Author: Momo Chan

On the day of my daughter Skylar Cooper’s sixth birthday, I was having an appendectomy in the hospital. I begged my husband, Oliver Cooper, to pick her up from school, but he refused on the grounds that he had to attend a transnational meeting. “Ms. Anderson, Skylar fell off a building at school! She…” I was so shocked that I couldn’t hear the teacher’s voice on the phone. I pulled out the IV tube in my hand and rushed to the school, but I was still too late. Skylar was on the verge of death and said, “Mom, I miss Dad. Can you ask Dad to come and see me?” She was so badly injured that her face was unrecognizable, and she was covered in blood. I held her body and cried bitterly. At this time, the campus screen was showing the news. [Oliver, the richest man in Enilota, held a press conference and announced the return of Kayla, the young lady of the Watson Group, and the two rekindled their old love.] Before Skylar died, she only longed to see her father, but he ignored us while hugging his ex-girlfriend! I was shaking all over. Finally, I dialed his phone number and said, “Oliver, is this the urgent meeting you left Skylar for?” His tone showed undisguised disgust. “Melissa, are you crazy? Skylar is safe at school, but Kayla is sick and needs me more!”

“Oliver, you bastard. Let’s get a divorce!” I roared with all my remaining strength and smashed my phone. The school called an ambulance, and the medical staff arrived soon. Looking at the doctor, I pleaded like a madwoman, “Doctor, please save my daughter. She’s only six years old. She’s a child!” I couldn’t help but break down and cry. The doctor just sighed and said that the girl couldn’t be saved and asked me to accept the loss. They carried Skylar onto the stretcher. I just watched her gradually disappear from my sight, as if she had never appeared. At that moment, I rushed forward desperately, trying to snatch her body back, but I fainted due to exhaustion. When I woke up again, I was in the mortuary of the hospital. Skylar’s body had already been dealt with. I was so desperate that I couldn’t shed any tears. “I’m sorry, baby. I shouldn’t have brought you into this world.” When she was buried, her body had already been cremated into ashes. It was pouring heavily under the dim sky. I suddenly remembered the beginning of this tragedy. I met Oliver on a rainy afternoon. That year, he failed the SAT, and his family went bankrupt. He was alone on the street, drinking his sorrows away. But I knew that what made him the saddest was the betrayal of his ex-girlfriend. Because of the bankruptcy, his ex-girlfriend, Kayla Watson, completely abandoned him and chose to go abroad, pretending that she was going for further study. At that time, he was very desperate. No one knew that I had been secretly in love with him. Once, he had been like the bright moon in the sky, making me look up to him. Now that he was down and out, I just hoped that he could be happy. I quietly got close to him, hoping that he would cheer up and regain his confidence. Finally, from the age of 18 to 28, it took me a full ten years to move him and help him return to the peak of his life and revive his family business. In these ten years, I didn’t live a single day for myself. I worked hard, just wanting him to fall in love with me. Ten years later, we got married. I thought he loved me, but the reality shattered all my hopes. Oliver had always only loved Kayla, even when I was pregnant with his baby. When I gave birth to Skylar, I had a difficult labor and severe bleeding. I hoped he could take care of me, but he said coldly that I was an adult and since I chose to have a child at an advanced age, I should take responsibility for myself. It was he who said he wanted to have his own child, so I took the risk to give birth to Skylar. After we had our daughter, he never once took care of her in six years. I was used to being humble, and he enjoyed being loved. This marriage and love that spanned sixteen years was just my wishful thinking. But today was his daughter’s birthday! He refused her request without hesitation, went on a date with Kayla, and said that Skylar was safe at school. But Skylar was dead, leaving this world with the regret of wanting to see him just once! I shouted in my heart, “Oliver, you are a devil!” I hated him so much! Then, I thought, “Why should Skylar die a miserable death on a rainy night while they are acting like a loving couple in front of all the celebrities in the city?” I fell awkwardly in the rain, covered in mud. I limped forward in despair. At this moment, I just wanted to avenge my daughter.

The venue of the press conference that Oliver held for Kayla was in the busy city center. With my hair in a mess, I came to the entrance of the venue. I looked like a homeless person who didn’t fit in. The passers-by were all talking about me, but I turned a deaf ear. Skylar was dead, and I didn’t care about anything. At the press conference, Kayla and Oliver were snuggling closely together. All the media were taking pictures of them and widely publicizing their love story. I rushed forward and slapped Oliver in the face. He was stunned. When he saw it was me, he immediately roared angrily, “Melissa, are you out of your mind? Do you know where this is?” I shouted in pain, “I am crazy; that’s why I fell in love with a scumbag like you!” Oliver frowned and said unhappily, “Are you done? You inexplicably said you wanted a divorce on the phone, and now you’re causing trouble here. Do you really want to get my attention so much?” The guests and reporters at the scene didn’t expect such a thing to happen. They stopped paying attention to Kayla and turned their cameras towards me instead. Kayla was very angry, but she forced a fake smile and came over, saying, “Melissa, long time no see. I’m back in the country after all these years, and Oliver took the time to accompany me. Don’t be angry.” Her tone and her smile were as if she was saying that Oliver had always been her man, and I was nothing. “Never mind. My husband is a perfect match for you. I’m giving him to you,” I said calmly. All the reporters at the scene were shocked. For them, this was a huge piece of news. The richest man, Oliver, was actually married and having an affair during the marriage. He warned me in a low voice, “Melissa, can you have some sense of propriety on such an important occasion? Kayla is still sick. It’s not easy for her to come back to the country. Stop acting up.” Sixteen years had passed, and he was still willing to protect the woman who had abandoned him in the first place. I felt disgusted even to explain one more word to him. Pushing Oliver away, I limped towards the stage. I wanted to expose them completely. Skylar was dead, and I wanted to take revenge on them. Once, I would be jealous if he even glanced at another woman. This time, I didn’t care at all that he was embracing his ex-girlfriend. He seemed to anticipate what I was going to do and chased after me to stop me. “Melissa, you’re already a mother. Be mature! Have you thought it through about getting a divorce from me? Don’t you think about Skylar? How selfish you are!” He actually still remembered Skylar! I raised my hand tremblingly, wanting to slap him in the face, but he grabbed my hand. He said, “I just didn’t buy a birthday cake for Skylar. Instead of coming here to make a scene, you should go and buy one for her! When I finish here, I’ll go back!” I couldn’t hold back my tears. Seeing me crying, Oliver said impatiently, “Kayla has suffered alone abroad for sixteen years. This time she’s back, I have to spend more time with her. Skylar is very sensible and will understand me. Don’t be angry, okay?” This was Skylar’s father. Even if he had paid the slightest bit of attention to her, he would have known that Skylar had fallen off a building and that Skylar was dead. Maybe he only cared about Kayla. “It’s too late.” I broke free from his hand and felt disgusted. “What? I can promise you that I’ll spend one day a week with Skylar from now on. Are you satisfied? Stop making trouble!” Oliver made a promise for the first time in sixteen years. I said, “Put away your hypocrisy! Oliver, you don’t deserve it! I said I wanted a divorce! I wish you and your ex-girlfriend never be happy!” It was all too late. It was the end for me and Oliver. “Oliver, is Melissa crazy? Why don’t we send her to the hospital? She spoils everyone’s good mood,” Kayla held Oliver’s hand and leaned against him, saying. Seeing how abnormal I was, Oliver nodded and asked the security guards to take me away. But he didn’t expect that I already had a plan. I shook off the security guards forcefully and, under the gaze of everyone in the hall, scattered the marriage agreement between me and Oliver and the photos of their affair all over the hall.

“Mr. Cooper, is what this lady said true?” “Are you really in a secret marriage and even have a six-year-old child?” “What’s the relationship between you and Ms. Watson?” But before Oliver could answer, Kayla fainted. I saw her wink at me. She was faking it again. “I won’t answer private questions. Kayla has fainted. The press conference is stopped today. She can’t be hurt in any way!” Oliver stopped the commotion and said coldly to me, “Melissa, it’s too much of you to deliberately stimulate Kayla like this!” After that, he pushed me aside, picked up Kayla in a hurry and rushed to the hospital. He said to his assistant, Yohan Anderson, “Yohan, send Melissa home and buy a birthday cake for Skylar. She’s grown up now. Let her take care of Melissa and don’t cause any more trouble.” I returned to our home, Maldiary Villa, in a daze. Looking at everything familiar in front of me, I missed Skylar desperately. But Skylar had already gone. I couldn’t help but twitch and cry. Just then, the person in charge of the cemetery suddenly sent me a message: [Ms. Anderson, something terrible has happened. Skylar’s grave was destroyed!] I stood up in horror and rushed towards the cemetery regardless of everything. When I got there, Skylar’s grave had already been dug up, and standing beside it were Oliver and Kayla. Kayla asked the bodyguard to throw Skylar’s urn out in disgust, and then she carefully put the body of a cat into the grave. The small urn was knocked over by the roadside, just like Skylar’s broken body. She really would never come back! I shouted, “What are you doing? I’m going to kill you!” They were all scared by my crazy behavior. Kayla let out a scream and hugged Oliver tightly. Oliver said, “Melissa, what’s wrong with you? Why did you follow me here? Didn’t I ask you to go back and celebrate Skylar’s birthday?” I laughed so heartbreakingly. He had destroyed his daughter’s grave with his own hands. “Oliver, what right do you have to talk about me? When Skylar was most helpless, where were you as her father? You were sleeping with your ex-girlfriend and humiliating your wife!” Kayla’s face turned red with anger because of my words. “Melissa, what have I done to you? You’re slandering my innocence. I will sue you for defamation!” “You can just go ahead!” I looked at them as if they were a pile of garbage. I shouted, “Go away! Both of you! You don’t deserve to be here!” I threw the cat’s body away forcefully, and then, little by little, I carefully picked up Skylar’s scattered ashes. Kayla let out a terrified scream. “Ah! Oliver, she actually threw our precious son away! Will was the birthday gift you gave me, the boy we raised together. How could she…” She looked on the verge of tears, as if she couldn’t stand the shock and was about to faint at any moment. Oliver quickly held her up tenderly and said to me, “Apologize to Kayla and Will!” Looking at Kayla’s tear-stained face, he dragged me down and forced me to apologize. I felt a sharp pain in my knee, but it couldn’t compare to the pain in my heart. Because the little bit of ashes was blown away by the wind. I sat on the ground in despair. “Oliver, my heart hurts so much! Didn’t you say Melissa is gentle and sensible? She’s just jealous of me! Since she doesn’t like me, then I’ll leave…” Kayla tried to provoke Oliver. He grabbed my shoulders and questioned me, “Melissa, Will’s death has already made Kayla so sad. Why can’t you leave her alone? Stop that! You want a divorce, right? Fine! From now on, Skylar will live with me. You don’t deserve to be her mother! She’ll be the happiest girl in the world!” I laughed loudly and said, “Fine!” Hearing Skylar’s name, I looked at Oliver sorrowfully and said, “Oliver, do you know that Skylar is already dead? The ashes you scattered just now were hers. Why does my poor baby have a father like you? If there’s a next life, I’m sure Skylar will stay far away from you and me.” “Melissa, stop talking nonsense! Just because I didn’t take Skylar to celebrate her birthday, you’re even cursing her!” Oliver completely lost his patience and kicked Skylar’s urn hard. The ashes spilled all over the ground.

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When my husband Lucas Graham was kidnapped by a gang, they demanded that I come to exchange places with him. For the sake of our son and the company, I didn’t hesitate to take Lucas’s place, enduring cruel torture in the den of criminals. “I’ll take good care of our son, and don’t worry about the ransom. I’ll find a way to raise the money,” I told him before I left. But a whole year passed, and Lucas seemed to have vanished into thin air, never showing up to rescue me. When I finally managed to escape, I discovered that he was in the middle of a wedding ceremony with his childhood friend, Chloe. Our parents and in-laws were there, offering their warm congratulations. Among the crowd, I spotted Jack “The Blade” Thompson, the gang leader who had tortured me for a year, raising a glass and drinking merrily. And my precious son, Leo, had been turned into a servant, his expression blank as he served tea and water to the guests, constantly kneeling and begging for forgiveness at the slightest provocation. Swallowing my bitterness, I turned and called the person who had saved me: “If you can help me rescue my son, I promise to help you bring down Graham Enterprises!”

As I pushed open the door, the cheerful music inside came to an abrupt halt. All eyes turned to me. The moment Lucas saw me, his hand, holding the ring, froze in mid-air. But he quickly composed himself. “Whatever it is, we can discuss it tomorrow. It’s a joyous occasion today. Have you looked in a mirror? You’re a mess. Don’t spoil the guests’ mood!” I could hardly believe my ears. Shouldn’t he be explaining the situation to me? Why was he standing there in a tuxedo, happily exchanging rings with Chloe? And why was Jack Thompson, the gang leader who had kidnapped and abused me, attending their wedding? My mother’s shrill voice snapped me back to reality: “Where have you been, you ungrateful girl? Lucas was so good to you, and you ran off with that gang leader for a whole year! If you have no shame, at least think of the Evans family’s reputation!” Affair? How ridiculous. So this was how Lucas covered up his betrayal. At that moment, Jack Thompson put his arm around me, squeezing my shoulder painfully as he smiled coldly: “Still hiding our relationship from everyone? You really are disobedient.” His voice seemed to come straight from hell, full of naked threat and warning. I shrank back, my gaze becoming unfocused. Seeing this, the guests began to whisper among themselves: “No wonder Mr. Graham is marrying Miss Reed. It turns out this shameless woman had an affair first. The Evans family must be so disgraced.” “Having an affair for a year without coming home once? I’ve never seen someone so brazen. The Evans family is poor and incompetent, but who would have thought their daughter would be even worse!” “Hmph, her mother has been running around preparing for Mr. Graham and Miss Reed’s wedding, trying so hard to please them. And her son is working as a servant at the wedding. Like mother, like son, I suppose.” … Hearing the commotion, Lucas finally walked over to me, whispering impatiently: “Couldn’t you have come back tomorrow? I’m just giving Chloe a wedding ceremony. I’ve been planning this for a year, and we’re so close to finishing. Are you deliberately trying to embarrass us?” Just a wedding ceremony… But what about me? For a year, I had been beaten and tortured, my body covered in old and new wounds. When I was hungry, I had to crawl on the ground like a dog to lick up rotten food. So all my suffering and torture, even bearing the shame of being called an adulterer, was just to pave the way for their grand wedding. I closed my eyes in despair and moved to pull Leo away. “Come with Mommy, let’s leave this place.” But my son recoiled as if electrocuted, suddenly falling to his knees and kowtowing to me in panic, muttering: “No, no, no! Leo can’t leave. I have to stay and serve Mr. Graham and Miss Reed well. I want to be their most obedient little dog!”

Seeing my son so fearful and self-abasing, I was shocked. He was only seven years old… As he kept kowtowing, I noticed the bruises and scars hidden under his clothes, and the marks of a dog collar on his neck. I quickly went to help Leo up, but he started slapping himself, seemingly feeling no pain. “Leo did wrong, Leo deserves to be punished. I’ll go to the cold storage room for three hours right away!” I slowly turned my gaze to Lucas, hoping for an explanation. Before he could speak, Chloe rushed to embrace Leo, putting on a motherly act. “You’ve misunderstood, Scarlett. Leo and I often play house like this. Sometimes I’m the servant, sometimes he is. It’s just his turn today.” Trembling, I pointed at the marks on my child’s neck and demanded: “Are these injuries also part of your game? Is this how you treat my son?!” Seeing Chloe’s expression darken, Lucas pushed me away, his eyes full of reproach: “What are you making such a fuss about! Do you have to act like a shrew? Do you think Chloe is as scheming as you?” “Those marks are from when Chloe was drawing with Leo. They just won’t wash off. You haven’t been fulfilling your duties as a mother, and Chloe has been kind enough to take care of your son. Is this how you repay her kindness?!” Seeing Leo’s obvious fear of Chloe, my heart ached to the point of suffocation. I looked up at Lucas with tears in my eyes: “Can’t you see how scared our son is? How can you still think this is just a game!” Lucas fixed his gaze on our son, observing him for a while. A flicker of doubt passed through his dark eyes. At this moment, Chloe burst into tears: “I thought if I treated Leo well, I could easily become part of this family. I never imagined that as an outsider, I’d never truly be accepted into the Graham family. I’m destined to be gossiped about. We shouldn’t get married after all. I’m just a complete joke…” With that, she took off her veil, stuffed it into Lucas’s arms, and ran towards the bedroom, covering her face. Seeing the bride run away, the scene descended into chaos. But the guests’ words were all accusations against me, calling me a “troublemaker” and a “jinx.” Watching Chloe leave, Lucas’s brow furrowed with displeasure: “Is this the example you set for our son? It’s just a formal wedding ceremony. Do you have to turn everything upside down before you’re satisfied?!” “And the son you raised yourself, acting like he’s been abused by Chloe in front of all these people. Such good acting skills at such a young age, he could be a movie star when he grows up! He’ll have to thank his mother for that!” With these words, Lucas hurried after Chloe to comfort her. Seeing him berate me in public, my parents only beat me, cursing me for my “affair” and for not being able to keep my man. I didn’t argue anymore. I just held Leo tightly in my scarred arms, tears streaming down my face: “Don’t be afraid, Leo… Mommy will take you away soon. I won’t let anyone hurt you again.” I immediately messaged my lawyer to draft divorce papers and called the person who had rescued me. “Help me this one last time, and I’ll help you bring down Graham Enterprises…”

Back in Leo’s room, I quietly packed all our documents and some essential items. Just as I lay down to sleep with my child in my arms, I heard footsteps stop by the bed. “Still angry with me, hm?” Lucas’s lazy voice poured into my ears as he pulled me into his arms, coaxing in a low voice: “Scarlett, I only planned that fake kidnapping because I was afraid you’d be petty and cause trouble for Chloe. Besides, Jack Thompson is my friend. He wouldn’t dare harm you even if I gave him permission.” The man looked utterly confident, as if boasting about how well he had protected me. But if he had bothered to look at me closely, he would have seen that there wasn’t a single uninjured spot on my body. I turned away, unable to bear it, deliberately keeping my distance as I asked calmly: “So from now on, I’m supposed to stay with the gang as the mistress, while Chloe becomes our son’s stepmother, is that right?” Noticing my attitude, the man clearly lost his last bit of patience, though he didn’t show it too obviously: “Don’t put it so crudely. If Leo calls Chloe stepmom, people will gossip even more. I’m just having a wedding ceremony with her so people won’t spread rumors about her seducing me.” He thought my words were crude only because I called Chloe a stepmother, not because I referred to myself as a mistress… Tired of his ridiculous excuses, I couldn’t be bothered to respond. Lucas looked around the room, confusion crossing his face: “Why are you packing? Where are you going?” As I was thinking of how to brush off his question, Chloe suddenly called. Her pitiful crying voice came through the phone: “Lucas, as soon as Scarlett came back, she posted about me online. She said I stole her husband, that I’m shameless, that I’m ruining the Graham family’s peace. She’s trying to force me out of the family…” “Please, help me beg for forgiveness. I know I was wrong. I’ll never mention having a wedding again. If I offended Scarlett today, I’ll go out and apologize to her right now, even if I have to do it naked. Please don’t kick me out…” Lucas clicked on the link Chloe sent, his eyebrows knotting together. The post was made using my profile picture, and every word was a threat against Chloe. I was about to explain when a sudden slap exploded across my cheek. “Chloe grew up in an orphanage, with no parents. How dare you tell her to get out! Where is a young girl supposed to go? You think too highly of yourself!” With these words, Lucas walked out, struggling to control his anger as he comforted Chloe in the gentlest voice. The stark contrast left me stunned. I wondered if he had ever thought about how I would survive when he threw me to Jack Thompson. Had he ever worried about the dangers I might face? I laughed bitterly, tasting the iron flavor spreading in my mouth, my heart already numb. I sat there all night, patting my restless son with one hand. The next morning, Lucas knocked on the door a few times and spoke in a commanding tone: “Chloe has specially prepared a yacht party for you, first to apologize, and second to welcome you back. Hurry up and bring Leo downstairs.” The time has come… It’s finally about to end.

Seeing me carrying a large bag, Lucas suddenly became uneasy, asking cautiously: “I wanted to ask yesterday, why are you packing? Where are you going?” I made up a lie to brush him off: “I feel bad for Leo, so I’m bringing him some treats and toys.” The man immediately relaxed. When we arrived at the yacht, I realized this was just another form of wedding celebration. Chloe was showing off in a short wedding dress. But now, I had no energy to deal with this. I was constantly looking for a chance to leave. In the blink of an eye, Leo, who had been following me, suddenly disappeared. At that moment, a child’s scream came from one of the yacht’s cabins. My heart skipped a beat, and I rushed towards the sound. Jack Thompson was gripping Leo’s collar tightly, ordering someone to lock the door from the outside. “If you have a problem with me, come at me. Please, let my son go,” I pleaded. Jack habitually rubbed the scar on his forehead, a sign that he was angry and calculating how to deal with me. “I fed and housed you, and you dared to run away from my territory? Quick, tell me, did you snitch to Lucas Graham or not?!” “If not, I’ll chop up this little brat!” I hurriedly waved my hands. “No, no, I didn’t say anything. Think about it, if I had told him, would he still invite you to this party?” The man smiled at me, satisfied, then gave a look to his men. Understanding his signal, they started beating and kicking me violently, as usual, to vent their anger. Blood slowly trickled down from my head, blurring my vision, but I was already used to it. I forced a smile as I looked at Leo, my voice trembling as I tried to comfort him: “Mommy doesn’t… doesn’t hurt… Don’t be scared…” I crawled towards him with difficulty, leaving a trail of blood behind me, a horrifying sight. Seeing that I could still move, one of the thugs put his foot on my back, saying with cruel amusement: “Look at her, covered in blood. If Lucas Graham sees her like this, we’ll be in trouble. Let’s throw them into the sea to wash off, they stink!” The next second, Jack smashed the glass on one side of the cabin, revealing the churning sea below. “You want to save your son? Go find him yourself!” He grabbed Leo and threw him out the window. My son didn’t even have time to cry for help. “Leo!” Without hesitation, I dragged my battered body and jumped into the waves. Underwater, I hugged my son’s small body. “Baby, Mommy’s taking you away now. We’ll never come back…” At that moment, Lucas and Chloe were surrounded by guests in the center of the yacht, receiving congratulations from all sides. Chloe leaned shyly against Lucas’s chest, taking the ring out of its box. “We didn’t get to put on the rings yesterday. Today, at least make it up to me?” As she said this, she held out her hand amidst the cheers of the guests, quietly waiting for Lucas’s response. Lucas took the ring and was about to put it on her finger when he suddenly looked up, instinctively searching for Scarlett in the crowd. “Where’s Scarlett? And where’s Leo?” Chloe tried to stop him, but Lucas had already pushed through the crowd in panic, looking around frantically. As Lucas passed by a cabin, he overheard one of Jack’s men reporting nervously: “Boss, we’re in trouble. Scarlett Evans and her son haven’t moved for a while. I think… I think we might have drowned them!”

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My dad’s new girlfriend was coming over for dinner to meet me for the first time. But when she saw my Hermès bag, her face darkened instantly. She threw down her fork and stormed out. When my dad asked why, she said, “How can someone so young afford such an expensive bag? She must be living off her parents!” I couldn’t help but laugh. “You have a point. We shouldn’t leech off our parents or our children. So I guess I’ll have to cancel my dad’s credit card!” I had just finished a company meeting when I received a call from my dad. “Honey, are you free tonight? I’ve been dating Autumn for almost a year now, and she suggested we have a formal dinner together. What do you think?” I checked my calendar and saw I had no plans for the evening. “Sure, let’s have dinner at home. I’ll be there.” My dad was thrilled to hear I was coming home. He excitedly told me he’d ask the housekeeper to make my favorite chicken stew before hanging up. My mom passed away in a car accident when I was six. Since then, my dad had been both working and taking care of me on his own. People had tried to set him up, but he always refused, worried it might affect me. It wasn’t until after I graduated from college that he finally started dating someone introduced by a friend. I had been too busy with work to ask much about it, but I occasionally heard from my dad’s calls about how gentle and caring this woman named Autumn was. Thinking this would be our first meeting, I asked my assistant to buy a Chanel handbag as a gift. After work, I drove straight to my dad’s house. After he retired, he moved back to our old family home. I had been living near my office for convenience and realized it had been almost six months since I last visited. As soon as I opened the door, I came face to face with a well-maintained woman. She looked startled for a moment but quickly put on a smile. “You must be Lydia! I’m your father’s girlfriend. You can call me Aunt Autumn!” Before I could greet her, I noticed her gaze shift to my bag. It wasn’t until my dad’s voice came from behind that she slowly moved aside to let me in. It had been two months since I last saw my dad. He was clearly happy to see me, asking non-stop about how I’d been and if there were any developments in my love life. I found it amusing. “Dad, just take care of yourself. I’m in no rush!” Dad chuckled, his gaze naturally drifting towards Autumn, who was busy in the kitchen with the housekeeper. At the dinner table, I took out the gift I had prepared. My dad immediately said, “See how thoughtful my daughter is! She bought you a bag for your first meeting. Quick, see if you like it!” Autumn, whose attitude had been somewhat cool since I arrived, suddenly beamed. She eagerly accepted the gift box, giving me a coy look. “Oh, you shouldn’t have! I feel terrible, I forgot to bring a gift for Lydia. I’ll make it up to you later, I promise!” I just smiled in response. I didn’t really care about gifts; as long as my dad was happy in this relationship, that was all that mattered to me. I lowered my head, sipping the soup the housekeeper had made, when I heard my dad’s confused voice. “What’s wrong? Why do you suddenly look unhappy?”

Hearing this, I instinctively looked up. Autumn, who had been all smiles just moments ago, now wore a displeased expression, her eyes filled with discontent. “It’s nothing. Let’s eat,” she said, roughly shoving the bag back into the gift box and tossing it on the floor. The action was so forceful and loud, it was clearly meant to express her dissatisfaction. By now, I realized she had an issue with the gift. “Aunt Autumn, don’t you like the Chanel bag?” I asked directly, not bothering to hide my confusion. Autumn paused, put down her spoon, and sat up straight, looking at me. “Lydia, I shouldn’t say this on our first meeting, but don’t you think you’re being too obvious?” she said, pointing at the bag on the floor. “This bag isn’t even a tenth of the price of the one you’re carrying. As a younger person, giving an elder a gift that’s worth less than your own – aren’t you looking down on me?” Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it that way at all. My dad was clearly taken aback too. He quickly tugged at Autumn’s sleeve, whispering, “Lydia didn’t mean it like that! Besides, it’s the thought that counts when it comes to gifts. What are you doing?” “Your daughter is looking down on me, can’t you see?” Autumn turned to my dad, her face full of grievance. “If she really respected me, she would have bought me a Hermès bag too! Besides, it’s all your money anyway, so why is there a difference?” Autumn seemed genuinely upset and kept going. “And why is a girl in her twenties carrying a Hermès bag anyway? She’s so vain, who would want to marry her? Robert, you can’t spoil Lydia like this. If she keeps living off you, this child is going to be ruined!” “Are you done?” I said coldly, slamming my chopsticks on the table, startling even my dad. “If you don’t like the bag, I’ll take it back. And by the way, did you think my dad bought this bag for me?” Autumn snorted, “How else could a young girl like you afford it?” I smiled, “You’re right. Since you say we shouldn’t live off our parents, we also shouldn’t let our parents live off us. So I guess I’ll have to cancel my dad’s credit card!”

As soon as I said this, I prepared to leave. Autumn seemed stunned for a moment, then quickly grabbed my dad when she realized what was happening. “What do you mean? Your credit card is your daughter’s?” “Yes,” my dad said with a helpless expression. “Lydia is good with finances, so I let her manage my money. She opened a credit card for me, and my expenses are charged to her account.” Autumn was still a bit confused. Seeing me pick up the gift box from the floor, she quickly pressed her hand on mine. Her expression was a strange mix of anger and flattery. “Lydia, it was all a misunderstanding. I actually really like the bag you bought for me!” “Really?” I smiled. “Well, I don’t want to give it to you anymore.” I pulled the bag away forcefully and waved goodbye to my dad before leaving. On the drive home, I felt a knot in my chest. Every time my dad had mentioned Autumn, he’d always praised her non-stop, making me believe she was a genuinely nice person. But today showed how one bag could reveal her greedy nature. Who knows what other trouble she might cause in the future! I made up my mind to find an opportunity to talk to my dad alone. This relationship definitely needed careful reconsideration! Surprisingly, before I could contact him the next day, my dad showed up at my company. After graduating from college, I had started an investment company with a few friends, and it had been quite successful. That’s why my dad felt comfortable letting me manage all his savings. He had never come to my company before, saying he didn’t want to interfere with my work. When I got the news, I rushed to the reception room to find my dad lost in thought on the sofa. He only snapped out of it when I entered. “Lydia,” he started to stand up, but I gently pushed him back down. He continued, “Autumn was just in a bad mood yesterday, she didn’t mean anything by it. After you left, she cried for a long time, saying she had said the wrong things. Don’t be like her.” Seeing my dad still defending Autumn, I felt helpless. “Dad, I don’t want to interfere with your love life, but you saw it too. One bag was enough to make her start comparing, and now she’s accusing me of living off you and saying hurtful things. If she moves in, will I even be able to come home anymore?” Hearing this, my dad quickly said, “It’s my fault, all my fault. I hadn’t told her what you do for a living. We cleared everything up last night. She’s a good person, just afraid of being poor and always wanting to live better so others won’t look down on her. But Autumn genuinely likes me, I know that.” I could see the obvious anxiety on my dad’s face, and it made me feel bad too. After all these years, my dad had finally found someone he liked, and he had told me more than once that he wanted to marry Autumn. If it was just a bit of greed, I could handle that. I wasn’t short on money, and she couldn’t cause much trouble even if she tried. At worst, I could just visit less often. Seeing my attitude soften, my dad cheered up visibly. He even suggested having dinner at a restaurant in the city the next evening, saying it was Autumn’s way of apologizing to me. I reluctantly agreed and had someone escort my dad out. The next day, I arrived at the restaurant address my dad had sent me and headed straight for the private room. When the door opened, I saw not only my dad and Autumn but also a short, chubby guy sitting nearby, stuffing his face with food. His eyes lit up when he saw me. I frowned instinctively at the presence of a stranger and the fact that they had started eating without me. Just as my dad was about to speak, Autumn rushed over, pulling me to sit next to her, which was also next to the chubby guy. “Oh, Lydia, you’re finally here! We’ve been waiting for you for so long!” What did she mean by that? Was she implying I was late? I chuckled and showed her my phone screen. “There was no traffic today, so I got here in fifteen minutes. I didn’t expect this restaurant to be so efficient, serving all the dishes in just fifteen minutes. Sorry to have kept you waiting.” The screen showed my chat with my dad, where he had told me fifteen minutes ago that they had just arrived and that I shouldn’t rush. Autumn looked a bit embarrassed and sat back down. But she quickly thought of something else and enthusiastically said, “Lydia, your dad never told me what you do for a living, which led to my misunderstanding. I had no idea that someone so young could already be the boss of a company. That’s amazing!” Autumn’s eyes darted around, and she leaned forward, trying to appear intimate. “Lydia, I heard from your dad that you’re still single, right? A young woman like you should be thinking about marriage! You know what? I have a nephew who’s also single. Why don’t you two get to know each other? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could have a double wedding? It would be a double celebration!” As soon as she finished speaking, the chubby guy next to me reluctantly put down his chopsticks, wiped his greasy mouth with his hands, and grinned at me, extending his hand. “Hi, I’m Greg. You have a great figure!” I looked around the table, finally fixing my gaze on my dad, who was avoiding eye contact. Suddenly, I understood what this dinner was all about.

Some people say that when you get a stepmother, you also get a different father. I never believed this saying. I had even asked my dad before if he would stop loving me when he fell in love again. Back then, my dad got angry and said no one in the world would ever be more important to him than his Lydia. Now it seemed that someone had become more important. “That’s none of your business,” I said, standing up and suppressing my anger. “I thought this was a family dinner, but it turns out it’s an ambush blind date. I’m not interested in playing along. I’m leaving.” Seeing me leave, Autumn panicked and ran to block my way. “What ambush? How can you say such hurtful things, child? Robert, say something!” Autumn’s shrill voice called out my dad. My dad, who had been quiet like a quail, finally looked up, his smile obviously forced. “It’s just… just a dinner, and a chance to meet your Aunt Autumn’s family. As for the future… being friends is fine too!” “Wait, what?” Greg looked displeased. “Aunt, didn’t you say you were introducing me to a rich beauty to be the mother of my children? How did it turn into just being friends? Didn’t you say she had to be better than my ex-wife?” I laughed bitterly. So not only had they secretly arranged a blind date for me, but they had also set me up with a divorced man looking for a second marriage.

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On the day I held Alexander’s urn at our wedding ceremony, I moved alone into what was supposed to be our new home. Little did I know that as soon as I stepped through the door, his younger brother Lucas would pin me against the wall. “My mother blames you for my brother’s death,” he hissed. “She says I have to father children with all my brothers’ widows to continue the family line.” Margaret, my mother-in-law, had people guarding the main entrance. My sisters-in-law rushed in to hold down my legs as they dragged me kicking and screaming into the bedroom. I fought with every ounce of strength, slamming my head against the wall until blood ran into my eyes. But even then, they wouldn’t let me go… After the memorial service for Alexander and his two older brothers, I was shoved into the bedroom. Lucas sat on what should have been my wedding bed, his eyes filled with lust as he loosened his tie. “I’ve been waiting for this moment,” he said with a smirk. “You’re finally mine.” The room, still decorated with wedding symbols, suddenly went dark. I felt like a fish on a chopping block as my clothes were torn away. “Lucas! Have you lost your mind?” I screamed. “Your whole family has gone crazy! I’m your sister-in-law!” “So what?” He laughed coldly. “I’ve already had my way with my other two sisters-in-law. You’re no different.” His rough lips traced my forehead, mouth, collarbone, and chest. His hands groped my frail body mercilessly. I was paralyzed with disbelief, unable to process what was happening. Was this the same man who had been sobbing uncontrollably at his brother’s funeral just two weeks ago? “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you in my brother’s place,” he whispered. I stared at his face, so different from Alexander’s, and struggled with all my might. I banged my head against the floor, desperate to escape. “Get off me! Don’t touch me!” A storm raged outside as Lucas lost patience. He lifted me up and tied my hands to the bedpost. “Don’t touch you? My mother says I’m the only son left. I have to ‘sacrifice’ myself to give all of you children for my dead brothers.” “I suggest you cooperate,” he threatened. “Or do you want to see what happened to my other two sisters-in-law?” Of the four sons in the family, including my husband, three had died. I couldn’t believe Margaret wanted Lucas to father children with all of us widows. How could they propose something so immoral without fear of divine retribution? From outside the room, Margaret’s voice drifted in like a ghost’s whisper. “Stop pretending to be pure. Women’s bodies are made for men to use.” “Listen here, you sluts killed my sons. You owe me grandchildren as compensation. Otherwise, this old lady will kill you herself, and no one would blame me.” Cold air seeped into the room. I tried to curl up, but Lucas stopped me. The chill spread from my chest to my limbs as I bit my lip, filled with murderous rage. If Alexander’s spirit was watching, how could he bear this? The assault continued. “What, afraid someone will hear? My brother is dead. He can’t hear anything anymore.” “Acting like a whore but still pretending to be virtuous.” The pain was excruciating, but I refused to make a sound. He grabbed my hair and slammed my forehead against the floor repeatedly. “If you won’t behave, I’ll teach you a lesson!” I clenched my jaw, letting the tears flow silently. Death would be preferable to this hellish existence. I closed my eyes, praying for a swift end. The torment lasted all night. As dawn broke, the room finally fell silent. Heaven had ignored my fervent prayers. I hadn’t died, but remembered every detail of the previous night’s horrors with painful clarity. After Lucas fell asleep, I dragged my battered body out of the room. They had taken my phone, leaving me no way to contact the outside world, but I had to find a way to call for help. The few steps from the bedroom to the staircase felt like miles. With each step, I left a trail of blood on the carpet, my strength rapidly fading. Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air. I looked up to see several women standing at the corner of the hallway. Two of them, disheveled and gaunt, were the sisters-in-law who had helped Lucas restrain me. My gaze fell on a woman huddled in the corner. When I recognized her face, a chill ran down my spine. It was Emily, Lucas’s wife. Emily stared at me blankly before bursting into maniacal laughter. Veins bulged on her forehead as she shrieked, “Die! Die! Die!” She lunged at me like a madwoman, but a chain around her neck kept her tethered to the railing. “You…” Before I could finish, a fist flew past me and struck Emily in the stomach.

She collapsed to her knees but didn’t try to stand. Instead, she looked up at Lucas with a twisted smile. The other two women crawled over, nuzzling Lucas’s ankles like dogs. He grabbed one by the collar and sneered, “Come on, bark for me.” The woman obediently barked twice, even wagging her nonexistent “tail” like an animal. Lucas seemed pleased and lightly slapped her face. “Are you hungry?” She cupped her cheek, her eyes misting over. “I’m so hungry… so hungry…” Her emaciated body looked as if it would shatter at the slightest touch. Lucas ordered someone to bring leftover food, which was dumped on the floor in front of them. The women lapped it up with their tongues like dogs, pausing only to thank Lucas between bites. “Thank you, master. Thank you, master.” I couldn’t believe my eyes. Was this really Emily, the vivacious socialite I had once known? My hands trembled uncontrollably at my sides, but even in the depths of my terror, I refused to cry. Alexander had taught me never to let the enemy see my fear. Lucas approached me, smiling as he whispered in my ear, “Enjoying the show, sister-in-law?” “Want to know what it feels like to be a dog?” His threat was clear. They had no shame, no limits to their cruelty. Shivering, I couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you afraid of karma for doing this?” “If your brother were still alive…” Before I could finish, a powerful force slammed me against the wall. Lucas’s face contorted with rage as he pinned me there. Like a wild beast, he looked ready to tear me apart. “Don’t you dare mention that dead man to me,” he snarled. “Alexander is rotting in his grave. Say his name again, and I’ll grind his bones to dust.” The hatred in his voice shocked me. Memories of the past flooded my mind. Since college, Alexander had worked five part-time jobs, toiling day and night. “My two older brothers are sickly, and my younger brother is still a child. I’m the family’s only hope,” he used to say. I worried about his health, but he never complained. “My mother struggled to put four kids through school. As the eldest, I should help support the family.” At just over twenty, his hands were already as calloused as a middle-aged laborer’s. Yet despite all his efforts, Margaret never showed him any kindness. After his death, Lucas shamelessly took credit for Alexander’s research projects, using them to advance his own career. They were never a real family. They were just parasites feeding off Alexander’s hard work. Noticing my hateful glare, Lucas smirked and ordered the servants to keep me under strict surveillance. “If anything happens to her, I’ll break your bones and feed them to the dogs,” he threatened. I was now a prisoner in my own home. For seven days, I tried everything to escape, only to be met with Lucas’s increasingly sadistic abuse. Yet even as they tormented me, they made sure to feed me regularly, never allowing me the chance to take my own life. “Wake up, sleepyhead. How long are you planning to rest?” After another night of torture, I had passed out. When I came to, I found Margaret standing before me with two men in white coats. A sense of foreboding washed over me. “What are you planning?” Margaret said nothing, motioning for the men to hold me down on the bed. “Just give her the injections. Two shots of estrogen should be enough to get her pregnant.” The needle pierced my skin, sending the drug coursing through my veins. The dose was potent. My entire body ached unbearably. “How can you do this without fear of damnation?” I gasped. “Damnation?” Margaret lifted my chin. “If I hadn’t sent him to bring you dinner that night, he wouldn’t have gotten into that car accident.” “You’re the one who caused my son’s death. If anyone’s going to hell, it’s you!” That night, I had been working late. Alexander, worried about me, called to say he was bringing me some soup. I waited happily in my cubicle for him to arrive. But the next call I received was the news of his death. “Only 26 years old, found clutching a lunchbox. Such a tragedy,” they told me. I knelt in the morgue for two days straight, not eating or drinking. I never even got to see his face one last time. “You say I caused Alexander’s death?” I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity. “You lost your husband young, and now three sons in middle age. Who has the cursed fate here, you or me?” “People like you and Lucas don’t deserve children. Your bloodline deserves to end!” If they had cared even a little for Alexander or his brothers, they could never treat us this way. Once, I had hoped to be a good daughter-in-law and sister-in-law after marriage. But these inhuman monsters didn’t deserve to be called family. “I’d rather die than give your family an heir!” I spat. Margaret’s face darkened as she glared at me. I met her gaze unflinchingly. “Increase her dosage,” she ordered. “We’ll see if you can resist getting pregnant then.” A new wave of pain washed over me. I curled into a ball, whimpering. Margaret slapped me hard across the face. “You bitch. I’ll only tolerate you until the baby is born.” “If it weren’t for my son’s sake…” She snorted and left the room without finishing her sentence. I closed my eyes, feeling utterly drained. The pain in my abdomen threatened to consume me. At last, I could no longer hold back my tears.

I was pregnant. When the constant nausea and missed period coincided, I knew there was no escaping it. My blood ran cold. I slapped myself hard, wanting to cry but finding no tears left. Despite taking cold showers and forcing myself to vomit up the prenatal vitamins, I couldn’t prevent the pregnancy. I stared at my still-flat stomach in the mirror, remembering how Alexander and I used to dream about having a baby someday. His greatest wish was to give me, an orphan, a real family of my own. But now… the life growing inside me wasn’t a blessing. It was the product of a heinous crime. “Alexander, if you knew I was carrying your brother’s child, would you hate me?” “No… you’re too good. You’d never blame me…” I crouched in the bathroom, shivering despite the rising temperatures outside. I couldn’t keep it. I submerged my face in the sink, letting the water wash away my tears. No matter what it took, I had to get rid of this baby. “Hiding in the bathroom again? What are you plotting now?” Lucas suddenly pushed open the door, eyeing me suspiciously. “I’m warning you, don’t try anything stupid. You’ll never escape.” His hand caressed my back, making my skin crawl. A crazy idea flashed through my mind. Fighting back nausea, I turned and draped my arms around his neck, forcing a smile. “What could I possibly be plotting? Why don’t you find out for yourself?” Lucas was stunned for only a moment before chuckling. He swept me up and carried me to the bedroom. He stripped off my clothes efficiently and entered me without any preparation. I batted my eyelashes seductively, my delicate arms encircling his neck. But even as I forced myself to play along, I couldn’t truly give myself to someone I despised. I closed my eyes, desperately pretending the man above me was Alexander. This was all just a nightmare. He had never left me. Tears slid down my cheeks. Lucas, misinterpreting my reaction, seemed pleased. “Finally come around, have you?” “Realizing how good I am to you?” I suppressed the urge to strangle him, the discomfort in my body reaching its peak. “Harder, please?” I whispered. Encouraged, Lucas increased his efforts. Suddenly, I felt a warm liquid flowing from within me… “What the hell? You’re on your period and you still seduced me?” Lucas noticed something was wrong and shoved me away. There was a lot of blood. As my body relaxed, it gushed out steadily. I smiled at him serenely. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. This isn’t menstrual blood.” “It’s your child’s life.” I laughed grimly as darkness engulfed me. … Outside the emergency room, Lucas berated Margaret. “You senile old hag! How could you not know she was pregnant?” Margaret defended herself, “I was planning to take her for a checkup in a few days. But she said she had her period, so I didn’t think…” “No excuses. The child must be saved at all costs. If not, I won’t let either of you off the hook.” The light in the emergency room went out, and the doctor emerged. “We made it just in time. The mother and child are safe, but you must be very careful from now on. No more intercourse.” I was still unconscious, but I vaguely heard the doctor’s words. Why? Even after all that, the baby was still alive? It clung to me like a malignant tumor, impossible to remove. Endless despair consumed me. The physical pain paled in comparison to the anguish in my heart. No, I couldn’t give up hope. While the mother and son were away, I caught the eye of the nurse who came to give me an injection. “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom. Could you please take me there?” She nodded and helped me into a wheelchair. The hospital corridor bustled with patients and visitors. No one paid me any attention. The main entrance was so close. My heart raced with anticipation. Just a little further… “Where do you think you’re going?” Lucas stood guard at the door. Tall and imposing in his crisp suit, he radiated an aura of authority. As the nurse began to explain that she was taking me to the bathroom, I suddenly stood up, shoving the wheelchair away. I ran frantically towards another exit. The searing pain made me stumble, and Lucas quickly caught up to me. He bent down, his gold-rimmed glasses glinting. His hands gripped me tightly as he smirked, “Did you really think you could escape?” I couldn’t. Despair washed over me. Was I doomed to spend the rest of my life with this monster? Never. I bit down hard on Lucas’s fingers. He yelped in pain and loosened his grip. Seizing the opportunity, I used my remaining strength to climb onto the window ledge of the corridor. Without hesitation, I jumped.

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I was born with the gift of prophecy. Whatever I say comes true. When I first learned to speak, I babbled that my dad would become rich. That night, he won the lottery jackpot of $100 million. When I was six, I said our neighbor’s missing grandson would return home safely. The next day, he was found dirty but unharmed at the town entrance. At eighteen, I commented online that the nearly bankrupt Chen Corporation would make a comeback against all odds. Sure enough, two weeks later, their stock prices skyrocketed, returning them to their former glory! Because of my gift, I became an honored guest of the Harrison family. But as soon as I stepped into their mansion, someone grabbed me by my hair and dragged me across the floor. “You slut! It’s not enough that you seduced my fiancé outside, now you’re throwing yourself at him in his own home? You must have a death wish!” a shrill voice accused. Wrongly accused, I tried to explain, but they were convinced I was the other woman and began beating me mercilessly. As my bracelet shattered with a crisp sound, I tasted the metallic tang of blood in my mouth. What they didn’t know was that besides my gift of prophecy, I also bore the curse of misfortune. Whoever made me bleed would be plagued by bad luck. It seemed the Harrison family was destined for a complete downfall.

“Miss Sullivan, please have a seat. The head of the family is on his way back from the office,” Mrs. Wilson, the housekeeper, said with a respectful smile. “He’ll be here any minute now.” I waved my hand dismissively. “Alright, no need to fuss.” I was born with the gift of prophecy. Whatever I say comes true. Mr. Harrison was initially skeptical about my abilities. Two years ago, he tested me by asking about their stocks. I simply said they would rise. That very night, their stock prices soared. The Harrison family, once on the brink of collapse, managed to stay afloat for two more years thanks to my single statement. Since then, Mr. Harrison knew I was the one he had been looking for. To get me to use my gift again, he pulled out all the stops. He even offered to make me an honored guest of the Harrison family, with a promise of lifelong respect and care. Only then did I reluctantly agree. After Mrs. Wilson settled me in, she went to the kitchen to prepare some fruit. The other servants treated me with utmost respect, their eyes filled with reverence. As I sat on the couch waiting for Mr. Harrison to return, a sharp pain suddenly shot through my scalp. I frowned and turned around, only to have a glass smash against my head, leaving me bloody and dazed. Clutching my forehead, I saw Vanessa Chen’s twisted face through the haze of blood. Seeing me injured, the two nearby servants immediately panicked. “Miss Sullivan is our master’s honored guest. Who are you?” one of them demanded. Vanessa gritted her teeth. “Don’t you dare touch me. I’m your young master’s girlfriend!” “You shameless hussy, how dare you seduce Lucas!” she spat at me. Her friends surrounding her all looked at me with contempt. “Look at her, so poor and pathetic. How could she compare to our Vanessa?” “Anyone with eyes can see who the better choice is.” “You cheap homewrecker, we’re going to teach you a lesson today.” They took turns calling me a mistress, reducing me to nothing. I frowned, my voice cold. “I’m not a mistress. Stop spreading lies.” As I turned to leave, Vanessa’s hand whipped across my face with a resounding slap. “Shameless bitch, don’t think I haven’t seen you hanging around my boyfriend all the time,” she snarled. “You’re probably scheming to seduce him every day, aren’t you?” Her long nails jabbed towards my eyes as she shrieked. Suddenly, I remembered Lucas Harrison. To get me to use my gift to help the Harrison family, he would come to me every day, showering me with attention. I had no idea Vanessa was his girlfriend. The servants around us quickly realized the situation and surrounded me, carefully trying to tend to my wounds. My voice was icy as I spoke, “Mr. Harrison invited me here to help. I have nothing to do with your boyfriend.” One of the servants timidly spoke up in my defense. “Miss Sullivan has the gift of prophecy. Whatever she says comes true.” Upon hearing this, Vanessa doubled over with laughter, tears streaming down her face. “You claim to have the gift of prophecy? Well, I might as well say I’m a fairy from heaven!” “You’ve said so many things, but I haven’t seen any of them come true.” I sighed inwardly. Although I did have the gift of prophecy, it only worked once a year. I wouldn’t use this ability carelessly. Vanessa sneered, crossing her arms. “Do I look like some fool who would believe such nonsense?” “You dare to be the other woman to me, Vanessa Chen? I’ll make you pay for this.” Her eyes bore into me like a venomous snake. The people around her took a step forward, their eyes filled with mockery as they looked at me. She was here for me. I took a step back, my voice hoarse. “If you lay a hand on me, the Harrison family won’t let you off.” Vanessa was the first to lunge at me, grabbing my head and slamming it against the floor. “You little whore, how dare you!” “Girls, let’s teach this homewrecker a lesson!”

I frowned as blood dripped from my forehead. Now thoroughly angered, I glared at Vanessa with cold eyes. “I’m an honored guest of the Harrison family. Who do you think you are?” “Leave now, and I’ll pretend this never happened.” Though you’ll still have a streak of bad luck, I thought to myself. Seeing that I didn’t take her seriously at all, Vanessa could no longer contain herself. With bloodshot eyes, she pounced on me, pinning me to the ground and raining blows on me. I was pressed against the floor, completely unable to fight back. But as she leaned in close, I managed to bite her ear hard. Vanessa clutched her ear, glaring at me with murderous intent. Her friends rushed over, pinning me down firmly, each of them slapping me across the face. A searing pain tore through my scalp as I was thrown backward onto the gravel path. I let out a muffled groan. A circle of pointed high heels surrounded me, forming an impenetrable barrier. As a heel ground into the back of my hand, I heard the faint crackle of my joints. The first slap made my right ear ring. “That’s what you get for being a homewrecker, you shameless bitch.” The second blow left my left cheek stinging and swollen. “Slut, I hate people like you who seduce other people’s boyfriends. You’re disgusting.” By the third slap, I could taste iron in my mouth. “Someone like you doesn’t deserve to live in this world.” They took turns yanking my hair back, my blood-matted strands sticking to my swollen cheeks. Their nails deliberately raked across the corner of my eye, warm droplets of blood rolling down into my collar. Their assault was so vicious that the two nearby servants were terrified. I looked at them and shouted, “Quick, call Mr. Harrison!” Gasping for air, I warned Vanessa coldly. “Let me go now, or I swear you’ll never set foot in the Harrison house again.” Vanessa let out a derisive laugh, kicking me repeatedly. “You think I don’t know anything? You’re just a country bumpkin. Gift of prophecy? Ha!” “You’re just trying to seduce Lucas while I’m not around. I’ve seen through your little plan.” She kicked me in the ribs with the tip of her shoe. As I curled up, my forehead hit the edge of the cement, and blood immediately covered my right eye. Finally, she grabbed the back of my neck and slammed me against the edge of the coffee table. As the porcelain cut into my chin, drops of blood splattered on the floor. She laughed coldly and delivered a savage kick to my stomach. “Bitch!” I clutched my stomach, curling up into a ball. “What are you doing?!” Mrs. Wilson finally emerged from the kitchen with a fruit platter. Seeing my pitiful state, her pupils constricted sharply. She hurried over to help me up. “Miss Sullivan is the master’s honored guest! The master instructed us to treat her well!” “Who dared to lay hands on Miss Sullivan?” She turned around and met Vanessa’s eyes. Vanessa let out a light chuckle. “Mrs. Wilson.” “Miss Chen, why are you here?” Mrs. Wilson asked, surprised. Vanessa looked at her coldly. “What honored guest? She’s just some country girl trying to climb the social ladder.” “Let me tell you, I’m going to be the future Mrs. Harrison.” Mrs. Wilson looked at Vanessa, then at me. Finally, she reluctantly let go of my hand. I couldn’t stand steady and fell back onto the floor. Vanessa sneered, her face full of triumph. “What gift of prophecy? I’d say she’s just a con artist!” “You tell me, does what she say really come true?” Mrs. Wilson’s eyes darted back and forth. She walked up to Vanessa. “What gift of prophecy? She’s just a fraud.” My heart sank.

Vanessa was very pleased with Mrs. Wilson’s flattery. I was bleeding all over and had no strength left to resist. I could barely breathe, let alone speak. Vanessa’s long nails dug into my chin, her gaze falling on the necklace around my neck. Before I could cover the necklace, she reached out and yanked it off my neck. “Give it back,” I cried out hoarsely, disregarding the bloody scratch on my neck. This necklace was the only thing my late mother had left me. I gritted my teeth. “Give it back to me!” I tried to get up to snatch the necklace back. But the two people holding me down on either side beat me again. Vanessa dangled the necklace in front of me. “This necklace means so much to you, huh?” “I can give it back to you. Why don’t you kneel down and beg me?” “If I’m in a good mood, I might just return it to you.” My eyes were bloodshot, my fists clenched tightly as I glared at her with hatred. Vanessa looked indifferent, holding the necklace with disgust. “Looks like you don’t care about this necklace that much after all.” “In that case…” She held the necklace, ready to throw it away. I released my bloodied lips. “I’ll kneel!” After saying those words, it felt like all the strength had been drained from my body. She bent down and patted my face. “I didn’t expect you to be so sensible.” “If you’re going to kneel, do it quickly. Time waits for no one.” I looked at the necklace in her hand, closed my eyes, and knelt down. Once I get back what’s rightfully mine, I’ll make her pay dearly. I knelt on the ground, my gaze fixed on her. “Give it back to me.” Vanessa looked triumphant. “You think I’ll give it back just because you tell me to?” “Let me tell you, this is what you get for being a homewrecker.” With that, she threw the necklace on the ground and ground it under her foot. I watched helplessly as the necklace shattered into pieces. My voice was hoarse. “I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you!” I got up from the ground and lunged at her, grabbing her throat. “Crazy bitch! She’s crazy!” Soon, I was pulled away by the people around her. Filled with hatred, I gritted my teeth. “Vanessa Chen, I won’t let you get away with this.” As soon as I finished speaking, they all burst into laughter. Vanessa laughed so hard she nearly fell over. “Oh my god, did I hear that right? You, a country bumpkin, won’t let me get away with this?” “Oh, I’m so scared! I’d love to see how you’re going to make me pay.” “Looks like you haven’t learned your lesson yet. Since that’s the case, give her another good beating.” The group surged towards me once again. This time, I didn’t resist at all. I quietly curled up on the ground, allowing their fists to rain down on me. “Hahaha, look at her! Has she been beaten stupid? She doesn’t even know how to fight back anymore.” Vanessa laughed so hard tears came to her eyes. I looked at the blood pooling on the ground and the corners of my mouth curved into a smile.

Seeing me smile, Vanessa flew into a rage. She roared, “You bitch, what are you smiling at?” “Do you believe I can make it so you never smile again in your life?” My voice was soft, laced with a hint of coldness, as I just looked at her. “You’re about to have your face ruined.” Hearing my words, Vanessa’s eyes widened in shock. Her face turned darker than the bottom of a pot. “You whore, how dare you curse me!” “I won’t let you off the hook.” She rolled up her sleeves and walked towards me. But in the next second, she fell to the ground. “Ah!” She screamed, her hand tightly covering her face. “Vanessa, your face…” one of her friends couldn’t help but speak up. Vanessa pulled out a mirror and screamed even louder. She covered the bleeding side of her face and glared at me viciously. My gaze fell on the razor blade that had suddenly appeared on the ground, and I curled my lips into a smile. Vanessa was furious. She pounced on me. “You evil-mouthed witch, who told you to curse me!” “Since you say such nasty things, I’ll make sure you can never speak again.” My nails dug into my palms as I spoke hoarsely, “You wouldn’t dare!” She raised an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t I dare? I’m going to be the future Mrs. Harrison. You’re just a nobody from the countryside. Why wouldn’t I dare to touch you?” She gave a signal to the people around her. I was immediately restrained. She took out two needles about the length of a forearm from her bag and walked towards me step by step. “Today, I’ll do justice for heaven and clean up that evil mouth of yours.” “Even if you pierce my throat, I’ll recover,” I said. As soon as I spoke these words, a golden light flashed in my pupils. But it was too fast for anyone to notice. She moved quickly, aiming the needle at my throat and stabbing down. I writhed in pain but couldn’t make a sound. Seeing me like this, Vanessa was extremely pleased. “This is what happens to whores like you.” Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably, and cold sweat broke out all over my body from the pain in my throat. My vision darkened, and I felt like I couldn’t hold on much longer. Mrs. Wilson ran up to Vanessa. “Young madam, this is exactly how we should deal with shameless women like her.” “Back in our day, we used to dunk these husband-stealing sluts in pig cages.” I bit my tongue, the taste of iron keeping me alert. Vanessa dusted off her hands and raised an eyebrow. “You’re right. Such a dirty woman should be dunked in a pig cage. Let’s take her to wash her clean.” She looked at me on the ground as if looking at garbage, her eyes filled with disgust. “Grab her,” she ordered. Just as she finished speaking, a voice came from behind. “Who are you? What are you doing at the entrance of my Harrison family home?” “Emma!” Mr. Harrison’s voice rang in my ears.

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As the real daughter of the Anderson family, I was the top prodigy investor on Brooks Street. My biological parents found me, and I immediately saw how many of the Anderson family’s businesses were headed for disaster. Only if they handed over their businesses to me and stayed away from my arranged marriage partner, Parker Ward, could they turn the tide. But their adopted daughter, Gianna Anderson, thought I was trying to snatch her power. She teamed up with Parker and decided to teach me a lesson. In just the time I stepped out for a bit, the two of them beat the dog that had been with me since I was a kid to death. Gianna said with a meaningful look, “If this dog was trying to steal from me, wasn’t it right to kill it?” I held my already cold dog in my arms, and my eyes gradually turned icy cold. Such being the case, the Anderson family had no reason to exist anymore. Coco lay limp in my arms, not reacting at all. It was just a dog, and living for over ten years was already quite a long life. But it should have passed away peacefully. I held it a bit tighter, my gaze turning cold. Seeing my expression, Gianna and Parker only mocked me more. Gianna crouched down slightly, meeting my eyes. “Eleanor Anderson, you still haven’t answered my question.” I looked down at Coco and nodded silently. They looked even more smug, but I thought, “My dog might have deserved to die for stealing from you, but you killing it means you won’t end well either.” Gianna couldn’t guess my thoughts and leaned in to warn me, “I’m warning you, Eleanor. If you were smart, you wouldn’t have come back to the Anderson family. If you keep trying to take power from me, I can’t guarantee what might happen next time besides this little dog.” I stared into her venomous eyes while Parker chimed in, “Exactly. I don’t know what Mr. Colton Anderson and Mrs. Layla Anderson were thinking. Gianna and I have been close since childhood. I never wanted to marry you. Just because you’re the long-lost daughter, you get to be the one in this arranged marriage? Why?” I clenched my fists tightly, trying hard to hold back the urge to strangle them. After taking a deep breath, I gritted my teeth and nodded. “Yeah, why?” Honestly, I never had this in mind at first. It was just that my father, Colton Anderson, and my mother, Layla Anderson, found me after so many years, so I thought I’d do something for the Anderson family. I got lost when I was five, sold abroad by traffickers, and adopted by my current parents. The only reason I could come back was because of the compassion I felt for Gianna, who was adopted by the Anderson family. But I never expected that the well-behaved and sensible little sister I remembered would turn out like this now. Seeing my attitude, they seemed quite satisfied. Gianna shot a disgusted look at my dog, then stepped back. “Alright, hurry up and get rid of your dog. It’s such bad luck.” I could hardly hold back my anger. If I stayed there for one more second, I wouldn’t be able to control myself and would do something. So, I immediately left the Anderson family’s villa, holding Coco in my arms. I dug a hole by myself, wrapped Coco with my clothes, and placed its favorite snacks with it. Tears finally welled up in my eyes, and I choked out with a sob. “Coco, don’t worry. I will make them pay for this.” When I got home after calming down, Colton and Layla were already back. Colton looked at me with a rather unpleasant expression. “Eleanor, don’t keep those ungrateful animals anymore. It almost hurt Gianna today. It deserved to die.” Seeing Gianna’s pitiful face, I knew she had successfully twisted the story and managed to convince them it was my dog who had acted up and bit her first. Gianna noticed my sour expression and nervously said, “Sorry, Eleanor. I was just too scared and accidentally hurt it. Can you forgive me?” I stayed silent, and Colton chimed in, “What’s with the attitude? Gianna is apologizing to you out of kindness. This whole thing was your fault anyway. I think we should put off discussing the business stuff you mentioned earlier.” Layla looked at me and quickly tried to smooth things over. “Come on. Calm down, everyone. Eleanor, I just found out about Coco. How about this? We’ll go to the pet store and pick out another dog with a good personality sometime. As for the family business, you just got home, and there are a lot of things you don’t understand yet. We can’t let you do things recklessly.” They were so out of touch, living comfortably here for too long, forgetting how the market outside had changed. Just then, Parker’s phone rang. He took it out and was overjoyed when he saw the message. He quickly showed it to Colton and Layla. “Mr. Colton Anderson, Mrs. Layla Anderson, look at this. The projects I asked you to invest in last week are now soaring in value.” “Really?” Colton and Layla were overjoyed. Parker even held his phone in front of me to show me the financing report, looking proud and mocking. “Eleanor, didn’t you say that these investments were going to crash? But it seems that their future prospects are pretty promising.” I just glanced at his phone and replied coldly, “That’s just smoke and mirrors, designed to fool someone like you who’s done a few years of finance and thinks they’re a know-it-all.”

They looked displeased as soon as they heard what I said. What I said was basically a public slap in their faces. They had more or less looked into my background before. Although they couldn’t find much beyond my graduation from a finance department at some overseas university, they knew I wasn’t just making things up. Parker’s face turned from red to pale as he criticized me, saying, “What do you know? Just because you studied abroad, you think you’re all that, Eleanor? Do you even know the domestic market trends? You’re just talking nonsense, trying to mess things up.” Gianna stood by, playing the pitiful and weak card. “Eleanor, you don’t understand the family business. Maybe you shouldn’t say such things. Isn’t business investment all about hoping for good fortune?” I ignored their comments and turned to Colton and Layla. “Mom, Dad, I hope you can trust me. I’m not just making this up.” But they also looked grim. Colton rubbed his temples and looked at me coldly. “Are you trying to make me angry? How many years have you studied finance and economics? I’ve been in the business world for so many years. Do you think I don’t know what I’m doing?” Layla sighed softly, reaching out to hold my hand, “Eleanor, even if you have a point, it’s just your guess. How about learning a bit more at the family company first?” I gently pulled my hand away from Layla, went to my room, and brought out my tablet to show them a chart analyzing the cash flow and stock market trends of Parker’s project. I just took one look and mapped out the future path. “See here. It quickly raised funds at the very start. Right now, you’re in the lending phase. This is a classic pyramid scheme, using small profits to lure big money. When you move more funds in, it’ll just gobble it up like a greedy beast, taking in but never letting out.” Colton and Layla’s expressions showed they were swayed by my words, but Parker just sneered, “Learned a few tricks and think you really know something? What do you know after wandering around all those years?” Colton and Layla initially seemed curious about what I’d say next. But after hearing Parker’s comment, they snapped back to disbelief. I sighed, tempted to reveal my true identity. I thought, “A so-called ‘low-tier’ university? You may find it to be world-ranked if I mention it. What do I know? If I didn’t know anything, I’d never have made it on Brooks Street.” But before I could continue, Colton interrupted me, “Your ideas are really naive and need more refinement. You should stick with Parker and Gianna to learn more.” Gianna beamed at his words, feigning modesty. “Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll definitely teach Eleanor well.” She won Colton and Layla over, but her gaze towards me was full of smug satisfaction. Parker seized the moment to say, “Mr. Colton Anderson, Mrs. Layla Anderson, there’s actually something I’ve been wanting to discuss with you, and it’s also what my family has in mind.” As soon as Colton heard this, he said, “Just say it straight. I’ve been friends with your parents for ages.” Parker nodded, giving me a knowing glance. “After spending some time with Eleanor, my family and I think that Gianna, who grew up with me, is a better match for an alliance. We know her well. As for Ms. Anderson…” He dragged out the words, looking at me with disdain, but everyone there knew what he meant. Someone who had been wandering for over a decade like me wouldn’t be of much use in a marriage alliance. Gianna, though not their biological daughter, was as good as the Anderson family’s real heiress. Hearing this, Gianna looked expectantly at Colton and Layla. In the past, Colton and Layla might have tried to persuade them. But this time they said nothing, a stark contrast to their previous insistence that I was the only candidate for the marriage. They just chuckled and said they’d discuss it later. But I knew this was a shift in focus. I sighed, keeping my thoughts to myself, thinking, “This family is utterly clueless.” Meanwhile, Colton’s phone rang with an invitation for him and Layla to attend a business gala. Upon hearing this, Gianna narrowed her eyes and shot me a condescending look. “Mom, Dad, why not bring Eleanor along? She could learn a thing or two.” Colton agreed immediately.

“At the party later, don’t go babbling about pyramid schemes. Everyone there is someone important. Don’t embarrass me. Got it?” On the way, Colton warned me not to speak recklessly. I turned my head to look out the window and nodded slightly. Once we arrived, Colton was the first to put on a polite smile and start schmoozing with all the big shots. I wasn’t really interested in this kind of scene. I was supposed to be in the world of fame and fortune, or at least in the consulting room of one of Brooks Street’s financial giants. These small gatherings didn’t really cut it for me. Parker then brought over a middle-aged man with a friendly face and introduced him to Colton. “Mr. Colton Anderson, this is Samuel Price, the partner I mentioned to you last time.” Samuel shook hands with Colton in a friendly manner and got straight to the point, introducing the project. He spoke with such professionalism and grandeur. But as I listened, I was getting uneasy. I could spot at least three schemes in his pitch. How could Colton be listening to his spiel with such admiration? And he even seemed almost convinced. I couldn’t just stand by and watch our hard-won family fortune crumble. So, I politely stepped forward during a pause in Samuel’s speech and seized the opportunity to say, “Hello, sir. I’m Mr. Colton Anderson’s eldest daughter.” Samuel was taken aback, glancing at Colton and Parker, whose expressions had instantly become gloomy, and instinctively nodded politely. “Mr. Colton Anderson has such a grown-up daughter. You’re really beautiful.” I cut through his superficial niceties, getting straight to the point. “I heard what you mentioned about the project. To be honest, I know a bit about finance, too. Could you tell me where the network IP address for this project is? You kept talking about returns but didn’t mention this part.” Samuel was momentarily at a loss for words, surprised that I went straight for the project’s weak spot. But a scammer was indeed responsive. After a brief pause, he kept his cool, smiling, “Ms. Anderson, you’re asking about the server’s IP, right? It’s set up in a separate base abroad. If I may say, jumping straight to this question is a bit impolite.” After our discussion, I noticed some eyes subtly turning towards me. I pretended not to notice and chuckled, “Yeah, if it’s set up abroad, you guys could easily launder money and disappear with a new identity, right? Who do you think you’re fooling with such a clumsy scam?”

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I had been secretly married to my first love, Evelyn Miller, for five years. She said that she would announce our marriage at a party for our son. I was so excited that I told Henry Cole, my only family, about this matter. To show his respect for Evelyn, my younger brother, Henry, lived frugally and used the money he saved to buy a pair of diamond earrings for Evelyn. Just before I was about to go on stage with my baby in my arms, a strange man suddenly snatched the baby out of my arms. Then he held Evelyn’s hand intimately and went on stage. Evelyn said to everyone, “Today, I want to announce a big event at my baby’s party. Matthew and I grew up together since we were kids, and today, we’ve finally decided to hold a wedding!” As soon as these words were spoken, countless complicated looks instantly fell on me. Henry, who was completely confused, asked in puzzlement, “Seb, isn’t that Evelyn?” I stared coldly at Evelyn on the stage, who was showing a coy smile, and said, “Give my son back to me.” Unexpectedly, when she heard this, she sneered, “Sebastian Cole, a nobody like you actually still has the audacity to think that I would give birth to a child for you. You’re extremely stupid!”

Evelyn, who was standing on the stage, had a cold look in her eyes, and there was no trace of the affection she used to have for me. She completely ignored me but embraced and kissed Matthew, who was holding the baby, as if they were a family who had been living together for five years. I froze in place, standing there below the stage. When I saw this scene, I suddenly began to wonder if those five years of living together had just been an illusion. My hands, hanging by my sides, clenched into tight fists, and I silently endured the various mocking looks cast upon me. Henry pulled at my sleeve guiltily and said with remorse, “Seb, did Evelyn get angry because of my appearance?” I forced a smile on my face. Before I could say anything to comfort Henry, a sudden force pushed Henry down violently. Then a shrill and ear-piercing voice shouted angrily, “You’re really clueless! You’re blocking my way to breathe in fresh air. Move aside!” I shielded Henry behind me and stared at the strange woman in front of me with a dark expression. After thinking for a long time, I recognized that this woman was Matthew’s younger sister, Tina Dawson. She was enraged by the look on my face, and the words she said became even more offensive. “You’re truly a low-class idiot! Just looking at you two makes me feel sick! Get out of my sight right now. If you damage my newly done nose, I won’t let you off easily!” Tina picked up a bowl of thick soup from the dining table and poured it all over me. My exposed skin ached faintly from the scald of the soup, and the anger in my heart could no longer be suppressed. I grabbed Tina’s arm as she was about to leave and gritted my teeth, saying, “Apologize to me right now!” Tina tried to pull her arm away. After finding that she couldn’t break free, she shouted at the top of her lungs, “Somebody help! These two bumpkins are hitting me!” Hearing this shout, the Dawsons surrounded Henry and me. Tina pointed at Henry and said with a sense of righteousness, “That little brat made it impossible for me to breathe just now and almost ruined my newly done nose!” Upon hearing this, the Dawsons immediately pulled Henry out from behind me without saying a word. They surrounded Henry and kept beating him. Someone even raised a wine bottle and smashed it hard on the back of Henry’s head. Henry let out a faint cry for help in pain. “Seb, save me! Seb, help!” I urgently picked up a chair and swung it hard at the people who were beating Henry. Only when these people felt the pain did they reluctantly stop. I quickly held Henry, whose face was covered in blood, in my arms. “Henry, don’t be afraid. I’ll take you to the hospital right away!” Just as I helped Henry up, Tina blocked my way again and sneered, “Why are you in such a hurry to leave? You haven’t apologized to me yet.” I roared, “You’d better get out of my way right now. If anything happens to my brother, I will never let you off!” As soon as I finished speaking, the commotion we caused here finally attracted Evelyn, who was toasting the honored guests on the second floor. She frowned in dissatisfaction and walked quickly towards me. Without any regard for my dignity, she shouted angrily, “Sebastian, there are many big shots here today. Do you really have to embarrass me today? “The contract that was about to be finalized is going to be ruined because of you!” She slapped me hard in the face in public. When Henry, whom I was supporting in my arms, wanted to explain to her that it wasn’t my fault, Tina spoke up first, “Evelyn, his brother deliberately tried to ruin my newly done nose. You have to stand up for me!” Looking at Tina, who was accusing the innocent while being the guilty one, I felt my anger flare up even more. “Tina, don’t spout lies! We didn’t touch you at all. It was you who beat my brother like this!” Evelyn glanced at Henry, whose consciousness was already fading, but she still didn’t believe what I said. She forced me harshly. “Apologize to Tina right now!” I refused sharply. “It’s not my fault. Why should I apologize to her? The one who really should apologize is her!” Seeing that I refused to yield at all, Evelyn became less patient. She shouted at me, “Sebastian, you gotta know your place! If you don’t apologize, I’ll call someone to throw you out of here!” Noticing that Evelyn was really angry, Matthew, who was standing aside, pretended to be kind and persuaded Evelyn, “Evie, calm down. I think there must be some misunderstanding here.” He motioned to Tina with his eyes and said, “Apologize to Sebastian and Henry now.” Tina said reluctantly, “I won’t apologize to them. Evelyn also agrees that I didn’t do anything wrong.” After saying that, Matthew put on an expression of helplessness. This look of his made Evelyn feel pity for him. She took Matthew’s hand on her own initiative and shouted at me angrily, “Sebastian, you’ve really embarrassed me today. Leave here right now!” Seeing that I was looking at our one-month-old baby, she continued, “You don’t deserve to be around the baby. From now on, Matthew will raise him.” Looking at the cold and heartless expression on Evelyn’s face, I felt my heart completely broke. I stared at Henry, who was implicated because of me in my arms, and a feeling of guilt welled up all over my body. I looked coldly at Evelyn, who was acting coquettishly in another man’s arms, and all the love I once had for her vanished completely. I swore in my mind, “Evelyn, from now on, there will be no more relationship between you and me.”

After leaving the party, I immediately drove Henry to the hospital. After a long period of emergency treatment, the doctor finally walked out of the emergency room with a tired look on his face. The doctor looked at me solemnly and said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Cole. We’ve done our best. The fragments of the wine bottle have deeply embedded in your brother’s cranial nerves, causing irreversible damage. I’m afraid your brother will remain in a vegetative state and lie in bed for the rest of his life.” The doctor’s words seemed to have an invisible magic power, instantly draining all the strength from my body. I collapsed helplessly at the door of the ward and looked at Henry, who was lying on the bed with tubes all over his body. I thought, “He’s only eighteen years old this year! He has just been admitted to his dream university! His life dreams haven’t been realized yet. And now, because of me, such a sensible man will have to lie in bed for the rest of his life!” At that moment, boundless guilt and self-blame overwhelmed me, and tears of remorse welled up in my eyes and flowed down my face. At that moment, I wished that the person lying in bed was me! I didn’t fall asleep that night. I stayed by Henry’s bedside in the ward until dawn. When the first ray of sunlight shone into the ward the next morning, the phone in my pocket suddenly rang. As soon as I answered the call, Evelyn’s anxious voice came through. “Sebastian, where the hell have you gone? Why aren’t you staying by the baby’s side to feed him and change his diapers? Do you know we didn’t get a good night’s sleep all night just because you weren’t with him?” Just as she finished speaking, Matthew’s complaining voice suddenly came from the other end of the phone. “Evie, hurry up and find Sebastian. I’m exhausted after this night.” There was an obvious hint of flirtation in his words. “Evie, if I keep working this hard at night, I’m afraid I’ll be too tired to do certain things…” Evelyn replied in a sweet tone, “Oh, you’re so annoying…” Hearing the flirting between Evelyn and Matthew, I tightened my grip on the phone, and my hand trembled uncontrollably with anger. But then she spoke again and criticized me forcefully, “Sebastian, you’re really an irresponsible father! If you don’t take care of the baby anymore, I won’t let you see him ever again.” After what happened at the party, such threats no longer had any effect on me. I said indifferently, “Have you forgotten what you said? Why should I take care of a child who isn’t my own?” Evelyn said angrily, “Sebastian, you’re really being petty! The words I said at the party were just because I lost a game to Matthew. I had to accept the punishment of the game as I had agreed. It was just a joke. How could you actually take it seriously? In your eyes, am I really that bad? If you keep being jealous like this, I’ll really find a new father for him!” After saying that, Evelyn angrily hung up the phone. I tightly held the phone, and my heart was filled with unbearable pain and suffering. I looked at Henry, who was now lying in bed and relying on glucose to survive, and a bitter smile appeared on my face. In an instant, I deeply regretted ever meeting Evelyn. If I hadn’t been determined to be with her at that time, Henry wouldn’t be in this state now. I met Evelyn in college. Unlike me, an outsider on the fringes, she became a prominent figure in the college as soon as she enrolled. Evelyn, who was beautiful, had excellent grades, and came from a wealthy family, quickly became the target of pursuit for many outstanding men in the college. But at the same time, she was also targeted by many girls. They even deliberately locked her in a warehouse filled with sundries. When I found her, she was crying almost to the point of fainting. She threw herself into my arms helplessly and begged me in a panic, “Sebastian, please, don’t leave me!” Looking at the beautiful woman crying in my arms, I was instantly smitten and uncontrollably fell in love with Evelyn. Even though among Evelyn’s many suitors, I, who came from a poor family, had no advantage at all, I still took the initiative to pursue her. Finally, in the year we graduated, I defeated all the other suitors and officially got together with Evelyn. At the same time, I respected Evelyn’s wish and decided to help her start a business. In the early days of starting the business, she was worried that our marriage would affect the development of the company, so she decided to hide the fact of our marriage and let me enter the company as a department director to assist her. Although I wasn’t happy about it in my heart, I still agreed to her proposal. But five years had passed, and the marriage that I cherished the most had fallen apart. My beloved wife joined forces with an outsider to hurt my only younger brother. She even threatened me with our son. I didn’t want such a marriage anymore. After the idea of getting a divorce came to my mind, I immediately contacted a lawyer and prepared the divorce agreement. I entrusted Henry to the hospital nurse and then immediately went to the company with the divorce agreement in hand. However, as soon as I entered the company, I noticed that all the employees were looking at me with strange glances.

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I have a system that detects when my wife is lying. And every time she tells a lie, $50,000 gets deposited into my bank account. One night, I discovered my wife was cheating on me. “You haven’t been seeing anyone behind my back, have you?” I asked. She turned to me, stammering, “N-no, of course not.” As soon as she said it, my phone buzzed with a bank notification – $50,000 had just been deposited. Now I’m faced with an impossible choice. Do I silently endure her infidelity and keep getting rich? Or do I confront her and get a divorce? I got home from work and took off my shoes, placing them neatly in the shoe rack. My wife Mia rushed out of the bedroom. “Why are you home so late? You might as well have stayed out all night!” she snapped, tightening the loose bathrobe around herself before plopping down on the couch with an irritated sigh. I glanced toward the bedroom. “Why are the lights still on in there?” Mia quickly got up and closed the door. A year ago, Mia had suddenly insisted we sleep in separate rooms. That was around the time our arguments started becoming more and more frequent. I agreed, thinking we both needed some space to reflect. But a year had passed, and our issues remained unresolved. I sat down at the dining table, eyeing the leftover food with a wry smile. Before leaving work, I had texted Mia: “Honey, I just got off work and haven’t eaten yet. Could you heat up some dinner for me?” Mia fidgeted nervously. “We’re out of groceries. I only ordered takeout for myself, so…there’s nothing left.” I nodded, but then noticed a pair of ripped fishnet stockings by the table. I picked them up. Mia snatched them out of my hand, looking flustered. Before I could say anything, she blurted out, “I was just trying them on earlier. Didn’t realize they had a run in them.” “Make sure you throw those out!” she added, tossing the stockings at my face. I removed the stockings and picked up a piece of meat with my chopsticks, pausing before asking, “You haven’t been seeing anyone behind my back, have you?” She turned to me, stammering, “N-no, of course not.” Then her tone turned harsh. “What are you thinking? Don’t start drama over nothing!” The bedroom door slammed shut. I knew Mia was angry. Normally, this would be my cue to placate her with an expensive designer handbag. But this time, I didn’t feel like indulging her. My eyes fell on the used condom wrapper in the trash can. My phone buzzed on the table. It was a bank notification – $50,000 had just been deposited. Mia had lied.

I couldn’t understand how we had ended up like this. We used to be so in love. We were college sweethearts who made it all the way to marriage. But ever since I switched jobs to the company Mia recommended, things changed. We started having small arguments daily and big blowouts weekly. There wasn’t a single peaceful day. Still, I never suspected she was cheating. I always thought I just wasn’t providing the lifestyle she wanted. Now that I had proof of her infidelity, I realized I didn’t even know who her lover was. I had to find out. A couple nights ago, a voice had suddenly popped into my head: “Congratulations, the system binding is complete.” I was totally confused, thinking I was hallucinating from stress. I just went back to sleep. But it seems I wasn’t imagining things. Every time Mia lies to me, $50,000 gets deposited in my account. I couldn’t help but laugh – the heavens were looking out for me after all! The next morning, I sat on the living room couch waiting for Mia to come out. The whole company had the day off. When Mia emerged from the bedroom, she was startled to see me there. She quickly composed herself. “God, you scared me! Sitting there like a ghost.” She rolled her eyes at me, then spent a long time primping in front of the mirror, applying powder and carefully putting on lipstick. It looked like she was getting dolled up to meet someone important. In all our years of marriage, she had never put this much effort into her appearance for me. She only acted sweet when I got my paycheck. “Where are you going?” I asked casually. “None of your business,” Mia snapped. “Don’t think I’ve forgiven you for yesterday just because I didn’t bring it up. You better buy me that new designer bag if you want me to let it go.” Just as I had predicted. “But don’t you control all my money?” I asked. “How am I supposed to buy you anything?” For years, I had given Mia whatever she wanted. Even when we didn’t have the money, I would borrow from friends to make sure she had the latest handbag the very next day. She shrugged. “Then take out a loan!” With that, she slammed the door and left, cutting off my unfinished sentence. Fine. She wasn’t even pretending anymore. She’d better not expect me to go easy on her!

I watched from the window as Mia got into a fancy car. The vehicle looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. I rushed downstairs and followed them. They eventually stopped at an upscale villa. Mia got out of the car. To my shock, the next person to exit was my boss, Ryan! My blood boiled as everything suddenly clicked into place. Mia pushing me to change jobs… Insisting on separate bedrooms… Constantly criticizing me… I had been the fool all along. It was laughable. I had given her my whole heart, only for her to feed it to the dogs. The cheaters were right in front of me, and I hadn’t even realized. How stupid could I be? Rage overtook me. I charged out of my car and punched Ryan square in the face. Then I whirled around and slapped Mia hard. “You goddamn cheaters! Get the hell out of here!” Ryan rubbed his swollen cheek, finally recognizing me. “Jack, what the hell are you doing? Have you lost your mind?” Mia quickly pulled me away and steadied Ryan. Of course – her first concern was for her lover. Tears welled up in Mia’s eyes from the slap. “Jack, what’s wrong with you?” “You’re cheating on me! If I hadn’t followed you, I never would have known!” Mia glanced at Ryan, biting her lip. “Jack, you’ve got it all wrong. Ryan was just giving me a ride. He forgot some contracts, so we came back to get them.” “Really?” I asked skeptically. “Yes, really!” Mia snapped impatiently. I studied Mia’s face, seeing only guilt and fear in her eyes. Of course I knew she was lying through her teeth. But I had no real proof besides my word against theirs. She would never admit to it. So for now, I had to pretend to believe them and dispel my suspicions. Besides, every lie Mia told meant more money in my account. Not a bad deal. I immediately switched gears, plastering on a smile as I helped steady Ryan. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Parker. I just jumped to conclusions. Are you alright? Do you need to go to the hospital? I can drive you.” Ryan waved me off. “It’s fine, no need. Just be more careful next time, Jack.” Ha! I had hit him as hard as I could. Of course it hurt. Mia chimed in awkwardly, “I’ll take Mr. Parker to the hospital.” She shot me a look of disgust. “You should just go home. You’ve embarrassed yourself enough.” Oh, you want some alone time? Be my guest. “Alright then, I’ll head home,” I said. “Mr. Parker, I’m truly sorry again. I’ll come by your office to apologize properly another day.” In a flash, they were gone. But what they didn’t know was that I had managed to plant a GPS tracker and voice recorder in Ryan’s car while steadying him earlier.

The next morning at work, the boss called me into his office. He told me to hand over my current project to another colleague – the one who got hired through connections. “But Mr. Parker, we’ve already gotten the client’s signature. We’re just waiting on the final payment,” I protested. “How can I possibly hand it over now?” Ryan slammed his hand on the desk. “You’ll do it because I said so! Who’s the boss here, you or me?” “Are you questioning my orders?” Ryan was right – he did call the shots at the company. I left his office in silence. Through the glass, I could see his smug smirk. I knew this was retaliation for yesterday’s incident. Fine by me. I’d been wanting to quit anyway. Mia’s lies had been steadily increasing my bank balance. Money would never be an issue again in this lifetime. But it wasn’t enough. I wanted them to face the consequences of their actions. From that day on, I showed up to the office but did absolutely nothing. I ignored all projects, spending my days sipping tea, feeding the office fish, and watering plants. After a week, Ryan couldn’t take it anymore. But he didn’t dare confront me directly. He had HR negotiate my departure, offering a severance package. Why didn’t he just do this from the start instead of wasting a week? I had gotten what I wanted – fair compensation. I could leave with no regrets. As I packed up my desk, I felt a twinge of nostalgia for my relaxing week. But there was no time for sentimentality. My mother-in-law had called, inviting us over for dinner in a couple days. She wanted to discuss her son Tyler’s wedding. I knew it was a trap. They were waiting for me to walk right into it!

Early the next morning, I waited downstairs for Mia so we could go to her mother’s house together. But Mia said, “You go first. I have some things to take care of.” When I arrived, Mia’s brother Tyler immediately pulled me to sit on the living room couch. “Hey bro, I heard you got a big severance package when you quit. Think you could lend me some cash for my wedding?” Before I could answer, Mrs. Thompson cut in. “Stop pestering your brother-in-law about money. He has plenty of expenses of his own.” She was pretending to be considerate, but I knew she had other plans for that money. Mrs. Thompson came over and took my hand. “I’ve had my eye on a house in the neighborhood. Tyler loves it and wants to use it as the marital home. You don’t need to cover the whole cost – just contribute what you can. When Tyler becomes successful later, he’ll take care of you in your old age.” “That sounds great! Your brother is looking out for your future,” Mia chimed in. “Mom has sacrificed so much for this family over the years.” How laughable. I had barely quit my job, and they already knew exactly how much money I had and how to spend it. Every sentence was about how much the Thompson family had suffered. “Mom, I was actually planning to use that money myself,” I said carefully. “I’ve been working non-stop for years. I thought I might do some traveling.” Mrs. Thompson and Tyler’s faces immediately soured. “Now Jack, don’t be selfish,” Mrs. Thompson scolded. “Spending it all on travel is such a waste. It’s much better to invest in Tyler’s future. He’ll take care of you when you’re old.” “Yeah bro, you know I see you as real family!” Tyler added. Sure, “real family” – or just an ATM to withdraw money from whenever you want? “Mom, I’ll decide what to do with my own money,” I said firmly. Hearing this, Mrs. Thompson stood up with a frown. But she couldn’t openly criticize me, so she busied herself in the kitchen instead. Tyler couldn’t say much either. He flopped on the couch and started playing on his phone. “Bro, go sit somewhere else. You’re in my way,” he muttered, effectively kicking me out. Just then, Mia arrived – with Ryan in tow. Mrs. Thompson’s face lit up when she heard Ryan’s voice. She came running out of the kitchen, all smiles as she welcomed him inside. Tyler put down his phone and offered Ryan a seat, rushing to brew some premium tea. I remembered that tea – it had cost me a month’s salary. I had bought it as a gift for a friend, but Tyler saw it and took it for himself. When I said I’d buy another one, Mia told me to just give the friend the second batch instead. Mia glared at me. “What are you standing around for? Go help in the kitchen!” Mrs. Thompson shoved an apron in my hands and pushed me toward the kitchen door. When I finally brought the last dish to the table, I realized they had already started eating. They hadn’t even saved me a seat. Mia looked up at me. “There’s no room. Just wait until we’re done and eat the leftovers.” Mrs. Thompson and Tyler said nothing. Ryan kept drinking his wine. Alright, you want me to eat your scraps? Then no one gets to eat! I flipped the entire table, sending food and dishes flying everywhere. I stormed out and slammed the door behind me, leaving only screams and curses in my wake. Mia’s voice was the loudest: “Jack, have you fucking lost your mind?!”

A few days later, Mia returned from her mother’s house. I had come home early and prepared a feast, waiting for her. Her coveted designer handbag sat on the table. When Mia got home, she barely glanced at me. Then she noticed the bag on the table and scoffed, “Don’t think buying me a bag makes everything okay!” I bit my tongue and gently led her to sit at the dining table. “I know, I know. It’s all my fault,” I said contritely. “Look, I made all your favorite dishes to apologize. And got you the bag you wanted.” Mia still seemed wary after hearing this. No problem – I had more tricks up my sleeve. I continued, “And you know that severance money from my company? You have full control over how to use it. What do you think?” Mia’s eyes lit up. “Really?” “Of course! You’re the love of my life. Who else would I give it to?” Mia fell for it, thinking I was the same pushover as always. She smirked, “That’s more like it!” She picked up her chopsticks, ready to dig in. I stopped her, putting on an air of mystery. “Wait, there’s one more thing.” I pulled out a bottle of wine from under the table. “Let’s have a drink and really talk. What do you say?” “Sounds good!” Mia got up to grab wine glasses from the bar. By the end of the night, Mia was drunk. I carefully extracted all her true thoughts. Every other sentence was a lie. The more she lied, the more excited I got. Watching my bank balance climb higher and higher, I knew it was almost time to make my move.

Early the next morning, the company group chat was blowing up. The main topic was how the company couldn’t make payroll and the boss was planning to flee. The business was going under. A former colleague chimed in: “Guys, I’ve got inside info! Word is the company’s been bought out by an even bigger boss.” “Makes sense. Time to jump ship and find the next gig.” The chat was full of people speculating about the boss’s recent suspicious behavior. It did seem to match up with the rumors. People were wondering who this mystery buyer could be. I couldn’t help but smile. I had set aside money long ago, waiting for the day I could acquire my old company. I was looking forward to seeing the look on Ryan’s face. My phone buzzed with an alert from the living room security camera. Mia was home. She had left early this morning, probably not remembering much from her drunken state last night. But why would she suddenly come back in the middle of the day? Then I remembered – the acquisition contract was still on the coffee table at home. On the camera feed, I saw Mia notice the papers. She picked them up, her face filled with shock as she read. Mia stuffed the contract in her purse. She called out my name a couple times to check if I was home. Confirming the house was empty, she rushed back out. I guessed she was going to find Ryan. The GPS tracker I had planted in his car showed he was parked outside our building. I pulled up the audio from the hidden recorder on my phone and started listening.

“You’re saying he bought out my company?” Ryan’s voice was incredulous. I kept listening to the recording. “Don’t worry, we don’t even know if his money is legit,” Mia said. “Want me to go back and stall him?” There was a pause before Ryan spoke again. “Yes, keep him distracted for now. I owe several clients their final payments. If they find out what’s happening, they’ll come after me!” “Try to get money out of him. He probably doesn’t suspect we’re together. He’ll likely still give you cash.” “Then we can leave the country together.” Mia’s voice turned coy. “I’ll do anything as long as I’m with you~” “Anything? Then let’s have a baby. Make that sucker raise it!” Ryan said. All I could hear after that was Mia’s breathy moans. I couldn’t listen anymore. My stomach churned violently, threatening to expel its contents. Those goddamn cheaters. I’ll show them what I’m capable of. That night when Mia came home, I casually asked as she took off her shoes, “Honey, have you eaten? Should I make you something?” Mia ignored me. I called out a couple more times. She still didn’t respond, marching right up to me and throwing a stack of papers in my face. “How dare you ask me that? Jack, how could you hide something this big from me?” she yelled. “What else are you keeping secret? Tell me – where did you get all this money?” Mia glared at me like she was trying to bore holes through my skull. Afraid I might get suspicious, she quickly added, “I’m just worried about you. I don’t want you getting mixed up in anything illegal!”

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At the request of my best friend Lydia Moore, I found myself navigating the complexities of a world where love came after marriage, tasked with winning over one of two brothers. Lydia chose to marry the gentle painter Vincent West, while I opted for his dark and enigmatic younger brother, Dylan West. Three years later, I became the president’s wife of West Group, draped in clothes worth millions of dollars and surrounded by luxury cars and mansions. Lydia, however, found herself caring for Vincent who had given up his inheritance and now walked with a limp, struggling with daily life. When Lydia approached me, asking me to get divorced together, I refused. Before I could explain, she grasped my hand and pulled me to jump off a building together. When I opened my eyes again, we were back at the moment of making a choice. This time, she didn’t hesitate for a second and decided to pursue the younger brother. Great! This lifetime, I could finally choose to enjoy my life to the fullest. At the West family banquet, my best friend Lydia, dressed modestly, entered with Vincent, who walked with a limp. I, on the other hand, was adorned in jewels, sitting next to Dylan, exuding sophistication. Lydia’s gaze settled on me, her eyes flickering with undefined emotions. “It’s been a long time. Can we catch up?” I nodded, and we made our way to the penthouse of the villa. She locked her eyes on mine, demanding with urgency, “Megan, after all these years, why haven’t you visited? Not even a phone call?” “It’s complicated. I wanted to see you, but…” Before I could finish, she grabbed my hand, pleading, “Megan, I want a divorce. Let’s do this together? The System says if you get divorced too, I can escape this world. I really can’t care for that crippled loser any longer.” Hope ignited within me as I asked, “If you leave, can I too?” She hesitated and replied, “You’ll have to wait for the next traveler to arrive…” I shook my head firmly. “You dragged me into this game for the thrill, and now that you want to leave, you expect to abandon me?” In a shocking twist, she seized my hand and pulled me backward. “Then let’s die together!” I felt a sharp pain before darkness enveloped me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment of choice. Next to me, Lydia was gleefully addressing the System, “I choose to marry Dylan.” She winked at the stoic Dylan, who remained unreadable. “Megan, what about you?” With a gentle smile, I replied, “I’ll marry Vincent.” At that moment, Vincent was still uninjured, standing tall and handsome, offering me a brief nod. The System said, “Choices are final and cannot be changed.” That day, a butler took us to obtain our marriage licenses. At the West Manor, their mother, Fiona West, delivered a stern lecture. “From now on, you are part of the West family. If not for the betrothal your ancestors arranged, your backgrounds wouldn’t even qualify you to serve us. Behave yourselves.” Her eyes narrowed at Lydia. “Especially you—being the president’s wife of West Group isn’t easy.” With excitement, Lydia replied, “No problem!” After the lecture, I headed back to Vincent’s current apartment while Lydia remained at the West Manor. As I observed her urging me out the door, I kindly warned, “Fiona seems tough; be careful.” “Yeah, yeah, I got it. Don’t dawdle, just go back!” she replied, waving me off impatiently. I glanced back at the West Manor, its opulent architecture shining in the light, the tall gates towering over me. The driver took me to Vincent’s apartment. Upon entering, I found the design simple yet warm, sunlight pouring through the glass and filling the space with golden warmth. “Ms. Fox, Mr. Vincent West is currently busy with art training and may not return for a while. He said you can make yourself comfortable.”

I nodded and began packing my bags, intending to buy a couple of outfits when I discovered that the wardrobe was already stocked with clothes that perfectly suited me. There was even a bank card tucked inside. Vincent truly was a considerate and thoughtful person. At this point, Vincent hadn’t completely relinquished his shares in the West family, so my finances were looking quite comfortable. I decided to enroll in a painting class since I had always loved to paint. In my past life, I had wanted to pursue Vincent, but Lydia had begged me to help her win over the gentle artist Vincent. Reluctantly, I had chosen to pursue the dark and brooding Dylan instead, and I’d regretted that decision countless nights. The next day, I donned a simple pair of jeans and a T-shirt, took the card, and headed to the city’s largest mall to buy some watercolor supplies. To my surprise, I ran into Lydia, who was shopping with a posse of bodyguards. She was clad in an expensive dress, her hair recently styled—a complete transformation from the day before. “Hey, Megan! Did you not recognize me? One day apart and you’ve already forgotten!” she said playfully before remembering something. “After you left yesterday, Mom took me for several spa treatments. Today, she even gave me a black card to shop for clothes. “She said a president’s wife needs to look the part,” Lydia added, eyeing me up and down. Then she continued, “Now that you’re Vincent’s wife, dressing like this isn’t quite fitting. How about I help you pick out a few outfits?” “Really? That would be fantastic!” Expecting me to decline or blush in embarrassment, she was taken aback when I gladly accepted her offer and led her to the mall’s high-end store. “I want that bag.” I pointed to a limited-edition handbag displayed on the top shelf. The sales associate looked me over with disdain. “Miss, that bag is out of stock. You might want to look at something else.” I knew that bag was a limited release—only five in existence worldwide. Lydia flashed a proud smile and walked over, reciting a number to the sales associate. Immediately, the associate’s demeanor changed to one of sycophantic eagerness, and she brought the bag to us while inviting us to the VIP lounge to relax. I shook my head. “No thanks; I have things to do today. Just wrap the bag up for me.” Turning to Lydia, I said, “Let’s use your card.” Lydia frowned, seeming displeased with my nonchalant attitude, “Megan, what’s with your tone?” Feigning innocence, I replied, “But you said I could buy whatever I wanted. After all, you are the president’s wife—certainly, you can afford a bag, right?” The staff, hearing she was the wife of West Group’s president, suddenly looked at her with new interest. Lydia raised her chin haughtily. “I can afford it, but with your attitude, I’ve changed my mind about treating you.” Oh, this was perfect. I quickly squeezed out a couple of tears. “Lydia, we’re not just friends—I’m also the wife of your husband’s brother! You can’t treat me like this, especially after saying you’d buy it for me. Now you’re backing out? “You just want to see me embarrassed. You want me to beg you? Well, forget about it!” With that, I rushed out, leaving Lydia surrounded by shocked onlookers. In the world of the wealthy, information travelled fast, and this incident would undoubtedly reach Fiona’s ears. She, who cared deeply about her reputation, wouldn’t let Lydia get away with such a public display of shame. I couldn’t help but recall my past life where I had faced a lot of hardship at Fiona’s hands. I walked on, suddenly thinking, “When I first got that black card, I spent an entire day treating Lydia to whatever she wanted. Was she genuinely happy, or did she think I was just showing off?”

Fiona called me, inviting me to the family dinner that night, as her son Dylan was back. I took a deep breath as I hung up. Dylan had been my target in the previous life, and even now, just thinking about him gave me chills. As I composed myself and gathered my things, I told myself I couldn’t let myself panic at this family gathering. In the evening, Fiona sat at the head of the table, with Lydia and Dylan seated across from me. Lydia looked noticeably thinner after just a few days, the dark circles under her eyes conspicuous despite the makeup. In my past life, I had been force-fed the etiquette of high society, studying it daily. But all those lessons paled in comparison to what was to come. It seemed Lydia’s progress was going well, as she sat, wrapping her arm around Dylan’s sweetly. “Why didn’t Vincent come with you?” Fiona asked. Vincent and Fiona had a strained relationship, but I knew she still loved her son dearly. I replied, “Mom, Vincent is abroad for an art exhibition. It might take him a while to come back.” “Art, art! All he knows is drawing! Is that useful?” Fiona grumbled, then sighed, “Oh well, if it makes him happy.” Just as she spoke, I caught a glimpse of jealousy in Dylan’s eyes. Vincent, the eldest son, had always been groomed to be the heir, leaving him little freedom. Meanwhile, their parents’ attention was always focused on him, leaving Dylan, the younger son, feeling overlooked. The lack of affection from his parents had twisted his personality, leading him to become possessive while also working hard to surpass his brother in finance. “No worries, when he’s back, I’ll bring him to visit you,” I said. As soon as I finished, Lydia jumped in. “Not to stir the pot, but Megan, how’s your marriage with Vincent?” She extended her wrist, flaunting a thick intricately carved gold bracelet. “Dylan had a craftsman make this for me. It’s not that gold is worth much, but the effort Dylan put into finding the right artisan makes it truly special.” I shot back, “I still think gold is valuable. If you believe it’s not, feel free to give me some gold bars next time—I don’t need any fancy designs.” Lydia seemed taken aback, quickly shifting the topic. “Even if Vincent is away, it’s still a family dinner. Dressing like that is rather inappropriate.” I looked at her innocently. “What should I wear then? This is the best outfit I have in my wardrobe. I can’t afford anything else. The last time you mentioned buying me something, I asked for a bag, and you made me beg you for it.” Lydia said, “That was just a joke! Don’t take it seriously. We’re friends!” “Oh, so you were joking when you embarrassed me in front of all these people?” Being sincere was always a winning tactic. Lydia hadn’t expected my directness. The color drained from her face, and Fiona’s expression darkened as well. Fiona said, turning to Lydia, “I’ve heard about this too. Apologize to Megan.” Lydia turned beet red and stammered, struggling to spit out a simple apology. Dylan intervened, saying, “Mom, don’t make it hard for Lydia. She was just joking after all—they were friends, so it’s normal.” “I don’t find it funny. Or do you think it makes you feel superior to Vincent?” I retorted, locking my gaze on Dylan. As the words left my lips, Dylan’s look hardened, his eyes narrowing into piercing daggers. My question was a challenge. Fiona just couldn’t hold it in any longer. She cleared her throat a couple of times and said, “Lydia, as the president’s wife of West Group, you need to act like a refined lady. Apologize!” Noticing that Fiona was really ticked off, Lydia grudgingly mumbled an apology to me. I stared right back into her angry eyes. “Lydia, you know I’m hard of hearing. I didn’t catch that.” “Sorry!” she hissed, barely above a whisper. I nodded, feeling pretty chuffed. As we were leaving the family dinner, Lydia yanked me to the side, her eyes spitting fire. “Come on, spill the beans. Have you been reborn too?” I put on a show of being indignant. “What are you talking about? If you hadn’t made me look like a fool last time, I wouldn’t have given you a piece of my mind. Is this how you treat your BFF?” “Listen up, starting today, we’re done! Even if you end up on the streets, panhandling, don’t count on me for a dime,” Lydia declared, acting all high-and-mighty. I let out a smirk. “Well, funny you should say that, because I’ve been thinking about cutting this cord too. But as a parting shot, let me give you a heads-up—throw away that bracelet. It looks so tacky and out of date.” She rolled her eyes like I was nothing, but then a thought hit her, and she lifted her chin in a smug way. “Just wait till that good-for-nothing gets back. We’ll see if you’re still cracking jokes then.” I knew she was referring to the incident where Vincent would get attacked abroad and end up limping. I just let out a disdainful snort and said, “Worry about yourself first.” What I didn’t tell her was that there was something else hidden inside that bracelet.

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I had cared for Sebastian, my comatose husband, for five years with unwavering devotion, enduring countless hardships. But on the day he woke up, he gifted my half-sister, Olivia, with million-dollar jewelry and professed his love for her. I thought it was all a misunderstanding. I believed that if I explained patiently, he would realize that I was the one who had cared for him all these years. That was until I overheard his conversation with his brother, Lucas. “Sebastian, you know full well that Evelyn has been taking care of you all these years. Why are you deceiving her? Don’t you have any feelings for her at all?” “She’s been Mrs. Grant for so long, she should be content. My heart has always belonged to Olivia. I know I’ve wronged Evelyn. If she’s really upset, I can give her 5% of the Grant Corporation shares.” Outside the room, separated by a single door, I wept silently. So he knew all along that I was the one who had cared for him. He just didn’t love me. If that’s the case, I’ll step aside one last time for the sake of my younger self. From now on, we’ll be worlds apart, never to meet again!

Outside the study, my knuckles turned white as I gripped the tray holding his medicine. Sebastian’s words were heavy, like a dirty, wet rag being slapped onto my already battered heart. The pain was suffocating yet sobering. “I’m glad Olivia wasn’t the one who married me during these five years I was in a coma. She’s so gentle, and my mother is so domineering. She would have suffered greatly.” “I couldn’t keep her by my side when I fell into a coma, but for the rest of my life, I can’t let her down!” Bang! His brother, Lucas, had always been hot-tempered. “Do you know what you’re doing? It’s called using someone and then discarding them! It’s morally bankrupt! You want to have your cake and eat it too!” “Evelyn took care of you for five years. We all saw it. She’s an exceptional woman. And Olivia? She was selfish and reckless back then. After you fell into a coma because of her, she ran away!” “Now that you’re awake, she knows you’re her brother-in-law, yet she’s still flirting with you. You’re hurting a woman who truly loves you for someone like her. Do you have any principles left?” “Lucas, you can’t force love. I never wanted Evelyn to marry me in the first place. If I could, I wish she had never come into my life. Olivia’s reputation was ruined because of me. I need to give her a proper status.” The room fell silent. After a moment, Lucas spoke, his voice muffled: “What about Evelyn? If you and Olivia are so in love, why don’t you just divorce Evelyn and set her free?” “She took care of me for five years. If I don’t keep her around, it would look bad for Olivia if word got out.” “Lucas, I just love Olivia too much. I want to give her the best of everything. I know I’m wronging Evelyn, but I’ll divorce her slowly, so she won’t be too hurt. After the divorce, whatever compensation she wants, the Grant family can give her.” Hearing this, I could barely stand. It took all my strength to keep the medicine tray steady in my hands. But the heart-wrenching pain surged uncontrollably towards my throat. For five years, I had endured countless hardships, only to be told in the end that I was never wanted. Olivia merely had rumors of an affair with him and it was considered ruining her reputation. What about me, who had been married to him for five years? Could everything be erased with just a simple “you can’t force love”? I stepped back slowly. Scenes from the past years flashed through my mind like a slideshow. Originally, it was my half-sister Olivia who was engaged to Sebastian. But when Sebastian fell into a coma after a car accident, Olivia refused to marry him and suffer. My father, not wanting to offend the Grant family, had me marry Sebastian in her place. For five years, Sebastian’s mother made my life difficult countless times, but I endured it all. There were numerous times when Sebastian seemed like he wouldn’t make it, but I cared for him tirelessly, not only out of duty but also to repay him for standing up for me when I was bullied years ago. Finally, he slowly began to show signs of improvement. He would tightly grip my hand when his mother scolded me. He would smile when I read him news stories. In the end, he would only let me near him. If it was anyone else, he would frown. These reactions made me believe that after five years of care, he had finally developed feelings for me. When he woke up, he solemnly told me that since I had married him, he would only recognize me as his wife for the rest of his life. I believed him wholeheartedly, even when he asked me to give way to my half-sister at every turn, even when he gave Olivia million-dollar jewelry. When he explained to me that it was just out of gratitude, I believed it all. I thought he just couldn’t remember what happened during his illness. But he remembered everything, he knew everything. He just didn’t love me.

The argument inside the room grew more intense. Lucas left with a final “Don’t contact me anymore” and slammed the door. He came out so quickly that I didn’t have time to hide. He bumped into me, causing me to fall and spill the medicine all over the floor. “Evelyn, are you alright?” he asked, helping me up. I shook my head, and he sighed. “Evelyn, I’m sorry you’re being mistreated. Call me if you need anything.” He left quickly, without looking back. When Sebastian came out of the room and saw me, there was a flash of coldness in his eyes before he feigned concern. “Honey, why are you here? Are you hurt? Didn’t I tell you to wait for me in the bedroom?” I dodged his outstretched hand, leaving him frozen in place. If I hadn’t come, how would I have known that his affection was all an act, just to protect Olivia and trick me into a divorce? “Olivia called to hurry us back,” I said flatly. “Alright,” he replied. At the mention of Olivia, he didn’t pursue the matter further, only a barely noticeable hint of joy on his face. My heart ached for a moment, as if pierced by a needle. This pain intensified when I stepped into the Carter family home. Olivia threw herself into Sebastian’s arms like a bird returning to its nest. He didn’t reject her, instead taking out a sky-blue necklace worth nearly a million dollars that he had bought at an auction, and gave it to Olivia. Olivia joyfully put it on and turned to me with a smile. “Sister, you don’t mind that Sebastian bought me such an expensive necklace, do you?” “No, I don’t. The name of this necklace might not sound good, but it has a beautiful meaning.” Even if I turn my heart towards the bright moon, this necklace is called Bright Moon. The nearly million-dollar price tag bought not only the value of the item itself but also the story behind it. A brother-in-law courting his sister-in-law, and doing so in such a high-profile manner, truly shows his devotion. Thinking about the jewelry he had given her before, each one was full of meaning. I, with my romantic notions, really thought he had mistaken Olivia for the one who had cared for him for five years and was giving her gifts out of gratitude. A bitter smile involuntarily spread across my lips. I felt those five years were wasted. “That’s enough. It’s just a necklace. Do you have to be so sarcastic towards your sister?” my father’s face darkened. Even though I hadn’t said anything, he still thought I was bullying Olivia. “Olivia, that’s your brother-in-law. Why are you standing so close to him? Evelyn lost her mother early, you should be considerate of your sister, understand? Evelyn, don’t be angry. You know I’m on your side. I’ve always treated you like my own daughter, even more than Olivia. Even though Olivia was originally in the marriage agreement, since you married into the Grant family, I’ll make sure your sister acknowledges that!” My stepmother, as she had done since I was young, seemed to be speaking up for me with every word, but in reality, she was pushing me further into the fire with each sentence. She shot Olivia a look. Olivia immediately took off the necklace and returned it to Sebastian. Her eyes, looking up from below, were full of coy reluctance and grievance. “Sister, don’t be angry. I don’t want the gift anymore. Sebastian, here, take it back.” The way she called him “Sebastian” was filled with a thousand twists and turns. Sebastian’s face immediately darkened. The gentle gaze he had when looking at me turned incredibly cold. “Evelyn Carter, you’ve really been spoiled rotten! You married into the Grant family, it’s time you put aside your spoiled, unreasonable attitude!” “Olivia took care of me for five years. You’re my wife, you should be thanking her. Quickly apologize to Olivia and give the necklace back to her!” Spoiled? Ever since my mother passed away, I forgot what it meant to be spoiled. If they really cared about me, Then when Sebastian fell into a coma, I wouldn’t have been the one forcefully married into the Grant family in Olivia’s place.

Looking at their united front against me, I suddenly realized that I had always been the outsider in this family. With my father and stepmother, with Sebastian and Olivia. I was the only redundant one in this family. Even though they knew I had done so much, they just trampled on my sincerity and love over and over again, treating it like mud. They all loved Olivia, while I was just an eyesore to them. If that’s the case, then I’ll withdraw, permanently withdraw. Sebastian, as you wish, you don’t need to deceive me anymore. I’ll set you free. Swallowing back the hot tears in my eyes, I apologized softly. “Olivia, I’m sorry. This necklace should have been yours from the beginning.” “I’m going to pay respects to my mother now.” Sebastian, I’ve repaid your kindness. This is the last time I’ll give way to you. I turned and left, my chest burning with pain, but my hands and feet numb with cold. My heartbeat was like a drum, pounding inside me. “Evelyn Carter!” Sebastian’s voice was loud, but I didn’t turn back. He watched my departing figure, inexplicably feeling a moment of panic. My desolate silhouette made Sebastian want to rush forward and grab me. But he was held back by Olivia’s hand on his arm, and he suppressed that momentary panic. While they were happily discussing Olivia’s marriage prospects as a family, I was at my mother’s gravestone, dialing my lawyer’s number. “Hello, this is Evelyn Carter. Please prepare divorce papers for me. Also, help me cancel all my identity information.” After hanging up, I dialed another number. “Hello, can you arrange a fake death for me seven days from now?” Seven days later, I would disappear forever from Sebastian’s world. After completing all the arrangements, I returned to the villa late at night. The villa was empty. All day long, Sebastian hadn’t sent me a single message. He was always like this when he was with Olivia. Such obvious indifference, I had never noticed before. I didn’t have many possessions. After coming to the Grant family, I had even less. Packing up, there was only enough to fill a small suitcase. These personal items were mailed away. The rest were things I had bought for Sebastian to use. He hated me so much, he probably wouldn’t want to keep anything from me. I smashed those items one by one and threw them into the firepit. As the flames flickered, I looked at the house I had lived in for five years. There were no traces of me left inside. … Sebastian returned the next evening. I was in the study, finishing the last part of my manuscript. The competition three days later was very important to me, determining whether I could enter the company I aspired to join. When Sebastian came in, I didn’t notice. Instead, he stood behind me for a long time. “Evelyn, why didn’t you go back to your parents’ house after paying respects to your mother? Don’t you know how worried Mom and Dad were?” Sebastian’s sudden voice startled me. I put down my pen and looked at his questioning expression, finding it amusing. Calling my birth mother “your mother” but referring to my stepmother so intimately. Then again, it was never me he wanted to marry. “Didn’t it not affect you all? I won’t affect you in the future either.” I said with a hint of sarcasm. Sebastian immediately changed his expression. The gentleness and thoughtfulness that once intoxicated me now made my hair stand on end. “Evelyn, I just didn’t want you to misunderstand, that’s why I didn’t go back. Yesterday, I didn’t mean to scold you. It’s just that Olivia saved my life, so we should treat her better.” He knew I couldn’t resist his flirtation. Every time I got angry, he would just hug me, and I would be happy again. But this time, my gaze fell on his collar, where there was a long brown hair. He smelled of women’s perfume, making me nauseous. Last night, he must have spent it in Olivia’s bed. My brother-in-law and my half-sister, in my family home, were they really that impatient? My stomach churned. Fortunately, my phone rang just in time. I abruptly pushed Sebastian away and rushed out. The message on my phone was from my lawyer. [Ms. Carter, everything has been arranged according to your instructions. Six days from now, all your identity information will be completely erased. Wishing you a happy life.] “What did you arrange? Why are you canceling your identity information? What are you planning to do six days from now?” Sebastian grabbed my shoulder, his expression tense. I don’t know where his nervousness came from. I quickly dimmed my phone screen. “It’s just game identity information. I don’t want to continue playing anymore.” “Oh, by the way, six days later, I’m planning to give you a surprise.”

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