Author: Momo Chan

On the day I went into labor, my husband of ten years locked me in the attic. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have missed out on so many years with Hazel!” he shouted. I listened as he hosted a welcome party downstairs for his dream girl who had returned from abroad. The guests cheered loudly as the two kissed. Meanwhile, I died in agony upstairs, alone and in despair, along with our unborn child. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day Lucas first confessed his feelings for me. As I watched him approach with a bouquet of flowers, I turned and walked away. Later, when he offered his heart to me, helpless as a child, I remained unmoved: “Lucas, please don’t ask me not to leave you…” As my due date approached, I went to the hospital alone for a prenatal checkup, cradling my belly. The doctor seemed displeased to see me without anyone accompanying me, but I just shook my head with a forced smile: “My husband is busy with work. I don’t want to bother him.” Lucas and I were childhood sweethearts. We grew up in the same neighborhood, and everyone knew how much I liked him. Lucas came from a poor family originally. We both got into an Ivy League college, and after graduation we got married and started a successful tech company called “Joy Tech”. To others, we were the perfect power couple. I had given up my career early on to be his supportive wife and partner. Today was our wedding anniversary. The checkup results were good, so I was in a cheerful mood. I called Lucas to ask when he’d be home. He hung up before the call connected. A moment later, I received a text from him: “Busy. Will call you back later.” I put away my phone and looked up, catching a glimpse of a familiar face on the hospital TV screen. I froze in shock. In the news report, Lucas was wearing an expensive tailored suit, a tender smile on his normally stern face – an expression I had never seen before. Surrounded by a crowd of reporters, he made his way out, sheltering a tall, beautiful woman in his arms. She kept her head down, clinging to him like a delicate bird. The headlines flashed across the screen: “Tech Mogul Lucas Reunites with First Love, Reportedly Divorced from Wife” “Tech Tycoon and World-Class Violinist – A Perfect Match Made in Heaven!” “If you ask me, Lucas and Miss Hazel are much better suited. That shameless Lily woman just clings on desperately. Now that his dream girl is back, of course the wife has to go,” I overheard someone say. “Exactly! She made a fool of herself just to marry a man like Lucas. She has no self-respect. How could she compare to Miss Hazel?” another chimed in. I stared blankly at Lucas on the screen as he shielded Hazel’s face from the cameras. “Hazel is the love of my life. No one can ever take her place,” he declared. The prenatal report slipped from my hand and fell to the floor. Joy… Joy… I used to think he had named our company after me. But the “Joy” in Joy Tech was for Hazel all along. I don’t remember how I got home. When Hazel saw me, she warmly grasped my hands in greeting. “Lily, it’s been so long!” I coldly shook her off. “Hazel,” I said, “When did you two get together?” “Lily, how dare you speak to Hazel that way?” Lucas frowned. He had never spoken to me so harshly before. I trembled as I looked at him, pointing at Hazel. “Lucas, what is the meaning of this?” His irritated expression made it seem like I was the one being unreasonable. “Hazel just got back and hasn’t found a place to stay yet. What’s wrong with letting her stay here?” he said impatiently. Hazel’s face held a look of smug superiority as she gazed at me with unconcealed disdain. “But I’m your wife!” I cried, tears streaming down my face. My lips quivered as I spoke. “Doesn’t she have her own home? Why does it have to be you, Lucas, taking her in—” “Lily!” he suddenly roared. I flinched, frozen in place. Lucas’s eyes were cold and unfamiliar. He made no attempt to hide the disgust on his face as he glared at me like I was his mortal enemy. “Lily,” he said mockingly, “If I hadn’t needed your money and skills back then, do you think I would have chosen to marry you?” I was stunned. “What did you say?” “You made me miss out on ten years with Hazel. What right do you have to stand here and question me?” He sneered, as if I were some beggar who didn’t know my place. “Just look at yourself now. What use are you besides being an eyesore and dragging me down?” I broke down. All these years I had given up my career, working myself to the bone – and for what? In the end I was tossed aside like garbage, treated as if I were worthless. “Lucas, are you really going to kick me out for this homewrecker?” I asked, my voice shaking as I grabbed his sleeve. But Hazel shoved me away: “Lily, after all these years you’re still so petty.” “In relationships, the one who isn’t loved is the real homewrecker.” She blinked her big eyes innocently. Lucas said impatiently, “I’ll have my assistant send you the divorce papers. Pack your things and leave today.” He glanced at my belly, suddenly pausing. My heart filled with hope that he might soften for the sake of our child. Lucas turned away, his eyes full of disgust: “If you want to keep that bastard child, go ahead. If not, get rid of it. Just don’t show your face in front of me again.”

Something shattered inside me. I stumbled forward desperately: “Lucas, have you no humanity? This is your own flesh and blood!” Hazel cowered behind him like a frightened rabbit. Lucas’s expression darkened and he shoved me hard. “Ah!” I cried out as I fell heavily to the ground. He hadn’t held back at all. I felt a sharp contraction in my belly, followed by waves of pain spreading through my whole body. “Lily, don’t be so shameless,” Lucas said, brushing off his clothes as if he’d touched something dirty. “If it weren’t for you back then, how could I have missed my date with Hazel? You maliciously tore us apart, so now you have to pay the price!” I had no idea what he was talking about. The pain blurred my vision, but I caught a glimpse of Hazel’s mocking expression. I frantically crawled towards her. Hazel kicked me hard in the stomach. “You schemed and plotted, but for what? Lucas has always loved me and only me. You’re nothing but a dog being kicked to the curb.” I felt liquid seeping out beneath me as my vision went dark. “Lucas, the guests will be arriving soon. With her like this…” Hazel said. My hair was roughly grabbed as Lucas dragged me upstairs. I struggled desperately, but my strength was fading with the pain: “Lucas, you beast! I was blind to have ever married you!” With a loud bang, I was thrown into the attic. “Hazel is the light of my life, the woman I love most in this world,” he declared. “No one can ever take her place.” “Lily, you stopped me from meeting her back then and made me lose Hazel. No matter what you do now to keep us apart, I will never let go of her hand!” When did I ever stop him from meeting her? But I could no longer speak. Lucas slammed the door shut. “Stay here and reflect on your actions! Don’t come out until you’ve learned your lesson!” I lay crumpled on the floor like a broken rag doll, listening to the laughter and cheer from downstairs, hearing our friends toast to Lucas and Hazel’s relationship. Tears rolled silently down my face. I breathed my last, consumed by fury and regret. 4 When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my high school classroom. Harsh sunlight streamed in through the windows. I saw a crowd gathered on the sports field. This scene felt so familiar… Someone came running up to me. “Lily, come to the field with me! Lucas is waiting for you!” I turned to look, my eyes widening in shock when I saw who it was. Seeing no reaction from me, Hazel grabbed my arm: “Hurry up, everyone’s waiting!” I jerked my arm away violently. Hatred surged through me. Hazel looked taken aback, somewhat annoyed: “Fine, don’t come then. But don’t regret it later!” She ran off. I stared blankly at the dispersing crowd on the field, revealing Lucas standing there with a bouquet of flowers and Hazel hurrying back to comfort him. If I remembered correctly, this was the day Lucas had confessed to me. The beginning of all the tragedy in my past life. A chill ran down my spine. No, I couldn’t repeat the same mistakes. Heaven had given me a second chance, and I had to seize control of my own fate this time. As for those two… My palm stung. I looked down to see four crescent-shaped marks where my nails had dug into my skin. “Well well, moving on to greener pastures?” a lazy voice drawled from behind me. I turned to see Ethan. We hadn’t had much interaction in my past life, so I ignored him. Ethan didn’t push further. He just smirked and went back to napping on his desk. The bell rang and Lucas entered the classroom, giving me a complicated look. I ignored the whispers and stares around me, taking out my textbook to study instead. Although I had gotten into an Ivy League school in my past life, I had forgotten most of my high school knowledge. It would be challenging to catch up to my previous academic level. I needed to come up with a more reliable plan for myself this time. As I pondered, something tapped my back. I saw a crumpled note fall by my feet. The murmurs around me grew louder. I glanced back to see Lucas’s sullen face. He stared at me intently, as if certain I would accept this olive branch and go back to fawning over him. I lowered my gaze, not bothering to pick up the note. Instead, I raised my hand in front of everyone. “Teacher, someone is passing notes in class. It’s disrupting my studies.” A commotion broke out. “Pfft!” Amid the stunned silence, a snicker came from the figure slumped over his desk in the back row. Lucas’s face flushed red as the teacher made him leave the classroom under everyone’s scrutiny. I saw Hazel looking at him with concern. As Lucas passed by my desk, he paused: “Lily, what are you playing at?” I kept my head down, pretending not to hear him. What was I playing at? I simply refused to be a pawn in their little drama anymore. They could play out their angsty romance all they wanted. Just leave innocent bystanders out of it, using them as collateral damage to fulfill their grand love story.

After class, I went to get some water. Lucas cornered me in the hallway. “Lily, are you done with your tantrum?” he demanded. “What?” I asked, confused. “Just because I chose Hazel as my partner for the biology competition instead of you? Your grades are excellent – not having that extra credit won’t affect your college applications. But Hazel needs this. I have to help her!” Lucas lectured me with a frown, as if I was being utterly unreasonable. “Didn’t you promise not to compete with me for the spot? Hazel is your friend too. Can’t you be less petty and jealous? You’re jeopardizing someone else’s future!” I wanted to laugh at the absurdity. Sacrificing my opportunities for Hazel’s future, without a second thought. Then I remembered. The school had allocated five spots for the National Biology Olympiad to our class. By the time it got to us, only one spot remained. Lucas had approached me then, which was rare. He asked me to give up my spot for him. After all, I was his only real competition in our class. My biology scores were the best in our grade. The teachers called me a prodigy. Lucas went to great lengths for Hazel’s future, even feeling guilty years later that he couldn’t give her the best. He ended up taking over the company I had poured my heart and soul into building, all to impress Hazel. But he never once considered the price I paid in giving up everything. He felt entitled to my sacrifices, as if it were only natural. Seeing my silence, Lucas softened his tone, looking smug and self-assured. “You were always pestering me to tutor you in English before. If you back down now, I’ll agree to tutor you.” He looked at me as if bestowing some great favor, making me sick to my stomach. I couldn’t hide my disgust. “Lucas, who the hell do you think you are?” He was stunned, not expecting me to curse at him. “If you like Hazel, go after her yourself. Don’t blame others for your own cowardice. What kind of man are you?” “You’ve got some nerve. Why should I have to pay the price for your love life?” Lucas stood there dumbfounded as I walked away without a backward glance. Around the corner, Hazel was startled to see me. She looked at me awkwardly. But I didn’t spare her a single glance. I hadn’t expected Lucas to be so shameless. When he came to my desk with a practice exam, I shoved the form I was filling out into my desk. “Lily, there’s a problem Hazel can’t solve. Can you help her?” he asked. I looked at him like he was an idiot. “Teach her yourself.” Lucas’s expression turned awkward. “Lily, neither Lucas nor I can figure it out,” Hazel said with a sweet smile. To others she might have seemed kind, but I caught the flash of resentment and contempt in her eyes. “He said you once promised to help him unconditionally, so we came to you.” “You’re not refusing because you’re jealous that Lucas and I get to compete together, are you?” she continued. “This is a national competition. If we win, it’ll benefit our whole class and school. You should think of the bigger picture and not let your personal feelings get in the way.” Her words sparked a chorus of agreement from our classmates: “Yeah, talk about petty! No wonder Lucas doesn’t like her.” “They’re doing her a favor by asking. As if someone as smart as Lucas needs help from a selfish person like her!” “If Lucas loses because she’s jealous, she’ll be sorry!” Hearing everyone criticize me, Hazel smiled in satisfaction. Lucas’s eyes darkened: “Lily, that’s enough. Don’t be so ungrateful.” I laughed. “If you can’t handle it yourselves, why take on the challenge? Isn’t that ridiculous?” “Are you going to blame me if you fail the competition too? Expect me to take the test for you?” Lucas was at a loss for words. Hazel’s expression soured as well. I was a biology prodigy. Our company Joy Tech had succeeded largely due to my technical skills. In my past life, I had given up a guaranteed spot in a top university’s biology lab for Lucas’s sake. But on the day of the finals, he had run off to the airport to chase after Hazel, wasting an opportunity others would kill for. This time, I refused to hand over what was rightfully mine. Lucas frowned deeply: “Acting out like this won’t get my attention. It only makes me resent you.” I rolled my eyes: “As if I care.” The biology teacher walked in. I stood up and pulled the registration form from my desk. “Teacher, I want to sign up for the Olympiad!”

The biology teacher was thrilled. She had tried hard to persuade me to compete before, but I had always refused. She said she would fight to get me an extra spot no matter what. Lucas was stunned. He hadn’t expected me to suddenly change my mind and enter the competition. This meant he and Hazel now had a formidable rival. We had to compete internally before advancing to the state-level competition. Hazel looked at me with concern: “Lily, do you really want to compete? Or are you just doing this to spite Lucas? This isn’t something to take lightly.” Her friend chimed in: “Don’t be so selfish. Your extra spot means someone else loses theirs.” Hazel smiled: “The team has already been training for a month. Even if you join now, you won’t be able to catch up. You’ll just embarrass yourself and waste study time. Don’t jeopardize your future over petty relationship drama.” Her words seemed considerate on the surface, but they painted my decision to compete as nothing more than jealous pettiness, disregarding the bigger picture. I said coldly: “You know exactly how you got selected. If you can compete, why can’t I?” Hazel’s face paled. Seeing her discomfort, Lucas’s expression darkened. “Lily, don’t go too far!” “Hazel is looking out for you and this is how you repay her? Apologize right now!” “Don’t think this will make me like you. I could never love someone so narrow-minded and unjust!” I thought he must be mentally unwell. How else could he not see my utter disgust for him? “Lucas,” I said, “Was your spot obtained fairly then?” “If I hadn’t withdrawn, do you think you’d have had a chance?” With that, I ignored them and walked away. The biology teacher told me to choose a partner. I looked around, just wanting someone who wouldn’t get in my way and let me focus on the competition. Lucas seemed to say something, but I didn’t catch it. My gaze landed on the figure slumped over his desk in the back row. “I choose him!” Ethan slowly raised his head, looking at me with bleary confusion, not quite grasping what was happening. Sure enough, he never showed up for any of the study sessions or training after that. It was as if I was competing alone. Hazel watched me with schadenfreude while Lucas wore a knowing expression. As if my choice of Ethan was just to make him jealous, to get his attention, but I had only shot myself in the foot. He patiently tutored Hazel, his face radiating sincere contentment. I knew he was trying to make up for his regrets from the past life. But what about my regrets? Back then, heavily pregnant with our child, I had begged him to accompany me to prenatal checkups. He couldn’t even be bothered to go. It wasn’t that he lacked patience. He just never directed that patience towards me. Ethan turned out to be almost too low-maintenance. I never once saw him at our training sessions. Doing the work of two people while trying to catch up to everyone else’s progress, I didn’t get home until well after dark. I opened the door to find two unexpected guests sitting on the couch. “Lily’s home. Your Aunt Jenny and Lucas came over for dinner. I made some extra dishes,” my mom said. I looked at the people on the couch. Lucas turned away, his face cold and aloof. Dinner was like chewing sawdust. Lucas’s mom kept lamenting her tragic fate like a broken record. Widowed young, with no job, forced to work odd jobs to support herself and her son. Lucas looked uncomfortable. Of course – his pride couldn’t stand appearing weak in front of others, especially me. My mom kept sighing: “Lily, you must look after Lucas more at school!” I scarfed down a few bites and retreated to my room. Shortly after, my door opened. I said flatly: “Barging into a girl’s room – is this how your family raised you?” He flinched as if stung, his face turning icy. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” “Couldn’t win me over yourself, so you’re going after my mom?” He sneered: “Lily, when will you understand that your fake concern and pity only disgust me?” “You invited my mom over just to see me humiliated, to feed your superiority complex, didn’t you?” “Stop wasting your time. I hate your phony kindness. It makes me sick!” [Truncation point]

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Eight years into our marriage, I was kidnapped along with Ryan Pierce’s sister, Chloe Song. Ryan Pierce, worth millions, only brought ransom money for one person. When forced to choose, he told me: “Ava, your dad is rich. He’ll come save you. But Chloe only has me.” When I escaped and made it home barely alive, the media was busy glorifying their love story. As I stumbled home, countless reporters were camped outside our mansion, cameras aimed at my husband and Chloe, interviewing them. Ryan held Chloe tightly as reporters praised their ride-or-die love, completely forgetting that Chloe was nothing more than a homewrecker. It seemed in their eyes, a moment of passion trumped marital loyalty. As I got out of the car, I was a complete mess. My torn clothes hung off me like rags. Camera flashes went wild. My dad tried to shield me with a huge blanket, desperately fending off the reporters. But it was all in vain. Ryan’s face flashed with shock, then quickly turned to disgust. My whole body ached, especially my abdomen which felt like it was being carved up. The pain made me curl up until I blacked out. In my dreams, I was still in the kidnappers’ clutches. Chloe had already been taken away by Ryan. The kidnappers had taken nude photos of Chloe, so she begged Ryan not to call the police. Ryan agreed and brought ransom money to save us. But ridiculously, despite being worth millions, Ryan only brought enough ransom for one person. When forced to choose, he held my hand tightly, eyes full of emotion. “Ava, your dad is rich. He’ll come save you. But Chloe only has me. You understand, right?” At that moment I didn’t understand. I only knew those men had been eyeing my clothes for a while. I was terrified, so I cried and begged him: “Ryan, don’t leave me here. Pay my ransom and I’ll have Dad pay you back when we get home!” Ryan lowered his head. “I’m sorry, but my company’s project is really important. If I take out money now, your dad might not help me. I’m sorry!” With that, Ryan yanked his hand away and ran off with Chloe. I didn’t even get a chance to tell him I was pregnant. Our little one was already two months along. But those words never got a chance to be said. They ripped my clothes and gagged me. My limbs were bound to a pillar with wire. As I struggled, the wire cut into my flesh, as if violently scraping away the life in my womb. Meanwhile, my frantic father had no idea about any of this. After Ryan took Chloe home, she was too traumatized by the nude photos to speak about what happened. My dear husband actually didn’t say a word about my whereabouts. The police couldn’t get any information from them about where I was, so they could only waste time searching carefully. At this point, even my dad’s money was useless, because I had seen the kidnappers’ faces and they were planning to sell me to Southeast Asia. Luckily, the kidnappers let their guard down during transport, allowing me to find a chance to escape. Along the way, I crawled through mud, slept in dumpsters, and even fought stray dogs for food. After countless brushes with death, I finally made it back to the city and was found by the police. My dad nearly fainted when he first saw me, but still shakily wrapped me in a blanket. In my dream, I seemed to see a little girl with pigtails in a princess dress, waving at me. “Baby, baby, Mommy is so sorry!” I ran towards the child like a madwoman, but she kept getting further away until she disappeared. I suddenly opened my eyes to see Ryan sitting by my bed. Seeing him made me want to vomit, so I desperately tried to drive him away. “What are you doing here? Get out, I don’t want to see you.” Ryan angrily scolded me: “We’re husband and wife. Isn’t it normal for me to come see you?” Agitated, I grabbed a pillow and threw it at him: “I don’t want to see you. Get out!” Seeing this, Ryan furiously yelled: “Can’t you learn from Chloe? At least she knows to comfort me. You just get angry at me. Such a spoiled rich girl attitude. I’ve been worried sick about you two for days without sleep. What right do you have to be angry?” Hearing this, I let out a bitter laugh. How could his few sleepless nights compare to the pain all over my body? I was electrocuted, whipped, and even burned with cigarettes by the kidnappers every day. They were angry at my husband for refusing to pay my ransom. I gave a tragic smile: “Ryan Pierce, your heart must be made of sewage rocks – filthy and disgusting! You say we’re husband and wife, but what kind of husband would abandon his wife to a group of brutal kidnappers?” Hearing me say this, his attitude softened. “You know I’ve been short on cash for the company lately. I’m not from a rich family like you. Your dad is loaded. Besides, you were rescued in the end, right? What’s there to be angry about!” Just then my dad suddenly pushed open the door. Seeing Ryan, he immediately lunged to attack him. But Ryan shoved him away hard! “Dad!”

Seeing my dad fall heavily to the ground, Ryan finally realized what he’d done. “Dad, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to. I didn’t see clearly just now!” He hurried over, trying to help my dad up, but was pushed away. My dad glared at him angrily, struggling to his feet on his own. “I don’t care if you saw clearly or not. Get out now, my child needs rest!” Seeing my dad’s anger, Ryan obediently left. He knew very well that even though our family was bankrupt now, my dad’s connections were still not something he could handle. After Ryan left, I quickly helped my dad up. But he pulled me into a tight hug instead. “Don’t be afraid, sweetie. Daddy’s here!” I hugged my dad tightly and broke down sobbing. I really didn’t understand why I was always the second choice. I cried for a long time before falling into a deep sleep again. Due to the trauma and torture of the past days, I kept having nightmares. In my dreams, I seemed to see the ridiculous story of my life. As a high school girl full of innocent puppy love, I fell for the class heartthrob Ryan Pierce. Perhaps every class has a boy like that – good grades, good habits, polite and gentle. But Ryan’s family situation was very bad. His mother had been raped and gave birth to him as a result. Shortly after he was born, his mother was hospitalized for schizophrenia. He grew up with his grandparents, but they didn’t care much for this child who had ruined their daughter’s life. Sympathizing with a boy became the start of my tragedy. Our class was the top class in school at the time. Besides getting in on grades, you could also get in based on family wealth. So the class was split half and half between smart kids and rich kids. Ryan happened to be the permanent top student in our grade, which easily made him a target of jealousy. That’s when I appeared, protecting him time and time again. At first Ryan looked down on me, until one day when I got into a big fight with another classmate to stand up for him. I was pushed to the ground, fracturing my wrist as I tried to break my fall. After that, Ryan’s attitude towards me changed. He started taking care of me more. To be with him, I worked hard to get into the same college. My dad also approved of my relationship with him. In his eyes, Ryan was a rare talent. With my dad’s support, I started asking Ryan out. Ryan didn’t agree, but he didn’t clearly reject me either. Blinded by love, I stupidly assumed I was his girlfriend. I had known since high school that Ryan had a sister named Chloe Song. She was his uncle’s daughter. But what I didn’t know was that she was adopted by Ryan’s uncle. She grew up with Ryan, but just before starting high school, she was suddenly taken away by his uncle. It wasn’t until our wedding day that this girl suddenly appeared at our ceremony. She stumbled in barefoot, covered in injuries. Even her light blue dress was stained with blood. She looked at Ryan with tears streaming down: “Brother, I escaped. Why didn’t you wait for me?” With just that one sentence, the ring Ryan was about to put on my finger suddenly fell to the ground. That night, Ryan didn’t come back. On our wedding night, he was at the hospital with his sister. Despite the bitterness in my heart, I could only swallow it. After all, I had always been the one chasing him. The next day I changed clothes, planning to visit the hospital. But I ran into my dad at the door. “Going to the hospital? Not allowed! My daughter hasn’t stooped so low as to let others humiliate her!” I cried and begged my dad to let me go to the hospital. At that point I was in too deep. After all, during my pursuit of Ryan, he had given me many responses. Those responses were enough to make up beautiful youthful memories. I really couldn’t let go. However, at the hospital I learned a shocking truth. Chloe wasn’t Ryan’s uncle’s biological daughter at all. The reason she was taken away back then was because the two kids had developed romantic feelings. Ryan’s uncle sent Chloe abroad and ordered her to cut off contact with Ryan, or he would disown her. Chloe studied hard abroad, all for the day she could escape her father’s control and return to be with Ryan. On my wedding day with Ryan, she finally broke free and escaped back. I covered my mouth as I listened to this, finally fleeing back to our marital home in disgrace. When Ryan returned, I asked for a divorce. But he refused and made up for our wedding night. That day I was in physical and emotional pain. He roughly had his way with me all day, falling into a deep sleep after. I was left alone crying. I slapped myself hard, but still couldn’t wake up. I wanted to try again. That “try” lasted 8 years. 8 years of a ménage à trois marriage left me physically and mentally exhausted. Just as I was about to ask for divorce again, Chloe and I were kidnapped at the same time. And in this kidnapping incident, I lost the child I had yearned for for years. Waking from the nightmare, I was still in the hospital. My father’s hair had turned much whiter overnight. But soon, an even more devastating news came that would crush my poor old man. Somehow a tumor had appeared in my stomach. When I was in dire straits, their punches and kicks caused the tumor to rupture. Now the cancer has spread, and I only have three months left to live.

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1 Tangled bedsheets, vile curses, a sickening atmosphere, and excruciating pain… burning cigarette butts on my skin… In my final moments, barely clinging to life, I was thrown from the 37th floor by those monsters. “Sophia, if there’s an afterlife, I’ll drag you down to hell with me!” That was my last memory of my previous life. “You filthy whore!” A vicious slap landed on my face. “I left my wife and kids for you! I gave you my heart and my money, and you were playing multiple guys at once?!” “You dare toy with our feelings? I swear we’ll kill you if you don’t pay back every cent you scammed from us!” “Say something! Playing mute now? Damn it, I gave up everything for you and never even touched you. Today, you either pay up or… heh heh heh.” I opened my eyes to find my hair being yanked violently. Several men glared at me with murderous rage, looking like they wanted to tear me to pieces. I had returned to the day when these seven men confronted me. Memories of my past life flooded back. On this very day in my previous life, I was lured out by my best friend Allison. These thugs dragged me to a hotel where I lost the most precious thing a girl has… as well as my life. But now I’ve been reborn. At this moment, I felt a hint of excitement. One by one, watch how I destroy you all. “What the hell? Who are you guys? You’re all so damn ugly, you could scare ten bulls to death. Do you think I’d be desperate enough to have an online relationship with trash like you?” I broke free while they were distracted and slapped one of them hard. “Don’t you have mirrors at home? Or at least a puddle to pee in and see your reflection?!” I made my stance clear. In my past life, I trusted my best friend Allison too much. I had suspicions but didn’t dare to think too deeply about them, which led to my tragic end. Living this life again, I absolutely won’t allow the same thing to happen. “You bitch! How dare you insult m—” “Idiots! If it really was me, do you think I’d be stupid enough to wait around for you to catch me after pulling such a big scam?” I patted his face mockingly. “You bunch of fools are being used as pawns and still think you’re so tough!” The man was stunned. “The photos and name are yours. How dare you deny it?” “Moron, just because the photos and name are mine means I’m the one who had an online relationship with you?” I was so annoyed I slapped him again. “Did it never occur to you that someone else could have stolen my photos and name?” Allison, you despicable bitch. These men aren’t innocent either – being scammed of everything and driven to desperation has brought out the worst in their human nature. The humiliation from my past life felt like it was just yesterday. Now that I have this chance, how could I not get some payback first? “It’s your photos and name, how could it not be you? Stop with this act! I’m not falling for your tricks!” “Damn it, you dare hit me? Boys, grab her! We’ll show you what hell really is! You’ll be on your knees begging for mercy soon…” The man was enraged and ordered the others to seize me. Before they could get close, I fell to the ground and started convulsing violently. Then I crawled in a twisted, creepy way towards that man’s feet. Suddenly I stood up and grabbed his crotch in a death grip. “I know what you want to do to me. No need for a hotel, let’s do it right here! Come on! Come on!” The lead man froze in shock. I licked his face and then turned to leer at the other men behind him, grinning and drooling: “Hee hee hee~” 2. Everyone present was stunned. Seizing this opportunity, I quickly yanked down the pants of several men in front, then ran towards the crowd with all my might! As I ran, I shouted: “Here comes the little flying club! Group play~ Group play~” Behind me, the men cursed filthily as they pulled up their pants, but none of them dared chase after me. After running about half a mile, I suddenly stopped and turned to stare at them with the eyes of a vengeful ghost. The men who had been cursing immediately fell silent. Five minutes later, I started running towards them again, laughing maniacally in bizarre postures. Now it was the seven men’s turn to run away screaming like stuck pigs: “Ahh! Ahh!!!” “Help! Don’t come near us!” “She’s insane!!!” They acted as if I was some terrifying monster. If I had a kitchen knife in my hand right now, these guys would probably lose their minds completely. In my previous life, Allison secretly used my photos to have online relationships with these seven men simultaneously. She scammed them of all their assets, causing them to lose their wives and children and be buried in debt, before ghosting them all. Later, these seven men, consumed by hatred born from love, plotted together and came to the school, determined to make me pay the price. In the end, I was dragged to a shady motel and violated to death. Actually, I should have been safe that day. A kind classmate had seen them outside campus and asked if I had offended anyone, warning me to be careful and not leave the school grounds unnecessarily. As a senior, I was already busy with coursework and assignments, so I really hardly left campus those few days. Every day was just a triangle between the classroom, cafeteria and dorm. It was my best friend Allison. She tricked me, saying the stray cat I often fed outside campus had given birth, but the mother cat died during labor. The four kittens were barely alive, and she urged me to hurry over to help, saying she was waiting for me there… I rushed over in a panic, but where were the kittens?! What awaited me was a group of men’s brutal beatings and curses. And Allison was nowhere to be seen! What I didn’t know then was that those four kittens had long been tortured to death by Allison and thrown into the sewer. Afterwards, they calculated a sum, saying I owed them millions… I had to pay them back plus $2 million for emotional damages. I hadn’t done anything, why was I being extorted? Before I could figure out what was going on, I was violently dragged to a hotel. Those 6 hours were the most painful 6 hours of my short 21 years of life… They burned cigarettes on my thighs, forced me to kneel and beg them like a dog, and when they weren’t satisfied they grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the wall… In the end, there wasn’t a patch of uninjured skin left on my body. I was like a soulless skeleton. Messy bedsheets, filthy curses, a sickening atmosphere, excruciating pain down below, burning cigarette butts on my skin… In my final moments, when I had barely a breath left, these scum pushed me from the 7th floor… Because they chose an illegal hotel without surveillance cameras, in the end my death was ruled a suicide by the police. After I died, my good friend Allison capitalized on my tragedy. In secret, she bought the obscene videos of me from those men, then posted them on various platforms for profit. Then, she spread rumors at school saying I was a scammer who toyed with people’s feelings for money. She specifically opened an account to detail how I supposedly dated seven men at once. Finally, she claimed the thing she regretted most in life was being friends with me, that it took her so long to see what kind of person I really was, and that she too had been deceived and hurt. For a time, she attracted attention online and gained sympathy, amassing countless followers. 3. The school accused me of corrupting campus morals, my family was ashamed to acknowledge such a disgraceful daughter, and everyone applauded my death. While I was alive, she had me violated to death. After I died, she still made me suffer online harassment! And those seven men never knew that the person they had online relationships with wasn’t actually me! My good friend Allison, having escaped unscathed, began frequently appearing with the campus heartthrob. Step by step, she climbed to the pinnacle of success with her carefully crafted public image, becoming a role model among the school’s outstanding graduates. Fortunately, I’ve been reborn in this life. So, my dear friend Allison, it’s time for you to pay your own debts! “Oh, Allison, it’s you.” “Online relationships with multiple guys, scamming money, and using your best friend’s photos – just how vicious can you be?” “Since you enjoy juggling multiple relationships so much, you won’t mind if we boys share you, right?” Three days later, in a dark, damp basement. Allison was stripped naked and forced to kneel on the ground. At first, she still denied everything, but when that person threw her personal information and bank statements in her face, she panicked. She cried and begged for mercy on the ground. The story that played out on my body in my past life was about to unfold on her. Looking at the scene in the video, I smirked. How delightful! Three days ago, after catching up with those seven men, I told them to simply check the money trail to see if I was really the one who scammed them. I said if they took revenge on the wrong person, the one who really played them might be hiding somewhere laughing at them. They’d end up being the real fools then. Those seven men had been badly deceived by Allison. My reminder made them more cautious. Their intelligence finally came online. See, in just a few short days they’d already tracked down Allison, the real culprit. Oh right, I secretly chose this place for them too. Are you surprised, my dear friend? Lowering my cap brim, I continued watching the scene on the computer. “Please, I’m begging you, let me go! I don’t have any money, you’ve been tricked. How could I easily get Sophia’s photos without her permission?” “It was all her, she forced me to do this!” After her initial panic, Allison regained her composure. The lead man viciously slapped her: “She forced you? Then why did you spend all the money?” “One second you’re begging us to let you go, the next you’re saying it wasn’t you.” “You really think we’re that stupid?” “We came all this way to find you. If you’d just quietly returned the money, that would’ve been the end of it. But you love playing these little tricks, toying with us…” “Ah!” The man burned one cigarette after another on Allison’s body. Allison cried out: “I… don’t have the money. It really wasn’t me… The photos are Sophia’s so Sophia’s the one who scammed you. It’s all her fault! All her fault! “Let me go, I’ll call her right now and lure her here. You… you definitely can’t let her off easy.” “Ah~” Another slap landed on her face. “You bitch, trying to confuse us. You ruined our lives, left us penniless. I’d love nothing more than to kill you right now. You think we still care about the photos?” “No, I mean, lure my friend here. She has money… she’s a rich young lady…” Allison’s lip bled as she laughed wickedly: “Heh heh heh.” The lead man grabbed her hair: “Seriously? Is this how you treat your best friend? How much do you hate her?” Allison snapped and screamed: “She’s my best friend, what’s wrong with her sharing some of the burden? What else is she good for? ———-This is the breakpoint———-

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I chased after Skyler for 5 years before he finally agreed to marry me. Two months before our wedding, I got into a car accident. I called him three times, but he hung up on me each time. His junior, Vivian, had suggested he give me the cold shoulder for a while to make me less clingy. When I crawled out of the ravine, I was covered in injuries. My right hand had suffered a comminuted fracture. At that moment, I finally understood that some things can’t be forced. But then he started showing up at my door every day, red-eyed, begging me to give him 5 years too. When I was brought to the hospital, my clothes were in tatters and I was covered in injuries. The doctor looked at me and sighed, saying if I had come a few hours earlier, they might have been able to save my right hand. A few hours earlier. I stared numbly at the hospital ceiling, listening to the doctor’s verdict. Comminuted fracture of the right hand, slim chances of recovery. I probably wouldn’t be able to paint again. Tears rolled down my cheeks as despair spread through my body. Why could I never learn to let go? What was he doing right now, I wondered? Maybe he had opened a bottle of wine last night, celebrating that I hadn’t bothered him. Or perhaps he was practicing piano with Vivian, the two of them enjoying an intimate moment together. I smiled bitterly to myself. At least I wouldn’t be an obstacle between them anymore. My phone rang. It was Skyler. I slowly closed my eyes. This time I had to learn my lesson. Skyler burst into my hospital room. Not a wrinkle on his clothes, he frowned at me coldly, like a lofty god looking down on a mortal. He berated me: “What kind of stunt are you pulling now? Why aren’t you answering your phone?” “Getting yourself into this state just because I didn’t answer your call yesterday? I told you I was busy. Can’t you understand that?” His words stabbed into my still-bleeding wounds. For a moment, my dead heart cried out in pain again. He had sentenced me without even asking what happened. Even seeing me lying here covered in injuries didn’t stir the slightest ripple in his heart. After all, he was the man I had loved for five years – a single word from him could provoke all my emotions. I looked at him sadly, unable to speak. My eyes filled with tears, as if begging, as if mourning. The white walls reflected his coldness. The smell of disinfectant in the air seemed to mock my foolishness. He must not have seen me like this before. He looked uncomfortable: “Take care and get well. Remember to participate in the national art design competition next week. I have to get back to practice now.” He added: “This piano competition is very important to me. Don’t disturb me during this time.” With that, he left without looking back, never once asking about my injuries. I watched his hastily retreating figure, my whole body cold. I couldn’t say a word. This was the boy I had chased for five years. Tears fell uncontrollably. I had naively thought it was my sincerity and passion that had moved him, that had made him turn and look at me. The piano competition was important to him. Vivian was important to him. His friends were important to him. So what was I? I used to think everything would pay off in the end, just like how I persevered with my painting. But reality had given me a harsh wake-up call. Not everything turns out beautifully just because you persist. My sincerity meant nothing to him. So why did he agree to marry me? Why did he give me hope? The sun set. I curled up in bed, shivering as if I was back in that dark night, trapped in the car, unconscious for who knows how long, despairing and thinking I was going to die. Before I passed out, I had made one phone call. I thought of him first, but I lay unconscious all night without rescue coming. Perhaps I was wrong from the start. I had forced things after all, just like with my art career. It wasn’t meant to be. After five days of treatment, my body started to recover. Except for my hand. The doctor suggested I go abroad for treatment. I smiled bitterly. How could I afford that? I left the hospital and returned to my rented apartment. The small room was filled with paintings. Five years ago, at the graduation party, I had fallen for him at first sight. Since then, all my paintings had been of him. The whole room was filled with paintings related to him. It seemed I had been living in his world all these years, losing myself.

The excessive emotional suppression made me feel suffocated. Looking at the room full of paintings of him, I screamed out loud. My emotions burst forth at that moment. I frantically tore down papers and stomped on them, violently ripping apart paintings I had painstakingly created. The floor was a mess as I vented my emotions. I sat on the floor and wept loudly. Ruined. Everything was ruined. There was still one painting left. My favorite one, framed on the wall, which I had overlooked. It was the first painting I made when I saw Skyler. My hands trembled as I reached out to touch it, but I felt as if I had been electrocuted. Tears streaming down my face, I froze in place. I wasn’t as strong as I thought I was. Three days later, Skyler found me at an art exhibition. He angrily questioned me, his eyes seeming to shoot fire: “Why didn’t you participate in the competition? Don’t you know you had the best chance of winning? Do you know how important this competition was? Even if you want to throw a tantrum, you should know when and where.” A series of accusations hit my already numb heart. At that moment, I had so many things I wanted to ask him, but all I could say was: “Oh, congratulations on winning.” Skyler’s expression softened a bit: “So you watched the competition. How come I didn’t see you there? You left so early without waiting for me.” I hadn’t gone. I had guessed. With his skills, winning would have been easy. I pointed at the paintings around the room and asked softly: “Do you think these paintings are beautiful?” My eyes were full of pity. This exhibition was probably the last time I would display my past works. I quietly watched the crowd coming and going, occasionally stopping in front of a painting to admire the artist’s skill. One of my paintings was here too. Skyler rubbed his temples and took my hand. “Summer, I was a bit busy the past couple days and neglected you. But you know how important this competition was to me. Get dressed up and accompany me to tonight’s party.” “I don’t have time,” I said. I looked at him calmly: “Skyler, let’s break up.” He laughed, as if he had heard a joke: “Break up?” Then he said gently: “Summer, be good. After tonight is over, I’ll spend time with you.” I tilted my head and thought for a moment: “No. We’ve broken up.” He stepped forward, wanting to hold me in his arms and comfort me like he had countless times before. But the moment he touched me, I pushed him away and let out a piercing scream. The whole venue was drawn to the sound of my voice. The fragile balance I had been maintaining was unexpectedly torn apart. I crouched down holding my head, violent emotions assaulting my brain again. Resentment, unwillingness, pain, disappointment, despair. All my efforts and pursuits of the first half of my life had turned to bubbles in one night. But I could have been saved, couldn’t I? If only it had been a few hours earlier. If only he had answered the phone. If only he had patiently listened to me finish one sentence. He froze, standing there dumbfounded, not daring to take another step forward. “Summer, it’s me. It’s me. What’s wrong?” He looked helpless like a child, cautiously unsure of what had happened. It took great effort to control my emotions. I slowly walked out of the hall. Skyler chased after me. I turned my back to him and said: “I need some time alone.” Back home, I sat alone in my studio, sometimes wanting to laugh, sometimes wanting to cry. I thought I was calm, but seeing Skyler brought on an intense feeling of grievance that swept through my whole body. The room was brightly lit. I had been sleeping with the lights on lately. As soon as it got dark, I couldn’t help but think of that pitch-black night. Intense pain swept through my body as I tried to grasp at a lifeline that had sent my art career to its grave.

I resented Skyler in my heart, but reason told me he had no obligation to save me. I shouldn’t blame him. But I couldn’t control it. He was my boyfriend. We had agreed to get married. If only he had given me a few more seconds to say something, instead of hanging up after saying he was busy. Or if he had called to check on me that night when I didn’t come home, noticing something was wrong. I had never stayed out all night before. He knew where I had gone too. I had told him. I really had told him. The papers scattered on the floor seemed to mock my stupidity. My persistence felt like a joke. When I was young and learning to paint, no one supported me. So I forged ahead alone, and had made a name for myself by now. But it was as if heaven was playing a cruel joke on me, blatantly telling me that all this success and happiness was just temporarily lent to me, and now it was time to take it back. I threw all my art supplies into the trash and stuffed my paintings into bags, planning to throw them out tomorrow. At midnight, I received a message from a friend. Skyler had announced our engagement at the banquet. He probably still didn’t know about my situation. How could a painter who couldn’t hold a brush anymore participate in competitions? He was celebrating his success at the banquet, and casually announced his engagement, without naming the bride. Everyone congratulated him, their gazes subtly gathering on Vivian White beside him. The golden boy and jade girl, what a perfect match. I lay in my small rented room, surrounded by wreckage, papers full of folly. The next day, their names and video appeared in the trending topics. Piano prodigy Skyler announces engagement to Vivian White, daughter of his teacher. A flood of congratulations filled the comments. In the afternoon, Skyler showed up at my door. This should be his first time coming here. I had just been planning to clear things up with him anyway. I opened the door for him. He looked at the empty room in surprise: “Where are your paintings?” “I can’t paint anymore.” “What nonsense is this? What happened? Why did you block me?” Skyler stared at me dissatisfied, as if scolding a disobedient child: “Summer, stop fooling around. Our wedding is in a month.” “I know I’ve neglected you lately, but you can’t always be so unreasonable. Pack your things and come home with me.” His nonchalance made it seem like this whole drama was just my one-sided tantrum. I laughed, then started crying: “Home? What home? Where is home? Your home with Vivian? It’s all over social media that you’re marrying her. What am I supposed to do there?” He frowned, his gaze distant: “I announced our engagement last night. I wanted to surprise you, but you weren’t in good shape and didn’t show up. The media misunderstood. I didn’t handle it well. I’ve already had people take down the trending topic. This has nothing to do with Vivian. She’s a victim too.” Every word he said was defending Vivian, blaming me for not being there. Victim? Innocent? Then what was I, a joke? Tears rolled down my cheeks. For once, he didn’t show disgust. “Why didn’t you answer my call that night?” I asked. “I did answer, didn’t I? I was practicing piano. You know how important that competition was to me.” He sat down on the sofa, displeased. “Why did you hang up after answering?” I demanded. “Can you stop making a fuss? I told you I was practicing. You called three times in a row.” His voice rose, then he caught himself: “Alright, Summer, it’s my fault.” I looked at him tearfully: “It was Vivian who told you not to answer my calls, wasn’t it?”

He frowned, reaching out to wipe my tears but I dodged: “This has nothing to do with Vivian. Can you stop making a scene?” “Would I call you three times in a row for no reason? You deliberately didn’t answer because you felt embarrassed in front of her, right?” He started to get agitated: “Summer, stop it.” “Skyler, I saw the surveillance footage from that day.” That day he was practicing piano when my call came in. Vivian suggested he hang up and keep practicing. His friends teased him for being henpecked. Though he answered my call, he hung up without letting me speak. That night, I didn’t say goodnight to him as usual, and I didn’t come home. He didn’t notice anything unusual. Or maybe he did notice, but didn’t care. If only he had paid a little attention to me, things might have been different. He was taken aback: “You went to check the surveillance over such a small thing?” “A small thing? Yes, it’s a small thing. I just got in a car accident on my way back that night. I called you three times, and you hung up on me three times. I missed the best treatment window, and now I’ll never be able to paint with my right hand again. Yes, it’s just a small matter, no big deal.” I laughed maniacally, trying to push all the blame onto him. Why didn’t he answer that call? Why did he give me hope and then despair? Marriage – I once thought he was someone I could entrust my whole life to. I never imagined he would hang up on me three times because of someone else’s words. I broke down crying. From beginning to end, I was the outsider. His voice trembled slightly: “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” I looked into his eyes: “Did you ever care? How many times did you come to the hospital? Once. What was the first thing you did when you saw me? When did you realize I had blocked you?” Panic flashed in his eyes. Things had spiraled out of his control. “This morning, right? You didn’t notice all week. You never asked about me once.” A painter who can’t hold a brush, a pianist who can’t play the piano – he knew how important our hands were to us. I had flown like a moth to his flame, not knowing it was an abyss that would destroy me. Silence spread between us. Bitter tears flowed into my heart. “I’ll take you to receive the best treatment. There must still be hope.” He paused, then grabbed my hand. “There’s no hope, Skyler. Let’s end this.” I couldn’t see any hope for the future. I didn’t know what life would be like from now on, but everything I had worked so hard for before was wasted. My dreams of painting, of Skyler – I had countless fantasies. In an instant, it all shattered. “End what?” he asked anxiously. “End everything.” I closed my eyes painfully. “No way. Our wedding is next month.” He flatly refused. “You can replace me with Vivian. We have similar builds. She’d be delighted.” I said self-mockingly. “It’s already trending online. Can’t disappoint the netizens.” His face turned ashen, as if I had committed some unforgivable crime. How laughable. Wasn’t he the one who shut me out from the beginning? “Skyler, I have one more question. Why did you agree to marry me? Don’t say it’s because you love me.” Bitterness filled my voice. He fell silent. I didn’t look up to see his expression.

I still went with him to his house. He said he could heal my hand. He took me to see many famous doctors, but they all just shook their heads. He started spending time with me frequently, talking about wedding details. Gradually, I stopped hoping. Vivian wore a custom wedding dress – the style Skyler had shown me a few days ago. Her exquisite makeup and red nails exuded vitality. She looked me up and down haughtily: “Summer, isn’t this wedding dress beautiful?” She confidently led me downstairs. She moved around the house as if she were the true mistress, while I was just a lowly outsider. The housekeeper poured us tea. “Miss White, you and our young master are finally getting married. This wedding dress is so beautiful. The young master personally chose it and put a lot of thought into it.” “Mrs. Zhang, you flatter me.” Vivian smiled and sent them away. “Miss Summer, I wanted to have a chat with you today.” She set down her cup and settled comfortably on the sofa. “Miss Summer, during that time when Skyler was busy with training, I was quietly by his side. He didn’t have time to look after you, and you were clinging to him so tightly. So I suggested he not answer your calls. After all, you didn’t have any urgent matters.” I smiled awkwardly, sitting stiffly on the sofa in my white clothes, like a guest. “You should know that my father is Skyler’s teacher. I can help boost Skyler’s career. But you’re just a burden to him now. Before, Skyler was a bit playful, and I didn’t say anything. But now that our families are going to be joined in marriage, it’s best if you leave. I don’t want to see you on that day.” She smiled, her manners elegant and speech refined. I turned pale, unable to refute her words. “Miss White needn’t worry. I will leave. Please take good care of Skyler and don’t let him keep chasing after me.” Vivian’s expression changed. She laughed lightly: “Leave this place and go live somewhere else. That car accident must have left a deep impression on you, Miss Summer. Skyler and I are childhood sweethearts. You shouldn’t have tried to steal him from me.” I looked at her in disbelief. “You did it?” She nodded slightly, looking at me with contempt: “What are you talking about, Miss Summer? I don’t understand.” I went crazy and pushed her to the ground, fighting her from inside the house to the doorway. She suddenly flung open the door. Outside, reporters captured my disheveled state on camera, while Vivian stood to the side in her wedding dress. Skyler’s friends berated me: “You shameless woman, how dare you still cling to Skyler.” At that moment, I broke down. I fled the scene like a madwoman. The trending topics had new entries: Third party interferes in Skyler and Vivian’s relationship. Third party jealously attacks Vivian at home. No one believed me. No one would defend me. Not even Skyler believed me. Everyone thought they were a match made in heaven.

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During my brain surgery, Jason Lee, the medical student I had sponsored for ten years, deliberately switched my anesthesia. I lay there with my eyes wide open in terror, while he told everyone it was an awake craniotomy. In my last phone call before the surgery, I desperately pleaded with my fiancée for help, but she impatiently cut me off: “Lucas, not everyone is as paranoid as you about brain tumors.” “Jason is being generous by agreeing to perform your surgery despite your past conflicts. Just cooperate with him and stop bothering me!” The next second, my phone was snatched away. As they cut open my scalp and drilled into my skull, I died in excruciating pain. With my last breath, I left a message exposing Jason’s crime. However, my fiancée testified in Jason’s defense: “Lucas’s chances of surviving the surgery were already slim. His death has nothing to do with Jason.” When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the moment just after the anesthesia was switched, at the start of the surgery.

“Lucas Foster, did you think that pitiful amount of money you used to sponsor me would make you superior?” Jason sneered. “So what if you’re the young master of a wealthy family? In Scarlett’s eyes, you’re nothing but a pathetic lapdog. I just had to say the word, and she handed you over to me as a lab rat.” His voice was deliberately lowered, whispering right next to my ear. The anesthesia was steadily eroding my consciousness. I forced my eyes open with all my might. The pungent smell of disinfectant, the blinding surgical lights above – everything reminded me of the truth. I had been reborn. Reborn to the day Jason performed my brain surgery. In my previous life, he had arbitrarily administered a low dose of anesthesia, causing me to remain conscious throughout the procedure, experiencing the full terror and agony of having my skull opened. “How about we give Scarlett a call to confirm?” Jason taunted. As my thoughts cleared, I realized Jason had already dialed Scarlett’s number. He raised an eyebrow at me challengingly, tossing the phone near my hand before turning to prepare the surgical tools. Just like in my previous life, Scarlett’s voice was cold and impatient: “Jason comes from a prestigious background. He’s the young master of a wealthy family. How could he possibly dirty his hands just to harm you?” “Just cooperate with him for the awake craniotomy. If you survive, he’ll get a promotion. It’s a win-win situation. Lucas, can you stop being so unreasonable?” But she knew full well that not everyone was suitable for an awake craniotomy, let alone this being only Jason’s second surgery ever. He could barely hold a scalpel steady due to years of heavy drinking. I don’t know if it was the low dose of anesthesia taking effect, but I started to lose sensation in my limbs. Scarlett called out my name. She said something else, but I could barely make out the words. This time, I didn’t hysterically beg her to come save me like in my previous life. Instead, I hung up the phone and tried to call my father with trembling hands. In my past life, my family had always disapproved of my relationship with Scarlett. I had secretly used my resources to help her climb the ranks and become the head of Mercy Hospital. Only then did they stop objecting. If they found out that Scarlett and Jason were using my life for practice, they would never let it go. “Dad…” I managed to say. But as soon as the call connected, Jason snatched the phone away and hung up right in front of me. “I knew you wouldn’t behave,” he said. Jason deliberately held his shaking hand in front of my eyes. His gaze, visible through the protective mask, was filled with undisguised hatred. A shadow moved from my side to above my head. The blinding surgical light made it impossible to see his actions clearly. The fear of the unknown danger was even more terrifying than witnessing it firsthand. The excruciating pain from my previous life was still vivid in my mind. The cold, sharp scalpel pressed against my scalp. My heart was about to leap out of my throat, but I couldn’t move. Just as I thought I was going to relive the nightmare of my past life, the door to the operating room burst open. My friend Ryan glanced at the heart rate monitor and grabbed Jason’s arm: “Jason, are you insane? The anesthesia dose is too low. He’s clearly still conscious. How could you start the surgery?” Ryan looked around the operating room angrily at the other staff: “You’re all just going along with Jason’s recklessness? If word of this gets out, you’ll all be in big trouble!” The others exchanged uneasy glances, their faces showing signs of internal struggle.

Jason let out a scornful laugh: “So what if it gets out? This operation was approved by the hospital director. Scarlett just called to say that Lucas’s surgery is entirely in my hands.” “Don’t believe me? Want to call and ask him yourself?” After receiving Jason’s piercing glare, the staff in the operating room all lowered their heads. In my previous life, Jason had been strutting around the hospital using my identity. With Scarlett backing him, no one dared to cross him. Ryan was so angry his chest was heaving. “Get out of my way!” Jason shoved him aside. Ryan lost his balance and knocked over the surgical tray, cutting his cheek on a scalpel. “Are you the lead surgeon or am I? Keep causing trouble and I’ll have the director fire you!” Ryan took a few steps back, secretly patting my hand. He was about to leave when I desperately grabbed onto the hem of his scrubs. In my previous life, Ryan had gone to confront Scarlett out of anger. After my death, Scarlett had pinned everything on him, ruining his reputation and driving him to suicide by jumping into a river. Having lived another life, I didn’t want to implicate him again. I struggled to speak: “Don’t go to her… Contact the chairman of Foster Group…” Ryan nodded and turned to leave. But Jason grabbed him and pulled him back, landing a punch: “Who said you could leave before the surgery’s over? You think you can tattle to my dad? You’re not worthy!” “Jason, you… let him go!” I was furious but helpless, unable to move a muscle. The low dose of anesthesia kept me conscious but I could barely speak clearly. I could only glare at him fiercely: “That’s my dad… If you dare touch me today… I’ll make you pay a hundredfold, a thousandfold in the future!” Jason sneered, completely ignoring my warning: “You claim to be the young Foster heir, but ask anyone here – who would believe you?” Everyone present kept their eyes down, tacitly agreeing with Jason’s words. My heart sank. Jason leaned in close to my ear again and whispered: “Besides, even if you were the real deal, as long as you die here today, your dad will let me into the Foster family as the true young master, the heir to the family fortune.” “When that happens, the fake will become real.” My pupils constricted in shock. I was filled with bitter hatred, but the paralysis had spread to my mouth and tongue. I could only drool, unable to utter a single word. Seeing me like this, Jason smiled with satisfaction. Just as he was gloating, Ryan suddenly broke free from Jason’s grip and ran towards the door. However, a moment later, several men in black suits pushed their way in, grabbing Ryan and shoving him in front of Jason. “Dr. Lee, the hospital director instructed us to ensure you can perform the surgery without any disturbances,” one of them said. “With us here today, we won’t let anyone interfere with your work.” “Whether the operation succeeds or not, we won’t let any information unfavorable to you leak out.” Jason raised his eyebrows at me tauntingly. My heart sank to rock bottom. This was the woman I had loved unconditionally for seven years. I suddenly felt incredibly foolish. Another dose of anesthesia was injected, and soon Ryan lay helplessly on the floor. The men in black suits lined up at the door of the operating room. At some point, Jason had moved above me. The low dose of anesthesia left me completely paralyzed. My conscious mind clearly felt my scalp being cut open. The pain made my whole body tremble. I could barely speak, my mind involuntarily imagining that gruesome scene. My heart was also pounding violently, blood pressure skyrocketing. Just then, a phone rang. A young nurse rushed in, her face pale: “Dr. Lee, Ms. Foster wants you to take the call.”

Jason’s hand trembled, the blade leaving a long gash on my scalp. I saw a glimmer of hope and stammered: “Emma…” But Jason clamped his hand over my mouth. His blood-covered hand pressed down on the breathing mask and nasopharyngeal tube. The wound on my scalp continued to throb with pain, but I could only stare intently at Jason. Unable to say a word, even breathing became difficult. Jason turned his head and spoke into the phone in a low voice: “Emma, the surgery isn’t over yet. Yes, that’s right, Dr. Wang is the lead surgeon, I’m just assisting. Don’t worry, everything is going smoothly so far. We’ll do our best, I have to go now…” “He’s lying!” Ryan gritted his teeth and shouted. Jason’s face changed. He gave a look to the guards at the door. They immediately went over to cover Ryan’s mouth and injected him with another dose of anesthesia. I tried to struggle and make a sound to reach Emma, but it was futile. Several nurses held down my arms, copying Jason by covering my mouth. Jason held the phone in one hand and the scalpel in the other, randomly slashing at my scalp: “It’s nothing, Emma. Don’t worry.” “Patients under anesthesia often become delirious and say nonsense. It’s perfectly normal.” Each cut was agonizing, making me break out in a cold sweat and tremble uncontrollably. In Jason’s last surgery, he had been on the phone while performing a C-section on a pregnant woman. Distracted by the call, he had left a piece of gauze inside the patient. By the time it was discovered, the woman had already died of sepsis and high fever. The scandal was barely contained after Scarlett spent a fortune to suppress it. And now, Jason was clearly trying to kill me. He hung up the phone. A nurse approached and whispered hesitantly: “Dr. Lee, the patient’s blood pressure is dangerously high. His heart rate is too fast. If this continues, he could die from oxygen deprivation.” Jason said nothing, giving her a meaningful look. The nurse immediately pressed her lips tightly and stepped back. My vision started to blur, and my mind felt hazy. I couldn’t tell if it was from the anesthesia or lack of oxygen. In my daze, I seemed to hear the sound of the skull drill. The same buzzing noise as in my previous life. Even though I had been given another chance, why was it still ending up like this? But I didn’t want to die. I stared helplessly at the light above, feeling like my throat was being squeezed shut, unable to breathe. Suddenly, a commotion broke out. Scarlett burst in wearing a white coat. I instinctively tensed up. However, she didn’t even glance at me. She just smiled and linked arms with Jason: “How much longer until the surgery is over? The eldest Ms. Foster is waiting outside. After you’re done, let’s all go out for a meal together.” Her tone was gentle, completely different from her cold attitude towards me. But having lived through this once before, seeing her now barely stirred any emotions in me. Only the words “eldest sister” made me force my eyes open through the drowsiness. I don’t know what Jason said, but Scarlett laughed and snuggled into his arms. The drill bit of the skull drill slipped to the wrong spot. It felt like my scalp was being forcibly torn off. I clenched my jaw and stared intently at the surgical tray 30 centimeters to my right. Move a finger, just move one finger, please… I pleaded silently, using all my strength to swing my arm. Scarlett rushed over to hold me down. The skull drill fell to the ground, hitting the surgical tray and sending the tools clattering to the floor. “What’s with all the commotion? Did something happen to my brother?” Emma’s voice came through. The next moment, the door was pushed open a crack. [BREAK POINT]

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After the lawyer announced the contents of the will, Felix’s phone wouldn’t stop ringing. “Bros, tonight’s on me. I’ve booked the most luxurious VIP room at the club,” Felix boasted. “Yes, yes, it’s me, Felix. That sports car I had my eye on? Get it cleaned and delivered ASAP. Don’t make me late for my party, or I’ll file a complaint!” “Tiffany, baby, don’t be mad. Remember that private jet you liked? I’ll buy it for you tomorrow, okay?” At this moment, the elderly butler couldn’t help but want to intervene. I raised a finger and shook it, signaling him not to meddle. The old butler sighed, shook his head, and retreated. Having watched us grow up, he understood Felix’s temperament. When Felix was on a roll, no one except our parents could control him. After hanging up the phone, Felix was about to leave when he noticed me sitting leisurely on the sofa, sipping tea. His smile grew even wider. “Don’t be jealous. Mom and Dad left you a few million too. As an accidental child, you should be grateful.” “Oh, and you’re still unemployed, right? What’s the use of all that studying? In the end, a Ph.D. still has to rely on a college dropout like me.” “Tell you what, you can be the Janitorial Services Manager at the company. Don’t say I didn’t look out for you!” Watching his smug retreating figure, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. I went back to my room, grabbed my ID, and headed straight for the notary office. Today happened to be my 25th birthday. When we were young, our parents favored Felix. Just because he said, “I want to be the big brother!” our parents forced me to call him “big brother” and obey him. As time went on, everyone naturally assumed Felix was the eldest son. Even our parents forgot I came first. In the past, I tried to compete with Felix for our parents’ affection, but biased people never saw my efforts. The first time I cooked fried rice, it ended up in the dog’s bowl. Later, I focused on studying, burning the midnight oil, consistently ranking first in my grade, and winning top three in various academic competitions. When I proudly presented my certificates to my parents, expecting praise, I was instead slapped hard across the face. “You know your brother struggles with his studies, yet you come here to show off? What’s your game? We always knew you were an ungrateful wretch.” “Such a competitive spirit. Are you planning to step all over your brother when you grow up? You bastard, you’re not fit to compare yourself to him!” Until their death, our parents’ hearts were never fair. “I’m sorry, Mr. Summer, Mr. Stern is out of town. He’ll be back next Monday to help you with the transfer,” the notary office staff informed me. No choice but to wait five more days. I returned home with a heavy heart. As I pushed open the door, I saw my ex-girlfriend hanging onto Felix’s arm, acting coy. “Felix, darling, are you really going to buy me that jet? If you’re lying to me again, I won’t stand for it!” “Don’t worry, babe. Those two old farts used to keep a tight leash on everything, but now they’re dead, and I’m the primary heir. A private jet? That’s pocket change now!” I met Tiffany in college, and we dated for three years. After graduation, I brought her home to meet my parents, intending to discuss marriage. Felix happened to see her. In just one day, Tiffany went from being my fiancée to his girlfriend. When I confronted my parents, I was met with another beating. Dad stomped on my head, yelling, “You beast, how dare you try to steal your brother’s girlfriend!” “Tiffany actually had her eye on Felix from the start. You tricked her into a relationship, you scoundrel!” Mom sat on the couch, holding Tiffany’s hand affectionately, as if they were mother and daughter. The memory faded, and I glared hatefully at the couple fooling around on the couch, silently vowing to make these two pay! “Hey, you. This house must be left to me too. Pack up and get out of here!” Felix said this with his face buried in Tiffany’s neck, completely ignoring my presence. I glanced at them sideways and quickly retreated to my room. Opening my suitcase, I carelessly tossed in a few clothes, then took a photo and posted it on social media. I added a melancholic caption: “Time to fend for myself from now on.” Half an hour later, the downstairs lobby was filled with Felix’s fair-weather friends. “Felix, man, you really inherited the whole family fortune? We thought you were bluffing earlier!” “It can’t be everything, right? Don’t you have a brother?” “Get real! Everyone knows Felix is the favorite. That bastard doesn’t factor in at all.” “Haha, you’ve always had a good eye, my friend!” Felix waved his hand and immediately transferred $100,000 to him. “Thanks, Felix! You’re the man!” “Felix, you’re so generous! By the way, my family’s been eyeing a plot of land in the East District. Would you be interested in joining the development?” “Count me in! Draw up the contract and we’ll talk.” “Felix, Felix, we…” In the past, when our parents were alive, Felix was somewhat restrained in his spending. Now, amidst the constant flattery, he seemed to have lost all self-control. This was exactly what I wanted. As I was secretly observing from a corner, I suddenly noticed a familiar golden glint. “Here, didn’t you say you needed a gift for your girlfriend?” Felix tossed a golden locket to one of his friends. Looking at the safety locket missing a bell, I realized it was the one our grandmother had given me! I hurriedly opened my door, rushed downstairs, and snatched it back. “This is mine!” “Felix, this…” The lackey looked at his empty hand, clearly embarrassed. Before I could put it in my pocket, I was knocked to the ground by a sudden punch. “Who do you think you are, daring to ruin my generosity? The whole house is mine. Is there anything I can’t give away? I’ll give away that old hag’s stuff just to spite her! Beat him up!” Felix yelled, enraged. At his command, countless fists and feet came flying at me. I couldn’t fight back, could only curl up and protect my head as they beat me. There wasn’t a part of my body that didn’t hurt, and the taste of blood in my mouth grew stronger. Finally, Felix kicked me in the stomach with all his might. In an instant, a rusty-tasting liquid splattered out, reddening the floor. The ringtone of a phone sounded jarringly loud amidst the beating. “Felix, this guy’s phone is ringing.” One of his cronies fished the phone out of my pocket and handed it over. I struggled to grab it back, but my hand was pinned down by Felix’s leather shoe. “Penny?” Felix held the phone in front of my eyes. “Isn’t this that college girl you’re keeping? Tch! Acting all proper on the surface, but you’re no saint either.” He hung up the voice call and sent a text message instead. “Hey! You two, go save this fallen angel.” Felix gave a meaningful look to the guys behind me, casually tossing the phone to them. “You got it, boss!” Then I felt a heavy blow to the back of my head, and everything went black as I passed out. About half an hour later, I was jolted awake by a bucket of cold water. I found myself tied to a chair, with Felix on the phone with someone. The video showed the side profile of a thin woman sitting in a car, the angle shaky, obviously from a hidden camera. “What kind of trashy clothes is she wearing? And that figure, flat as a board. You’re supposed to be the young master of the Summer family. Even if Mom and Dad didn’t give you millions in pocket money, you must have had tens of thousands. You can’t even afford to dress up your woman? Such a cheapskate!” Felix spat at me. I actually wished what he said was true. Then I wouldn’t have had to desperately participate in competitions for scholarship money just to maintain the facade of being the Summer family’s young master. “Felix is so much more generous. If I had ended up with him, I probably would’ve been begging on the streets by now.” Tiffany glanced at me disdainfully. The front door of the mansion opened, and the girl looked around nervously. When she saw me tied to the chair, face covered in blood, she instinctively turned to run but was grabbed by the arms by two men behind her. Felix ripped the tape off my mouth. Ignoring the burning pain on my lips, I urgently said, “Whatever you want, come at me. She has nothing to do with this.” “Nothing to do with you? Then why are you giving her money for no reason? Playing charity? If she’s not involved, why did she jump into a stranger’s car without hesitation when she heard you were drunk? She’s probably hoping to take advantage of your drunken state and climb the social ladder, right?” Felix circled the girl a few times, looking her up and down. “This one might not have much of a figure, but after eating fancy food all the time, it’s not bad to have some plain dishes for a change. Boys, this girl is all yours.” Felix said. Four thugs revealed evil grins, slowly approaching the girl. “Stop! Stop it!” My eyes turned bloodshot as I struggled violently, the ropes digging deep into my arms. “You, you’re breaking the law! Don’t come any closer!” The girl kept backing away. “Breaking the law? Who saw anything? After the boys have had their fun, we’ll strip you both naked, throw you on a bed together, and take a few photos. By then, you’ll be begging us!” “Rip!” The girl’s sleeves were roughly torn off on both sides. The other two thugs exchanged a glance and pounced on her, afraid of missing out on the action. “Don’t. Touch. Her!” I closed my eyes in despair. Tears that hadn’t fallen even during the earlier beating now poured down my face. After a scream, I felt my body lighten as the ropes binding me fell to the ground. The men’s agonized howls kept coming, and only then did I come to my senses. “You… you know martial arts?” I asked in disbelief. On the floor, the four thugs were writhing in pain, clutching their stomachs or groins. The girl was slapping Felix, who was pinned to the couch, while Tiffany cowered silently in a corner. “I learned a few moves from my abusive, boxing dad. More than enough to handle these pampered rich boys,” the girl replied. “Here, want to get a few punches in to blow off some steam?” She grabbed Felix by the neck and threw him towards me. I dodged to the side and kicked him as he flew past. “Lucas! You dare hit me? Even Mom and Dad never laid a hand on me. How dare you, you piece of trash!” Felix was furious and tried to lunge at me, but stopped short when he saw the girl nearby. He pointed at us angrily, “Just you wait. Once I inherit Mom and Dad’s estate, I’ll make your lives a living hell! I’ll destroy you both!” I couldn’t help but snicker. Good thing he wasn’t going to inherit that estate. Otherwise, with his vindictive personality and newfound wealth and power, he really could make our lives miserable. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking. You think you’re the only one who can forge a will? Can’t find Mr. Stern, can you?” Felix sneered. What did he mean? Was Mr. Stern deliberately avoiding me? “You really think I’m just some idiot who only knows how to eat, drink, and play?” Felix said.

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Good news: While fleeing from zombies, I unexpectedly gained the ability to read minds. Bad news: This mind-reading ability seems to only work on my sister. It was then that I discovered my sister, who had always been closest to me, actually wanted to steal my destiny. Suddenly, I heard my sister’s thoughts. I was apparently the protagonist of this world, blessed with the protagonist’s luck. All the hardships I would endure were meant to be stepping stones for my future. My sister couldn’t accept it. We were born together, grew up together. Why was she just a supporting character while I was the protagonist? So, my sister activated a system to steal my destiny. If she managed to get me killed, she would replace me as the new protagonist of this world, gaining the extraordinary luck that others couldn’t match. At that moment, during our escape from the zombies, my sister was pushing me towards a group of ill-intentioned men. She pointed at three fierce-looking men sitting in a Jeep and said to me, “Emily, see those men? They have special abilities and food. If we go with them, we’ll have a good life.” But I heard her think, “Go on, once you’re tortured to death, your destiny will be mine.” I looked at the men who had just dragged a woman into their car. Screams were constantly coming from inside. My sister pulled me towards them without giving me a choice, pushing me forward, “This is my sister.” The man with a scar on his face looked at me with malicious intent, “Little girl, want to give it a try?” So, I stepped to the left, spread my hands, and pointed at my sister. “My sister likes you. She wants to have a good life with you.”

The air around us went silent for a few seconds. Scar Face probably didn’t expect someone to voluntarily offer themselves up like this. “Really?” he asked. I nodded, “Absolutely. My sister has been watching you guys for a long time, but she was too shy to approach you.” Sarah shook her head frantically, even calling out my full name, “Emily Hayes, what nonsense are you talking about!” I feigned confusion, “Sis, weren’t you telling me all along how great they were, how they had lots of food?” Sarah was at a loss for words, “I… I was telling you to…” I gestured towards Scar Face, “See, my sister is shy. Her face is all red.” Sarah’s face was indeed red, but from anger rather than embarrassment. Scar Face looked at me, then at my sister. At this moment, my protagonist’s luck worked its magic perfectly. In Scar Face’s eyes, I was barely noticeable. On the contrary, my sister appeared as a slender, long-legged beauty. His eyes gleamed with excitement as he hoisted my sister over his shoulder with one arm. Sarah struggled, hitting and scratching from behind, her eyes filled with murderous intent as she looked at me, “Emily Hayes!” I waved at her, “Brother-in-law, please be gentle with my sister.” As I turned away, I heard my sister’s terrifying screams behind me.

That night, I sat in a makeshift shelter of old rags, munching on a wafer cookie to stave off hunger. This cookie was found in my sister’s backpack. Sarah looked haggard, having changed into a new set of clothes. The old set was probably unwearable now. Her exposed skin was covered in bruises. As she walked towards me, her legs were shaking. “Emily, sis brought you some food,” Sarah said, handing me a piece of bread. Her voice was hoarse from crying, “Emily, why did you do that today? You knew…” I interrupted her, “Sis, we’re sisters. Mom and Dad are gone, leaving just the two of us to rely on each other. Of course, if there’s a good life to be had, I should let my sister have it first. How could I dare to compete?” Sarah’s mouth twitched a few times, clearly not expecting me to say this. After a while, she handed me the now misshapen bread, “Eat up. From now on, sis will give you a good life.” But I clearly heard my sister’s inner thoughts, “I’ll get my revenge sooner or later!” I ignored her, finished the bread alone, and turned to sleep. Let’s see what method she uses against me tomorrow.

Early the next morning, I was woken up by my sister. “Emily, quick, we’re going out to collect supplies today.” I frowned, watching her hurriedly pack things up. “What’s going on? Are we not coming back?” Our group of over thirty people had taken shelter in a bunker during our escape. There were few zombies inside, and it was hard for others to find. Except for the lack of food, it was a perfect natural shelter. Sarah pulled me aside, “Emily, your brother-in-law said it’s not safe here. We need to go to the big base.” I was surprised that my sister was already calling him “brother-in-law” so naturally. I guess she spent the whole night in that man’s car. The screams and noises had continued all night, never-ending. I wanted to ask Sarah more, but seeing my hesitation, she started crying, “Emily, why have you changed like this? You used to be so obedient, never questioning your sister…” How have I changed? I wanted to ask her the same thing, why she had become so heartless. If I hadn’t gained the ability to read minds, I’d probably be a corpse by now. We’re sisters by blood, yet she could harden her heart to harm me. We used to play together, cry together. The night before the apocalypse began, it was our 18th birthday. You wished to love your little sister forever. But now… I laughed bitterly to myself, “Sis, how could that be? You’re overthinking. If we’re going to the big base, then let’s go. I’ll do whatever you say.” Sarah smiled at me with satisfaction, but her heart was full of malice, “This time, I must steal all your luck, prevent you from reaching the big base, and keep you from meeting the male lead.” So that’s it. My sister wanted to get close to this world’s male protagonist. The male lead of this world, Aiden Moore. Born into a military family, he awakened three special abilities after the apocalypse. Among them, his lightning ability had already reached level five, the most powerful. Aiden Moore was a big shot in this apocalyptic world. Sister, so you want to latch onto the male lead. The migration of over thirty people wasn’t short, but it wasn’t too long either. The difficulty lay in snatching food from the jaws of death. For me, I not only had to guard against zombies but also my own sister. In just two short days, zombies mysteriously appeared in front of me once.

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I offered to exchange my life for Gabriel Foster’s mother with the kidnappers. But they went back on their word and killed her on the spot. My own sister, Chloe Collins, reported me as the mastermind behind it all. As a result, I was sentenced to five years in prison. My parents, both politicians, felt I had disgraced the family name by going to jail and disowned me. Gabriel Foster, however, treated me the same as always, telling me with deep emotion: “Aria, I believe in you.” Until I overheard his conversation with his friends outside a private room. “Gabe, when are you planning to avenge your mom? Isn’t it time that bitch Aria gets what she deserves?” “In seven days, I’ll release the video of her moaning beneath me to the public. I want everyone in the city to see just how slutty Aria Collins really is! I’ll make sure she’s run out of town for good!” My blood ran cold. Seven days later was supposed to be our wedding day. Those intimate videos taken in moments of passion would become his final blade to stab me with. Gabriel Foster, I won’t give you the chance. Before then, I’ll get those videos back and disappear from your world forever!

I returned home with a heavy heart, only to find my front door plastered with pornographic cards. The woman in the cards was me, with my face swapped using AI. I trembled in fear, my whole body shaking uncontrollably. Then, I frantically tore down those cards with all my might. But I didn’t know that those maliciously face-swapped pornographic images had already spread far and wide. My sister Chloe, who had righteously turned me in before, called. “Sis, how do you like those little cards? Gabriel specifically told me to find a sexy model, one that matches your reputation.” “Don’t you think so? You mastermind!” I should have guessed long ago who was really behind all this. So, in seven days, those videos secretly recorded by Gabriel were going to be spread to the world in this way? Gabriel Foster, I didn’t realize you hated me this much. Too heartbroken to grieve, I frantically searched for Gabriel’s laptop. Those videos must be stored there. Unfortunately, the computer was password-protected. I tried all his usual passwords but couldn’t unlock it. I finally gave up. I opened my phone and booked a flight to Melbourne for seven days later. A few minutes later, customer service called. “Hello Miss Collins, the flight seven days from now at noon may be delayed due to heavy fog. Would you like to change your flight?” “Yes, please change it to an earlier flight.” Gabriel Foster, who had just walked in, happened to hear this and anxiously asked: “We’re getting married in seven days. Where are you going?” “I’m just booking a flight for a friend. Where else would I go?” “That’s good. Aria, I’ve been busy preparing for our wedding these past few days and may have neglected you. After we’re married, I’ll make it up to you in every way.” Looking into those seemingly sincere eyes, I couldn’t tell how much of Gabriel’s words were true and how much were false. Composing myself, I nodded casually. Then Gabriel slipped his hand inside my shirt, his lips teasing my ear. He knew exactly where my sensitive spots were. But the desire he aroused in me only made me feel more ashamed. Trying to suppress my emotions, I pushed him away forcefully. “Gabriel, I’m not feeling well today. Another time.” Gabriel froze for half a second, then gently let me go.

Early the next morning, Gabriel and I went to the bridal shop we had booked long ago to try on wedding dresses. As soon as we walked in, I saw the mocking looks from the staff. Someone whispered: “That woman looks just like the one on those cards outside the neighborhood yesterday.” “I heard the man next to her is Gabriel Foster, that famous businessman in the city.” “This Mr. Foster must be so blind to be fooled by such a gold digger. Looks like he has no idea.” I stood there speechless. The next second, Gabriel waved over his assistant. “Fire all those gossiping women. Also, look into what’s going on with those cards, who did it, and chop off their hands!” I looked at Gabriel in confusion. For a moment, I even thought this might not have been his doing after all. After quickly trying on the wedding dress, Gabriel said he had some business to take care of and let me go back first. In the car, I realized I had forgotten my keys at the bridal shop. Hurrying back, I saw Chloe standing next to Gabriel. She was wearing the wedding dress I had just ordered. She smiled innocently. “Gabriel, do you think this dress looks better on me or Aria?” “Of course on you. That mastermind bitch isn’t even fit to be your maid!” Chloe’s smile deepened. “Were you satisfied with those cards yesterday? Gabriel, now we just have to wait for our wedding in seven days. Once you release all those videos at the ceremony, Aria will truly be ruined for good.” So, in seven days it would be their wedding? And I was just a condiment in all of this? This was all Gabriel Foster’s idea. He wanted to utterly destroy me. How could a person be so patient, nurturing love for three years, all for an elaborate scheme to frame me. My heart felt like it had been ripped out, the pain unbearable. Whenever I was sad, I would always go to the little courtyard my grandmother left me to clear my head. This time, I went there without hesitation. But as I approached, I saw the yard full of construction workers and the house being torn down. My tears finally fell uncontrollably. I cried and asked them: “Who are you? Why are you tearing down my grandmother’s house?” They didn’t answer, continuing to chop down the cherry tree my grandmother had planted especially for me. I couldn’t help but hug the cherry tree. “Don’t cut it down! Who are you people?” “Miss, don’t obstruct our work. The owner hired us to demolish this place, said he’s building a new house for his wife. That cherry tree you’re hugging is going to be made into furniture for the lady.” “Who told you to come?” “We don’t know the details, just that the surname is Foster.” Foster? Was it Gabriel Foster again? A few years ago, my dad had given him this courtyard as a birthday gift. Gabriel knew this was the only thing my grandmother left behind. He had promised me he would protect this house with his life. But he broke his promise after all. He personally destroyed everything, truly going all out to please Chloe. When Gabriel came looking for me, I was curled up in a corner crying. He stroked my head tenderly. “I’m sorry, I forgot to tell you. This old house is too run-down and no longer meets city standards for old buildings. It has to be demolished and rebuilt.” I knew these were all his excuses. Years ago, Chloe had wanted to tear down the house and rebuild it. Back then, I fought tooth and nail to stop her from getting her way. I never expected Gabriel would secretly make the decision for her. But it doesn’t matter. I’m leaving soon anyway. With the house gone, my last attachment is severed. From now on, there will be nothing left here to tie me down.

Perhaps out of guilt, Gabriel suddenly became much more attentive after that day. He came home on time every day to make soup for me and bought me limited edition handbags. If it weren’t for the secret hidden in that laptop, I would have almost believed he had truly fallen for me. Seeing me staring blankly at the laptop, Gabriel waved his hand in front of my eyes. “What’s wrong? Do you have something on your mind?” “No, I’m just a bit tired.” I shook my head, making up a random excuse. “Are you nervous about getting married soon? I’ll take you out tomorrow to relax.” The next day, when we arrived at our destination, I realized Chloe had come too. I glanced at Gabriel. His eyes darted away, then he quickly gripped my hand tightly. “I didn’t know she was coming. James must have brought her.” James came over smiling to greet us. “I brought Chloe. Surely you won’t mind, sis? After all, you’re sisters. It’s only right for a sister to attend her sister’s bachelorette party.” Chloe nodded with a smile. “That’s right, sis. We’ll always be sisters. As your little sister, I truly wish you happiness.” I didn’t know what game they were playing today, but my instincts told me things weren’t as simple as they seemed. After the party started, those guys pulled Gabriel outside. I saw them discussing something, with Gabriel looking very reluctant. But in the end, he seemed to nod. Then they all left the room. Only Chloe and I were left in the room. With everyone gone, Chloe finally showed her true colors. She looked at me mockingly, her smile becoming grotesque. “Aria, Gabriel has prepared a big surprise for you later. I hope you enjoy it.” With that, she left too. The empty private room held only me. A sense of foreboding suddenly arose in my heart. Soon after, several drunk men barged into the room. The bearded drunk in the lead said: “That bitch wasn’t lying. The lady in here really is a beauty. Come on boys, let’s show her a good time.” Seeing these drunks, I finally understood. Gabriel’s reluctant expression earlier was because of this. He may have hesitated. But he still nodded. He agreed to their proposal. Watching the drunk men lunge at me, I trembled in fear, crying out for help. “Help! Someone help me!” But the people outside had all been sent away by them. No one responded to my cries. I watched as they tore my clothes to shreds, my pale purple bra exposed. Just as that man was about to grab my chest, I steeled myself, ready to bite my tongue and end it all. But the next second, the door was kicked open. It was Gabriel who had returned. He stood across from me, like a deity descending from heaven. I looked at his bloodthirsty eyes, unable to understand the meaning behind his loss of control. In a flash, he flew at the drunk man in front of me and kicked him to the ground, then knocked down the other two drunks with his fists. He seemed to use great force. His knuckles were bleeding, impossible to tell if it was his blood or the drunks’. Then he took off his jacket and draped it over me. He gently kissed my hair. “I’m sorry I was late.” Then he glared fiercely at the drunks on the ground. “Chop off all their hands and feed them to the dogs!”

Everyone present was stunned. This was all his idea, so why was he now acting so devoted? Who was he putting on this show for? I was too exhausted to think about it. I wearily leaned against his chest, letting him carry me home. Back home, he carefully bathed me and changed my clothes. I just lay on the table, not saying a word. Gabriel worriedly stroked my head. “It’s okay now, Aria. Everything’s fine.” With red eyes, I asked him: “Gabriel, can you promise me one thing?” “Of course. Not just one, I’ll promise you ten things.” “Alright. I want to use your laptop later. I want to check if what happened earlier has been leaked online.” “It won’t be. Anyone who dares leak it, I’ll chop their hands off myself.” I lay on the table silently again. Gabriel finally told me his laptop password. I never expected the password to be the anniversary of when we started dating. That night, after he fell asleep, I secretly opened his computer. He must have forgotten to log out of WeChat. All the messages from his group chat with his buddies popped up. “Gabe, what do you mean? Didn’t we agree to let those drunks have their way with Aria? We had the cameras all set up, just one step away.” “Gabe, don’t go soft now. Our plan only has two days left. Don’t tell me you’re going to chicken out of releasing the videos.” “Yeah, Chloe’s waiting backstage. If you don’t release these videos, are you really going to abandon Chloe and marry Aria?” Below was Gabriel’s reply an hour later: “The original plan continues. I won’t back out.” Even though I was prepared, when I saw that “I won’t back out”, I felt like I had fallen into an icy abyss. Seeing the folder named “Aria’s Secrets”, I opened it with trembling hands. Sure enough, all the videos Gabriel had carefully recorded over the years were in there. Without hesitation, I right-clicked and pressed delete. Then I went to the recycle bin and permanently deleted the files I had just trashed. Watching the videos disappear, my heart finally calmed. Gabriel Foster, you no longer have anything to hold over me. The next morning, Gabriel specially made my favorite breakfast wraps. He gently kissed my forehead, as if I was his most precious treasure. “Aria, we can’t see each other the night before the wedding. I’ll be waiting for you at the ceremony tomorrow.” I smiled and nodded. After Gabriel left, I threw out everything in the house related to me. The wedding photos on the wall, the clay dolls we made together, all the gifts I had given Gabriel. I opened the trash can and tossed them all in without hesitation. On the wedding day, I took my suitcase and headed to the airport without looking back. Before boarding, I posted one last update on social media: “From now on, we go our separate ways. Gabriel Foster, farewell forever!” Then I took out the SIM card from my phone and casually tossed it in the trash… Meanwhile, Gabriel had been waiting at the wedding venue for a long time. Someone tapped him on the shoulder.

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My best friend Olivia and I were both adopted as fake heiresses. After an accidental fall into water, we both gained a new set of memories. We learned that the real heiress, once found, would seek revenge on us for stealing her life for over a decade. So Olivia and I decided to seek protection. She chose the cold and aloof older brother, while I seduced the dark and unpredictable younger brother. But when the real heiress returned, things started to turn against us. Olivia and I pooled our secret savings and decided to make a graceful exit. Two years later, we were caught at the airport. The unpredictable younger brother, Ethan, imprisoned me and smiled coldly, “Lily, you’ve been such a naughty girl, leaving me for so long. How should I punish you, hmm?” As Olivia was slapped to the ground, I was trembling under the bed. “I told you, I didn’t do anything! Why won’t you believe me?” Olivia sobbed, tears falling from her reddened eyes. As she cried, she glanced at me, tucking the hem of my dress that was peeking out from under the bed. “Emma wouldn’t lie to me,” Nathan looked down at Olivia coldly, his eyes like glaciers. “Besides, if it wasn’t you, who else could it be? Did Emma throw herself down the stairs?!” Olivia cried heartbrokenly, “We’ve known each other for ten years. Don’t you know what kind of person I am? If she wouldn’t lie to you, do you think I’m capable of doing such a thing?!” Her voice, choked with sobs, made even my heart ache. But Nathan’s voice remained ice-cold, “She’s back now, which means you’re about to lose everything you once had. People will do anything for money, won’t they?” “Nathan! Is your heart made of stone? I’ve followed you for so many years, is this what you think of me?” Olivia struggled to her knees, clutching Nathan’s clothes, begging through tears, “Please, believe me, okay? I really didn’t touch her. She fell by herself. Please believe me…” Another resounding slap followed. Olivia was knocked to the ground again. Then came Nathan’s warning voice, “You’d better pray Emma is alright. If anything happens to her, I’ll have your life!” With that, Nathan turned to leave. Olivia cried and chased after him, “Don’t go, Nathan, please, don’t go…” But the door was slammed shut mercilessly. Only when I heard the sound of a car engine starting downstairs did I slowly crawl out from under the bed. Olivia was taking selfies with her phone, pouting. “You know, my teary-eyed, pitiful look is quite photogenic.” I was speechless. Walking over, I examined both sides of her face. “Your guy is quite considerate, slapping both cheeks evenly.” “It hurts like hell,” she grumbled, taking out a first-aid kit from the bedside table and applying ointment to her face. “This isn’t working. If things keep going this way, we’re definitely going to lose to Emma.” “What should we do?” I asked, “That Emma has a thousand tricks up her sleeve. In less than half a year since she’s been back, look at how much we’ve suffered!” Olivia’s expression turned serious, “We can’t rely on men anymore. Let’s plan our escape.”

Olivia and I grew up together in an orphanage. When we were ten, because one of us had similar eyes and the other had a similar mouth, Mr. and Mrs. Lin adopted us from the orphanage to comfort their longing for their lost daughter. We enjoyed eight years of life as young heiresses. At eighteen, Olivia and I both fell into water. When we woke up, we had gained a new set of memories. In these memories, the real heiress would be found when we turned twenty-one. She would seek revenge on us for stealing her life of luxury for over a decade, launching a series of vicious attacks. In the end, after her repeated framing and slander, Olivia and I would be tortured to death by the two brothers. After this revelation, we decided to seek protection. She chose the cold and aloof older brother, while I seduced the dark and unpredictable younger brother. Though these two men had vastly different personalities, they did have something in common. They were both incredibly handsome and unbelievably rich. Filthy rich. Either one of them alone could dominate the entire city of New York. For three years, Olivia and I used every trick in the book to develop somewhat improper relationships with them. We played the roles of hopelessly devoted lovers while using unlimited black cards to splurge everywhere. Until the real heiress, Emma, returned. At first, we were able to cleverly dodge her little schemes. But Olivia and I together couldn’t make up one complete brain, and gradually we became overwhelmed, starting to stumble repeatedly. Especially this time. Emma directly framed Olivia for pushing her down the stairs, cleverly using the camera angles to create the illusion that Olivia had pushed her. In an instant, Olivia became the target of everyone’s anger. And our big brother Nathan, Olivia’s chosen protector, still chose to blindly believe Emma. If this continues, we’ll probably still end up being tortured to death. “Plan A seems to have failed,” Olivia started rummaging through drawers and cabinets. “We can start preparing Plan B now.” “Right now it’s me who’s stumbled, Nathan will at most torture me mentally. When that real heiress targets you, with your guy’s methods, you’ll probably die even more miserably.” Thinking of Ethan’s face, I immediately nodded in agreement. “Right, let’s run, quick!” Ethan and Nathan were half-brothers with different mothers. Nathan took his father’s surname, while Ethan took his mother’s. Unlike Nathan, everything Ethan owned was earned through his own abilities, carved out of a sea of blood. I once saw him stab a knife into the eye of someone who tried to harm me, then calmly wipe the blood off his face, take my hand, and casually end that person’s life with a single word. This scene haunted my nightmares for a long time after. I heard that when Ethan was young, he was very close to his biological sister. If Emma were to frame me, that knife would probably end up in my eye. Olivia finally took out a stack of documents from a drawer with three locks, dumping them all on the bed. Looking at the pile of bank books and new identity documents, my eyes lit up. “You’re still the best, preparing everything so thoroughly.” Olivia gave me an exasperated look, “What else? Rely on you? If we relied on you, we’d both starve to death in the future.” From the day we decided to change our fate three years ago, Olivia and I had been planning two strategies simultaneously, just in case. For three years, we saved every penny we could, entrusting it all to Olivia, who studied finance, to manage. Now it had become a considerable sum. “How are we going to escape?” I asked her. Olivia took out two pieces of paper, writing “kidnapping” and “suicide” on them respectively, crumpling them into balls, and letting me choose. “If you pick suicide, you die first. If kidnapping, you die later.” I rubbed my hands together, mentally pointing back and forth between the two options. Everyone would want to choose suicide, to die first and be done with it. The person who gets kidnapped not only has to act out one last play but also face various unexpected situations, which is thankless work. After praying to my ancestors for eighteen generations to bless me, I still ended up choosing kidnapping. I let out a wail. Olivia made a sympathetic sound, “No choice, it’s fate. Sorry about that~”

Plan B officially launched, and our escape countdown began. Olivia prepared to act out a few more scenes of heartbreak, pretending to have depression and visiting a psychiatrist a few times to get some reports for show. I came back to wait obediently for instructions, while also figuring out how to get some more pocket money from Ethan. After all, who doesn’t like having more money? Not long after I got home, Ethan returned, looking travel-worn. I sat obediently in the living room, smiling as I waited for him. He threw off his coat and pulled me into his arms, his cool fingertips brushing across my lips. I thought he was going to kiss me, so I gently closed my eyes. But after a while, his lips didn’t touch mine. I opened my eyes to find his obsidian-like eyes studying me coldly. My heart skipped a beat. “Your location system was turned off this afternoon. Where did you go?” “I went shopping. My phone died, and I only charged it when I got home.” To prove myself, I handed him my phone that had just been charged. “Mm, good girl.” He patted my head like he was petting a puppy, then produced a strawberry cake as if by magic. “I bought this for you.” My eyes lit up, and I snuggled into his arms, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. Unlike Nathan, Ethan had an almost obsessive possessiveness. What he wanted was a detailed response and equally passionate love for everything. Ethan was an illegitimate child, and his mother had passed away when he was very young. At eight years old, he was brought back to the Lin family. But the Lin family wasn’t kind to him. Throughout his childhood, only Emma, who was like an angel, showed him any affection. I also knew that in his heart, I was far less important than the real Emma. But when Ethan was with me, he was very good to me. To others, he was violent and fierce, but in front of me, he always tried his best to be gentle. I feared the bloody smell that often clung to him, so he would always shower before coming to see me. He learned that I liked sweets, so he would bring me various desserts almost every time he came back. Emotionally, he gave me a sense of security. Materially, I never lacked for anything. He even bought an entire island for me, decorating it exactly the way I liked. On the balcony of the villa, we kissed passionately in the sea breeze. He left deep and shallow bite marks on my neck, “If I ever lose sight of you again, I’ll lock you up, on this island.” “Only I can see you, touch you, like this…” His hands explored deeper, and I, red-eyed, gradually surrendered to his dominance. For a moment, I even entertained the thought of staying by Ethan’s side for a lifetime. But I knew I couldn’t. More than love, I hoped to live freely in the future. “Ethan…” In the heat of passion, I chanted his name over and over. And he, bit by bit, pressed me deeper. In the dead of night, Ethan woke up but didn’t see me. He searched the entire villa before finally finding me facing the sea. I wore only a coat, my thin figure swaying in the sea breeze. “I told you, you’re not allowed to leave my sight, ever.” Ethan embraced me from behind, his domineering lips kissing from my neck to my ear. When he saw my tear-stained face, he froze. “Why are you crying?” “Will you marry me?” I asked him, my tear-filled eyes full of uncertainty and pain. I had approached Ethan with a purpose, and to please him, I played the role of an obedient girl as best I could. In every aspect, we were perfectly compatible. This was the first time, in front of him, that I asked for a formal commitment. He frowned but didn’t say a word. My tears fell harder, “It’s been three years, and no one knows I exist in your life. I can’t see any future.” “Ethan, tell me you’ll marry me, okay? Even if… even if it’s a lie, please?” He let go of me. I anxiously grabbed him, the light in my eyes shattering bit by bit, “What am I to you? You won’t even lie to me?” The phone rang at that moment. He answered it. It was from the hospital, and I clearly heard the doctor’s voice on the other end. Emma had woken up from her coma. After hanging up, Ethan turned to leave. I cried and threw myself at him, begging in a humble tone, “Don’t go, stay, stay with me, please?” He shook me off, his expression cold, his tone full of undisguised irritation. “Lily, I don’t like women who don’t know their place.”

I stood by the sea, watching his yacht cut across the water. The entire island was left with just me. I threw the eye drops I had used to fake tears into the trash can, then ran up and down the villa several times, digging out all the private money I had hidden in various corners. Three cards, and some valuable but inconspicuous trinkets. After packing up my belongings, I called Olivia. She had everything prepared on her end too. The next day, before leaving the island, I sent messages to Ethan every few minutes as usual. The content was all crazy talk I found online. Things like “If you don’t pay attention to me, I’ll die” and such. Sure enough, when I tried to send another message, it showed a red exclamation mark. Ethan had blocked me. A woman who wasn’t obedient enough, he wouldn’t even bother to comfort. This was good too. I had achieved my goal and could finally send Olivia off properly.

Emma had woken up, but the doctor said that the fall had caused permanent nerve damage in one of her legs, and she might never be able to stand again. “This Olivia is too much!” Nathan was furious. He held Emma’s hand tightly, “I will definitely give you justice for this, sister.” Emma’s eyes reddened, and large tears fell uncontrollably. She kept shaking her head. “It’s the two sisters who have been with you day and night for over a decade, not me.” “I suddenly came back and took everything that should have belonged to them. It’s understandable that they hate me.” “It’s okay, brother. It’s just one leg. Don’t cause trouble for Olivia because of me.” “As long as you brothers are happy and our family can be together, I don’t mind what happens to me.” Compared to Olivia’s willfulness and selfishness, Emma’s self-sacrifice made Nathan feel even more guilty. Originally, he still held out hope, thinking this might all be an accident. But hearing Emma’s words, even if he didn’t want to admit it, he had to believe. His woman had actually crippled his own sister. Nathan took out his phone, his face cold, and dialed a number. The line was busy. He tried several more times, but then it went straight to voicemail. Just as he was about to try again, he received a call from me. “What do you want?!” Nathan’s angry shout almost made me forget the script I had prepared. After a while, I finally remembered my task and anxiously recited my lines. “It’s terrible, Nathan. I just got a call from Olivia. She was crying non-stop, saying she was in so much pain, that she couldn’t go on living. It was like she was leaving her last words.” “Now I can’t reach her no matter how I call. Did Olivia do something stupid? I can’t get away right now, you need to go check on her immediately!” Nathan just laughed coldly, his tone full of sarcasm. “Enough, Lily. Are you trying to deceive me along with Olivia now? Tell her, I’m tired of these little tricks!” “This time she crippled Emma, and she thinks she can escape responsibility with this method?” “Impossible! She’d better have committed suicide, otherwise, I’ll make her pay for her evil deeds!” With that, he hung up without giving me a chance to speak.

After hanging up, Nathan stared at the several unanswered calls he had made, lost in thought. Amid his anger, his heart felt inexplicably empty. As if something had disappeared. “Brother, I just heard. Is Olivia really going to commit suicide?” Emma’s face showed anxious concern. “Then you should hurry back to check on her. I’ll be fine here. Olivia is more important.” Nathan frowned, “Emma, you’re still too kind. You don’t understand how wicked people can be.” “She’s used this trick more than once. It’s just to escape responsibility. Don’t worry about it.” He walked over and tucked Emma’s blanket in. “Don’t worry, I will give you justice. I won’t let you suffer in vain.” Emma lowered her eyes, biting her lower lip lightly. A tear hung at the corner of her eye before finally falling. She whimpered, burying herself in Nathan’s arms pitifully. “Brother… I just wanted our family to accept me. Why did it turn out like this…” Nathan, who had planned to go home and check, saw Emma’s fragile and pitiful state and ultimately softened, deciding to stay with her. As night fell, Nathan looked at the sleeping Emma behind him, opened his phone, and stared at the empty chat window with Olivia. He tried calling her again. It was still the cold robotic voice of the switched-off prompt. He sat on a bench, looking at the bright moon in the sky, and rubbed his somewhat empty-feeling heart. He carefully recalled the events of the past few days. It seemed that since Emma’s return, he had been neglecting Olivia. During this time, she had mostly been crying, breaking down in tears, hysterical due to his distrust. Even at the end, when he was leaving, he saw her kneeling on the ground, begging him so pitifully. But at that time, he seemed to not even look at her, and even said harsh words to her. Thinking of this, Nathan suddenly stood up, pacing anxiously on the balcony for several rounds, before finally calling me again. “Did you find Olivia? Tell her to stop throwing a tantrum and call me back immediately.” “Yes, I found Olivia,” my voice sounded hoarse, as if I had just been crying. “But unfortunately, she can’t call you anymore.” “She’s dead. Suicide. She took sleeping pills and set herself on fire.” “She didn’t even want to leave you a complete corpse. Are you satisfied now?” The other end of the line suddenly went quiet. Nathan was silent for a long time. If it weren’t for his increasingly rapid breathing, I would have thought the call had been disconnected. “Lily, this joke isn’t funny.” “Now, immediately, let Olivia contact me. I can overlook her pushing Emma. Just let her…” “If you don’t believe me, you can come back anytime,” I interrupted him, my voice breaking into sobs again. “We just found her body.”

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On the tenth anniversary of my marriage to Ryan Thompson, I discovered he was cheating. I had no photos, no evidence. My only reason for suspicion was that he said “Good morning” to me when he woke up. After ten years of saying “Morning,” he suddenly switched to “Good morning.” When the private investigator sent the photos, I was sitting in my usual cafe at my usual time, drinking my usual cappuccino. The steam from the coffee blurred the images on my phone screen, but the content was crystal clear. Ryan had indeed been unfaithful. The other woman was barely twenty, twelve years younger than me. Seeing him gazing lovingly at her, I set down my coffee cup. Today’s coffee tasted bitter. I first suspected his infidelity two days ago. That morning, he woke up looking cheerful, wearing a hoodie instead of his usual dark suit. Then he said, “Good morning” to me. They say a woman’s intuition is accurate. It certainly was. That morning, without photos, evidence, or any woman causing a scene, I knew my husband of ten years had strayed. After he left that day, I called a private investigator. Today’s results merely confirmed what I already knew. I felt oddly calm, so calm that I wondered if I had already lost all feelings for Ryan. I saved the photos, paid the investigator’s final fee, settled my coffee bill, and took a taxi to Ryan’s office. The receptionist tried to announce me, but I stopped her. I took the elevator to Ryan’s office on the ninth floor. When I opened the door, he was grinning at his phone. Seeing me, he quickly changed his expression to his usual gentle, caring demeanor: “Olivia, what brings you here?” I stared at him silently, watching the nervous sweat form on his brow, seeing the guilt he couldn’t quite hide in his eyes. After making him squirm, I finally spoke: “Nothing much. I just remembered today is our tenth wedding anniversary. I booked a restaurant and thought we could have dinner after work.” Ryan’s face paled for a moment. I knew he had completely forgotten. I also knew he had promised to take that young girl to the amusement park to ride the Ferris wheel tonight. The investigator was thorough – he even sent me the girl’s social media account. I browsed through it out of boredom. They first met ten months ago. The girl’s name had “Zhi” in it, and she was a pastry chef at a cake shop. That explained why desserts from a brand called “Azhi Handmade” kept appearing at home. Several times, Ryan had even brought home desserts with mango – the fruit I’m allergic to. The girl also had a white cat, which explained the cat hair on Ryan. He’s actually allergic to cats, which is why we never got one despite how much I love them. Ryan was really sacrificing for love. Twenty-year-old girls are easy to read and can’t hide things well. Her account was full of lovey-dovey content. She called Ryan “Uncle.” For nine months, she had been documenting their sweet story: [Uncle came to buy my cake again today. I drew a special heart on it just for him.] [Uncle confessed to me! It feels like a dream. I’m the happiest girl in the world now.] Photo: roses.jpg That night, Ryan didn’t come home. I remember it clearly because I had a stomachache and called him several times, but he didn’t answer. The next day, he came home looking disheveled, hugged me and apologized, saying there was an emergency at work and he had to pull an all-nighter.

I kept scrolling through her posts – birthdays, trips, dates. They did look happy. Until the most recent update: [Uncle finally agreed to ride the Ferris wheel with me tonight! We’ll kiss at the highest point, so we’ll never be apart!] Ryan didn’t go with her to the Ferris wheel after all. He chose me. Ten years of companionship still outweighed ten months, it seemed. The familiar revolving restaurant, the familiar table – from here, we had the best view of the entire city. Ten years is a long time. Long enough for us to go from sharing a bowl of noodles to sitting at the highest point of the city, ordering two steaks that had been flown in from Holland that morning. I pushed the gift I had prepared towards Ryan. He had to feign gratitude. It was a pair of cufflinks worth six figures, but Ryan wasn’t wearing a suit today. He wasn’t even wearing his wedding ring. “I’m touched, thank you, Olivia.” “I really should apologize too. I’ve been so busy that I forgot our anniversary, so I didn’t have time to get you a gift. Can you forgive me?” Ryan held my hand, apologizing with seeming sincerity. I smiled: “It’s alright, I forgive you.” The double meaning was clear. I hoped he would understand. After that, we fell silent. We clinked glasses silently, cut our steaks silently. The knives and forks made harsh sounds against the plates. Ryan seemed uncomfortable, constantly checking the time. “Do you remember when we were poorest? I found a great part-time job as a waiter at a five-star hotel. One table ordered over ten thousand dollars worth of food. While serving, I dropped a pastry. The customer got angry. That pastry cost $1,345 – half a month’s salary for me. It was so expensive.” “Olivia, why are you suddenly bringing this up?” Ryan’s face showed a hint of embarrassment. I ignored him and continued: “The manager scolded me harshly. I had to stand there for two hours as punishment. After the customers left, I secretly packed up that pastry and took it home. We squeezed into our tiny, powerless rental apartment and shared it, bite by bite. I thought it was the most delicious pastry in the world then, but today…” I looked up, and Ryan avoided my gaze guiltily: “I suddenly can’t remember what that pastry tasted like anymore.” “Olivia, do you want some dessert? I can order some right away,” Ryan said eagerly. “Forget it, let’s just eat,” I said, lowering my eyes. But Ryan suddenly stood up: “Olivia, there’s an emergency at work. I need to go back. I’ll make it up to you for our anniversary another time.” He left in such a hurry he almost tripped, not even looking back. All because that girl had just posted an update: [Uncle is a big liar. I don’t want to talk to him anymore. crying] The photo showed her burned hand and a half-finished anniversary cake. I looked out at the glittering city night view. I put down my knife and fork, finally remembering what that pastry from years ago tasted like. It was bitter. In the reflection of the glass, I saw my tear-streaked face. Ryan had forgotten. That night, squeezed onto our tiny single bed, he held me tight and said: “Olivia, I promise I’ll make something of myself. I’ll let you sit at the highest point of the city and eat the most expensive meal.” Now I was eating that meal, but the person was gone. It turns out ten months really can be longer than ten years.

After that day, Ryan didn’t come home for three days. Love is always impulsive and passionate. Before midnight that night, they rode the Ferris wheel, kissed at the highest point, and promised to never be apart. “Here’s your cake.” “Thank you.” I politely closed the photo on my phone screen of the two of them kissing on the Ferris wheel. I carefully examined the girl before me. We were finally meeting. Emily Davis, Ryan’s mistress. She smiled warmly, showing her cute little fangs. “This is our shop’s signature cake. It’s super delicious!” Young girls really are different – so full of energy and sunshine. I tried a bite of her cake. It tasted good, just too sweet. Sickeningly sweet. “It’s very good.” “Can I get another one to go? I want to bring it to my husband.” She smiled: “Of course, beautiful sister. You and your husband must have a great relationship.” I didn’t respond, just watched her carefully tie a bow on the bag. As I was leaving, she said sweetly: “Come back again soon! I hope your husband likes my cake too.” “He will. He’ll love it.” I gave her one last long look, then turned and left. I sat on the sofa waiting for Ryan to come home. Because he hadn’t been home for several days, he had an ingratiating smile when he saw me. “Olivia dear, I’ve been so busy these past few days. I brought you a gift. Please don’t be mad at me, okay?” He came up behind me, put his arms around my shoulders and buried his face in my neck. But I could still smell that sickly sweet scent on him. I shrugged out of his embrace without a word. I handed him the boxed cake. Sure enough, when he saw the packaging, the color drained from his face. “Why did you suddenly buy cake?” He was testing me. I kept my face expressionless. Ryan was still trying to keep up appearances. He pulled a velvet box from his pocket containing a jeweled bracelet. “Olivia, are you still mad at me? I swear, it won’t happen again. Really.” “Don’t be angry, okay Olivia?” I used to find Ryan’s wheedling childish but endearing. No matter how decisive and ruthless he was outside, at home he was always my Huaizhi. But now, this special treatment had become his way of lying to me. I forced a smile: “I was passing by and remembered you like it, so I bought some.” Ryan let out a sigh of relief. He leaned in again and fastened the bracelet around my wrist. “I knew my Olivia couldn’t stay mad at me.” I felt dazed. I used to think Ryan had never changed. In my heart, he was always that 20-year-old boy. Now, I could clearly see the fine lines around his eyes, his sagging cheeks, the gray hairs mixed in with the black. “How many years have we known each other?” “Fifteen years. Five years dating, ten years married.” Ryan answered quickly, as if afraid of making another mistake I might notice. “Fifteen years… that really is a long time.” “Only fifteen years, Olivia. We still have many more fifteens ahead of us.” Ryan was eager to prove his loyalty. But fifteen years really was too long. So long I thought it would be a lifetime. Long enough for someone to grow tired of it.

After that day, out of guilt, Ryan stayed home obediently for a week. Then he started not coming home again. I went back to Azhi Handmade. Sat in the same spot as before. Scrolling through Emily’s page. Turns out they went skiing last week. The same cake was placed in front of me. Emily still had that same smile. “Nice to see you again, beautiful sister.” I nodded but didn’t touch the cake. “What’s wrong? Not going to try it today?” “I’m tired of it.” I said simply. Emily’s expression froze for a moment before she recovered her smile. “That’s okay, we have other flavors in the shop. They’re all delicious!” “You can try a different one.” Try a different one. Indeed, I could try something different. I took out my phone and snapped a photo of the shop, posting it with the caption: [Delicious.] Within minutes, Ryan called. I ignored it, hanging up and putting my phone on silent. Emily was making a cake. I stood up and slowly walked over. She looked up and smiled at me. “Want to give it a try, beautiful sister?” “It’s different when you make it yourself.” I nodded. So she brought me into her workspace. She guided me hands-on in making a cake. As we worked, she chattered away: “Beautiful sister, let me tell you, I met my boyfriend while making cakes. The first time he made one, it was all crooked and ugly.” “You two must be very close.” Emily smiled shyly, her eyes sparkling: “Yes, I love him so much.” “We need to trim the cake first.” She handed me the knife. I looked at her young, radiant face and raised the knife. Suddenly I heard a shout: “No!” Then I saw Ryan rush in, roughly push me aside and shield Emily, looking at me in panic. “Olivia, I know I was wrong, but don’t hurt her.” My shoulder slammed hard into the wall, a sharp pain shooting through me. The knife slipped and cut across the back of my hand, drawing blood. I stared at Ryan as I put down the knife and straightened up. Emily was still confused. She clung to Ryan, gripping his clothes tightly. “What’s wrong, Uncle?” I took off my ring and held it up in front of her. It matched the one on Ryan’s left hand as he shielded her. She finally realized – I was the original wife he had no feelings for, who made him lose his passion. Those were her words on her blog: [I feel so bad for Uncle, trapped in a loveless marriage. But it’s okay, I don’t need anything. I just want his love.] She had known all along that Ryan was married. I watched her face turn pale with shock, then suddenly gather her courage and step forward. She bowed to me, her voice shaking: “I’m sorry. I know what I did was wrong, but I have to say it. Uncle and I truly love each other. I don’t want anything else, I just want him.” Ryan looked at her with eyes full of emotion. How pure, I thought. But he had forgotten that I said those exact words ten years ago. Kneeling in front of my father, my face set stubbornly. [I don’t need anything. I just want him.] Back then, Ryan had grabbed my hand and told me he would never let me down. But now. “Olivia, I’m sorry, but I love her.” Ryan looked the picture of undying love as they embraced. I had become the evil supporting character getting in the way of the leads’ romance. Slap! I raised my hand and struck Ryan hard across the face, so hard my palm stung. The wedding ring traced a beautiful arc through the air, fell to the ground, and rolled out of sight. Ryan held his face, not daring to look at me. The young girl was heartbroken for him. She wanted to say something to me, but Ryan held her back. I didn’t say a word. I just straightened my back, walked out of the workspace, smoothed my hair, and picked up my bag. Then I turned back to Ryan and said the only thing I had to say since he arrived: “I’ve sent the divorce papers to your email. Sign them quickly.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295957”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #惊悚Thriller #校园School