Author: Momo Chan

A car accident caused Saul Winston to lose his memory. He forgot everything, except for one person. He was moody, and even I, his wife, had to go through her if I wanted to do anything. She was the woman from his past, the one he could never let go of. When the news of Saul’s accident reached me, I rushed to the hospital in a panic. The police explained that the other driver had been drunk and swerved suddenly, forcing him to crash into the highway guardrail. Half the car was left hanging dangerously over the edge. He barely survived. After seven hours of surgery, he was finally out of danger. The doctor hesitated when discussing his brain injuries. I found the attending physician and asked, “Doctor, what is the worst that could happen to my husband?” Countless worst-case scenarios went through my mind. Cognitive regression. A vegetative state. Even brain death. The doctor adjusted his glasses and looked at Saul’s medical chart. “The main trauma is to his head. He will likely suffer from memory loss. This is the most common result in similar cases.” Memory loss? I felt relief wash over me. If that was all, it didn’t matter. As long as he was alive, I could handle anything he forgot. But I underestimated how complicated things could become. A week later, Saul finally woke up. While I worried about his recovery, he looked at me coldly and asked, “Who are you?”

I was overwhelmed with excitement when Saul woke up, but another challenge was quietly unfolding. Saul had forgotten me. He had forgotten everyone from his memory. I forced a smile and tried to calm him. “I’m your wife. We’ve been married for two years. Look.” I held out my hand, showing him the plain wedding band on my ring finger. It matched the one on his hand perfectly. But he stared down at his hand, motionless. I thought he was trying to remember something, but when I placed my hand gently on his shoulder, he shoved me away violently. “Don’t touch me. You’re not my wife. I don’t know you.” I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could, Saul erupted like a storm. He swept everything off the bedside table, including the glass of hot water I had just poured. I ignored the burning pain on my skin and tried to restrain him. He managed to stand, albeit unsteadily, and stubbornly ordered me out of the room. “I don’t know you. Get out.” During the scuffle, he wavered, his body swaying as if he might collapse. I immediately called the doctors to stabilize him. A sedative was slowly administered into his system. After a moment, I heard him mutter a name under his breath. The doctor turned to me, puzzled. “Who is Chris?” I stared helplessly at Saul lying on the bed, my eyes gradually filling with sorrow. Chris was his first love.

I thought Saul had lost all his memories, but Chris was the one exception. Even as he slept, he called out her name over and over. The doctor pulled me aside and said, “It might help his recovery if you go along with what he wants.” After pacing the hospital corridor countless times, I finally dialed a number I hadn’t called in years. To my surprise, she answered almost immediately. I swallowed my pride and said, “Come to First Central Hospital. Saul needs you.” Before she could reply, I hung up. Chris had been my best friend from childhood through college, but everything fell apart between us because of Saul. For my sake, she walked away from the love triangle we were trapped in. I had fooled myself into thinking Saul chose me out of love, but now I understood. I was the outsider all along. Chris arrived quickly, carrying a white bag over her shoulder. “Is Saul okay?” Leaning against the wall, I forced a smile. “He doesn’t want to see me. Even in his dreams, he keeps calling your name. You must have something special to stay in his heart after all this time.” Chris didn’t reply. Without a word, she turned toward the room and went inside.

I could only watch from the sidelines, separated by glass. Since Saul woke up, his temper seemed reserved just for me. He never got upset with Chris. When she cried out of worry for him, he would reach out to gently wipe her tears away. As for me, I had to stand at the doorway, wiping my tears on my sleeve. I crouched by the wall, helplessly watching as they cared for each other like no one else existed. The title of Saul’s wife felt like the most invisible role in the world. Chris would massage his shoulders, feed him fruit, or point out birds and butterflies outside the window, laughing with him. No matter what she did, Saul just smiled along with her, saying nothing. Whenever I knocked and stepped in, his expression would harden immediately. “What are you doing here? I already told you, I don’t know you.” The coldness in his voice was piercing. I dared not stay long. I would simply call Chris outside and hand over the medicine. “The doctor prescribed this. Make sure Saul takes it after meals. Three pills, three times a day.” Chris would nod without a word, take the medication, and go back to looking after him. That moment left me feeling more defeated than ever. They looked like a couple united in adversity, while I stood on the outside, nothing more than a spectator to their happiness. Eventually, Chris broke the silence as she gazed at Saul. She couldn’t hold back any longer. “Saul, have you forgotten everyone?” Saul lifted his head and blinked at her. After a pause, he smiled. “I haven’t forgotten you, Chris.”

With Chris around, it felt like there was no place for me anymore. Watching them through the glass left me with a heavy heart, so I decided to leave the hospital and find something else to do. Yesterday, while lingering near the door of his room, I heard Saul say he wanted chicken. I went to the supermarket, picked up the ingredients, and spent the afternoon cooking. Just as I finished packing the chicken in a thermal container, Chris called. “Saul says he’s bored and wants me to take him out for a walk. Is that okay?” Her tone sounded like she was asking for permission, though she didn’t need to. She could have taken him without checking, and I wouldn’t have said anything. But that simple question made me feel like I mattered, even if just for a moment. “Sure. Don’t go too far, and make sure to be back soon,” I said. I could hear Saul’s voice urging her in the background. Chris explained quickly, “We’ll go to park. I promise we’ll be back by three.” I nodded, placed the chicken aside, and decided to rest before returning to the hospital. That nap was the first decent sleep I’d had since the accident, though my dreams still haunted me. In the dream, Saul held Chris’ hand and walked away. No matter how loudly I called his name, he didn’t look back. I woke up to Chris’ voice on the phone. “Saul is gone!” Her panic instantly jolted me awake. “What do you mean?” “He said he wanted water. I turned to buy some, and when I looked back, he was gone. I searched the entire park and couldn’t find him anywhere!”

I panicked for a moment but quickly calmed myself. With his injured leg, Saul couldn’t have gone far. Just as I was about to head out to look for him, the door opened. He walked in, limping, with a bag of chocolates in his hand. Every flavor inside was from my favorite brand. He glanced at me briefly before walking past to sit down. I couldn’t hold back and asked, “Why are you back?” His eyes showed no emotion as he answered flatly, “This is my home. Why wouldn’t I come back?” My heart soared. I grabbed his hand and started talking nonstop. “You remember, don’t you? This is our home. I’m your wife. You promised you’d always stay with me. You said you’d buy me my favorite chocolates, and eat the food I cook forever…” I placed the chicken in front of him, looking at him with hope and desperation. Saul looked at the plate and then at the wedding photo of us on the shelf. His expression wavered. For a moment, he seemed determined. The next, uncertain. I could tell he was struggling internally. But slowly, the light in his eyes faded. Confusion took over. He pulled his hand away, his voice low and hoarse. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I bought the chocolates or why the food seemed familiar to me.” He stood, avoiding my gaze. “I should go. Chris is still waiting for me at the park.”

I once knew him as warm and full of life. Now his coldness doesn’t just hurt, it scares me. I’m terrified he’ll never remember me, that he’ll walk away forever. Fear and sadness overwhelmed me. All I wanted was for him to hold me. “What do I have to do for you to stop looking at me like that?” He didn’t respond. He gave me an impatient look, stood up, and walked out, slamming the door behind him. Ten minutes later, Chris called. She said Saul had brought her ice cream from the shop they loved in college. Her tone was thoughtful when she said he hadn’t forgotten everything. I forced a bitter laugh. He hadn’t forgotten everything, just everything about me. Drained, I told her to bring him back to the hospital. I wasn’t ready to give up. He was still healing, and I had to hold on to the hope, however faint. I packed the chicken and headed back to the hospital. In the hallway, I heard laughter coming from his room. Chris was telling him about how he once proposed to her with a soda can ring, how it got stuck, and how they had to call firefighters to remove it. Saul was laughing with her, his voice light and carefree. It felt like a knife twisting in my chest. He had proposed to Chris too. What am I to him, then? Just the second choice he settled for when he couldn’t have her? Chris stayed close to him, reminiscing about skipping class, sneaking into concerts, and crying over romance movies. I stood outside, listening to their story where I didn’t belong.

I don’t even know what I am to him anymore. Maybe in all the stories they share, I’m nothing more than an afterthought in his life. He fell asleep after talking for so long, and that’s when Chris finally noticed me. “When did you get here? Why didn’t you say something?” I forced a smile. “You two seemed so immersed in your conversation. I didn’t want to interrupt. I didn’t know your memories together were so happy and full of life.” Chris looked uneasy, playing with her hair and fixing her dress. “It’s not like that. I just…” Not wanting to make her feel awkward, I handed her the box of chicken. “He wanted these. But they’ve been sitting too long, so they’ve gone cold. No matter how good the container is, it can’t keep them warm forever.” She hesitated before taking the box. To me, the hospital is now just a place to discuss his condition with the doctor. It doesn’t mean anything more. As I turned to leave, she called out to me. “Zara.” I stopped and looked back at her. “He will recover, won’t he? I believe he will. You should believe it too.” Her voice was soft. She seemed to be saying it more for herself than for me. For a moment, it looked like she had something else to say, but she didn’t. She turned back to the room and shut the door. I went home and sat on the couch, eating the chocolates he bought. They were the flavor I loved, but they didn’t taste the same anymore.

glanced at the wedding photo on the counter. I was so sure that his gaze once carried love for me. But how did it come to this? Was there really no trace left of the love we shared? I couldn’t accept it, so I started searching through the bedroom. Our life together had always been simple, maybe too simple. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find anything that truly stood out as evidence of our love. Feeling defeated, I sank to the floor. My gaze fell on a small box tucked away on top of the wardrobe. I climbed onto a chair, pulled it down, and opened it. Inside were two movie tickets and two concert tickets dated July 10 and August 20, two years ago. Chris’ words from the hospital came rushing back. They had watched movies and gone to concerts together. It hit me like a punch. Those dates were during the first year of our marriage. With the tickets in hand, I headed straight to the hospital, anger simmering inside me. The moment I saw Chris, I tossed the tickets at her. “Explain this. Why were you doing these things with Saul right after we got married?” She looked at me, confused. When she glanced at the tickets, realization dawned. She stared at them in silence, her head lowered. It seemed like she didn’t know what to say. I felt like I was going to explode with anger. Unanswered questions swirled in my mind, driving me to the brink. My nerves throbbed, and the pain in my head felt unbearable. “I’ve always been honest and fair in this marriage. I have never done anything to wrong you. Why would you do this to me?” We had been friends for so many years, always open and honest with each other. I couldn’t understand how she could act this way. The busy hospital corridor seemed to weigh on her. Unable to endure the stares any longer, her voice trembled. “I never did those things with Saul,” she said. I frowned slightly, watching as she continued. “It wasn’t me, Zara. “It was you.” The moment the words left her mouth, a deafening roar filled my ears. I stared at Chris, clutching the tickets with such conviction.

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Three days before my wedding, I went to check on the venue decorations. What I saw made my blood run cold. There, on an enormous poster, was my fiancé gazing lovingly at someone—but it wasn’t me. It was his first love. And there he stood at the altar, sharing an intimate look with her. Through my tears, I demanded to know why he would do this to me. He merely looked annoyed. “I’m just letting Kira experience being a bride. Why are you being so petty? I’ve been with you for five years. If what we had was real, do you think you’d be the one I’m marrying?” I raised my hand to slap him, but he shoved me away. I lost my balance and tumbled down the stairs. At that moment, my heart turned to stone. This wedding would never happen. Let them have their happily ever after. I lay at the bottom of the stairs, my ankle throbbing with excruciating pain. “Jeffrey?” I gasped in disbelief. “Did you just push me?” Before I could process what had happened, the sound of shattering glass filled the air. A wine glass exploded beside me, showering me with shards and red wine, ruining my white dress. I instinctively shielded my face, but not before the glass sliced my arm. If I hadn’t protected myself, my face and neck would have been cut. The wine glass—Jeffrey had thrown it. “You accidentally fell on your own,” Jeffrey sneered, his voice thick with anger. “If you hadn’t shown up here making a scene, none of this would have happened. Stop the act, Raelyn. Don’t tell me you sprained your ankle—that’s pathetic!” I tried to move my ankle, and white-hot pain shot through it. Fighting back tears, I looked up at the man I was supposed to marry in three days, watching as my heart crumbled to dust. I had left work early specifically to see the “surprise” he’d been keeping from me these past few days. I’d even worn the white dress he once said he loved. But this was what awaited me at the venue: a massive poster featuring Jeffrey gazing adoringly at Kira Lopez, his first love. The sight felt surreal. What did that make me? When I looked down from the poster, I caught them sharing that same look of devotion. The love in his eyes was unmistakable. When I confronted him through my tears, this was his response. Everything Jeffrey had told me was a lie. His excuse about the decorations not being ready was just a cover for holding a wedding with Kira. I’d even noticed Kira wearing an identical wedding ring to mine. The matching rings I thought were special to us had become a set of three. It was beyond absurd. Kira looked down at me with cold eyes, though her voice was honey-sweet as she addressed Jeffrey. “Jeffrey, don’t be so harsh. You frightened me.” Jeffrey patted her hand, gazing at her adoringly. “Kira, she tried to hurt you first. Don’t worry. She’s fine—just an act.” My chest ached with a dull throb. What had these years of devotion meant to him? I wiped my tears and limped away, their mocking laughter following me. “See? I told you she was fine.” Jeffrey’s smug voice carried after me, with Kira’s agreement. “She was definitely faking. Don’t worry, I would never lie to you.” I made my way home in a daze. Sitting on my couch examining my ankle, I saw it had swollen completely—probably because I’d forced myself to walk on it instead of treating it immediately. As I stared at my ankle, tears began to fall. I silently held an ice pack to it, using ice cubes from the freezer. As they melted, water pooled on the floor, but at least the swelling started to subside. I had just applied arnica cream when the door opened. Jeffrey walked in with Kira and immediately frowned at the scene. “Raelyn Mitchell, are you throwing a tantrum again?”

“Throwing a tantrum?” I fixed him with an icy stare. Jeffrey responded matter-of-factly, “Aren’t you? Look at this mess of the house.” I followed his gaze to the wet spots and footprints on the floor—some of which they had just tracked in themselves. Taking my silence as confirmation, Jeffrey continued, “You’re obviously fine. Kira was actually worried about your foot and insisted I check on you, but look how energetic you are! Make sure you clean it up later.” I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the ache in my heart. Jeffrey hadn’t always been like this. How could he have changed so completely in just a few years? We met in college and shared some beautiful moments together. He used to treat me with such care and consideration—otherwise, I would never have accepted his proposal. I truly believed Jeffrey was someone I could build a life with. He remembered every anniversary, every little detail about me. He even tracked my menstrual cycle in his calendar when I sometimes forgot. I’d always known about Kira. He told me about her when we first started dating. They’d known each other since high school but separated when they attended different colleges in different cities, and Kira went abroad to study. When did our relationship begin to deteriorate? It started a year ago when Kira returned. One look, one word from her could completely win Jeffrey over. Sometimes I thought bitterly that the moment Jeffrey picked up Kira at the airport, I had already lost him. I didn’t want to deal with either of them, so I limped back to my room, wanting to be alone. But Jeffrey followed me in with Kira, demanding, “Raelyn, what’s with your attitude? You haven’t said a word since I came in. Did that fall make you mute?” “Jeffrey, calm down.” While Kira pretended to soothe Jeffrey, her eyes wandered around the room, landing on a jeweled necklace on my vanity. “What’s this? How beautiful. Such a large gem must be fake, right? Could I have it, Raelyn?” As she reached for it, disgust welled up inside me. How could someone be so shameless? “Put it down!” I snapped. “Touching other people’s things without permission? Where are your manners?” Kira jumped, her face instantly crumpling into a hurt expression as if she might cry, which only fueled Jeffrey’s anger. “Raelyn, why are you being so petty? It’s just a fake gem. What’s wrong with giving it to her? I’ll buy you a real one later.” I almost laughed at how quickly he dismissed it as fake, completely disregarding my feelings. My fury finally boiled over. “Fake? Jeffrey, you know perfectly well that’s from my mother! Don’t push me too far! Buy me a real one? You couldn’t afford it even if you sold your company!” “What do you mean? I can’t afford your stupid necklace?” Jeffrey exploded, reaching for it. Without thinking, I grabbed an eyebrow razor and slashed at him. “Jeffrey!” “Raelyn!” Jeffrey clutched his face, staring at me in shock while Kira fretted over whether he needed medical attention. He angrily wiped the blood from his face. Seeing that I wasn’t lowering the razor and recognizing I was on the verge of breaking down, he had no choice but to storm out with Kira. I collapsed slowly to the floor, staring at the blood on the eyebrow razor. My throat tightened before I burst into loud, wracking sobs.

Tears blurred my vision, and my emotional outburst sent fresh waves of pain through my swollen ankle. Yet the physical agony was nothing compared to the crushing weight in my chest. I still could hardly believe it. How had the gentle, caring Jeffrey transformed into this stranger? Had this been his true nature all along? Had I been fooled by his masterful performance these past years? I had loved him with every fiber of my being, yet his heart had always belonged to Kira. Fresh out of college, we’d been so poor we could barely make ends meet. We survived on bread and water, splurging on pizza only for birthdays. I remembered the modest cake he’d somehow managed to buy that day—small but meaningful. Jeffrey had carefully placed the candles, and despite my touched expression, he’d looked devastated, apologizing repeatedly. “I’m sorry, Raelyn, you deserve better than this. I’ll never forget your kindness. I promise to give you a better life.” As I looked at his youthful face then, my heart had overflowed with warmth. I’d smiled, nodded, and blown out the candles, making my wish. What was that wish again? Ah yes—that Jeffrey would keep his promise and love me forever. But things had changed. Now that we lived comfortably, his feelings had transformed. That man who once pledged eternal devotion with tears in his eyes was gone forever. I roughly wiped my tears away and began packing despite the pain. Only then did I realize how little I truly owned after all these years. Perhaps fate had never meant for this place to be my real home. Everything I possessed fit into a single suitcase. I left behind all the gifts and mementos from Jeffrey. They meant nothing to me now. Suitcase in hand, I took one last look at what had been our home before turning away without hesitation. I took a taxi to my parents’ house. Opening the door, I found only silence within. The setting sun cast golden-orange light through the windows, bathing the space in a warm glow. Dust motes danced in the air, and a fine layer of dust covered the furniture. Standing in the doorway, I could almost see Mom emerging from the kitchen, smiling, telling me to wash up for dinner. Just a bittersweet fantasy, of course. I closed the door, curled up on the floor, and hugged myself tightly. After a while, a muffled sob escaped. God, I missed them so much. As twilight faded to darkness, my phone suddenly rang. I lifted my head groggily, realizing it was now the middle of the night. It was Jeffrey. “Raelyn! Where the hell are you? What’s with all the water on the floor? Didn’t I tell you to clean that up?” His accusations and displeasure shattered the silence. I stared into the darkness, managing a bitter smile. How absurd. He’d come home this late, hadn’t even noticed my missing belongings or my departure, and his first concern was scolding me about the floor. After my prolonged silence, he continued, “Raelyn, how could I marry someone who tried to stab me with an eyebrow razor?” Hearing his callous words, I finally interrupted, my voice heavy with exhaustion, “Jeffrey, then don’t get married. Let’s break up.” Before he could respond, I hung up and blocked his number without a second thought. The moment I hung up and blocked Jeffrey, an unprecedented sense of lightness washed over me. All those attachments I’d thought would be impossible to face or let go suddenly dissolved in seconds.

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My fiancé, Nathaniel Reed, told me the company was facing financial difficulties and suggested we temporarily cancel our plans for the wedding house. He wanted me, Seraphina Calder, to continue living with him in a rental and for me to use my savings to help the company in an emergency. I agreed, but the next day, I saw his most beloved assistant, Madison Wells, post a photo of a property deed with both her and Nathaniel’s names on it. I paused for two seconds and then gave it a like. Madison, feeling guilty, broke down and cried. To comfort her, Nathaniel did something unprecedented. He called a company-wide meeting and insulted me, calling me petty. He demanded that I publicly apologize and compensate Madison for her emotional distress. The room fell silent. Everyone held their breath and stared at me, waiting for my response. I reluctantly set my chips down, raised my arm, and said, “Why are you just standing there? This joke is too good. Let’s all give a round of applause!” Before anyone could respond, my fiancé, Nathaniel, angrily grabbed the microphone and slammed it into my body. I couldn’t dodge in time and stumbled backward. The room gasped in shock. Madison hung her head, looking sad, but secretly enjoying my misfortune. I looked up at Nathaniel, only to find him frozen for a moment, with a brief flash of guilt in his eyes. But it quickly disappeared, and he returned to his usual self. “Seraphina, can you stop being so unreasonable? “This house is for Madison’s brother, Connor Wells, to use for school. He’ll return it in five years. What are you complaining about? “Why don’t you learn from Madison? She’s kind and strong. But you? All you do is act selfish and petty.”  Nathaniel’s voice was cold and filled with disdain. I looked around at the sympathetic or mocking gazes directed at me, and the initial embarrassment was long gone. All that was left was numbness. After all, this kind of absurd situation had happened so many times that I had grown used to it. Madison came from a poor family with a gambling father, a mother who favored boys over girls, and a five-year-old brother. Life was hard for her. In contrast, I came from a middle-class family and had been my parent’s precious daughter since I was little. My ten years with Nathaniel had been smooth sailing, with hardly any major setbacks. Nathaniel always said I hadn’t experienced hardship, that my character was nowhere near Madison’s. So, under the guise of toughening me up, he showered Madison with money and affection, compensating her for everything she lacked, while at the same time, he imposed the same pain Madison had endured onto me. Not long ago, he finally quieted down and, for the first time, even brought up the topic of our wedding. I thought he had finally realized his mistakes. But I didn’t expect him to make things worse. At this point, Madison, covering her face, began crying pitifully. “Seraphina, I really didn’t mean to upset you. “But I had no choice! The school said my brother can only attend if we have a house nearby. “Our family is struggling. I couldn’t finish college, and I don’t want my brother to go through the same thing. I’ll do anything to get him into a good school.”  Someone couldn’t help but speak up for me. “If he’s willing to study, he can still get into a good school somewhere else. Why does he have to take someone else’s house to go to this school?”  “Exactly, he’s your brother, not Seraphina’s!”  A few people agreed, and the room murmured in agreement. It was common sense that even everyone else understood, but Nathaniel seemed oblivious to it. His brow furrowed. He probably didn’t expect anyone to speak up for me. Before he could say anything, Madison, with a pitiful look, turned to me and said, “Seraphina, if you’re worried about losing out, I can let my brother call you sister. He’ll promise to repay you in the future. “If he doesn’t repay you, you can hit him or scold him however you like.”  She purposely glanced at Nathaniel. Nathaniel was very fond of Madison’s brother. Every time he went on a business trip, he would bring back gifts for him, and whenever he found something tasty, he’d make sure to bring back a portion for him. If the boy wanted toys, even if Nathaniel was overseas, he’d have someone buy them overnight. These were privileges I had never experienced. When I heard this, Nathaniel’s brow immediately knitted together, and he slammed the table, glaring at me. “Seraphina, is that all you think about? Your own interests? “Children are like flowers. It’s our responsibility to help them grow up healthy and happy. “Is it really shameful to use a little child like this?” After speaking, Nathaniel turned toward Madison. His tone suddenly softened, completely different from the tension he had when facing me. “Madison, don’t worry. I’ve made a decision. From now on, Seraphina will cover the cost of your child’s college tuition. “You don’t need to worry. I’ll transfer her bonus and half of her salary directly to your account.” Madison’s eyes instantly lit up, and she excitedly said, “Thank you, Mr. Reed.” “Don’t mention it. It’s only right,” Nathaniel responded casually. I couldn’t help but laugh in anger. A colleague who had a good relationship with me couldn’t hold back and said, “This is ridiculous. First of all, Seraphina should be able to manage her own salary. And why should anyone else handle Madison’s personal matters? “If we go by the logic that the weaker party is always right, should we be expected to save up and pay it off for those who owe money for some reason?” Everyone chimed in with their opinions. Soon, the room fell into complete silence. Everyone saw Nathaniel’s face grow darker, but he didn’t speak. This was a clear sign he was about to lose his temper. After three seconds of silence, Nathaniel kicked the table in front of him over. I was closest and nearly got hit. But Nathaniel ignored it and stormed angrily. “I never imagined there were so many selfish people in this company, but don’t forget, our company’s core values are harmony and friendship! “I’ve already made my decision. From now on, anyone who makes comments like ‘it’s none of my business’ will be kicked out of the company!” No one dared to say a word. Nathaniel stormed off, and Madison quickly followed him out. My colleagues looked at me with sympathy but didn’t know how to comfort me. In the end, they patted me on the back and offered a few half-hearted words of consolation. Everyone gradually left. Soon after, I heard Madison’s sweet voice from outside the door. “Mr. Reed, I know you’re doing this for me, but please don’t be so harsh on Seraphina. What if she gets so mad she decides to quit?” Nathaniel sneered. “She won’t. The company is doing so well now. She wouldn’t want to leave. And even if she did, you’d still be here, wouldn’t you? You’re way better than her now.” The two of them laughed. Their voices were grating. I had left my parents’ arranged plans to move far away and help Nathaniel start his business, raise investments, and endure the kind of cold stares I’d never seen before in my life. I stayed up late working on projects, my dark circles deepening, and built the company from just the two of us to a hundred people. Not only did Nathaniel never thank me, but he also made an exception and brought Madison, who had no qualifications, into the company. Even though I didn’t understand, I still seriously taught her and helped her fix many major mistakes in her work. Right now, one of them was trying to steal my credit and leech off me. The other just turned a blind eye, only looking for ways to manipulate me. I let out a bitter laugh at myself. At the same time, my phone vibrated. I opened it to find this month’s salary. As mentioned in the meeting earlier, all the bonuses and half of my salary were deducted. I no longer endured in silence like I used to, holding onto the hope that he would eventually wake up and realize his mistakes. This time, I took out my phone and directly dialed the police. Chapter 2  The police arrived quickly, and they were at the company within ten minutes. Nathaniel didn’t expect me to actually call the police. He stood there, stunned, for a long while, trying to process what just happened. When he finally reacted, he glared at me in anger, accusing me of being heartless and unreasonable. “You’re calling the police over a little bit of money? Is this how much you value such a small amount of cash?” I didn’t respond. Seeing my silence, Nathaniel thought I was reflecting, just like I had done in the past. His face softened a little, and he calmly told the police that I had voluntarily given money to Madison’s brother for tuition. The police asked me to confirm. I replied seriously, “I never said that and never agreed to it.” Nathaniel furrowed his brows. “Seraphina, why have you become so selfish now? I warn you, if you keep causing trouble, don’t stay here. Go back home and play the role of the young heiress.” He dared to threaten me, knowing full well that I couldn’t bear to leave him. We had been together for ten years. In the past, I let him be overbearing. He had done worse things than this, but I always thought that men needed to grow and needed care, that eventually, they would mature and take responsibility. But now I understood he and I would never reach the day we’d get married. I shook my head, still insisting that I had never agreed. Nathaniel’s face darkened, and he finally told the police that we were a couple and that my salary was his to control. The police immediately reprimanded him, ordering him to follow the contract and pay the missing salary and bonuses, or face a lawsuit. Knowing he was in the wrong, Nathaniel had no choice but to instruct the finance department to reissue my salary. After the police left, he looked at me helplessly. “Seraphina, how have you become so stingy? “I’m your fiancé, and everything I do is for your own good. When you have money, you buy favors and build connections. Isn’t that the basic principle? “You’re my fiancée, and once we get married, everything I have will be yours. The connections I’ve built will be yours, too, in the future.” I looked at his earnest expression, and perhaps I would have believed him in the past. But last year, during Christmas, one of our long-time partners was short on cash and urgently needed funds. I offered to help, but Nathaniel outright refused. His reason was that the company was facing a financial crunch. But later, I found out that the company actually had plenty of liquid assets at that time. He refused to help simply because Madison had been upset over a project handover, where the other party’s tone had been a little harsh, making Madison unhappy. Nathaniel refused to help just to get back at Madison. I snorted and asked him, “What kind of connections does Madison have, and didn’t you just say yesterday that we’re facing financial difficulties?” Caught off guard, Nathaniel fell silent. He awkwardly cleared his throat. “Madison’s abilities are actually quite impressive…” I didn’t want to listen to his excuses anymore, so I calmly interrupted him. “I don’t think so. In fact, I think she’s useless and want to fire her. “Now, either she leaves the company, or you return the money for our wedding house, every penny, back to my account. The choice is yours.” Nathaniel stared at me in disbelief, perhaps not expecting me to speak to him like this. He was angry. “Why are you so petty? Are you jealous of Madison?” I couldn’t help but laugh in frustration. “Jealous of her? Jealous of her being incompetent? Jealous of her stealing credit?” “You…” Nathaniel’s face turned pale, and he pointed at me. “Seraphina, I think you’re just making trouble for no reason! “Just take a taxi home today. Calm down and think about it on your own.” With that, he turned and walked away. This was always how he started a cold war with me. In the past, I would’ve rushed to apologize, swallowed my pride, and admitted I was wrong. But now, I felt calm inside. I didn’t care at all. What he didn’t know was that I no longer wanted to marry him and didn’t care about anything he did. I drafted a resignation letter, planning to have him sign it, but I still hadn’t seen him by the time work ended. It wasn’t until the evening that Madison posted something on Instagram. [Money and everything else in this world is a false proposition. Only love is the true proposition.] The picture was taken in a bar, showing her and Nathaniel sitting closely together, with the lighting being poor, but it looked like Nathaniel was holding her. Within a minute, Nathaniel liked the post. Then he commented: [A thousand cups are never enough when drinking with a true friend.] He added a facepalm emoji. I knew he was doing this on purpose. Every time, he would use this kind of tactic to make me jealous. When I got angry and rushed over, he would turn it around and accuse me of being petty and overthinking. But the real question was, was I overthinking, or were they not as innocent as they seemed? I didn’t know, and honestly, I didn’t want to know anymore. When I got back to the apartment Nathaniel and I rented, I knew I should leave immediately. But after everything that had happened today, I felt drained. It was getting late, and I didn’t want to look for a hotel. I quickly packed up a few things, and before long, I fell asleep. When I woke up again, Nathaniel had just returned from outside. I checked the time. It was 2 a.m., still early. In the past, he often didn’t return until 3 or 4 a.m. after social events. I would worry and stay up, waiting on the couch for him to contact me so I could go pick him up. “I called you so many times. Why didn’t you pick up?” Nathaniel tugged at his tie in frustration as soon as he saw me and angrily demanded an explanation. I noticed then that there were two missed calls from him on my phone. “I was asleep. I didn’t hear it,” I replied calmly. “You were asleep?” Nathaniel frowned. I nodded. “Yeah.” “Seraphina, you know I can’t drive after drinking, and you still managed to sleep? Don’t you worry that something could happen to me on the road?” He looked at me in disbelief. I remained calm. “If you were worried, you could’ve called a cab. “I’m not your personal driver, and you’re not paying me like one.” I answered him with his own words from the past. Nathaniel’s anger flared. “Seraphina, why are you so obsessed with money? If I’d known you were like this, I wouldn’t have come back tonight.” With that, he grabbed his coat and turned to leave. “Wait.” Nathaniel seemed to have guessed I would stop him, and he looked at me smugly. “What now?” I pulled the resignation letter from the table. “Sign this.” Chapter 3 Nathaniel’s brows furrowed as he looked at me with suspicion. “What’s this?” “You’ll know once you open it.” Nathaniel thought for a moment, then showed a smug smile. “A gift for me? “Seraphina, don’t think that by making me angry and buying me some gifts, you can make me forgive you. “What I want is your attitude toward me and our relationship.” He raised an eyebrow, and his tone returned to its usual condescending manner. It took me a moment to realize what he meant. When we had fought the worst before, I had secretly bought him his favorite car and registered it in his name just to make him happy. So he thought that this time, I was just trying to appease him again. I scoffed inwardly and was about to tell him, but then a knock came from the door, followed by Madison’s gentle voice. “Mr. Reed, are you asleep?” Nathaniel’s eyes lit up. He was anxious and didn’t even look at me, quickly signing my resignation letter. “Don’t think you can just buy me something to win me over. Whether I forgive you or not will depend on how you act later.” He said this in a rush and quickly got up to open the door. Seeing how eager he was, I found it amusing. I tucked the resignation letter away and went back to my room. When I came out again, I saw that it wasn’t just Madison but also her brother, Connor. As usual, Connor ate snacks without manners, leaving a mess of wrappers and juice stains all over the carpet. Madison apologized awkwardly, but Nathaniel generously said it was fine and that it could be cleaned up later. But he never cleaned up himself. Every time, I was the one who silently cleaned the whole room without complaint. When I later complained, he would always tell me I was being petty and then drive off in frustration. Now, I pretended not to notice. “Seraphina, I’m sorry. Connor needs to wake up early tomorrow for an entrance exam. “The house over there isn’t ready yet, but this place is close, and there’s an empty guest room, so I was hoping to have Connor stay here for the night. It shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Madison asked, knowing full well the answer. Her words weren’t a request but more of a notification. But Nathaniel seemed not to notice. He shot me a warning glance as if afraid I’d refuse. I smiled lightly. “It’s fine.” After all, I was only staying here for the night. Perhaps he didn’t expect me to be so agreeable. Nathaniel paused for a moment, then looked at me with a complex expression, unsure whether he was pleased or not. I ignored him and turned to go back to my room to rest. Outside, I could hear laughter and excited shouts from the child. Ten minutes later, Nathaniel knocked on my door. “Seraphina, I know you’re awake. Open the door, let’s talk.” I glanced at the time. “Rest, it’s getting late.” Nathaniel then spoke through the door, “You did well today. You’re being sensible, and I like it. Let’s put today behind us. Once this time passes, we’ll talk about the wedding.” I couldn’t help but laugh. I knew he was trying to make amends. This was usually a sign that our cold war was ending. But this time, it seemed he hadn’t realized that I no longer intended to marry him. The next morning, I was awakened by the lively laughter outside my door. Stepping out, I saw Madison and Nathaniel sitting at the dining table, eating breakfast together like a happy family of three. Madison passed her milk to Nathaniel. “Try this. It’s not sweet at all.” Nathaniel took it and sipped through the straw, and their seamless understanding seemed like it wasn’t the first time. Yet, I remembered at last year’s company party, he accidentally used my fork and grimaced, complaining that he could taste my saliva and found it disgusting. Back then, I was considerate of his germophobia, but now it seemed that only Madison’s saliva wasn’t disgusting in his eyes. At that moment, Madison saw me and smiled, “Seraphina, you’re awake. “Sorry, I didn’t know when you’d be up, so I didn’t get your breakfast.” Nathaniel covered for her. “It’s fine. She’s on a diet. She skips breakfast. “By the way, Seraphina, why are you still here? Shouldn’t you be at work by now?” Nathaniel frowned at me, scrutinizing me. He allowed Madison to go to the company anytime for her brother. But I would lose half a day’s salary if I was even a second late. I ignored him, pulling out my suitcase that was already packed. “What are you doing with a suitcase?” Nathaniel furrowed his brows. “I don’t recall any business trips scheduled for your department.” Just as I was about to speak, Madison intervened with a pretense of hurt, “Is it because we’re staying here that Seraphina is angry and wants to leave?” As usual, without waiting for my explanation, Nathaniel believed Madison’s words. His expression immediately darkened. “Seraphina, I thought you had grown wiser, but you’re still being unreasonable. “I order you to come back to the office immediately, or it’ll count as a severe tardiness! “Three instances of severe tardiness could get you fired.” Madison hypocritically tried to persuade me while her brother clapped his hands rhythmically, chanting, “Fire her! Fire her!” “See? Even the kid knows…” Nathaniel was about to lecture me again, but I said quietly. “Don’t bother. I’ve already resigned. “And Nathaniel, let’s break up as well.” Chapter 4 “What did you say?” Nathaniel’s eyes widened as he stared at me. “You want to break up with me?” We had been together for ten years, and even when he bullied and humiliated me the most, I never once mentioned the word breakup.

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At the annual party, just as my husband was about to announce our relationship, his intern deliberately put up the wrong photos. Instead of our wedding pictures, the screen flashed sweet, intimate shots of him and the intern. I stayed quiet for a moment, then casually stepped aside, giving them the spotlight. I even raised my glass and offered a toast, wishing them a lifetime of happiness. But the intern shattered her glass, her eyes brimming with tears. “Ms. Ashford, you know I’m allergic to alcohol, yet you still pushed me to drink. Are you really wishing me well, or trying to hurt me?” That night, my husband called an emergency meeting. I thought he would have my back, but instead, he tore into me, accusing me of bullying the new hire, questioning my character, and threatening to take away my year-end bonus and commission to make it up to her. The room fell silent, and everyone stared at me. I just smiled calmly and said, “Wow, with a sense of humor like that, it’s a shame you’re not on stage.”

The moment I finished speaking, Callum Huxley’s expression darkened. Without warning, he grabbed a pen from the table and threw it at me. I didn’t move quickly enough, and the sharp tip grazed my right cheek, leaving a long, painful cut. Gasps filled the room. Elowen Marlowe, the intern, looked at me with concern, though a hint of satisfaction flickered in her eyes. I endured the pain, lifting my gaze to Callum, but he simply glanced at me before turning his attention elsewhere. His voice was cold, his words cutting. “Sylvie, you’ve been making trouble for the new hire. Take this as a lesson and don’t do it again.” I almost laughed. He had a real talent for twisting things around. Earlier, when he called the emergency meeting, I’d held on to a small hope that he would defend me. Instead, it was clear this meeting was only to pacify Elowen. Callum’s words hung in the air, and soon, I felt eyes on me, sympathy from some, judgment from others. One of my colleagues, someone who had always been supportive, spoke up, “Mr. Huxley, Elowen doesn’t even have an alcohol allergy. At the last department gathering, she drank more than anyone else…” Before she could finish, Callum slammed his hand on the table, cutting her off. He turned to look at me, his expression cold and unwavering. “Ellie isn’t lying. You’ve been targeting her, rallying people against her. Anyone who defends Sylvie can forget about their bonus.” The room went silent. Elowen, ever the actress, managed a small, knowing smile before speaking, her voice sweet and innocent. “Callum, don’t blame Sylvie. I’m sure she’s just upset because you gave me her project. If I had known it would upset her this much, I wouldn’t have taken it. Sylvie, if you feel that strongly about it, I’ll give it back to you. And as for my mother’s medical bill, I’ll find a way to handle it.” I felt a pang of frustration. Not long ago, Callum had taken pity on Elowen, thinking her struggles in the city alone were too much to bear. He’d handed over a project I had already put most of the work into, leaving her to finish what was easy. I’d objected, but he called me heartless. “Ellie has a sick mother and needs support. Can’t you be a little more understanding? And besides, you’re the one who hired her. You should be looking out for her.” It was settled, and though I’d been reluctant, I’d eventually given in to avoid further conflict. Now, here was Elowen, pretending to offer the project back with a smile, but it was obvious she had no intention of following through. And Callum, as always, bought into it. He fixed me with an icy gaze, his voice sharp as he spoke, “It’s just a few projects. Do you really have to be this petty? How can someone so selfish even work here? You’re more than capable. Why make a big deal out of it? You don’t need these projects, but for Ellie, they’re her mother’s medical bills. Can’t you show some compassion?” I couldn’t help but feel the sting of his words. “I’m capable, yes. But that doesn’t mean you can just use me however you like. Elowen’s problems aren’t mine to solve. Why should I be the one to pay for them?” At my words, Callum’s brow furrowed, and his tone turned icy. “Sylvie, after all this time, is money all you care about? When did you become so… cold? So ruthless?” I stared at him, the words feeling like they came from a stranger. He used to say my practicality was charming, and that I had the instincts of an entrepreneur. Now, apparently, that very trait was something he despised. It was funny, in a way. When love fades, even your strengths turn into weaknesses. When I stayed quiet, Callum assumed I was agreeing with him. He raised an eyebrow and spoke down to me with that same familiar superiority. “So, you’ve accepted it, huh? Realizing you were wrong? Don’t bring up the project again. This was your fault from the start. Apologize to Ellie, write an apology, and get her to sign off on it. Then we’re done with it.” One of my colleagues, someone I’d always gotten along with, gently tugged at my sleeve and whispered, “Sylvie, just do what Mr. Huxley says. You don’t need to throw away your future over this.” I let out a dry laugh. The whole office thought Callum and Elowen were a couple, but they had no idea that the man constantly giving me grief was my husband of six years, the one I had secretly married. Over the years, Callum had used the company’s growth as an excuse, never wanting to go public about us. I had hoped that the annual meeting would finally bring that moment, but Elowen ruined it. I’d always been good to her. When she couldn’t find a job, I hired her, trained her, and helped her when she needed it. And this was how she repaid me… a backstabber. As I wasn’t responding, Elowen’s eyes started to well up. “Sylvie, why aren’t you saying anything? You really do hate me, don’t you? Fine, I’ll just quit. If I’m such a bother, I’ll leave.” She wiped her tears, sniffling as she turned to walk away. “And for my mom’s medical bills, I’ll just sell my kidney or something…” Callum quickly grabbed her, and before I could react, he slapped me across the face. “Sylvie, are you done yet? Is it not enough to drive Elowen to the edge? Is that what you want?” The sting from the slap was sharp, and the cut on my face that had barely healed was reopened, blood starting to seep through. I held my cheek, glaring at Callum. For years, I’d helped him build this company from scratch. To get investors, I waited outside their offices in a snowstorm, standing out there all night, only to end up with a fever for a week. Back then, Callum had been full of concern, promising that when he made it big, he’d never forget me. Now that he was successful, he was using that power to control me. Callum saw the look in my eyes and, without a hint of remorse, spoke coldly, “What are you staring at? Sylvie, listen carefully. If you keep pushing Ellie, don’t say I didn’t warn you. I’ll fire you.” I chuckled bitterly. Callum thought I was giving in, and his tone softened. “Alright, apologize to Ellie, and I’ll let it go. We won’t make a big deal out of it.” If this had happened a few years ago, I would have swallowed my pride, and apologized even though I knew it wasn’t right. But not now. I laughed coldly, then slapped him right back across the face. “This one’s for you. As for firing me? I don’t need you to do that. I’ll quit right now.”

“What? You’re quitting?” Callum stood motionless, his gaze hardening, a flicker of irritation passing through his eyes as if he’d forgotten about the slap I’d just delivered. Elowen’s smile stretched wider, but her tone was dripping with insincerity. “Sylvie, don’t take what Callum said to heart. He was just angry. You’re not getting any younger, and with how tough the job market is, if you quit, you won’t find another job like this. I don’t mean to be blunt, but you can’t throw away your future like this.” Her words seemed to strike a nerve, and Callum’s expression hardened, his jaw tightening as if he was trying to keep his frustration in check. “Sylvie, are you really going to make this harder than it needs to be?” I remained composed, my gaze unshaken. “I’m not making things difficult. I’m just being clear. Since I’ve already made my decision, could you return the bonuses and commissions you withheld? If not, I’ll have no choice but to pursue legal action. And about the injury on my face, let’s settle the medical expenses.” Callum’s features twisted with frustration, his eyes narrowing as his patience wore thin. “Sylvie!” I didn’t waste another moment on him. I pulled out my phone, preparing to contact a lawyer. When Callum saw I was serious, he reluctantly transferred the money, his lips curling into a sneer as he did so. His voice, however, still carried the weight of condescension. “Sylvie, how did you become like this? I’m truly disappointed.” In the past, a remark like that would have made me second-guess everything, wondering if I had done something wrong. I would have apologized, begging for forgiveness, and trying to make things right. But now I didn’t care anymore. The money was in my account, and as for Callum, his opinion no longer mattered to me. My feelings for him had long since faded. Callum, still expecting an apology that never came, shot me a look of disbelief, his brows furrowing as he stared at me in frustration. “Sylvie, you’re hopeless!” He stormed off, dragging Elowen behind him, his anger radiating in every step. Once they were far enough away, I contacted HR and submitted my resignation. They approved it online but informed me I needed a physical resignation letter signed by Callum. I printed out the letter, knowing I’d need to get his signature when the opportunity arose. After everything was set, I took a cab home. This time, my decision was final. I was done with Callum. I immediately called my parents and told them everything that had happened. “Mom, Dad, I can’t stay with Callum anymore. I’m moving back home.” They didn’t scold me. Instead, their voices were full of concern and understanding. “Of course, we support you. Your mom and I will be waiting for you.” Their warmth brought a surge of relief, and for the first time in a long while, I felt truly at peace. From the start, my parents had warned me about Callum, but I had been too stubborn to listen. Now, I knew they had been right all along. It wasn’t too late to change. I would no longer live for him. From now on, I would live for myself. After hanging up, I quickly bought a ticket to return home. Callum and I had been married for years, but we never officially registered our marriage. Thank goodness we hadn’t, or leaving wouldn’t have been so simple. This time, it was I who turned the page, choosing to close the chapter on him once and for all.

When I arrived home, I quickly packed my things. I had lived here for six years, yet the majority of what I owned could be tucked into a single suitcase. Most of the belongings in the house were Callum’s. He often spoke about how all his money went into the company, leaving us struggling. Over the years, I had cut back on my own needs to buy him expensive gifts, while my clothes, worn and faded, remained long past their prime. Once my things were packed, I couldn’t bring myself to leave the wedding photo hanging on the wall. I took it down and discarded it, along with the trash. After disposing of the trash, I didn’t head home immediately. I made a stop at a jewelry store, planning to sell the ring Callum had given me when he proposed. It felt like the right way to close the chapter on everything we had shared. The saleswoman looked at me with surprise as I handed over the ring. “Are you sure you want to sell it?” This was the ring Callum had saved for two years to buy. He had promised me that once he was more stable, he would replace it with a bigger, more beautiful one. But those promises never materialized. Over the years, I had watched him buy luxury items for others, while I was left with nothing. With a deep breath, I removed the ring and nodded. “Yes, I’m sure.” Just as the associate took the ring, I heard a familiar voice. “Callum, you’ve been so good to me and my mom.” Looking up, I saw Elowen, Callum, and her mother. Callum was busy picking out jewelry for them, his eyes lighting up every time they expressed interest in something. Without hesitation, he had the store pack it all up. The sight made something inside me tighten. I remembered when the company went public, and I had asked Callum for a new ring. He dismissed me, saying I was being materialistic and that we didn’t have the money for it. He promised me he’d buy jewelry for me once the company was stable. But after six years, that promise had never been kept. He had always been stingy with me, yet here he was, freely spending on Elowen and her mother. The realization hit me hard. Money followed love. That much was painfully clear now. And then I watched him allow Elowen’s mother, whose hands were covered in sweat, to touch him without a second thought. My mind drifted to the time my mother came to visit. After spending hours in the kitchen, tired and sweaty, she had asked Callum to pass her a plate. He had looked at her as though she were beneath him, then washed his hands several times as if she had dirtied them. I was snapped from my thoughts by Elowen’s voice, dripping with sarcasm. “Wow, what a coincidence, Sylvie. I didn’t think we’d run into you here. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were following us.” Callum, as usual, took the bait. His gaze hardened, and he glared at me. “Sylvie, what’s your deal now? Are you really stalking us?” I kept my tone calm, my words measured. “I’m not stalking anyone. I’m here to sell jewelry.” He shot me a quick, dismissive glance, not even noticing the ring was gone. Clearly, his attention was elsewhere. “Well, since you’re here, you might as well sign this,” I said, pulling out my resignation letter and pen. He barely looked at the document before signing it, then pulled me aside. “You’re not fooling anyone,” he muttered. “Let me guess. This is your way of making up for everything, right? A gift to win me back? What is it this time? A house? A car?” I realized then that every time we had a falling out, I had always given him something, hoping it would fix things. This time, Callum would be disappointed. What he had just signed wasn’t a gift. It was my resignation letter.

Before I could speak, Elowen’s mom, Sarah Marlowe, moved between us, studying me with a discerning eye. “Who is this?” Elowen immediately jumped in, a smirk on her face. “She’s just someone who runs errands for Callum. She even delivered documents for him earlier.” I could see the disdain flicker in Sarah’s eyes as she looked me over. Her judgment was clear, and yet, Callum said nothing. He stood by, detached, letting them humiliate me without a word of protest. He tugged at my sleeve, lowering his voice. “Elowen’s mom has a weak heart. I promised Elowen I’d play along and act like her boyfriend in front of her. Don’t ruin this for her.” In the past, I would have reacted, raised my voice, argued, or demanded respect. But today, I wasn’t going to waste my energy. I was leaving soon, after all. Just then, Callum’s phone rang. It was his assistant, informing him of a critical meeting that required his immediate attention. He was about to respond, but Elowen grabbed his hand, her tone laced with innocence. “Callum, you promised you’d spend the day with my mom shopping…” I expected Callum to refuse. After all, he’d always placed business first. I recalled a time when I asked him to pick up my mom from the station, and he refused, claiming work was more important. I had to rush back myself. But surprisingly, Callum nodded without hesitation. “Don’t worry. I always keep my promises.” He turned to me, a small, almost condescending smile playing on his lips. “Sylvie, if you cover the meeting for me, I might make it up to you by celebrating our sixth anniversary.” His words hit like a punch to the gut. I remembered our sixth anniversary all too well. He had promised to meet me after work, but I had waited for hours, only to discover he was with Elowen, celebrating her birthday. That incident had led to weeks of silence between us, a wound that never quite healed. The idea that he would now offer to make it up to me felt hollow. Had he made this offer a year ago, I might have eagerly accepted. But now, all I could feel was indifference. “I’m sorry,” I replied, my voice even. “I have other things to do.” Elowen, seizing the moment, spoke up with mock sweetness, “Sylvie, it’s already after hours. What could you possibly have to do? Don’t tell me you just don’t like us. If that’s the case, we’ll leave right away, no trouble.” The tension in the air was palpable. Sarah, sensing something was off, started to show signs of distress. “Wait a second. Didn’t you say she was just running errands for you? Elowen, are you hiding something from me? Are you and Callum really a couple, or is this all a lie?” Callum quickly turned to comfort Sarah, then pulled me aside, his face hardening. “Sylvie, I’ve told you a hundred times. Ellie’s mom can’t handle any stress. Why do you keep pushing it? I thought you were being more understanding, but you’re still being completely unreasonable.” I gave a calm, measured response. “I really do have things to take care of. I need to go home and grab my stuff, and I’ve got a bus to catch…” Callum’s expression grew darker. “So now you’re using leaving as some kind of threat? I’ve been way too soft on you. I promised Ellie and her mom I’d spend the day with them. You have to go in my place, or don’t blame me if I fire you without a second thought.” His strictness had always been the same, even when I was sick and needed time off. But when it came to Elowen, he’d bend over backwards. A single sneeze from her, and he’d give her a week of paid leave without question. He thought I would fold like I always had, but this time, I remained calm, pulling out the resignation letter he had signed earlier and handing it to him. “Callum, even if you’re the CEO, you don’t have the right to order me around. Because just now, you did sign my resignation.” He looked at the letter in shock, finally realizing what he’d just signed. His face went cold. “Are you serious? Is it because I spent time with Ellie and her mom? Or because I spoke up at the meeting? Or maybe because I let Elowen take your spotlight?” He knew exactly where my frustrations lay but chose to feign ignorance. I didn’t have the energy to argue any longer and started to walk away. But as I moved, the store clerk accidentally knocked my ring off the counter, sending it rolling toward Callum. “This is?” Callum bent down, picked it up, and when he saw the familiar engraving and our initials on it, he froze, staring at it. “Sylvie, this is the wedding ring I gave you, isn’t it? You… you sold it?” Before I could respond, my phone rang. I picked it up, but my finger slipped, hitting the speakerphone button instead. My mom’s voice immediately came through the speaker. “Sweetheart, when will you be here? Your dad and I are already on our way to pick you up.” Callum’s expression shifted, panic flashing in his eyes for the briefest moment before it was quickly replaced with a colder, more controlled look. “So this is your plan? Going back home? Sylvie, if you keep acting like this, there’s no way I’m making an official announcement with you.” Every time he wanted something from me, he used the threat of the official announcement to control me. In the past, I had longed for it, always giving in. But now, with my decision made, I no longer cared. I gave a small, almost imperceptible smile, and with a calm voice, I said, “Then we don’t need an official announcement. After all, we never even got the marriage certificate. We were never really a married couple.” “You’re being ridiculous. We’ve been married for six years. How could we not have a marriage certificate? Sylvie, enough with this childish behavior.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296083”, 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

According to the nurse, my mom didn’t even know she was pregnant when she gave birth to me. She only knew that she had gained a lot of weight. It wasn’t until the day she was notified of bankruptcy, when all her bank cards were frozen, that she realized she only had $2,000 left. That was the New Year’s money her distant relatives had given her when she was young. She had thought it was too little and never touched it. Looking at the remaining $2,000, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach and was rushed to the hospital. Then she gave birth to me. Even during labor, mom insisted on staying in a VIP room, saying she didn’t want to go to the regular delivery room. As a result, her balance lost a zero, becoming just $200. I came very suddenly. When mom first saw me, she acted like an idiot. She was too surprised. She had never thought about having a child. Even when she loved dad the most, she never thought about it. Because she needed a lot of love, and only dad could give her that love, which could only be given to her alone. They had made a vow when they were very young. “Connor’s love can only be given to Vivian alone.” When they first grew up, things were indeed like that. Dad’s love was only given to her. Eighteen-year-old Connor told her, “I like you, only you.” He fulfilled the vow he made as a child, and everyone knew that Connor belonged to Vivian. Whenever mom controlled dad, those who knew them would always tease: “The young lady sure is possessive.” For eighteen-year-old Connor, under her possessiveness, what he felt was sweetness. Like a green apple lollipop, slowly melting in his heart. He would blush and say goodbye to these friends, then turn around and run towards his happiness. But for twenty-four-year-old Connor, faced with her possessiveness, what he felt was oppression. Like a dipping sauce with an unbalanced sweet and sour taste, he couldn’t spit it out, and holding it in his mouth only left endless suffering. Friends mocked him for being henpecked. Whenever he heard the urgent ringing of his phone, his heart would sink. If suppressed emotions can’t find an outlet, then the heart will open a window in another direction. So he chose to stray, falling for another woman. He knew he was wronging Vivian, so he kept it a secret. At first, the scale still had some weight due to guilt, but the joy of straying gradually increased, tipping the scale to the other side. When all the lies fell apart, they had a very messy fight. The two hurled insults at each other, tearing and pulling, making their home unlike a home. In the end, they vowed never to see each other again. They got divorced last month. As the villainous supporting character, mom was extremely paranoid. Once dad showed any sign of not loving her as much, she would become suspicious. Three fixed phone calls every day. The clothes on his body must be chosen by mom. He must return home before 7 pm every night. Even though she guarded him so strictly every day, dad still slipped away like a handful of sand, blown into another woman’s arms by the wind. First, it was the chestnut-colored hair on his coat, then the unfamiliar perfume emanating from his collar. At the beginning of their arguments, mom confronted him directly: “You smell awful.” It was a very cheap scent, so sweet it made her dizzy. To cover up his guilt, my dad took off his coat and pretended not to care, saying “I just went to the mall, must have accidentally brushed against something.” Later, it was an unknown woman’s accessory, a scarf that the housekeeper found in dad’s pocket. The housekeeper asked about it, and mom discovered it didn’t belong to her. Then came the deliberate turning of his back when sleeping. The wandering eyes during hugs. Mom couldn’t ignore these changes. So, she hired some private detectives to investigate dad’s whereabouts. When those photos were sent over, mom could hardly believe it. He was cheating with the person she hated the most. Perhaps it was the innate intuition of a villainous supporting character. The first time she saw this person, she despised her from the bottom of her heart. That person had a face completely opposite to hers. And in these photos, the man who was a good husband in others’ eyes, the person who once loved her the most, Was openly holding hands and embracing this person during his work hours. The two seemed as familiar as if they had been together for many years. Just a year ago, dad had still been gossiping with her about this person late at night. They both agreed that this person was a manipulative girl. Now, dramatically, this person had become her husband’s lover. She had become the third party in their marriage. To save her marriage, mom tried to talk to her. But she refused. The second time, mom deliberately went to the company to confront her. After waiting for a long time, she finally came down, but arm in arm with mom’s husband. When dad saw mom, he immediately shielded the woman behind him. This scene made mom laugh. She said, “Connor, aren’t you going to give me an explanation?” Dad didn’t respond to mom’s words, instead turning to say a few words to the girl, telling her to leave first. After coaxing the girl away, dad tried to come over and hold mom’s hand. He didn’t try to deny or defend himself for changing his heart, but kept saying sorry, sorry. He slapped himself while speaking. Then he knelt down, begging her not to divorce him. Mom was silent for a long time, then turned and went into the room. Just when he thought mom would choose to divorce him first thing in the morning, Unexpectedly, mom forgave him. She said, we don’t have to divorce, but you have to promise me to cut off contact with that girl. Subsequently, the situation completely reversed, with the girl coming to confront mom instead. Mom rejected her several times, and finally, she came to our house to confront dad. Seeing his lover in such a sorry state, dad held back his heartache. He left with her. A month later, he finally returned home. The sky was gloomy and it was raining heavily when Connor pushed open the door, his body damp with moisture. Just as she thought her cheating husband had finally realized her worth and was willing to come home, She was slapped in the face with a stack of photos, the sharp edges cutting her face. It was then that she woke up as if from a dream, realizing this person hadn’t come to reconcile, but to confront her. “Vivian, you’re getting more and more disgusting.” “Now when I see your face, I feel sick. How can you be so vicious?” “You knew how important this banquet was to Lily, yet you still had people ostracize her. Do you know how many nights she stayed up for this banquet?” “Are you even human? How can you be so intolerant of others’ success?” Mom was stunned. She never thought that the man who had shared her pillow for many years would lose his temper so badly over an outsider. In an instant, her grievances burst forth. “Yes, I just can’t stand to see her doing well.” “Why should a homewrecker like her get to live better and better?” “Why don’t you ask about me? How many nights have I cried for you? How many nights have I stayed up for your career?” “What right does she have? Tell me, what right does she have?” She almost screamed hoarsely, then, like a deflated balloon, she hunched over, pulling at her hair and breaking down in tears. The cold rainwater on his body dripped straight down her collar. Extinguishing all the passion in her. Connor just coldly watched her. He thought, this scene is so familiar. In the past, when she cried like this, he would still feel heartache. Now he suddenly realized that all he wanted was to escape from here. So he said, “Let’s get divorced.” Mom’s mind went blank, and she slapped him hard on the left cheek. Connor was stunned by the slap. “Divorce, how dare you say that.” “Isn’t it all your fault that we’ve come to this?” “I just don’t understand, when all couples encounter problems, they choose to solve the problems.” “But you, you chose to solve me! You chose to cheat!” My dad couldn’t take it anymore. They had rarely yielded to each other since childhood. So he pushed her in front of the mirror. “What about you?” “Have you ever looked at yourself?” They both looked at the woman in the mirror. Her hair was disheveled, there was a long scratch on her cheek, her eyes were red and lifeless. The sadness and anger on her face hadn’t had time to disappear. She looked at herself in a daze. Remembering when they got married, the first time they looked in this mirror, they were both smiling. But now one face was full of disgust, the other full of anger. She suddenly felt that it was pointless to dwell on whether to divorce or not. There was no love left, and she didn’t lack people to spend her days with. When the two were signing the divorce agreement, mom looked at the signed agreement over and over again. The person next to her asked if there was any problem. She said, “After so many years, we should say a proper goodbye.” Then she picked up these papers, stood up exhaustedly and said, “I hope we never meet again.” Unexpectedly, a month later, the Vivian family went bankrupt. Mom found out when she was preparing to move. The house was jointly owned by the two, but there was no reason to live there anymore. She drove back home, where only an empty house remained. She had never thought that in such a situation, she could still have a child. She had lost everything, but gained a child. This child was like a fast-forward button, instantly splitting her life. Although everything was very sudden, she still accepted me, this change. Then she found that she couldn’t even take care of her own food, clothing, housing, and transportation, let alone a child. She didn’t know that taking a taxi from her home to the hospital cost twelve dollars. She didn’t know that the food she used to eat was so expensive, that she couldn’t even afford a fraction of a casual meal now. She was forced to learn how to take care of herself. She was also forced to learn how to take care of me. She had never thought about having children, but she seemed to like me very much, always holding me, gently nuzzling my little face, holding my little hand. Speaking to me softly. When the nurse was taking care of me, she would watch from the side, clumsily learning. All the mindless novels on her phone were deleted, replaced by parenting guides. But she often fell asleep while reading them. I really liked to stare at mom’s sleeping face. When mom was asleep, she was like the roses blooming outside the window, swaying gently in the wind, quiet and beautiful. Whenever I fell asleep, mom would also gently pat me. She quietly asked the nurse what kind of formula was suitable for a small baby like me. The nurse also said quietly, you can try xx formula, your baby is thin and small, not well-nourished in the womb. Mom looked at the expensive price and at me blowing bubbles in the cradle, feeling conflicted. In the end, she gritted her teeth and stocked up a box. After buying it, her balance lost another zero, becoming just $20. Although I was well taken care of in the hospital. I was always very sleepy, and chest tightness was a common issue. Mom didn’t notice my abnormality, saying I was a little pearl, sleeping twenty-four hours a day. The nurse did a full body check-up for me. The doctor said it was congenital heart disease, and I might not live to adulthood. For the first few days after the diagnosis, mom cried while holding me. She hadn’t finished her postpartum confinement yet, and the doctor advised her to cry less, and asked who the child’s father was. Mom cried without answering, her life seemed to have been suddenly cut in half. The first twenty years were spent in luxury, ignorant of worldly affairs. Fate, seeing her living too comfortably, made her become a mother without knowing anything. As if not painful enough, it cut her again. The nurse looked very unhappy, wondering how such a nice young girl could marry such a man. “Some things can be let go if you can. In life, many things don’t matter in the face of life and death,” the nurse patted her back, comforting her softly. They even called a psychologist for her, to prevent postpartum depression. The nurse often sighed while looking at me. She said that at first, she really disliked mom, thinking she wasn’t like a mother at all. Later, ah, she felt sorry for mom. Because she looked just like a newborn flower bud, any wind or rain could make her fall from the branch. She encountered several such people every year. Perhaps because I was too well-behaved, too cute, whenever she looked at me, she always wanted to take care of me a bit more, and couldn’t bear to see me become an orphan. However, no matter how much sympathy others had for me, the high medical expenses still overwhelmed mom. In the past, she had gone crazy over a love that couldn’t be salvaged, doing everything to lose face, humbly pleasing, constantly using her own wealth to subsidize, pouring wine on the female lead in public, sabotaging the female lead’s career. From childhood, all she seemed to crave was for someone to lend a hand when she fell, rather than laughing out loud. But from childhood to adulthood, only Connor had done so. Her parents were exhausted in their own married life, with no energy to educate a child. So from childhood, she was willful, disrespectful, arrogant, and spoiled. No one would restrain her, they would only submit to her status and position. Without these things to disguise herself, she was like a flower bud just opening on a branch, any wind and rain could make her wither. She clearly understood these things, but she didn’t know how to act. Seeking things she had never obtained, using her own methods to grasp the little love she got. In the end, she grasped nothing. She just wanted to hold onto that love that could scatter with a breath. … After taking several deep breaths. She started to borrow money from those friends she thought were close. But the phone calls were either busy tones or curses. When making the last call, she hesitated for a long time. The other end: “Who is it?” “Rachel, it’s me.” “Who would have thought? It’s Miss Vivian.” The tone was mocking. “What brings you to call me?” “To borrow money, how much do you want to borrow?” Mom reported a number, but before she could finish, the other side sneered. “Aren’t you a rich young lady? You can wave your hand and get hundreds of thousands, why are you borrowing a few thousand from us small fries?” “I do have money, but in your current situation, it would be hard for you to pay it back!” “Why don’t you bark like a dog a few times, maybe I’ll soften up and lend it to you.” After the person finished speaking, a burst of laughter came through the phone. They not only mocked her but also wanted others to know that now anyone could make fun of her. However, this time, mom didn’t hang up the phone promptly as usual. She asked, “Wasn’t I good to you before?” The laughter on the other end suddenly went cold. “Yes, you were very good to me, but that’s what you owed me.” “Who told you to be born rich, possessing wealth I couldn’t get in several lifetimes.” “I’ve always hoped you would fall from grace.” “Now that you have, I’m especially happy.” “I’m celebrating with them right now, celebrating your downfall, that there will be one more person in this world just like us.” Mom didn’t hear the words that followed. She slowly sat down in front of me with the phone, gently touching my blanket. She wondered, what were those people around her like before? As a rich young lady, even though she was so awful, there were countless people trying to please her. Some clumsily flattered her, some subtly showed goodwill, some imperceptibly and gradually became her close associates. Rachel was her favorite friend. Because she always cared about her and wouldn’t indulge all her behaviors. She treated herself and everyone else equally, she would denounce the rich for their misbehavior and the poor for their cynicism. During exams, she would prepare notes for her in advance and tell her not to cheat. When she did something wrong, she would give her the cold shoulder. She would also patiently advise her on some of her behaviors. She was like a family member. But when fame and fortune were lost, she became so unfamiliar, mocking and ridiculing her just like those other people. Finally, she put down the phone that had already gone silent. She threw away a scarf from the few clothes she had left. Faced with the constant payment reminders, Mom still dialed that number. She first heard some mixed male and female laughter on the other end. Then came the familiar: “Hello” In the past when they called each other, she would definitely sweetly call out “Connor.” But now she could only politely reply, “Connor, it’s me.” Her voice was slow and stiff. “Can you lend me some money?” More laughter came from the other end of the phone, then some rustling of clothes. “Stop it, haha.” The voice returned to the phone. “What did you say?” Just this one sentence, mom seemed to instantly lose the courage to borrow money again. After all, they had parted on such bad terms before. The two of them had hurled insults at each other over the divorce, they had never fought so fiercely since childhood. Connor used to be like a blazing light to mom. Although this light couldn’t penetrate the depths, at least it brought momentary warmth. Unexpectedly, after signing the divorce agreement, all the past just became the past. With no other choice, mom could only turn to her grandmother who lived far away in the south. Grandma was mom’s birth mother. When mom was eighteen, she divorced her husband. Years of torment had given her a lot of white hair, and she had been taking antidepressants year after year. When mom was little, grandma always stayed alone in a room. She didn’t go out, didn’t talk, occasionally staring blankly at the white curtains. When mom went to see her, she was trying to swallow white pills. These pills blocked her mouth. Grandma saw her and spat them out, white pills scattered all over the floor. The housekeeper heard the commotion and quickly ran in. “Madam, you can’t take too many of these pills. If you really can’t sleep, I’ll warm up some milk for you, maybe that will make you feel better.” She stared blankly at the pills on the floor, and after a long while, shook her head. Mom went over and held her hand. Little as she was, she didn’t understand what depression was, only knew that mom was sick. Grandma seemed unable to sense mom’s presence, just staring lifelessly ahead. Later, she never opened that door again. She thought her mom was like a doll, too boring. Sometimes when passing by this door, she would linger for a while. It was quiet inside, without a hint of life. On a certain day after she came of age, this long-closed door finally opened. That person as white as nearly transparent was her mom. The housekeeper was carrying her suitcase. She left this home forever. When she left, she didn’t even glance at her. As if she had never given birth to her. And now the only one she could rely on was this long-unseen mother. Her stepmother and father had already left for abroad after the bankruptcy. Mom spent all the money she had left to buy a ticket for an old-fashioned train. She had never taken such a train before. The train was full of luggage and garbage, and she could barely move. Among the four seats, there was only one small table big enough for two hands. After finally finding a seat, the seat cover was greasy. Next to her sat a fat uncle, whose cigarette smell filled the entire space. Mom’s eyes reddened as soon as she sat down. Her white dress was already dirty in several places. This was the only dress she had left, everything else that could be sold had been sold. I slept all the way, sleeping until we reached grandma’s house. When I opened my eyes, I heard grandma scolding mom: “You, from the moment you were born, you only knew how to spend money. Ending up like this, you’re really stupid.” Mom was crying while eating noodles. To buy this train ticket, she had been eating one meal as three, never feeling full. Grandma’s hair was grizzled, her features faded, her mouth complaining about mom. But her eyes couldn’t hide her joy, nostalgia, and reproach. It was the look of a daughter finally growing up and coming home. Grandma lived in a very quiet small courtyard house in the south. She had been living well in the south, the walls inside and outside the courtyard were covered with roses. When the wind blew through the small alley, the flowers swayed gently. There was a stone table in the courtyard, on which lay a fluffy white cat, round all over. On sunny days, it would sleep next to the rose bushes. In her lifetime, grandma never thought she would see her daughter again. Now she could finally calm down and take a good look at her. Mom was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, and at that time, grandma was already suffering from severe depression. From one to five years old, they rarely met. By the time mom turned eighteen, grandma’s illness had finally improved. Grandma wanted to take her daughter away, but years of neglect had made mom thoroughly dislike her. Due to lack of guidance, mom only knew how to spend money from the moment she was born. She had never truly worked hard in her life, even her diploma was obtained through her family’s donations to the school. She not only liked to spend money but also liked to give money away. Mom later didn’t think there was anything wrong with giving money away. She said, “Anyway, I had so much money then, what’s wrong with giving some away? Who could have thought that money would become negative in an instant.” Mom thought that relying on grandma would allow her to live worry-free. But grandma didn’t indulge her. Except for expenses related to me, grandma didn’t give her anything else. As a result, mom often argued with grandma. She couldn’t wear her previous pretty clothes anymore, couldn’t buy her previous expensive cosmetics, and couldn’t eat her previous expensive Western food. “Mom, my underwear is torn, I need to buy new ones.” Grandma said: “Buy it yourself.” “Mom, I want to eat dessert from that place.” Grandma said again: “Buy it yourself” “Mom, there’s a new lipstick, I want to buy the 203 color.” Grandma still said: “Buy it yourself.” Mom was so angry her face turned red and her neck swelled. The beautiful hair dye had faded, the curls were no longer curly, and she was wearing grandma’s old T-shirt. Mom often cried before coming to grandma’s, but now she didn’t cry anymore. She was just angry, like a child who couldn’t get candy. Mom learned to cook at grandma’s, followed grandma to trim the flowers in the garden every day, and did many household chores she had never touched before. Sometimes she would complain to me, saying: “Little pearl, your great-grandma has already transferred her affections. She doesn’t like me anymore, she likes you now.” We spent a year there. That year, it even snowed in the south. I was also one year old, grew a few little teeth, smiling so much that mom’s heart blossomed. She often lifted me high, and we would spin together among the rose bushes. Grandma still loved to sit by the window, reading that novel so thick she could barely lift it. Occasionally staring blankly at the roses outside the window. The daily routine of mother and daughter was bickering. Grandma criticized her daughter for having no concept of consumption. Mom complained that grandma was old-fashioned. When I was playing in the living room, grandma would read some storybooks to me. She said: “Finally, the pigeon flew away. It decided to fly to a distant place to find a place of its own.” Mom saw this and always sat with me, listening intently to grandma’s stories. Winter was a very difficult season for grandma. She always dressed very thickly, fearing the cold. At first, she just coughed occasionally. Mom urged her to take medicine, but she said it was an old problem, medicine wouldn’t help. Later, she had a high fever that wouldn’t go down, and mom took care of her around the clock. Later, grandma was hospitalized. The flower bed outside the window was covered with a thick layer of snow. When grandma wasn’t awake, mom would stare blankly at the osmanthus tree outside the window. That cold snow would sometimes fall along the leaves, forming a small mound. I had never seen mom with such an expression, as pale as the snow outside. In the end, grandma lay in a small box. She held the small box and walked in front of me, patting my head. With a hoarse voice, she said: “Little pearl, mom doesn’t have a mom anymore.” Mom cried a lot that year. Since grandma left, mom had to go out to find a job. She didn’t know how to do anything, the only thing she knew best before was how to dress herself up. Originally, she could have found a decent job with her high educational background, but people saw her photo and name and didn’t dare to hire her. They said mom had done too many stupid things, and they didn’t believe she could handle the job. Of course, most of the reason was that they didn’t dare to offend mom’s ex-husband, my dad. Mom often said that dad was a heartless man who wasted so many years of her youth. Later, she stopped saying it. Because she had too many things more important than the love Connor gave her. For my medical expenses, mom could only work odd jobs everywhere. To avoid drawing attention to herself, mom would deliberately go out without makeup. This way, she could quietly get a job like an ordinary person. Finally, a flower shop was willing to employ her long-term. That was the skill grandma had taught her in that year. She wrapped flowers beautifully and generously, and could meet any weird requests from customers. This was the only thing she could do every day without getting bored. Our life seemed to suddenly stabilize again. Mom would come to visit me in the hospital every day. She had no friends and didn’t dare to make friends. In the year of her bankruptcy, she had experienced enough cold shoulders and ridicule from these former friends. She would say many things to me, although I couldn’t understand. One month, she suddenly became very tired, even bringing back many leaves on her worn-out coat. She said, “Little pearl, do you want to meet your dad?” Mom had often tried to make that call when I was just born. But she never dialed it. I was angry that mom still remembered this bad person, so I turned my head to play with my own fingers, ignoring her. Mom rambled on to me about many things. The next day, two people came to see me, a man and a woman. I had never seen my dad since I was born. When this man tried to touch me, I cried with all my might. The nurse hurriedly ran over, trying to comfort me, and the man was awkwardly pushed to the back. The nurse asked, “Are you the patient’s family member?” That man said: “I’m her father.” Seeing that I was crying badly, the woman also tried to comfort me. I didn’t like her, she smelled like my dad. At this time, mom walked in, facing this ex-husband, she had nothing to say. She just skillfully picked me up, gently patted me, and then said softly to me: “Good baby, don’t cry.” Dad was stunned looking at mom. He had never seen her like this before. Her hair was messy, there were deep dark circles under her eyes, her lips were colorless, she was disheveled, but her expression was gentle as she held me, without a trace of embarrassment. He listened to mom quietly comforting me. He still remembered, when they were in school together, the arrogant and willful rich young lady was never afraid of anyone. At fifteen, she was already a well-known troublemaker, but she was helpless when it came to real children. She often said: “Children are truly the most terrifying creatures in the world.” After comforting me to sleep. She sat down expressionlessly. She took out that custody agreement, which clearly stated the expenses dad should bear. They faced each other so calmly. Those times of quarrels, though only a year and two months ago, seemed very far away from them. “If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can come to me.” This sentence sounded abruptly, he didn’t dare to look directly at mom. Only occasionally glancing up. After dad said this, the lady sitting next to him tugged at his clothes. That lady was as beautiful as mom, her features were softer, less sharp. She was like a yellow daisy blooming in a corner, particularly eye-catching among the drab surroundings. My dad, he still had the young master’s air, as the male lead, he was surrounded by a halo wherever he went. Mom didn’t say anything. The male lead’s guilty conscience could indeed bring benefits. But she didn’t want to have any more entanglements with this person. When grandma was on her deathbed, she told her: “Move forward.” From that time on, she was determined to listen to her mom’s words, to move forward, to look ahead. Mom also sent a court notice to her good friend “Rachel”. Demanding the return of all items she had given her before this year. All those past items were sent back, and mom took them all to sell, getting a large sum of money. Those former friends said she had no shame, how could she ask for things back that were given away. Mom didn’t care. She said very coolly, “If you had the nerve to accept them, why shouldn’t I have the nerve to ask for them back?” Mom collected this money but still worked in the flower shop. My condition also slowly improved. She took very good care of me. In the past, she always couldn’t cook well. Every meal was either burnt or undercooked. I often had stomach problems, and she always carried digestive medicine in her bag. Now, she could even make three dishes and a soup. She understood that winter clothes would be discounted in summer. She understood that she could use medical insurance when buying medicine at the hospital. These were all things grandma had taught mom. That year, she finally received the maternal love that came late for her. But as a villainous supporting character, even if she didn’t provoke others, she couldn’t live a peaceful life. Soon after, someone found out where mom worked. They placed many orders at her shop. After receiving the flowers, they gave overwhelming negative reviews. At first, the shop owner thought it was because there were too many orders and mom couldn’t keep up, so she was careless. But in fact, mom carefully arranged every bouquet she sent out. This situation continued until the fifth day, with the negative reviews becoming more and more intense. The boss showed mom the screen of his phone, which displayed several private messages.

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It’s hard to describe how I felt when I heard those words. Samuel was leaning forward, burying his face in Chloe’s neck, inhaling the scent of her long hair. Chloe was his therapist. Samuel had been saying lately that his mental state was a bit chaotic and he needed to see a doctor. I didn’t expect it to be this kind of “seeing”. The intimate scene between them was jarring. The pain of betrayal instantly consumed all my rationality. I wanted to rush in and confront him, asking why he would do such a thing. For three lifetimes, Samuel’s heart had always been with me, from beginning to end. I believed this with all my being, but the reality of this fourth life hit me like a ton of bricks. I was in such disbelief that I wondered if I had misunderstood something. Then the Samuel I thought loved me most – the most devoted and faithful Samuel – spoke. He glanced sideways, playfully twirling the long hair of Chloe who was sitting on his lap, and sneered: “Dr. Feng, do you think I’m really crazy? “But I feel like the three previous deaths weren’t fake. Even now when I think about that pain, I still get chills.” Chloe clutched her chest, showing exaggerated concern: “What should we do? You won’t die again this time, will you?” Samuel curved his lips into a smile: “How could I? I’ve played along with Sophia every lifetime, but ended up dying by her side each time. “Originally I wanted to see how she would save me, but now I think she must be bad luck. Look how well I’m living now that I’ve stayed away from her. “This lifetime, I have you, Dr. Chloe.” His voice lilted upwards at the end, causing Chloe to blush and coyly chide him: “Well, you’ve found the right person. Dr. Chloe will cure you this lifetime.” At that moment, the laughter of the man and woman inside sounded distorted, as if coming through a filter to my ears. Those few sentences from Samuel’s voice kept replaying and amplifying in my mind, constricting my heart and leaving me breathless. I leaned against the wall, gasping for air. I can’t remember how I got home that day. I only remember collapsing onto the sofa, feeling like all the strength had been drained from my body. As if my spine had been removed, I went limp. This is not an exaggeration at all. What had supported me through multiple rebirths was the obsession with saving 28-year-old Samuel. In our first life, he died when we were most in love. We had just gotten our marriage license, and he was driving us on a trip. I was still admiring the ring in the car, saying I wanted to design a matching set of earrings. Before he could even finish saying “Okay”, an out-of-control truck crashed into us on the highway. In that instant, time seemed to slow down. In my eyes, widened with horror, I clearly saw him lunging towards me, half his body shielding me. In the end, I saw his eyes, unable to close, bloodied, filled with love and pain. I cried out hoarsely, weeping in disbelief. There was only one thought in my mind – no, no, Samuel can’t die, we still have so many things we haven’t done… I have to go back, I have to save him! Suddenly, it was as if a voice in my head asked me: Are you sure? Are you sure you want to give up your future, to go back and do something that might fail, to repeat it over and over? I said yes. So I spent a lifetime, two lifetimes, giving it my all… And in this life, he tells me he knew everything. He just watched me desperately, pathetically, begging him to live. He even said I was bad luck, that I was the one causing his death.

When Samuel came home, it was already late at night. I was still sitting dazed on the sofa, replaying in my mind where exactly things had gone wrong, when exactly his heart had changed. “Why are you sitting in the dark? What are you spacing out about?” His tone was as gentle as always. He sat down next to me and naturally reached out to wrap his arm around my waist, acting so normal as if what I had seen earlier was just a dream. I reflexively dodged his touch. The atmosphere became awkward. A hint of coldness flashed across Samuel’s eyes. He had clearly noticed my abnormal behavior. But as if tired of it all, he didn’t inquire further. “I’m going to bed first. You should get some rest too.” That night I slept poorly. Even though Samuel was right beside me, my mind kept flashing back to scenes of his death. In our first life, he died instantly in the car accident. Blood poured out from his body, soaking through my shirt. In our second life, we got married but didn’t go on a honeymoon, so that car accident never happened. But then a freak accident occurred. He was picking me up after work when a billboard suddenly fell from above. It landed squarely on top of him. I watched helplessly as the tall man was crushed without a trace. It was as if fate was determined to take his life. I refused to accept it, so we came to our third life. This time I quit my job. After we married, I hardly left his side for a moment, terrified that he would have an accident if I wasn’t paying attention. So we made it to his 28th birthday without incident. On his birthday, the candlelight illuminated his sparkling eyes. In the warm glow, he professed his love to me, eyes glistening: “Sophia, I’m so lucky to have you.” My heart was racing. But then his smile seemed to fade, his face becoming blurry. An overwhelming sense of dread nearly knocked me over. Then Samuel coughed up a mouthful of blood. Perhaps too much time had passed, or perhaps my mind was too panicked to retain other memories. I don’t remember the name of his illness, it seemed to be some rare condition. His life ended so suddenly, almost absurdly abrupt. My final memory is of a stark white hospital room. In the deathly silence, only the faintly glowing monitor by his ear persisted in beeping, as if desperately clinging to his last traces of life. How could I accept this? How could I possibly be okay with this? Samuel and I met when we were young. Back then, I was a country bumpkin who had come to the city. Because I was pretty and had an enviable talent for dance, some girls in class started picking on me. I endured and endured, until the day they knocked over my grandmother’s pancake stand. Amidst the mess on the ground, I held back tears as I helped my grandmother up. The girls stood there looking pristine and superior, laughing with shrill voices. They called me Pancake Girl and told me to go back home and make pancakes. My grandmother was mute. She moved her lips silently, gesturing to wipe the oil stains off my clothes. The girls laughed even harder. That’s when Samuel appeared. He was holding a camera and made one phone call to summon the school leaders. He was a good student from a well-off family, quite an impressive figure in our small town. It was evening, and though the day had been gloomy, somehow at that moment the sunlight broke through the clouds, shining directly onto Samuel. He reached out his hand, holding a clean, neatly folded handkerchief. The first thing he said was: “I’m sorry I didn’t come help right away. I wanted to get evidence on camera first.” Even now, I still remember how my heart pounded that day. Fierce and strong, it sustained me as I traversed alone through countless worlds of his death.

Even by the second morning, I was still in a daze. Samuel got up at this time. He put on the clothes I had ironed for him and glanced at me setting breakfast on the table. “You’re not going to the dance troupe? “You’re just going to stay at home all the time? There’s not much for you to do here anyway…” His voice trailed off at the end, tinged with confusion. I paused while wiping the table and looked up at him. But I only saw him quickly averting his gaze. “Have breakfast at home. I’m not eating. Don’t see me off, and don’t come pick me up tonight either. “I’m going to see Dr. Chloe.” He rubbed his brow, his tone flat. In the past, I definitely would have worried about his condition. But now, I only felt a chill in my heart. He was about to turn 28, and we were about to get our marriage license. In previous lives at this time, I had completely lost interest in work, spending my days anxious and afraid. So I simply quit my job at the dance troupe and truly became a full-time housewife. Back then, he thought I was working too hard and said with a smile: “Then don’t go anymore. From now on, just dance for me alone. With me here, what do you have to worry about?” I accompanied him to and from work. He proudly introduced me to his colleagues. He raised his hand to show off our matching rings. But now, he looked at me warily and coldly, telling me: “Stop watching me all the time. Find something to do for yourself.” I caught my breath, followed by the loud slam of the front door. An eerie silence fell over the house. I sat at the table, mechanically picking at the breakfast in front of me. It was still warm, but tasted unusually cold in my mouth. How did things end up like this? Ever since Samuel started therapy, the distance between us seemed to gradually grow. He began to resent and reject my presence. After spending three lifetimes with me, had he now found true love? But saving Samuel was like a program hardwired into my very being. Suddenly being told to give up felt like losing the center of my life. I felt I should rush up and confront him, ask if all my efforts over the past few lives were just a joke to him. But then why did he keep playing along with me each time? But I still acted as if nothing had happened. I watched helplessly as Samuel grew more and more distant and cold towards me, as we spoke less and less. I watched as Chloe and he grew closer, to the point where some nights he didn’t even bother pretending anymore, openly calling Chloe from the balcony. In the darkness, even through the glass, I could see the smile spreading across Samuel’s face. Then one evening, I stubbornly sat at the dining table like a bitter wife, waiting for him to come home. It was almost 9 PM. After reheating the dishes countless times, Samuel finally returned. Except Chloe came back with him.

Chloe nodded a greeting to me, then naturally took off her shoes and entered the living room. “Don’t misunderstand, Miss Sophia. I’m just here to help with Mr. Samuel’s treatment. “Mr. Samuel described being troubled by memories from the past, or memories that don’t exist. So I came to look at the home environment, which can actually have a big impact on one’s mental state.” Her smile was open, her words professional. Facing me, she was completely different from the coquettish woman by Samuel’s side earlier – very proper and dignified. It almost made me feel like her intimacy with Samuel had been my imagination. But the next second, her eyes met Samuel’s, and she flashed a meaningful smile, full of their private understanding. “Get rid of these few things, and redesign the sofa layout over here…” Her red lips opened and closed, but by the end I could no longer make out what she was saying. I only saw our carefully decorated home being completely changed by her. Her gaze turned smug and challenging as she lifted her chin to look at me: “One must always look forward. It’s best to throw away old things.” She took a charm off her bag and hung it by the front door, her tone coy: “Mr. Samuel, seeing something bright and colorful before leaving home will improve your mood.” “This is our marital home…” I watched Samuel’s lips curl up involuntarily as he reluctantly saw Chloe off. Then I spoke up, my lips trembling. “What’s wrong?” he asked, puzzled. Our carefully designed marital home – how could you just bring another woman back here, casually rearrange our decor, and leave her traces behind? “Sophia, Dr. Chloe is a professional. If things aren’t arranged properly, they should be changed. I’m sick – should I just stay sick?” His tone was a bit exasperated. But I could hear the underlying impatience. “Don’t be so stubborn. If you don’t like the current arrangement, we can change it again later based on your preferences.” Bitterness welled up in my throat. I took a deep breath and forced a smile: “Samuel, aren’t we supposed to get our marriage license next month? “Do you still want to go through with it?” Samuel frowned: “What are you going on about? Just because Chloe came to look at the house? Sophia, I think you have too much free time on your hands. “If you have nothing to do, go find something. Stop obsessing over me and jumping to conclusions. Now you’re even saying such things.” He was about to say more, but froze in place. My tone was very flat and cold: “Let’s call it off.” Just three words, but I struggled to get them out. Samuel didn’t react at first, confusion in his eyes: “What did you say?” As he spoke, his voice trembled slightly, as if suppressing some joy. I suddenly remembered what he had said in front of Chloe: “She’s always clinging to me, like bad luck by my side. How could I not have problems?” The tears pooled in my eyes, but I held them back. Instead, a wave of grief and anger rushed to my head. The cold blood seemed to ignite, and I let out a silent laugh: “What? Are you satisfied that I said we should call off the wedding? “Samuel, you haven’t really fallen for someone else, have you? Are you that eager to get rid of me?” Realizing I seemed to be joking and toying with him, his face instantly darkened, his expression frightening: “Sophia, I think you’re the one with mental problems. Is this funny to you? “No wonder my condition has been poor lately. Turns out you’ve been affecting me.” He looked down at me imperiously, angrily tossed his coat aside, and went to sleep in the guest room. Silence fell over the living room again, but that oppressive feeling lingered. I looked up at the ceiling, and the tears I had held back for so long didn’t retreat, but rushed out in a flood. After that day, things became even more strained between Samuel and me. He began openly going to see Chloe. Faced with my heartbroken questioning, he just looked at me coldly, his expression mocking: “Then why don’t you give up on me? Go ahead and call it off. “Your world doesn’t revolve around just me.” He was so calm, making me look like the crazy one. I was left speechless. I couldn’t accept it. I had invested four lifetimes. My sunk costs were too great – so great that I didn’t have the courage to give up everything from before. I kept thinking I should wait a bit longer, until the day we were supposed to get our marriage license.

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I couldn’t resist trying a sip. When I got home, he grabbed me by the throat. “Stay away from her.” Suddenly, I remembered years ago, He had warned my arranged marriage partner the same way. Then he stole my wedding car and took me home. “You like her that much?” I smiled, watching Jack lose control. Well, I’ll make it happen for you then. I thought to myself silently. My husband’s affairs came one after another, But I never cared, pretending nothing happened, Still acting like a loving couple in public. Our marriage was something I had begged my dad for on my knees, I wouldn’t allow any possibility of failure. Even if my heart was shattered, I would only cry alone under the covers. Fortunately, Jack was just playing around outside and didn’t directly threaten our marriage. But this girl was different. When I went to bring Jack coffee, I saw a corner of divorce papers peeking out. My movement woke him up. He took a small sip of the coffee I brought. “Too bitter.” “No need to bring me coffee anymore.” I don’t know how I left his study, only that my trembling hands betrayed my emotions. I called someone to investigate for me. They found that Jack often went to a coffee shop. After his business success, his tastes became more and more picky, only drinking hand-brewed coffee. As if trying to shed his former poor boy image, He wouldn’t even look at those cheap little shops. But this one, I carefully checked the photos my assistant sent me. It was a hidden, affordable little shop in the university town. I walked in, and a girl called out “Welcome!” with a smile. Like a little sun, My heart trembled, No wonder Jack would have an affair. “I don’t know what to drink, could you recommend something for me?” I watched the girl skillfully grind the beans and add ice. Then she handed it to me. “Enjoy!” I found a seat by the window and carefully took a sip of coffee. So sweet, the taste of artificial sweetener filled my entire mouth.

I only drank one sip of the coffee, left a bill, and left the little shop. That night Jack came home drunk, The smell of alcohol made me cover my nose. I walked around him with a glass of water, “Go take a shower, your smell is keeping me from sleeping.” I don’t know when Jack and I’s relationship started becoming so strange. Married for seven years, the former passion had faded, leaving only disgust for each other. He rolled over, deliberately rubbing the smell onto me. I angrily slapped him. “I went to a coffee shop today.” “Next to our old university, I never noticed it before-” He suddenly grabbed my throat, “You went to see her?” I quickly realized who “her” referred to. Jack used to find other women before, But I turned a blind eye and never interfered. “Yeah, that little vixen seducing other people’s husbands, can’t I teach her a lesson?” I deliberately said cruel words, feeling Jack’s hand slowly tightening. “I’m warning you, don’t touch her.” I laughed, laughing until tears came out. The oxygen entering my airway became less and less, I started to roll my eyes. Just as I was about to lose consciousness, Jack released my throat. I collapsed on the bed coughing for a long time. There were hideous handprints on my neck. “Lila, she is my bottom line. If you dare touch her, I can make your family’s business go under.” He slammed the door as he left. I sat silently on the bed. In that moment near death, I only had one thought. He really would kill me for that girl.

The girl’s name was Emma, a student at the university. Still in school, she worked part-time at the coffee shop near campus because her family was poor. Three months ago, Jack started frequently coming here for coffee. Sometimes he wouldn’t even go to the office, just sitting here all day. “You like her that much? You’d strangle me for her.” I muttered to myself, remembering how Jack used to strangle others for me. “She’s my wife now, stay away from her.” Jack and I met in college, Back then he was still a poor college student, working three jobs to survive. He was running errands on campus and spilled coffee all over me while delivering it. I wasn’t angry, it was just a piece of clothing, I could have someone buy a new one in 10 minutes. He apologized with a red face, and the next day stood in front of me holding the dress from last year that now reeked of laundry detergent. He carefully avoided touching my fingers when handing it over. Awkwardly cute. I found him interesting, and started paying him to buy me coffee. Back then I was trying to act mature, only drinking iced Americanos, So bitter I could barely open my eyes, Jack secretly put double cream and sugar in it. “It’s sweet.” It was an age when even whispering made us blush. But now, looking at myself in the mirror, disheveled, with horrifying red marks on my neck. I searched all over the house but couldn’t find where the first aid kit was, In the past, if I accidentally bumped into a table leg, Jack would anxiously carry me to bed and rush to get band-aids and anti-inflammatory medicine. I sat hugging my knees on the bathroom floor, My phone vibrated, it was a message from Jack. “Let’s get divorced.” Attached was a divorce agreement, Leaving me the house and car, For Emma, he was willing to leave with nothing. I put on a turtleneck sweater and took a taxi to his company. This was my first time coming here. The receptionist officially asked me for an appointment. “I don’t have one, tell Jack his wife is downstairs.” The young receptionist snickered. “Miss, that’s not how you social climb. We’ve all met Mr. Lee’s wife before. While I haven’t called security yet, please see yourself out.” I was about to take out my phone to call Jack, “Good morning!” A voice sounded behind me, Emma was wearing overalls, her ponytail tied high. For a moment, I thought I saw myself from college. She smiled and greeted everyone. The receptionist bowed to her. “Good morning, Mrs. Lee.” She emphasized the “Mrs.” especially heavily. Her eyes were full of mockery as she looked at me. “I brought coffee for everyone, I made it myself!” “Thank you Mrs. Lee, our Mr. Lee is so lucky to have married you. Beautiful and talented, unlike some girls who just daydream.” The girl lowered her head shyly and bounced into the elevator. I was left standing there, like a mascot. I called Jack several times, All were immediately hung up. “If you want her to be legitimate, come downstairs and invite me up.” My hand trembled as I pressed the phone, tears already flowing from my eyes. All these years, I tried so hard to pretend I didn’t care, Thinking it was okay, Jack loved me, those other girls were just for fun, Soon, Jack’s assistant came down to bring me upstairs. As we approached Jack’s office, I could see the girl’s delicate skirt. She was half-embracing Jack coquettishly. Seeing me approach, the girl hurriedly let go. “You still have work, I won’t disturb you.” I instinctively raised my hand to stop her, And saw the jade pendant hanging on her chest. It was the one I had gotten for Jack when he was seriously ill, Kneeling step by step up the mountain to pray for it. I opened my mouth, but my throat felt stuffed with cotton, unable to make a sound. Behind me, Jack narrowed his eyes at me in warning. “Do you need something?” I came back to my senses and let go of her arm. “Nothing, your pendant is very pretty.” “Thank you.” 5 “Seems you didn’t take my warning from yesterday to heart.” After Emma left, Jack reverted to that cold, unapproachable face. He tossed a file to me. I opened it and glanced – it was a project my dad’s company was working on. “Lila, I’m not joking with you. If I want, your dad will lose everything right now.” “How long do you think you can keep playing princess?” I licked my dry lips. So all these years, he had been harboring resentment in his heart. When I brought Jack to confront my dad, the old man was furious, refusing to let me marry someone who had nothing back then. He knelt in front of my dad and was humiliated, but stubbornly refused to let go of my hand. The divorce papers were thrown in my face. Just like when my dad threw a stack of bills in his face back then. I guess what goes around comes around, and now it’s my turn. Actually, why bother with all this? If he had just told me he didn’t love me anymore, I never would have clung to him. I picked up the divorce papers, Jack’s name was already signed next to it. I couldn’t help but laugh, seems he really does love her. “Can I ask you something?” I looked up at Jack, now dressed like a gentleman. “What do you like about her?” Jack didn’t answer. Seven years of marriage ended in silence. The day we went to get the divorce certificate, Jack brought Emma along. I couldn’t help but mock him. “Saving yourself a second trip?” Emma was shielded behind Jack, like a mother hen protecting her chick. “Sister Lila, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you and Jack had that kind of relationship. If I had known, I definitely wouldn’t have interfered in your relationship.” “But you’ve seen how Jack was suffering with you. Since you’ve parted amicably, I hope you can give us your blessing.” Such a pretty face, saying words that make people want to die. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to invite you to our wedding.” She handed me an invitation. I silently looked at Jack. Wanting to see a glimpse of how he used to be. How he used to love me, But his gaze was entirely on Emma’s blushing face, not sparing me a glance. The ink was barely dry on the divorce papers, and the wedding invitations were already fresh off the press. 6 Their wedding was extravagant, taking up a large section of the news. Jack smiled tenderly, arm-in-arm with Emma in her white dress.

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When I saw my stepsister Olivia crying and begging our stepmother not to marry her off to Lucas Grant, I knew she had also gone back in time, just like me. In our previous life, she was arranged to marry into the Grant family. Although it was a business marriage, Lucas was a genuine piano prodigy, the ideal man for many in their social circle. “Aria, let me tell you, your mom is dead. No one in this family cares about you anymore,” Olivia had said cruelly. “You only deserve to marry a dropout loser!” Now, having relived her life, she was still just as despicable. “I’ve taken so much from you, Aria. You must feel so wronged!” she said with false sympathy. “So I’ll be generous and switch the arranged marriage partner with you!” Our stepmother questioned why Olivia would pity a motherless child like me. I stood by silently, watching the scene unfold. “Olivia, what are you trying to do?” our stepmother asked suspiciously. Olivia whispered something in our stepmother’s ear, and her expression softened slightly. “Are you sure?” she asked. “I’ve heard that the Thompson boy isn’t a good person. What if he mistreats you after you’re married?” Our stepmother seemed genuinely concerned, hesitant to agree to Olivia’s request. “It won’t happen, Mom!” Olivia insisted. That was a lie. Derek Thompson had been suspended multiple times for fighting when he was in school. After dropping out, he’d gotten involved in all sorts of vices. “You love me the most. You wouldn’t refuse me this small favor, would you?” Olivia coaxed, snuggling up to our stepmother. Unable to resist Olivia’s pleading, our stepmother finally agreed, but not without taking a jab at me. “Lucas is only available because Olivia doesn’t want him. You should be grateful!” I didn’t care what they thought. The truth was, I didn’t deserve the talented pianist Lucas. As for the dropout troublemaker Derek… Let’s see how my dear stepsister handles that kind of marriage! In my previous life, it had been the same – Olivia and I were both pushed into arranged marriages. The difference was that she married a genius while I married a loser. Even though Olivia and her mother were the ones who had destroyed our family, I ended up feeling like an outsider. Olivia had been overjoyed to marry Lucas. But soon after the wedding, Lucas left for an overseas performance. The next news I heard about her was that Olivia had become a lonely wife. Lucas had gotten into a car accident on his way to the airport and ended up in a vegetative state due to an attempted murder. Olivia cried and threw tantrums, wanting to divorce Lucas. Our stepmother felt sorry for her, but our father wouldn’t allow it. A businessman’s daughter was meant to be traded for benefits. Even though our father favored Olivia far more than me, he wouldn’t take her back home and lose the business connections and shares from the Grant family dowry. Unable to bear the loneliness, Olivia chose to have an affair. The Hayes and Grant families were both prominent in business circles. Her scandal became widely known. The controversy subjected Olivia to intense online harassment. At the same time, my husband Derek Thompson unexpectedly gained popularity. Derek went from being a widely-shunned troublemaker to a wildly popular social media star, which Olivia couldn’t believe. She became depressed due to the online attacks. When she learned about Derek’s success, she suddenly said she wanted to see me. I couldn’t understand what she was unsatisfied with. Living alone in a mansion, driving sports cars, not having to worry about trivial matters – wasn’t that a good life? Out of family obligation, I went to visit her. To my surprise, she had murderous intentions towards me. Even though she should have been living better than me, she was resentful. She hugged me and crashed through the floor-to-ceiling window. We both fell. So after reliving her life, she immediately chose to marry Derek instead. Well then, let me enjoy all that fortune instead! In early June, Olivia and I had our weddings one after another. In my previous life, Olivia and our stepmother had intentionally scheduled our weddings on the same day to overshadow me. But this time was different. They couldn’t disregard the Grant family’s reputation so easily. Even though they were unwilling, they still attended my wedding with sour expressions. The wedding banquet was lively. It was the first big gathering I had attended since my mother’s death. Before, according to my father’s wishes, I wasn’t supposed to appear in public after my mother died. But soon after her death, his mistress and illegitimate daughter had moved into the Hayes home. “Nervous?” a voice asked beside me. I turned to see Lucas standing next to me. We were the only two outside the doors, quietly waiting to enter the hall and begin our married life. Lucas was incredibly handsome, even more striking in person than the young pianist I had seen in videos. “I…” I started to reply, but before I could find the right words, Lucas had already taken my hand. The doors decorated with flowers opened wide. I felt a bit flustered, but the warmth of his hand in mine was reassuring. After an exhausting day, I lay on the large bed in our new home, trying to relax. “Tired?” Lucas asked. “Want to come eat something?” If I wasn’t mistaken, Lucas was wearing a pink apron. “I’m not hungry,” I said, not wanting to impose on my first day living with him. But my traitorous stomach immediately growled, betraying me. “Have a bite,” he urged gently. His voice was so kind, and I was genuinely hungry after not eating all day. I ended up sitting at the dining table with him, eating the meal my new husband had prepared. I was surprised to discover those hands meant for playing piano could also cook. “I’m sorry,” he suddenly apologized during the meal. I wasn’t shocked. News of his upcoming music festival performance in France was already trending on Twitter. “I have to leave for France tomorrow. It’s such short notice, and it might affect your reputation too,” he explained. “It’s fine, go ahead with your work,” I said. Realizing that might sound too cold given our relationship, I added, “Your cooking is really good!” Lucas’s apologetic expression was replaced with a smile. “Thank you,” he said warmly. That night, Lucas naturally slept in the guest room. I tossed and turned in bed, my mind replaying memories from my previous life. Recalling the tragic news of Lucas’s death and thinking of his kind gestures today, I found myself not wanting him to die. I could have ignored it, but my mother always said good people deserve good things in return. In my book, Lucas counted as a good person. Someone so kind shouldn’t die! I rushed out of my room and knocked urgently on the guest room door. “What’s wrong?” Lucas asked, opening the door quickly. He probably hadn’t been asleep yet. “Lucas—” I panted, out of breath from jumping out of bed so suddenly. “Do you need to come in to talk?” he asked with concern, noticing I was barefoot. “No need!” I refused hastily, realizing how revealing my nightgown was. “Be careful tomorrow!” I blurted out. “Remember to check the car your assistant arranged for you.” Lucas looked puzzled, which was understandable. No one would believe such a strange warning. But if Lucas didn’t believe me, he could lose his life! I grabbed his sleeve rather rudely, almost begging, “Don’t take that car, whatever you do!” Seeing how agitated I was, Lucas reluctantly agreed. Back in my room, I caught sight of myself in the mirror and realized how disheveled I looked. The next morning, I woke to find breakfast on the table. The food was cold – Lucas must have left a while ago. I opened my phone to see Lucas had sent me several messages. “Breakfast is on the table. Remember to eat.” “Cold food isn’t good for digestion. The microwave is on the off-white cabinet in the kitchen.” After 7 AM, he sent a few more messages: “There was a problem with the car. I’ve reported it to the police and am waiting for them to handle it.” “Safely boarded the plane. Don’t worry!” He must have explained so thoroughly because I had been so worked up last night and he didn’t want me to worry. As for the earlier messages about breakfast, I suppose that counts as being considerate between a married couple. I thought about replying with a simple “OK”, but worried that might sound too curt. I decided to send a nodding emoji instead. By accident, my finger slipped and I sent a “Love you” sticker. Before I could unsend it, I saw Lucas had already replied with “Mm-hmm”. I closed my eyes in mortification, wishing I could disappear on the spot. While Lucas was abroad, I kept busy. In college, I had started a clothing design studio with a friend. It was doing quite well now. I took the design sketches I had brought from the Hayes house and took a cab to the office. “Well done!” my boss exclaimed. “Aria, I knew I was right about you from the start!” The studio owner was a senior I had met in college. She had discovered my talent at a design competition. She said I was born for this work and mentored me in design. Over time, we became friends and now ran this clothing design studio together. “Nicole, stop teasing me,” I laughed. “If you hadn’t picked me out of the crowd back then, who knows where I’d be struggling now!” It’s not that the Hayes family couldn’t afford to support me. The key was, did anyone in the Hayes family want to support me? As Olivia had said, no one in the Hayes family cared about me. Fortunately, I maintained my passion for design and had some talent for it. I could easily support myself. In my previous life, Nicole and I had also been running the Artistry Studio. But Derek and his father thought I was embarrassing and believed that marrying into their family meant I should serve them. To make me more docile, my in-laws had suppressed Artistry. The studio ran out of funding and completely collapsed. Nicole was left with a huge debt as a result. Thankfully, Lucas’s grandmother didn’t have such prejudices. Lucas’s parents had been living abroad for years. Apart from the wedding, even his grandmother hadn’t seen much of them recently. When I visited the family home, I brought a cheongsam I had designed and made myself. Grandma loved it, praising my good taste. When she learned I had made it myself, she was even more delighted. “Aria dear, you’re too good for our Lucas!” Grandma said, stroking my hand sympathetically. “How can you say that, Grandma? I’m the one who married above my station into the Grant family,” I demurred. Grandma frowned and lightly smacked the back of my hand. “Nonsense! I’m very fond of you as my granddaughter-in-law!” she declared. “You’re beautiful and have such a gentle nature. It’s Lucas who’s always busy and can’t take proper care of you.” He was indeed very busy, but he wasn’t neglectful of me. Every day he would send me messages – simple greetings and reminders about meals. For work, I was doing market research in a brand-name clothing store. Running into Olivia there was the last thing I expected. “Aria, don’t the Grants think you’re trashy?” she sneered. “Being Mrs. Grant isn’t good enough for you? You have to work as a sales clerk?” When we lived in the Hayes house, all of Olivia’s clothes had been custom-made for each season. I was surprised to see her out shopping for clothes at all. She probably mistook me for a sales associate because I was wearing our studio’s staff uniform. I changed my startled expression to a smile as I looked at her. “What’s wrong? Spending the Hayes family money makes you feel superior?” I asked coolly. “Did you eat too much salt? Why are you so nosy?” I wasn’t her mother – I didn’t have to indulge her. “Aria Hayes! How dare you mock me!” Olivia glared at me hatefully, like she wanted to devour me whole. Her mood suddenly shifted, her eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction. “Don’t get cocky, Aria. You’ll be a widow soon enough!” she taunted. Without hesitation, I slapped her across the face. “Who do you think you are? How dare you curse a member of the Grant family!” I snapped. The commotion had drawn attention from others in the store. Olivia didn’t dare make a bigger scene in front of all these wealthy elites. She ran off with her tail between her legs. Did she really think I was some kind of saint? “Aria, Derek isn’t just handsome – he has an eight-pack too. Bet you’re regretting your choice now!” Olivia messaged me on SnapChat. I had to admit, Derek’s looks were undeniable. He did have the kind of body that looked good both in and out of clothes. But some people are all style and no substance. His lack of morals and decency… I didn’t plan to tell her about Derek’s future circumstances. I was betting she would lose spectacularly. She couldn’t blame me – after all, it was her own choice, wasn’t it? I turned off my screen, ignoring her completely. For the next while, I tuned out Olivia’s boasting and threats. Besides going to work at the studio, I visited Grandma at the family home. The rest of my limited free time was spent at home. Grandma said she had taught Lucas piano herself. In her youth, she had been a renowned pianist too. I only excelled at violin, when my mother was still alive. As for piano, I only knew the basics. I asked Grandma to teach me, partly out of interest and wanting to understand more about Lucas’s world. It was also because I worried about Grandma being lonely. The elderly often become nostalgic. In my previous life married to Derek, his family were all country folk. They couldn’t teach me anything useful. All they knew were scheming and some backwards feudal ideas like “men are superior to women.” Grandma was delighted by my initiative. She held my hand and talked for a long while. “It’s wonderful that you have this interest!” she exclaimed. Grandma taught me very patiently. After a few weeks, I could play the pieces Lucas had composed. “You play beautifully. Lucas would be so happy to see you at the piano,” Grandma smiled, gifting me a book of sheet music with Lucas’s name on it. “Aria dear, how are things between you and Lucas lately?” she asked. How could things be between us when Lucas wasn’t even in the country? “Lucas is doing well, Grandma. We get along very harmoniously,” I said diplomatically. But Grandma’s expression still held eager anticipation. “Is that so?” she sighed heavily, unable to hide her disappointment. Could it be that Grandma was hoping for a great-grandchild? That was highly unlikely to happen. “Also, I…” I hesitated. “I’ve grown quite fond of Lucas.” Hearing that, Grandma’s bright smile returned. “I knew it! Lucas told me to take good care of you and make sure you’re happy in your new family,” she said. “I just knew my grandson was smitten with his sweet wife!” Was that true? He really was so thoughtful. And Grandma was wonderful too. “Thank you, Grandma. I’m happier here than I ever was with the Hayes,” I said sincerely. Lying in bed, I habitually opened SnapChat to check for work notifications in our studio group chat. The red dot next to Lucas’s cat avatar caught my eye. He had messaged me again. “It’s been resolved, don’t worry. I’m fine!” He forwarded me a news article. The headline “Famous Pianist Targeted” stood out starkly. These gossip accounts just love stirring up drama. They’ll fabricate all sorts of baseless stories just for views and clicks. They use misleading details to trick people into following the story. “OK, I understand,” I replied. “Come home soon.” A few minutes after sending it, I vaguely felt like I had overstepped. But it was too late to unsend. I exited the chat, trying to reassure myself. It’s fine, I’ve already embarrassed myself worse. What’s one little message? “Alright, I’ll be home soon,” came Lucas’s reply.

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Everyone knew I had loved the Chen family’s young master for ten years, but my love was unrequited. Meanwhile, the notoriously playboy prince had a change of heart and pursued me relentlessly for three years, causing quite a stir in the city. Finally, I let go of my obsession with Ryan Chen and took the prince’s hand. He was so overjoyed that he immediately bought a building as a gift for me. After we got together, he granted my every wish. Even the way he looked at me was always full of deep affection. People said the prince was madly in love with me. But on our engagement day, I overheard him secretly calling his friend: “Damn, I went too far. She seems to have latched onto me now. I shouldn’t have pretended so convincingly back then.” I let out a bitter laugh and disappeared from the engagement party. Later, I heard that the usually arrogant prince cried his heart out at the engagement party, staring at the diamond ring I had left behind. The engagement party was about to begin, but Ethan still hadn’t shown up to greet the guests. Ryan, who had been waiting in the corner, found me with a glass of champagne. “Where’s Ethan? How can he be missing on such an important day? Or is he planning to run away? If so, I’d be happy to take his place as today’s groom.” “You’re so annoying. He’s probably in the dressing room. I’ll go find him.” Seeing that Ryan wanted to follow, I stopped him: “It’s my engagement party today. Are you really going to ruin the happiness I’ve worked so hard for? Ryan, don’t be so selfish.” With that, I turned and headed towards the dressing rooms without looking back. I went to Ethan’s private dressing room and sure enough, heard his voice inside. Before I could knock and enter, I heard Ethan’s scornful laugh: “Damn, I went too far. She seems to have latched onto me now. I shouldn’t have pretended so convincingly back then.” “I only did it to piss off Ryan. Who knew she’d take it seriously?” “Now that I’ve caught her, I’m finding it boring.” My hand froze as I was about to knock. Ethan didn’t sound drunk, and he hadn’t even had time to drink today. More offensive words came from inside: “And after tasting her, I just find it pretty uninteresting.” I don’t know what the person on the other end of the phone said, but satisfaction dripped from Ethan’s voice. “She may have chased after Ryan for ten years and seemed so pure, but too bad…” I took a deep breath and pressed my ear closer to the door, wanting to hear what else Ethan had to say. Ethan sighed: “Too bad, even though I was her first man, I wasn’t her first love.” “She loved Ryan for ten years. Who knows if her heart is truly clear of him.” “If it wasn’t to irritate Ryan, thinking I could catch Ava to annoy him, I wouldn’t have put on this act of quietly guarding her with deep love.” “I’ve chased her for so long, wouldn’t it be more interesting to run away now?” I couldn’t hear a trace of guilt, pity or love in his voice. Only eager excitement. My fingernails dug into my palms as my heart felt like it was being stabbed with needles, the pain suffocating. I had always thought Ryan would be my salvation and endpoint. I had made sure my feelings for him weren’t just gratitude, but genuine love, before accepting his proposal. That day, he was so happy he set off fireworks all night. He was so overjoyed he bought an island to propose to me, releasing fireworks on the rooftop all night. I thought this was love, was romance. I never imagined it was all an act to get revenge on Ryan. So all the past displays of deep affection and help were just performances? Standing at the door, I felt dazed as memories came flooding back. At twelve years old, I was brought back to the Chens from the countryside. Back then I was shy and insecure, ill at ease. That year, Ryan simply shielded me from some bullies, and I fell hopelessly in love with him. I chased after him so obviously that everyone knew. But he was extremely disgusted by me. Later I finally felt it was pointless and gave up on Ryan. That’s when I noticed Ethan, who had been quietly guarding me all along. It was pouring rain that night, and he held an umbrella over me the whole time. He looked at me and said: “Ava, I don’t ask that you see me. I only hope that from now on you can be free to follow your heart.” How laughable it all seems now. I had cleared my heart to welcome Ethan’s arrival. I allowed myself to fall step by step into his gentleness. Just as I started dreaming of a sweet future with him… I never imagined Ethan would deliver such a painful blow. My nose stung as tears welled up uncontrollably in my eyes. A tear fell, quickly wiped away. Ethan’s voice hadn’t stopped. “To get revenge on a woman, of course it’s most interesting to let her fall hard from the height of happiness.” Boundless anger pressed down on me, nearly suffocating me. I forced out a bitter smile, but tears still fell uncontrollably. After that pained laugh, I turned and left the engagement party. There were still two hours until the party was set to begin. I returned to the home we had shared for three years. I took out all the gifts he had given me over the years and cut them to pieces one by one. How strange. I wasn’t thinking of anything in particular, so why were there still so many tears falling? I once heard a saying. Heartbreak is like catching rheumatism – during the day when it’s sunny, you feel fine. But at night the damp seeps into your bones, causing piercing pain. Perhaps this was just my withdrawal symptoms. I changed out of my engagement gown and laid it flat on the ground. Expressionless, I used scissors to slash a tear down the middle. I wanted to destroy all of this with my own hands. After venting my emotions, I packed my bags and left everything else behind. I went to the high-speed rail station. I needed to get far away from this place that had hurt me so much. While waiting for my train, I opened a social media app and started scrolling through short videos. I came across a suggested account that seemed familiar. The username was “I love my Ethan”. For some reason, I clicked into her profile. It was a record of a girl’s secret crush on a guy. The most recent video was posted half an hour ago, location tagged in the city. The caption read: “The man I’ve loved for ten years is about to get engaged. I want to gather my courage and confess. Everyone please cheer me on!” In her photo, I saw a familiar hand. It was Ethan’s. The comments section was full of criticism. “Wow, you have such great taste! Playing out such a basic plot, I’m truly in awe! I can never match your level of intelligence!” “Wow, I admire your courage and confidence! Let me guess, you probably think you’re super charming? Getting engaged is only natural, you must be a match made in heaven! Otherwise you wouldn’t have the thick skin to interfere in other people’s lives. It’s not the thief we fear, but the one who covets what’s not theirs!” The girl called “I love my Ethan” wasn’t angry at all. She wrote long responses in the comments, posting about her and Ethan’s love story. Looking at the young girl’s flowing words on the screen, every line filled with deep adoration for Ethan and their supposed “love story”, a mocking smile tugged at my lips. So it turns out I was never the only victim, nor the only fool. As the high-speed train started moving, it was exactly the time our engagement party was supposed to begin. My social media was flooded with messages from mutual friends. I saw that girl post a selfie with the caption: “How is this not a kind of success?” Commenters rushed in. “What happened? What happened? How did it go, did he agree?” “I hope people like this blogger go extinct soon and stop harming others.” “Agreed with the comment above.” … Ethan waited in place at first. After a long time without seeing me appear, the guests started whispering amongst themselves. Ethan’s expression also darkened. The doors to the banquet hall were pushed open. All eyes turned to look. To Ethan’s disappointment, the newcomer wasn’t his fiancée, but Lily. His mistress. As soon as she entered, Lily grabbed Ethan’s arm. “Ethan, let’s leave together.” “This is my engagement party. I didn’t invite you. Since you’re here, go sit with the other guests.” “No, I won’t!” … Ryan, watching from the side, took out his phone to record everything happening. “Ava is missing!” Only then did Ethan realize I had run away from the wedding. The usually arrogant prince cried his heart out at the engagement party, staring at the diamond ring I had left behind. Ryan stood in front of Ethan and said: “Ethan, you can’t give her a future, but I can.” “She’s made the right decision to fight for herself.” Ethan glared at the man before him with bloodshot eyes. “Like you’re any better? Stop pretending. She’s just angry. I’ll make up with her.” Lily had started a livestream while trying to steal the groom. Netizens watching through their screens witnessed everything. Commenters cheered that justice had been served. “This is like the ultimate satisfying novel!” “I thought we were about to see another brainless romantic emerge!” “I hope that girl doesn’t look back!” … Watching the trees fly by outside the window, I finally felt the lightness of escape. I looked at the messages from both Ryan and Ethan. “Ava, that bastard Ethan isn’t right for you. Wait for me.” “Ava, let me explain!” … Out of sight, out of mind. I simply blocked them all. After arriving in M City, I quickly settled in. I rented a storefront and opened my own coffee shop. During this time, I received countless calls from Ethan. Not just from him, but from Ryan too. I blocked them all. Ryan used a mutual friend’s account to find me. “Guess what show you missed that day?” “Ryan, I don’t care. Please stop trying to contact me.” I received a video from “Ryan”. The video was from our engagement day. Ethan was being held by a girl. “Ethan, don’t be sad. You still have me by your side. Just let that woman run away.” “Didn’t you say you were going to use this engagement party to dump her? This is a good thing! Now we can finally be together openly.” Another video, still starring Ethan and that girl. In the dim light, they stood face to face. Amid cheers, the girl stood on tiptoe to kiss his lips. And Ethan didn’t dodge. The video ended abruptly there. “Ava, Ethan has wanted to dump you for a long time. Don’t you understand? He doesn’t want to be with you. He minds your past, he minds that you chased after me.” “He only approached you to get revenge on me. You did exactly the right thing. He’s not someone worth entrusting yourself to.” “What are you trying to say?” I replied impatiently. “Ava, at least for these past ten years, no other woman has appeared by my side, right?” “Whether I liked you or liked Ethan, those were my own choices. I accept the consequences and have no regrets.” “Stop trying to guilt me.” I thought that would be my last interaction with Ryan. Until I ran into him again two weeks later. Ryan walked into the shop with an ambiguous smile, saying “Long time no see.” I looked at him calmly and said, “What can I get for you?” “Ava, why did you stop chasing after me back then?” I found it bizarre. I had chased him for ten years – wasn’t that enough? Ever since I gave up pursuing him three years ago, he started frequently seeking me out to make his presence known. This time he appeared before me so inexplicably, saying such strange things. Perhaps Ryan never truly liked me either. Like Ethan, it was just his ego at work. But Ryan carefully began, “Now that you and him have no chance, why don’t you… consider me?” I almost laughed from anger. Are all men like this? When you’re earnestly offering them your heart, they disdain it. But once you withdraw that blatant affection, they all rush to tell you they love you. “Ryan, I thought I made myself clear last time. I don’t like you anymore. I have no feelings for you. Even though Ethan and I have split up, I still wouldn’t choose you.” “Why not? Our backgrounds and looks are well-matched. We grew up together – aren’t we the most suitable match?” I snorted coldly: “So I have to choose between you and Ethan? Can I not survive without either of you?” “That’s not what I meant, Ava, I…” Ryan tried to grab my hand but I dodged. From behind, Ethan’s familiar voice rang out: “What are you two doing?” I looked past Ryan to see Ethan, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time. His eyes were bloodshot with dark circles underneath. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. Ethan’s face was grim as he walked up to Ryan, barely containing his anger. Facing the oppressive yet domineering aura, he punched Ryan in the face. Ryan only reacted for a moment before the two started brawling in my shop. Fortunately, there were no other customers at the time. “Ryan, if you dare go after Ava again, I swear I’ll kill you,” Ethan raged. “I’m her fiancé! Don’t even think about stealing from me.” Ryan retorted angrily: “Ethan, like you’re any better? Can you honestly say you didn’t pursue Ava just to piss me off?” “Can you say your feelings for her were pure from start to finish?” “Why aren’t you happily together with your Lily? What are you doing here?” Ethan froze, looking at me helplessly. “I know everything.” But Ethan still tried desperately to explain: “Ava, Lily and I are just friends. I only felt she was similar to a younger you.” “It’s not what you think between us.” Hearing Ethan’s flimsy excuses, a wave of exhaustion washed over me. “Ethan, I’m not an idiot. I can see for myself.” With that, I opened that young girl’s profile and played the video of them kissing. “Ava, we were just playing a game then. It wasn’t real. And… and we were about to get engaged, weren’t we?” I smiled through my tears: “Ethan, I admit I really liked you. But that doesn’t mean I can tolerate being deceived.” Ryan finally couldn’t stand it anymore. “Ethan, you’re such a bastard!” The two quickly started fighting again, even taking it outside. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I simply locked the door. “You two can keep fighting. I’m closing up.” With that, I turned and went upstairs. “This is all your fault. If you hadn’t suddenly gotten sick, Ava wouldn’t have locked us out.” “You have some nerve to talk. You did such shameless things and still want to come beg for forgiveness. Do you think that’s possible?” “I think Ava is just sick of you.” The two argued back and forth endlessly. In the end, they could only leave separately. When my best friend learned I was planning to settle here permanently, she was so excited she slapped her thigh. To help me take my mind off things, she took me to a friend’s gathering. It was a group of acquaintances, so we had plenty to talk about. After a few drinks, someone pushed open the door. Seeing who it was, several people stood up to welcome him.

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I opened my eyes, suddenly realizing I had been reborn to the day my parents divorced. My sister Iris was clinging to our dad, her voice familiar as she pleaded, “I want to go with Dad, I want to go with Dad…” This time around, Iris had surprisingly chosen to stay with our father. In my previous life, she had gone with our mom without hesitation, thinking she was headed for a better life. But her wealthy stepfather’s company soon went bankrupt, and Iris’s fair-weather nature led her to cruelly abandon him. Her stepfather ended up in a car accident due to mental distress, and relatives came knocking, cursing Iris and our mother as harbingers of misfortune. Now Iris was desperately holding onto our father. I clearly realized – she must have been reborn too. Our mom looked at Iris in disbelief. “Iris, are you sure about this?” Iris nodded firmly, already moving behind our father. “Let Ava go enjoy life with Mom. Dad and I will be fine even if things are tough.” Mom sighed heavily, her eyes full of concern for Iris. After all, Dad was just starting his business with no money or connections. Everyone doubted him, and staying with Dad meant Iris was choosing a hard road ahead. In my past life, I had been the one to leave with Dad under Mom’s regretful gaze. Dad had tried his best to provide for me out of guilt, and we did go through some difficult times before things improved dramatically. That had sparked Iris’s jealousy. Now Iris was urging Dad to leave quickly, as if worried we might ruin her new life plans. As we passed each other, Iris whispered in my ear with a smirk, “Dear sister, you’re only fit for a miserable life as a burden. This time, I’ll be the one enjoying all the glory and riches.” I turned to look at her with raised eyebrows. She really thought I had just coasted through life before? Looking at her foolish, smug expression, I could only laugh. She had no idea that Dad’s company’s success and his rise as a business tycoon had all been just a facade. Without me, Dad would never have met the right connections or received the major funding to support the company. He would have spent every night drowning his sorrows in alcohol over the lack of orders, using you as a punching bag to vent his frustrations. He would have even drugged you and sent you to the bed of a middle-aged investor to curry favor, standing guard outside the door to prevent your escape… There were so many dark secrets behind that glittering exterior – countless empty tubes of ointment, new injuries layered over old ones, and massive gambling debts that could never be repaid. With these thoughts, I turned and took Mom’s hand, my face beaming with happiness. The life Iris sneered at was actually the warm family I had always dreamed of. I no longer had to put on a brave face alone or tend to my wounds in the dark of night. Even if we faced hard times, Mom would always be by my side. Perhaps deeply hurt by Iris’s choice, Mom crouched down to my eye level. “Ava, don’t worry. Mom will take good care of you and never let you suffer.” I knew she would. I squeezed her hand and nodded. “I trust you, Mom. I’ll always be your good girl.” I went home with Mom to my stepfather’s house. As soon as we entered, I saw Uncle Steve sitting on the couch with a worried expression. When he saw us, he quickly adjusted his mood and smiled as he walked over. “You must be Ava? I’ve heard your mom mention you often. You can call me Uncle Steve.” By my calculations, Uncle Steve’s company was already facing a cash flow crisis and investors pulling out, though he was trying to keep it together. Uncle Steve wasn’t a bad person. In my past life, he had treated Iris like his own daughter – sending her to an elite private school and throwing her lavish birthday parties even when the company was barely scraping by. He had truly doted on her like a princess. Even after the company went bankrupt, he had promised to earn money to support the family and never let them live in poverty. With this in mind, I gave the man in the blue shirt a sweet smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Uncle Steve. Mom has told me about you too. You’re even younger than I imagined!” The man seemed surprised by my attitude. He took my backpack and excitedly offered me some fruit. I didn’t stand on ceremony and sat down on the couch. Looking around, it really did feel like a happy family of three. But before long, Uncle Steve’s assistant came running in urgently. “Mr. Chen, the factory shipment has been seized too…” Seeing people in the living room, he abruptly stopped talking, sweating profusely as he stood to the side. Uncle Steve paused with the fruit knife in hand, looking a bit awkward as he asked Mom to check on the soup in the kitchen. He then told me to watch TV before heading upstairs with his assistant. I watched the two figures walking upstairs, then glanced at Mom who had been shooed out of the kitchen by the housekeeper when she tried to help. Seeming to make up my mind, I turned and went upstairs. Outside the study, I could hear Uncle Steve’s agitated voice. “In any case, we absolutely cannot let my family know about the company’s situation. Ava has her college entrance exams coming up soon. We can’t let outside factors affect her state of mind. I’ll try negotiating with the factory again to see if we can work something out. If not, we’ll have to sell off my properties. I still have some jewelry we can pawn too.” “But sir, the only property left in your name is the apartment your mother left you. And that jewelry is all heirlooms from your mother…” “I’ve made up my mind. Go take care of it right away.” As soon as he finished speaking, I pushed open the door and walked in. “Wait, Uncle Steve. I have a way to help you get through this crisis.” The two men turned to look at me appraisingly. Uncle Steve spoke first: “Ava, why did you come up here? I appreciate your concern, but this situation may be different from what you imagine. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.” “Actually, you know very well that the factory seizure was done deliberately by someone. So no matter how you negotiate, it won’t help. But I have other reliable channels we can use.” Uncle Steve’s gaze on me grew thoughtful. I met his eyes calmly, quietly waiting for him to consider. After all, I was just a high school student. There was no way I should understand the intricacies of business dealings or the company’s predicament. But I didn’t have time to explain everything to him now. After a long silence, Uncle Steve let out a deep sigh. He looked at me as if he had made up his mind. “Let’s hear it then.” When we went downstairs for dinner, Mom looked at us in surprise. “Why are you two coming out of the study together?” Uncle Steve had a big smile on his face and couldn’t stop praising me. “Having Ava in our family is truly a blessing. It really is as they say – a daughter is a treasure!” Mom didn’t know what had happened, but seeing how well Uncle Steve and I were getting along made her smile and pat my head affectionately. Looking at the joy in Uncle Steve’s eyes, I felt a warmth in my heart. In the past few years when Dad decided to start his business, our family had cut back on all expenses to pour money into the company. Dad was often out late for work, missing even my birthday because of calls from his secretary. He would blame Mom for not being a good supportive wife, leading to constant arguments at home. It had been so long since I’d experienced this kind of warm family atmosphere. Now I was feeling it with Uncle Steve. My eyes grew misty without me realizing. While my life was filled with happiness, things were very different for Iris. Because I had introduced Uncle Steve to the factory connections that were originally meant for Dad’s company, while also revealing the defects in Dad’s products. In my past life, it was those defects being discovered that gave others leverage over Dad. To cover up the truth, he had even tried to send me to an old man’s bed. Thankfully I had slit my wrists and used my life to bargain. In the end, I was only saved because of that man… Thinking of this, the image of a tall figure with broad shoulders and a warm embrace floated through my mind… But they weren’t so lucky this time. Dad was in a panic trying to deal with the product issues, and his fledgling company was on the verge of collapse. In his frustration, he would come home to see Iris all dressed up and not studying, which infuriated him even more. He would beat and kick her, and even threw her out into the cold winter night, where she collapsed on the street. A kind person took her to the hospital. Unable to reach Dad, they called Mom instead. I went with Mom to the hospital. In just a month’s time, Iris had become skin and bones. Her exposed skin was covered in bruises. Seeing this, Mom burst into tears and ran to carefully hug Iris. “How could that beast do this? You’re his own daughter!” “Iris, come home with Mom. I’ll take care of you, my poor child.” But in the next moment, Iris violently pushed Mom’s hands away. “No! I’m staying with Dad, even if it means eating gruel and pickles. I’m not leaving him!” Mom stumbled back two steps, looking up at her in disbelief. “This has nothing to do with you. Stop interfering in my life, okay? You just married a rich guy, what’s there to show off about? You came to the hospital specially to laugh at me? Hah, how long do you think you can stay smug? What goes around comes around – you’ll be the ones crying soon enough!” “Iris, how can you say such things?” In Mom’s eyes, Iris had always been gentle and sensible since childhood. That’s why she had chosen Iris first during the divorce. She had run all the way here after getting the call, even wearing mismatched shoes in her hurry. Now she was met with such cruel words from Iris. Iris laughed coldly and turned her face away, then violently smashed her water glass on the floor. “Get out! Stop meddling in my life!” I gave Iris a long look, then chased after Mom as we left the hospital room. Back home, Mom locked herself in her room and cried for a long time, only coming out for dinner. I knew better than to bring up the incident again, but I could tell Mom was truly heartbroken. That night, I got a call from Iris. “This is all your doing, isn’t it? You knew about the defects in Dad’s products and leaked that information. Are you happy now, seeing me beaten to this state?” I pretended not to understand, not saying much. But Iris didn’t believe me. She laughed coldly, and I could imagine the hatred on her face without seeing it. “Ava Chen, the fates of you and I were decided long ago. You may be able to change things temporarily, but can you change them forever? The wounds on my body now will become glories in the future that others can only dream of. While you, no matter how many times you’re reborn, will always end up as the loser beneath my feet, a rat drowning in the gutter!” “Are you done talking? If so, I’m going to sleep. It’s getting late, and dreams are where anything is possible.” I hung up the phone before she could respond. She was right about one thing – the wounds on her body would become glories others could only envy in the future. But those glories weren’t destined or inborn. They came from me. It was me who used my own hands to reverse my fate. It was me who climbed to the top by stepping on those scars. And I looked forward to the moment when Iris would finally realize this truth. As the college entrance exams drew closer, Iris’s absences from school became more and more frequent. Each time she returned, the new injuries on her body sparked gossip among the other students. I would just glance at her briefly before burying my head in my studies again, working hard to make the most of every minute. In my past life, Dad’s frequent beatings had forced me to miss a lot of school. Even at home, I was busy taking care of his drunken rages with no time to study. Add to that severe sleep deprivation, and I had failed the college entrance exam, only managing to get into a vocational school. But this time, I was determined to seize the opportunity, study hard, and get into the university of my dreams. Three months before the exams, Iris suddenly took a week off school. I calculated the timing – this must be when Dad’s company project had completely failed, and he tried to curry favor with investors by sending Iris to an old man’s bed. The old man had unusual tastes, and with Dad standing guard outside the door, Iris had no escape. Just as I was thinking this, the students around me suddenly started buzzing with excitement. I followed their gazes to the classroom door, where I saw Iris standing in designer clothes with perfect makeup. She was affectionately holding the arm of a tall, handsome young man. The young man was backlit, but his chiseled profile in the shadows gradually overlapped with a figure from my memories. I gripped my pen tightly, not even noticing as the tip left a long mark across my paper. How could those two be together? Iris’s gaze swept across the crowd and landed steadily on me, her eyes glittering with excitement and a desire to show off that was painfully obvious. “Let me introduce you all – this is my fiancé, Jackson King. His father just donated a new library to our school.” At her words, the classroom erupted into chaos. After all, Jackson was the son of the richest man in the country. Now that they were engaged, what did it matter if Iris went to college or not? But in the midst of all the chatter, Jackson walked over to my desk. He lowered his eyes to scan my desktop, then fixed his gaze on my face. “So you’re Iris’s sister, Ava Chen?” “I heard your dad’s company lost $5 million because of product defects. That was thanks to you, wasn’t it?” I gripped my fingers tightly. Based on what I knew of Jackson, his current expression – halfway between a smile and not – was like a predator who had spotted its prey, his whole body radiating excitement at the hunt. Iris came over and leaned half her body against Jackson, her voice coy as she said, “I told you on the way here, didn’t I? My little sister here is quite something. You’d better watch out, or she might trip you up someday.” I was still confused about how Jackson had ended up with Iris in the first place, and I couldn’t be bothered to read between the lines of what she was saying. I lowered my head, packed up my things, and walked out. I clearly remembered that in my past life, when I had finally escaped and ran into Jackson, I had traded my dad’s core company project to get him to protect me. But Jackson was cruel by nature. Compared to my father who resorted to domestic violence at the drop of a hat, the scheming Jackson was truly terrifying. But I had already exposed Dad’s core project as part of my plan. So what had Iris traded to get Jackson on her side? Whatever it was, in this life I was determined to stay far away from Jackson. But soon after, I received a message from Jackson. He had completely guessed my thoughts: “Aren’t you curious about why I became Iris’s fiancé?” I immediately blocked his number and asked for leave from school, deciding to go home instead. I knew Iris’s personality well. Now that she was engaged to Jackson, she felt like a slave who had overthrown her masters and become queen. She had finally achieved the life of her dreams and would definitely want to show off. Sure enough, by the time I got home, even Mom knew about it and was asking me worriedly about the details. “The upper class is as deep as the sea, especially a family like Jackson’s. Who knows what hidden motives they might have? Iris may be willful, but she’s still my daughter. I can’t just stand by and watch her jump into the fire.” Uncle Steve didn’t say much. The company was at a critical juncture, and if they could get through this period, the crisis would truly be over. Naturally, he had no energy to concern himself with other people’s business. Dad’s company received a large investment along with the engagement, and just like in my past life, it gradually became successful. But I had an uneasy feeling that something wasn’t right. Sure enough, the night before the college entrance exam, I was cornered by a group of thugs on my way home from school. They lewdly called out my name, clearly targeting me specifically. I clutched my backpack warily. “Who are you? What do you want?” “Little sister, we heard you have your big exam tomorrow. We came specially to help you relieve some stress.” As they spoke, several men with large tattoos on their arms started walking towards me, their lecherous gazes roaming over my body. I felt nauseated, goosebumps rising on my arms. Without thinking, I turned and ran.

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