Author: Momo Chan

When I turned sixty, I joined the ranks of the divorced. All because my husband berated me for spending two dollars to take the bus. My daughter and her husband didn’t understand, thinking I was being too dramatic. However, what they didn’t know was that very day on the bus, I happened to see her dear father dining with his sweetheart at a restaurant that cost five figures per person. I resolutely chose to divorce him. But a week later, they came crying, begging me to come back. ***** “Enough, stop watching TV there. All you do is waste electricity!” Jackson said impatiently as soon as he entered the house. “Go bring me today’s bills.” “Okay.” I got up, went back to the bedroom, and took out an account book. Ever since we got married, Jackson required me to record every penny I spent. Of course, it only applied to my salary. As for Jackson’s salary, I never saw it in forty years of marriage. I handed the account book to Jackson, and he began to scrutinize it. “Aubrey, you spent two dollars taking the bus today?” Jackson looked up at me, frowning. “Don’t you have a senior card?” “I forgot to bring it,” I explained softly. “Forgot? Are you stupid?” Jackson glared. “Don’t you know these two dollars could buy a big bundle of vegetables! “Besides, couldn’t you have walked back if you forgot it? You have nothing to do all day. Why are you even taking the bus!” At this, I froze in place. In addition to taking on all the housework, I also had to take care of Ella, Dylan, and my grandson, and cater to Jackson. I was so exhausted that my back ached and I couldn’t straighten up, yet Jackson actually said I had nothing to do. Most importantly, these two dollars came from my retirement salary. I felt even more upset and looked at Jackson with growing coldness. “All these years, the money spent has been from my salary. Where’s yours?” At this, a flash of unease showed in Jackson’s eyes. “What do you mean, yours and mine? Isn’t it all for this family? “Aubrey, you’re sixty years old. Can’t you stop being so petty?” I thought, “Petty? If I was really like that, Jackson wouldn’t be dining with Madison in such a fancy restaurant today!” Thinking of how my decades of hard work were met with scolding for spending two dollars to take the bus, I couldn’t bear it anymore. I glared at Jackson. “Jackson! You will hand over your salary details to me today!” At that, Jackson instantly became enraged with shame. “Aubrey, are you out of your mind, making a big fuss over such a small thing? “Do you still care about me or this family at all? “Money, money, money, that’s all you think about!” At this, a hint of mockery flashed in my eyes. I thought, “Did Jackson forget how he just insulted me over a mere two dollars?” I suddenly felt the man I had been with for decades was a complete stranger. But thinking of Ella and her family, I decided to give Jackson one last chance. I said coldly, “Where did you go today?” “Why… why are you asking that?” Jackson’s eyes flashed with a hint of unease. “Why do I feel like there’s a scent of perfume on you.” I moved closer to Jackson step by step, my tone meaningful. However, Jackson still refused to tell me the truth. “Enough, stop making wild accusations! “I played cards with Mason Blake and the others all day. How could there be perfume on me.” With that, Jackson tugged at his collar and sniffed. “Stirring up trouble every day. Why don’t you spend more time reading or catching up on the news instead? “Uneducated bumpkin!” With that, Jackson headed towards the bedroom. Watching his back, I stood frozen, my eyes brimming with deep disappointment. Even now, he was still unwilling to be honest with me. And he even looked down on me for being uneducated! Back when I got into graduate school, it was Jackson who begged me to drop out, begged me to keep the child in my belly. Now, he looked down on me for lacking education. I was utterly heartbroken, my heart slowly turning cold and hard. At that moment, I realized that this marriage, this man, was no longer worth it.

Early the next morning, before dawn, Jackson yanked me out of bed. “Aubrey, didn’t I tell you a few days ago that Mason wanted to drink the meat soup you stew! “Why aren’t you hurrying to go make it? “I’m going to take it with me when I go play cards later!” At this, I didn’t say anything but looked at the clock on the wall. The hands just pointed to four o’clock! I instantly felt a burst of anger! This was already the eighth time this month Jackson had woken me up before 5 AM to make nutritious breakfasts for his few card-playing buddies. “Aubrey, why aren’t you moving? There won’t be enough time later!” “Why should I make it for your card buddies? Make it yourself!” I said unhappily and crawled back under the covers. Anyway, I had already made up my mind to leave Jackson, so why should I still serve him? At that, Jackson’s face instantly darkened. “Aubrey! Are you making it or not!” “No!” The next second, Jackson went directly to the bathroom, got a whole basin of cold water, and poured it on my head. “Are you crazy!” I glared at Jackson, my body shivering uncontrollably from the cold. “Do you know how cold that water is!” At this, Jackson said coldly, “Serves you right! “If you had obediently gotten up to make the soup, would I be doing this? “This is punishment for your disobedience!” At this, I froze in place. I didn’t expect Jackson to be so cruel to me. I only rebelled against him once, and he punished me like this. Perhaps in his heart, he never treated me as a wife. My heart ached terribly. I was heartbroken to the extreme, and my eyes reddened. “Alright! Get to the kitchen!” Jackson urged impatiently. I walked silently to the kitchen. I really didn’t want to have any interaction with Jackson anymore. I stewed soup for a full two hours in my wet clothes, and my heart completely turned cold and hard. After Jackson left with the lunch boxes, I didn’t hesitate to start packing my things, clothes, shoes… Only then did I realize how pitifully few things I had, not even a single piece of jewelry. My heart grew more and more bitter. I didn’t understand how I had lived so poorly for the past few decades. Just then, the phone rang. I quickly looked at the screen. Seeing it was Jackson’s number, I hesitated for a few seconds but still pressed the answer button! “Hey! Hurry and bring 10 thousand dollars to the hospital!” Jackson sounded extremely agitated. “What happened?” I couldn’t help frowning. “Don’t ask! Just hurry and bring the money! It’s a life or death situation!” With that, Jackson hung up the phone. After struggling for a few minutes, I sent Ella a message, then hurried to the bank to withdraw 10 thousand dollars and rushed to the hospital. However, when I arrived at the hospital out of breath, I saw Jackson in the ward carefully peeling an apple for Madison, who was lying in the hospital bed. I froze, a strong bitterness welling up in my heart. Since knowing Jackson, this was the first time I had seen him be so gentle and attentive. It was a pity that side of him only belonged to Madison, the sweetheart who had remained unshakable in Jackson’s heart for decades! Seeing that nothing serious had happened to Jackson, I turned to leave with the money in hand. Just then, Madison saw me and waved at me through the ward door. “Aubrey, come in!” At that, a hint of struggle flashed across my face. I hesitated for a few seconds but still pushed open the door before me.

“Aubrey, what took you so long!” Seeing me, Jackson frowned, his tone filled with impatience. I ignored him and looked at the diamond necklace around Madison’s neck. I had seen it before, in the drawer of Jackson’s study. I thought it was a surprise Jackson had prepared for me and was happy for a long time. It turned out I was deluding myself. It was never meant for me. I was so sad as if a huge hand was tightly gripping my heart, suffocating me! “Enough! What are you waiting for? Hurry up and take out the money!” Jackson’s voice rang out, only then bringing me back to my senses. “What exactly happened? Why do you need so much money!” I asked as I unzipped my bag. “It’s nothing, Aubrey.” Madison looked at me, smiling from the hospital bed. “I just want an eyebrow lift, and Jackson insisted on paying for the surgery.” At this, I paused and looked at Madison in disbelief and then at Jackson. “Eyebrow lift surgery?” “Yes, I feel like my eyebrows are drooping…” Madison went on and on, and my face grew paler and paler. Last night, Jackson flew into a rage at me for spending two dollars, but today, he could so generously take out 10 thousand dollars. It turned out the difference between loving someone and not was really obvious. I was utterly disappointed! I silently zipped the bag back up halfway. Jackson’s eyes widened in surprise at this. “What are you doing?” “Are you really going to use my salary for your lover’s surgery?” I looked at Jackson and said coldly. At this, Jackson’s face immediately darkened. Madison saw this and raised an eyebrow. “Jackson, if Aubrey is unwilling, then forget it. “But I’m a little curious. How could you let Aubrey, a rural woman, control the finances in your family?” My eyes turned cold. “What’s wrong with being a rural woman? “Without farmers, where would the food you eat come from?” At this, Madison looked at Jackson, her eyes instantly reddening, and she looked quite aggrieved. “Jackson, Aubrey is angry. Should I apologize to her?” “No need!” Jackson glared at me viciously. “Was Madison wrong? “Aren’t you a rural woman? “Look at how you dress, worse than a beggar on the street. “Always embarrassing me!” At this, my nose soured, and my eyes turned red. “Jackson, what did you say? “Since being with you, I haven’t even bought a single new piece of clothing! “Everything I wear is old clothes others don’t want!” “You deserve it!” Jackson said impatiently. “Have you looked at yourself, and you still want to learn from others and wear new clothes!” At this, I froze in place. So this was my place in Jackson’s heart. “Alright, give me the money!” With that, Jackson reached to grab my bag. At that, I quickly held the bag tightly to my chest. Jackson instantly flew into a rage. “Aubrey, do you want to die? “How blind was I back then to marry someone like you! “Give me the money!” “No!” My eyes were red, and I gripped the bag tightly with both hands. Jackson saw this and spat, cursing, “Aubrey, you’re just as tightfisted as your dead mother!” “Shut up! Don’t talk about my mother!” I shouted, shaking uncontrollably from extreme anger. “What? Did I say something wrong? “Back then, I just wanted her to give a few pieces of furniture as a wedding gift, and you saw how difficult she made it! As if I was asking for her life! “Good thing she died early. Otherwise, who knows how much alimony she’d be trying to swindle from me now!” At this, my eyes turned bloodshot. Unable to restrain the resentment in my heart any longer, I fiercely slapped Jackson across the face.

The ward instantly fell silent. Jackson looked at me, his eyes red, filled with hatred. “Aubrey, how dare you hit me! I’ll really beat you to death today!” Jackson said through gritted teeth. I didn’t say anything, my heart breaking completely. This was the man I had loved for decades! I was completely disillusioned, no longer harboring any fantasies about Jackson in my heart. I looked at him coldly. “Jackson, if you dare lay a finger on me, I will immediately report you to the police for domestic violence.” “You… Clearly, you hit me first!” Jackson’s face instantly turned red in the face from anger and he was unable to speak. Just then, Madison, who had been watching, suddenly spoke up, “Aubrey, a little quarrel doesn’t need to be taken to the police station, right? “Besides, Jackson was just talking, but you really slapped him!” At this, I couldn’t help but smile mockingly, “Madison, if I were you, I would choose to shut up. “That diamond necklace you’re wearing is still a shared property of our marriage!” At this, Madison’s eyes flashed with resentment. Then she turned to look at Jackson beside her, her eyes instantly reddening, and she looked very aggrieved. “Jackson! Look at her! I kindly advised her, and she actually said that to me!” At this, a hint of heartache flashed in Jackson’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Madison. It’s my fault for implicating you and making you suffer.” Looking at the affectionate gaze between the two, I only felt my stomach churning, disgusted to the extreme. I couldn’t stay in this ward for another minute. I turned to leave. Just then, the door to the ward was pushed open. “Dad! Mom! What exactly happened!” Ella and Dylan walked in, looking very worried. “Ella, why are you here?” Jackson saw this, a trace of confusion in his eyes. “Mom sent me a text! “She said you had an accident and were in the hospital! Told us to hurry over!” With that, Ella looked at me reproachfully. “I even took time off work for this! “Now look! No full attendance!” Dylan heard this and gently pushed her shoulder. “Why are you saying that? “Your parents are more important than full attendance.” With that, Dylan looked at Jackson and me, carefully asking, “Hurry and tell us, what exactly happened?” Just then, Ella noticed Madison lying in the hospital bed, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes. “Who is this…” At this, Jackson said somewhat awkwardly, “Ella, this is my friend, just call her Madison.” “Friend?” I laughed coldly and looked at Ella. “Ella, she is the sweetheart your dad has kept deep in his heart for so many years! “Your dad urgently called me to the hospital today just to have me take out 10 thousand dollars to pay for his sweetheart’s eyebrow lift surgery.” At this, a hint of dissatisfaction flashed across Ella’s face. “Mom, you called me to the hospital just for this?” I froze for a moment, not quite understanding Ella’s attitude. “Do you know how busy I was today? How could you waste my time on such a trivial matter?” Ella said unhappily. At this, I was stunned, unable to understand. I never imagined that Ella would actually say something like this. I thought, “Couldn’t she see how awful Jackson’s actions were!” I was devastated. “Ella is right!” Jackson glared at me fiercely! “It’s just a small matter of 10 thousand dollars, and you even called them over. You really don’t consider them at all!” “Jackson, you can’t blame Aubrey for this. She’s just a rural woman. She doesn’t understand much,” Madison added. “It’s just 10 thousand dollars! I’ll pay for it!” Dylan waved his hand very generously. At this, my heart ached terribly. I didn’t understand why everyone was blaming me. I thought, “Why was even my own daughter standing on the opposite side of me? Clearly, the one in the wrong was Jackson!”

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The first year after I was reunited with my biological family, my foster sister Vanessa suggested we take a trip to Las Vegas to bond. For safety reasons, my fiancé Lucas decided to accompany us. Little did I know, they would rack up a massive gambling debt at the casino. To escape, Lucas left me behind as collateral and fled with Vanessa, disappearing without a trace. The casino thugs held me down, ready to take out their frustrations on me. As I struggled desperately, I caught a glimpse of the gang leader’s phone screen. The contact labeled “Casino Owner” was a number I knew all too well – it belonged to Dominic, the brother who had doted on me for over a decade. “Where’s that bitch? Bring her to me!” I cowered in the corner of the room, trembling. The locked door was being kicked in, one forceful blow after another. A week ago, I never would have imagined that the Las Vegas trip my fiancé planned would lead me to an underground casino. He and Vanessa gambled recklessly day and night, but in the end, I was the one who suffered the consequences. With a loud crash, the door flew open. Several burly men in black clothes rushed in. I held up a lamp to shield myself, looking at them fearfully. “Please don’t come any closer. Lucas has gone to get money. He’ll pay off the debt soon!” The leader spat on the ground contemptuously. “Stop lying to me, girl. I fell for your trick last night, thinking they’d pay up if we kept you here. But that bastard ran off with his girlfriend!” “What? They abandoned me and ran away?” “Don’t play dumb. I bet you’re all in on this scheme together!” Cold sweat trickled down my forehead. The “bastard” their leader mentioned was my fiancé Lucas, and the woman who left with him was Vanessa, my foster sister who had taken my place in the family for over a decade. They had actually conspired to leave me stranded here alone? “Boss, stop wasting time talking. Let’s teach this little bitch a lesson.” At the leader’s signal, several thugs surrounded me. With a flick of their wrists, they knocked the lamp out of my hands and roughly pinned me to the table. “Don’t touch me! Get away!” In my struggle, I accidentally kicked one of them in the shin. Immediately, a hand slapped me hard across the face. My cheek swelled instantly, and I tasted blood in my mouth. These men were brutal – if I didn’t think of something fast, I might actually die here! The leader approached me with a whip, tapping my face with the handle. “Behave yourself. I’ll show you what happens when you don’t pay your debts!” “Please, I have money! I can pay off the debt, just let me go!” “You think I’d still believe that crap? If you really had money, why would they leave you behind?” As I frantically searched for a way out, I noticed the leader’s phone screen. There was a contact labeled “Casino Owner”. When I saw the number, my eyes widened in shock. I knew that number by heart – it was Dominic’s!

Dominic was my adoptive parents’ biological son. Before I was reunited with my birth family, he had cherished and spoiled me for over a decade. He even plastered his room with my photos without my knowledge, harboring secret feelings for me. “Your boss is Dominic?” I blurted out. “Well, well, you’ve done your homework. This whole casino is the boss’s private business. Not many people know that.” My heart steadied. I shouted at them, “Dominic is my brother! We’re on the same side! Let me go now, and I can explain this misunderstanding to him!” The leader exchanged glances with his men, their faces twisted in mockery. Then, he kicked me hard. “How dare a piece of trash like you pretend to be the young miss! You don’t know your place. The young miss is the boss’s weak spot. You know what happened to the last person who tried to use her name? It’d scare you to death!” “Jay, bring me my club. I’m going to teach this audacious woman a lesson for the boss!” The kick left me dizzy, but I persisted through the pain: “I am your young miss! If you don’t believe me, call Dominic here to see for himself!” Just then, the leader’s phone rang. The caller was Dominic. I broke free from the thugs’ grip and lunged for the leader’s phone. “Give it to me! Let me talk to Dominic. He’ll recognize my voice!” The leader slapped me hard and pointed at me, ordering me to shut up. His men pinned me down again. He gave them a look, then answered the phone obsequiously as he walked out. “Hello, boss. I was just dealing with a deadbeat gambler. What can I do for you?” I tried to shout, but only got half a syllable out before a rag was stuffed in my mouth. “We told you to shut up, you stubborn bitch!” Someone shoved me to the ground, and the others started kicking and punching me. I curled up in a fetal position, nearly passing out from the pain. The gag in my mouth prevented me from even crying out. Dominic had always pampered me since childhood. He’d worry for days over a tiny scratch on my hand. His indulgence had made me proud and willful. Even after I returned to my birth family, I never suffered any hardships due to my personality. I wondered how Dominic would react if he saw me in this pitiful state. Just as I was about to lose consciousness, the leader returned with his phone, looking anxious. “Stop! Stop right now!”

The rain of fists finally ceased. “What’s wrong, boss?” The leader gave me a contemptuous look. “Don’t waste any more time on this woman. The boss says the young miss is missing. She was last seen at our casino. Gather all our men to search for her immediately.” I was stunned, my head still spinning from the beating. Dominic had been keeping tabs on my whereabouts even after I left, and he noticed I was missing? I propped myself up on shaky arms, making muffled sounds through the gag. One of the thugs kicked me. “Quiet!” “Boss, what should we do with this woman?” The leader’s face was grim as he pondered. “The boss is already on a plane, coming to look for the young miss himself. This woman claimed she was the young miss earlier…” My face lit up with excitement. Great, Dominic was coming! He would not only rescue me but also punish these blind fools. But the leader continued: “We absolutely cannot let the boss see her. He’s already anxious about not finding the young miss. If this crazy woman jumps out claiming to be her, it might set him off and he’ll take it out on us.” “You’re right, boss. Should we get rid of her?” The leader grabbed my chin, examining my face. “She is quite pretty, though.” “Lock her in solitary confinement for now. After the boss finds the young miss and leaves, we’ll train her to be a dealer to work off the debt.” I shook my head frantically upon hearing this. They wanted me to stay and become a dealer? I’d be trapped on this island forever! But no one cared about my opinion. They dragged me away like an animal, heading for the solitary confinement cell. No, this couldn’t happen. Dominic was coming soon. I had to find a way to see him. This was my last chance. Once I was locked up, it would all be over! As the two men were about to lock me in the cell, I stumbled to my feet and used all my strength to slam into the door before it closed completely. Then I grabbed a metal pipe from the ground and swung it hard at one man’s head. He clutched his head and collapsed in pain. Before the other could restrain me, I smashed the pipe into his face. After dealing with these two, my adrenaline surged. I ran forward at an incredible speed, as if my life depended on it. The sound of a helicopter came from above. It was Dominic. He had arrived!

I ran like a madwoman towards where the helicopter was landing. I saw the cabin door open. Dominic slowly descended the steps. My heart was racing, but before I could make a sound, a rough hand clamped over my mouth. Then my hair was yanked back violently. “You little bitch, how dare you hit me! You must have a death wish!” It was the man whose head I had struck earlier. He had caught up! The leader was respectfully waiting to receive Dominic. Noticing the commotion, he frowned and looked our way. He silently shook his head at the man holding me. I was immediately dragged behind a wall. Not far away, Dominic had come down. He looked travel-worn and worried. The leader immediately went to greet him: “Boss, we’ve pulled all the surveillance footage as you instructed. We’ll definitely find clues about the young miss’s whereabouts.” “Take me to the surveillance room.” Dominic strode forward, passing within arm’s reach of me. We were separated by just a wall. He suddenly paused, clenching his fist. As if speaking to me, or perhaps to himself, he said: “Aria, please be safe.” My face was covered in tears and blood. He was right in front of me, but I couldn’t make a sound. In the end, I was thrown into solitary confinement. To prevent me from escaping, they dislocated my arms, tied my legs, and gagged me tightly again. For the next few days, Dominic didn’t come. The underground casino was dimly lit, and Lucas had kept me confined to the hotel room during our stay. My face probably wasn’t captured on any surveillance footage. My hope was slowly fading away. But early one morning, I heard hurried footsteps and Dominic’s voice. “Boss, how can you be sure that person is the young miss just from seeing her back? Could you have made a mistake? She’s just a nobody left here to pay off a debt.” Dominic’s voice was agitated and slightly panicked. “Enough! Where are you keeping her?” “In… in the solitary confinement cell up ahead.” He recognized me! Hope surged within me. I tried to make muffled sounds to get Dominic’s attention. But the footsteps stopped about ten paces away from me. “Mr. Zhou, we just confirmed with the young miss’s fiancé. He said she’s already back in the country. She was never missing.” It was Dominic’s assistant’s voice. “Where does her location show?” “Also in the country. It shows she returned three days ago, but it just synced up due to signal issues.” Lucas had taken my phone when he left with Vanessa. It had a tracker Dominic had installed. Now he was using the phone’s location to mislead Dominic! The leader eagerly persuaded him: “Boss, you must have been mistaken. I knew that woman couldn’t possibly be the young miss!” Dominic instructed his assistant: “Contact the pilot immediately to prepare for our return. I need to see Aria with my own eyes to be sure.” “Yes, sir.” Hearing Dominic about to leave, I threw caution to the wind. I used all my strength to slam my head against the iron door of the cell, making a loud “bang”. Dominic’s footsteps halted. His tone turned cold: “Who exactly is locked in there?”

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I supported Lucas Gray for seven years and loved him for just as long. He finally agreed to be with me. But later I found out he was in love with his childhood sweetheart. He had always hated me, thinking I was humiliating him by throwing money at him. For ten years after our marriage, he was extremely cold to me, and eventually moved out to start a new family with his sweetheart. I was left alone in an empty house, withering away in depression. When I was reborn to the day I decided to support him, Lucas’s sweetheart Emma threw herself at him and yelled at me excitedly: “You think you’re so great just because you have money? We don’t need it!” I smiled. “You’re mistaken. I’d rather burn this money than give it to you.” “Aria Collins, you’re just a rich brat! You think money makes you better than us? We don’t want your charity!” Emma shouted, clinging to Lucas. Looking at Emma draped over Lucas, I felt a sense of déjà vu. My gaze met Lucas’s. At twenty, Lucas still had a boyish air about him, wearing a faded denim jacket. But he was so handsome – tall and straight-backed, with chiseled features and eyes like cold stars – that he made even the worn clothes look expensive. I couldn’t help taking a step back, steadying myself against the table behind me. How long had it been since I’d seen Lucas like this? Ten years? Twenty? It had been so long, I could barely remember. After all, that was in my past life. Lucas looked slightly startled when I stepped back. Emma was still ranting, but I couldn’t hear a word she was saying. Everything before me was exactly the same as in my previous life. Back then, he refused my help, but I insisted on supporting him anyway. I had loved Lucas for seven years, and I knew his family was struggling. His father was a degenerate gambler who would come home drunk and beat Lucas and his mother after losing all their money. Lucas’s mother, unable to bear the abuse any longer, eventually drowned herself in the river. From a young age, Lucas had to pick up trash and do odd jobs to support himself. He managed to stay in school by applying for scholarships. We shouldn’t have had any connection. But he always had excellent grades, so our private high school offered him a scholarship to boost their college acceptance rates. That’s how we ended up at the same school. Back then, most of us in our circle were rich kids, with wealthy families. We didn’t care much about studying and just coasted through our days, waiting to go abroad for an easy degree before coming back to inherit the family business. Lucas was different. He had clear goals, studied hard during class, and worked part-time jobs after school. Though he was poor, he never saw it as something to be ashamed of. He always carried himself with dignity. That’s when I fell for him. Because I liked him, I couldn’t stand to see him suffer. I was young and naive then, always trying to force what I thought was best onto him. He had to skip breakfast to make it to his night job, so I’d bring him lunch boxes from home. “Lucas, try this! My family’s chef makes the best Wagyu beef. “And this foie gras – my dad had it flown in specially. It’s delicious!” I was an only child, spoiled rotten since birth. Everyone around me indulged my every whim, leaving me with an empty head. I just wanted to give him the best of everything. But I completely ignored whether he wanted it or not. Our classmates would jeer: “Aria, he doesn’t know what foie gras is! He probably can’t even afford chicken liver!” I’d yell back: “Mind your own business!” I didn’t notice Lucas’s fingers turning white as he gripped the lunchbox tightly. After a moment, he handed the box back to me and said coldly: “Thanks for the thought, but no thanks.” “Come on, Lucas,” some guy said with a wink, “if you get with Aria, you’ll never have to work hard again. Better snag her quick!” “Yeah, then your dad can gamble as much as he wants without touching your tuition money, haha!” Everyone burst out laughing. I slammed the table. “Shut up, all of you!” The others stopped laughing. But Lucas stood up abruptly and walked out. I chased after him, trying to give him the lunchbox: “Lucas, don’t listen to them. Please eat this. You’ll wear yourself out working at night if you don’t eat properly.” He stopped and whirled around. I froze. His eyes were filled with pure hatred and disgust.

Young people tend to have short memories. I soon forgot about that incident and continued pursuing Lucas. For his sake, I even started studying hard and got into the same university as him. My dad was overjoyed and doubled my allowance. Lucas was even busier in college. His scholarship application was rejected, and the financial aid for poor students went to a classmate with connections. At his lowest point, he could only afford one bread roll from the cafeteria each day, filling up on free soup. I couldn’t bear to watch and offered to support him, but he refused. He worked three part-time jobs a day, eventually collapsing from exhaustion on the street. That’s when I finally snapped and grabbed him, insisting on giving him money. “Lucas, why won’t you take my money? What are you trying to prove by working yourself to death?!” I went to his advisor and forcibly paid his tuition. By then I’d grown up a bit and knew to be mindful of his pride. So when we ate together, I’d always say I couldn’t finish my food and ask him to help. When we went out, I’d claim I had free vouchers and invite him along. Gradually, Lucas and I seemed to grow closer. I supported him all the way through graduation, and to make him happy, I even helped support Emma, his childhood friend. After graduation, Lucas started his own business. He’d always had excellent grades and had developed a game app with some friends in college, but they kept hitting dead ends and couldn’t secure any investment. I couldn’t stand seeing him so dejected, so I asked my dad to invest in his company. I remember Lucas was very quiet that night. As I was almost falling asleep on his shoulder, he suddenly spoke up. “Aria, why are you doing all this?” At the time, I thought he meant to ask why I was being so nice to him, so I answered without hesitation: “Because I like you. “Lucas, do you like me?” I tugged at his arm playfully. “I’ve been so good to you. If you don’t be with me, you’re a big meanie!” I was just joking at the time. But Lucas didn’t say anything, and I took his silence as agreement. That’s how we got together. Two years later, Lucas and I got married. The wedding was a simple affair. Lucas said he didn’t like big crowds, so we only invited a few tables of close relatives and friends. They were all my relatives and friends. On his side, he was the only one there. After the wedding, Lucas remained cold towards me. I was so stupid back then. I thought that was just his personality, and since I’d been chasing him for so many years, even a heart of stone would eventually be warmed by my love if I just kept being good to him. But I never imagined that his heart truly was impossible to warm. Because his heart had always belonged to someone else. Three years into our marriage, our conflicts could no longer be reconciled. I started to lose patience with his daily indifference. I confronted him, asking if he was in love with Emma. He just stared at me coldly, saying nothing. When pushed too far, he’d simply slam the door and leave. His cold violence drove me increasingly paranoid and crazy. Whenever he came home, I’d interrogate him, curse at him. During our most heated arguments, I’d lose control and say terrible things: “If I’d known you’d be such an ungrateful bastard, I should’ve just gotten a dog instead. At least it would wag its tail at me!” His expression twisted for a moment before quickly becoming calm again. After that day, he stopped coming home altogether. Later I found out he’d been with Emma all along. They had a new home together, and even… a child. For years, he had a perfect, happy family outside. While I guarded our empty home alone, all my love fermenting into poisonous hatred. Lucas’s business took off, and he became even richer than my father. I had nothing left to hurt him with. The only thing I had was our marriage. I bet my life on revenge against him, refusing to divorce him no matter how much money he offered. He ruined me, so I wouldn’t let him off easy either. The woman he loved would forever remain a mistress hidden in the shadows. His son with her would always be an illegitimate child born in the gutter. Lucas didn’t dare sue me for divorce. He was afraid the publicity from our marital dispute would affect his company’s stock price, and the other board members wouldn’t allow it. So we were stuck in this stalemate for ten years. No matter how hysterical I became during those ten years, no matter how crazed, even when I finally broke down and begged… He never softened. He never came back to see me. I grew thinner and sicker in my daily despair. In the end, I withered away and died, consumed by depression.

“Aria?” I snapped back to reality and looked at Lucas beside me. A deep hatred welled up from every part of my body. My heart felt like it would explode, and I could barely stand. After I died, he finally got what he wanted, didn’t he? Perhaps he treated me that way deliberately, hoping to torment me to death faster. I remembered how my medication was suddenly switched before I died. When I asked the housekeeper about it, he just said it was changed to a milder type. I didn’t suspect anything. But not long after taking the new medication, my health deteriorated rapidly. Towards the end, I could barely even sit up. Soon after, I breathed my last. It must have been him. Who else could it be? Who else hated me so much, wishing for my immediate death? He wanted Emma to take my place. How vicious. I stared at Lucas, forcibly suppressing the urge to lunge at him and kill him on the spot. I hated him so much! I truly believed that apart from being inconsiderate of his pride when I was young and ignorant, I had never wronged Lucas in any way. I didn’t even force him to marry me. I even asked if he was willing, saying I could wait if he wasn’t ready. Yet he hated me like this. Emma was still shouting at me, just like in my past life: “Aria Collins, you think you’re so great just because you have money? How dare you insult us like this!” I turned to look at her. She wore a white dress, looking small and delicate like a little white flower. This was the woman Lucas loved, the one he’d kill me to be with. It was the same in my past life. Lucas and I were talking normally, and I told him if he felt uncomfortable, he could pay me back for his tuition when he started earning money – I’d just consider it a loan. But Emma suddenly accused me of throwing money at people and insulting Lucas. Later, during arguments with Lucas, I gradually came to understand. He had always felt that I was humiliating him by throwing money at him. I suddenly found it all very amusing. Seeing Emma’s protective stance, I smirked. “You’re overthinking things. “I’d rather burn this money than give it to you two.” Lucas’s face changed dramatically.

Emma’s expression went blank for a moment. “…What did you say?” I smiled. “Didn’t you think me supporting you was an insult? “We’re classmates, how could I insult you like that? In that case, forget it. You can keep working your part-time jobs.” Emma’s family situation was similar to Lucas’s. Her father had run off with borrowed money, and her mother was bedridden after working herself sick to pay for Emma’s education. Perhaps because of their similar circumstances, she and Lucas had always been close, constantly hovering around him. She always liked to tag along when Lucas and I went out. Sometimes I didn’t want her to come, but she’d hide behind him and ask me pitifully: “Aria, do you dislike me because I’m poor? Do you not want to be friends with me?” Before I could say anything, Lucas would shield her behind him and say in a low voice: “If you think we’re not good enough for you, then don’t go.” I’d have no choice but to bring her along. She’d be there when we ate out. She’d tilt her head, looking at the lobster on the plate and say: “Do you eat such good food every day?” Then in a dejected yet envious tone: “We really are from different worlds, aren’t we?” Several times when Lucas and I were chatting happily, she’d suddenly say something like this, and the smile would fade from Lucas’s face. He’d stop talking to me. At first, I thought she was just being thoughtless. Until one time when I was walking with Lucas and suddenly turned back to say something to him, I caught her expression as she looked at me. Emma’s face was expressionless, her eyes roiling with viciousness and resentment. Seeing me turn around, she was caught off guard and quickly forced a smile. But I felt a chill run down my spine. That’s when I finally realized. She disliked me. Or rather, she hated me. Actually, when Lucas and I first got married, we did have a brief period of harmony. His company had just gotten on track then, securing their first big contract. After the celebration party, he drunkenly hugged me and said with a smile: “Honey, what do you want? Your husband will buy it for you.” I felt bad that he’d worked so hard to earn money and hugged him back contentedly. “It’s okay, just knowing you care makes me happy.” But he insisted, stubbornly saying: “A husband earns money for his wife to spend. I’ll buy you a bag. What kind of bag do you like?!” Even as he fell asleep, he was still mumbling: “Aria, I have money now. “You don’t have to suffer with me anymore.” He really did buy me a bag the next day. But before I could say anything, Emma showed up. She looked at the bag in my hand with an odd expression. Then she suddenly snatched it from me and said to Lucas with a smile: “Oh my, I remember Aria had this bag in college. A guy who liked her gave it to her. “She even complained it was too cheap to carry around.” I had long forgotten if that had actually happened. But Lucas’s expression immediately turned ugly. Then he took the bag and left without a word. The next time I saw that bag, it was on Emma’s shoulder. She smiled at me, feigning nonchalance: “Aria, Lucas gave me this bag. You’re not mad, are you?” Of course I objected and told her to return it to me. Her face filled with panic and distress, eyes reddening as she asked: “You already have so many bags, why do you have to fight me for this one?! “You have so many, and this is my only one!” Lucas pulled me away, his face dark. “Let go! If you don’t care about it, why are you fighting her for it? Or do you just like taking things from others?!” I was too proud back then to take such treatment. We had a huge fight and parted on bad terms. It was only later that I understood. Emma wasn’t talking about the bag at all. She was talking about Lucas. She felt I had stolen him from her, which was why she hated me so much.

“Aria,” Lucas suddenly grabbed my arm in a panic, “Wait!” I turned back, startled by the look on his face. His eyes were turbulent with emotion, as if something was about to burst forth! Even his voice trembled slightly. “This isn’t right, it shouldn’t be like this! “Aria Collins, why aren’t you supporting me anymore? Don’t you like me?!” I was shocked by his frenzy. What was wrong with Lucas? Had he gone mad? Or was he angry at how I spoke to Emma? But in my past life, I hadn’t won him over yet at this point. He was always cold and expressionless towards me. Was he having some kind of episode? I tried to pull my hand away: “Let go!” But he held on even tighter, his eyes reddening. “Aria, don’t you like me anymore? “Are you abandoning me?!” Now I was truly frightened. When had Lucas ever said such things to me? I stared at him wide-eyed: “Lucas Gray, did you take the wrong medication or are you possessed?” But he said nothing, just staring at me unblinkingly, his expression obsessive and crazed. It sparked my temper. After how he treated me in my past life, he dared to glare at me now?! “Didn’t you think me supporting you was humiliating? Or were you just putting on an act, wanting me to beg you so you could freeload off me?!” Emma’s mouth fell open, apparently not expecting me to speak to Lucas this way. Of course, in my past life this was when I loved him most. Every word I said was carefully measured, afraid of hurting his pride. But now I didn’t care anymore! “Lucas Gray, who do you think you are?!” I said scornfully. Ungrateful bastard, biting the hand that fed him. I really wondered how I ever fell for someone like him before. Surprisingly, Lucas didn’t get angry. He just turned deathly pale, all color draining from his face. I yanked my hand away and left without looking back.

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The rose in my hand fell to the ground as I saw my fiancée, Sophia Sullivan, lying in bed with another man, still wearing her wedding dress. Tomorrow was supposed to be our wedding day. I forced a bitter smile and said, “Do you know this is our marital home?” Sophia replied nonchalantly, “If we’re going for thrills, might as well go all the way. Besides, what can you do now that you’ve found out? You’re just a dog my father raised. Do you dare to divorce me?” I shook my head and turned to leave. She sneered and called me useless. As I closed the door, I could hear the sound of heavy breathing from inside. For years, I had been working under her father, climbing the corporate ladder. Sophia thought she had me under her thumb. What she didn’t know was that her father had been suffering from dementia for the past six months. With my ambition, I had seized all the power. With just one word from me, her family would go bankrupt immediately. I made two phone calls. One was to notify all friends and relatives that tomorrow’s wedding was canceled. The other was to tell my secretary to inform all shareholders that from today on, I would no longer protect the Sullivan family. The shareholders acted quickly. When I came downstairs, I saw Sophia’s driver rushing over. He bowed deeply to me, then got into the Porsche and drove away. Both the car and the driver were gifts from other shareholders to curry favor with her father. Now, Sophia held no value in their eyes. This woman was still upstairs in the throes of passion, unaware that from now on, forget about a Porsche, she wouldn’t even be able to afford a subway ride. Even this marital home was given to Sophia by a property developer who had heard about our wedding and wanted to befriend me. Just as I sat in my own car, I saw a group of property management staff rushing upstairs. This 3000 square foot riverside apartment was no longer a place Sophia could afford to live in. Soon, Sophia was dragged down by security guards, her clothes in disarray. She yelled frantically, “Don’t touch me! What are you doing? Do you know who my father is?” Her father? After I took over the power, her father was nothing. Sophia saw me in the car. She broke free from the security guards and rushed over, banging on my car window, cursing, “Liam Stark, what trick are you playing? I’m going to tell my father right now and make sure you end up with nothing!” This woman still didn’t understand that she was the one who would end up with nothing. The man beside her anxiously said to me, “Liam, Sophia and I have wronged you, but you can’t just kick her out of her home! Even a dog is loyal to those who feed it. Don’t forget how her father promoted you all these years.” I glanced at the man. I knew him. He was Ethan Gray, Sophia’s high school sweetheart. Sophia had truly loved him for many years. I had always known that when Ethan got the opportunity to study abroad, Sophia gave him her first time. That night she got pregnant and had an abortion, crying that she had lost his child. Once, I was devoted to the Sullivan family. Now, I only cared about this business empire. I calmly told my driver, “Let’s go.” As the scenery outside began to recede, Sophia frantically banged on my car window, hysterically shouting, “Liam Stark, at the shareholders’ meeting the day after tomorrow, I’m going to clean house and kick you, you ungrateful bastard, out of the Sullivan family!”

Ungrateful bastard? I laughed. All these years, people thought Mr. Sullivan was promoting me. But they all forgot that years ago, he built his fortune through smuggling and was caught evading taxes. It was my loyal father who took the blame for everything. Perhaps feeling indebted, he took me in as his godson. On my first day in the Sullivan family, Sophia arrogantly said to me, “They say your dad was my dad’s dog. So from today on, you’re my dog.” That day, Mr. Sullivan laughed it off, telling me that kids say the darnedest things and not to take it to heart. From that day on, I lived for the Sullivan family. In front of her classmates, Sophia would call me “puppy,” making me carry her backpack and do her homework. If I showed the slightest resistance, she would angrily announce in front of everyone, “You bastard without a father, if my dad hadn’t taken you in, you’d have starved to death by now. How dare you be so ungrateful!” When I wore new clothes for New Year, she would go around telling everyone that her dad bought my clothes and gave me my New Year’s money. From childhood, I was that loyal dog. When I grew up and entered Sullivan Group, I rose through the ranks quickly. But every step I took was stained with invisible blood, as I eliminated every enemy that posed a threat to Sophia for Mr. Sullivan. I built a throne, just waiting for Sophia to return. All these years, she only cared about eating, drinking, and having fun, letting me pave the way for her. Once she was done playing around, she could directly take the throne. Come to think of it, it’s fortunate that she only cared about having fun, neglecting even her own father. Otherwise, how could I have obtained this vast business empire? The next day, Sophia came, bringing Ethan Gray with her. She pushed open my office door and angrily scolded, “Well, well, Liam Stark, you really dared to cancel the wedding.” I glanced at her and calmly asked, “What’s the matter?” “Where’s my dad? All my cards have been frozen. Ethan had to pay for the cab fare to get here.” I casually replied, “The chairman is out of state for a business deal.” In fact, how could he possibly be on a business trip? He had even forgotten who he was and had long been arranged by me to stay in a nursing home abroad. Sophia looked into my eyes, suddenly laughing in extreme anger, “I was planning to kick you out at tomorrow’s shareholders’ meeting, but I can’t stand the sight of your face anymore. It’s making me sick. Don’t act all high and mighty sitting in that position, get out!” She took out a document and slammed it on my desk. I picked it up and saw it was a personnel appointment letter. “Hereby appoint Mr. Ethan Gray as the assistant to the general manager of our company, to take office immediately upon Mr. Gray’s return to the country.” It was signed by Mr. Sullivan, dated exactly six months ago. Starting directly as the assistant to the general manager, this was clearly aiming for my position, expecting me to train him hands-on. Indeed, Mr. Sullivan only saw me as the Sullivan family’s dog. Sophia sneered, “Let me tell you, you can wear that suit for three more months at most. This chair is for Ethan!” Ethan hypocritically said, “I’m sorry, Sophia said the company was busy and hoped I could come help out. I didn’t know it would be like this.” I nodded and extended my hand to him, “Welcome aboard.” Ethan shook my hand, his face full of triumphant smiles. I withdrew my hand, “But you just stepped into the office with your left foot first, which is not good for the company’s image. Go to HR and process your resignation.” Ethan’s smile gradually froze. Sophia’s eyes widened, “How dare you! You actually fired Ethan!”

I sat in my chair, flipping through documents, and calmly said, “What’s wrong with me firing my assistant?” Ethan was still pretending, he smiled bitterly and said, “Liam.” “Shut up, who are you to call me Liam?” “Alright, Mr. Stark, I understand you’re angry with me, but this is Mr. Sullivan’s appointment. If you fire me directly now, you might look bad at tomorrow’s shareholders’ meeting.” “Will I?” I took out my phone, opened the camera, and looked at my face, then said seriously, “I think I look quite handsome. My chin and dimples are the most charming.” He stood there dumbfounded, his mouth agape. Sophia angrily pushed all the documents on my desk to the floor, cursing, “Liam Stark! Do you really think you’re the general manager of our family business? Let me tell you the truth, the reason I dated and was going to marry you was only because my dad saw that you had built a team of elites and wanted to win people’s hearts first. Now that the company is on track, we don’t need you anymore!” I nodded, I had known this all along. She continued to sneer, “You’re about to become a pauper. Why do you think I made you sign a prenuptial agreement? Whether we get married or divorced, our assets remain separate! Poor thing, you won’t even be able to afford a bowl of ramen soon!” Hearing this, I laughed out loud. Thank goodness for the prenuptial agreement. “You still dare to laugh?” Sophia was about to throw another fit, but I just stood up and adjusted my tie, “Sorry, I have a meeting to attend, so I can’t keep you company.” Ethan sighed, “Liam, I know you still can’t accept this, so I’ll come to take the position tomorrow. Don’t worry, you’re talented. After I become the general manager in three months, I’ll still arrange for you to assist me.” I couldn’t be bothered to respond to him and just turned to leave, making a call to my secretary. When the call connected, I asked, “How are things going?” The secretary respectfully said, “From tomorrow on, there will be no more Sullivan family.” “Mm, arrange a car for tomorrow morning.” “The shareholders’ meeting starts in the morning, where are you going?” “To the prison, to pick someone up.”

At the prison gate. I sat in the Maybach, looking over the planning documents for tomorrow. As the prison gates opened, my father walked out carrying a bag, dressed plainly. The secretary hurried over to carry his bag, while he came to my side, touching the car door, and sighed, “Mr. Sullivan is so kind, letting you ride in such an expensive car.” I calmly said, “Get in.” He sat in the car somewhat awkwardly, even wiping the seat, “I’m dirty, don’t want to soil Mr. Sullivan’s car. Son, I’m really relieved I left you with Mr. Sullivan, look how well he’s raised you.” “Raised me?” I laughed coldly, “In middle school, Sophia forced me to wash her feet in front of her classmates to show off that she had a servant, and wanted me to drink her foot-washing water. When I refused, she slapped me three times in public. When her father found out, he just told her not to joke around. Is that what you call raising me? “I studied hard and got into a top university. Because she needed someone to serve her, I was arranged to go to a third-rate college. While I was cleaning her dorm, she was in a hotel serving her dear Ethan. After her abortion, when she was weak, she still ordered me around. Is that what you call raising me? “I’ll never forget the taste of that foot-washing water. I’ll never forget the humiliation I suffered as a man.” The smile on my father’s face gradually froze. He said quietly, “You can’t be ungrateful. Look at you now, dressed to the nines, all thanks to the Sullivan family’s help.” I remained silent. We were on different paths, incompatible. My father had been loyal to the Sullivan family for decades, happy to gnaw on any bone they threw him. But I was different. After all the hardships I’d endured, all the bullying I’d suffered, no one could stand above me anymore! I brought him here today to let him witness with his own eyes the fall of the Sullivan family, and see me rise to the top! When the car arrived at the entrance of Sullivan Group, Sophia and Ethan were already waiting there. As soon as my father saw Sophia, he humbly approached her, “Sophia, you’ve grown so big.” Sophia looked at him with disgust, “Mister, who are you? How do you know me?” “I’m your Uncle Stark! Mr. Sullivan came to see me five years ago and showed me your photo. I recognized you at first glance.” Sophia suddenly realized, she sneered, “Uncle Stark, you’ve really done a great job raising your son!” My father didn’t catch her sarcasm, he flattered her, “It’s all thanks to you and Mr. Sullivan’s care.” Sophia looked at me haughtily, then suddenly said to my father, “I’m thirsty, go buy me a bottle of water.” “Alright, uncle will go right away.” I watched as my father humbly ran off to buy water for Sophia, while she gave me a cold smile, “See that? Your dad is better at being a servant than you are.”

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A week before my wedding to Lucas Gray, his first love got divorced. He brought her to me, asking to call off our engagement: “Vivian, I don’t want to settle.” “No matter how hard you try to imitate her, you’ll never measure up.” I calmly walked away, cut my long hair short, and put on my biker jacket. I returned to my true battlefield. He sneered to his friends: “Who would like such a wild woman? She’s not marriage material at all.” Until a photo suddenly circulated in their circles. In the picture, a delicate white hand rested on the chest of the most notorious young master in high society, who was straddling a motorcycle. His tattooed, muscular arm wrapped tightly around the woman’s waist. The photo oozed with raw chemistry. Lucas finally called: “Vivian, who is he?” The reply came from another man’s lazy voice: “Hey, ex-boyfriend. Let me introduce myself. I’m her lawful husband.” I was at the bridal shop for my final fitting. In two weeks, I was supposed to marry Lucas Gray. Although the wedding dress was custom-made, it felt a bit tight around the chest and waist. As I went to the fitting room to adjust it, I suddenly heard voices growing clearer outside: “Hey, did you hear? Lucas Gray’s ex-girlfriend, Sophia Miller, just got divorced and returned to the country.” “I remember when she broke up with Lucas three years ago, he was utterly devastated.” “Indeed. If Vivian Reed hadn’t suddenly appeared and helped him through that dark time, who knows if he’d have ever recovered.” “Who’s Vivian Reed again? Oh right, the most rebellious princess of high society! I can’t believe she actually tamed herself for Lucas Gray.” “But now that Sophia is back, do you think the wedding will still happen?” “The invitations have already been sent out. If it falls through, won’t they become the laughingstock of our circles?” … After their voices faded, I took off the ill-fitting wedding dress. I called Lucas. He didn’t answer, but amidst the background noise, I heard his voice: “She’s just a poor imitation. Vivian can’t even compare to Sophia’s little finger.” Someone else chimed in: “But Vivian used to be known as hard to chase and even harder to tame. Bro, you should be satisfied.” Lucas scoffed: “How hard to tame? For the past three years, she’s been following me around like a puppy.” “Well, you still ended up engaged to her.” “Bro, don’t you like her?” Lucas’s voice turned cold: “Would you like a dog?” Someone in the crowd continued to ask: “Then why are you marrying her?” There was a moment of silence. After a while, I heard Lucas’s voice again: “It’s amusing to see such a wild girl become docile. It’s fun to play with her.” I hung up the phone. Looking at my long, straight black hair in the mirror. And the faded tattoos on my arms and collarbone. I suddenly smiled. I’ve had enough of playing this good girl act.

Lucas didn’t come home for a week. I listed our marital home on a real estate platform. Every brick and tile in this place was bought by me. I didn’t want any of it anymore. After finishing up, I finally received his call asking to meet. He had arranged the gathering but was the last to arrive. When he came in, the fragile and pitiful Sophia Miller was trailing behind him. She looked about 50% similar to how I looked now. He held her hand tightly, as if protecting her from any harm, his protective stance unmistakable. The air suddenly became still. No one dared to speak. All eyes turned to me. I remained silent, looking down at the red string bracelet on my wrist that was almost worn through. I smirked slightly. Until Lucas brought her in front of me: “Vivian, I’m calling off the wedding.” I lifted my eyes slightly, calmly looking at him: “You want to break the engagement?” He held Sophia tighter, looking at her adoringly: “Sophia’s back. I don’t want to settle.” “No matter how hard you try to imitate her, you’ll never measure up.” “Do you understand? I don’t love you.” I nodded: “Mm-hmm.” He looked at me in disbelief, as if my calm reaction wasn’t what he expected. “You know our parents arranged this marriage.” “I loved Sophia for five years and waited for her for three. She’s been hurt deeply, and I want to give her a home.” I was getting impatient and grabbed my bag from beside me: “Okay, are you done?” Lucas paused, silent for a moment before continuing: “I’ll handle things with my family. You deal with yours. We won’t be getting married next week.” “Alright.” I stood up and walked towards the exit. As I reached the door, Lucas suddenly called out: “Vivian?” I turned back. He was still standing in the same spot, but I noticed his free hand clenched tightly at his side. “Anything else?” He frowned: “Don’t you have anything to say to me?” I thought for a moment. I actually wanted to say that I envied him. His first love could come back, but mine never would. In the end, I just said calmly: “Congratulations on your new marriage.” As I closed the door, I heard voices behind me: “Seriously? That’s all the reaction Vivian has?” “Lucas, didn’t you say she was madly in love with you? Why isn’t she making a scene?” “Shut up.” It was Lucas’s angry voice. I didn’t look back. I should have realized earlier that no matter how similar Lucas was, he wasn’t Ryan. Ryan would never have abandoned me for someone else.

After leaving, I went to a hair salon. I cut off the long hair I had grown for three years. When my new short blue hair appeared, I felt like I was becoming myself again. I also got a new tattoo on my wrist: “Je ne recule jamais”. It’s French, meaning “I never back down”. Finally, I went to a shop I hadn’t visited in three years. “Kevin, bring out my bike.” A shirtless, muscular man walked out of the shop. He looked at me in surprise, his eyes reddening. It took him a moment to react: “Miss… Vivian?” “Yeah. It’s me.” The tall guy, standing over six feet, looked me up and down, stumbling over his words: “Miss Vivian, how… why are you here?” I looked at the two bikes displayed in the most prominent position. One white, one black. I smiled: “They’re still here.” “Miss Vivian, I polish these two bikes every day. They’re as good as new. You can ride anytime. Where do you want to go? Should I call the guys?” I shook my head: “Just bring it out. I want to go for a ride alone.” “Okay.” As I got on the bike, a long-forgotten feeling washed over me. It had been so long since I’d ridden. It was as if by not riding, I could forget what happened that summer. I looked back at the black Kawasaki, thinking of him. Kevin followed my gaze, his eyes reddening: “I’ve been waiting for Ryan too. I’ve kept his bike here, untouched, next to yours. I always thought that one day, they’d hit the road again together.” “Miss Vivian, it’s been three years. I’ve waited for you to come back. Will he come back too?” I paused for a moment. Has it really been three years? “They say if you listen to ‘The Clock of the Opposite Direction’ 1000 times, you can see the person you miss. I’ve finished listening, but why hasn’t Ryan come back?” I turned my head, feeling a sting in my nose, but still gently comforted him: “That’s just a myth. The dead can’t come back to life.” Then I started the motorcycle. Kevin didn’t know that I had already listened to it 10,000 times. I rode all the way to the mountaintop, looking down at the scenery below, I shouted: “Ryan Wild, I did as you said and tried to marry well. Why aren’t you back yet?” Tears rolled down my cheeks. “Liar, you said you wanted to see me in a wedding dress. Look, in the end, I can only wear it for you.” “But it doesn’t fit. I’ve been eating well and living properly, why doesn’t it fit?” “Can you hold me? The wind is so strong, and I’m so tired.” On the empty mountaintop, there was an endless sea of stars. The moon cast a soft light over the entire landscape. Everything became gentle. Behind me, there was a rustling sound. I turned around abruptly, but there was no one there. It was just the sound of insects.

I composed myself and rode down the mountain. Suddenly, I noticed the black Kawasaki was gone. “Kevin!” I quickly got off the bike and called towards the shop: “Where’s the bike? Who took it?” A horn sounded behind me. My heart was beating faster than ever before. For some reason, tears were already streaming down my face. I gently touched my chest and slowly turned around. Under the dim streetlight, Ryan was leaning against his motorcycle, dressed in black, his features as rebellious and wild as ever, exuding a bad boy charm. He raised an eyebrow at me: “My little spitfire, still so quick to cry?”

It was like going back to the first time we met. My parents were fighting because I was unruly, and they had beaten me badly. I had only suggested they stop torturing each other and get divorced sooner. What was wrong with that? I ran away and hid alone, crying. Halfway through my crying session, I heard a lazy, carefree laugh: “Whose little spitfire is hiding here crying?” Ryan, with his hands behind his head, slowly sat up and moved next to me, offering me a tissue: “Crying alone is too lonely. You don’t know me anyway, so I can be a quiet listener.” That year, we were both fifteen. I didn’t tell him why I was crying. But he sat with me for the whole afternoon. Later, I got to know him, the school bully from the neighboring school. Rumor had it he was fierce and ruthless in fights. He was also known as a “bastard”, without a father. Perhaps it was fate, but we gradually got to know each other. He would take me to the mountaintop to watch the stars. He introduced all his friends to me. The care and affection I didn’t receive at home, he gave me in abundance. He would also tell me to be true to myself. Because some people just like me for who I am. He would appear in front of me every time I had a fight with my family, gently hugging me, letting me vent my emotions. He would also seek revenge for me, teaching a lesson to those who spoke ill of me or said I wasn’t a good girl. He said: “Vivian, no one can define whether a person is good or bad, and no one can judge you. You are who you are.” I would also confront those who called him a bastard. When he didn’t want to talk, I would quietly stay by his side, telling him he wasn’t alone. I said: “Ryan, you don’t need to be a certain way to be worthy. Your existence itself is meaningful.” Everyone said that he, usually so rebellious and cold, only became gentle in front of me. Like two people drifting in the deep sea, we finally found our lifeline in each other. Ryan and I grew closer. After high school graduation. We started dating. That night, a group of us rode to the mountaintop, cheering and celebrating our coming of age. Then he quietly took my hand behind the group. Pulling me into a run. In that moment, there was only the sound of our breathing. “Ryan, doesn’t this feel like we’re eloping?” I still remember that summer. It had the fullest moon, the brightest stars, and the most melodious cicada songs. And the most sincere eyes of a young man. Under the starry sky. We embraced and kissed. As if that moment was eternity.

“Ryan, you’re finally back. I’ve missed you so much.” My voice trembled, my body even shaking slightly. “Why are you crying? Come here, let me hold you.” I rushed forward. But what I saw was Kevin pushing the bike towards me: “Miss Vivian, why are you crying?” “Didn’t Ryan always say his bike should never be alone without yours? So when you rode off, I brought out his bike and started it up.” Oh. It was just my imagination earlier. I turned away, wiping my tears. Some say you shouldn’t meet someone too amazing when you’re young, or everyone you meet afterwards will pale in comparison. My obsession ran too deep. For the past three years, I hadn’t faced reality, still praying for a miracle to happen.

When I got back, everyone was waiting for me. Seeing my blue hair and biker outfit, my mom was furious: “Look at yourself! What kind of appearance is this?” “You don’t look like a proper girl at all. No wonder Lucas doesn’t want you.” I stood by the door. Suddenly, I didn’t want to go in anymore. As I turned to leave, my dad called out: “Where do you think you’re going?” “Get in here.” “Call the Gray family and apologize. Tell them you won’t marry anyone but Lucas.” “The wedding invitations have already been sent out. There’s no way we’re not going through with this.” “And get rid of that ridiculous color on your head. The Gray family doesn’t like flashy women, understand?” I slowly walked up to them. I smiled: “Why should I apologize? He’s the one who wants to give his ex-girlfriend a home, he’s the one who wants to call off the engagement. What’s wrong with me letting him go?” My dad stood up and slapped me across the face: “You fool! Even if he’s being stupid, how can you be so dense? Use your brain and think, would the Gray family allow a divorced woman to enter their family?” My face stung. He continued: “So what if he has a woman outside? In our circles, everyone turns a blind eye to these things. As long as it doesn’t threaten your position as Mrs. Gray, what do you have to be angry about?” I gently touched my cheek, smirking: “You two can play around separately, but I’m sorry, I can’t do that.” My dad, his chest heaving with anger, grabbed a cup from the table and threw it at me: “A bastard died, so what? It’s been three years, are you going to mope around and be a widow for the rest of your life?” “Vivian Reed, I’ll say it one more time, this wedding cannot be called off! Even if you have to die, you’ll die as part of the Gray family!”

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I was staring blankly at the two pink lines on the pregnancy test. Suddenly, my husband, who was out for a business dinner, called and asked me to bring him some medicine. His tone was urgent, and he hung up immediately after speaking. Worried and anxious, I rushed across town. But when I arrived, Ryan snatched the medicine from my hand without a word and turned away. I was left forgotten in the freezing cold, swallowing the words I hadn’t had a chance to say. I waited until late into the night. When he finally came out, he had another woman in his arms. 0 “Emma, it’s cold out. You’re not dressed warmly enough. Let me drive you home,” Ryan said gently, wrapping his coat around the woman standing opposite him. Seeing this scene, my steps towards him came to an abrupt halt. The woman called Emma noticed me first and lowered her head, nudging Ryan. He asked curiously, “What’s wrong?” Then he followed Emma’s gaze and looked behind him. When he saw me, he blurted out, “Why are you here?” His tone when speaking to me was completely different from how he had spoken to Emma. My feet, numb from standing in the cold wind for hours, felt heavy. My mouth was also numb. I stuttered, “Didn’t you ask me to come?” He had asked me to come, then left me here while he was being intimate with another woman. I turned my gaze to Emma. She seemed to suddenly wake up from a dream, clutching Ryan’s coat as she stepped out of his embrace. “Lily, I’m so sorry for the trouble,” she said. “I just had a bit of a stomachache, and Ryan overreacted, insisting I take some medicine.” Her words were apologetic, but her tone was full of pride. Only then did I realize that the medicine Ryan had asked me to bring was for Emma. I had been so worried, constantly urging the driver to speed up on the way here. I was still processing Emma’s words when Ryan spoke up. “It’s no trouble at all. She’s free anyway,” he said. It was the first time I had heard Ryan speak about me like this. I looked up at him in disbelief. But Ryan just turned to me and asked, “Do you need anything else?” “If not, I’m going to take Emma home first.” “She’s delicate and lightly dressed, unlike you, bundled up like an Eskimo.” I dressed warmly because I was sensitive to cold, and winters were always difficult for me. I even had to work from home during winter because I couldn’t go out. Ryan knew all of this. Yet he said this about me in front of Emma. At that moment, I didn’t know if I felt more embarrassed or angry. After speaking, Ryan had already brought the car around. I was about to move towards the passenger seat when Emma quickly stepped in front of me. “Lily, I get carsick. Could I sit in the front?” she asked. I wanted to say no. But Ryan had already made the decision for me. “Emma, go ahead and sit in front,” he said. “Lily goes to bed early, and it would be too late if I came back after dropping you off.” “She can take a cab home and get to bed earlier.” With that, Ryan handed me his wallet and drove off. He didn’t even give me a chance to speak. But I had been waiting here because I couldn’t get a cab. I was so angry at Ryan that my stomach hurt. Belatedly, I began to suspect the nature of his relationship with Emma. If they were just ordinary colleagues, why would he abandon his own wife to drive her home? I walked for two hours with this suspicion. Finally, unable to bear the cold any longer, I checked into a shabby hostel. The walls were just thin wooden boards, and I could hear drunk people shouting outside. I was so scared that I didn’t sleep all night. 0

The next day, feeling groggy, I left the hostel and received a call from Ryan. His tone on the phone was impatient. “Lily Song, where did you go last night? Why didn’t you come home?” “You’re a married woman, how could you spend the night out without telling me?” I had been worried sick and disappeared for a whole night, but Ryan showed no concern. Instead, every word was an accusation. My pent-up emotions finally burst out. “Ryan Shaw, you say I shouldn’t have spent the night out.” “But you, a married man, abandoned your wife to drive another woman home. Is that appropriate?” “Did you consider my feelings? What right do you have to blame me?” My grievances came pouring out. I thought he would realize his mistake. But Ryan turned it back on me. “You’re older than Emma, how can you not be more mature about this?” “Besides, weren’t you right there when I offered to drive Emma home?” “If you didn’t agree, why didn’t you say something then? Why are you making a fuss now?” “I’m so sick of you!” After scolding me without rhyme or reason, Ryan hung up the phone. I stood there, stunned, listening to the dial tone. It wasn’t until my stomach started to hurt that I snapped out of it. Remembering the two lines on the test yesterday, I forgot about Ryan’s attitude and rushed to the hospital, worried and scared. By the time I arrived, there was obvious blood on the hem of my pants. The doctor said I had indeed been pregnant. But now, the baby was gone. It hadn’t even been 24 hours from when I learned of its existence to when I lost it. I struggled to grab the doctor for confirmation, but because I moved too quickly, I fell to the ground. “Please… please, doctor… save my baby…” “I beg you, save it!” Everything had happened so fast, I hadn’t even had time to react. I instinctively begged the doctor for help. But he just sighed deeply at me. “Your body was already weak, and you caught a chill right after conceiving.” “It’s too late now!” Too late! My baby was gone! I was in a daze, not knowing how I got back home. The moment I opened the door, I saw Emma sitting on the sofa, playing with one of my dolls. Ryan, hearing the door open, poked his head out from the kitchen, smiling from ear to ear. “Lily, Emma’s all alone and lonely, so I invited her to come over for dinner more often.” “You’re back just in time. Why don’t you make a couple of your specialties for Emma to try?” I looked at Ryan as he spoke, then shifted my gaze to Emma’s face. Suddenly, anger welled up inside me. “Go to hell!” I shouted, using a curse word I had never uttered before in my life. After yelling this, I lunged at Emma, grappling with her, trying to push her out the door. “Get out! You’re not welcome in our home.” “Get out!” I lashed out at Emma like a madwoman. Ryan, who had been in high spirits, saw me like this and his smile froze on his face. “Lily Song, what’s wrong with you?” 0

He rushed over in a few quick strides and pulled me away. His force was so strong that I was thrown to the ground. When I came to my senses, I remembered that Ryan was also responsible for the death of my child. So I got up and started pushing him out too. “You get out too, you’re no better, get out!” Ryan shielded Emma behind him and grabbed my arms, shouting, “Lily Song, have you gone mad?” “Yes, I have gone mad!” “Ryan Shaw, if it weren’t for you, the baby wouldn’t have been lost. You’re both murderers!” I grabbed Ryan’s collar and yelled these words, then calmed down slightly. Ryan asked me, confused. “What baby?” I laughed coldly and told him what I hadn’t had a chance to say yesterday. But Ryan blurted out, “How is that possible?” “I always used protection.” After he said this, the air fell into silence. I hadn’t expected his reaction to be doubt rather than joy. It felt like a thousand needles were piercing my heart, hurting so much I couldn’t speak. “As you wished, the baby is gone now.” After saying these words to Ryan with a bitter smile, I slowly let go of his collar. In this silence, Emma suddenly let out a shrill scream, then covered her mouth. “Lily, Ryan said you guys used protection. Could it be that this baby… wasn’t his?” “Were you afraid Ryan would find out, so you got rid of the baby yourself, killing two birds with one stone by making him feel guilty?” She spoke on and on, as if she had discovered the truth, spinning her own wild theories. After finishing, she dramatically tried to explain herself to me. “Lily, I didn’t mean it like that… it’s just that in novels, that’s how it usually goes…” Emma put on an exaggerated performance in front of me, pretending to be hesitant, but somehow her act had an audience who believed it. Ryan looked at me, hurt, and questioned, “Lily Song, haven’t I been good enough to you?” “Why would you do this to me?” I laughed bitterly at his words and pointed at Emma, asking in return. “We’ve been married for five years, and you believe her over me?” Ryan’s expression froze for a moment. Emma pitifully clutched at his sleeve and said, “Ryan, you know I never lie.” Ryan looked at her in silence for a while. Then he turned to me and said, “Emma doesn’t lie.” “You think she doesn’t lie, so you believe her biased words and think I’ve wronged you?” “Ryan Shaw, I’ve been with you for so long, am I not worth as much as someone you’ve known for just a few days?” “She doesn’t lie, but when have I ever lied to you?” Every word Ryan said stabbed me in the heart! My already unbearable pain became even more desperate. An indescribable sense of powerlessness filled my heart, making me lose the will to wait for his answer. Without waiting for Ryan to respond, I coldly said, “Ryan Shaw, let’s get a divorce.” “I’ll draft the divorce agreement and send it to you.” 0

After forcing myself to say everything, I closed my eyes and said no more. Ryan angrily kicked the door twice. Then he stormed out, dragging Emma along. As he left, he deliberately mocked me, “Lily Song, you’re really willing to say anything now just to get attention.” “You can even joke about a child so easily, making up lies about being pregnant and losing it.” “I despise you!” As his words fell, the door slammed shut, and the room fell into silence. In the end, he didn’t follow Emma’s lead and accuse me of the child not being his. But his words were still hurtful. If I could, I would wish more than anyone that this was all made up. That way, I wouldn’t have lost my child. But unfortunately, it wasn’t. I curled up on the sofa, tears sliding down my cheeks as I sobbed. That night, Ryan suddenly called. I was startled awake from a nightmare, opening my eyes, not knowing where I was. After a moment, I answered the phone, and Ryan’s slightly drunk voice came through. He asked me, “Lily Song, have you realized your mistake?” I sneered and was about to hang up when his next words came. “I just didn’t expect you to be pregnant, I wasn’t doubting you.” “I spoke harshly earlier today, don’t be angry.” As soon as he finished speaking, Emma’s coquettish voice came from the other end of the line. “Ryan, Ryan, stop playing with your phone and come keep me company.” The call was immediately disconnected. I remembered what Ryan had said to me, and his contradictory actions, and burst into tears holding my phone. After crying enough, I lay awake until dawn. Then I immediately contacted a lawyer to draft a divorce agreement. I didn’t want to spend another day with such an unclean person and such an unclean relationship. But Ryan came back the next evening, bringing my favorite mung bean cake. He smiled at me as if nothing had happened, seeking praise. “Lily, I went out of my way to buy this mung bean cake for you.” “It’s still warm, try it quickly.” I looked at the mung bean cake in his hand, slowly reached out to take it, then crushed it. “Ryan Shaw, once it’s broken, it can’t be eaten anymore.” After saying this, I left him and went back to my room. Ryan was so angry he was panting heavily. After a long while, he pounded on my door with his fist. “Lily Song, that’s enough.” “I bought this to make peace with you, and this is how you react?” What could I mean? No matter how delicious a favorite food is, once it’s crushed, it can’t be eaten. No matter how much you love someone, once there’s a crack, you have to let go. The mung bean cake was like that, and so was Ryan Shaw! Outside, snow had started falling softly at some point. I stared blankly out the window while listening to Ryan pounding on the door behind me. He got tired of pounding and stopped, changing to gentle persuasion. “Lily, Emma is still young. She might not always know how to speak or act appropriately, but you don’t need to take it so seriously, do you? She’s just a kid.” Even at this point, Ryan was still trying to explain for Emma. How thoughtful of him. I turned away from the window, went barefoot to open the door. And slapped Ryan across the face.

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I heard my husband found another girlfriend. My friends urged me to catch him cheating. I just smiled and refused. Because I also had a boyfriend to take care of. Lucas hated me and didn’t like me being around him. After enduring various humiliations from him, I got the hint and prepared to move out. I had money, and I had a man. I just didn’t expect my mother-in-law to suddenly call me back to the family house. She smiled and held my hand. [Hazel, you and Lucas just need a child. Everything will be fine once you have a baby.] I pulled my hand away. Have a child? How is that possible? Even if I wanted to, Lucas would definitely tell me to get lost if he knew. My mother-in-law seemed not to notice my attitude and grabbed my hand again, still smiling. “Hazel, Mom knows you’ve been wronged these three years.” “I’ve already scolded him harshly. Don’t worry, he’s sincerely repentant this time. You two should spend more time together, and everything will be fine once you have a child.” “Give him one more chance, just one! Okay?” After speaking, my mother-in-law called out towards the door. A cold-faced man walked in reluctantly from outside. My mother-in-law glared at him and continued to persuade me. “Lucas is just a bit cold, but he still cares about you. Look, as soon as I mentioned you wanted a divorce, he came running back.” Lucas sat on the sofa, his brows slightly furrowed, revealing a hint of displeasure. He looked up and glanced at me. His eyes were cold and indifferent. The chill in his gaze made me shudder. “I, I don’t think that’s necessary, Mom. You know, feelings can’t be forced.” Forcing it would only lead to bitter results! At first, I was trapped in a corner, unable to see clearly. Now, with the fog cleared, I knew that leaving was the best solution. My mother-in-law’s voice took on a worried tone: “Hazel, you know that parents’ greatest wish is for their children to be happy.” After saying this, she looked up at me. Seeing that I didn’t respond and remained silent, she thought I was starting to waver: “Six months, try to get along with Lucas for six months.” “It’s not about time…” “Two months.” “Mom, Lucas and I really can’t go on, we…” “Hazel.” My mother-in-law’s smile completely disappeared, her tone carrying a hint of pressure: “Do you remember our first meeting three years ago?” With that one sentence, all my words were swallowed back. Debts must be repaid, and favors are hard to return. On this matter, I would never have the right to speak. Pursing my lips, I sighed softly: “Alright, Mom. Two months it is.” Only Lucas and I were left in the room. “Don’t overthink it. I didn’t ask my mom to do this.” I stood up and moved to sit on the sofa opposite Lucas. This position was a bit further from him. He looked up and scoffed lightly. “What are you pretending for? Do you think I believe you? Hazel, even if it’s two months or two years, my feelings for you won’t change. I hope you won’t humiliate yourself again.” “Mm, I understand.” I’ve heard such words too many times; I’m numb to them now. Perhaps because I was too calm this time. A strange emotion flashed in Lucas’s eyes, but it quickly returned to normal. “Good that you understand.” Seeing that I wasn’t paying attention to him anymore, just typing on my phone. He seemed a bit displeased. “Hazel, you know I don’t love you, right? You know I have a girl I like outside, right? Are you feeling uncomfortable about it?” Noisy and childish. What he said used to hurt me, but now it just annoyed me. After finishing editing the text. I walked to the printer. Soon after. I sat back on the sofa with two pages of paper, keeping one for myself and pushing the other across the table to Lucas. “See if there’s anything you want to add.” Lucas seemed to take an eternity to read that single page. After a while. He frowned and asked me: “What do you mean by this?” I said calmly. “A mutual agreement, for two months, we don’t interfere with each other, and we don’t cross any lines.”

My marriage to Lucas was arranged entirely by his mother. One was secretly happy, the other resented it. On our wedding night. Lucas stood at the bedroom door with a look of disgust. He said: [Hazel, I really underestimated you. Women like you, playing the sympathy card is your tactic, right? Getting close to my mom, getting close to me, then becoming Mrs. Gu.] [I will never like you, so you might as well give up on that idea.] After saying that, Lucas left. The next day, photos of him spending the night at a hotel with some female celebrity were leaked. The marriage was sensational, and so was the affair. The one who falls in love first loses. I cried, I made a fuss, I even begged pitifully. The result was only more humiliation from Lucas, his new flame, and his friends. When he forcefully pressed me down, he sneered: [Hazel, why are you pretending to be a chaste woman? Isn’t this what you’ve been wanting me to do to you?] Afterwards, he threw an agreement at me. [I’ve already given you what you wanted. Sign this, and from now on, we’ll live our separate lives, and neither of us will bother the other.] After slapping him, I signed it without hesitation. Not for any other reason, just afraid he might act like a beast again. I completely gave up on Lucas. It was like a sudden enlightenment. I no longer cared about which girl Lucas was seeing, nor did I focus all my attention on him. All I cared about was the balance in my bank account. That balance that increased every month. Money I couldn’t spend, a husband who never came home, and a caring boyfriend. How did I not understand this before! “If you don’t have anything to add, just sign it.” Although we’re married, we both have our own affairs. We should still avoid suspicion where necessary. I understand this principle. Looking up, I met Lucas’s dark eyes. He just stared at me like that, his gaze unclear and complex. I knew he probably thought this was another one of my tactics. “Don’t worry, I’m sincere. If you don’t believe me, you can have someone look it over for you.” “I don’t have any other intentions towards you anymore.” Lucas immediately frowned, his deep voice repeating my words. “You don’t have any other intentions towards me anymore?” I smiled: “Mm, not anymore.” After a long while. “I can sign, but it needs some changes.” I poured myself a cup of tea. Normal. Lucas was probably just worried the agreement wasn’t strong enough and wanted to add a few more conditions. He threw the paper back on the coffee table and leaned back against the sofa. “What do you mean by ‘can’t bring people home’? If I don’t bring them home, should I go to a hotel instead, and let my mom catch me?” “If you can’t stand seeing me sleep with others in front of you, go tell my mom, don’t ask this of me.” I looked at him in surprise. He meant he wanted to bring people home to sleep with. Thinking of that scene, I pursed my lips and said coldly: “Change that request.” “No changes. Either you don’t interfere with how many women I bring back, or I won’t sign.” To be honest, this request was a bit too much. I don’t have a hobby of watching live porn. Nor do I want to appreciate others’ most primitive activities. Just thinking about the quiet home suddenly filled with chattering women and fancy tea. It made me sick. “Well, do you agree or not?” “Do you really have to do this?” He nodded with a smile: “That’s right, this is my only request.” Our eyes met. Lucas’s aggressive gaze reminded me of that night. Humiliation, fear. Taking a deep breath. “Fine.”

The sofa was a mess. Black lace underwear, torn black stockings. There was even a condom with suspicious fluid on the floor. The smell was depressing and nauseating. My chest felt tight. A good home now looked like a seedy place. Lucas was too outrageous. Bang bang bang. I knocked hard on Lucas’s bedroom door. The one who opened the door was a scantily clad, sleepy-eyed girl. When she saw me, she was like a startled little rabbit, hiding behind Lucas, her watery eyes blinking: “Lucas, I’m scared.” Scared my ass. What did I do to scare you? Lucas held her in his arms, his tone displeased: “Hazel, apologize.” ??? The girl snuggled closer to Lucas, her voice barely audible: “Lucas, it’s okay if sis doesn’t want to, don’t be angry with sis because of me.” She looked up at me again, timidly opening her mouth: “S-sis, don’t be angry, it’s okay if you don’t apologize, I’m fine.” Wait. This made me laugh out of anger. “What did I say? From beginning to end, I didn’t say a word, right? What are you two acting out here?” Lucas’s face didn’t look good: “Then why did you come here so early in the morning?” Damn. I almost forgot the main point. I told Lucas to pay attention to hygiene in the future and clean up in time. After all, this is my home, the home I spent money and effort to decorate. After hearing this, Lucas pulled the quilt down a bit, revealing his bare upper body. He raised an eyebrow: “What? Jealous? Can’t take it already?” “I told you before, Hazel, you’re just pretending too much. You’re clearly not over me, but you’re acting all magnanimous. Feeling uncomfortable now? You should…” Lucas seemed to not understand human language, talking on his own. My frown deepened. The deeper I frowned, the more smug he became. There was a disgusting feeling like my hand had been licked after slapping him. Forget it, I don’t want this house anymore. As I was about to leave, Lucas called out to me. “Are you going to find a place to cry in secret again?” I stopped in my tracks. In the past, whenever I saw Lucas with other women, I would secretly wipe away tears. Now… I waved my phone at him. “Busy.” Lucas clearly didn’t believe me: “Just keep pretending.” Until I put the call on speaker, and a deep, captivating male voice came through. “Sis, when are you coming to keep me company?” The smile on Lucas’s face froze. He stared at me intently, and after a while, he squeezed out a few words. “Hazel, how dare you!” Dare what? Dare to find a man? Or dare to cuckold him? The atmosphere was tense. But his dear little sister couldn’t read the situation and pretended to be surprised: “Ah? Lucas, what does sis mean?” I smiled at her. “It means exactly what you think it means. He’s just like you, he likes numbers.” I replied to Jason’s message in front of Lucas. Then politely closed their bedroom door. As I left, I only heard the muffled sound of something heavy falling on the floor.

At the entrance of the Prosperity Hotel. Jason tilted his chin slightly, his delicate features carrying a hint of mischief. He hugged me tightly, his tone a bit aggrieved: “Sis, I haven’t seen you for days.” I ruffled his hair to comfort him. Persuading good people to be bad, persuading bad people to be good. It’s a hobby of people who have too much free time. Jason was the bad boy I persuaded to be good. Not for anything else, just for his good body, good looks, and good skills. Entering the hotel lobby. The more I looked, the more familiar it seemed. Then I thought of the hotel’s name. I turned to look at Jason: “Do you know who owns this hotel?” He said he didn’t know. I said it was my husband’s. After hearing this, Jason covered his mouth with both hands, looking surprised: “Ah? Really?” I nodded. He lowered his head, grabbing my arms with both hands, his words full of apology. “Then, won’t big brother find out? If big brother gets angry with sis because of this, I’ll feel very guilty.” His expression was too exaggerated, obviously intentional. It doesn’t matter, no one dislikes it when they’re the object of a flirt’s attention. If Jason wants to put effort into pleasing me, what’s wrong with that? I smiled and said it’s fine, I’m going to get divorced anyway. Jason then said resentfully: “Big brother really has no taste, not like me, I only like sis.” The elevator door opened. Jason’s hand hovered over the door frame, letting me enter first. “Wait.” Looking back. Lucas came running over, out of breath. I didn’t know how he had followed us here. Lucas steadied his breathing, his gaze fixed on Jason’s and my interlocked fingers, his expression suddenly cold. Jason wasn’t to be outdone. He switched hands to hold mine, his other arm around my shoulders, his tone lazy. “Sis, who is this?” “Lucas, my husband.” Lucas’s eyes were like knives, looking as if he wanted to stab Jason to death. He stared at Jason, but his words were directed at me. “Honey, don’t you think you owe me an explanation?” This was the first time he had called me that, emphasizing the word “honey” heavily. I took a deep breath and pulled my hand out of Jason’s grasp. Looking up, I met Lucas’s eyes. “Jason.” “My boyfriend.”

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I never expected to fall for my husband, especially since I married him under false pretenses. My half-sister, Natalie, was supposed to be Alexander Merchant’s bride, but she was terrified of him and begged me to take her place. Desperate for money to pay for my mother’s medical bills, I reluctantly agreed. Two years into our marriage, Alexander turned out to be nothing like the rumors suggested. He was loving, attentive, and incredibly clingy. Just before our third anniversary, Natalie demanded I “return” him to her. But as I stood frozen in the doorway, Alexander gently caressed my cheek, his eyes dark with possessiveness. “Lily,” he growled softly, “have I been too lenient with you?” “Lily,” Alexander’s low voice called my name. In bed, his husky tone combined with his devastatingly handsome face made him utterly irresistible. “Alex~” I breathed. “Relax, Lily. Don’t be afraid,” he soothed. Alexander was always so considerate in these intimate moments, completely unlike the ruthless, cold-hearted man described in rumors. I could confidently say there wasn’t a more perfect husband out there. But the painful truth was that Natalie, my half-sister, was Alexander’s first love. I was just a stand-in. “Focus on me,” Alexander growled, displeased by my wandering thoughts. He nipped at my collarbone, making me wince. “Alexander, are you a dog?” I complained. His lips curved into a smile. “Mm, I’m only yours, Lily. If you don’t want me, I might just go wild.” I couldn’t help but laugh, which only encouraged him further. “Gentle,” I pleaded. “But you’re so irresistible, Lily. I can’t help myself,” he murmured, his eyes darkening with desire as he pressed me into the mattress. When I woke the next morning, Alexander was already preparing for work. “Lily, help me with my tie?” he asked. Ever since he learned I could tie a tie, he’d asked me to do it for him almost every day. As I carefully knotted his tie, I failed to notice his increasingly intense gaze. His large hands caressed my shoulders, and I frowned at him. “Don’t distract me.” As soon as I finished, he pulled me close and kissed me deeply until my lips were swollen. “Lily, I want to spend every moment with you,” he murmured. “You scoundrel!” I laughed, shooing him off to work. I didn’t take his words too seriously. Around me, Alexander was always the gentle, loving husband, so different from the rumors. I was about to go back to sleep when my phone rang. “Hello?” “It’s Natalie. I’m sending you an address. Meet me there. We need to talk.” She hung up before I could respond. The truth was, I wasn’t really Alexander’s wife. My sister was.

Apparently, when Alexander had first set his sights on Natalie, she was terrified of him, fearing he’d be abusive and unpredictable like the rumors suggested. So she found me. At the time, I desperately needed money and had gone to the Sinclair family for help. “Didn’t you say you’d never take a penny from the Sinclairs?” Natalie had sneered. “Didn’t you say you’d never come back to this family, even if you were dead?” I ignored her taunts and begged our father on my knees. Natalie was Father’s daughter from before his marriage, a fact she never let anyone forget. My mother had been from a respected family, and after marrying Father, she had helped him climb the social ladder. But when her family fell on hard times, Father divorced her without hesitation. Mother and I had no choice but to move to my grandmother’s place in the countryside, struggling to make ends meet. Mother’s health had always been fragile, and the hard work eventually took its toll. When I went to beg Father for help, he agreed to lend me money on one condition: I had to marry Alexander in Natalie’s place. Young and naive, I agreed. The day I moved into the Merchant house, Natalie mocked me. “Congratulations, your life is about to become a living hell,” she sneered. “I heard Alexander is abusive. I wonder if your delicate frame can handle it.” I thought I was walking into a nightmare, but after the wedding, Alexander showered me with love and affection. He sent a constant stream of jewelry and designer goods to the house, insisted on bodyguards accompanying me everywhere, and never let me lift a finger. Every time I felt Alexander’s love, I couldn’t help but think how much he must have loved Natalie. How else could he have transformed from the rumored violent man into this incredibly gentle person? When I wanted to go out, I had to lose the bodyguards. Reluctantly, I called Alexander. “Missing me already? I just got to the office,” he teased. “Be a good girl and wait for me to come home tonight.” Steeling myself, I said, “I want to go shopping with my friends. I feel embarrassed asking them out when you always have bodyguards following me.” There was a moment of silence before he replied, “Alright. Keep your phone on. Will you have dinner with me tonight?” Hearing his plaintive tone, I quickly agreed. “Of course, I’ll definitely be there for dinner with you.” “Okay, have fun, sweetheart.” After hanging up, Alexander sighed and gazed out the window at the flying birds. No matter how beautiful the cage, it couldn’t keep her forever.

When I met Natalie, she was dressed in an expensive designer outfit, exuding an air of superiority. “What did you want to see me about?” I asked coldly. I couldn’t forget how she and her mother had driven my mother and me out of our home. If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t have suffered so much. My mother wouldn’t have worked herself sick trying to pay for my college tuition. Natalie stirred her coffee, smirking. “Mrs. Merchant, have you gotten so comfortable in your role as a wealthy man’s wife that you think you can keep what isn’t yours?” I knew Alexander loved her, which always made me feel insecure and guilty in our relationship. “You didn’t want him,” I reminded her. “Well, now I do,” Natalie declared, shocking me into silence. Seeing my surprise, she continued, “It’s time we all returned to our rightful places.” Return Alexander to her? No, give him back to her. My heart sank, and I couldn’t hide my reluctance. Natalie noticed and warned, “Your mother’s medical bills are still being paid by the Sinclair family. Are you sure you don’t want to give Alexander back to me?” Frustrated, I snapped, “He’s not an object you can just claim whenever you feel like it!” Natalie laughed coldly. “Lily, don’t overestimate yourself. You have no right to negotiate here. Alexander has always loved me. You’re just a substitute. Don’t think you actually belong in his world.” Her words silenced me completely. I’d heard that when Alexander came to propose, the value of his engagement gifts alone was worth two years of the Sinclair family’s profits. They didn’t dare refuse the marriage, fearing Alexander’s retaliation. Everyone in the city knew Alexander was ruthless and vengeful. Rumor had it that when he was driven out by his father’s mistress and illegitimate son, he went to the countryside with his mother to recover. Years later, when he returned, he single-handedly brought down the entire company. Now, that illegitimate son couldn’t even find a job, let alone start a business. Alexander wouldn’t give him any chance to succeed. He even took down our father, personally reporting him for bribery and sending him to prison. This ruthless man was only gentle with me. But I knew it wasn’t because he favored me, but because of Natalie, his first love. “Lily, everything that’s mine, you can’t take away,” Natalie hissed. “Not Dad, not Alexander.” I felt suffocated, unable to breathe. I didn’t dare to take the risk. I was afraid of Alexander’s retaliation if he found out the truth, and I couldn’t gamble with my mother’s safety. I also didn’t dare to bet on Alexander’s love for me, which felt so intangible. If there was one thing I’d learned from my father, it was that love was the most fleeting thing in this world. “Give me a month,” I finally said. Alexander’s birthday was at the end of the month. “Two weeks,” Natalie countered. For the first time, I stood up to her. “If you’re willing to wait, I’ll give him back. If not, forget it.” As I walked away, I heard Natalie’s voice. “Fine.” After I left, Natalie cursed under her breath. “That little bitch, she dares to threaten me now!” Natalie hadn’t really wanted Alexander back at first. But seeing how good he was to me made her insanely jealous. After all, it should have been her life. As I walked out onto the street, I felt homeless. Did I really have to give Alexander back to Natalie? Without thinking, I found myself at the foot of Alexander’s company building. Suddenly, I desperately wanted to see him.

Alexander was in a meeting, so his assistant asked me to wait in his office and brought me coffee. Lowering his voice, the assistant said, “Mrs. Merchant, it’s lunchtime, but the CEO is still in the meeting. He’s not satisfied with any of the proposals. Could you possibly…” I understood what he meant and immediately stood up to go to the meeting room. This wasn’t the first time I’d been asked to do this. I knocked on the door of the meeting room. As soon as I opened it, Alexander’s piercing gaze met mine. Even through his glasses, the intensity was breathtaking. But his expression quickly softened as he stood and walked towards me. “What brings you here?” he asked gently. “I wanted to have lunch with you,” I replied. Behind him, I could see the relieved expressions of his employees. With the CEO’s wife here, they could finally catch a break. Alexander ordered food and gestured for me to look out the window. “I heard you can see the most beautiful fireworks in the city from here on New Year’s Eve. Let’s come here then,” he suggested. New Year’s was indeed approaching, but by then, I would probably be gone. “Mm… okay,” I mumbled. He immediately noticed my mood shift and frowned. “What’s wrong? Didn’t enjoy your shopping trip? Or don’t want to see the fireworks? Would you prefer to stay home?” I looked into his concerned eyes, thinking about how I had deceived him. “It’s nothing. I just realized how happy I am with you,” I said softly. My childhood hadn’t been happy. After it was discovered that my father had a child before marriage, my parents argued constantly. I never felt secure. Later, when Natalie was brought to live with us, I was too timid to stand up for myself and was often bullied. My father usually turned a blind eye, only addressing the issue when my mother made a fuss. Alexander, on the other hand, loved me unconditionally. He bought me whatever I wanted, came home on time and avoided unnecessary social engagements, and never had any scandals. He was the perfect gentleman. Sometimes he would get angry if he saw other men talking to me, but I knew it was because he cared too much. No, he cared too much about Natalie. Hearing my words, Alexander’s expression softened. “Me too.” “Lily, you’re a gift from heaven.” There was something in his eyes that I couldn’t quite understand… was it nostalgia?

I looked at Alexander, knowing he had no idea I wasn’t Natalie. In the early days of our marriage, he used to call me “Nat.” But it always felt wrong, so I told him my nickname was “Lil.” He was overjoyed then, repeating it many times. He said that by telling him my nickname, it meant I was starting to accept him and become closer to him. “Alex, do you really love me?” I asked suddenly. Alexander didn’t understand my question and teased, “What’s gotten into you today?” “Tonight, I’ll prove that I only love you. I’ll save all my energy for you,” he winked. I blushed at his words, and Alexander’s gaze remained tender. That night, I was unusually proactive. Perhaps it was the fear of our impending separation. After all, we would soon be strangers. Alexander held me close, my legs wrapped around his waist, my arms tight around his neck. In the heat of the moment, my neck arched beautifully, and he placed a kiss there, sending shivers through my body. He wasn’t faring much better, his breathing ragged and uneven. “Lily, you’re so good tonight,” he groaned. Encouraged by his praise, I tried to match his passion, but he always maintained the upper hand. Eventually, exhausted, I drifted off to sleep. Just before I lost consciousness, I thought I heard him whisper: “Lily, I will love you forever.” “When will you finally recognize me?” “You silly girl.”

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I was heartlessly thrown into a burning building just because my husband Adrian’s dream girl said she wanted to see a fire escape scenario. When I crawled out of the inferno, I saw Adrian holding his perfect girl, coaxing her to enjoy a candlelit dinner. When she said she was afraid of the color red, I was stripped of what little clothing I had left and thrown naked onto the street. When I tried to resist, Adrian said, “It’s all because of you that Chloe had to suffer so much outside. You’ve taken Chloe’s place for so many years, what’s wrong with suffering a little?” Later, as I touched my slightly swollen belly, ready to accept my fate, Chloe hid in Adrian’s arms and cried, saying that seeing me reminded her of her nightmares as a bar girl. In a fit of rage, Adrian threw me into a nightclub, breaking every bit of pride I had left, making me taste all the bitterness Chloe had supposedly experienced. But later, Adrian had people throw Chloe into a snake pit. He then carefully caressed every wound on my body and forced me to drink fertility medicine. “Emma, have a child for me, let me make it up to you properly,” he said. I nodded numbly in his arms, ignoring his delighted face. He didn’t know that the child he longed for had been gone three years ago. And because I was beaten during my postpartum recovery period, my body was completely ruined. I only had three days left to live.

When Adrian came, I was kneeling on the ground, holding an ashtray. The manager following Adrian smiled obsequiously. “Mr. Foster, rest assured, we’ve trained her well. Now, there’s no woman in the entire club more obedient than her.” As he spoke, the manager took a lit cigarette and viciously extinguished it on my arm. Blood immediately flowed from the scarred limb. Seeing that I didn’t even make a sound, Adrian frowned, wanting to step forward to help me up, but I quickly retreated. “Mr. Foster.” This cowering appearance, where was the radiance of the once most envied wife in the city? Adrian hadn’t expected that our reunion after three years would be like this. He withdrew his hand that had been suspended in mid-air. Since marrying Adrian, my temper had grown under his indulgence. In the past, even if Adrian jokingly scolded me, I would glare at him until he apologized, or make him carry me on his back until I calmed down. But now… Adrian’s expression seemed both happy and melancholic. He sighed deeply: “If you had been this docile earlier, I wouldn’t have had the heart to send you here to learn manners.” When the manager sent me out, I was still in a daze. After three years, I had finally escaped that hell, and would no longer be… The scenes of humiliation flashed crazily before my eyes, frightening me into shuddering. Adrian thought I was cold and took off his coat to put it on me, but I instinctively wanted to kneel down. Adrian stopped me with a cold voice. “Stand up!” The smell of cigars enveloped me as Adrian lowered his head to adjust my clothes. “As long as you behave and don’t go against Chloe anymore, I won’t let you suffer again.” Did that mean I didn’t have to go back to that hell? A glimmer of hope finally flashed in my numb eyes as I got up to follow Adrian into the car. No matter how clean the floor in the club was, kneeling for a long time inevitably left stains, not to mention that my clothes were only washed once every half month. I curled myself into a small ball, afraid of dirtying the car, but there were still obvious stains on the seat cover. Adrian had always been a neat freak. He frowned at the stains and clicked his tongue. I carefully glanced at Adrian, thinking he would throw me out of the car, but to my surprise, Adrian just looked away without saying anything. “Emma, it’s only been three years since we last met, how did you turn into a beggar?” Chloe’s voice suddenly rang out in the car. Only then did I realize she was there too. She was wearing a haute couture outfit from the fashion show, with an imperial jade bracelet on her wrist, and an expensive ruby necklace around her neck, looking like a genuine lady from a noble family. She touched her necklace and said guiltily, “Emma, Adrian saw that I liked this necklace, so he gave it to me. You’re not angry, are you?”

“It’s just a necklace, what’s there to be angry about? Besides, these things were originally yours,” Adrian said, soothingly stroking Chloe’s hand. Right, the necklace, the clothes, even her husband’s love and this marriage, all belonged to Chloe. And I was just a thief who stole someone else’s things, an unworthy person. I thought numbly. “But Emma seems unhappy. Never mind, I’ll give it back to Emma,” Chloe said with a look of grievance, about to take off the necklace. “I said you don’t need to!” Adrian carefully put the necklace back on Chloe’s neck. When he looked at me, his eyes were full of disgust. “I thought you had changed your old habits, but I didn’t expect you to be jealous of even a necklace. If I had known, I should have let you stay in the club for a few more days!” “No!” The terrible memories surged up, and I reflexively knelt down, pulling at Adrian’s clothes. “I don’t want the necklace. Please don’t send me back! Mr. Foster, I know Miss White is the real wife, I won’t fight for the necklace, I’ll be obedient.” Adrian unusually didn’t say anything. Was my attitude not sincere enough? I bit my nails, my dull eyes rolling restlessly in their sockets, like a drug addict going through withdrawal. “I can sweep the floor, I can even live in the bathroom… No, I can leave, I won’t be in your way here. Just treat me like a stray dog, don’t send me back.” As I spoke, I started barking like a dog at Adrian. My words were jumbled, and I don’t know which sentence triggered Adrian, causing his face to darken even more. “Shut up!” Adrian roared in a low voice. I looked at Adrian blankly. In the past, when I learned to bark like a dog, they would be satisfied and let me go. Why didn’t it work on Adrian? Chloe sighed. “Adrian, why don’t we just send her back? To deal with me, she can even resort to pretending to be crazy.” Adrian didn’t refute, but was seriously considering the feasibility. The experiences in the club appeared in front of my eyes like a kaleidoscope, frame by frame. Being splashed with unknown liquids, kneeling naked in the snow, being forced to eat pieces of meat… No, I’d rather die than go back to the club! I suddenly lunged towards the car door, without hesitation, about to jump out. Just as my feet were about to touch the ground, Adrian caught me by the waist and pulled me back. Before I could even sit steady, a slap came flying at my face. “You may not care about your life, but don’t dirty my car!” Adrian yelled. I mumbled, “I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to make you angry.” This was the only solution I could think of. Chloe leaned on Adrian’s shoulder. “Adrian, since she wants to get out of the car, let’s let her. It’s only ten miles to the old house, she can walk there with a bit of effort. That’s much safer than jumping out of a moving car, don’t you think, Emma?” It’s just ten miles, which was already much better than being dragged behind the car. I nodded frantically, afraid that a second’s delay would send me back. “Since you’re so eager to get out of the car, how can I not grant your wish?” The Maybach stopped, and Adrian grabbed my hair and dragged me out. The pouring rain hit me, and I realized it was raining. Panic flashed across my face as memories I had carefully hidden were dug up again, tearing at my heart. When I first came to the club, I was still very stubborn. The manager dragged me out of the room in front of everyone, and a stick as thick as a wrist hit my stomach. There was a pool of blood beneath me… I dared not close my eyes, feeling as if the next moment I would see the child crawling through the rain, asking me with a face full of blood and tears why I didn’t protect him. Seeing Adrian and Chloe about to get in the car, I clung desperately to the car door. “Mr. Foster, I beg you to let me in the car. Don’t leave me alone here.”

Chloe folded her arms: “Emma, didn’t you just insist on jumping out of the car? Now that we’ve let you out, why are you unwilling? Were you just pretending earlier?” Guilt and fear for the child occupied my entire mind, and I could no longer understand what Chloe was saying. I just nodded randomly in the rain. A look of mockery crossed Adrian’s face as he kicked me in the stomach. The intense pain momentarily brought me back to that day. Adrian’s face also turned into the manager holding the stick. I curled up into a ball, covering my stomach, mumbling incoherently. “Don’t hit me, don’t hit my child…” Adrian’s pupils contracted: “What child?!” Before I could speak, Chloe interjected. “Adrian, she might be pretending to be crazy again. She was making a fuss about jumping out of the car earlier, and now she’s bringing up a child.” Her voice suddenly became aggrieved: “I didn’t expect Emma’s attitude towards me to still be so bad. I should leave, I don’t want to make Emma uncomfortable here.” As she finished speaking, Chloe made to leave, but Adrian reached out with his long arm and pulled her into his embrace. His disgusted gaze fell on me, thinking about how he had almost been fooled by me. He applied more force with his foot. “Stop pretending! I’ll give you three hours. If you can’t make it to the old house in three hours, I’ll send you back.” “If it happens again, I won’t let you off so easily!” The pain awakened my sanity. By the time I crawled up from the ground, the Maybach was already far away. Was what I did still not good enough? Why did they still want to send me away? I tightly gripped the safety lock on my neck, numbly walking forward. The sound of a child crying kept inexplicably ringing in my ears, and my lower abdomen ached dully. I don’t know how long I walked before my body could no longer support me, and I collapsed on the ground. In the moment before I lost consciousness, I heard the shrill honk of a car. When I regained consciousness, the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a pure white ceiling. When did the Foster house become like this? No, I clearly didn’t make it to the Foster house yesterday. I suddenly sat up, pulled out the IV and got out of bed. I had to hurry to the Foster house, otherwise they would really send me back! “Watch where you’re going… Hey, why are you running?” In my haste, I bumped into a man’s arms. The man looked to be in his early twenties, his slender fingers rubbing his sore nose, still holding a medical chart in his hand. “The nurse said your body hasn’t fully recovered yet. Why are you getting out of bed instead of resting properly? If something goes wrong again, I won’t treat you anymore.” “Thank you,” I managed to say after a moment. “But sir, I really have an urgent matter.” “Just call me Dr. Sullivan. What could be more urgent than recovering?” Dr. Sullivan was about to pull me back when suddenly a great force came, yanking me to the other side. Then came a slap that knocked me onto the table, blood seeping from the corner of my mouth. Adrian stood in front of me, his gaze as fierce as if he wanted to eat someone alive. “You slut, can’t stay away from men for even a moment, can you?! I was worried about you last night, thinking something might have happened to you, but I didn’t expect you to be fooling around with some strange man here!” “I didn’t,” I covered my face, my vision blurring. Dr. Sullivan tried to intervene but was violently pushed away, his head hitting the wall, leaving him dazed for a while. “Then who is this person?” Adrian grabbed my hair and kicked me in the stomach. “I thought you had changed, but I didn’t expect you to still be so cheap!” I shook all over in pain, unable to say a word. Adrian angrily pulled my arm, but when he saw the pool of blood beneath me, he cried out in shock.

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On my wedding day, my husband Adrian ordered me to have my uterus removed. I fell to my knees, begging him to spare our child. I promised to serve them and never interfere with him and Sophia again. But he just wrapped his arm around Sophia’s waist and looked at me coldly, “Don’t want an empty womb? Then after the abortion, I’ll send you to the Snake Pit. Let the snakes fill your belly.” That night, while feeding Sophia some porridge, Adrian asked his subordinate, “Has she realized her mistake yet?” The subordinate, sweating profusely, replied, “Ma’am… she hasn’t made a sound for a long time…” Adrian’s brow furrowed even deeper. “What? She still hasn’t admitted her fault? Then keep her locked up. Tell her that unless she can open the bulletproof door of the Snake Pit and come out on her own today, she’ll never get out.” The old butler, pale-faced, said, “Young master, the young mistress might not make it. She was taken by the king cobra. At first, there were cries for help, but then… then there was no sound.” Adrian sneered, “What? Are you worried she’s dead?” The old butler’s expression changed, and he dared not speak anymore. “She’s good at playing the victim, just trying to gain my sympathy. I’ve raised those snakes for years. I know better than anyone that they won’t eat humans. At most, they’ll bite her a few times to teach her a lesson. She won’t die.” The butler stammered, “But the young mistress just had her uterus removed. Her body and wounds haven’t recovered, and now with the snake venom…” Adrian impatiently interrupted, “She’s already been injected with anti-venom. The snake venom won’t kill her, but it will make her feel the pain of a thousand bites gnawing at her bones. She poisoned Sophia and caused her miscarriage, so I’ll let her taste the agony of being consumed by venom.” “The young mistress seemed to cry out that her stomach wound had opened and snakes were crawling in…” “Hah! Then they can be her children in her belly. Speak for her again, and I’ll send you to the Snake Pit to keep her company!” The old butler didn’t dare to say another word. He left with a heavy heart, sighing repeatedly. Adrian carried the bowl of porridge into Sophia’s room. It was the brightest place in the entire villa. Originally our bridal chamber, Adrian had given it to Sophia, turning it into their love nest. The private doctor in the room saw him enter and quickly left. Sophia threw herself into Adrian’s arms, sobbing. “Adrian, I’m still in so much pain. We’ve lost our baby.” Adrian held her tenderly in his arms. “It’s okay, we’ll have children in the future. I’ve severely punished that poisonous woman this time. When she comes out after admitting her mistakes, I’ll make her prepare medicinal meals to nourish your body. You’ll definitely be able to conceive again.” “Isn’t this unfair to Olivia? I feel like I’m a bad woman… Although Olivia caused me to lose my baby, it was me who couldn’t control my feelings and wanted to be with you first.” “You’re not a bad woman. You’re the woman I love most.” Adrian cupped Sophia’s face, reverently kissing away the tears on her cheeks. “She knew I loved you, yet she still insisted on marrying me, trying to take your place in my heart. It’s her own fault for being so presumptuous.” “But… I still feel guilty. Adrian, you forced Olivia to remove her uterus to avenge me. When I think of her hateful glare at me, I’m afraid to sleep.” “Don’t be afraid, I’m here with you. That woman is still being punished. She won’t harm you.” Adrian changed into his pajamas and lay down in bed with Sophia, feeling her soft body snuggling into his arms. His eyes darkened with desire. Sophia looked at him with gratitude, “Adrian, you’re so good to me. What good deed did I do in my past life to meet you in this one?” Adrian gazed at her lovingly, “No, it’s the good deeds you’ve done in this life, especially when you risked everything to help me get back on my feet, and even gave me one of your kidneys. I’ll never forget that for the rest of my life.” They kissed passionately. My soul floated in the room, watching this scene, my heart turning to ashes.

There wasn’t a single photo of Adrian and me in the bridal chamber. Instead, there were only pictures of Adrian and Sophia from childhood to adulthood. “Crash!” Adrian, engrossed in the kiss, found the ornament on the bedside table annoying and swept it to the floor with a wave of his hand. It shattered into pieces. My dead heart suddenly twinged. Even as a ghost, I could still feel pain. The broken ornament was a custom-made figurine of our baby based on the ultrasound image. That day, I had excitedly shown it to Adrian, telling him we were going to have a baby, that we would be a happy family of three. Adrian had looked at the figurine several times then. I thought he would impatiently say I was being silly, but to my surprise, he had nodded and agreed to let me put it on the bedside table. It was also that day when I thought Adrian and I could reconcile. “Adrian, my body isn’t ready yet…” Sophia panted, grabbing Adrian’s large hand. Adrian’s eyes were full of desire. “Sophia, help me.” His suggestive gaze fell on Sophia’s lips. Sophia let out a shy cry, playfully punched Adrian’s chest, then knelt down and bent over. As I watched the scene of debauchery, hearing Adrian tell Sophia to rest well so they could have a child together, I seemed to feel the excruciating pain in my belly again. Adrian really knew his little darlings well. After the king cobra dragged me into the snake’s nest, the other snakes smelled the blood from the wound on my stomach and rushed to crawl into it. They used their sharp, venomous fangs to bite and tear at my wound. Snakes as thick as chopsticks crawled into the gaping, bloody hole. I wanted to scream from the pain. “Help me, snakes are getting into my stomach!” I struggled to extend a hand from the writhing mass of snakes covering my body. The people outside the glass door panicked, their hands shaking as they reached for the keypad, intending to open the door. But Sophia’s aggrieved voice came at that moment: “Adrian, the hospital you sent her to is the Shen family’s private hospital. The lead surgeon’s skills are top-notch internationally. He must have stitched her wound perfectly. She’s saying this just to provoke your sympathy.” “Besides, it’s all because of her greed. If she hadn’t become intolerant of my child after getting pregnant herself, viciously killing our unborn baby, you wouldn’t have to punish her like this.” “She must be blaming everything on us now. I don’t mind if she resents me, but Adrian, you’re the most innocent one here.” Sophia held Adrian’s hand with a look of concern, moving Adrian even more. How good his Sophia was. Even though she had lost her child because of that venomous Olivia, she still only thought of him. In comparison, a woman like Olivia who refused to repent deserved to die! “Who told you to open the door! Keep it locked!” Adrian scolded the bodyguard who was about to open the door. The bodyguard trembled and quickly withdrew his hand, not daring to speak. After reprimanding the bodyguard, Adrian looked at me, who was engulfed by the mass of snakes, with utter disgust. My broken body was completely hidden by the vines of intertwined snakes. I couldn’t struggle free. “You still dare to play mind games with me even now. I must have been too lenient with you before! This time, you must be taught a lesson! You can come out when you crawl to the door on your knees, begging for forgiveness!” Just as he finished speaking, the intelligent monitoring system of the Snake Pit issued a warning. “Alert! Alert! Snake agitation index detected to be abnormally high. All personnel in the pit, please evacuate immediately to the area outside the bulletproof door!” Adrian’s face changed.

But Sophia suddenly spoke up: “It’s spring now. The snakes are agitated because it’s their mating season. It seems this intelligent monitoring system isn’t intelligent enough.” Hearing this, Adrian’s expression relaxed, and he regained his composure. I cried out in pain from the bites, knowing this was my last chance to save myself. Nearly suffocated by the king cobra’s coils, I managed to free up enough space to speak and pleaded with all my might: “Adrian, I was wrong. I truly know my mistake now. I’ll divorce you. I won’t interfere with your happiness anymore. Please let me out. I’ve been bitten…” “Ah, my stomach hurts so much. The residual poison must be acting up,” Sophia suddenly screamed, interrupting me. “Never mind… Adrian, let her out. You were married to her after all. Seeing her so pitiful, you’re bound to feel some compassion. Isn’t that why your father took her in and had you marry her when her mother died?” Adrian’s face immediately darkened as he remembered something. His cold gaze pierced through the glass door, fixing on me. “You slut! If you want to act, keep putting on your show with the snakes! Maybe if you act well enough, these snakes will be seduced by you and stop biting you.” “Let’s all leave! Let her perform her solo act here! Unless we push her to the brink of despair before letting her out, she won’t realize her mistakes.” Adrian left without even glancing at me again. I screamed desperately, begging him to stop, but he didn’t pause. Soon, I couldn’t scream anymore. Because as soon as I opened my mouth, a snake slithered in, its tongue flicking. They consumed my internal organs from top to bottom and bottom to top. I made hissing sounds from my mouth, feeling the blood rapidly draining from my body, the flesh peeling off. I couldn’t scream anymore because my tongue had been eaten, my vocal cords bitten through. I heard Sophia’s voice. “Oh my, she’s really stopped calling out. Adrian, you were right. She was just pretending to be pitiful for your sake.” “Sophia, don’t mention that ill-fated venomous woman anymore. You’re the only one in my heart. No matter how she acts, I won’t be fooled again.” As the footsteps gradually faded away, the king cobra finally tired of toying with its prey. Slowly coiling its thick, slippery body, I heard the sound of bones breaking throughout my body. At this moment, Adrian was instructing the servants to throw all my belongings into the storage room. Because Adrian wanted to officially announce to all the staff that Sophia would be the new mistress of this villa. As my body was almost drained of blood, Adrian burned the love letters I had written to him and knelt on one knee to put a diamond ring on Sophia’s finger. “I’m sorry. I hope you can accept this belated proposal. I was deceived and manipulated by her before, which is why I married her. But I’ll make her divorce me as soon as possible.” “What if your father doesn’t agree? He clearly treats Olivia differently…” “That’s not up to him anymore. This morning, when I registered my marriage with that venomous woman, his share transfer agreement was already handed to me by the lawyer. Now I don’t have to care about his opinion anymore. He’s been bewitched by an old slut himself, yet he still presumes to control how I treat the little slut.” As Adrian expressed his disgust towards me, the king cobra opened its foul-smelling mouth and swallowed me whole. I was completely enveloped in its belly. Amidst the intense compression and corrosion, I closed my unwilling eyes in despair. A drop of blood-tinged tear slid from the corner of my eye, mourning for the life I had wrongly devoted. When I opened my eyes again, I was already floating above their heads.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296178”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #魔幻Magic #浪漫Romance #重生Reborn #惊悚Thriller