw herself in front of them multiple times, only to be hit by the car, spitting blood, collapsing, unable to get up. All she could do was watch the cats shriek in terror. I threw my spectral self in front of the car, but I couldn’t save them. “Ashton! Please! Don’t hurt them! Don’t…” Suddenly, Cole ran out, waving frantically at Ashton. “Mr. Sterling! I just unlocked the old hag’s phone! I found Ms. Seraphina Sterling’s death certificate! It looks like… she really is dead!” Ashton’s eyes widened, and his foot eased off the gas. He looked utterly disbelieving, but just then, a new notification pinged on his phone. It was a bank transfer confirmation with five hundred thousand dollars received. The sender was me. But how could a dead person transfer money? At this, Ashton’s disbelief instantly curdled back into white-hot fury. “Dare to mess with me? “Seraphina! Well played! “You guys! Get the bulldozers! Bury this entire place! I’m turning it into a graveyard right now!” At his command, the machines roared to life, tearing down our home. “No! Don’t do this…” I sank to my knees, begging him, pleading with him not to hurt Lucinda and the cats. But Lucinda and my beloved furballs were buried beneath the dirt and rubble. I collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably. I murmured, “I’m sorry. “It’s all my fault you suffered.”

I had no choice but to follow Ashton. Back in the car, Ashton carefully covered Rosalind with a blanket. Noticing bloodstains on the hem of her skirt, he saw that the wounds on her legs were oozing pus. “Seraphina’s legs are as cheap and nasty as she is! She must have pulled some trick! Why else would they work fine for her but cause you so much suffering!” Rosalind consoled Ashton dutifully, “Ashton, it’s just my bad luck. Don’t blame…” Before she could finish, she fainted. Ashton panicked, running several red lights to rush her to the True God preacher’s place, which seemed more like a strange church than a clinic. After examining her, the preacher looked gravely at Ashton. “Ms. Rosalind Sterling’s issue is simple. Limbs work best when they share the same origin. Her legs were replaced, but her hands weren’t. They don’t match. This causes a conflict. “It won’t affect her lifespan, but the wounds will frequently become inflamed. Of course, the best solution would be to replace her hands as well.” Ashton frowned. “Why didn’t you mention this before…” Rosalind tugged at his sleeve weakly. “Seraphina just lost her legs… even with prosthetics, losing her hands too would drastically impact her life. “I can endure it. I have more than enough love already. Seraphina has repaid any debt she owed me. It’s okay if I die a little sooner.” Ashton gently took Rosalind’s hand, rubbing it tenderly, his heart aching for her. “I will provide whatever you want. “Seraphina is nothing but an ungrateful viper! She’s a menace to society anyway. Just making her give up her hands… she owes you far more than that. Even her life wouldn’t be enough to repay you. Consider it her way of earning some good karma.” But I didn’t owe her anything. I was the true heiress of the Sterling family, but I was switched at birth in the hospital. Ashton found me when I was twelve, claiming to be my long-lost brother. He promised to make up for those twelve lost years, promised to make me a happy princess. At first, he did just that. Back then, when Rosalind secretly arranged for others to bully me, Ashton investigated thoroughly and immediately sent Rosalind back to her biological parents. Because her own family favored sons over daughters, Rosalind endured three years of abuse there. Ashton felt guilty. His way of easing his guilt was to sacrifice me. Just then, Ashton’s voice broke through my thoughts. “By the way, Rosalind’s heart hasn’t been feeling well lately. Master, can Seraphina’s heart be transplanted to Rosalind as well? “Don’t worry. I’m Seraphina’s legal guardian. As long as I sign the consent, she won’t dare refuse.”

Half an hour later, Ashton drove towards the hospital. At the parking gate, two security guards changing shifts were chatting. “Heard we need to beef up patrols now, especially on the wards with patients who don’t have family visiting.” “That girl who had the accident…” “Don’t even mention it. The human body with dog legs… nearly scared me to death!” “Those dog legs were jammed right into her thigh stumps, wired tightly together with steel wire! The bone inside the flesh was practically sticking out! Gave me nightmares for days!” “Heard her family’s loaded, but they wouldn’t even cough up the five hundred thousand for proper treatment. By the time they finally scraped it together, the girl was already gone.” Ashton’s hands clenched on the steering wheel. He stared at the guards, his voice tight with fear. “The girl you’re talking about… her name wasn’t… Seraphina, was it?” One guard glanced at him. “Don’t know her name. But the ones who picked up her body were two huge, thuggish-looking guys. Probably her brothers or something.” Ashton let out a breath of relief. Just then, his phone pinged. A message from Rosalind with a link to my supposed Twitter account. The post had countless likes. It showed someone who looked vaguely like me, partying hard at a nightclub. Rosalind’s voice message followed. “Ashton, I’m so envious of Seraphina. Will I ever be able to dance freely like her? Will I ever be truly happy?” “Slut!” Ashton spat the word, completely missing that the face in the video only bore a slight resemblance to mine. “That damn bitch Seraphina! I’ve been looking everywhere for her. She faked her death to mess with me, and now she dares to provoke me! “Go grab her cheap mother. I’m making them pay today!” Before he could finish, one of his subordinates rushed in. “Mr. Sterling, bad news! Ms. Rosalind Sterling’s legs are bleeding heavily again! She’s refusing treatment, and… she slit her wrists!” Ashton sprinted into the hospital room in terror. “Rosalind! What happened? Don’t scare me…” “I’m fine… I just… I just feel like I can never be as happy as Seraphina…” Rosalind stood up, showing a weak, apologetic smile, blood seeping through the bandages on her wrists. “Maybe it’s better if I just die.” With that, she collapsed onto the floor. Ashton watched in horror as she was rushed into the emergency room. He sank to his knees, his eyes wide with disbelief. “She dares provoke Rosalind! “She deserves to die!” He looked up at Cole, who stood nearby. “She wants to play games? Fine. I’ll play. “Dig up every piece of dirt on Seraphina. Leak it all online. I want her infamous across the entire internet!” But Cole couldn’t find any dirt on me. Instead, he carefully edited photos of Ashton abusing the cats, removing context, and posted them on the official Sterling Group website. Ashton even made a video. “Bullying her sister, terrorizing classmates, shamelessly sleeping with businessmen, abusing animals… a person like this does not deserve to be part of the Sterling family! “If anyone sees her, please contact me immediately! Generous reward offered! “Let’s make sure this trash gets what she deserves!” The internet exploded in outrage. “FindTheEvilSeraphina” started trending everywhere. Just as Ashton was reveling in his apparent victory, a major online influencer tagged him. The video showed Lucinda kneeling in front of the Sterling Group building. Behind her, a banner read: [Exposing the inhumane Sterling family, who forced Seraphina to death.] Bound to Ashton, I followed him as he went, my spectral form arriving alongside him at the Sterling Group building.

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My husband’s mother had been out in the fields when she accidentally stepped on an old landmine from the battlefield. The community police asked me to find my retired husband, who was a bomb disposal expert, to defuse it, but I shook my head and refused. In my past life, I ran 6 miles to town to save her, dragging my husband, who was on a date with his first love, out of the restaurant, begging him to save her. She was safely rescued, but his first love was dragged into an alley by her ex-husband and beaten to death. My husband praised me for what I had done in front of others, but on the anniversary of his first love’s death, he used the very landmine he had unearthed to blow me to pieces. “Why wasn’t it you who died? Go to hell and apologize to Sarah!” This time, my husband finally had a pleasant dinner with his first love. But when he learned what had happened at home, he was driven mad with regret. ***** “Mia, don’t come any closer, stay away from me!” Hearing the familiar voice, I suddenly opened my eyes. Standing before me, my husband’s mother, Ella Clark, was crying but still insisted on pushing me away. “I’m getting on in years, and I’m not as nimble as I used to be. If this landmine goes off, I don’t want to drag any of you into it.” Upon hearing this, the police quickly pulled me back. “Mia, isn’t your husband a retired bomb disposal expert? Where is he? Get him here quickly!” Hearing the repeated urgings, I tightly clenched my hands, barely holding back tears. “He went to the town with Sarah. If I go get him, he probably won’t come back…” The neighbors who had followed the police came to a halt upon hearing this, all looking awkwardly at each other. The affair between my husband, Samuel Clark, and Sarah Harris had already caused a huge scandal in town. Today was our wedding anniversary, yet he took all the money from home, saying he needed to buy Sarah some skincare and take her to the fanciest restaurant for dinner. The atmosphere around me was heavy. A young neighbor, seeing my troubled expression, sighed, “Mia, don’t worry. We’re quick. We’ll find him and bring him back! “Take care of his mother, and leave it to us!” Without waiting for the police to speak, the group of neighbors dashed off. I lowered my gaze, finally accepting the truth of my rebirth. Of course, Ella was aware of the disgraceful things her son had done and looked at me with a face full of worry. “Mia, Samuel’s actions are my fault. I didn’t educate him properly. I’m so sorry for you. “When he comes back, I’ll make him sever all ties with that little slut!” My throat tightened with sorrow, and I couldn’t hold back the tears. Even though Sarah had dumped Samuel twice, he still wanted to drag me down with her over a made-up accusation. “How could such a man ever sever ties with Sarah?” I thought. Just as we comforted and encouraged each other, the neighbors, covered in sweat, came running back. Everyone’s eyes turned toward them. But behind them was nothing. Samuel hadn’t come. Breathless and furious, the neighbors finally spoke up. “Samuel seems to be out of his mind, shopping for skincare and clothes with that shameless Sarah at the mall!” “We tried everything to get him to listen, but the bastard just wouldn’t believe us!” “Do you know what he said? He said we were sent by Mia to try to trick him into coming back, claiming Mia wanted to save money for herself and was lying to him!” “How can there be such a son in the world? His mother stepped on a landmine, and even if he has doubts, he should come back immediately to check on her!” “And that Sarah, what a piece of work! She had the nerve to make us out to be Mia’s lovers with just a few words. It’s maddening! How can someone be so shameless?”

After venting their frustrations without holding back, the neighbors suddenly remembered that Samuel’s mother was standing right in front of them. Tears streamed down Ella’s face, her eyes clouded with sorrow. Her lips trembled for a long moment before she barely managed to speak, “Did that ungrateful man really say that? “Mia, in this life, I owe you an apology. I’ve ruined your life. I’m useless, but I’ll use this life to make it up to you.” She was so overwhelmed by the shock that she was on the verge of breaking down. Under the heavy silence of the onlookers, I gritted my teeth and said, “Ella, this isn’t your fault. It’s Samuel. He’s lost his way. I’ve never blamed you! “If it weren’t for you feeding me when I was little, I’d have starved to death long ago. I don’t want you to apologize. I want you to live a good life!” When I was very young, my parents died in a flood. I was alone. It was Ella who adopted me, giving me food and raising me until I grew up safely. Years ago, Samuel was in a relationship with Sarah. But Sarah, dissatisfied with Samuel being just a bomb disposal soldier with no future, left him a letter and ran off with a wealthy man from the town. Since then, Samuel was deeply hurt and turned to me for comfort. Ella had always liked me for being hardworking and capable, urging me to agree to marry him. I married Samuel with gratitude in my heart, but then Sarah returned. Samuel wanted a divorce, but Ella firmly opposed it. The whole town was talking about it. With Sarah’s instigation, Samuel believed it was me who was causing trouble, and he hated me for it. To get back at me, he and Sarah would go to town every day, eating and drinking without care, wasting money recklessly. My emotions were in turmoil, but I forced myself to comfort Ella. Seeing she finally calmed down, I reached out and took her rough, weathered hand. “Ella, your health isn’t good. You won’t last much longer. “Let me switch places with you, okay?” As soon as those words left my mouth, the crowd that had come to help erupted in protest. “Mia, think this through. This is a landmine left from the battlefield. If something goes wrong, even if you survive, you’ll be left crippled. Your whole future will be ruined!” “You’re so young, and you can read. Don’t risk your future like this!” Ella’s tears wouldn’t stop. “Mia, I raised you, but it’s only because your parents saved me from the flood all those years ago! “I’m old, and if I die, so be it. Don’t make things worse!” I held onto her hand, refusing to let go. “I can’t just watch you die. If you won’t switch, I’m not going anywhere. We’ll both be blown to pieces together!” After my pleading and threats, Ella finally agreed to switch places. The community police, seeing they couldn’t convince me, moved back with the crowd for safety’s sake. Back when Samuel and I were close, he’d once told me about how a teammate in his unit had to replace someone who stepped on a landmine. I carefully taught Ella the steps, moving my foot gingerly. It wasn’t easy. My legs felt like they were going to give out. But now, I was beyond caring. The only person who had ever been kind to me was Ella, and I couldn’t bear to watch her get hurt. After a long, painful silence, Ella and I successfully swapped places. She wiped her tears and looked at me, stamping her foot in frustration. “Mia, wait here. I will personally go and get that bastard back!” Seeing that I had actually swapped with Ella, the neighbors’ eyes were filled with admiration. The neighbors who had just caught their breath now spoke up again. “We’ll take you there. You need to teach Samuel a lesson. He’s gone way too far!” The group quickly helped Ella down the road, disappearing from sight. I stood in silence with the community police, waiting for what felt like an eternity before they finally came back.

However, just like last time, they still hadn’t brought Samuel back. As soon as Ella saw me, her legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the ground. “Mia, I’m so sorry. That ungrateful man, he has no humanity!” Seeing Ella cry so uncontrollably, the neighbors couldn’t hold back their anger. “Samuel’s gone mad! He doesn’t even trust his own mother!” Hearing their angry complaints, I barely pieced together what had happened in town earlier. Apparently, after buying the skincare and clothes, they had gone to a restaurant. As the neighbors arrived, they were feeding each other and exchanging sweet nothings. Seeing Ella, Samuel immediately threw down his fork. “Mom, can you stop following Mia’s crazy antics? She sent someone to say you stepped on a landmine. If you really stepped on a landmine, how could you have walked all the way to town like this? “I just wanted to have a meal with Sarah. Can’t you leave me alone?” Ella was furious. She flipped the table and tried to drag Samuel back. Seeing Ella’s expression, which seemed genuine, Samuel finally started to believe a little. But just as he was about to leave, Sarah grabbed his other hand. “I know Mia doesn’t like me, can’t stand how Samuel is always with me, but Mrs. Clark, you can’t joke about things like this. “The battlefield’s been cleared so many times, how could there still be landmines?” As a result, no matter how much Ella swore and pleaded, Samuel wouldn’t believe her. Ella, enraged, tried to strike Sarah, but Samuel blocked her and walked away without sparing her a glance. Hearing this, the police’s face turned pale. At that moment, my hope was completely shattered. Our village was remote, and only Samuel had the skills to defuse bombs. If he didn’t come, I had no way out. I stood from dawn until dusk, and Ella fainted from crying several times, only to be forced back home by the neighbors to rest. In the middle of the night, I could barely feel my legs anymore. My body felt numb and heavy, and I knew I couldn’t hold on any longer. With tears in their eyes, the neighbors looked at me as I spoke in a hoarse voice, “Please, get me some paper. I want to write a farewell letter.” The police, fighting back tears, sent someone to get it, and my neighbors rushed off, also crying. Just then, a row of torches suddenly lit up in the distance. “Is this where the landmine was found? We’re a trained team, and we’ve brought in a bomb disposal expert!” Everyone rushed to greet them. I felt as though I had been given a second chance at life. My body went weak, and I nearly fell to the ground. The neighbors, concerned for my safety, rushed up from either side to support me. “Mia, hang in there. Who cares if that idiot Samuel won’t come, there is someone here who will save you!” “Mia, you’re kind and beautiful. There’s always a way out!” They had spent the whole day with me, filled with worry and fear. There was finally hope. Their faces lit up with joy. But as the team approached, everyone’s smiles froze. “Samuel?” Samuel looked at me, equally surprised. “Mia, have you lost your mind? “You’ve made such a scene just to get me back, even bringing my leader into this mess!” Beside him, Sarah, wearing new clothes, smiled provocatively. “Mia, Samuel and I really don’t have anything between us. Is this your way of getting the leader to punish him? “You can’t always be so reckless. Don’t you care about your husband’s future?” As Samuel listened to Sarah, his face twisted in anger. He reached out and grabbed me. After standing for an entire day and night, my body was completely exhausted. As Samuel suddenly grabbed me, I lost control and lurched forward. The neighbors screamed in panic, and the community police rushed forward without hesitation. At that moment, their movements seemed to slow down, and the last thing I saw was Samuel’s expression of utter disgust. In the final second, I closed my eyes, thinking, “We’ve lived two lifetimes as a married couple with hearts far apart. And today, we die together. Fate is a cruel thing.” Free Point

The explosion that everyone expected did not happen. The scene was eerily quiet. I didn’t know how long it took, but I finally mustered enough strength to open my eyes. That was when I realized that a man was holding onto my legs with all his might. My body felt numb. My upper body was leaning forward, and my legs were firmly pressed down by him, yet I was still standing there as if nothing had happened. A few military officers reacted first, hastily helping the man up. “Mr. Foster, have you gone mad? This is a real war zone, a deadly minefield!” “How could you be so reckless? If it had exploded, what would you have done?” The man, Luke Foster, was cursed out thoroughly, but he didn’t care. “Then what do you suggest I do? This is an innocent life, how could I just stand by and watch her die right in front of me?” As he spoke, everyone’s gaze turned toward Samuel. Samuel was unnerved by their stares and looked helpless. “Are you all idiots? How can you all be so manipulated by this woman? “I’ve been here before. I’ve cleaned this place. There are no landmines here! “Mia, stop acting, apologize, and explain to everyone now!” He said through gritted teeth, and Sarah, standing beside him, looked utterly innocent. “Mia, doesn’t everyone in the village know you’re jealous of me? You’re just making up excuses to get Samuel to come back! “Now that you’ve gotten what you wanted, can’t you just admit it?” I nearly died, and I was still in a daze. Seeing that I refused to speak, Sarah began to cry. “Mia, it’s my fault, is that enough to make you happy? “I shouldn’t have gone to town with Samuel, I shouldn’t have made you jealous. I’ll leave, is that okay with you?” With that, Sarah turned to walk away. Samuel clenched his fists tightly and pulled her back. “Sarah, you didn’t do anything wrong, it’s all this woman’s fault. “Mia, I married you because my mom forced me to. How long are you going to keep holding onto the title of my wife?” As he spoke, he reached out to grab me, but his hand never made contact. Instead, Luke seized his wrist. “Mr. Foster, you’ve been deceived by this scheming woman! “This woman is a master of manipulation. I’ll file for a divorce immediately. This doesn’t concern you, so just leave.” Luke’s face was cold as he gritted his teeth. “Samuel! Even if she’s not your wife, even if there’s only a one-in-a-million chance, even if this landmine is a dud, human life is at stake. You have to save her first! “Have you forgotten the values you were taught in the military?” He then shifted his gaze to Sarah. Sarah, frightened by the coldness in Luke’s eyes, took a step back and weakly collapsed into Samuel’s arms. “Samuel, I see it now. “No wonder so many people are willing to act with Mia. It’s all because of him.” Although Sarah didn’t make it explicit, everyone present understood her insinuation. A few young neighbors couldn’t hold their temper any longer and immediately spoke up for me. “Sarah, I think you’ve lost your mind. Every time you open your mouth, you spread lies.” “Mr. Foster is someone we met on our way here. This is our first time meeting him today. There’s no relationship!” “Stop dirtying everything with your own filth. If you’re trash, don’t think everyone else is too!” This statement didn’t spare Sarah any dignity, and she burst into tears right there.

Samuel was heartbroken. In front of everyone, he pulled Sarah into his arms to protect her. “Enough! Are you all done yet? “From the beginning, the only person I’ve ever loved is Sarah. If it weren’t for Mia constantly stirring things up and my mom forcing me to marry her, I never would have married her!” To defend Sarah, Samuel publicly belittled me, leaving me utterly disrespected. If this had happened before, I would have been devastated and tried to explain myself endlessly. But after narrowly escaping death twice, my mindset suddenly changed. Whether Samuel loved me or not no longer mattered. I had saved Ella with my own life, almost died at his hands, and no matter how much debt I owed, it was paid back. I remained silent while they argued loudly. Samuel was convinced I was acting. Seeing everyone standing up for me, he pointed at me, demanding that I admit my fault. “Mia, you always talk about repaying kindness. Why aren’t you doing that now? “Today, if you admit that you were just acting, I’ll consider the debt repaid. I won’t use your money again from now on. Isn’t that enough?” I listened to his words, and my heart grew colder. Samuel spent all his salary on Sarah, yet it was never enough. To provide a good life for Sarah, Samuel had begun eyeing the small savings I had slowly accumulated. I didn’t eat meat, didn’t buy vegetables, didn’t buy new clothes, and the little bit of money I saved was taken by him to spend on another woman. Naturally, I wasn’t happy. Yet every time we argued, Samuel always managed to force me into submission. “Mia, don’t forget who raised you. “You ate my family’s food, use my family’s things. Don’t you think you owe us something?” “If it weren’t for me and Ella taking care of you, do you think you’d still be alive to argue with me here?” ***** Every time he brought this up, I would be left speechless. “But Samuel, when the flood came, my parents died saving your family!” I thought.

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Before my rebirth, Lucas and I were childhood friends. He was the brightest star in my life. Ten years later, we got married in the most beautiful cathedral in the city. Everyone said we were a match made in heaven. He was the heir to the Carter Group, but he always said he wanted to pursue freedom. So, I took on all the responsibilities for him. That autumn, I was kidnapped in a setup. He rushed into an abandoned factory to save me but was forever lost in the fire. My father-in-law knelt before the memorial tablet, coldly saying, “It’s all because you insisted on taking control. You killed my son!” For three whole years, I worked tirelessly to clear my name, finally waiting for the truth to come to light. On the deck of a cruise ship, I saw Lucas. He was gently wrapping a scarf around Rachel’s neck, with a two-year-old daughter in his arms. He turned to look at me, his eyes cold: “Emily, you were just a stepping stone for me to escape my family. You were never my true love.” As a huge wave capsized the ship, I returned to ten years ago, the day he first proposed to me.

I slowly walked down the stairs, holding onto the railing. Lucas was standing at the bottom, holding a cup of milk tea. “Remember your favorite caramel macchiato? I had someone buy it from the mall across the street.” He smiled as he handed me the milk tea, his other hand holding my favorite Japanese takeout. I let him lead me to the Bentley parked at the entrance, my heart churning with indescribable emotions. His palm was warm, but this temperature felt unfamiliar to me. Among the many potential suitors, I chose Lucas not only because we grew up together. More importantly, he wasn’t as worldly and smooth as other rich kids. He was always like an unrestrained youth, with light in his eyes and dreams in his heart. “Emily, why are you so absent-minded today?” He reached out to touch my forehead, his eyes full of concern. “Lucas, tell me, will you always be this good to me?” Holding back tears, I asked him this question seriously for the first time. He was stunned for a moment, then showed an indulgent smile: “Silly girl, for the past ten years, I’ve only had eyes for you. Don’t you understand that yet?” He pulled me into his arms and whispered in my ear: “In my heart, you’ll always be the most special person.” At this moment, I suddenly had a glimmer of hope. Perhaps the 28-year-old Lucas didn’t yet know he would change his heart, didn’t yet know he would use an explosion to escape. In this do-over, do we still have a chance to rewrite the ending? As long as I don’t take on the responsibilities he doesn’t want, don’t let him fake his death to save me. I leaned on his shoulder, listening to him hum our song. Before the party started, I was touching up my makeup in the rest room when my assistant rushed in panic-stricken: “It’s terrible! Mr. Carter is beating someone downstairs!” When I reached the hall, the usually gentle and refined Lucas was gripping Ryan’s neck, his eyes terrifyingly red. “I’ll fucking teach you to dare lay a hand on her again!” He punched Ryan in the face, “If you dare touch her, I’ll make you regret being born!” Ryan was already beaten bloody, and the guests were all backing away in fear. In the corner, a girl in a champagne-colored dress was curled up on the ground, sobbing. I rushed forward to stop Lucas: “Calm down first. There are so many people watching. We can settle this privately.” When he calmed down a bit, I walked over to the girl and offered her a handkerchief. “Are you alright? Do you want to go to the upstairs rest room?” She looked up at me, her eyes misty with tears. My heart suddenly tightened. That face, that alluring tear mole, wasn’t she the woman from Lucas’s new family in my past life?

In that instant, I felt the whole world crumbling. Lucas pushed me away forcefully, so hard that I stumbled back and hit the decorative cabinet behind me, cutting a gash on my arm with the glass. “How could you talk to her like that? Do you know how scared she is right now?” He stood in front of Rachel, glaring at me fiercely. “A girl gets bullied, and not only do you not comfort her, but you question her like this? Where’s your conscience?” I bit my lip, enduring the pain in my arm. “Lucas, don’t get so agitated. There are so many people watching. We need to be reasonable.” He sneered, his eyes full of unfamiliarity. “Emily Shaw, when did you become so snobbish?” “For the sake of appearances, you don’t even have basic sympathy? I really misjudged you!” He took a deep breath: “I’ll give you one day. By tomorrow, I want to see the truth!” With that, he took off his jacket and gently draped it over Rachel’s shoulders, carefully supporting her as they left, without even a glance at me. I stood there, watching my fiancé blow up at me for another woman. The whispers of the guests around me were like countless knives, cutting into my heart. The wound on my arm stung fiercely, but I knew this wasn’t the time to treat it. I forced myself to apologize to Ryan, arranged for someone to take him to the hospital, and then retrieved the security footage to clarify the truth. After dealing with all the guests and calming everyone’s emotions, it was already late at night. I could finally check my wound. The blood had long since congealed, and my clothes were stuck to the flesh. The security footage showed that the so-called harassment was just Ryan’s sleeve accidentally brushing against Rachel as he turned around. Lucas didn’t come back all night, only sending a cold text message: “Sorry, I was impulsive.” The next morning, I had just finished processing the termination paperwork for a batch of unqualified interns. Lucas barged into the office, his face ashen: “Why did you fire Rachel? Just because of yesterday’s incident?” The employees outside all stopped their work, pricking up their ears to eavesdrop. I looked up at him: “Lucas Carter, do you defend her so much because you’ve known her for a long time?” His expression froze, then he quickly put on a gentle smile: “Emily, are you jealous?” He tried to take my hand, but I avoided it. Not long after, he came in again carrying a large bouquet of roses. “Don’t be angry anymore. Rachel is my cousin. I just sent her home last night.” “Can you let her stay for my sake?” I sneered: “So now I need your approval to deal with unqualified employees?” “Before you questioned me, I didn’t even know her name.” He frowned at me: “Emily, you’ve been well-off since childhood. How could you understand her difficulties?” “She still needs this salary to take care of her sick grandmother.” His tone was full of reproach: “You’re already so excellent. Why can’t you give her a chance? Do you have to be so ruthless?” I stared blankly at this unfamiliar man before me. So in his eyes, my excellence was an innate privilege. So my efforts should all become stepping stones for others. So my happiness should all be given to that pitiful girl.

After that argument, I took a long leave and didn’t go to the company for fifteen whole days. Partly to sulk with Lucas, and partly to think about whether I should withdraw early to avoid repeating the mistakes of my past life. During this time, Lucas avoided me, but Mrs. Carter called every day asking me to come back to the old house for dinner. After much hesitation, I finally went. As soon as Mrs. Carter saw me, she took my hand sympathetically: “Oh, Emily dear, it’s all that silly boy’s fault for not knowing better. Don’t take it to heart.” “Mommy promises you, I won’t let any improper person enter our Carter family.” “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely stand up for you!” I held the bird’s nest soup Mrs. Carter had personally stewed for me, listening to her gentle words, my heart filled with mixed emotions. Just then, Lucas walked in with Rachel, laughing and chatting. In the short half month since I’d last seen her, Rachel’s fragile aura had completely disappeared, replaced by undisguised smugness. She smiled at me sweetly: “Sister-in-law, hello. This is a handmade aromatherapy candle Lucas and I made together. It’s a bit flawed, but I still wanted to give it to you.” Lucas stood beside her, silently allowing her behavior. I held up the bird’s nest soup. Even the scalding porcelain bowl couldn’t thaw the coldness in my heart. Mrs. Carter immediately darkened her face: “How rude! Giving someone a gift, and you choose a defective one? What were you thinking?” Rachel hurriedly took off the sapphire necklace from her neck: “I’m so sorry, sister-in-law. This necklace is a royal heirloom from the British royal family. I’ll give it to you as an apology!” That necklace, called “Destiny”, was personally bought by Lucas at an auction in London last year. I had naively thought he would put it on me at our wedding. It turned out that in his heart, the real “Destiny” was Rachel. I silently looked at the necklace, not reaching out to take it. Mrs. Carter pulled Rachel away: “Girl, come with me to look at the garden. Don’t always cling to Lucas. He’s about to get married.” Lucas sat down across from me, poured himself a cup of tea, his lips curled in mockery: “Looks like you still can’t let go of your status in this family. Even if you don’t go to the company, you still come to curry favor with my mom.” “Don’t worry, the position of future Mrs. Carter belongs to no one but you. Who else could please my mom so well?” I had never seen him look at me with such cold eyes. Tears welled up in my eyes: “Lucas, you won’t even give me the most basic kindness anymore?” He glanced at me, continuing to drink his tea leisurely. After finishing his tea, he went upstairs without looking back. Late at night, I was clearing my mind in the gazebo in the backyard when I suddenly heard whispers coming from the nearby rose garden. Rachel’s coquettish voice came through: “Auntie doesn’t seem to like me very much. What should I do?” Lucas chuckled: “My mom even dislikes me. In her eyes, there’s only Emily, the perfect daughter-in-law.” “Then in your heart, who’s more important, me or her?” Rachel pressed. Lucas laughed softly: “You’re always so greedy.” Rachel clung to him persistently. “The first time I saw you, I was moved by your innocence. The next time we met, I was conquered by your passion.” “No one in this world can compare to you. Happy now?” “As for Emily, she’s just like my mom. What’s so interesting about that?” “After we’re married and someone’s helping me manage the family business, I can take you traveling around the world. Don’t be angry, okay?” Before he finished speaking, the two were already kissing. I stood in the darkness, tears silently falling, feeling utterly ridiculous. So whether in this life or the last, I was just a bargaining chip for him to gain freedom. He deceived me clear-headedly, while I foolishly believed in this dream.

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Henry brought a woman home and ordered me to cook for them. The woman giggled, nestling in his arms. “Honey, who is she?” “Her? The housekeeper,” Henry replied dismissively, looking at me. I clutched my stomach and limped into the kitchen. Henry, this will be the last meal I cook for you. After three years of marriage, Henry and I had become bitter enemies. He had someone else in his heart. I was drugged and sent to his bed, and by cruel coincidence, his true love Zoe saw us. The shock sent Zoe running out, where she was hit by a car and died. Later, when I became pregnant, Henry proposed with bloodshot eyes. On our wedding day, he gripped my throat and hissed, “Aria, you’ll spend your whole life atoning for this!” I became Mrs. Grant in name only. In our first month of marriage, Henry crushed my family’s company, forcing my parents to move to low-income housing. In the second month, I lost my first child. Henry felt a twinge of guilt but quickly found another woman to vent his frustrations, complaining about my weak body. This is our third year, and I’ve been diagnosed with lymphoma. Years of emotional suppression and stress had taken their toll. By the time the illness found me, it was already in the late stages. Looking at the diagnosis report, I felt relieved. Death would finally bring peace, wouldn’t it? Coming out of the kitchen, Henry glanced at the three dishes and soup on the table with disdain. “Is this even edible?” I remained silent, taking a bite of each dish to show him it was fine. But a sudden wave of nausea made me cover my mouth and rush to the bathroom, throwing up everything. The pain was excruciating, and my nose started to itch. Seeing the blood in the toilet, I felt dizzy. By the time I cleaned up and came out, they had already gone upstairs. This was Henry’s new girlfriend for the month, bearing a striking resemblance to Zoe. Who would have thought that it was Zoe’s family who drugged me that night? The intended target wasn’t Henry, but Zoe’s brother. Somehow, they entered the wrong room, though Henry never believed me. Taking a deep breath, I went upstairs. Laughter echoed from the master bedroom. Not wanting to disturb them, but running out of time, I had no choice but to knock. A furious shout came from inside: “Get lost!” I flinched but persisted. Henry finally snapped, flinging the door open with a menacing look in his eyes. Behind him on the king-sized bed, the woman wore only revealing lingerie, looking seductive. “Aria, do you have a death wish?” Henry snarled. I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. “Would you be sad if I died?” “You’d be better off dead! If there’s nothing else, get out of here!” I blocked the door. “There is something. Once you sign this, I’ll leave.” I handed him the divorce papers I had prepared. He barely glanced at them before throwing them back at me. The sharp edge of the paper cut my eyebrow, making me wince in pain. “Want a divorce? Keep dreaming! You haven’t finished atoning for your sins!” “Since you won’t leave, come in and watch!” He yanked me inside. Right in front of me, he tore off the woman’s last shred of modesty and started kissing her passionately. I turned away, feeling my insides churning violently. Unable to hold back any longer, I doubled over and vomited again. Henry’s brow furrowed, his actions coming to an abrupt halt. Before he could explode in anger, I covered my mouth and ran out. The salty, metallic taste in my mouth was becoming hard to disguise. If he had been more attentive, he would have noticed the blood seeping through my fingers. A loud crash from behind made me quicken my pace. Back in my room, I cleaned myself up, took my medication, and lay down. I messaged the doctor, asking to increase the dosage—I was losing control. Just as I sent it, the door was kicked open. Henry stormed in, yanking off my covers and pinning me down. “You started this fire, now you put it out!” he growled, pressing me hard against the bed. I gasped in pain. “Henry, you’re disgusting!” “Disgusting? I’ll show you what’s really disgusting!”

He was ruthless. I bit my lip, my whole body feeling like it was being torn apart. Henry seemed to notice my discomfort and coldly said, “Don’t like it?” “Henry, let go. I need to throw up.” Henry’s face darkened, his dark eyes filled with anger. Just as he was about to speak, I couldn’t hold back anymore and turned my head, vomiting again. The acidic bile made Henry recoil in disgust. He cursed, quickly getting up and slamming the door as he left. As air rushed back into my lungs, I let out a long breath. I got up and went to the bathroom, but couldn’t bring anything else up. After cleaning up, the room still reeked. I threw away the bedsheets and moved to the guest room to lie down. Pain crept in bit by bit. Henry’s face loomed large before me, and then everything went black. When I came to, I was in the hospital. The smell of disinfectant brought me back to reality. “I…” I tried to speak. “You’re awake? That’s great! I’ll go get the doctor!” The young nurse excitedly went to call the doctor. I rubbed my temples, wondering who had brought me here. It couldn’t have been Henry, and there was no one else at home. As I pondered, the doctor came in. Charles nodded at me. “It’s good you’re awake. I called you but got no answer, so I went to your house. I heard a loud thud inside, thankfully I called the police, or we might have been arranging your funeral by now.” I finally understood—it was him. “How did you know where I live?” Charles smiled. “Don’t forget, I’m your attending physician. Your address is in your file, and I needed to do follow-ups. When there was no response to the follow-up, I went to check on you. Luckily, I made it in time.” I couldn’t help but smile, touched that someone cared so much about me in my final moments. “Thank you.” “Don’t mention it. By the way, I notified your family. Henry Grant, your husband, right?” “What?!” I was shocked. If he knew I was here… Never mind, it doesn’t matter now. I don’t have many days left anyway. I lay in bed as Charles examined me, then said solemnly, “What would you like to eat? I’ll go buy it.” “Anything is fine. I don’t have much of an appetite anyway.” It was early morning, and my stomach was empty, but I didn’t feel hungry at all. Charles left, and Henry came in shortly after. Seeing me lying in bed, his anger dissipated, replaced by shock. “Aria, how… how did you end up like this?” I opened my eyes groggily, seeing Henry standing before me. I managed a smile. “You’re here.” Henry’s face was full of horror. “You… you’re really sick?” “Yes. Henry, let’s get divorced.”

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I never thought my boyfriend would go to such extremes just because I inadvertently upset his half-sister while showing our affection. During an extreme sports event, Lucas pushed me off a high platform. The head injury left me blind, but he stayed by my side, seemingly devoted. It wasn’t until the third year of my blindness that my sight finally returned. To surprise Lucas on his birthday, I deliberately told him I couldn’t make it. When I arrived at the movie theater he had rented out, filled with excitement, I was horrified to discover my intimate videos playing on the big screen. “Lucas, bro, thanks for sharing such interesting videos with us,” one of his friends said. “She can’t make it today. Don’t breathe a word of this to her, or you won’t get to see any more,” Lucas replied coldly. “Lucas, if you’re so afraid of her leaving, why did you push her off that platform back then?” “She deliberately provoked Rachel, which led to Rachel’s suicide attempt. This is just teaching her a lesson.” I fled the scene, my heart shattered. I immediately made an appointment for an abortion and agreed to go abroad to take over the family business.

The moment I left the theater, my legs gave out, and I collapsed on the ground. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. My mind was reeling from Lucas’s words and the intimate videos on the big screen. I took out my phone and called my parents overseas. “Dad, Mom, I’m ready to go abroad now.” “Mia, you’ve finally come around. We need to fly to another country for a while, and getting visas and passports will take some time. Your father and I will wait for you here in a month. That should give you enough time to settle things at home.” After hanging up, Lucas’s call came through. “Mia, my friends want to come over tonight. Let’s have a little get-together, okay?” His tone was gentle, completely different from his cold voice in the theater. “Okay…” I struggled to control my emotions, trying to sound normal. “I knew you’d understand, baby.” Lucas’s voice echoed in my mind, mockingly. Lucas and I had been classmates since high school. Back then, our grades were neck and neck. We were both rivals and teammates. In college, he fell in love with extreme sports, while I focused on my studies but still accompanied him on his adventures. He said he loved my boldness, and I loved his sincerity and courage even more. Perhaps the Lucas of the past was too dazzling, which is why I couldn’t let go for so long. But he chose to hurt me without hesitation for Rachel Sullivan. That night, Lucas brought the group from the theater back to our home. I pretended I still couldn’t see, carefully asking, “Lucas, is that you?” Lucas glanced at me, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. “It’s me, baby. I brought some friends over.” Several disgusting gazes roamed over my body. “Sister-in-law is quite a beauty,” one of them said, his tone filled with malice rather than compliment. They sat down in the living room, and I quietly sat to the side. At first, they chatted about other things, but suddenly, my intimate video was cast onto the TV screen. They boldly watched the video in front of me, but muted it so I wouldn’t notice. My hands clenched into fists, nails digging into my palms as I struggled to control my emotions. As they watched my video, they kept eyeing me lecherously, grinning. My body trembled uncontrollably. “Baby, what’s wrong?” Lucas asked. Once, when Lucas called me ‘baby,’ I would pretend to find it cheesy while secretly feeling sweet inside. Now, hearing those words only made my skin crawl. “It’s nothing, Lucas. I’m a bit tired. Can I go back to the bedroom?” Lucas studied me for a moment, seeming to sense something was off. He hesitated for a long while before letting his guard down. “Go ahead, baby. We’ll chat for a bit longer and then leave.” I nodded and made my way back to the room, holding onto whatever I could for support. Those sickening, leering gazes only disappeared after I entered the bedroom. “She’s quite a dish. Even hotter in person than in the video.” I leaned against the door, gasping for air. It felt like an invisible knife was piercing my arteries, leaving me bleeding profusely. That night, I lay quietly against the bedroom door. Lucas hugged me from behind, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Baby, are you asleep?” I didn’t respond, but my tears had already soaked the pillow. Early the next morning, Lucas left for work, and I went to the hospital alone.

“Your uterine wall is very thin. If you abort this child, there’s a high chance you won’t be able to conceive again.” I placed my hand on my belly. My nose stung with unshed tears. I’m sorry, baby. Mommy is so sorry. But I can’t keep this child. I have to do this for myself. An hour later, I was lying on the operating table. As the cold instruments entered my body, I slowly closed my eyes. When I left the hospital, there was no longer a little life growing inside me. I had originally planned to share this good news with Lucas on his birthday. But now, it seemed pointless. My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. “Baby, are you pregnant?” My heart skipped a beat. “I found your test results in a gift box at home. Baby, why didn’t you tell me earlier? Where are you now? I’ll come pick you up.” “At… at the hospital.” Soon, Lucas’s car pulled up in front of the hospital. He got out to help me. “Why did you come for a check-up alone? It’s dangerous.” “It’s fine…” Perhaps feeling guilty after learning about my pregnancy, he unexpectedly took me shopping for jewelry. Just as we entered the jewelry store, a familiar voice sounded from behind. It was Rachel Sullivan. “Sister Mia, what a coincidence!” “Rachel?” I didn’t respond. Back then, Rachel had attempted suicide just because I posted a photo on social media. If it weren’t for her suicide attempt, I would never have known she was deeply in love with Lucas. “Brother Lucas, what are you two up to? Can Rachel join?” “Sure.” Lucas was always like this. Whenever it came to Rachel, he would agree to anything. Rachel linked her arm with Lucas’s, and they walked side by side towards the counter. The sight stung my eyes. I gripped my cane tightly, my knuckles turning white. “You two make such a lovely couple,” the sales assistant said sweetly, as they often do when seeing couples. Lucas looked a bit embarrassed, finally noticing me behind him. “Please help her find a suitable bracelet.” The assistant paused but didn’t say anything. She took out a new design from the counter. “This lady has very delicate wrists. This bracelet would be perfect.” The assistant put the bracelet on my wrist. I pretended to feel it carefully. “Do you like it?” Lucas leaned down to ask. I nodded. Did I like it? How could I? “Brother Lucas, I want one too,” Rachel said, tugging at Lucas’s arm. “Please get me another one just like it,” Lucas said to the assistant. “I’m sorry, sir, but this is a limited edition. We only have one in stock.” “Brother Lucas, I really want this one.” Lucas glanced at me, then without hesitation, took the bracelet off my wrist. “Baby, let’s give this one to Rachel. We can choose another one for you.” Of course, she could have it. I’ve already given you to her anyway. Behind Lucas’s back, Rachel looked at me triumphantly, as if declaring victory. “Sister Mia, can I come home with you today? I’d love to taste your cooking.” I remained silent, waiting for Lucas’s response. “Of course you can. Mia, I know you can’t see, but Rachel doesn’t come over often. Don’t be so stingy.” He didn’t consider the danger of me cooking while blind. He only cared about what Rachel wanted. “Alright.”

Soon, I had laid out all the dishes on the table. In the living room, Lucas was watching extreme sports videos with Rachel. “Brother Lucas, when will we see you take on new extreme challenges?” “I don’t like it anymore. Haven’t since three years ago. But if Rachel wants to see, I could consider it.” Just like me, his once-favorite hobby was abandoned three years ago. Otherwise, how could he give up so easily? At the dinner table, the two chatted happily in front of me, completely ignoring my presence. Feeling unwell, I retired to the bedroom early. But I was soon awakened by Lucas’s angry shouts. “Mia Anderson! What did you put in the food?!” Lucas grabbed my neck and dragged me to the dining table. “You might be blind, but don’t you know Rachel is allergic to cilantro? Are you trying to kill her? How could you be so vicious!” Rachel looked weak at the table. In the past, I might have believed I had accidentally added her allergen. But now, I was absolutely certain I had never put cilantro in the food. “Brother Lucas, don’t blame Sister Mia. It’s my fault for being allergic to cilantro.” “I didn’t put any in!” I replied firmly. My definitive answer seemed to fuel Lucas’s rage. He flipped the table and slapped me hard across the face. “When did you learn to lie? How can you be so sure, you blind woman? Lying without even thinking it through.” With that, Lucas picked Rachel up in his arms and left our chaotic home. As they left, Rachel gave me a contemptuous look, mouthing the words, “You deserve it.” Lucas didn’t come home for many days after that. During those days, Rachel kept sending me photos of Lucas taking care of her. Her social media was also updated daily. “Being cared for like a child, so blissful.” “Even food tastes better when fed by the man you love.” I turned off my phone and burned all our photos together to ashes. It wasn’t fair that only I was trapped in memories, and it shouldn’t be. On the seventh day, Lucas returned. Seeing the house restored to order, a flash of guilt crossed his face. “Mia…” Lucas hugged me from behind once again. “I’m sorry. I know I was a bit too emotional the other day.” Lucas buried his face in the crook of my neck. Not every apology deserves forgiveness. “Lucas, do you like me?” My voice was flat, devoid of emotion. “I do.” “Then do you like Rachel?” Lucas frowned, pulling away from me. “Mia Anderson, Rachel is just my sister. Can you stop being so suspicious all the time? It’s annoying. I’m tired, you know?” “Okay.” Realizing his tone had become harsh, Lucas hugged me again to comfort me. “Mia, how about we go out for some fresh air these next few days? Let’s go camping, okay?” I nodded. Seeing my obedience, Lucas smiled with satisfaction. It’s almost over, Lucas. We’re nearly done.

Every time Lucas took me out to relax, I used to be excited for days. But this time, my heart couldn’t stir even a ripple. As we drove along, Lucas seemed very happy. I just quietly watched the changing scenery outside the window. “Lucas.” “Hmm?” Hearing me call his full name, he seemed a bit uncomfortable, furrowing his brow. “Do you still like extreme sports?” “I used to love it, but that kind of passion has an expiration date.” Does that include me too? But I never voiced that question. I should have realized earlier that he had long lost his former courage and passion. Soon, the car entered deep into the mountains. The scenery here was beautiful, but few people ventured this far, perhaps because it was too remote. Lucas didn’t let me do anything, setting everything up himself. For a moment, I thought I saw that radiant boy from the past. At night, Lucas held me as we sat under the stars. “Baby, I know you can’t see, so let me describe it to you.” Lucas described the starry sky to me, while my heart was in endless turmoil and pain. I couldn’t even tell which was the real him anymore. “Lucas, if you lost me one day, what would you do?” But this question was drowned out by the sound of a ringing phone. Seeing it was Rachel, Lucas immediately answered. “Brother Lucas, I’m so scared. Can you come and stay with me?” Lucas turned to look at me, hesitating for a few seconds. During those few seconds, I was in utter torment. I stared straight ahead, maintaining the appearance of being blind. “Rachel, wait for me. I’ll be right there,” Lucas said soothingly. “Baby…” “Go ahead.” “I knew you’d understand. Wait for me, I’ll be back soon.” Lucas left. The moment he departed, the surroundings became terrifyingly quiet. My eyes were brimming with tears. I looked up at the sky he had described. There wasn’t a single star, only a blanket of dark clouds. All the beauty was just his fabrication. How foolish had I been these three years? In his eyes, I was probably nothing more than a clown. I sat there dazed all night. At dawn, I opened my phone. The first post on social media stabbed my eyes. It was a photo of Lucas holding Rachel’s hand tightly as they slept peacefully. Their ambiguous relationship, disguised under the name of siblings, went far beyond acceptable boundaries. Everything was so sickening. As daylight broke, my tears had dried up. I stumbled down the mountain, each step feeling like it took all my strength. When I arrived home, I found Lucas and Rachel watching an extreme sports documentary in our living room. It was the documentary Lucas and I had treasured from our past. Seeing me, Lucas was startled, as if suddenly remembering something. “I’m sorry, baby. I forgot. Are you hurt?” “No,” I replied, my voice calm and indifferent. “I’m really sorry, Sister Mia. It’s all my fault. Otherwise, Brother Lucas wouldn’t have left you alone,” Rachel said. I didn’t respond, heading straight to the bedroom. “Mia Anderson, I’ve already said I forgot by accident. Why are you giving Rachel the cold shoulder? If you have any complaints, take them out on me. Don’t hurt Rachel.” A slap followed by a sweet gesture – this had become Lucas’s norm. I closed the door tightly. In the afternoon, Rachel knocked on my door. “Sister Mia, let’s go out together.” I pressed my lips together, not responding. The next moment, Lucas kicked the door open. “Mia Anderson, what do you mean by not answering? Rachel has already humbled herself to ask you. What more do you want? You don’t have the status of a princess, but you sure have the temper of one.” I was forcibly dragged out. Walking side by side on the street, the two of them chatted happily, completely ignoring me. Suddenly, we heard the screech of brakes nearby. A car came speeding straight towards us. Instinctively, I reached out to grab Lucas. But Lucas hugged Rachel and threw themselves to the side, holding her tightly in his arms. I was hit by the car and thrown several meters away. It felt like my internal organs were shattering. I lay in a pool of blood, my consciousness fading. In moments of danger, a person’s instinctive actions reveal their true feelings. I was never… his first choice. How can love be divided between two people? Seeing me close my eyes, Lucas panicked. His hands trembled as he dialed for emergency services. “Mia… hang on a little longer.”

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In the twenty-third year since I was adopted by the Lewis family, everyone assumed I would marry Adam Lewis. But he thought I was beautiful yet brainless, far inferior to the intelligent beauty he met in college. I knew he probably didn’t love me, so when he went abroad as an exchange student with his smart female classmate, I agreed to an arranged marriage with the Chen family. After I got engaged to the eldest son of the Chen family, Adam returned. When he saw me with my fiancé, he went crazy. “Melody, didn’t you promise you’d only be with me? How could you break your word?” I was just about to enter Adam’s room with a plate of cut fruit when I heard laughter from inside. “Adam, when are you going to marry Melody?” “We heard your parents are practically hounding you about it. Last time you ran out in the middle of an experiment, it was to take your mom’s marriage-pushing call, right?” “Your family is interesting, adopting an orphan and still following the old ‘child bride’ tradition… But seriously, Melody has been devoted to you, only liking you from the beginning until now. As for her looks and figure…” Another burst of laughter erupted, mixed with suggestive undertones. “She’s just the type men like, and conveniently has an empty head. You can easily manipulate her to do whatever you want in the future. How perfect!” My hand, ready to knock, froze. My heart sank. That’s right, everyone knew I liked Adam. But everyone also knew he didn’t like me. Sure enough, his voice rang out, clearly annoyed. “Whoever likes her can have her. I won’t marry her no matter what. Weren’t we going to play games? Are we still playing or not?” Adam didn’t want to discuss it, but someone always had to push the topic. “If you don’t like her, then it must be Cassy. Everyone knows our talented Cassy only smiles for you!” The teasing continued in waves. Outside the door, I stood holding the fruit, unable to move, feeling suffocated and miserable. Unlike his vehement denials when teased, Adam only chuckled lightly when Cassy was mentioned. Then came the sound of glasses clinking and chairs moving. The topic seemed to have been forcibly changed. I’m an orphan, adopted by the Lewis family when I was very young. From an early age, people joked that I was Adam’s future bride. Mom and Dad never stopped them, always smiling as they watched us, saying they were observing our compatibility. Later, when more people said it, Mom and Dad would ask me too. “Melody, would you like to marry Adam in the future?” “Yes!” After that, I followed Adam around like a little tail, but he always kept his distance. At the dinner table, he would push the food I put on his plate straight into the trash without even looking at it. When Mom and Dad asked him to pick me up from school, he ignored it. I would wait by the roadside until dark, then slowly walk home alone. When I saw him at school and greeted him, he acted as if he didn’t hear me, walking past me expressionlessly. Some people privately speculated about our relationship, but he always said he wasn’t familiar with me and not to associate us. I didn’t understand what I had done wrong to make him dislike me so much. I snapped back to reality, looking at the tightly closed study door, just like the barrier between Adam and me. He was inside, and I didn’t even dare to knock. I thought for a moment, then decided to take the cut fruit back to the kitchen, staring at the carefully arranged plate of fruit. “Well, well, what’s our little beauty hiding here for?” a frivolous voice sounded behind me, making me turn around sharply. I was startled by the voice behind me. I turned to see Paul, Adam’s friend, who was one of the people talking upstairs earlier. He leaned against the kitchen doorframe, his eyes shamelessly roaming over my body, a smile with unclear intentions on his lips. Seeing that I didn’t answer, Paul seemed to get more excited. He crossed his arms and walked a few steps closer to me, his gaze falling on me without any restraint. “But Melody, how do you have such a good figure… None of my girlfriends are as… hot as you.” The man’s slightly flirtatious comments made me frown instinctively. I was about to leave when Paul suddenly grabbed my arm. “Where are you going?”

Paul snickered and leaned in closer to me, grinning. “Little sister Melody, you’d be better off with me! How could someone like Adam ever like a pretty face with an empty head like you?” He looked me up and down, his gaze so blatant it was as if he was undressing me with his eyes. “The one standing next to him will only be someone like Cassy. That talented beauty next to Adam is what you call a perfect match. Standing next to you, it’s like a young master with his servant girl. Do you understand the difference?” The contempt in Paul’s tone was undisguised, his equally disdainful gaze falling on me. Paul’s words made my face turn pale. But it’s possible that I understood this point even more clearly than he did. I had actually seen Cassy before. Once, Mom asked me to bring something to Adam at his university. I searched all the way to Adam’s lab and saw him smiling in a way he had never shown me, listening attentively to a girl with a high ponytail opposite him. The two stood side by side, discussing complex formulas that I couldn’t understand at all. I watched them through the glass window. The two seemed to be in a world of their own, with no room for anyone else. They also looked very compatible, like formulas arranged together, always without a place for me. That day, I handed the things to Adam’s classmate without even thinking of going in. Come to think of it, I was just an adopted daughter of the Lewis family. I was already incredibly grateful that they had given me a second chance at life. How could I dare to go along with Mom and Dad’s jokes and think that I was worthy of Adam? Just as I was lost in thought, Paul suddenly let go of my arm and pulled me into his arms! “What are you doing!” I cried out, instinctively pushing him away hard. In the struggle, my elbow hit the drying rack at the edge of the sink. The plates on it fell into the sink with a loud clang. Paul’s arms were like iron clamps, gripping me so tightly that I couldn’t break free. “Let go of me!” I saw a flash of satisfaction cross Paul’s face. In my panic, I heard hurried footsteps coming down the stairs. Adam and a few other friends appeared at the kitchen door, probably alarmed by the noise. When Paul saw them, he let go of me as if he had been electrocuted. He quickly stepped back and immediately put on a surprised and angry expression, pointing at me. “Adam! Look at her!” His voice was loud, filled with accusation. “I just saw her standing here in a daze and came over to check on her out of kindness. She suddenly threw herself at me and hugged me!” He laughed coldly, his sharp gaze sweeping across my face. “What? Can’t get Adam, so you’re trying to seduce me? Want to be a daughter-in-law of the Phillips family? Melody, you’re really overestimating yourself!” “That’s not true! He was the one who…” I hurriedly tried to explain, my whole body shaking as I attempted to clarify what had just happened. But no one gave me a chance. The few friends who had come down with Adam looked back and forth between Paul and me with suggestive gazes, smiles on their faces as if they were watching a good show. They clearly believed Paul’s twisted version of events. Adam’s face was terrifyingly dark, his gaze falling on me like knives, filled with undisguised disgust and impatience. “Enough!” He harshly cut off my unfinished words. “Melody, look at yourself! Go back to your room and change your clothes! Stop embarrassing yourself here!” Embarrassing myself? I lowered my head instinctively. Only then did I realize that during the struggle, water from the sink had splashed out, soaking a large part of my chest. The thin summer fabric clung to my body when wet, clearly outlining the curves of my chest. I instinctively covered my chest with my hands, still able to hear a few laughs from around Adam. Embarrassment and overwhelming grievance instantly broke through my last line of defense. He didn’t even think about listening to my explanation. I rushed out of the kitchen, almost fleeing back to my own room.

After returning to my room, I changed my clothes as quickly as possible. At the same time, I heard the commotion outside getting quieter, as if Adam had taken his friends and left the house. I sat on the bed, tears falling uncontrollably. In high school, it was no secret that Adam and I lived under the same roof. People often joked that I was Adam’s child bride. It happened so often that Adam finally snapped, slamming down the book in his hand with a cold face. “I don’t like idiots. Stop associating us in the future.” Compared to someone like Adam who was always at the top of the class, I was indeed not very smart, always hundreds of places behind him in rankings. I knew what Adam said was true, but I still felt sad inside. Even studying hard at home in private didn’t help much, and I didn’t dare ask Mom and Dad for tutoring. Instead, it was Adam who accidentally saw me studying at home and casually tossed me his unused notes. The top student’s notes were indeed helpful. My grades improved significantly, and I attributed it all to Adam’s notes. At that time, I used my saved pocket money to prepare a beautiful notebook for Adam, secretly placing it in Adam’s desk drawer. But I never imagined that when Adam took out the box with my name on it, the notebook had turned into lingerie. I still remember Adam getting angry. In front of the whole class, with an ashen face, he threw that box along with its contents hard at me. “Melody! Can’t you have some self-respect? This is outrageous!” The box hitting me really hurt. I was slow to react, watching the bright red lingerie fall to the ground, feeling a chill from head to toe, not understanding why my gift had turned into this. Suppressed laughter and whispers immediately erupted around us. I was at a loss for words, feeling my face burn hot. Adam’s embarrassed and angry gaze made me feel even more cornered with nowhere to hide. That incident ended with me being forced to transfer schools amidst all the gossip at school. Fortunately, Mom and Dad believed me. They knew I wasn’t the kind of person who would do such a thing. Only Adam, from that day on, looked at me with nothing but cold disgust. The already thin relationship between us completely broke, becoming increasingly estranged. That night, Adam and his friends didn’t come back. Mom and Dad were out of town and hadn’t returned. I was scrolling through TikTok when I unexpectedly came across a video of Adam. On the screen, against the background of a noisy bar, the camera was focused on Adam. Someone holding a phone asked loudly, “Adam! Tell us now! Melody or Cassy, who do you choose?” In the video, Adam seemed to have had a bit to drink, but his eyes were still clear. He didn’t even hesitate for a moment, a careless smile on his lips. “Cassy.” Decisive and straightforward. The screen went dark, leaving only my pale face. From then on, I started deliberately avoiding Adam. When he came home on weekends, I would find various excuses to stay at school. Even on days when I had to go back, I tried to stay in my own room as much as possible, reducing the chances of running into him. We became like two parallel lines living under the same roof, never intersecting. But Adam changed a bit. In the past, he never cared about any of my social media posts, but these days he started frequently liking my posts on Facebook. I don’t know how many times I picked up my phone, saw the scenic photos Adam had liked, thought for a moment, and still chose to delete them. Along with the other posts Adam had liked in the past few days. It was as if doing this could really make our relationship return to something purely platonic. But no matter how much I tried to avoid him, when I received a call from Mom and Dad saying I had to come back for dinner tonight, I had no choice. “Melody, your brother has decided to go abroad as an exchange student for a while. Come back tonight, we’ll have a farewell dinner as a family.” I didn’t know how to feel. Perhaps it was relief. If he left, I wouldn’t have to hide so carefully anymore. I couldn’t refuse Mom and Dad again, so I had to go home reluctantly. But as soon as I got home and opened the door, I saw a girl with delicate features standing with Adam. When they heard the sound and looked at me, Adam hadn’t had time to retract his doting smile for her. My gaze lingered on the girl. Wasn’t it supposed to be a family dinner tonight? But why… why was Cassy here?

“You must be little sister Melody? I’ve often heard Adam mention you.” Cassy was beautiful. She took the initiative to shake my hand, then familiarly linked her arm with mine. The moment he saw me come back, the smile on Adam’s face disappeared without a trace, and he turned to enter the kitchen. Cassy was lively, talking about how she was about to go abroad with Adam as exchange students, and might even share an apartment with him in the future. “Adam is so attentive and considerate. He even suggested we live together, worried about my safety as a girl alone. Your brother is really a good man.” I forced myself to squeeze out a smile uglier than crying. “Yes, he’s very good.” Very good indeed, so good that I’ve been chasing after him since childhood, yet I can’t even touch his shadow. I was so immersed in my own thoughts that I didn’t even hear clearly what Cassy said afterwards. At that moment, I just nodded and said “good” mindlessly, not realizing that Cassy had just asked me if I thought it was good for her and Adam to be together. “Dinner’s ready.” I instinctively looked up and saw Adam, who had returned without me noticing, standing in the hallway not far away, his gaze heavy as he looked at me. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly averted my gaze. Mom and Dad’s attitude towards Cassy’s presence was lukewarm, only polite at best. Cassy kept trying to liven up the atmosphere, but neither Adam nor I said a word. Just then, a pair of chopsticks reached over, placing a glistening piece of sweet and sour ribs in my bowl. I froze, looking up at Adam. A nameless anger suddenly surged in my heart. I silently used my chopsticks to push that piece of rib he had picked for me to the side. My heart felt sour and bitter. He had always disliked me, even hated me a little. Why did he have to create this illusion of caring about me before he left? After dinner, Adam got up to send Cassy home. I returned to my room to sort out some seasonal clothes. As I passed by the living room, I heard Mom and Dad’s lowered voices coming through the slightly ajar door. “…It seems Adam really doesn’t like Melody.” It was Mom’s voice, tinged with a sigh. Dad was silent for a moment before saying, “You can’t force love. We can’t push the kids too much. We’ve always said the two of them would be together when they grow up, thinking that from childhood to adulthood…” Mom continued, “That’s true. By the way, the Chen family brought up the marriage arrangement again a few days ago. I think that Chen boy seems quite steady…” “Mm, I’ve met the Chen boy a few times. His character and abilities are not bad, and his family background is comparable. It’s just that I don’t know if Melody…” Yes, Adam doesn’t like me. Everyone knows that. Even Mom and Dad have finally given up. That’s good. I know Mom and Dad’s business hasn’t been going well lately. The Chen family is someone Mom and Dad want to partner with. If I can play a role in this, it’s a way to repay Mom and Dad for raising me. I took a deep breath and pushed open that slightly ajar door. Mom and Dad looked at me in surprise. I tugged at the corners of my mouth, putting on an obedient smile. “Dad, Mom.” “I’m willing to get engaged to the Chen family.”

The day I met Noah Chen was the same day Adam left for abroad. After that dinner, Adam and I returned to our clearly defined boundaries, though I could feel Adam looking at me several times, but when I turned around, I only saw his back. I met Noah Chen. As the only son of the Chen family, I had often heard about him. He was wild in his youth, but before he even graduated from high school, he had helped his family secure a big project. From the start of college, he had been working part-time at his family’s company while studying at a top domestic university. When Noah saw me, he couldn’t stop smiling. I’ve always felt a bit awkward around good-looking people who act unpredictably like him. So when he rested his chin on his hand and looked at me lazily, I couldn’t help but ask a question. “Why… do you want to…” Get engaged to me. Noah also smiled and gave his answer, “Because you’re beautiful!” I didn’t quite understand. If it’s just about looks, there are so many people more beautiful than me. But at that moment, what flashed through my mind were the words Adam’s friend had said. “…The type men like, and conveniently has an empty head. You can easily manipulate her to do whatever you want in the future. How perfect!” I didn’t say anything more. From the moment I agreed to Mom and Dad’s proposal, I had treated my marriage as a transaction of gratitude. So whatever Noah wanted in the future, I would go along with it. But Noah turned out to be quite different from what I had heard. Before, I had heard that Noah was flirtatious and unreliable, full of nonsense that you couldn’t tell was true or false. I agree with the part about him being full of nonsense. Otherwise, this guy wouldn’t send me a message saying he was going on a business trip and how tired he was, and then appear outside my school leaning against his car the next second. Noah always found various reasons to ask me out on dates. Today is the one-week anniversary of our engagement, today is some random holiday, today is the one-month anniversary of our first meeting… He always came up with new ideas, whether it was picking me up from school or coming to my house to pick me up, always in a high-profile manner. At first, Mom and Dad were worried that we wouldn’t get along well, but when they saw me glaring at him and then unable to hold back a smile, they started smiling along with us. And I seemed to be getting more and more used to Noah’s presence. He never joked about my looks or figure like others did. He sincerely praised my A+ grade report, and affirmed my clumsy but hardworking interest in learning to make clothes. He also didn’t spare his time, accompanying me to the library, to small diners, doing many things that Adam would find a waste of time just hearing about. And I also seemed to be more adapted to having him around, even adapted to the point where I had forgotten how long it had been since I had thought about Adam, or instinctively started to hide when I heard Mom and Dad mention Adam at home.

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At the gala, I pressed my wine glass against Lucas’s bobbing Adam’s apple. “Why so quiet now, Mr. Seasons?” I teased. Lucas tilted his head away from the brim of the glass, avoiding the spilling wine. “Please behave yourself, Ms. Wilson.” Back home, Lucas’s cyborg knelt obediently at my feet to change my shoes. I raised my hand and slapped him across the face. He immediately offered his other cheek, his puppy-like eyes reflecting the ceiling light. “Do you want symmetry, Mistress?” he asked, nuzzling my calf affectionately. His wet, red tongue circled my palm. I withdrew my hand uncomfortably. He caught my wrist and pressed me against the cabinet. “Does it have to be Lucas? Can’t it be me, Mistress?” “Even if you have my body, you’ll never have my heart!” The young man beneath me, bearing a striking resemblance to Lucas, had tears in his eyes and a defiant expression on his face. That’s right, this was Lucas’s stand-in that I had found. I had asked him to imitate Lucas’s attitude towards me for authenticity. But at that moment, I suddenly lost interest. I got up swiftly, tossed him a check, and told him not to contact me again. He scrambled to his feet, wiping his face haphazardly. The silk robe slipped from his shoulder, revealing faint pink bite marks on his collarbone. “Sister, I’ve remembered everything you taught me…” he said, his voice trembling as he knelt by the bed like a wet puppy. He seemed about to say something to make me stay. “How much do you want?” I rubbed my temples, seeing his shocked expression. He was being so clingy and refusing to leave. Could it be that he actually liked me, rather than the check not being enough? He had indeed done well in every aspect. But he had done too well, like a puppet on strings. It made it hard for me not to feel disgusted when I was sober. Not at him. But at myself, for my dark desire for Lucas. And… at Lucas, for his hot and cold treatment of me. The young man, instead of naming his price as I had expected, clutched the check from the bed and rushed out of the room. I let out a small sigh of relief. As long as he didn’t cling to me, it was fine. Emma happened to come looking for me. She first surveyed my expression. Then her eyes darted to the messy bed sheets: “Wow, Olivia, you’re ruthless. I almost drowned in that kid’s tears at the door.” I wrapped the silk robe tighter around myself: “He was trying to imitate Lucas’s cold face, and it annoyed me. But when he doesn’t imitate, he doesn’t look like him anymore. It’s frustrating.” “You were the one who insisted on finding someone who looked like Lucas in the first place,” Emma said. She suddenly leaned in and poked my waist. “What’s this? Always restless for the unattainable?” I shuddered sensitively at my lower back: “Get lost.” “Seriously,” she lit a cigarette and held it between her lips, “what do you see in Lucas? He always has that deadpan expression.” “I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “There are just a few moments when I really like him, but most of the time, he’s just… meh.” Emma suddenly slapped my thigh: “I got it! What you need is a Lucas-themed merchandise that you can beat up without talking back—” “My brother said they’re developing a cyborg project recently.” She mysteriously gave me an official website link. “Why don’t you try customizing a Lucas cyborg to bring home?” I carefully read the content on the webpage several times. Finally, I clicked the “Apply for Appointment” button. A pop-up window informed me that I didn’t have the qualification for testing. Emma scratched her head awkwardly: “Ah, maybe it’s not open to the public. Want me to put in a word with my brother?” I threw the tablet back into her arms: “And let your brother know I want to create a cyborg of his best friend?” “Wrong! It’s a 24/7 on-call youthful version of CEO Lucas!” I shook my head: “Forget it. I’ll ask someone if I can buy a test qualification.” The late-night transfer notification sounded, and I smirked at the purchase agreement. An encrypted clause flashed at the bottom of the agreement: This product is equipped with an emotional reflection system. If abnormal pain feedback is triggered, immediate destruction is recommended.

The cyborg arrived faster than I had imagined. In just a week, it was standing in my living room. I looked him up and down, legs crossed. This face was like it had been peeled right off Lucas’s. But something felt off, I couldn’t put my finger on it. I could clearly feel he was different from Lucas… “Mistress.” When he lifted his head, the third button of his white shirt popped open. Well, maybe I just liked Lucas’s face, not him as a person. This cyborg was much more pleasing to the eye than Lucas himself. “Come here,” I crooked my finger at him. He obediently crawled to my feet on his knees, his tight uniform accentuating his well-built physique. “Do you know who you are?” I lifted his chin with the tip of my shoe. “Say something nice.” “Woof.” He suddenly nuzzled my ankle, offering his neck to my palm, his warm breath tickling my wrist. “I’m Mistress’s puppy.” This kind of address was a bit embarrassing… I suddenly gripped his earlobe hard. The man before me trembled, his eyelashes quivering. I walked towards the bathroom, my silk robe trailing behind me. “Change the bed sheets to the ice silk set.” Even with the shower at full blast, it couldn’t wash away the heat in my chest. Through the frosted glass, I could see his silhouette stretching taut as he made the bed. “Does Mistress prefer to sleep on her side or back?” he asked through the door crack, his voice as sticky as melted chocolate. I yanked open the bathroom door, water droplets splashing on his face: “You talk too much. Want to come in and scrub my back?” He took half a step back and turned away. The way his ear tips flushed red was fresher than Lucas. How strange, can a cyborg feel shy? I chuckled and slammed the bathroom door shut. “Go charge yourself.” In the steamy bathroom, I could hear his muffled voice from outside: “Mistress, puppies don’t need to charge. They just need to eat.” Well, quite advanced then. After showering, it was naturally time for bed. “You can leave now.” I kicked the back of his knee while drying my hair. He unexpectedly hugged my leg and nuzzled it. “Mistress, can the puppy sleep on the carpet in Mistress’s room?” The residual water on my leg was evaporated by his body heat. I gripped the back of his neck: “Lucas himself doesn’t have such thick skin.” When he looked up, his collarbone knocked against my knee, and he suddenly let out a muffled groan. I stared blankly at the reddening skin—this cyborg was made quite realistically, it could even bruise.

Early in the morning, I smelled the aroma of breakfast. I got up and washed lazily, only to see Lucas gently holding my toothbrush by the bed. Damn, I saw a ghost first thing in the morning. Oh, no. This should be the cyborg I bought. I was a bit confused from sleep. Hmm, the little cyborg is quite considerate. He even knows how to make breakfast. I was very satisfied and decided to give him a five-star review later. As the little cyborg was putting dewy roses in a vase, the doorbell rang frantically. Emma rushed in carrying bags of stuff. “What the hell? Lucas, why are you here?” She pointed at the little cyborg and laughed uncontrollably. “And wearing a freaking pink apron? Have you gone crazy?” I couldn’t stand it anymore and interrupted her. “This is the cyborg produced by your company.” “Oh…” She carefully examined him for a full circle, “Hey, but I remember last month when I went to the factory, those cyborgs still looked like silicon dolls…” She reached out and plucked a hair from the little cyborg’s head: “Damn, no way, is it this realistic? Such a big technological progress in just a short month?” “Olivia, are you sure you didn’t bring the real Lucas here to fool me?” I’ve had enough. If I could get the real Lucas, why would I order a cyborg? “Mistress, she doesn’t seem to like your puppy.” The little cyborg crouched at my feet, covering his plucked hair with a hurt expression. Emma spat out a mouthful of tea: “Damn, Olivia, I really underestimated you. You’re into such kinky stuff in private?” “I haven’t even asked you yet, is this cyborg from your company proper?” I laughed angrily: “I haven’t input any commands yet, he came with these factory settings.” Emma awkwardly rubbed her nose: “No way, my brother can’t be this perverted…” “Oh well, forget it. Look what good stuff I brought you!” She excitedly opened up the pile of things she brought. I only took one glance and felt my face burning. I immediately averted my gaze. “What… what kind of stuff did you bring!” “Hehe, I was worried they wouldn’t be useful.” She smirked, “But since this cyborg is made so realistically, the things I brought will definitely ensure your happy life together!” I stuffed everything back into her arms. “Go, go, go, take these things and leave quickly. I don’t need that function!” “Tch.” She walked out while looking back and shouting, “I’m not laughing at you, what’s there to be embarrassed about!” The little cyborg’s wet eyes stared at me: “Mistress, the puppy can…” “Shut up, you can’t!” This face is really unfair… He tilted his face slightly upwards: “Does Mistress really not need it?” I fled back to the bedroom, leaving the little cyborg outside the door, using my cold hands to cool down my burning cheeks. I could faintly hear the little cyborg laughing downstairs. God, don’t be fooled by this cyborg!

Last time with that stand-in was considered an amicable breakup, after all, he accepted my breakup fee. So I didn’t block his contact information. Who knew I would receive a text message from him. [Can we meet? Sister, I want to have dinner with you.] Tsk, a bit troublesome. I carelessly tossed the phone onto the bed. Oh well, it’s just a meal. Let’s see what he wants to do. Seeing me dressed up, the little cyborg came forward and asked: “Is Mistress going out? The puppy can accompany Mistress.” If we ran into acquaintances outside, I wouldn’t be able to explain clearly. So I refused him and told him to take care of my garden at home. But clearly, I underestimated the little cyborg’s level of “loyalty”. When Alex carefully cut the steak and handed it to me, I saw the little cyborg’s figure flash by. He disobeyed my order? This moment of distraction was noticed by Alex. He followed my gaze: “What is Sister looking at?” “Nothing, why did you ask me out?” The young man’s beautiful almond eyes rippled with moisture: “Sister, can you not abandon me… I mean, I can pretend to be whatever you like…” “That check last time was for five million, right? Not enough?” I frowned. “I don’t want money! I just want to be with Sister!” Alex gently hooked my fingertips. “I didn’t cash that check, I can return it to Sister…” Before he could finish, someone interrupted. “Excuse me, sir, please mind your manners.” The little cyborg glanced at his face with disgust. Alex hurriedly wiped the wine splashed on his wrist watch, clearly mistaking my little cyborg for Lucas himself. “So this is why Sister doesn’t need me anymore?” The young man’s voice was filled with disappointment. “Mm.” I didn’t explain, but went along with it instead. Sorry Lucas, I’m borrowing your name for a moment! Alex’s fork clattered onto the porcelain plate. It was then that I noticed he was wearing a moon-white turtleneck sweater today, which made the bite marks on his collarbone look like red plum blossoms on snow. “Sister…” He had just opened his mouth when the little cyborg interrupted. “Do you need me to help you make an appointment with a dermatologist?” The little cyborg suddenly took out his phone, “Scar removal injection or laser?” When did this little cyborg learn to be so sarcastic? Alex’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the knife and fork. He suddenly threw his head back and gulped down half a glass of red wine. As his Adam’s apple bobbed, the wine trickled down his chin into his collar: “Sister… you clearly liked me that night.” I was poking at the salad on my plate when I heard this. I sneered: “What, are you trying to settle accounts with me now?” The little cyborg rolled his eyes and snorted coldly: “Seductive fox, always putting on an act to seduce people.” Alex was young after all, and was stung red-faced by these few words. I picked up my bag and stood up: “I’ll treat today.”

As soon as I left the restaurant, I was hit by a cold wind and shivered. He unbuttoned his coat and wrapped me in his embrace. The warm scent of sandalwood instantly filled my nostrils. I struggled to lift my head, but was pressed against his chest: “Mistress’s heart is beating so fast.” “Mistress kept staring at his neck earlier.” His canine teeth grazed my earlobe almost imperceptibly. “The puppy can be bitten too.” I shook him off and put on a cold face: “Why did you come out without permission?” The little cyborg froze in place, lowering his head and refusing to speak. I had no patience and directly opened the car door to leave. In the rearview mirror, I could still see him standing there watching me leave. His coat billowed in the wind, really looking like an abandoned large dog. In just two short days, I had already gotten used to the little cyborg’s company. That’s very bad. At night, I couldn’t sleep and remembered he hadn’t come home yet. Just as I opened the door, I saw the little cyborg curled up by the doorway with his head hanging low. “Can Mistress not abandon me…” His shirt was covered in dirt, and when he looked up, there were a few scattered rose petals in his hair. “I only have Mistress.” “Get in.” I tossed the door access card. His eyes suddenly lit up as he stumbled to his feet. Damn, I’m actually going soft on a cyborg. It must be because his face is too unfair… “Weren’t you quite capable of stalking me? Why act pitiful now?” Although I felt a bit sorry for the little cyborg, my words still came out harsh. The little cyborg grabbed my wrist and pressed it to his chest. An incredibly strong vibration transmitted from his chest cavity. I have to say, the craftsmanship of their company’s cyborgs is excellent, even recreating the heartbeat so realistically. “It hurts here, Mistress.” The little cyborg drooped his eyelids pitifully, looking like he was about to cry. Tears rolled down his lashes. “Can Mistress not hate the puppy?” My fingertips sank into his damp clothes, the pulsing under my palm growing faster. “The puppy knows he was wrong. The puppy will never do anything to make Mistress unhappy again…” His pleading eyes were filled with my reflection. He buried his face in my lap, but sneakily nuzzled into my chest. “Mistress, touch it. The puppy’s heart hurts so much.” He guided my hand inside his shirt. As my palm touched his warm skin, I suddenly withdrew my hand. He chuckled as if he had succeeded. Fine. After all, he’s just a cyborg programmed to love me. The meaning of his existence is to love me. What bad intentions could he have? I finally gave in. “Sister.” He nuzzled my nose and murmured, his wet eyelashes brushing across my face. This form of address made me shiver all over like an electric current. “The places that fake touched…” His fingers slid down from my collarbone, “Do they need to be disinfected?”

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I have a scar on my chin that extends down to my neck. It’s a remnant from a childhood accident when Lucas threw a firecracker that exploded near me. His mother dragged him to apologize, and he planted a kiss on my bandage. “Sophia, I’ll take responsibility for you,” he said solemnly. Ever since then, I’ve been terrified of firecrackers. Fortunately, Lucas, the “culprit,” would always be there to cover my ears. He promised, “Sophia, don’t be afraid. Every New Year’s Eve, I’ll be right behind you.” Years later, under a sky full of fireworks, he kissed the company’s new fireworks designer. I watched from afar, the scar on my chin burning with a dull ache. The day I discovered Lucas’s affair, I happily went to his office to bring him lunch. In the elevator, I carefully hid the pregnancy test results under the lunchbox, planning to surprise him later. When I entered his office, a well-dressed young woman was sitting there. As soon as I walked in, their intertwined hands quickly separated. “Hello, I’m Emma, the new fireworks designer. I was just discussing some details with Mr. Thompson,” she said with a smile. There was a design sketch between them, with colors so beautiful it seemed unreal. “I’ll leave you two to talk,” Emma said as she left the room. After she left, Lucas pulled me into his arms, habitually caressing the scar on my chin. “Why did you come suddenly without letting someone pick you up?” I didn’t respond. He picked up the design sketch again. “Do you like it? It’s for your 23rd birthday gift.” I love watching fireworks but I’m terrified of the explosive sounds. Lucas built an amusement park for me and even constructed a private viewing platform where I could see the best fireworks without being too close to them. Our love story was featured on the park’s website homepage, attracting many visitors. “I’ll set them off for you on your birthday, okay?” he said, kissing my forehead. “I need to go inspect the park now. You should head home first,” he added, as if on cue, there was a knock on the door. “Mr. Thompson, we need to leave now,” came a voice from outside. I let go of his hand, and Lucas called a cab for me. “Driver, could you turn around and go to Starlight Amusement Park instead?” I asked once I was in the car.

This amusement park was Lucas’s proposal gift to me. “Sophia, I’ll watch fireworks with you for the rest of our lives,” he had promised. Those words still echoed in my ears, but now all I could think of were those intertwined hands I had seen earlier. I took out a mirror from my bag, seeing the scar deeply embedded in my skin, a part of me now. I easily made my way through the employee entrance to my private viewing spot, which was messily decorated with string lights and flowers. Lucas came running from behind, out of breath. “Sophia, didn’t I tell you to go home and rest? Now you’ve seen the surprise early.” I reached out to wipe the sweat from his forehead. “Why are you in such a hurry? I just felt cooped up and wanted to take a walk.” “Alright, you go back to your work. I’m heading home,” I said. Lucas breathed a sigh of relief as he watched me walk away. What he didn’t know was that I had already seen the security guard’s large-print chat window. “Mr. Thompson, your wife is heading towards the viewing platform.” I wandered around outside for the rest of the day, timing it so I would arrive just as the fireworks show was starting. I bought a full-price ticket to enter the park. Unlike what I had seen at noon, the viewing platform was now beautifully decorated. The new fireworks designer, Emma, was standing with Lucas. They looked just like a couple celebrating their anniversary at the park. As the fireworks exploded, I covered my ears. Lucas pulled Emma into his arms and kissed her lips the next second. The two kissed passionately. The fireworks became a romantic backdrop. And so did I. “Lucas, thank you for preparing all this for me,” Emma said softly. Lucas’s face was full of tenderness. “This park was built for you. Isn’t your dream to let more people see your fireworks?” My heart sank, and the family pass card in my hand dug into my palm. Emma giggled playfully. “Wasn’t it built for Sophia?” “Look at her, does she deserve it? I have a responsibility to her. Her face was disfigured because of me, and no one else would want her besides me.” “Such beautiful fireworks should be paired with a beauty like you.” Lucas’s words felt like knives stabbing into my heart. With shaking hands, I started recording. “If Sophia knew, wouldn’t she be furious?” Emma asked. Lucas was silent for a moment, then poked Emma’s forehead. “Then let’s not let her know for now. Be careful at the company too. I can’t divorce her right now.” “The company is at a critical point, and the park needs the fairy tale story between Sophia and me.” Emma gave Lucas a satisfied kiss. “Then tonight…” Lucas smiled suggestively, picked Emma up in his arms, and walked towards the park’s hotel.

Sitting in the taxi, I played the recorded video over and over again. “Look at her, does she deserve it?” “Who else would want her besides me?” “You don’t know how disgusted I am every time I see her face.” “After slowly distancing myself from her for a few years, she’ll get tired and beg me for a divorce.” “In this love story, she can only be the one at fault.” In the hotel, Lucas was carrying Emma to the top floor. Fighting back tears, I called Lucas. “Hello? Sophia? What’s wrong?” he answered. Tears streamed down my face as I could hear Lucas’s suppressed breathing. “Sophia, go to sleep first. I had a few drinks today and I’m afraid I’ll smell of alcohol if I come back. Be good, okay?” He hurriedly hung up the phone, cutting off Emma’s coquettish voice. I cried uncontrollably. All these years, he had seen me as a burden, a flaw in his perfect reputation. The amusement park he built didn’t belong to me, the fireworks he set off didn’t belong to me. Even he had never belonged to me. I walked into the bathroom and looked at myself in the full-length mirror. The long scar extended from my chin to my chest. Right to my heart. Every time my heart beat, the tail of the scar moved with it. Every time in bed, Lucas would passionately kiss this scar. From top to bottom. “Is it ugly?” I had asked Lucas more than once. His response was always more intense movements. “Sophia isn’t ugly. This scar is the red thread of fate tying us together.” I thought we were in love. After that incident, Lucas followed me around for many years. Even my mom said, “Lucas is a kind-hearted, loyal boy.” In high school, many people mocked my scar as ugly. Some even gave me nasty nicknames. But Lucas never did. He would hold me in his arms when others bullied me. He would repeatedly emphasize that I was the most beautiful girl in his eyes. After getting into college, Lucas confessed to me with our acceptance letters in hand. “Lucas, my face is fine now. You don’t need to be with me out of guilt.” Actually, I felt insecure, but he pulled me into a small alley. He gently kissed the scar. “Sophia, do you really think I’ve been close to you all these years just because of guilt?” My heart sank, and I took the initiative to kiss his lips.

Lucas was handsome and had good grades. In college, he had more and more admirers. I personally saw a curvaceous junior shyly hand him a love letter. I also heard rumors about us around campus. To be worthy of him, I secretly made an appointment for plastic surgery. This scar was too long, so long that it reached my heart. When I was about to enter the operating room, Lucas rushed over and took me away. “Sophia, please don’t get plastic surgery, okay?” He said this scar was my psychological barrier. Even if it was removed, I would still be bothered by it. Only when I truly adapted to it would I have let go and forgiven him. He cried pitifully with red-rimmed eyes. I really believed that in that accident, not only was I hurt, but Lucas was too. Now I understand that Lucas wasn’t guilty at all. He needed me by his side to showcase his loyalty and devotion. I wrapped myself in a blanket, unable to sleep all night. At dawn, the door lock turned. Lucas walked to my side and tucked me in. “Did I wake you?” he asked. Lucas leaned in and kissed my forehead. I could clearly smell the shower gel on his body. There were faint red marks on his neck. All declaring their wild night. “Look what I brought back for you,” Lucas said. Lucas took out a basket of soup dumplings, my favorite. “Fresh out of the steamer. I went to queue up early in the morning.” I put one in my mouth, but the soup inside was already cold and had a fishy taste. It made me nauseous, just like Lucas. I couldn’t help but spit it out. Lucas anxiously patted my back. “Why are you feeling sick?” As if remembering something, Lucas tentatively asked, “Sophia, did you take your medicine these past few times? You’re not… pregnant, are you?” I shook my head in denial. Lucas let out a long sigh of relief. “The company isn’t stable right now. When I’m ready, we’ll have a child.” He spoke sincerely. If I hadn’t witnessed it myself yesterday, I would have been moved by the future he described.

Lucas leaned in and pecked me on the corner of my mouth. “Rest well at home. The new project has been keeping me busy lately. When it’s over, I’ll take you on a trip.” After Lucas left, I threw the basket of dumplings into the trash and wiped my mouth corner vigorously with a tissue. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. What I thought was a perfect love had ultimately turned into a bubble. I had Human Resources pull out Emma’s file. It showed that she had been interning at the company since before graduation, for a full six months now. For six whole months, the company had been their sanctuary. “Jasmine, Lucas is cheating on me,” I sent the message to my best friend, then collapsed on the sofa. Only about twenty minutes later, Jasmine appeared at my doorstep. “What happened?” she asked, panting and pouring herself a glass of water. “Who’s cheating? Your devoted husband?” I let out a cold laugh. Lucas’s act was so perfect that he not only fooled me but also the people around me. Seeing my swollen eyes, Jasmine’s shocked expression turned solemn. She pulled me into a hug. “Cry if you want to. Let it all out.” “That bastard, acting all proper usually, turns out he’s only good when he’s nailed to the wall!” I clung to Jasmine and vented my emotions. When I was tired of crying, I curled up in a corner, staring blankly. “What do you plan to do now?” Jasmine asked worriedly. “Whatever decision you make, I support you.” I touched my belly, thinking how this child came at such an inopportune time. “Jasmine, I’m pregnant.” Hearing my words, Jasmine grabbed a kitchen knife and was about to go find Lucas. I stopped her, smiling more painfully than crying. “It’s okay. Luckily, I found out early. Come with me to the hospital.” Lying on the operating table, tears flowed along my scar to my neck. I could feel the child flowing out of my body. Lucas called me the next day. “Sophia, why aren’t you at home?” “Jasmine is sick. I’m staying with her at the hospital for a few days.” Lucas casually told me to take care and hung up the phone. Jasmine came back with takeout lunch. “You’re in postpartum recovery now. Don’t cry. Eat up and get your strength back. Then we can go beat up that scumbag.” In the obstetrics ward, children’s cries filled the air. Thinking of my child who never had a chance to be born, tears fell into my soup. “It’s so bitter.”

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