Author: Momo Chan

A week before my wedding to Heather, my company sent me on a business trip out of town. The very next day, her ex-boyfriend posted a series of photos of himself in a tuxedo with the caption: “After ten years of love, I finally get to put a ring on your finger.” I was shocked as I stared at the hand adjusting his tie in the picture. There was a long scar on the wrist – the same scar Heather got five years ago when she saved me from an attacker. I called her over a dozen times, but she rejected every call. Finally, unable to contain myself, I commented “Congratulations on your marriage!” under Xavier’s post. Heather immediately replied: “Adam, can’t you be more gracious? Xavier was just helping me rehearse our wedding ceremony since you’re away on your trip. Why are you upset with him? If it weren’t for your business trip, would he have to wear someone else’s tuxedo?” I calmly hung up her call, took off my engagement ring, and decided I was done with this wedding, whoever wanted to get married could go right ahead.

I signed the contract with the client early and flew back to Sunnyville that night. The lights were on in my apartment, accompanied by bursts of laughter. Xavier was lying shirtless on my couch wearing only boxers, his head resting on Heather’s lap as he fed her grapes. Seeing me enter, he scrambled to get up. “Ah!” He turned and buried his face in Heather’s chest, frantically grabbing for clothes. I watched his performance with amusement. We’re both men, what’s there to hide? Heather helped him put on a shirt, then looked up at me in annoyance. “You came back without making a sound. Were you trying to scare Xavier to death?” I laughed mockingly, “What, do I need to announce myself to your lover when I come back to my own home?” Heather’s face darkened instantly. Xavier struggled out of Heather’s arms, “I’m so sorry, Adam. Don’t misunderstand, Heather and I are just friends. We were just chatting and didn’t hear you come in.” “Today was supposed to be your wedding rehearsal, but since you were away, I couldn’t bear to see Heather standing alone at the altar, so I stepped in as her groom. You’re not mad, are you?” I didn’t answer him, momentarily lost in thought as I looked at their matching pajamas, remembering the sweet times Heather and I once shared. I never imagined Xavier’s appearance would make me the third wheel. Heather frowned, thinking I was angry at her ex. “Where are your manners? Didn’t you hear Xavier talking to you?” She threw a paper at me, “This is the schedule for the wedding day. Don’t look at us with such a dirty mind. We were just finishing up the rehearsal.” They certainly seemed to have rehearsed thoroughly, stopping just short of getting naked. I nodded, “You’re right about everything. The wedding night is also part of the ceremony. I suppose you rehearsed that too!” They both froze at my words. Then Xavier’s eyes welled up with tears, as if my words had scared him to tears. “It’s all my fault. Please don’t misunderstand, Adam. I’ll leave right now!” He covered his face and ran out the door. Heather quickly grabbed her coat, glaring at me, “Look what you’ve done. You better apologize to Xavier tomorrow!” She stormed out after him, kicking over my suitcase by the door on her way out. An hour after they left, Xavier updated his SnapChat story. “Thank you for remembering my favorites after ten years. One mention that I was craving it, and you bought me my favorite strawberry roll! I love you so much!” The photo showed a strawberry dessert held up, with half of Heather’s face visible. I suddenly remembered a time when I had a stomachache and wanted a scone from Flag Bakery. I called Heather and asked her to bring me one after work. She ended up carelessly buying me a random bread roll, tossing it to me while muttering, “What’s the difference? Food is food!” Apparently, she did know how to be thoughtful. She just didn’t want to be thoughtful towards me.

I laughed bitterly at myself. I called my mom: “Mom, I’ve decided to come back to Capital City. My flight is in three days.” My mom was clearly surprised, and asked tentatively, “Son, isn’t your wedding in three days? Did that Heather girl bully you?” Five years ago, fresh out of college, I wanted to challenge myself and took an assistant job at a small company. One night after working late, I was cornered in an empty alley by a coworker I was competing with for a client. He took my phone and beat me up, threatening me to keep quiet about it. That day, Heather had just been dumped and came to the city to clear her head. She happened to save me, and my angry coworker pulled out a knife, determined to silence us both. Heather fought back fiercely. With her friend’s help, they subdued my coworker, but Heather’s wrist was badly cut in the process. I took her to the hospital afterwards. The injury to her right hand made it difficult for her to eat. So I brought her meals and fed her every day, falling hard for her warm, sunny smile. Knowing she was heartbroken, I tried extra hard to be good to her. She probably needed someone to distract her, so she gave me a chance. I traveled frequently between Capital City and Sunnyville during that time. It took a year before she truly accepted me. Later, my mom caught us on a date. She said Heather’s family was too humble, not a good match for us. Even if we got married, we wouldn’t be happy. My dad and brother sided with my mom, strongly opposing our relationship. I accused them of being snobs who only cared about money. Then I left Capital City with Heather and never went back. Since then, I only sent perfunctory greetings on holidays. I thought they must hate me for choosing an outsider over family. But hearing the urgency in my mom’s voice, I knew she didn’t blame me at all. She was just worried about me. I couldn’t hold back anymore and started sobbing. Hearing me cry, my mom panicked: “That wretched Heather! Hold on son, I’m coming over there to teach her a lesson!” I quickly stopped crying and stopped her: “Mom, don’t do anything rash! I’m not really hurt, I just finally saw Heather’s true colors and don’t want to marry her anymore!” My mom audibly sighed in relief, then gently comforted me: “I always thought she didn’t seem like the faithful type. Don’t worry, there are plenty of fish in the sea!” “Don’t worry son, I’ll start looking for some nice girls for you right away!” Seeing that my mom was no longer threatening to come over guns blazing, I hung up with a mixture of laughter and tears.

The next day, I called some movers to throw out the couch Heather had been lying on. I replaced all the bedding and even the slippers by the door. Who knows what unspeakable things they did in my apartment while I was gone. It was disgusting. Looks like I need to install security cameras and change the locks too. Then I started clearing out everything related to Heather. This apartment that I bought myself isn’t big, but it’s in a great location, very close to Heather’s office. The house we bought for after the wedding was still being renovated, so we naturally started living together here. The place was full of little mementos from when Heather and I were in love. A wooden carving from Cangshan, a scented sachet from Erhai, a postcard from Yading… I had souvenirs displayed all over the apartment from every place we’d traveled together. I arranged them carefully, labeling each with the date, constantly showcasing every happy journey we’d taken. She would always frown when she saw them, saying they were useless junk. I teased her for having no sense of romance. But after Xavier became her secretary, I clearly saw her desk at work covered in Pop Mart figurines – the exact same ones Xavier had posted about on his SnapChat. Her preference was so obvious, yet I seemed to have been blind to it until now. I took out the suitcase she had bought me and packed up all the mementos, then threw them in the dumpster downstairs. Heather had a lot of clothes, taking up most of my closet. I had only packed up part of it when she came back that night. She frowned at the clothes packed in boxes: “Why are you packing up my clothes?” I casually made an excuse: “We’re moving into the new house after the wedding anyway. Might as well start packing now.” Heather tossed a bag in front of me: “Here, eat this. Xavier bought it specially for you, went to several stores to find it.” “Not only does he not need your apology, he even bought you a treat. You should really learn from him.” I took out the half-eaten strawberry roll and held it up to Heather, laughing sarcastically: “I didn’t know Flag Bakery sold cakes that were already half-eaten.” She clearly hadn’t paid attention to what Xavier put in the bag, or maybe she just didn’t care. Seeing the half-eaten cake, she quickly tried to cover: “You upset Xavier so much he cried. It’s understandable if he accidentally packed the wrong thing in his distress. Don’t be so petty, be more generous.” I nodded and tossed the cake in the trash. Heather’s face darkened: “What are you being so picky for? You think just anyone deserves to eat food from Xavier’s mouth?” I waved my hand in disgust, kicking the trash can a meter away: “I’m not his lapdog. Why would I eat his leftovers? That’s just gross.” Heather was furious. She grabbed the cake from the trash and tried to force it into my mouth. I struggled to push her away, but lost my balance and fell backwards, my head hitting the floor with a loud thud. I immediately saw stars, curling up and holding the back of my head. Heather was startled by the sound of me falling. She hurriedly helped me up: “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to. I’ll take you to the hospital!” My head was spinning as I let her lead me towards the door. Just then, Heather’s phone rang with Xavier’s special ringtone. “Xavier, what’s wrong?” Xavier was crying on the other end. “Heather, the power went out where I’m staying. My phone only has 10% battery left. It’s so dark everywhere, I’m really scared. Can you come keep me company?” “Stay in your room and don’t move. I’ll be right there! Don’t be afraid, I’ll be there in 10 minutes!” Heather hung up in a rush, eager to leave. She hung up and pushed me aside: “You seem fine. No bleeding or bumps. Just sleep it off if you’re not feeling well.” I grabbed her sleeve, looking at her pleadingly: “No, Heather. I’m dizzy. Take me to the hospital first, it’ll only take a few minutes!” She shook me off irritably: “Adam, can’t you be more understanding? Xavier has been afraid of the dark since he was little. Can you take responsibility if something happens to him?” “Xavier only knows me in Sunnyville. I have to go. If something really happened to him, I’d never forgive myself!” My vision was going dark in patches. I gritted my teeth and asked: “What about me? Aren’t you worried I might…” “What could possibly happen to you? Faking illness out of jealousy is a weak woman’s trick. Don’t try it, it doesn’t suit you!” She impatiently cut me off, then opened the door and left.

I collapsed on the floor, my head getting fuzzier. I mustered all my strength to pull out my phone and called 911 for myself. An hour later, I found myself lying in a hospital bed. A nurse immediately asked me some basic information. Seeing that I could answer coherently, she finally relaxed. “Luckily, you only have a mild concussion. Rest up, watch your diet, and avoid stimulation for the next few days. You’ll be fine soon.” I nodded eagerly, feeling a dull pain in my head. The young nurse quickly steadied me, telling me to rest well. The next day I felt a bit better, so I went for a walk in the hallway. Just as I reached the corner, I saw Heather helping Xavier out of the elevator. The two were chatting and laughing like a loving couple. She could see me out of the corner of her eye, but deliberately looked away. The nurse on duty hurried over to greet them: “Ms. Heather, your partner’s test results are back. It’s just a minor sprain, no bone damage. Just take it easy walking for a few days and he’ll recover soon.” Partner. I was frozen in place by those two words. Five years ago, I defied my family to return to Sunnyville with her. I supported Heather as we built her small family business into Sunnyville’s leading company. She said she would never betray me in this life, that I would be her only love. But the person who once made such firm promises now casually allowed another man to be called her partner. Heather pulled Xavier closer, gently bumping his chin. “See, I told you it was nothing serious. Feel better now?” Xavier in her arms looked blissful, reaching up to tap her nose. When they looked up, their eyes met mine. “Oh! It’s Adam.” Xavier struggled out of Heather’s arms, but winced in pain before his foot touched the ground. Heather glared at me coldly, as if I was the one who had sprained her lover’s ankle. “Adam, can’t you be more generous? You’re so jealous you followed us to the hospital? Don’t you have anything better to do?” Xavier tugged at Heather’s hand, looking at her disapprovingly: “Heather, you shouldn’t talk to Adam like that. Boyfriends are meant to be cherished, not yelled at.” He then turned to me with an understanding look: “Adam, the power went out and it was so dark, I accidentally sprained my ankle. That’s why I troubled Heather to bring me to the hospital.” “Heather was just worried about me. She didn’t mean to make you jealous. Please don’t be angry.” Seeing that I didn’t respond, his expression immediately turned pitiful. His voice got softer and softer, on the verge of tears. “I’ll leave now. I’m used to being alone anyway. My fate is to be lonely forever.” He stubbornly lifted one leg and hopped forward, eyes red-rimmed. Heather panicked and quickly steadied him. “Adam, you’re going too far! Why do you have to bully Xavier?” She was like a woman with glass eyes, unable to see the hospital gown I was wearing, the wristband on my arm, or my pale face. She was convinced I had come just to make a scene out of jealousy. I couldn’t hold back anymore and cursed out loud. “Heather, are you blind? I’m standing here without saying a word. How dare you accuse me of bullying him? Are you basing this on your imagination?” “Do you two have a persecution complex or something?” “If you’re sick, get treatment before it’s too late!” She was stunned by my outburst. Her hand slipped and Xavier fell to the ground with a thud. The hallway echoed with his pig-like squeal! Heather frantically helped the pained Xavier up. Once again furious: “Adam, you keep hurting Xavier. Do you not want to get married?” What a joke. She’s the pot calling the kettle black. Only seeing others’ faults, not her own. Her weak grip caused this, yet she blames me? The last shred of hope I had was completely shattered. “Yes, so Heather, the wedding is cancelled. We’re breaking up!” I vented my anger, then checked out of the hospital that afternoon. I hired someone to install security cameras in and outside my apartment, and had the locks changed.

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After a multi-car collision, my girlfriend rushed to care for the culprit who caused my injuries. Faced with my plea for help, she remained indifferent. “If it weren’t for you, Ethan wouldn’t have broken his leg!” “Now you’re whining about a little pain, I never knew you were such a crybaby!” It was then that I realized the injured man across from me was my girlfriend’s first love. Watching their intimate expressions, I suddenly felt like I was in the way. “Dr. Parker, this patient’s injuries are severe and require immediate surgery!” “Put him aside, he won’t die.” My girlfriend Olivia was currently supporting her first love, hurriedly rushing him to the emergency room. As for me, lying on the ground bleeding profusely, she acted as if she couldn’t see me. Just as I felt my life slipping away, she finally walked slowly to my side and coldly said, “If you hadn’t suddenly rushed out, how could Ethan have broken his leg!” “That was his brand new motorcycle, you’ll have to compensate him when you recover!” I tried my best to explain, but was met with her hateful glare. In that moment, my heart sank into endless darkness. Today, I had originally planned to give her a surprise. I didn’t expect that as soon as I turned into that small alley, I would be knocked down by a motorcycle. The culprit was Ethan, the first love Olivia could never let go of in her heart. He was clearly speeding, but ended up in much better shape than me. When he was finally rescued, he only had a broken leg. I called Olivia for help, but when she arrived she ignored me, She even kicked me hard, causing my wound to tear open and bleed heavily. We had been together for five years and were at the stage of discussing marriage. But now I just felt incredibly stupid. In Olivia’s heart, I probably wasn’t even worth a thousandth of Ethan. As if to punish me, Olivia used her position as a doctor to deliberately delay putting me in an ambulance for fifteen minutes. By the time I arrived at the hospital, my last shred of hope had been shattered. As I gradually lost consciousness, I passed out. The last thought in my mind was to completely break things off with Olivia. Since she was so infatuated with Ethan, even disregarding my life for him, I should recognize my place and let them be together! When I regained consciousness, Ethan was in the bed next to mine. Olivia was smiling as she fed him some nutritious soup, “I brought it in a thermos so it’s the perfect temperature, try it.” Noticing I was awake, she glared at me impatiently. “If you want to eat something, order delivery yourself. Don’t expect me to take care of you!” I thought my heart had already turned to ashes, but hearing her speak like this, tears still involuntarily streamed down my face. Seeing this, Olivia took it as me making a fuss. “What are you crying for? You’re always causing trouble, it’s so annoying!” “Let me tell you Jack, Ethan is irreplaceable in my heart. You could never measure up no matter how hard you try!” Hearing this, Ethan’s eyes were full of smugness as he looked at me provocatively, “Sorry bro, Olivia and I go way back. You don’t mind, do you?” In the past, hearing words like this would have sent me into a rage. But now, I just calmly wiped away my tears and smiled indifferently. “Of course I don’t mind. She’s your girlfriend, not mine.” Olivia’s face turned ashen as she glared at me. I ignored her and called my mother directly, “Mom, I’m in the hospital. Can you come pick me up?”

Olivia thought I was bluffing, “Don’t think calling your mom over will scare me. Jack, this is all you’re capable of.” I closed my eyes tightly, not wanting to waste any more words. When my mom arrived with her assistant in a hurry, Olivia was shocked to realize I wasn’t putting on an act. She blocked my mom, “Auntie, he’s still hospitalized. It’s not appropriate to take him away right after surgery, is it?” My mom already had a poor impression of Olivia, and now she pushed her aside without hesitation. “You’re just a small-time doctor, how dare you delay my son’s treatment? Let me tell you, this hospital’s major investor has deep ties with our family. If you keep causing trouble, I’ll make sure you can never work in this field again!” Olivia had become an attending physician at a young age and prided herself on her medical skills, which made her attitude arrogant. In reality, I had been quietly supporting her all along. To protect her pride, I never revealed the truth. So now she didn’t believe it at all, thinking my mom was just bluffing. “You’re lying! I got to where I am today through my own abilities and experience. How could I possibly rely on this good-for-nothing?” The assistant immediately stepped forward, glaring at her fiercely. Olivia instantly shut her mouth, and Ethan beside her was too scared to make a sound. Afterwards, mom carefully carried me out of the hospital and transferred me to the city’s best private hospital. “Rest easy and focus on recovery. The Taylor family’s daughter has been waiting. Now that you’ve agreed, we can set the wedding date today.” I nodded weakly and closed my eyes, my mind in chaos. Not long after, a message came from Olivia. “Isn’t your family just a small company? Why bother putting on this act? Who are you trying to fool?” “I’m warning you Jack, stop making up ridiculous stories to trick me, or we’re completely done!” Even at this point, she still thought I was lying to her. I took a deep breath to calm myself, then replied bluntly, “Let’s break up. Consider these years as me feeding a dog.” “I hope you and your dear Ethan live happily ever after. Don’t go ruining anyone else’s life.” After sending that, I promptly set her to Do Not Disturb. Thinking back to when we first got together, Olivia was the one who actively pursued me. She told me Ethan was just a close friend. It wasn’t until I accidentally discovered their flirtatious text messages that she admitted they had been in a relationship before. “Don’t worry, you’re the only one in my heart now. He’s in the past for me.” She was so earnest then, and I chose to believe her. I thought she truly loved me as she claimed. But I never expected that behind my back, she and Ethan had already rekindled their old flame. This accident also let me see her true colors completely. As I was lost in thought, my phone suddenly rang again. It was a friend request from Emma. Mom sent me a message asking us to get to know each other. After accepting the request, I didn’t chat much with her and continued resting. For all these years, I had never revealed my true family background to Olivia. So she always thought I was just an ordinary young man, and everything I did was to win her back. But I’m also incredibly grateful that I didn’t tell her in advance that my family’s company had long been the city’s leading enterprise, with substantial assets and business across multiple sectors.

My injuries were severe, and I had to recuperate in the hospital for a full month. During this month, Olivia never contacted me. Instead, she frequently updated her social media, going on trips with Ethan. I thought my heart had already turned to stone, but seeing those photos still made my chest ache uncontrollably. It felt like a boulder was pressing on my chest, the suffocating feeling making me dizzy. Five whole years of love, yet it was so worthless in her heart. Even though I had given her so much, in the end I was just a prop in her love story with Ethan. I’m being discharged the day after tomorrow. Mom told me Emma will come to pick me up too. We’ve chatted a few times during this period. Her personality is completely different from Olivia’s. When it comes to work, her passion is no less than mine. “Got it Mom, I’ll be ready.” Looking at my scruffy, haggard reflection in the mirror, I seemed to have aged ten years in an instant. Thinking back, Olivia used to nag me about my appearance every time we went out. She bought me vintage glasses and picked out flashy shirts that didn’t suit my style, making me look like a clown. Later I realized it was because Ethan liked that kind of look. She treated me as Ethan’s shadow, while claiming she only loved me. Every year on her birthday, I would meticulously prepare surprises. When it came to my birthday, she always used work at the hospital as an excuse to cancel. The only birthday gift she ever gave me was a freebie that came with something she bought for Ethan. It’s not that I never argued with her, but each time she would threaten to break up. I couldn’t bear to end the relationship, so I kept enduring it. If I hadn’t been injured by Ethan this time, I don’t know how long I would have remained deluded. Tomorrow when I’m discharged, I need to go to our shared apartment to pick up the cat I raised. It was a gift I gave her. Olivia was excited about it at first, but soon lost interest. I had to clean the house and take care of the kitten, exhausted every day. Olivia was nonchalant: “I’m training you. Otherwise how will you take care of me after we’re married?” I haven’t looked after the cat for a month. I don’t know how she and Ethan have been treating it. Thinking of this, I became extremely anxious and quickly called my assistant to check on the cat’s condition. When I heard the cat’s pitiful meowing in the video, my heart clenched. The cat’s name is Coco, a sweet orange tabby. I cared for it deeply and was always afraid of it getting even slightly hurt. But after such a short time in Olivia’s hands, it had been mistreated like this. She was the one who insisted on getting a pet, yet she didn’t cherish it at all. For some reason, a wave of sorrow washed over me. Coco’s fate was so similar to mine. I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. So I asked my assistant to go pick up Coco. Olivia was still traveling, no one was home, And I didn’t want to have any more entanglements with her anyway. “Boss, the password you gave me doesn’t work. I can’t get in.” I hadn’t expected Olivia to change the lock on the apartment. I paused briefly, then gave Ethan’s birthday as the new code. This time the door opened, and my assistant was able to bring Coco out safely. I didn’t expect Olivia to be so heartless. I was the one who rented the apartment. She never paid a cent for utilities. Yet just to spite me, she changed the lock without telling me. Perhaps seeing this through the security camera, Olivia contacted me after a long silence. “Who told you to break into my home and steal the cat? That’s burglary, I’m calling the police!” “I’ll make sure you get a criminal record and ruin your life, unless you keep paying me rent and apologize.” She accused me self-righteously, as if I was truly the one who had done wrong. In the past, I was always the first to apologize after every argument. She never backed down. This first time she actively reached out to me, it was for money. “So you do know I paid the rent? Aren’t you the one illegally occupying someone else’s home? I’m giving you one week to move out. Don’t let me see you again.” I retorted angrily, trying to suppress my rage. Olivia was dismissive, “It’s just rent, right? As an attending physician, I make over $20,000 a month. I don’t need your pocket change.” “Fine, I’ll move. But I’m telling you, don’t come begging me to get back together when you regret it later!” I didn’t respond further, not wanting to waste more words on her. Ethan chimed in at this point: “Come on, don’t make things too tense because of me. Let’s all talk it out calmly.” “Jack, just apologize. Olivia won’t hold it against you.” He came to stay at our rented apartment every week and even had his own room. They both relied on me to live, so naturally they didn’t want to completely cut ties. In the past, for Olivia’s sake, I put up with everything and endured a lot of grief from Ethan. But now I couldn’t take it anymore, “You really think I’m a sucker? I haven’t done anything wrong. The ones who are wrong are people like you with no moral bottom line.”

My assistant just sent me photos of the apartment. Looking closely, I noticed opened boxes of birth control pills scattered on the coffee table. They had clearly been used. Whether Olivia had betrayed me or not, the answer was obvious. I had thought she had only emotionally strayed from our relationship, But now I realized she may have crossed the line with Ethan long ago. Suddenly, a strong wave of nausea hit me. I felt utterly disgusted. After hanging up, Olivia seemed unsatisfied and posted a public update on social media. In the photo, she and Ethan were embracing tightly at his academic lecture. But the research results displayed on the podium were all my hard work. I originally had a background in scientific research and had made a name for myself in the field. Later Olivia complained that burying myself in research was useless, so she forbade me from continuing. But when she found out Ethan was interested in research, she forced me to do research for him, Crediting all the results I had spent countless hours on to Ethan. “Fine, I won’t hold it against you this time. There’s an academic symposium the day after tomorrow. Go in Ethan’s place.” “Talk about your insights on the research. Of course, tell everyone you’re just Ethan’s assistant.” I was deep in thought when Olivia’s message came through. Seeing this content, a wave of mockery welled up inside me. These were clearly my achievements, yet I had to help them deceive everyone. Ethan had even gained quite a bit of praise and prestige because of this. But it should all belong to me. Even if I had to destroy it, I absolutely couldn’t let these despicable thieves benefit! I lowered my head and was silent for a moment, then decisively agreed. Since they were so shameless, they couldn’t blame me for being merciless when I exposed everything! Seeing that I agreed, Olivia sent over the speech. “Just read this when it’s time. Don’t cause any trouble, or we’re breaking up immediately!” I sneered, not bothering to respond.

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At a raging fire scene, I ran into the flames to protect my stepson. Meanwhile, my wife turned off her phone to attend her ex-husband’s concert. I gave up my chance to escape so my stepson could be rescued. But once he was safe, he ran into his biological father’s arms, crying uncontrollably. To celebrate his survival, the three of them decided to go out for a lavish dinner. They completely forgot about me, the one still struggling to survive in the fire. Standing by the window, surrounded by flames and thick smoke, I watched their backs as they walked away together. I closed my eyes and leaped from the 18th floor. Miraculously, I survived. I chose to divorce her and leave the country. The stepson who once resented my discipline clung to my leg, crying, “Dad, please don’t leave me.” The wife who once dismissed my love grabbed my hand, pleading, “Honey, don’t go.” I was at work when I got a call from my neighbor: “Your apartment is on fire.” My heart sank. Thinking of my wife and stepson, I immediately jumped into my car, speeding home while frantically dialing my wife’s number. But no one answered. The thought of my wife and stepson trapped in the fire made my anxiety skyrocket. I floored the gas pedal. When I finally arrived at our apartment complex, thick black smoke was billowing from the windows on the 18th floor. Ignoring everyone’s attempts to stop me, I couldn’t wait for the firefighters to arrive. I ran straight into the building and up the stairs to our apartment. By the time I reached our floor, I was out of breath, and the hallway was already filled with choking smoke. I yelled my wife’s and stepson’s names, but no one responded. With shaking hands, I pulled out my keys and tried to unlock the door, but the intense heat had warped it. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get it open. I had no choice but to step back and kick the door with all my strength. The impact sent a sharp pain through my leg, and I felt like my bones might snap. After several desperate attempts, the door finally gave way, and I stumbled inside. The smoke was so thick I could barely see. I covered my nose and mouth with my sleeve, shouting my wife’s and stepson’s names as I crouched to avoid the flames. Dodging the fire, limping on my injured leg, I searched through the apartment until I found my stepson huddled in the corner of the living room. He was terrified but unharmed. Relief washed over me as I knelt down and pulled him into my arms. “Tommy, don’t be scared. Daddy’s here to save you.” I grabbed my 8-year-old stepson’s arm, trying to lead him to safety. But Tommy was too scared to move. He clung to me, crying and begging, “Daddy, please carry me!” With no other choice, I lifted him into my arms despite the pain in my leg and started making my way toward the door. I kept calling my wife’s name, hoping she would answer. Thankfully, the firefighters arrived just in time. I handed Tommy over to one of them. As the firefighter held my crying stepson, I wiped the soot off Tommy’s face and asked, “Tommy, where’s your mom? Where is she?” Tommy lowered his head, avoiding my gaze, and whispered, “Mom’s in the bedroom… she’s sleeping.” The flames were spreading rapidly, leaving no time to think. Hearing that my wife was still in the bedroom, I turned back toward the fire without hesitation. The firefighter, holding Tommy with one arm, blocked my path with his other hand and handed me an oxygen mask. “The fire is too dangerous. I’ll go in to rescue her. Put this on and take your son downstairs.” But I shook my head and placed the oxygen mask over Tommy’s face instead. Patting my possibly fractured leg, I pleaded with the firefighter. “My son is too scared to walk on his own, and I can’t carry him down 18 flights of stairs like this. Please, take him to safety. My wife is still in the bedroom—I can’t leave her behind. I’m begging you.” Before the firefighter could respond, I turned and disappeared into the thick smoke. With no choice, the firefighter carried Tommy downstairs, radioing for backup as he went.

Dragging my injured leg, every step sent searing pain through my body, but I couldn’t stop. The fire was raging, and yet my wife wasn’t with our son. Had she passed out somewhere? Or worse, was she already gone? The horrible possibilities pushed me forward, ignoring the pain, as I searched every room. I kept shouting her name, and finally made my way to the bedroom—but the bed was empty. Thinking of her usual habits, I turned and limped toward her studio. When I slammed into the door of her studio, a surge of hot air knocked me to the ground, and the flames instantly engulfed the room. It hit me then—her studio was packed with fabric and over a hundred dresses. Now they were all burning together, feeding the uncontrollable fire. I remembered all the arguments we’d had over this studio. My wife, a fashion designer, had spent countless hours creating suits and gowns for her ex-husband, Noah Green, who was also Tommy’s biological father. I had accused her of crossing boundaries too many times, but she always dismissed my concerns, saying I was being unreasonable. I’d even joked once that I’d burn all the dresses she’d so carefully designed for Noah. Now, as I watched the flames devour them, I felt no satisfaction—only despair. The choking smoke stung my eyes and lungs, forcing me to the ground, coughing violently. My injured leg could no longer support me. Driven by survival instinct, I crawled toward the balcony, my skin burning, the fiery heat making me dizzy. I pressed my face against the narrow cracks in the balcony railing, desperately gulping the thin, smoky air outside. Lying there, I peered down at the crowd gathering below. My sharp eyesight immediately picked out my son, standing safely among them. Relief hit me like a wave. Tommy was safe. At least he didn’t perish in this fire with me. Tears I had held back finally spilled down my soot-covered face. I thought back to the day my wife gave birth to Tommy. Not long after, she divorced Noah, who had abandoned his family to chase his dream of becoming a world-famous pianist. Six months later, she married me—her childhood friend who had loved her for years. For seven years, I had raised Tommy as my own, dedicating everything to him. To me, he was no different from my biological son. But now, the thought of him losing both his mother and me broke my heart into pieces. And yet, my wife… Where was she? Was she still waiting for me somewhere in this burning apartment? Clinging to the railing, I forced my battered body to stand again, ready to continue the search. But then, a familiar car pulled up and parked below. My heart sank. Out of the car stepped two people: my wife, Emily, and her ex-husband, Noah Green. At that moment, I didn’t know whether my sharp vision was a blessing or a curse. Hadn’t Tommy said Emily was in the bedroom sleeping? How could she be outside—with him? Then I remembered: today was Noah’s big comeback concert. So that’s where she had been. She left our son home alone to attend her ex-husband’s concert. Did she even know how close Tommy had come to dying in the fire? Couldn’t she have brought him with her? None of it made sense to me, but I had no time to think. I was dying. The smoke was suffocating me, and I clung to the balcony railing, trying to breathe the scorching air. Looking down, I saw the three of them embracing. Even from here, I could hear Tommy’s innocent voice calling out, “Daddy!” But he wasn’t calling me. He was calling Noah. Emily wrapped her arms around both Noah and Tommy, and to the onlookers, they probably seemed like a happy little family. None of them looked back at the burning building. None of them thought about me, still trapped inside. After a brief moment of tears, they turned and walked away, hand in hand. I watched their backs as they disappeared into the distance. Despair washed over me. I closed my eyes, unwilling to believe that the wife and son I loved so deeply could abandon me without a second thought. But deep down, I had known this day would come. Ever since Noah returned to town, I had noticed the changes in my wife and son. Emily’s true love had always been Noah. I was nothing more than her second choice, the man she settled for when she needed someone to give Tommy a stable home. Back then, Noah had left her and their newborn son without looking back, choosing his career over his family. Emily married me because she wanted to give Tommy a complete family. For years, I had hoped my love and devotion would thaw her heart. I was wrong. Even during those years when Noah was gone, he had never truly left Emily’s heart. The rows of suits and dresses she designed for him in her studio were proof enough of that. I remembered once asking her to make me a custom suit. She had snapped at me: “Why would I waste time making something for you? You don’t even have an occasion to wear it! Stop bothering me. Noah has a European tour coming up next month, and I promised him a new outfit for every performance.” I had left her studio that day, pale and humiliated. Now, I finally understood. I had never stood a chance. With Noah back in her life, it was only a matter of time before she and Tommy returned to him. As for Tommy, I had foolishly hoped he would choose to stay with me. But in the end, I was no match for his real father. Through the ringing in my ears, I heard Tommy’s excited laughter as he asked to celebrate with a big dinner. Emily and Noah’s warm, affectionate voices agreed. I opened my eyes one last time to confirm what I already knew. Their car was pulling away. Emily smiled as she reminded Noah and Tommy to buckle up. From the backseat, Tommy tilted his chubby face up, asking Noah to wipe the soot off his cheeks. It was over. They were gone. At that moment, I realized they had truly abandoned me. Perhaps they thought it would be better if I died here in silence. But I wasn’t ready to disappear without a trace. Even if my family had forsaken me, I still wanted to live—for myself. The flames blocked the door, leaving no way out. I turned to the balcony, where a childproof safety net had been installed to protect Tommy. Dragging my injured leg, I crawled to a corner of the balcony where an old iron plant stand was bolted to the wall. Using all my strength, I tore the net, widening the hole just enough for me to fit through. The flames were licking at my back, and the heat was unbearable. With no time left to hesitate, I squeezed through the gap and leaped from the 18th floor.

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My son was suffering from an aortic dissection and needed immediate surgery. My wife, Emily Walker, was a renowned cardiac specialist. But I didn’t call her. Instead, I hailed a cab and rushed straight to the hospital. In my previous life, I had begged her to return with the ambulance to save our son. She had arranged the hospital bed and prepared for surgery. But because Emily forgot her phone that day, her childhood friend, Alex Shea, who was suffering a heart attack, couldn’t reach her. He died in the ambulance. Emily disappeared for three months after that. When she came back, she seemed normal on the surface. She even volunteered to cook for our son’s birthday party. But she had laced the food with drugs. Then, she pinned me to the ground, gripping my neck as she slit my throat. “This is all your fault!” she screamed. “If I hadn’t gone back for our son, Alex wouldn’t be dead! Your entire family is to blame, and you all deserve to pay for it!” When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day my son’s heart condition first struck. This time, Emily answered Alex’s call. But little did she know, she would one day beg me for forgiveness.

“Mr. Walker, I understand how worried you must be, but there really aren’t any available beds,” said Sue Tanner, one of Emily’s colleagues and today’s attending physician. After being reborn, the first thing I had done was drive my son to the hospital. But Sue didn’t even glance at my son before blocking us from entering the cardiac unit. My son was crying silently. He had been too weak to even say he was in pain during the car ride. My mother was panicked, pacing back and forth. “What do you mean there are no beds? I just saw an empty bed in there! Can’t we use that one?” Sue didn’t even flinch. “That bed is already reserved for another patient.” My mother’s face flushed with anger. “Reserved? Since when can hospital beds be reserved? Isn’t it first come, first served? My grandson is seriously ill! How can you just turn him away? What kind of doctor are you?” Sue’s expression turned icy. “Calm down. I don’t see anything about him that looks like a heart condition. Do you know how long people wait for a bed here? Why should he be treated immediately just because you walked in?” Turning her attention to me, she added, “Mr. Walker, I don’t want to make this any uglier than it needs to be. But if you keep this up, I’ll have no choice but to call security.” Her words carried a thinly veiled disgust, as if we were pulling some sort of scam. In just a few minutes, a crowd had gathered. Whispers started to spread. “Everyone here has waited weeks for a bed. Who do they think they are, demanding one right away?” “Faking an illness to jump the line? Why don’t they just buy the whole hospital if they’re so entitled?” The insults kept coming. My son lay trembling in my mother’s arms, his body drenched in sweat. His small voice broke through the noise. “Dad, Grandma… it hurts so much. Please… help me.” Hearing his words felt like a knife stabbing into my chest. The pain reached all the way to my skull. But no matter how desperate his condition, Sue refused to believe he had an aortic dissection. My mom, on the verge of tears, pleaded with her. “Please, doctor, I’m sorry for what I said earlier. Just take a look at my grandson. He’s in so much pain.” Sue crossed her arms, her tone growing even colder. “Hospital policy is clear: no admission, no treatment.” My mother, now completely distraught, raised her fists as if to strike. I quickly stepped in to stop her. Looking Sue directly in the eye, I said firmly, “Sue, my son doesn’t have a regular heart condition. He has an aortic dissection. You know how critical this is. He needs surgery immediately.” My tone must have startled her because she finally dropped her nonchalant demeanor. But then she laughed. “You’re really committed to this act, aren’t you, Evan?” she sneered. “Did Google not tell you that kids don’t get aortic dissections? When Emily told me you’d do anything to take Alex’s bed, I didn’t believe her. But using your own child in this ridiculous charade? That’s beyond disgusting.” Her words dripped with contempt. I didn’t have time to argue. I knew how urgent my son’s condition was. An aortic dissection is rare enough in adults, with a one-in-100,000 chance of occurring and a nearly 100% fatality rate if untreated. In children, it’s almost unheard of. The only doctor in the country capable of performing this surgery was the head of this very department. I couldn’t afford to lose my temper or waste another second explaining. I glanced at my son, his lips turning blue from the pain. A wave of despair washed over me, stealing the air from my lungs. I knew Sue wouldn’t admit him. Clenching my teeth, I turned and ran straight to the head nurse’s office.

The cardiology department where Emily Walker worked was one of the most renowned in the country. Patients lined up for weeks, even months, just to get a chance at treatment. And yet, no matter how full the hospital was, there was always one empty bed reserved in the department. That bed wasn’t for emergencies. It was for Alex Shea, Emily’s childhood friend. In my previous life, when my son suddenly developed a heart condition, I called Emily, desperate for help. At first, she told me there were no available beds. But after my repeated begging, she finally agreed to let my son use that reserved bed temporarily. She even came back with the ambulance to ensure he was admitted. But in the half hour she spent helping our son, Alex suffered a heart attack. He tried calling Emily, but she didn’t have her phone on her. He died in the ambulance. Emily didn’t return home after that. She disappeared for three months. When she finally came back, our son had already recovered and been discharged from the hospital. Emily resigned from her prestigious position, saying she wanted to spend more time with our family. She drove me to work every day, cooked meals for us, and helped our son with his homework every evening. I thought she had finally let go of her grief and found her way back to us. But on our son’s birthday, she poisoned all of us. My son and my mother died in agony. As for me, she injected me with something to keep me conscious. Then she drove me to Alex’s grave and forced me to kneel, demanding I apologize to him. I didn’t understand what I had done wrong. Alex had always had a weak heart. Even after his heart transplant, he refused to take his medication, which led to frequent heart failure. The day he died, he had a heart attack but didn’t call 911 right away. By the time his neighbor found him and called an ambulance, Alex insisted on being taken to Emily’s hospital, 30 kilometers away, instead of the one just down the street from his home. I couldn’t understand why Emily blamed me for everything. “He did this to himself,” I told her. But Emily wouldn’t hear it. Tears streaming down her face, she screamed, “Our son was fine! How does a child suddenly develop a heart condition? You did something to make me miss Alex’s call that day! You killed him!” “Evan, I’ve told you over and over—Alex and I were just friends. But you couldn’t leave him alone. You pushed him to this! He stopped taking his medication because of you! If anyone deserves to die, it’s you!” I couldn’t comprehend her twisted logic. But she didn’t give me the chance to explain. “You killed Alex,” she said, her voice eerily calm. “Now you’ll know what it feels like to die of a broken heart.” With that, she sliced into my chest with a scalpel and crushed my heart with her bare hands. The memory of that pain still lingered, sharp and vivid. I shuddered at the thought, snapping back to the present. My son’s fragile condition was the only thing on my mind. Bursting into the head nurse’s office, I fell to my knees. “Please, Nurse Carter,” I begged, tears streaming down my face. “I know you can assign beds. We don’t even need a room—just let us stay in the hallway. My son has an aortic dissection. Dr. Lee is the only one in the city who can perform the surgery. Please, I’m begging you—save my son!” I dropped my head to the ground, bowing so hard that the sound echoed in the room. The head nurse hesitated, her expression softening. Finally, she picked up her phone and started walking toward the door. But before she could leave, Sue Tanner stepped in front of her. “Nurse Carter, you’re not seriously falling for this, are you?” Sue said with a snide grin. “Can’t you see he’s just putting on a show?” Then she turned to me, her tone dripping with contempt. “Let me tell you something about Evan,” she said loudly, ensuring everyone in the surrounding area could hear. “Back when Emily was planning to move abroad with her first love, Alex, Evan sent an anonymous letter to sabotage them. He even used his father, the hospital director, to pressure Emily into marrying him instead. “This man will do anything to get his way. And now, he’s using his kid to play the victim. For all we know, his son doesn’t even have an aortic dissection. Maybe he hurt the boy himself just to make this look convincing.” Nurse Carter lowered her phone, visibly hesitant. “I’m sorry, Mr. Walker,” she said gently. “Without a formal diagnosis, I can’t admit your son. It’s hospital policy.” My heart plummeted. I thought that by not calling Emily, she would stay with Alex, and the tragedy from my past life wouldn’t repeat itself. But I hadn’t expected her to go this far—to instruct her colleagues to block my son from being admitted. Just as despair began to consume me, I heard my mother scream. “Evan! Hurry! It’s Little Nick—he’s not breathing!”

I bolted forward. My son was slumped over my mother’s shoulder, his small arm hanging lifelessly. I reached out to feel his carotid artery. Nothing. No pulse. My heart clenched, and my mind went blank. Instinctively, I shouted, “Lay him flat on the ground! Quickly!” My mother gently lowered him to the floor. I dropped to my knees and started performing CPR on my son. I pressed down on his chest, keeping my movements steady, while my mother turned to the nurses’ station. She fell to her knees, crying and begging, “Please, help us! My grandson is dying! Are you really going to just stand there and watch?” The crowd of onlookers fell silent, their expressions frozen in shock. One of the nurses hesitated, clearly wanting to help, but once again, Sue Tanner stepped in to block her. “Please don’t interfere with hospital operations,” Sue said coldly, as if we were merely a nuisance. Even without assistance, I kept going. After a few agonizing minutes, I felt my son’s pulse return. His eyelids fluttered, and he let out a weak whisper. “Dad…” Relief surged through me. Tears streamed down my face as I hugged him tightly. But as the realization hit me—that my son had nearly died right there on the floor of a hospital—I felt an ache so deep it was suffocating. “Dad,” my son said softly, his voice trembling. “Am I going to die? Isn’t this where Mom works? Why isn’t she helping me?” His innocent words pierced through the air, silencing everyone around us. I saw a few people in the crowd wipe tears from their eyes. Finally, someone spoke. “Dr. Tanner, this doesn’t seem fake. Maybe you should take a look at the boy,” a man suggested hesitantly. “Yeah,” a woman chimed in. “This could be serious. Just examine him—if it’s all fake, then fine, but what if it’s not?” The crowd began pleading on our behalf, but Sue remained unmoved. “Evan,” she sneered, “you’ve really gone all out, haven’t you? What’s next? Practicing CPR at home to perfect this performance? Too bad your technique is so sloppy.” She crossed her arms and continued, “Besides, Emily’s with Alex right now. Your little drama here is pointless.” I couldn’t believe it. Even after everything, Sue still didn’t believe my son was truly sick. Anger boiled inside me. “Sue,” I said, my voice shaking with rage, “what have I ever done to you to deserve this ridicule? Even if I’ve made mistakes, there are laws to hold me accountable. But what about my son? What has he done to deserve this? You call yourself a doctor, but you refuse to even examine a patient. Do you even deserve to wear that white coat?” My words struck a nerve, and the crowd erupted again. “He’s right! Who would use their own child to fake something like this?” “Exactly! If you think it’s fake, prove it! Just use a stethoscope and check!” For the first time, Sue hesitated. Her face darkened, and she reluctantly pulled out her stethoscope. She leaned down, finally ready to listen to my son’s heartbeat. But before she could, her phone rang. She answered it immediately. “Emily? Where are you? Your husband is causing a scene in the department,” Sue said, her voice laced with irritation. Hearing that name sent a chill down my spine. The voice on the other end was cold. “I’m with Alex. He’s been admitted,” Emily said. “Kick them out. I’ll deal with them after Alex is stable.” There was a brief pause before Emily added, “And that bed? It’s reserved for Alex. Nobody else touches it.” Hearing those words, my mother broke into uncontrollable sobs. “Emily, are you insane? That’s your own son! How can you let him die? Don’t you have any sense of guilt?” she screamed into the phone. Emily let out a bitter laugh. “No one is more important than Alex. If my son has to die, then so be it.” I quickly covered my son’s ears, but I was too late. He looked up at me, his eyes filled with confusion and pain. “Dad… why does Mom want me to die?” I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. What could I possibly say to him? Emily hung up the phone. Sue looked down at me with a smug expression. “You heard her,” she said. “Now take your son and leave. Stop embarrassing yourself.” Just then, I saw a familiar figure at the door. It was Nurse Carter, and she wasn’t alone. Standing beside her was Dr. Lee, the department head. My heart leapt with hope. Holding my son tightly, I ran toward them. “Dr. Lee, please! Look at my son! Dr. Tanner refused to admit him. I think he has an aortic dissection, but no one will listen!” Dr. Lee didn’t hesitate. She placed the stethoscope on my son’s chest, her expression growing darker with every passing second. Sue followed, her voice dripping with condescension. “Dr. Lee, don’t waste your time. Children don’t get aortic dissections. This woman is just making things up.” But before Sue could finish, Dr. Lee straightened up, her face grim. She handed my son to a nearby nurse and barked out orders. “Get the OR ready. This child has an aortic dissection,” she said sharply. Then she turned to Sue, her eyes cold. “Who told you children can’t have this condition? Sue Tanner, do you realize you almost cost this boy his life?”

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My wife’s childhood friend killed my parents in a drunk driving accident. When I tried to report him to the police, my wife blindfolded me and dragged me into a dark basement. For three years, I lived without sunlight, enduring endless pain and torment. After every round of punishment, her cold, cutting voice would echo in my ears: “Do you still hate him, Evan?” Until one day, I lay sprawled on the freezing floor, begging into the phone like a broken man. “I don’t hate him anymore! I swear, I don’t hate him!” On the other end of the line, my wife laughed. When she finally came to let me out, I flinched away from her hug. She froze, confused and silent. And when I numbly asked her for a divorce, she snapped—completely and utterly lost her mind. The damp, suffocating basement reeked of mold. I sat slumped in a corner, dragging my mangled leg behind me. The wet walls soaked through my shirt, clinging to my skin. When the heavy door creaked open, the sudden flood of light blinded me, and I instinctively shielded my eyes. I heard footsteps. Panicked, I shrank deeper into the shadows without even thinking. “Mr. Carter, Mrs. Howell sent me to get you.” I glanced up slowly, my vision adjusting. It was one of Jessa Howell’s long-time bodyguards. Lowering my gaze, I muttered, “Alright.” I struggled to my feet, my body weak and unsteady. Dragging my injured leg, I hobbled forward a few steps. The bodyguard’s expression twisted with shock. “Sir, your leg… what happened?” I clenched my fists tightly, my nails digging into my palms. My head hung low as I replied, “A cabinet fell on it. Probably fractured.” The bodyguard’s brows furrowed in disbelief. “Why didn’t you tell Mrs. Howell?” I let out a bitter laugh, ignoring his question. Tell her? And what would that accomplish? Would she have let me go to the hospital? Or called a doctor for me? “I’ll help you walk,” the bodyguard said awkwardly, stepping closer to support me. We hadn’t even made it out of the basement when I saw her—Jessa Howell—stepping out of a car with her childhood friend, Logan Reed. “Jessa, what did I tell you?” Logan said, his voice laced with mockery. “He’s obviously playing the victim to get your sympathy. Look at him—he can’t even walk on his own without someone holding him up. Pathetic.” Jessa’s gaze shifted to me at his words. She didn’t say anything, but her eyes sparkled with smug satisfaction as she strutted toward me. When she got close, she suddenly opened her arms, as if to embrace me. But I recoiled violently, stumbling back with a flinch. My body curled up instinctively, and I muttered through choked breaths, “Don’t hit me… please, don’t hit me… I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” Jessa froze, her arms still outstretched, her face a mask of disbelief. Slowly, she lowered her hands, her expression darkening as she turned to the bodyguard. “What’s going on here?” she demanded. The bodyguard, clearly shaken by my reaction, opened his mouth to respond but hesitated. “Ma’am, I—” “Jessa!” Logan interrupted loudly, pulling her attention toward him. The bodyguard immediately clamped his mouth shut, swallowing whatever he had been about to say. Logan smirked, his tone dripping with condescension as he sneered at me. “Evan Carter, are you seriously holding a grudge because Jessa locked you up to reflect on your actions? Is this whole act just to make her feel guilty?” He let out a low chuckle. “Come on, drop the act. You already admitted you were wrong. Jessa and I have decided to let it go. We’re not even mad about you falsely accusing me anymore.” He emphasized those last three words—”falsely accusing me”—with a sharp, pointed edge. I froze, my trembling stopping as a hollow emptiness settled over me. Logan laughed again. “See, Jessa? What did I say?” I stayed where I was, crouched on the ground, unwilling to get up. Jessa’s voice turned cold, her words cutting through the air like ice. “Evan Carter,” she said from above me, “three years wasn’t enough for you to learn your lesson?”

“Come on, Jessa, don’t get worked up. We have that meeting with Mr. Collins soon,” Logan said casually, glancing at his watch. Jessa Howell turned to look at me, still crouched on the ground. Her fingers tightened around the strap of her Hermès bag as she snapped at me, her voice dripping with disdain. “Evan Carter, you’re such a pathetic loser! Look at Logan, and then look at yourself!” “For the past three years, it’s been Logan who’s stood by my side, helping me through everything. If it weren’t for him, I would’ve fallen apart by now! And you—just look at the sorry state you’re in! Do you really think you deserve me anymore?” With that, she looped her arm through Logan’s and turned to leave. Logan glanced back at me, a smug smirk on his face. He mouthed the word: “Loser.” I trembled as I watched the two of them walk away together. The bodyguard beside me looked down, startled. “Sir! Your little finger… What happened to it?” I slowly lowered my head, staring at my twisted pinky finger on my right hand. In three years, Jessa hadn’t even noticed it. She hadn’t noticed my limp either. She didn’t even look at me long enough to see the way my body had broken. I forced a bitter smile. “It’s nothing. Just an old break… didn’t heal right.” “…Let me take you to the hospital.” The bodyguard helped me to my feet, my weight leaning heavily on him as my strength gave out. Logan Reed had only come back into Jessa’s life three years ago. I’d always known she had a childhood friend—a boy she grew up with, someone her family and mine used to joke she’d marry one day. When his family hit hard times, they sent him abroad. For all those years, Jessa stayed single. She never showed interest in anyone else. I knew why. She was waiting for him. But I was waiting for her. During that time, my family introduced me to dozens of women, but I turned them all down, one after another. I was so steadfast in my devotion that my parents started to wonder if I might secretly prefer men. Then, one day, Jessa showed up at my door, drenched from the rain. “Evan,” she said, trembling, “I’m done waiting. Do you have someone you want to marry?” “If you don’t… what about me?” I couldn’t contain myself. I wrapped her tightly in my arms, overwhelmed by the love I’d been holding back for so long. She never knew how deeply I loved her. After we got married, I gave her everything I had—my patience, my devotion, my unconditional love. And for a while, it seemed to work. I thought I’d finally won her heart. But everything changed the moment Logan came back. When my parents were killed, I found a witness who confirmed what I already suspected: Logan Reed had been the driver. He was drunk. When he hit my parents, he panicked and tried to flee. But when they were still alive, he ran them over again. And again. Just to make sure they couldn’t survive. But Jessa refused to believe it. She swore up and down that Logan had been with her all night. She even testified for him in court. And when I finally brought my witness forward, the man suddenly changed his story. I became the crazy husband. The jealous fool who was desperate to make Logan pay for “stealing” Jessa’s love. But I’ll never forget that day. When I arrived at the hospital and saw my parents’ mangled, lifeless bodies on those cold slabs, I thought I’d lose my mind. And I’ll never forget what Jessa did next. She tricked me. She told me she wanted to help, wanted me to calm down. And then she locked me in that basement. Her face was cold, unfeeling, as she said, “Evan, you’re too emotional. You need time to reflect.” At the hospital, the doctor frowned as he examined me. “What happened to your hand?” he asked, glancing at the bodyguard. “Are you his family?” The bodyguard hesitated, then nodded stiffly. The doctor sighed and shook his head. “This injury’s been left untreated for too long. Even if we reset the bone, it’ll never fully heal.” “And your leg,” he added, gesturing toward my limp. “What happened there?” I glanced sideways at the bodyguard. We both knew the answer, but I couldn’t say it. Jessa had made it clear: if I ever told anyone about the basement, she’d make sure I never found out where my parents were buried.

The bodyguard dropped me off at the villa and left without a word. Before opening the door, I clearly saw him input the passcode. It wasn’t the same as it used to be. This time, the code was Logan Reed’s birthday. I limped inside, taking in the house that was both familiar and utterly foreign. Everything looked the same as it had three years ago, yet it was completely different. By the door, there were two pairs of slippers—one for a woman, clearly Jessa’s, and the other for a man. Logan’s. In the bedroom, there were two pillows on the bed. The closet was divided—her clothes on the left, his on the right. In the bathroom, two toothbrushes sat neatly in matching cups. The counter was cluttered with men’s toiletries, from shaving cream to cologne. Every detail screamed the obvious: Jessa and Logan were already living together. As I stepped out of the bedroom, a soft thud drew my attention. Turning toward the living room, I saw two figures entwined in the dim moonlight, locked in a kiss. The sound of their intimacy was suffocating. “Click!” I flipped the living room lights on. Jessa turned, her flushed face frozen in shock. She instinctively pushed Logan away. “When did you get back?” she asked, her voice defensive as she rubbed her temple. “I drank too much,” she continued quickly, “and if it weren’t for Logan bringing me home, I don’t know how I would’ve escaped those old drunks at the party.” Her tone shifted, becoming accusatory. “Evan, things like this—you should’ve been the one handling them. If you hadn’t lost your mind back then, I wouldn’t have had to struggle so much all these years.” I stood silently, unmoving, letting her words wash over me. She kept complaining, her voice relentless, until Logan walked out of the kitchen carrying a glass of warm water. “Here, drink this. It’ll soothe your throat,” he said gently, offering it to her. The tenderness in his actions, the way he hovered beside her—it was the kind of care that made him look more like her husband than I ever had. Jessa rolled her eyes at me, sighed heavily, and took the glass from Logan. After finishing the water, she spoke again, her tone flat. “Logan’s been looking for a place to stay. Until he finds one, he’ll be living here.” Her words hung in the air, daring me to respond. But this time, I did. “I know,” I said quietly. “His things are already everywhere in your bedroom.” Jessa’s face hardened, the glass slipping from her hand and shattering on the floor. “You went into my bedroom?” she asked sharply, her voice low and cold. The sound of her tone, combined with the crash of glass, sent me spiraling. For a moment, I was back in that suffocating, moldy basement. My mind went blank. The only thing I could do was stammer out an apology. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” Jessa froze, her expression softening with confusion as her brows furrowed. She stepped closer, her voice quieter now. “Evan, what’s wrong? I was just asking a simple question.” I didn’t respond. Before I could, Logan let out a dramatic sigh, breaking the tension. “Evan, man, this is just too much,” he said, shaking his head in mock pity. “I didn’t expect you’d still hold such a grudge after three years. You’re not seriously pretending to be this broken just to make Jessa feel guilty, are you?” Jessa blinked, as though Logan’s words had suddenly illuminated a truth she hadn’t considered. “Is that it, Evan?” she asked, her voice sharper now. “I’ve told you a hundred times—Logan was with me that night. He was at a business dinner, keeping me company. Why can’t you believe me? Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused him? You almost ruined his life!” Her voice cracked as her frustration grew. “Because of you, Logan lost his job. His company fired him because of your ridiculous accusations. Everywhere he goes, people whisper behind his back, calling him a killer. Do you have any idea what you’ve done to him?” Her eyes burned with anger as she continued. “He almost jumped off a building, Evan! He almost ended his life because of you!”

My silence finally pushed Jessa Howell over the edge. She grabbed a glass from the table and hurled it at me. The glass shattered on impact. Blood began trickling down my forehead. Jessa froze, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at me. “Why… why didn’t you dodge?” Dodge? Could I even dodge? Hadn’t she made it clear that I wasn’t allowed to? If I had tried to avoid it, she’d have threatened to desecrate my parents’ remains—to feed their bones to the dogs. Jessa always meant what she said. I still remembered her icy words from years ago: “Evan Carter, if you dare spread lies about Logan, I’ll make sure you regret ever being born.” And in that dark, damp room, she followed through on her threats. When Logan lost a few strands of hair from stress, she sent people to beat me senseless. When Logan couldn’t eat, I wasn’t allowed to eat either. Not only that—she controlled how much water I could drink. When Logan almost jumped off a building, she had my legs and hands broken. Now, as the blood dripped steadily down my face, my vision blurred. I blinked, trying to stay conscious. Jessa rushed toward me. “Logan! Get me the iodine and some bandages!” Logan didn’t move. He stood there, watching with a smirk. “Jessa,” he said slowly, “this is exactly what Evan wants. He stood there and let you hit him so you’d feel guilty. Don’t fall for it.” Jessa hesitated, her hand still reaching for my arm. Then, as if Logan’s words flipped a switch, she let go. Her voice dropped, colder than before. “Evan Carter, are you serious? Do you really think pulling a stunt like this will give you control over me?” She straightened, her tone sharp and commanding. “You’ve been out for a while now, haven’t you? Have you even apologized yet? If you get down on your knees right now and sincerely apologize to Logan for your reckless accusations, I’ll let this go. I’ll forgive you.” Logan chuckled mockingly. “Just an apology, Jessa? That’s all?” Jessa glanced at me, her expression conflicted, before nodding firmly. “Yes. Evan, get on your knees and apologize.” The blood on my forehead dripped onto her hand, the warmth making her flinch. She yanked her arm back instinctively. Logan stepped forward, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. He handed her a tissue and carefully wiped the blood off her hand. “Evan,” he said with a smirk, “what are you waiting for?” Jessa’s expression darkened, and she looked at me expectantly. I raised my head slowly, my breaths shallow. After a long pause, I took a deep breath and spoke, my voice steady. “I’ll apologize. I’ll even kneel. But first, I want to know—where are my parents buried?” Jessa froze, caught off guard by the question. Logan’s expression flickered, his eyes darting away. The room fell into silence. After what felt like an eternity, Jessa turned to Logan, her brows furrowing. “Logan,” she said cautiously, “I remember you handled that. Where are they buried?” Logan’s shifty gaze told me something was wrong. I took a step forward and grabbed his arm. “Where are they?” I demanded. “Let go of me,” he snapped. I tightened my grip. “Tell me where you buried my parents!” Logan’s face darkened, but then he broke into a twisted smile. “Evan, you seem angrier than ever. What’s your plan? Make Jessa believe you’re sorry, and then turn around and run me over with a car, just like you think I did to your parents?” Jessa’s eyes widened in shock. “Evan Carter, let go!” she shouted. I didn’t move. “I said, let go!” Her voice grew sharper. “Do you want to go back to that basement? Is that what you want?” Back to the basement? No. Anything but that. My hand dropped from Logan’s arm, and I turned to look at Jessa, exhaustion etched across my face. “Jessa,” I said softly, “let’s get a divorce.” The room fell silent. Jessa stared at me, her expression cracking as if she couldn’t process the words. “Divorce?” she repeated, her voice shaky. “Are you joking?” Her tone turned incredulous. “I told you to let go of Logan, and your response is to ask for a divorce? Are you seriously doing this over a little scratch on Logan’s arm? Evan, what the hell are you trying to pull?” I didn’t answer right away. I just looked at her—the woman I had loved so deeply, who had turned my life into a waking nightmare. Every day in that basement had been a living hell. I couldn’t believe she had done all of this for Logan. I couldn’t believe she had ordered people to torment me, just to make him feel better. I spoke again, my voice devoid of emotion. “If you love him so much, I’ll let you have him. Isn’t that what you want?” Jessa’s composure shattered. Her eyes darted away, her guilt written plainly across her face. “Evan, stop talking nonsense. Be reasonable. I never wanted to divorce you. Logan and I—” “But I want to divorce you.” I cut her off. Her face twisted, her anger returning in full force. Logan, on the other hand, laughed mockingly. “Evan, where would you even go? Jessa owns the company. You’re limping, your hand’s messed up—you’re going to end up homeless. Is that what you want?” His words hit me like a blow, but I refused to show it. Jessa, however, looked startled. “What? You’re limping? What happened to your leg? And your hand?” I followed her gaze as she looked down at my injuries. Then I laughed bitterly and raised my hand. “You didn’t already know? Why are you acting so surprised?”

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I “killed” my sister-in-law and made my brother hate me for six years. For those six years, the words I heard from him most often were, “Why don’t you just die?” He humiliated me every chance he got and even adopted a “sister” in front of me—someone he allowed to bully me relentlessly. That girl made me kneel on broken glass for pictures, forced me to drink nine bottles of vodka despite my advanced stomach cancer, and strip naked to dance for her birthday. I didn’t fight back. But on the final day of my life, I gifted my own death to my brother as a birthday present. Brother, this time, will you finally forgive me? “Nancy, are you out of your mind?!” The sound of my best friend Lily’s choked scream echoed through the hospital room. “You have three days left to live, and you’re telling me you’re still going to track down the people who killed your sister-in-law?! Are you insane?” She didn’t stop there—her face was red with fury. “Your brother? That coward? He had no right to blame you for what happened back then! None of this was your fault!” I ignored Lily’s anger and forced myself to sit up despite the stabbing pain in my stomach. A faint smile tugged at my lips as I replied hoarsely, “Don’t blame him. This was my fault from start to finish.” My brother had hated me for six years. Six years of burning resentment because I was the reason my sister-in-law, Charlotte, was dead. Charlotte had been my brother’s first love. They were inseparable—gentle, loving, and never once raising their voices at each other. She was warm, kind, and endlessly patient. Every time she saw me, she would bring me gifts, sit with me, help me with my homework, play games with me, or take me shopping for clothes. Her favorite thing to say to me was, “Our little Nancy is the best gift your brother ever gave me. She’s the best girl in the whole world.” And to me, Charlotte was the best sister-in-law anyone could ask for. But I killed her. It was my brother’s birthday, a cold and rainy night. Charlotte and I had gone out to buy him a LEGO set he’d been wanting for months. We wanted it to be a surprise, so I took her through a shortcut I often used—a dark alley I thought I knew like the back of my hand. The rest of the night is a blur. The next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital, my brother standing over me with rage in his bloodshot eyes. He slapped me across the face—hard—twelve times. His voice was hoarse with grief and fury as he screamed, “Nancy, are you even human?! Why would you do this to her?!” “Charlotte loved you so much—why would you betray her like this?! You knew she was afraid of the dark!” That’s when I learned the truth. There had been twelve drunk men in that alley. When they saw us, they surrounded us like predators closing in on prey. Charlotte had stepped in front of me, shielding me with her body. She begged them to let me go. But those monsters didn’t care. They beat me unconscious and dragged her away. Charlotte endured horrors I can barely imagine. They assaulted her, then stabbed her 33 times. Her thigh bone was snapped in half, and the injuries to her body were so severe the doctors couldn’t even stitch her back together. I remember kneeling in the morgue, staring at her lifeless body, unable to move or think. I had killed her. My brother was never the same after that night. The man who once adored me now drowned himself in alcohol and avoided our home entirely. The words he used to say the most were: “Why aren’t you in hell yet, Nancy? If you died, Charlotte could finally rest in peace.” “Did you know? She didn’t even close her eyes when she died. She couldn’t rest because of you.” “Don’t you hear her crying at night? How do you have the audacity to still be alive?” He was right. If Charlotte hadn’t gone out with me that night, none of this would have happened. If I hadn’t insisted on taking that shortcut, she’d still be alive. The guilt and shame consumed me. I spiraled into depression, but I didn’t dare end my life—not yet. I had to find the men who killed Charlotte. I had to bring them to justice. Only then could I face her. Two weeks ago, I finally got a lead. The private investigator I’d hired told me those twelve men had resurfaced in Bay City after committing other crimes. And two weeks ago, I was also diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer. It felt like fate. This was my last chance to make things right—for Charlotte, for my brother, and for myself. I didn’t have much time left, but I didn’t need much. All I needed was to finish this. Then I could let go.

When I returned home, I found all my belongings thrown out onto the front lawn. I looked up to see Renee Grant smirking down at me from the porch. “This room’s mine now,” she said with practiced arrogance. “Take your junk and get lost.” I glanced at Renee. She was the girl my brother, Nathan, had taken in as a “little sister.” When Renee first came to live with us, she was shy and timid. But after seeing how Nathan constantly humiliated me, her attitude toward me shifted. I bent down, picking up my things, ready to move them to the storage room. But as I passed the trash can, something made me stop in my tracks. There, buried among the garbage, was my necklace. I frantically pulled it out, only to find that the pink gemstone in the center had been shattered. A buzzing sound filled my ears. Charlotte, my sister-in-law, had given me so many gifts when she was alive. But after her death, Nathan had taken them all away, saying I didn’t deserve to keep anything that reminded him of her. That necklace was the only thing I’d managed to hold on to. It was the last piece of Charlotte I had left. And now it was broken. I held the ruined necklace up, my anger boiling over as I turned to Renee. “Who gave you permission to touch my stuff?” I demanded, my voice shaking with fury. Renee rolled her eyes. “My brother said everything in this house is mine now. I can throw out whatever I want. What’s it to you?” “This necklace was a birthday gift from Charlotte!” I spat, emphasizing every word. Renee didn’t even flinch. Instead, she sneered, “So what? She’s dead. What’s the point of keeping it?” Before I could respond, she smirked and added, “And anyway, it’s only a matter of time before I’m more than just Nathan’s ‘sister.’ I’ll be the next Charlotte. Go ahead, call me—” She didn’t get to finish. I slapped her so hard she stumbled back, clutching her cheek. “Nancy!” Renee shrieked. “How dare you hit me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell Nathan?!” Rage surged through me. How dare she insult Charlotte like that? But before I could raise my hand again, I was shoved back with such force that I slammed into the windowsill, knocking over a large vase. The vase shattered on impact, shards of glass cutting into my face and arms. I looked up, dazed, to see Nathan standing there, his face dark with fury. “Nancy,” he said coldly, “have you completely lost your mind? Now you’re bullying your family too?” I opened my mouth, my voice trembling. “Nathan, she was the one who—” “Brother, please don’t blame her!” Renee interrupted, tears streaming down her face as she played the victim. “I shouldn’t have assumed I could stay in Charlotte’s room. If Nancy doesn’t want me here, I’ll just leave.” She turned, pretending to walk away, but Nathan grabbed her arm and stopped her. “You’re my sister,” he said firmly. “No one has the right to make you leave.” A sharp pain shot through my chest. Before I could say anything, Nathan turned his icy glare on me. “Some people clearly don’t know how to behave,” he said. “If that’s the case, you can kneel here all night. Don’t get up until Renee feels better.” Renee’s tears disappeared in an instant. She smirked, triumphant, and said sweetly, “Well, if that’s what you say, Nathan, I guess I’ll listen.” The pain in my stomach grew sharper, but I said nothing. I knew there was no point in arguing. I lowered myself onto the glass-covered floor, feeling the shards dig into my knees. Blood began to seep through my jeans, but I kept my head down. Nathan snorted and walked upstairs without another word. Renee lingered for a moment, pulling out her phone to take pictures of me kneeling on the broken glass. After snapping a few shots, she stuck out her tongue and skipped up the stairs. The house soon fell silent. The cold seeped into my bones, and the stabbing pain in my stomach became unbearable. I reached for my painkillers but collapsed before I could inject myself. I was jolted awake by a splash of icy water. I opened my eyes to see Nathan standing over me, his expression full of disgust. “Cut the act,” he said sharply. “You didn’t look so pitiful when you killed Charlotte or bullied Renee.” He sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. “Today’s Renee’s birthday. I sent you the party details. Your job is to make sure she has a good time.” Before leaving, he added with a bitter laugh, “Don’t think acting all guilty will make me forgive you. You owe Charlotte too much, and you haven’t even started to pay it back.” As he walked away, I smiled bitterly and whispered to myself, “Soon, Nathan. Very soon, I’ll pay it all back.” There was only one day left.

I injected the last two doses of painkillers into my arm, each one barely dulling the searing ache in my stomach. After tidying myself up as best I could, I limped to the curb and hailed a cab. By the time I arrived at the bar, Renee’s birthday party was already in full swing. The room was packed with her friends—loud, laughing, and buzzing with energy. But what caught me off guard was seeing Nathan there, seated right in the middle of the group. Nathan—my brother. The same man who never once showed up to my birthday parties, claiming he had no interest in “wasting time with kids.” And yet, here he was, happily celebrating Renee’s birthday. The bitterness in my chest spread like poison. Renee spotted me from across the room and immediately put on her fake, saccharine smile. She hurried over, looping her arm through mine as though we were the closest of sisters. “There you are, sis! I’ve been waiting forever for you! My birthday wouldn’t be complete without you!” She dragged me to the center of the room, where everyone’s eyes were on us. “This is my sister,” Renee announced with mock affection. “She’s an amazing dancer. I’ve always been so jealous of her!” Her friends laughed, their faces full of mischief and malice. Something felt off. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach, like I was walking straight into a trap. Sure enough, one of the guys in the group spoke up. “Since she’s such a great dancer, why doesn’t she perform for us? You know, as a birthday gift for you, Renee!” “Yeah!” a girl chimed in, her grin wicked. “How about something sexy? Like the kind of dances those girls at the clubs do?” I clenched the fabric of my shirt in my fists and turned to Nathan, silently begging him to intervene. But he didn’t even glance at me. His attention was entirely on Renee, his expression soft and indulgent. “Please, sis,” Renee pouted, her voice dripping with mock innocence. “It’s my birthday. Can’t you do this for me? Just this once?” Her eyes sparkled with malice that only I could see. Before I could respond, another voice chimed in. “Dancing is better with a little liquid courage!” Suddenly, nine bottles of vodka were slammed onto the table in front of me. One of the guys winked at me. “Drink up, pretty lady. We’re all friends here. Don’t be shy—this’ll make it more fun!” I froze, unsure of what to do. Renee’s expression turned solemn. She lowered her eyes, pretending to be hurt. “Maybe we should forget it,” she said softly, turning to Nathan. “I shouldn’t have asked. I forgot that my sister doesn’t really like me.” Nathan finally looked at me, his gaze cold and indifferent. “Nancy,” he said in a low, commanding voice, “did you forget what I told you to do?” The air seemed to leave my lungs. I swallowed hard, tightened my fists, and picked up the first bottle. The vodka burned like fire as it traveled down my throat, the sensation spreading through my chest and into my stomach. The painkillers I’d taken earlier seemed completely useless now, the alcohol amplifying the stabbing pain in my gut. But I didn’t stop. As Renee’s friends cheered and laughed, I drank bottle after bottle until all nine were empty. By the time I finished, my vision was blurry, and my legs felt like jelly. “Take it off! Take it off!” someone shouted, and the chant quickly spread through the group. Though I was drunk, the humiliation was sharp and clear. But Nathan didn’t say a word. He just sat there, watching as if none of this had anything to do with him. My chest ached, but not from the pain—it was something deeper, something hollow and cold. I staggered to my feet and began removing my clothes, piece by piece. Renee and her friends erupted in laughter and cheers as I stripped down to my underwear. One of the guys pulled out his phone and started recording, his face twisted in a cruel grin. Then, suddenly, the sound of a bottle shattering on the floor silenced the room. I blinked through my haze and saw Nathan standing, his expression one of pure disgust. “You’re pathetic,” he said, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. “You’ve ruined Renee’s birthday. Get out.” The words stung, but at the same time, I felt a strange sense of relief. I grabbed my clothes and stumbled out of the room, the vodka and pain in my stomach making every step heavier than the last. I wanted to stop somewhere—anywhere—to buy more painkillers, but my body gave out before I could. Everything went black. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. Nathan was sitting in the chair beside me, his arms crossed and his face a mask of irritation. “Get up,” he said coldly. “You’re fine. Stop wasting my money lying here.” His tone was sharp, full of disdain. “You were drunk, not dying. Stop making it look like the end of the world—it’s pathetic.” My lips parted to speak, but the words caught in my throat. He didn’t even bother to get me checked out. To him, I was just an inconvenience. “Brother,” I said softly, my voice trembling with desperation. “What can I do to make you forgive me?” Nathan laughed bitterly, his eyes filled with cruelty. “Nancy,” he said, “how many times do I have to tell you? If you want my forgiveness, then just die.” With that, he stood and walked out of the room. I stared at his retreating back, my hands trembling as I whispered, “I’ll grant your wish, brother. Soon.” There was only one day left.

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After my fiancé died in a car accident, I locked myself away for two full years. Every day, I stared at the ceiling, tears streaming down my face, my hair turning gray overnight. Until that day, when I climbed the mountain, forehead bloodied from kneeling and bowing, praying to a higher power. When I opened my eyes again, I had somehow returned to the night two weeks before the accident. I saw Ethan, not far away, laughing and clinking glasses with his friends. Hot tears ran down my cheeks, reminding me this was real. Then, the next second, his mocking words hit me like a slap: “I was only pretending to love her to get her in bed. She’s easy to handle—obedient, doesn’t make a fuss. Why not marry her? And as for other women… she’ll never find out.” 0I froze on the spot, my chest heaving violently. Everything was changing too fast—maybe I misheard? Instinctively, I took a few steps closer to Ethan, trying to confirm. “Rachel’s got no one left in her life. She can’t survive without me. I just have to do the bare minimum, and she’s grateful for days.” “She’s so starved for love, man. I bet if I dumped her, she’d be on her knees begging me to take her back. Don’t you think?” “Exactly. With her family background, me marrying her is already a favor. She should feel lucky.” Snowflakes swirled in the air, falling without purpose. I stood there, helpless, shocked, unable to believe what I was hearing. My hands trembled uncontrollably. The man I had mourned day and night, whose love I had clung to, Every word he spoke now cut into me like shards of ice. I stared at his familiar yet unfamiliar silhouette, my throat tight, unable to make a sound. Ethan, the man who had appeared in my dreams countless times, was right in front of me—yet somehow, he felt farther away than ever. My phone buzzed with a notification. It was a text from Ethan: “Baby, I’m heading home soon. Craving anything? ❤️” That emoji, the one he always sent, now felt like a cruel joke. At this time in the past, I’d have been at home, eagerly waiting for him. Not standing here, hearing the truth spill from his lips. Reality is often a blade wrapped in flowers, while lies are dressed up to look like love. I don’t even remember how I got back home. I collapsed onto the couch, my mind a chaotic mess, thoughts swirling with no resolution. After a while, the door creaked open, and Ethan walked in, carrying takeout in his arms. I looked up at him, unsure what expression to put on, silently watching as he approached. 0

Ethan set the food down, reached out to touch my face, and his expression shifted. He took my hand, blowing warm air onto my cold fingers, his eyes full of concern. “You’ve been cooped up all day again. Your hands are freezing. Did you not drink the ginger tea I made for you at lunch?” I could feel his warm breath on my skin, the strength of his hands. This wasn’t a dream. “Are you… really Ethan?” I asked. He flicked my forehead playfully and chuckled. “We were just in bed together this morning. What, half a day apart, and you don’t recognize me anymore?” I didn’t respond. My eyes studied his face, his features, every line and curve. I searched for something—anything—that set him apart from the Ethan I had loved. But everything was the same, down to the small mole near his temple. Next Friday… would he meet the same fate? After a long silence, I murmured, “I can’t dance anymore.” My voice was soft, almost as if I wasn’t sure who I was saying it to—him or myself. From the moment I woke up in this timeline, I had felt the weight in my legs, the heaviness with every step. Scars ran down my thighs, long and jagged, a price I’d paid for this second chance. Dancing was how Ethan and I had met. He’d fallen in love with me while watching my performance. Every time I saw him in the audience, I thought no one in the world could be happier than me. But now… I couldn’t even stand on tiptoes. Thinking about it, tears welled up in my eyes. I glanced at Ethan, hoping he might hold me, reassure me, help me find my footing again. He wiped my tears with his thumb, his face tightening as if he were worried. Then, he said gently: “If you can’t dance, don’t. Honestly, I never really liked watching you dance anyway. I don’t get the appeal. It’s boring. I’d rather we just spend time together, talking in bed. That’s more meaningful.” “And besides, I love you for who you are. No matter what, I’ll still love you.” Those words landed like nails being hammered into my skull. I couldn’t move. Ethan said he didn’t like watching me dance. A memory from my previous life flashed in my mind—Ethan watching me perform. This time, I finally noticed what I hadn’t before: the impatience in his eyes, the boredom. There had never been love. Only disdain. Only pretense. A phone call interrupted the silence. Ethan said there was an issue with a project at work and that he had to leave. He kissed my forehead before rushing out the door. Maybe he saw how broken I was. Maybe he didn’t care. My gaze drifted to the takeout he’d brought home. It was shrimp. I’m allergic to shrimp. I stared at the box for hours, unable to close my eyes. At 3 a.m., my phone buzzed with another text from Ethan: “Baby, I really love you. Let’s always be together.” 0

A long time ago, on this same night, Ethan brought home shrimp too. Just like tonight, he left again within an hour. Back then, I was always quick to make excuses for him. Maybe he forgot I was allergic. Maybe work was just too demanding. He didn’t have a choice, right? Even the late-night “I love you” text he sent me back then—it’s the same one I got tonight. Back then, I thought it was evidence of his love. Now, I realize it was probably guilt. Guilt for cheating on me, trying to absolve himself after crawling into someone else’s bed. Ethan’s so-called love was always full of cracks. If you looked closely, you’d see the tiny needles hidden in the lies—needles that slowly, relentlessly tore me apart. Suddenly, a thought struck me. I grabbed my phone and opened the location-sharing app Ethan had insisted we use. The moment I saw where he was, my fingers clenched the phone so tightly that my knuckles turned white. The frost-covered grass glistened in the early morning fog. The weak winter sunlight barely kissed the tops of the buildings. I took a cab to the place I had avoided ever since Ethan’s death in my previous life—the house we’d bought together for our future. Our dream home. I tried the door code a few times before realizing the lock had been changed. The house we chose together, the house meant to be ours—yet somehow, it had turned me into an outsider. Time crawled forward like molasses as I pressed the doorbell. “Coming! What, you couldn’t stay away for even an hour? I know you miss me, but…” A soft, feminine voice carried from inside. I should’ve screamed. I should’ve cursed her out. But instead, I just lowered my head and smiled bitterly. The door opened, and there she was—a girl in her early twenties, wearing a set of wrinkled pajamas. She froze when she saw me, her wide eyes filled with shock. Ignoring her, I stepped past and walked into the house. Nothing had changed. Every detail of the house—the placement of the bed, the design of the dishes—was chosen by me and Ethan, back when we were curled up in each other’s arms, dreaming about our future. We’d promised to move in after the wedding. Our wedding photo still hung in the bedroom. And across from it, on the unmade bed, lay Ethan’s shirt from last night. Scattered on the floor were a few discarded condom wrappers. It felt like something had grabbed my heart and was dragging it downward, squeezing it until I couldn’t breathe. So this is where you’ve been every night, Ethan. 0

“When did it start between you two?” I turned and calmly looked at the girl standing by the door. She flinched, her body stiff like a cornered rabbit. She didn’t answer, but the marks on her neck told me everything I needed to know. The truth was out in the open now, and my voice came out dry, cracking slightly: “February 13th. My 26th birthday. June 8th—the night Ethan proposed to me. And New Year’s Eve. He spent all those nights here with you, didn’t he?” “Or was it even earlier than that?” I walked over to the closet and opened it. Inside, Ethan’s clothes hung neatly alongside hers. My dresses, however, were shoved into the far corner, crumpled into a forgotten heap. My hand clenched the edge of the closet door, my knuckles turning pale. “You have two choices: pack your things and leave quietly, or I can call security to throw you out.” Her fists tightened, and she seemed to gather her courage, as if someone had whispered reassurances in her ear. “Ethan said I could stay here,” she said, her voice trembling but defiant. I laughed lightly and grabbed a handful of her clothes, throwing them at her. “Then call him. Let’s ask if his words still mean anything.” Her lips pressed into a tight line as she glared at me, clutching her clothes to her chest. An old memory surfaced, and I couldn’t help but ask, “Your name—Stacey, right? It’s you, isn’t it?” “Yes.” Her quiet confirmation hit me like a punch. I closed my eyes, the pieces falling into place. She left, slamming the door behind her, her frustration palpable. And I? I couldn’t stay in that house any longer. The walls felt toxic, suffocating, and I needed to get out. I stumbled down the street, my legs heavy, until I found myself sitting at a lonely bus stop. A butterfly fluttered by, its blue wings stirring faint memories. When I was a child, my father remarried, and my mother took me with her. Wherever I went to school, that’s where home was—just me and my mom. She was small and frail, and no one wanted to give her a chance to work. But she always smiled, her eyes crinkling with joy. She noticed me watching dancers through the studio windows and worked tirelessly to give me a shot at my dream. We didn’t have much, but she made sure I never felt like I was missing anything. But life wasn’t kind to her. Neither were people. She was hit by a car when I was in college, and the driver—a wealthy man—left nothing behind but a check before vanishing. On the seventh day after her death, I danced one last time in the studio. Then I went to the bridge near where she died and walked into the river. As the water pulled me under, I felt the world go quiet. No pain, just peace. And then, strong arms wrapped around my waist and dragged me back to the surface. It was Ethan. He said he’d been following me since the studio. He said he’d fallen for me at first sight but never expected to find me at the river. He told me that no matter how hard life gets, I needed to keep going. He even cried. A blue butterfly landed on his shoulder as the setting sun stretched our wet shadows across the ground. That was the first time we met. I had been so sure back then. I thought Ethan was the last gift my mother left for me. At first, he was perfect. He learned to cook for me, noticed every little change in my mood, kissed my forehead every morning, and asked me every night if I was happy. When did he start to change? Or was he always this way, just better at hiding it in the beginning? Ethan brought warmth into my life, only to extinguish it entirely. When happiness begins, the countdown to heartbreak starts too. I looked up and saw Ethan’s car pull up in front of me. The bus stop was bustling with people, but our eyes met through the car window. For the first time, I realized his gaze had changed long ago. My love for him had been a filter, making him seem extraordinary. Without it, I could finally see him for what he was—ordinary. Just painfully ordinary. 0

Ethan was out of breath, his tie wrinkled from what must have been a hurried trip to find me. I could guess that his mistress had already filled him in on what happened this morning. Sitting in the passenger seat, I turned my head to the window, watching raindrops slide down the glass and leave winding trails. Ethan gripped the steering wheel tightly, the veins on his hand faintly visible. Neither of us spoke. The silence between us was thick, the kind that comes before a storm. When a red light forced him to stop, he turned to me. “You said you wanted to see the ocean, right? Let’s go tomorrow, okay?” He hesitated before adding, “That woman… she didn’t mean anything to me. It was just a stupid fling. I won’t see her again. You can think of it as… just a small mistake. I’ve only ever loved you.” I almost laughed. There was a flicker of unease in his eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. Ethan reached for my hand, his voice soft, almost pleading. “This was my mistake. I know that. But I only did what… what any man might do. I’m begging you—give me another chance.” I took a deep breath, my tone cold and detached: “We’ve had location sharing on since the day we got together. I’ve never checked it before—not until today. And yet, you went to her anyway, knowing I could see it. Ethan, was my trust just another excuse for you to cheat?” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, his lips trembling slightly, but he couldn’t form a single word. The silence between us didn’t just pause the argument—it froze whatever love might have been left. I pulled my hand away from his and reminded him calmly, “The light’s green.” Back when we were dating, I used to live in constant fear of losing Ethan. I’d get anxious at the smallest things. While eating dinner, or scrolling through my phone, my mind would suddenly conjure the thought: What if one day we break up? That thought would hit me like a punch to the chest, leaving me breathless, the tears flowing uncontrollably. Even then, deep down, I knew Ethan didn’t really love me as much as I loved him. That’s why I was always so scared. That’s why I loved him so desperately, so pathetically. But now, as we approached the end of our story, I didn’t feel the sadness I once imagined. It wasn’t because I was ready to let him go. It was because I was finally ready to let myself go. I wanted to rescue the version of myself that had been locked away in that dark room for two long years. I wanted to pull her out and let her feel the sunlight again. 0When we got back to the apartment, I walked straight to the bedroom. I opened the closet, pulled out a suitcase, and began packing. Just a few clothes, a few important documents. Ethan stood in the doorway, watching my every move, the tension in the air thick enough to chill the room. “I told you I’ll change. What more do you want?” “Don’t forget—we’re engaged. We’re supposed to get our marriage license soon. This isn’t the time for you to throw a tantrum.” “Can you calm down and think for a second? Where would you even go without me? Do you have anywhere to stay? Do you even know what you’re doing?” His voice grew louder, more frantic, but my hands didn’t stop moving. When I zipped up the suitcase, I paused briefly, looked him in the eye, and said quietly, “Next Friday… don’t get in your car.” Before he could respond, my phone rang. The name on the screen belonged to a long-lost friend I hadn’t spoken to in years.

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After six months in the mental hospital, Olivia Chen was finally released. Shivering in the cold wind in her thin clothes, her pale face covered in horrific scars, she limped as Ethan Shaw’s bodyguards roughly pushed her out of the car. Her fiancé Ethan Shaw was standing in front of a grave. Seeing Olivia’s pitiful state, Ethan’s face darkened instantly. He viciously kicked Olivia’s knee, snarling in disgust: “You drove Sophie to her death, you should go to hell! How dare you act pitiful in front of me?” As if she had any right to act pitiful anymore. Olivia explained bitterly, “Ethan, I didn’t do it.” Ethan slapped her hard across the face, shouting angrily: “Don’t call me Ethan, it’s disgusting!” Her left cheek stung fiercely and her ear went momentarily deaf. Olivia couldn’t hear what he was saying, she could only stare at him blankly, somehow understanding his meaning. She wasn’t worthy of calling him Ethan anymore. But the young Ethan had once begged her for a long time to call him by this intimate nickname. Olivia couldn’t help but tear up. This innocent look instantly enraged Ethan. He grabbed Olivia’s hair and dragged her in front of Sophie’s gravestone, forcing her to look at the photo. “Olivia Chen, open your eyes and look clearly at what this is!” “If you hadn’t been so narrow-minded and resentful of Sophie, how could she have died? You’re a sinner who deserves to be executed!” “You still have the nerve to act pitiful in front of me? Olivia Chen, are you worthy?” No, she wasn’t. Olivia stared hard at that photo. The gray smiling face seemed to be mocking her and Ethan’s relationship of over 20 years, piercing her heart painfully. An immense sorrow also welled up. Everyone in the city knew how much Ethan Shaw loved Olivia Chen. Since childhood, he had fought for her, gotten injured for her, been jealous for her, acted like a fool for her, even climbed through her window at midnight to declare he only wanted to marry Olivia in this life… For over 20 years he had done all kinds of outrageous things, shocking the entire city. Later Sophie Lin appeared with her mission to win Ethan’s heart. Ethan had publicly humiliated Sophie, calling her lowly. Whenever Sophie caused Olivia even the slightest grievance, Ethan would repay it tenfold, even nearly killing Sophie at one point. Everyone was moved by Ethan and Olivia’s love. But when news of Sophie’s death came, Ethan who had always despised Sophie went mad. Learning that Olivia had met with Sophie before her fatal car accident, Ethan directly blamed Sophie’s death on Olivia. He personally sent her to a mental hospital, letting her suffer endless torment there. Olivia had once sent Ethan a plea for help. But Ethan was busy searching for Sophie’s body, crying bitterly for her, drinking in remorse for her. Later, when Olivia was dragged into the bathroom and assaulted by the mental patients, she finally managed to call Ethan after two of her fingers were broken. What she got was Ethan’s cold response: “If you want to die then hurry up and die.” Those lunatics became even more excited after hearing that. They used the most vicious methods to destroy Olivia’s uterus, causing massive internal bleeding that left her permanently incontinent. Her body was covered in horrific wounds and her right leg was crippled. Tears blurred her eyes, washing away her last shred of feeling for Ethan. It was that night of suffering worse than death that awakened Olivia. As long as Ethan hurt her six more times for Sophie’s sake, her memories and existence would be formatted by this world, severing all ties with Ethan. Snapping back to reality, Ethan coldly ordered his bodyguards: “Make her kowtow 100 times to repent for her sins!” The bodyguards forcefully pressed Olivia’s hands down, making her forehead slam loudly against Sophie’s gravestone. After just a few times, her forehead was split open and bleeding. As her vision blurred, Olivia smiled tragically and murmured, “Five more times left.” Soon she would fulfill Ethan’s wish.

After kowtowing 100 times, the bodyguards finally let her go. Olivia shakily tried to stand up. “You deserve all of this,” Ethan said coldly as he watched. He then grabbed Olivia and pulled her into the car. Olivia instinctively tried to pull her hand away. For the past six months, she had only experienced endless torment. She now feared any physical contact with others. But she had just been forced to kowtow 100 times and lost a lot of blood. Her body was completely drained of strength and she couldn’t pull away. This resistant gesture only angered Ethan more. He roughly threw Olivia into the car, sneering: “You dare throw a tantrum at me? Looks like these past six months of lessons were all wasted!” “Someone like you only deserves to rot in the mud!” Olivia’s vision went black from the pain and her heart seemed to stop. She had already known Ethan sent her to the mental hospital to deliberately torture her, and had given up hope in him. But hearing it directly still broke her heart. Ethan was truly too cruel. Over a decade of feelings meant nothing compared to his belated realization about Sophie. But she hadn’t done anything wrong, yet became a sinner in Ethan’s eyes. Ethan looked at Olivia with disgust, as if she was some filthy, unlucky trash. “Remember your place when we get back.” “I’m keeping you around to atone for your sins against Sophie!” Olivia couldn’t hear him anymore. The wounds on her forehead and knees hurt so much she passed out. In her blurry final moments of consciousness, she vaguely saw Ethan’s expression turn panicked, just like how he used to look whenever she got hurt before Sophie appeared. But the next instant, all she saw was Ethan’s back. “What? You say you saw Sophie? Where is she? I’ll go there right away!” So it had all been her illusion. Of course, after going mad over Sophie for over six months, how could Ethan care about whether she lived or died. Only Sophie could make him panic like that. Olivia was woken up by cold water being splashed on her. Seeing her awake, the servant threw a maid’s uniform at her. “Hurry up and change into this. From now on you’re a servant of the Shaw family. When the young master brings the young mistress back, you’ll have to atone for your sins!” Olivia stared blankly at the servant’s uniform, finding it darkly amusing. But she had no choice. Her clothes were soaked in blood and unwearable. She limped after the servant, standing to the side of the main entrance. Not long after, Ethan carefully carried a pregnant Sophie back. His face, gloomy for over six months, now wore a satisfied smile of having recovered something lost. Sophie kept fussing in his arms. “Ethan Shaw, let me go! Didn’t you say that even if I died, you wouldn’t like me? So why are you bringing me back now? I died once as you wished, go love your Olivia Chen!” “I’m not trying to win you over anymore, I won’t suffer your humiliation again!” Ethan let her fuss, unable to hide his smile. “Heaven blessed me by letting you survive. I won’t let you disappear again.” “Don’t reject me, and don’t go after other men!” “My child absolutely cannot call anyone else father.” Olivia listened to their conversation and stared at Sophie’s 7-month pregnant belly, feeling her mind explode. So Sophie had survived that car accident and spent the past six months pursuing other men. While the man who had once sworn he only loved her and wanted Sophie dead had been secretly involved with Sophie behind her back. No wonder Ethan went mad after hearing news of Sophie’s death. So what was all the torture she endured for the past six months? What about all of Ethan’s past vows of love to her? Olivia suddenly felt herself pathetic and laughable. Her chest felt tight and painful, she couldn’t breathe. She also…lost control of her bladder in front of everyone. The smell quickly spread. The servants next to her immediately moved away in disgust. Sophie also noticed her at this moment. Hiding a flash of smugness in her eyes, she pretended to be ashamed and pounded Ethan’s chest, retching repeatedly from the smell. “…Your wife had an accident, hurry up and put me down! Are you still trying to humiliate me at a time like this? I’ve already said I won’t interfere between you and Olivia Chen anymore. You two are meant to be together, please stop torturing me, okay?” Ethan hurriedly carried Sophie away, comforting her lovingly. “No, Sophie, you’re the one I love.” “I was wrong before. From now on, no one will ever bully you again. I’ll help you get revenge for all the grievances you’ve suffered.” After gently consoling Sophie, he stood on the stairs and berated Olivia in front of everyone: “Olivia Chen, how old are you to still wet yourself in public? Aren’t you disgusted with yourself?” “This isn’t a toilet. If you can’t control it, go buy some adult diapers. Don’t use the tricks you learned in the mental hospital to disgust me and Sophie.”

Olivia lowered her head, her face deathly pale. Every word Ethan said stabbed her heart. The strange looks from everyone around also made her feel awful all over. “So disgusting, how can there be such a disgusting person?” “She’s over 20 years old and still wets herself. It’s really making me want to vomit.” “Who did this? They didn’t care if the person died, but making her incontinent is trying to suffocate us, right?” “Forget it, you might as well not wear pants anymore. It’s a waste to wear them anyway.” “…” The servants’ whispers and the nurses’ mockery from the mental hospital echoed chaotically in Olivia’s ears. She fled to the bathroom in panic and shame, throwing away her dirty pants. She huddled in a corner, her body twitching uncontrollably as tears streamed down her face. Why did they have to humiliate her like this? She hadn’t done anything, yet just because she hindered Sophie from winning Ethan over, just because she prevented them from being together, she ended up in this state. But Ethan had originally loved her. Olivia cried until her whole body went numb, slumping to the ground. Four more times left. Then she would no longer interfere with them. Olivia took off her outer jacket and tied it around her waist, intending to find another servant uniform. Just as she opened the door, Ethan threw some dog diapers in her face. “Hurry up and put these on.” Knowing Olivia was allergic to dogs, Ethan had never kept any. He had once slapped Sophie hard for bringing a dog near Olivia. Now the Shaw house had dog diapers, clearly Ethan had brought Sophie’s dog back. And now he was making her wear dog diapers. How was this any different from calling her a dog? But Olivia had no choice. Not wanting to wet herself in public again, she could only choose the dog diapers. After putting them on, she followed behind Ethan. Seeing her walk too slowly, Ethan kicked her in disgust. “Six months in the mental hospital made you delicate? If you don’t want these legs anymore then get rid of them.” Olivia cried out in pain, her face turning even paler. She didn’t need him to do anything. Her right leg had already been crippled by those lunatics. Taking even slightly bigger steps was agonizing. She murmured an explanation, “My leg is crippled.” “You say it’s crippled so it’s crippled? Who are you trying to fool?” Ethan couldn’t care less if her leg was really crippled or not. Olivia had to bite her lip bloody to endure the pain of walking to Sophie’s room. This room used to be specially prepared by Ethan for Olivia. All the decorations and furniture had been arranged by him personally. Now it had become Sophie’s room. Ethan walked to Sophie’s side, his gloomy face instantly turning gentle. “From now on, she’ll serve you. She nearly killed you, so she should atone for her sins.” Sophie pouted and said: “I don’t dare. What if I accidentally hurt Olivia? You might beat our child to death.” Ethan hugged her tightly, full of heartache. “She’s a sinner. Even if she dies to make you happy, it’s worth it.” “No one can hurt our child. Don’t worry, we’ll hold our wedding in two weeks.” Olivia suddenly felt his love was ironic. When he loved you, you were the pearl in his palm. When he stopped loving you, you became trash whose dignity could be trampled at will. Sophie didn’t believe him, so Ethan anxiously tried to prove his love by preparing for the wedding. As soon as Ethan left, Sophie’s face instantly changed. She looked at Olivia with a sneer. “Ethan really went too far. How could he torture a perfectly good person into this state – incontinent, crippled leg, ruined uterus, probably not quite right in the head either…” “I heard it was because you saw me before my accident.” So she knew everything. Olivia suddenly thought of something. “You faked your death on purpose, didn’t you?”

Sophie stroked her pregnant belly and smiled provocatively. “My fake car accident death was just to help Ethan realize his true feelings. His love for you was only due to the influence of the plot and character settings. He and I are true love!” After saying that, she had the servants bring her dog over and deliberately ordered Olivia: “Olivia, you should have put on Doudou’s diapers, right? Doudou isn’t wearing any yet. Why don’t you put some diapers on Doudou too?” Olivia stumbled back a step in fear. “Get it away!” She wasn’t just allergic to dogs, she also had psychological trauma from them. The lunatics in the mental hospital often liked to torment and scare her. Once they even locked her in with a wild dog in heat. Sophie pretended not to notice her fear and smiled as she pushed the dog into Olivia’s arms. “Don’t worry Olivia, Doudou is very well-behaved. He won’t bite you. You shouldn’t forget your current status.” Olivia felt chills all over. The parts of her touched by the dog’s fur started stinging and burning. Before she could back away, Sophie suddenly let go of the dog. Doudou yelped in pain. Hearing the sound, Ethan rushed back in. Without distinguishing right from wrong, he grabbed Olivia’s hair and threw her aside, anxiously checking Sophie all over. “Where are you hurt?” Sophie hugged Doudou who had fallen to the ground, tears in her eyes. “Ethan, you should just let Olivia leave. Doudou and I don’t deserve to stay here.” Ethan instantly understood what had happened. His face darkened as he grabbed Olivia’s neck. “Olivia Chen, are you looking to die?” “The person I spent half a year trying to bring back isn’t for you to bully!” Olivia struggled to breathe as her face and neck turned red and purple. The fear of death made her instinctively struggle. “I…I didn’t do anything…” But meeting Ethan’s frosty, gloomy eyes, all the blood in Olivia’s body went cold. A feeling of helpless suffocation took over, and she swallowed back any words of explanation. No matter what she said, Ethan wouldn’t believe her. Sophie didn’t want Olivia to die just like that. She fearfully hugged Ethan. “It’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have come back. Ethan, let go quickly, don’t take a life because of me.” Ethan was afraid of hurting Sophie and had to release Olivia. But Olivia had committed a mistake and needed to learn her lesson. He called for his bodyguards. “Teach her a good lesson. Let her know what it means to be a servant. If she can’t even be a servant, then the Chen family can disappear too.” Sending her to the mental hospital for six months of torture wasn’t enough. Now he was even using the Chen family to threaten her. Ethan was truly cruel! Olivia was forcibly dragged away by the bodyguards to the basement. She was tortured all night long with various terrifying instruments. The next day when she came out, Olivia had been tormented into becoming a servant that satisfied Sophie. “Olivia, my feet are sore. Come massage them for me.” “The water’s gone cold. Go get me another glass.” “Oh no, I accidentally made a mess in the bathroom. Go clean it up quickly.” “How clumsy of me to spill it. Ethan made that porridge specially for me, what a waste. Olivia, why don’t you lick up all the spilled porridge?” “I don’t like using a mop to clean the room. How can you be so lazy with your work? Get on your knees and wipe this whole place clean with a rag.” Olivia knelt on the ground, struggling to scrub the tiles. Compared to the torture in the mental hospital and basement, this humiliation was nothing. Just three more times left. Ethan cut an apple into small pieces and fed them to Sophie, his face full of doting affection. To Olivia, his words were ice cold: “There’s a banquet tonight. Sophie can’t drink alcohol, so you go in her place.” Olivia had no right to refuse. “Yes.” Afraid she would embarrass them in a servant’s uniform, Ethan threw her one of Sophie’s unwanted dresses. Olivia limped after Sophie, drinking glass after glass of alcohol in her place until her stomach hurt terribly. Someone recognized Olivia and joked with Ethan: “Isn’t that your fiancée? Don’t you feel bad for her? If you keep torturing her like this, aren’t you afraid she’ll run away?” Ethan sneered: “Is she worthy of my pity? My fiancée is Sophie.” “Go call some more people over for her.” As for being afraid she’d run away? What a joke. Olivia had loved him for over 20 years. She was vicious enough to cause Sophie’s car accident to get rid of her. How could she bear to leave him?

Just as she was about to finish fending off the drinks, another group of men appeared in front of Olivia. With Ethan’s instructions, they deliberately insulted her: “Mr. Shaw loves Sophie. If she hadn’t tampered with Sophie’s brakes, Mr. Shaw and Sophie would have been together long ago.” “She looks pretty enough, but to use such vicious methods and harm an innocent person. She really needs to be taught a lesson. Why don’t you come with us instead?” “You’ve already been dirtied by those lunatics in the mental hospital anyway. It’s your luck that we young masters are interested in you.” “We heard you’re willing to be a servant just to stay in the Shaw family. You’re not still hoping to marry Mr. Shaw, are you?” Olivia endured the burning pain in her stomach and drank another full glass of strong alcohol. As if she hadn’t heard the implications in their words, she replied coldly: “My engagement to Ethan Shaw was cancelled long ago.” She would soon be formatted by this world. She wouldn’t marry Ethan Shaw. And she wouldn’t have to suffer this torment anymore. Seeing Olivia was drunk, some men immediately put down their glasses and started groping her. Others brazenly tried to drag her towards the bathroom. The man who had been joking with Ethan noticed and reminded him, “Aren’t you going to stop them? She’s a servant of the Shaw family now. If they have their way with her and she comes back, won’t that be disgusting?” Ethan saw what was happening but turned away to drink with his friends. “That’s her just deserts for daring to try to kill Sophie. She has to pay some price.” Someone immediately started flattering Sophie: “Sister-in-law, Mr. Shaw is getting revenge for you. You don’t know, after you had your accident, Mr. Shaw even sent Olivia Chen to a mental hospital!” “It’s lucky you survived. Otherwise, Olivia Chen dying ten thousand times wouldn’t be enough for Mr. Shaw’s grief.” Sophie shyly looked at Ethan. Ethan was just preparing for the wedding, but he still owed her a proper proposal. Taking this opportunity, he got down on one knee and gazed at Sophie with deep affection. “Sophie, I love you.” “Will you marry me?” … Olivia’s body was already ruined. Even if she wasn’t drunk, she couldn’t have resisted. Those men excitedly started undressing Olivia, but when they saw the horrific scars all over her body, they instantly felt disgusted. “Fuck, this is too gross.” Olivia was carelessly thrown into a corner of the bathroom, completely unconscious. When she woke up, Olivia stumbled out of the hotel with an agonizing headache. She found a random place to sit down. She wanted to call her parents, but she didn’t have the courage, and was also afraid of implicating them. Her phone kept receiving messages from Sophie. [What does it matter if you’re the female lead?] [Ethan is mine. I’ll be the female lead of this world.] In the video, Ethan knelt down and proposed to her with deep affection, putting a diamond ring on her finger and kissing her… Olivia’s heart had long gone numb. But seeing this scene still made her heart ache. She turned off her phone and sat blankly for a long time. As if about to be liberated, she smiled and murmured, “Just two more times.” Only two more times left. Before she could react, Olivia was suddenly dragged into a car by a group of people. She was so startled she hurriedly banged on the car window trying to get help from passersby, but no one noticed. Her arm was violently dislocated from struggling. Olivia asked with a pale face: “Who are you people?” No one answered her. The back of her neck was chopped with a hand. Olivia passed out. When she woke up again and saw the familiar nurse uniforms, Olivia thought she was back in the mental hospital, about to be tortured by fake nurses under the guise of treatment. Her face turned white as paper. “Let me leave…” “I’m not sick, I don’t want to stay here.” Ethan knew Olivia’s current state was very abnormal. But he didn’t care at all. Instead he angrily berated her: “Olivia Chen, you saw me propose to Sophie, didn’t you? So you found someone to humiliate her while she went to the bathroom, causing her to hemorrhage, then ran away yourself.” “Did you learn how to trade your body in the mental hospital? Why didn’t those men play you to death!” “No, I didn’t.” Olivia’s voice trembled as she fell off the chair. “Let me leave this place…” She had severe trauma associated with nurse uniforms. Ethan had no time to waste with her. He hurriedly urged the nurse: “She has RH negative blood. Quick, take her to draw blood.” Draw blood? Olivia became slightly more lucid. They wanted to draw her blood for Sophie? But she hadn’t done anything to Sophie. She didn’t even know what had happened. Why should she give blood to Sophie? Not to mention her body couldn’t handle donating blood in its current state. Just thinking about her blood flowing into Sophie’s body made her feel sick. She gathered her strength to run towards the door. “Ethan Shaw, why should I give blood to save her? I won’t do it!” But she only ran a few steps before Ethan easily caught up and threw her back into the wheelchair. His cold voice came from above her head. “The sins you committed should be atoned for by you.” “Olivia Chen, you have no choice!” Olivia was injected with a sedative by the nurse and forcibly taken away. She slumped in the wheelchair, looking at Ethan from afar and smiling bitterly. “Ethan Shaw, only one time left.” Just one last time, and they would have no more connection.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296119”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #校园School

Everyone in their social circle knew that Alastair Croft was Ophelia Blackwood’s devoted admirer. He had voluntarily married Ophelia in place of Caspian Thorne, the runaway groom, and stood by her side through the most difficult years of her life. However, just when things were finally looking up, Caspian – the man who had abandoned Ophelia at the altar years ago – suddenly returned. For Caspian’s sake, Ophelia forced Alastair to kneel, locked him in a dog cage, and even compelled him to give blood to Caspian… But what Ophelia didn’t know was that Alastair wasn’t actually from this world. When his seven-year agreement with the mysterious “system” was complete, Alastair chose to leave this reality without hesitation. Upon seeing his “corpse,” Ophelia went mad with grief. … Alastair took a cab to the Mirage Club. Under the mocking gazes of the crowd, he handed a pack of condoms to Ophelia. Ophelia didn’t take them. “You’re four minutes late,” she said, clearly displeased. “There was traffic…” Alastair started to explain, but was interrupted by a teasing male voice. “Ophelia made a bet with her friends that you’d definitely show up within 30 minutes with condoms in hand.” “Little Alastair, you’re four minutes late and cost Ophelia a villa. Better drink four glasses as punishment!” Caspian leaned against Ophelia, looking at Alastair with feigned reproach. Alastair’s gaze fell to his glass. Did the one who fell in love first always have to be treated this way? He wasn’t actually from this world. Seven years ago, his brother had been hit by a car and left in a vegetative state. Devastated, Alastair had somehow awakened a mysterious “system” – an otherworldly power that offered him a deal. If he agreed to accompany Ophelia for seven years, the system would revive his brother as a reward. For these seven years, Alastair had taken meticulous care of Ophelia, helping her rise from rock bottom back to the top. Gradually, he had even developed genuine feelings for her. Just when Alastair was planning to ask the system if he could stay with Ophelia permanently, Caspian – the man who had abandoned her years ago – returned from abroad. With Caspian’s return, Alastair’s seven years of devotion seemed to become a joke overnight. But it didn’t matter. There were only ten days left until his contract with the system expired. Then he could return to his brother’s side. Alastair looked up at Ophelia and said, “I have stomach problems. I can’t drink alcohol.” Ophelia casually picked up a glass and said, “Alastair, your stomach issues were cured ages ago. Don’t be a killjoy.” That had just been an excuse he’d made up so she wouldn’t worry about him. Now it had become Ophelia’s reason to hurt him. A bitter smile tugged at Alastair’s lips. “Fine. If you want me to drink, I’ll drink.” Because of the system’s restrictions, he could never refuse Ophelia’s demands. Alastair lifted the glass and downed it in one gulp. With a sense of reckless abandon, he decided that as long as Ophelia didn’t tell him to stop, he would keep drinking. After all, once he left, this body would die anyway. It didn’t matter if it was healthy or not. Someone joked, “That’s all hard liquor. Can he really handle drinking like that? Ophelia, aren’t you worried about him?” “This is nothing. Alastair is famous for being able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. Back in the day, he secured so many business deals for Ophelia at the drinking table!” “That’s right, everyone knows Alastair is Ophelia’s loyal lapdog. If she tells him to go east, he wouldn’t dare go west.” “Ophelia, you’ve got to share your secrets for keeping a man so obedient!” Ophelia’s eyes narrowed slightly as she shot an annoyed glance at the person who had just spoken. They immediately fell silent. She looked at Alastair, remembering the first time he had drunk alcohol. Back then, half a glass of wine was enough to make him tipsy. He had hugged her shoulders, telling her how beautiful she was and that he wanted to stay and be her husband.

Later, to keep her company at business functions, Alastair had started building up his alcohol tolerance. He told her he would handle the drinking while she focused on negotiating deals. He promised they would only get better and better together. With his support, she had rebuilt the Blackwood family business. She used to think Alastair was an angel sent to her by heaven. But now she realized that beneath that angelic exterior, his heart was poisonous. Thinking of what Alastair had done to Caspian, Ophelia’s heart, which had softened slightly, hardened once again. In no time at all, Alastair had downed over a dozen glasses of hard liquor. The flood of alcohol into his empty stomach caused needle-like pain to spread throughout his abdomen. Unable to control himself, he leaned against the sofa and started vomiting. The people around him immediately scattered, looking at him with utter disgust. “How revolting. If you can’t hold your liquor, don’t try to show off!” “This outfit is this year’s latest style. It cost me $18,000, and now he’s ruined it completely.” Caspian covered his nose and retreated to Ophelia’s side, taking her arm. “Ophelia, Alastair didn’t mean to ruin everyone’s party. Don’t be too hard on him…” Alastair was so unsteady he could barely stand. He tasted iron in his throat, and when he saw the bright red blood, his vision went black and he collapsed. Just before he lost consciousness completely, he thought he saw Ophelia push Caspian away and rush towards him anxiously. But that had to be a hallucination, right? Ever since Caspian’s return, Alastair didn’t even have a place in Ophelia’s heart anymore. How could she possibly still care about him? When Alastair regained consciousness, his eyes were still closed, but he heard Caspian’s regretful voice: “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have made Alastair drink. I just wanted him to have a couple glasses to liven things up. Who knew he would…” Cordelia Thorne raised her hand to pull Caspian into her embrace, comforting him: “Caspian, this isn’t your fault. He insisted on showing off by drinking so much. Now that he’s got a bleeding ulcer, he has no one to blame but himself.” Sure enough, when Alastair opened his eyes, he saw a scene of motherly love. Seeing that he was awake, Cordelia immediately started scolding him: “Alastair, look what you’ve done! Caspian was worried sick about you all night.” Alaric Thorne said viciously: “You knew you couldn’t handle alcohol. Why did you have to show off? You deserve this bleeding ulcer!” Their hurtful words were like knives, stabbing him over and over. In Alastair’s original world, his parents had died early. His brother had raised him single-handedly, so he had never experienced parental love. He thought coming to this world would make up for that regret. Before, his relationship with the Thornes had even seemed warm. But as soon as Caspian returned, he stole everything from Alastair – both love and family. Alastair’s voice was weak as he asked, “Who is really your biological son?” “When Caspian abandoned the Thorne family’s reputation and ran away from the wedding, you hated him so much you cursed him for being heartless. But he’s only been back a short while and you’ve already forgotten all that hatred.” When facing Ophelia, Alastair couldn’t disobey her because of the system’s restrictions. But when facing others, he didn’t want to be so stifled anymore. However, Cordelia and Alaric became even angrier hearing this. Cordelia said, “How dare you bring up Caspian running from the wedding! If it weren’t for…” Caspian grabbed Cordelia’s arm and said in an aggrieved tone, “Mom, let’s not talk about the past anymore. From now on, I’ll work with my brother to be filial to you and Dad.” Cordelia looked at Caspian with heartache. “My poor boy, you’ve suffered so much.” Alaric also said, “Caspian, when we get back I’ll transfer all the shares under my name to you as compensation.” To Alastair, Cordelia and Alaric’s words were laughable. It was clearly Caspian who had forced him to drink and caused his bleeding ulcer. Now they were blaming him instead. A smug look flashed across Caspian’s face, but he still maintained his act of humility. “As long as I can stay by Mom and Dad’s side, no hardship is too much.” Afterwards, Caspian used the excuse of calling a doctor to send Cordelia and Alaric away. Once they were gone, Caspian immediately dropped his facade and walked to Alastair’s bedside.

“Alastair, you’ve seen it for yourself. Your wife and your parents all have their hearts set on me. You’ve really failed miserably at being a person!” “I advise you to know your place. Leave voluntarily now, or you’ll be the one who looks bad when you get kicked out later.” Alastair sat up in the hospital bed and looked at Caspian. “If that’s really the case, why are you in such a hurry? Why not just wait for me to get kicked out?” Having his thoughts seen through, Caspian became somewhat flustered and angry. “Alastair, since you refuse to drink from the cup of kindness, don’t blame me for what happens next.” He raised his hand and punched himself, then picked up the water glass by the bed and poured it over himself. The glass shattered with a crisp sound. The next second, the door to the room was pushed open. Ophelia and Cordelia appeared in the doorway with several doctors. Seeing the situation in the room, Ophelia rushed to Caspian’s side in a few quick steps. She looked at the handprint on Caspian’s face, her heart aching. “Caspian, are you okay?” Caspian’s eyes were red as he said, “Alastair, I really only came back this time to see Mom, Dad and Ophelia. If you don’t like it, I can leave right away…” Hearing this, Ophelia was instantly enraged. She raised her hand and slapped Alastair hard across the face. “Alastair, is it only in front of Caspian that you show your vicious, brutal true colors?!” “Let me tell you, from now on, Caspian will stay by my side. Don’t even think about driving him away.” The slap was extremely heavy. Alastair’s body tilted to the side, his head hitting the bed frame and raising a large bump. Cordelia didn’t even spare Alastair a glance. She just took out a handkerchief and gently wiped Caspian’s tears. “Caspian, in the years you were gone, I worried about you every single moment. Promise Mommy you won’t leave again, okay?” Caspian glanced at Alastair with a somewhat troubled expression. “But if I stay, Alastair will be unhappy.” Alaric immediately yanked Alastair up from the bed. “Apologize to your brother right now!” Alastair was unsteady on his feet, but he still forced out in a hard voice: “He’s not my brother.” In his heart, he would only ever have one brother. Ophelia used anger to mask her loss of composure: “Alastair, you really are incorrigible! I order you to apologize to Caspian!” Alastair stubbornly stared at Ophelia, refusing to speak. His whole body started to feel the stinging pain of an electric current. The system’s restrictions meant he couldn’t refuse Ophelia’s demands, or he would be punished with electric shocks. As the current gradually increased, Alastair’s entire body was in excruciating pain. He fell to his knees. Seeing this, Ophelia instinctively reached out to help him up, but before she could touch him, she pulled her hand back. “Alastair, I know your stomach problems aren’t that serious. Don’t try to play for sympathy.” Someone who doesn’t love you won’t care even if you die right in front of them. Alastair couldn’t help but wonder – nine days from now, when he really died in front of Ophelia, would she shed even a single tear for him? This tug-of-war ended with Ophelia’s inevitable victory. Alastair’s forehead was covered in cold sweat, his face so pale it was almost transparent. Word by word, he said: “Caspian… I’m sorry…” “Alright, Alastair. I accept your apology. You can get up now.” Caspian reached out to help him up, but when he got close to Alastair’s ear, he whispered mockingly: “Alastair, and here I thought you had such a strong backbone!” After the apology was over, Ophelia took Caspian to the clinic for treatment. Cordelia and Alaric followed closely behind. The group that had arrived so grandly now left just as grandly. Alastair seemed to have been forgotten, left standing alone. After a long while, he finally raised his hand to touch his swollen, painful cheek. If his brother were here, he would definitely protect him and care for him. Brother, I miss you. I really want to see you soon.

For the next few days, neither Ophelia nor Cordelia came back to the hospital. Because of the system’s companionship requirements, Alastair couldn’t be away from Ophelia for more than three days. On the evening of the third day, Alastair called Ophelia. He had to call over a dozen times before she finally picked up. Ophelia’s impatient voice came through the phone. “Alastair, are you sick in the head? Why do you keep calling me?!” Alastair’s voice was flat as he said, “Ophelia, it’s been three days since I last saw you.” “It’s only been three days. I wish I never had to see a vicious man like you ever again.” If he could, he would want to never see her again either. “Ophelia, I’ve told you before, if I don’t see you for more than three days, I’ll…” Ophelia mocked him, “You’ll feel like you’re dying? Alastair, stop with these boring tricks. It used to be cute, but now it just disgusts me!” With that, she hung up the phone. Alastair looked at the darkened phone screen, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. Back when Ophelia had gone on a business trip, she had said she’d be back in two days. But she hadn’t returned until the evening of the third day. Alastair’s entire body had felt like it was being bitten by insects. There were no visible injuries, but the pain and itching were unbearable. He had wanted to take a knife and scrape off his own skin. The longer he went without seeing Ophelia, the worse this feeling became. That night, Alastair had bought a plane ticket and flown to Ophelia’s side. When Ophelia saw him, she was both surprised and pleased. She asked why he had come. At the time, his eyes had been red-rimmed, his tone carrying a hint of barely detectable grievance as he said: “Ophelia, don’t ever go more than three days without letting me see you again. Being away from you feels worse than death.” Ophelia had hugged his waist, laughing softly as she nuzzled his chest. “You really can’t bear to be apart from me, can you?” Alastair had nodded emphatically. Then Ophelia had solemnly promised that from then on, she would definitely take him with her wherever she went. She had always kept that promise. But now she thought he was just playing tricks. She said he disgusted her. Just as Alastair was about to call Ophelia’s assistant to ask about her whereabouts, Caspian sent him a video clip. [Alastair, so what if you’ve been by her side for seven years? So what if I ran away from the wedding back then? The one she loves has always been me.] In the video, Ophelia was wearing an elegant evening gown, her arms around Caspian as they danced the opening waltz. The suit Caspian was wearing was the one Alastair had custom ordered from a certain brand a month ago. The two gazed at each other and smiled, their eyes conveying unspoken emotions. Alastair pulled out the IV needle, got out of bed and changed his clothes, then took a taxi to the jewelry exhibition. By the time Alastair arrived, the exhibition had reached its climax. Ophelia was in a bidding war with someone else over a diamond watch called “Eternal Time.” In the end, Ophelia won the auction for $180 million. As she went on stage to sign for it, the host asked her: “Ms. Blackwood, you seemed very determined to win this ‘Heart of True Love’ during the bidding. May I ask, what made you so set on acquiring it?” Ophelia took the microphone and said: “Because I once promised someone that I would give him all my love. By twist of fate, we weren’t able to be together in the end. I hope this watch, which symbolizes eternal time, can accompany him in my place.” The host said: “There are so many regrets in love. Though regrettable, it’s unforgettable. Ms. Blackwood and her beloved may not have ended up together, but I believe this love will be passed down eternally along with time.” Applause thundered through the hall. Caspian gazed at Ophelia on stage with tears in his eyes, accepting everyone’s congratulations. But when Ophelia saw Alastair standing in the doorway, her heart inexplicably skipped a beat.

She quickly regained her composure and walked off the stage. After handing the necklace to Caspian, she strode over to Alastair, grabbed his arm and pulled him aside, scolding: “Alastair, are you following me?” Alastair’s arm hurt from Ophelia’s grip. His brows furrowed. “Ophelia, I just wanted to come see you.” Ophelia’s heart seemed to be suddenly struck. Her entire demeanor softened. He said he just wanted to come see her. Alastair truly loved her so much. Even though she had given this watch symbolizing eternal love to Caspian, he didn’t utter a single word of complaint. In front of her, he lowered himself to the dust. Thinking of this, Ophelia’s voice gentled a bit. “Although I gave this watch to Caspian, don’t worry. The position of Mr. Blackwood will always be yours.” Perhaps in the past, hearing these words would have made him somewhat happy. It meant he still had a place in Ophelia’s heart. But now, Alastair really wanted to tell her that he didn’t need it anymore. He didn’t need Ophelia’s affection or love. He didn’t need the position of Mr. Blackwood. Caspian walked over, the dazzling diamond watch on his wrist. He put his arm around Ophelia’s shoulders. “Ophelia, Alastair was discharged from the hospital today. Why don’t we go have dinner together to celebrate?” Ophelia looked at Alastair in his thin clothes but didn’t say anything. She turned and left with Caspian. Alastair silently followed behind them. As long as he could stay by Ophelia’s side for an hour, he could make it through another three days. At the dinner table, Caspian poured half a glass of red wine for each of them. Alastair looked at the wine, as red as fresh blood, but didn’t refuse. After all, his refusal would be meaningless. As long as Ophelia told him to drink, he had to drink. But unexpectedly, Ophelia spoke up first, calling the waiter over: “Bring him a glass of milk instead.” A flash of venom passed through Caspian’s eyes, but he quickly smiled and said: “How forgetful of me. I almost forgot Alastair can’t drink alcohol.” Alastair just smiled indifferently at this. Whether it was red wine or milk made no difference to him now. After dinner, Alastair didn’t want to keep being the villain getting in the way of true love. He volunteered to leave. Seeing how considerate he was being, Ophelia couldn’t help but say: “Wait for me at home. I’ll be back tonight.” Alastair didn’t respond to this. He had already spent an hour by Ophelia’s side. Whether she came back now or not didn’t matter to him anymore. But unexpectedly, just as he arrived home, Ophelia returned with Caspian. She walked over and grabbed Alastair’s collar, her pale hands roaming all over his body. The mocking look in Caspian’s eyes made Alastair feel extremely uncomfortable. He lost his temper for once: “Ophelia, what are you doing?!” Ophelia felt something in Alastair’s pocket. She pulled it out, and instantly flew into a rage. She shoved Alastair to the ground. “Alastair, and here I thought you had reformed.” Caspian also spoke up, looking disappointed: “Alastair, if you liked this watch, you could have just told me. Why did you have to steal it?” Looking at the watch in Ophelia’s hand, Alastair realized he had been set up by Caspian. Even though he knew Ophelia wouldn’t believe him, he still had to speak up in his own defense. “I didn’t steal it. Caspian framed me.” Caspian immediately looked aggrieved. “Alastair, I know you’ve never liked me as your brother, but you can’t just dump this dirty water on me.” Hearing Caspian repeatedly refer to himself as Alastair’s brother, Alastair lost control and shouted: “You’re not my brother at all. You don’t deserve to be!” Ophelia said sternly: “Enough! Alastair, you’re really beyond hope. You did something wrong, but you don’t show a shred of remorse!” “Someone come lock him in the dog cage in the backyard. Don’t let him out until he admits his mistake.” Two bodyguards wordlessly dragged Alastair to the backyard and shoved him into an iron cage. Several fierce dogs immediately surrounded the cage, snarling and barking at Alastair. Alastair had been bitten by a dog when he was young and had been deeply afraid of them ever since. He gripped the iron bars and shouted: “Ophelia, let me out…” “I know I was wrong, please let me out…” But no matter how much he yelled, no one paid him any attention. Only the vicious dogs kept circling around him, baring their teeth and tearing at his clothes from time to time. Alastair curled up into a ball, his whole body shaking uncontrollably. He was terrified that at any moment, these dogs would lunge at him and tear him to pieces. He mumbled: “Brother, come save me…” “Brother, I’m so scared. Come take me home…” After a long while, Alastair finally remembered that his brother was lying in a vegetative state in the hospital after saving him. He had come here to save his brother. From childhood, no matter what danger he faced, his brother had always stood in front of him, shielding him from wind and rain.

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My secret boyfriend Lucas said he would marry me once we saved enough money to buy a house . To achieve this, I took on a part-time job delivering food after work every day to save money. One night, just as I was about to rest, I received an order: “I’ll give you an extra $20 if you can deliver a box of condoms to the Hilton Hotel within 10 minutes. Strawberry flavored.” I thought to myself, what kind of rich fool would make such a request? But I happily accepted. However, when I delivered the order, the person who came out of the room was my supposedly out-of-town boyfriend, Lucas. “Food delivery? Just leave it at the door.” Hearing that voice, I froze outside the door. My body reacted quickly, pushing open the stairwell door next to me and hiding inside. It can’t be. It just sounds similar. He’s supposed to be abroad right now. We were just video chatting before I went to sleep. I bit my lip, trying to reassure myself, but my eyes were glued to that door through the crack. Soon, the door opened and a shirtless man walked out. The man was handsome with a tall, slender build. I knew that figure all too well – it was my boyfriend, Lucas. He grabbed the delivery and went back inside, turning to reveal scratch marks all over his back. His movements were hurried, not even bothering to close the door properly. “Got the stuff. Now you can’t escape. You’re so delicate, needing strawberry flavored condoms.” Though his words were teasing, his tone was affectionate. “What, isn’t this how you like it?” the woman inside replied playfully. “Or do you prefer that prude you have at home?” “Her?” Lucas scoffed. “I’ve been looking at her for ten years. I’m bored of her.” Soon indescribable sounds could be heard from inside. I stood outside, feeling my blood run cold. My nails dug into my palms. You like to be loud, huh? Then let everyone hear. I suddenly yanked open the door that wasn’t fully closed. Ignoring the shocked cries from inside, I ran down the stairs. The delivery scooter parked downstairs had been knocked over into the bushes by security. In a daze, I didn’t know what to do. My phone rang – it was my mom. Hearing the commotion on my end, my mom anxiously asked what was wrong. I choked up, unable to speak for a long time. Finally I managed to say: “I’m fine, Mom. I don’t want to stay in the big city anymore. Can I come home early for the holidays to be with you?” I looked at the luxurious high-rise in front of me. Without another glance at the mud-covered delivery scooter, I turned and left.

At 3 AM, I received a message from Lucas. He said he was flying back today and asked me to pick him up early. I shook my heavy head, ignoring it. I couldn’t sleep all night. In my hazy state, I heard Lucas opening the door. He pushed open the bedroom door and immediately wrapped his arms around me, blanket and all, burying his face in my neck. “Why didn’t you come pick me up this morning? I’ve been working so hard on this business trip, you should show me some love.” I stared at his face, confirming it was indeed the same person I saw last night. Hard at work? More like working hard in bed with someone else. I pushed him away and got up. Seeing I wasn’t responding, Lucas grabbed my wrist. “What’s wrong? Can’t even give me a smile first thing in the morning?” I forced a smile. “It’s nothing. You must be tired from work. Go get some rest.” He frowned. “Are you kicking me out?” “Are you not feeling well?” I dodged his outstretched hand, staring at him numbly. “What’s gotten into you?” “Nothing. I just don’t feel like talking right now. You should go.” Lucas kicked the door hard in frustration. “You think I want to be here? You’re not so desirable anymore.” Seeing no reaction from me, Lucas stormed out angrily. I leaned heavily against the wall for support. I should have seen the signs, starting with his frequent business trips lately. Lucas was right – in the beginning, I was the one desperately chasing after him. Back then we were in the same school. I was being bullied by our homeroom teacher who falsely accused me of stealing because of my poor grades. He stood up and talked back to the teacher for me, resulting in both of us being punished to stand in the hallway. Seeing that I had gotten him in trouble too, I cried and apologized to him. “This isn’t your fault. Why are you apologizing?” The boy stood tall, with endless green foliage behind him. From that moment on, I followed him for ten whole years. I worked my fingers to the bone, enduring sky-high rent to live in the apartment across from his. I waited so long to finally hear him say “Aria, let’s give us a try.” Even though he refused to make our relationship public. Even though he said he’d only marry me after we saved enough to buy a place. The jacket Lucas had taken off when he first arrived was still on the sofa. An opened box of condoms fell out of his coat pocket. It was the strawberry flavored ones I had delivered to the hotel last night.

The next day at work, my colleagues were all gathered around gossiping about something. “Did you see earlier? Manager Zhou came in with a woman, I heard she’s the daughter of Sterling Group’s CEO.” “They look so perfect together standing next to our Manager Zhou!” The office door was knocked, and Lucas glanced at me without much expression. “Let me introduce everyone – this is Chloe. She’ll be your new department head from now on.” All eyes turned to me. The department head position was originally supposed to be mine. “Hello everyone, I’m Chloe,” she said with a bright smile. But I felt chilled to the bone. It was her – that voice belonged to the woman who was with Lucas last night. A colleague noticed my pale face and asked if I was okay, assuming I was upset about losing the promotion. I shook my head weakly. But Chloe walked up to me. “You must be Aria?” “The Harmony Corporation project bid is in a week. I need all the materials by tomorrow.” She looked at me, seemingly with kindness. But her words meant several times the usual workload. I instinctively glanced at Lucas, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was smiling at Chloe.

Late at night in the office, I sent the final confirmed documents to Chloe for review. Even though I had decided to leave, I still wanted to do a good job on my last assignment. I rubbed my sore neck and opened my phone to book a flight home in two weeks. Just then Lucas called, his voice cold. “Why aren’t you home yet?” “Still working overtime at the office.” “Why are you always working late? Do you need me to pick you up?” His tone seemed to soften a bit. I thought of Lucas leaving work with Chloe earlier, and leaned back in my chair tiredly. “No need, I’ll still be a while. I’ll head back on my own later.” “Ungrateful!” he snarled, and immediately hung up. It was past midnight when I finally left. As soon as I entered the complex, I saw two intimate figures entwined under a dim street lamp. “Aren’t you afraid Aria will see us like this?” “I just asked her, she’s still working overtime at the office.” In the moonlight, I saw Chloe look directly at me, smirking triumphantly. “I gave big sister all that extra work to keep her busy. You’re not upset on her behalf, are you?” The man with his back to me laughed huskily. “As long as you’re happy.”

Time flew by quickly as I threw myself into work, deliberately trying not to think about matters of the heart. After several late nights, I finally finished the project. In the meeting with Harmony Corporation, I had a great discussion with their representative about collaboration details. Lucas sat silently to the side, just watching me intently. The Harmony rep smiled and extended his hand to me, saying “You’re very talented. I hope we have the chance to work together again in the future.” Before I could respond, Lucas quickly grasped that hand. “Our company also hopes to have more opportunities to collaborate with Harmony in the future.” Chloe hurriedly chimed in sweetly, but when she looked at me her eyes were full of hatred. Back at the office, Lucas cornered me in the stairwell. “Alright, enough of this. Did I do something to upset you recently? I apologize.” “I haven’t been sleeping well without you by my side lately.” He placed his hands on either side of me, his eyes as gentle as they used to be. I looked at this two-faced man in front of me. I had known him for ten years, yet it felt like I never truly knew him at all. I was about to answer when faint footsteps echoed in the stairwell. Lucas immediately backed away from me. I watched him put distance between us, feeling the air grow thin. Snippets of conversation drifted over: “Did you see the photo Chloe posted in the group chat?” “I didn’t know Aria delivers food after work. Is she really struggling that much?” Lucas pulled out his phone to look at the photo of me in a dirty uniform, sweat and grime covering half my face. My phone remained silent. I wasn’t in that group chat. From outside came what sounded like Chloe’s loud mocking laughter. Lucas gave me a look of disgust. “Have I not provided enough for you? Why do you need to embarrass yourself like this?” “It’s not like we have any relationship in everyone else’s eyes. I’m not embarrassing you.” Someone called my name from outside, breaking the tense atmosphere.

I stared blankly at the overseas assignment application form my boss had given me. “You did an excellent job on the Harmony project. Their representative spoke very highly of you.” “The department head position was originally meant for you, but your Manager Zhou said you still needed more experience.” “The company has an exchange opportunity in Germany now. I’m thinking of sending you.” I had been planning to resign, but didn’t expect such an opportunity to come up. Lucas knocked on my desk, snapping me out of my daze. “It’s time to go. I’ll take you to dinner.” I glanced around – all my colleagues had left. Of course, our relationship only existed when no one else was around. I wanted to refuse, but Lucas forcefully dragged me to a restaurant and ordered a table full of my favorite dishes. We tacitly avoided mentioning what happened in the stairwell earlier. I no longer had the energy to argue with him either. Perhaps after going abroad, this relationship would truly be over. It began silently, and would end with no one knowing. I lowered my head to hide my emotions. Lucas suddenly spoke up: “About that exchange opportunity to Germany the boss mentioned to you – can you let Chloe have it instead?” I jerked my head up, staring at him in shock. “She’s the department head and main person in charge of this project. She’s more suitable than you.” “Why?” “I know your abilities better than anyone. You’re not at that level yet. You only did well on this case because Chloe helped you, right?” Hearing those words, I froze, staring at this man who looked at me with a hint of disdain. “Why is it that in your eyes, my career can be so casually tossed aside?!” “Your career?” Lucas sneered. “What career do you have? A career in food delivery?”

The dinner ended unpleasantly. Lucas’s car drove away from me as I stood in the cold wind waiting for a taxi. Just then I received a message from Chloe: It was a photo of an application form. “I can’t believe Lucas gave me this opportunity after I just mentioned it to him.” “Then again, given your financial situation, you probably couldn’t afford the expenses of going abroad anyway.” Time seemed to freeze for a moment. I started frantically calling Lucas, but he kept hanging up. Finally after who knows how many attempts, Lucas’s cold voice came through: “Aria, don’t overestimate your position just because you had a little success. I don’t need your permission to give this opportunity to Chloe.” “I won’t be staying at your place for a while. You should reflect on your behavior.” My nails dug into my palms, my whole body shaking with pain. In the end I could only laugh bitterly. Of course, he’s the manager. What could I do? Back home, I started packing to leave. I didn’t have many belongings. I had always lived frugally, trying to save money quickly so I could start a family with Lucas. But now… I opened my computer, ready to submit the resignation letter I had prepared earlier. Suddenly my phone rang. My boss’s stern voice came through: “Aria, confidential information from the bid proposal has been leaked. Harmony’s CEO has reported it to the police.” “Come to the office right away.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296117”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #校园School