Author: Momo Chan

Betrayed by Love On the eve of the Latin dance competition finals, my wife and I had planned to go skydiving together. However, a hundred meters above the ground, the parachute cord suddenly snapped. To save her, I sacrificed myself and ended up paralyzed from the waist down. I could no longer dance Latin, the passion of my life. The harsh reality hit me hard, and I could only numb myself with tears. As I drifted in and out of consciousness, I overheard a conversation between the doctor and Sophia. “Mrs. Anderson, are you sure you want to give up on the treatment? With the latest technology, we can completely heal Mr. Luke’s condition by reconnecting the bones. If we delay any longer, his life will be ruined. Forget about dancing; even his ability to have children might be…” “It’s just paralysis, not death. Besides, we already have a son.” “I can’t let him steal the championship title that Jack has been dreaming of for so long.” Lying on the hospital bed, my trembling eyes shed hot tears. So, the vow of deep love for a lifetime was something only I believed in. If you don’t want my love, I’ll take it back. “Mrs. Anderson, are you sure you want to do this? Mr. Luke is already paralyzed and bedridden. If we cut his tendons now, he’ll never be able to stand up again for the rest of his life.” “I’ve already owed Jack five years. I can’t owe him a lifetime. I just want Luke to be okay. As for Jack… I’ll make it up to him for the rest of my life.” The doctor and Sophia’s words echoed in my ears, sending a deathly chill through my body. No wonder Sophia was so eager to get me into surgery. It wasn’t to save me, but to push me into an abyss of despair. When I opened my eyes again, the anesthesia had just worn off, and my legs were in excruciating pain. In no time, tears soaked my pillow. The pain seeped through every fiber of my being, and I didn’t even dare to cry out loud. Hearing the commotion, Sophia rushed in from outside, pretending to be anxious and worried. Seeing me, she burst into tears: “Honey, you’re finally awake. I thought I’d never see you again.” “How are you feeling? Any better? Promise me you’ll never do anything so dangerous again. You nearly scared me and our baby to death.” I was horrified to realize that I had never truly seen through her. My throat felt stuck, and I couldn’t speak. I could only force a slight smile, pretending that nothing had happened. She held my head against her chest: “Don’t worry, everything will be alright.” Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the door. “Young master, you can’t go in. Mr. Luke needs to rest.” “Mom, the toy Uncle Jack gave me is broken. Can you take me to see Uncle Jack?” Our son’s voice broke the silence. Sophia awkwardly held him back. “Be quiet for a moment, your dad is sick.” Only then did our son notice me lying on the hospital bed. “What happened to you?” I had been too busy with work at the dance studio to pay much attention to my son, so he wasn’t very close to me. Seeing my son so concerned, the coldness in my heart dissipated a little. After all, he was still my own flesh and blood. I instinctively wanted to caress my son, but Sophia pulled him away as if guarding against a thief. “Dad’s legs hurt. Don’t hurt him.” Despite her efforts to hide it, I could still see the disgust in her eyes. “Will Dad be disabled forever? I don’t like a disabled dad. Mom, I want Uncle Jack to be my dad.” I froze, my throat dry: “Baby, don’t you like Daddy?” My son shook his head. “I don’t like you. I like a dad who can dance Latin. Uncle Jack is better.” Just as I was about to speak up and educate him, Sophia quickly picked him up and carried him away. “Be good, baby. Dad needs some quiet. Let’s go outside, okay?” “Don’t take a child’s thoughtless words to heart.” I was about to say something when Sophia received a phone call. From my angle, I could clearly see the caller ID. The name “Jack” was glaring on the screen. As soon as she answered the call, Sophia walked towards the balcony. She had always taken good care of herself, maintaining a graceful figure, though she usually wore a cold expression. So, she could smile too. But the smile wasn’t for me. “Wait for me, I’ll be right there,” she said after a few words. Her eyes turned red, and tears welled up. I was about to call out to her, but to my surprise, she picked up our son and left. “There’s been a mishap at the competition venue, and Jack is injured. I’m going to check on him.” “Wait, I want to—” Before I could finish, she quickly cut me off. “Can’t you be more considerate? Jack loves Latin dance so much. If he suffers any injury, he’ll regret it for the rest of his life.” So, it’s okay for me to be paralyzed and have my tendons cut? Sophia, how much of the love you spoke of was actually real? For the next month, I didn’t see Sophia at all. On the day I was discharged from the hospital in a wheelchair, her image suddenly appeared on the rolling screen in the hospital lobby. But the person beside her wasn’t me. “We’ve heard that Mrs. Anderson and Mr. Jack were college sweethearts. After all these years, they still seem so in love. What’s the secret to keeping your love fresh? Can you share it with us?” “Mrs. Anderson has been by Mr. Jack’s side in the hospital, taking care of him non-stop. Mr. Jack, do you have anything to say about this?” “We’ve heard that Mr. Jack won the Latin dance competition. Do you two have any expectations for the grand finals two months from now?” Under the spotlight, her face blushed with girlish shyness. She turned to look at Jack: “I believe in Jack. He will definitely achieve his dream.” The audience erupted in thunderous applause. In a corner ignored by all, a tear slid down my cheek. College sweethearts? So, Jack had always been Sophia’s unattainable love. No wonder she was willing to give up the Anderson Group to accompany me. It turns out she had heard Jack would be there too. So she had planned all along to sacrifice me to pave the way for Jack. Realizing all this, my soul felt as if it had been ripped away. Heartbroken and disillusioned, I immediately sent a message to my brother, a doctor working in Southeast Asia. [I heard you were researching nano-periosteum regeneration technology before?] [No matter what the survival rate is, I want to do it.] After arranging a time with my brother, I returned to the home where I had lived for five years. Coincidentally, Sophia called. “Honey, I heard from the hospital that you’ve been discharged. Where are you now?” Before I could speak, Sophia continued: “The organizers are holding a celebration party. I’ll send you the address on your phone. This is the coronation ceremony for your good friend Jack. Don’t forget to come, okay?” She hung up without even waiting for my response. Good friend? She really knew how to make excuses for herself. I had met Jack less than twice in total. The banquet hall was set up on the top floor of a local five-star hotel. When I appeared in my wheelchair, I almost became the focus of the entire room. There were looks of contempt, mockery, sympathy… and more predominantly, disgust. Panic and unease overwhelmed me. After desperately searching for Sophia’s figure to no avail, I found my son next to a waiter. He saw me too. I moved my wheelchair forward: “Baby, where’s Mom?” But my son, who used to show me some respect, suddenly changed his expression. “You’re not my dad. I don’t have a useless dad like you.” Under everyone’s gaze, I felt utterly humiliated. I lowered my eyes and said bitterly, “I’m sorry, Dad has embarrassed you.” My son frantically tried to explain to those around him: “He’s not my dad. My dad is a healthy person named Jack.” Probably unable to bear the criticism, my son gave me a resentful look before running away in tears. It’s my fault that even my son doesn’t want to acknowledge me. Like a misfit monster, I avoided the crowd and moved my wheelchair up to the rooftop. A door separated two worlds, and I cried. Suddenly, I heard Sophia’s voice. “Jack, I was too impulsive five years ago. I still love you.” “Sophia, thank you for everything you’ve done for me, both five years ago and now. My feelings for you haven’t changed, but I never imagined that time would fly by so quickly. You already have a family and a child. It’s my fault for not being able to control my heart and loving you.” “No, it’s not your fault. You’re wonderful and deserve all the precious things in this world.” “Including you?” Through the thick glass door, I saw Sophia’s blushing cheeks. The sound of lips and teeth intertwining filled my ears as they made love again and again. “If Luke finds out what I’m doing with you, he’ll definitely be angry. Am I a bad person?” “He’s paralyzed in bed and can’t perform as a man anymore. I love you and want you. He’s just a useless cripple who can’t make any waves.” Listening to the sounds of their lovemaking, I felt nauseous. I frantically pushed my wheelchair away and hugged the trash can in the stairwell, vomiting violently. When I came out, I happened to run into Jack. I discreetly turned on my phone’s voice recorder. He looked satisfied, looking down at me condescendingly. “If I were you, I’d jump off the building and die right now. Your wife doesn’t love you, your child doesn’t recognize you. What’s the point of living?” “I know you saw everything just now. How does it feel to watch your own wife succumb to me with your own eyes? Not good, right? Do you know how I’ve lived these years? In every Latin dance competition, I was always overshadowed by you. But now it’s all good. You’re no longer a threat to me.” “To be honest, when Sophia first said she wanted you to voluntarily withdraw from the Latin Dance Association, I didn’t believe her. I never thought she would actually marry you and take you to start a business elsewhere. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have reached this position today.” Every word he said was like a knife stabbing into my heart, each sentence shattering my worldview. So, my relationship with Jack wasn’t just the two encounters I thought we had. In places I didn’t know about, he had looked up to me countless times. When Sophia married me back then, it was actually to clear obstacles for Jack. After five years, she made the same choice again, even though this time she was sacrificing my lifelong passion for Latin dance. She was still willing to do it. I gritted my teeth in hatred: “It’s because you’re not as skilled. You…” “Jack, are you done?” “I’m here, ah…” Right in front of me, Jack tripped over his own feet, fell down the stairs, bleeding profusely, and clutching his leg while screaming non-stop. Sophia immediately embraced Jack, glaring at me angrily. “He has done nothing wrong to you, so why did you do this!” Jack clung tightly to her sleeve in her arms: “It’s not his fault. I tripped over his wheelchair myself. I was in his way.” “Jack, when will you ever learn to be harsh? It’s clearly him who has held you back for decades!” After comforting Jack, she helped him leave, saying coldly: “You go back by yourself. I don’t want to see you right now.” I don’t know how I got back home. When I came to my senses, I had already drafted a divorce agreement. Tomorrow would have been our sixth wedding anniversary. But Sophia had probably forgotten about it. In this house, only the study was a place she would go to every day, but she never allowed me to enter. Walking into the study, the walls were covered with photos of her and Jack. In every picture, they were smiling brightly and tenderly. So, every day you were with me, you were thinking of him. I placed the divorce agreement on her desk. Out of some inexplicable impulse, I turned on the computer. The computer was password-protected. I suddenly remembered Jack’s birthday from a previous registration form and entered it without hesitation. The next second, the computer unlocked. What greeted my eyes was a photo of her kissing Jack. In the bottom right corner of the screen was a file she had named “Treasure”. With trembling hands, I clicked it open, and what I saw was a paternity test report. Below was a line in large letters, supporting that Jack was Ethan’s biological father. I couldn’t believe it and opened it repeatedly, reading it line by line, over and over again. Tears fell drop by drop until my eyes were sore from crying. The test was done one day after Ethan was born. So when I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new life, Sophia was secretly getting a paternity test done. She hadn’t even recovered from the pain of childbirth at that time. I shifted my gaze to Ethan’s 100-day photo on her desk and roughly took apart the frame. The words behind the photo instantly shattered all my self-esteem. [The child is yours. I’m so happy.] [Every day I spend with him is proof of my love for you.] The last line in small letters was even freshly written. [He’s crippled now, not much of a man anymore. From now on, I belong only to you.] I frantically swept everything off the desk. Trying to stand up from the wheelchair, I fell again and again, my tears almost dried up. What were all these years for? The daily busyness in the kitchen, every word of care, the gentle warmth of hot soup and ginger tea – in your eyes, were they all just declarations of love for another man? No wonder you were unwilling to say an extra word to me, to eat an extra bite of hot food. It turns out you were afraid of betrayal. The silent night almost engulfed me. I’ve always been an extra person. Since five years ago. If that’s the case, I’ll leave. I signed the divorce agreement and left it in the study. I erased all traces of my existence. Discarding everything related to her and our son, I bought a boat ticket in the middle of the night, packed my bags, and left. The next morning, the housekeeper called Sophia. “Ms. Anderson, I just received a call from the port. They said Mr. Luke met with an accident at sea, and his body was never found…” “What nonsense are you talking about? How could a cripple go to sea? And what about the anniversary gift I asked you to buy for him? Did you give it to him?” “I didn’t have a chance to give it to him before Mr. Luke disappeared. Also, it seems he found out that you instructed the doctors not to treat him and even had them cut his tendons. I found a suicide note in his room.” As the housekeeper’s voice continued to echo, the phone suddenly slipped from Sophia’s hand.

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I Transmigrated into My Own Novel and Could Hear the Thoughts of the Man I Had a Crush On In the novel, my stepfather no longer despised me. He even doted on and protected me, not allowing anyone to bully me. Everyone said that Ethan Foster, the tycoon who dominated the business world, had a soft spot for someone. Whoever dared to provoke her would be in trouble. The story continued until the grand finale, where I saw myself tragically dying in prison. And the one who sent me to prison was none other than Ethan Foster, my stepfather who had been intimately involved with me every night. His kindness to me was only because his true love was dying, and only my bone marrow could save her. Back to the first chapter of the novel, I publicly gave up on confessing to my stepfather and tried everything to escape his control. December 12th was my 21st birthday. To celebrate, Ethan specially organized a grand bonfire party in the Maldives. The beach was decorated with countless flowers and heart-shaped balloons. In the center of the beach was an exquisite designer gown in pink. The few specially invited friends all looked envious. “Mr. Foster is so good to Ava! 999 pink roses and a designer birthday gift, I’m so jealous!” “Of course! I wish I had a stepfather like Mr. Foster too. He’s handsome and has a great body. I’d love to experience Ava’s life for just one day!!!” The familiar scene appeared before my eyes again. I was surprised, happy, and scared. It all felt too unreal. My stepfather used to be ashamed of me, despising me to the extreme, never willing to give me a kind look. Such a grand celebration was beyond my wildest dreams. After transmigrating into the novel world, a book of the novel I created appeared in my hands out of thin air. The first half of the book was exactly the same as what I had written, full of my imagined sweet life with my stepfather. Up until the last chapter where I stopped updating, the rest of the book was blank, with only the final page marked “Grand Finale”. However, in the grand finale, I ended up in prison and died a miserable death, while Ethan walked down the aisle with his true love. My heart suddenly clenched, as if all of this had really happened before. I was about to leave the dressing room to investigate when I saw my stepfather looking unwell, walking quickly towards the back door of the hotel. I quietly followed him and accidentally overheard him on the phone. On the other end of the line, I could faintly hear a woman sobbing. “Luna, listen to the doctor and take your medicine. I’ve found suitable bone marrow. You’ll be fine.” Luna? Is this the woman Ethan has been hiding in his heart? My stepfather never let me look at his phone. Once, I accidentally touched his phone and saw that his wallpaper was a girl smiling gently. Ethan was so angry when he saw that I had touched his things that he didn’t speak to me for a whole month. Such a gentle smile, he had never been willing to bestow upon me. Ethan comforted Luna for a long time before hanging up the phone. Just as he was about to leave, his assistant hurried over from the other side. “Mr. Foster, the contract you asked for has been signed. As long as Miss Ava is willing to sign, we can arrange Miss Luna’s surgery.” “Also, regarding Miss Luna’s drunk driving and hit-and-run incident, do you really want Miss Ava to take the blame? The other party doesn’t want money, they insist on Luna serving a full prison sentence.” “After all, Miss Ava grew up under your care. Are you really willing to do this?” Ethan remained silent, and the assistant understood his tacit agreement and left with a sigh. The heart-piercing words reached my ears, and I covered my mouth, not daring to make a sound. I thought heaven had taken pity on me and woven me a dream, but it turned out to be a sugar-coated poison. No matter how much my stepfather disliked me, he had never thought of throwing me away. But this stepfather was willing to sacrifice my life for another woman. My nose was already so sore that I could barely breathe. I bit my lower lip hard, trying to suppress my sobs. Through my blurry vision, I saw my stepfather just coldly smirk. Even his voice was not as gentle as when he was on the phone earlier, utterly heartless. Although he didn’t speak out loud, I could hear his thoughts. “Luna from the other world couldn’t be saved, but thankfully, heaven has given me another chance to make it up to her.” “In this novel world, Ava is immortal anyway. What’s a little suffering to her!” “I’ll fulfill her dream life, exchange her life for Luna’s. After she donates her bone marrow, I’ll take care of her for the rest of her life in the next world.” I crouched in the dark corner, unable to believe what I had just heard. He really was Ethan Foster! My beloved stepfather actually wanted to take my life!! After a long while, I returned to the beach. In the original outline, I was supposed to confess my feelings to Ethan on this day. I walked barefoot on the beach, feeling lost. When my friends saw me, they quickly pulled me to the center surrounded by flowers. A few friends saw Ethan coming over and were even more excited than I was. My indifference, however, was completely out of place with the lively atmosphere around me. “Ava, didn’t you say you had something to tell Mr. Foster? Don’t waste such a romantic moment!” “Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Mr. Foster definitely won’t refuse, right, Mr. Foster!” Ethan, wearing a black suit, walked over from beside the bubble machine in the moonlight. The red flames from the bonfire illuminated his handsome profile, even the tides seemed to be accompanying the scene. Everything was just perfect. Everything was perfect, but I couldn’t bring myself to smile. Ethan noticed my pale face and, for the first time ever, took the initiative to hug me, whispering softly in my ear. “Don’t be afraid, Ava. Your father is here.” His deep, magnetic voice was like Satan luring one into the abyss, but I couldn’t indulge in this absurdity anymore. I took a deep breath and avoided Ethan’s embrace. I forced a smile that looked worse than crying and looked up to meet Ethan’s puzzled gaze. “Father, thank you for the birthday gift. But we should maintain some boundaries between us.”

My sudden aloofness caught Ethan off guard. In the real world, I loved him to the bone. If he showed me even a little kindness, I would want to stick to him all the time. But I still looked silly, not much different from before. Perhaps he was overthinking it. Ethan forced another smile: “Ava, do you have something on your mind? Tell me, I’ll help you.” I shook my head, my tone flat. “It’s windy by the sea at night. I’m just feeling a bit unwell.” For some reason, even though the person I had been dreaming of day and night was right in front of me, I couldn’t breathe. Before, I just thought he didn’t love me, but I could always warm his heart. But now, I wanted nothing more than to fly away from him immediately. But if I left now, it would only arouse Ethan’s suspicion. If he knew that I knew everything, he would surely use every means to torture me until I willingly donated bone marrow to Luna. The waves were surging one after another, the wind and waves getting stronger, and thousands of layers of waves rolled up from the depths of the sea. I sat on the beach chair, lost in thought, not even hearing when someone called my name several times. “Ethan Foster, your stepdaughter is quite cute.” Next to Ethan stood a man wearing a blue and white checkered shirt. When our eyes met, he raised an eyebrow at me. I recognized him, Nathan Cole, Ethan’s arch-enemy, a well-known playboy in the business circle. Ethan used to dislike him, which led to me disliking him too. But now I didn’t want to provoke anyone, my mind full of escape plans. Ethan looked displeased, his handsome face slightly flushed. He usually had a good tolerance for alcohol, so he must have drunk quite a bit this time. In the past, whenever Ethan came back drunk from social events, no matter how late it was, I would always brew sobering soup and wait for him, even if he didn’t even look at it. I heard Ethan’s thoughts again. “Losing your composure at the sight of a pretty boy, you’re just like your useless father!” “Your father couldn’t have children, he only adopted you to fight for the family fortune!” “If it weren’t for the old man insisting on giving you half of the family assets, I wouldn’t have raised you for so many years, causing Luna to resent me for all these years.” I clenched my fists tightly, my nails digging into my flesh, but I couldn’t feel the pain. My heart felt as if it had been stabbed by countless sharp knives, the acute pain almost suffocating me. I held back my tears, trying not to show any signs of distress. Then I turned and took the lemonade from beside the beach chair, handing it to Nathan in front of Ethan. With a shy fake smile, I disguised the decay in my heart. “Brother Nathan, have some lemonade. It’ll make you feel better.” Nathan’s eyes were full of mischievous laughter as he placed his long, broad hand on my shoulder. “Little Ava has grown up, huh? Do you remember what you promised your brother when you were little?” I shook my head instinctively. “When you were little, you said I was handsome. You pestered your dad, saying you wanted to marry me. You even said we were betrothed and you’d be my bride in the future.” My face immediately flushed hot: “Brother Nathan, don’t joke around. What kids say doesn’t count.” Nathan pretended to be hurt: “Look, you’re single, I’m single. Why don’t we make a pair?” I looked at Ethan. He was staring intently at the hand on my shoulder, his face darkening as if a storm was brewing. Ethan hadn’t even noticed it himself, but a nameless jealousy was rising in his heart. He reached out his hand, ready to pull me away, but when he heard what I said next, his arm froze in mid-air before dropping back down. “What did you say?” “Ava Foster, say that again!”

“Okay.” “If Brother Nathan doesn’t mind, I’m willing to date him.” Little did I know, this one sentence completely overturned the jar of vinegar in Ethan’s heart. He shouldn’t be like this. Even if he was jealous, the object of his jealousy should be Luna, or more accurately, it couldn’t possibly be me. This time, reason lost to emotion. “I’m your guardian. Without my permission, you’re not allowed to date!” In front of everyone, he directly picked me up and carried me back to the car. But in the past, he couldn’t wait to stay three feet away from me. Ethan didn’t give me a chance to resist, speeding all the way to the airport. The car was dead silent, so silent that I heard Ethan’s thoughts again. “Ava Foster, from now on, I forbid you to leave my side even half a step.” “Alive, you’re a Foster. Dead, you’re a Foster ghost!” “Before Luna is cured, I won’t give you any chance to escape!” So that’s how it is… Sometimes I really want to cut open Ethan’s heart and see if he ever liked me, even a little bit. But whether he did or not, how does it matter? In his heart, I’ll never compare to Luna. But not long after we drove out, a red truck suddenly changed lanes and stepped on the gas, charging towards Ethan’s Maybach. Just as it was about to crash, my body involuntarily threw itself in front of Ethan, shielding him from the fatal blow. In that moment of mental blankness, I saw my former weak self. She said to me: “Ava, consider this the last time you act foolishly. From now on, you’ll have to walk alone.” The roar in my ears was very loud, ambulances and police cars kept blaring their sirens, and someone was shouting my name with all their might. Is it Ethan? It doesn’t matter whether it is or not anymore. When I woke up again, the cold white light in the hospital room stung my eyes, and the smell of jasmine mixed with disinfectant kept invading my nose. As my vision flickered, I saw Ethan’s eyes were bloodshot, his brows furrowed into a knot. Is he… worried about me? “Ethan Foster, if I died, would you be sad?” Ethan was silent for a moment, his voice much hoarser. “Don’t think too much. Just rest well.” He poured me a glass of warm water, but I heard him think: “Ava, I don’t know how to answer this question, but Luna’s illness can’t be delayed any longer.” “After the bone marrow donation is successful, I’ll find a way to make you forget all of this.” “I can give you anything except love. This is what I owe Luna. Her family ended up like this all because of me. I can’t ignore her.” I didn’t take the glass of water Ethan offered. Just then, he received a phone call. “Mr. Foster, Miss Luna is missing!” Ethan glanced at me, but it was just a glance. After that, he rushed out without even taking his coat. The glass cup placed on the bedside table wasn’t steady and fell to the ground, shattering into transparent pieces. The water stain on the ground suddenly reflected the face of a strange girl. Luna’s face was pale, which added a sickly beauty to her fine features. She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and pushed open the glass, asking, “Are you the precious one Ethan Foster holds in the palm of his hand?” I shook my head slightly: “He cares about you the most. You sneaking out will make him worry.” I had imagined countless scenarios of meeting Luna, but I never thought it would be so peaceful, as if we were just friends who had just met. Luna smiled and shook her head as well: “He never mentioned having such a good girl by his side. I’ve done too many wrong things that have implicated you.” “I know everything. Even with your bone marrow, it won’t save me. It’s just that brother Ethan is too obsessed in his heart. He always feels guilty towards me.” “In any world, I’ve lived too tired a life. I don’t want to implicate anyone else because of me.” “This is our first meeting, I’m Luna. It’s also our last.” She smiled gently, seeming truly fearless, and jumped from the window without hesitation. Ethan saw this scene from outside the door. He ran to the window with all his might, but it was still a step too late. He could only watch the pool of blood below the high-rise building with grief. “Ava! Foster! What exactly did you do to Luna!”

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After the breakup, I returned home to pack up my belongings. The person who opened the door wasn’t Aria, but a young man I didn’t recognize. He was wearing loose-fitting loungewear, and the scent of shower gel lingered on him. Anyone could tell at a glance that he was the owner of this place. He paused for a moment, a flash of understanding crossing his eyes, but he still pretended to be confused and asked, “Excuse me, who are you? Is there something I can help you with?” “I’m here to collect my things,” I replied, unable to suppress a sigh as the words left my mouth. This place was once the shared home of Aria and me, our cozy little nest where we lived together. I never imagined that right after our breakup, she would be so eager to bring another man home, and he would greet me as if he were the rightful owner. “Didn’t Aria tell you I was coming to pack up my stuff today?” I asked. Hearing my words, the man finally put on an act of sudden realization, “Oh, so you must be Mr. Liam?” He smiled slightly, his words laced with sarcasm, “Aria’s memory hasn’t been great since she woke up. It’s understandable that she might forget some unimportant things.” I nodded silently and walked past him into the apartment. Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice: “This might have been your home once, but it’s not anymore.” I turned to see Aria standing with her arms crossed, looking at me coldly. “Mr. Liam, although I’ve forgotten many things, I hope you can be sensible.” “When you’re packing, don’t take anything that doesn’t belong to you.” Her face was impassive, as if she had truly lost her memory. But I knew that all of this was just an act. Why did it have to be like this? If she no longer had feelings for me, she could have simply said she wanted to break up. I would have left gracefully, never to bother her again. Why pretend to have amnesia, making everything so awkward? This wasn’t just insulting me; it was trampling on the beautiful memories we once shared… I swallowed the bitterness in my heart and replied briefly, “I don’t have a habit of stealing.” With that, I walked into the bedroom and started packing my suitcase. Aria and her new boyfriend stood nearby, watching me like supervisors. They flirted and joked around from time to time, just as she used to do with me. She used to love cuddling in my arms, acting coy, as if she wanted to melt into me. Now, these intimate gestures were directed at someone else. I didn’t have many possessions – just a few clothes and some daily necessities. I finished packing quickly. Standing up, I said to Aria, “Miss Aria, do you want to check?” “You’d better make sure now whether I’ve stolen anything of yours or not.” She didn’t answer, just waved her hand, gesturing for me to leave quickly. I picked up my suitcase and walked straight out of the apartment. The cold door slammed shut behind me. I took a deep breath, my eyes stinging a little. If it weren’t for those memories, perhaps I would feel a bit better. I took out my phone, hesitated for a moment, and finally dialed the doctor’s number. “I’ve made up my mind. I’ll come to the hospital soon to discuss the surgery plan…” “It doesn’t matter if I lose my memory.” “I don’t have any important memories worth keeping anymore.” Due to the presence of a brain tumor, I often suffered from headaches. Originally, I had planned to keep this secret to myself, not letting anyone know. Even Aria, I didn’t intend to tell her. Because the doctor told me that although the tumor was currently benign, there was a potential risk of it becoming malignant. Early removal surgery was the best course of action, but— Since the tumor was adjacent to nerves, the surgery carried some risks. It could potentially lead to partial memory loss after the operation, and whether recovery was possible remained uncertain. In the past, I viewed my memories as treasures, fearing to forget even the smallest important moments and people in my life. But after breaking up with Aria, this worry seemed to gradually dissipate, as I felt I had nothing left to cherish. She was willing to fabricate lies to push me away, to deny the beautiful moments between us. So why should I stubbornly hold onto them? I went to the hospital and confirmed the details of the surgery plan with the doctor. The next practical issue I faced was raising funds for the surgery. I was an art student, majoring in fine arts, and had dabbled in photography after graduation. With these skills, my life was relatively comfortable, but the high cost of living in New York City meant I hadn’t been able to save much in two years. Just as I was leaving the hospital, at a loss about how to fund the surgery, a familiar voice softly called out, “Liam?” I turned around to see Aria not far away, along with her current boyfriend, Jack. I nodded slightly in greeting, then prepared to leave. But Aria pursued, asking, “Are you feeling unwell?” I frowned slightly, casually brushing it off, “It’s nothing, just a routine check-up.” Aria stared at me, her eyes a mix of concern and confusion. She seemed to want to say something but closed her mouth instead. Huh… Wasn’t she pretending to have amnesia? What act is she putting on now? Jack, sensing something amiss, interjected, “Aria, I told you it was just a minor cold, yet you took half a day off work to worry.” His words seemed apologetic but were actually boastful. See, she cares so much about my little cold that she took time off work to accompany me. And you? All alone, how pitiful! I found their behavior both childish and tiresome, and couldn’t be bothered to engage. As another headache struck, I didn’t want to show weakness in front of Aria, so I turned to leave. Unexpectedly, Jack approached me, asking, “Mr. Liam, you don’t look well.” “Aria was planning to make some health supplements for me. Why don’t you join us for dinner at our place?” I was quite surprised and involuntarily glanced at Aria. We had lived together, so of course I knew she could cook, though I had never tasted her cooking. “No need,” I said, starting to walk away before I had finished speaking. “Don’t be so polite,” Jack persisted, trying to show off further. He grabbed my hand and said, “Where are you headed? How about letting Aria drive you?” “I’m like family to her now, she’ll listen to me. Don’t feel shy, just ask for what you want.” The headache made me increasingly irritable. I yanked my hand away abruptly, “I said, I don’t need it.” I barely used any force, but Jack stumbled and fell to the ground. He frowned, looking somewhat angry, “Mr. Liam, I kindly invited you to dinner and offered you a ride. It’s fine if you refuse, but why did you have to get physical?” His boasting was so obvious, his intentions clear as day! I couldn’t believe a grown man could be so shameless! “What are you doing?!” Aria approached, her face cold as she questioned me. “I didn’t push him!” I stood my ground, refusing to admit fault. Hearing this, Aria’s expression darkened further, “Are you saying Jack fell on his own?” Even if that was the truth, who would believe it? I could see a glimmer of sly satisfaction in Jack’s eyes. “Apologize!” Aria commanded me, “You should know the consequences of offending me…” “I am the heiress of the Aria family, if I make a move…” As the heiress of the Aria family, Aria had enough background and power to make it impossible for me to survive in New York City. Around us, many passersby had stopped to watch. “This guy seems quite ungrateful, doesn’t he? They kindly invited him, and not only was his attitude terrible, but he even got physical?” “What a loser, disgusting!” “Hmph… I bet this guy doesn’t have many friends. Is he jealous of the happy couple?” Faced with the crowd’s condemnation, I clenched my fists helplessly. Jack got up from the ground, holding Aria’s hand, and said, “It’s okay, I’m fine.” “I just didn’t expect Mr. Liam to have such a bad temper. It’s a good thing you broke up with him early, Aria. I can’t imagine what might have happened otherwise.” Hearing these words, the onlookers’ criticism became even more intense, directly labeling me as an “abusive boyfriend.” Aria just looked on coldly, showing no intention of defending me. Instead, she said sternly, “Apologize!” Forced by the circumstances, I had to lower my head, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pushed you…” I reversed black and white, trampling on my own character and dignity. “Is that enough?” I asked Aria, my heart as dead as ashes, but noticed her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. As I turned to leave, feeling dispirited, she called out somewhat uncertainly, “Liam!” I heard her footsteps, but Jack held her back, “Aria, I’m feeling a bit dizzy. Let’s go home.” Go ahead. You go to your home, and I’ll go to my rented room. It’s best if we never cross paths again. I’m really tired. I don’t want to have any more entanglements with Aria. That day, my boss assigned me a big project. It required not only photography but also hand-drawing a portrait. In the entire studio, I was the only one capable of taking on such a commission. According to my boss, this client was extremely generous. There was hope for my surgery fees, so I accepted without hesitation. However, I later discovered that it was Jack who had specifically sought out our studio and placed this order. I needed to photograph them as a couple and draw a loving portrait of them… Time flew by, and I arrived at the scheduled beach with my equipment. Out of habit, I knew from which angles to shoot to best capture Aria’s beauty. No matter who she was posing with, I could take the most perfect pictures. Based on this foundation, poses like gazing into each other’s eyes, embracing, and kissing became the icing on the cake. The entire photoshoot went very smoothly, with frame after frame of sweet moments frozen in time as I pressed the shutter. Throughout the process, my heart remained as calm as a dry well, without a ripple or a splash. Towards the end, I still needed to discuss with them which photo they wanted to use as the reference for the hand-drawn portrait. Jack took the camera and flipped through the photos, “Mr. Liam’s photography skills are really good, and his attitude is quite impressive too. It doesn’t seem to affect you at all.” The sarcasm in his words was clear, but what did it matter? This was just work, after all. “I’m glad you like them,” I replied calmly. Soon, Aria and Jack picked out a photo. “Let’s use this one for the oil painting,” they said. In the picture, they were facing away from the sunset, holding hands and smiling, their expressions sweet. The brilliant sunset painted everything in a beautiful light. I glanced at Aria discreetly. Back then, our first photo together also had a sunset as the backdrop. At that time, we were still shy, our awkwardness revealing our innocence and purity. I wonder if she still keeps that photo now? Never mind, whether she kept it or threw it away, it has nothing to do with me anymore. I packed my equipment into my bag and took a taxi home alone. Once I complete this commission and get paid, I can have the surgery. What will I forget then? I hope it’s Aria. I don’t want to hurt anymore. It would be best, best of all, if I never remember her again. Our love should die at its most beautiful moment. But life seemed to offer me no hope. Something happened with Jack.

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To pray for our sick child, my wife fell into a snow cave while climbing a mountain. Her fate was unknown. Meanwhile, I stood by calmly, taking in the scenery. A few minutes later, Ryan, our guide for this trip, ran over in a panic. “Jack, your wife fell into a snow cave. You’re the only one with rescue experience. Come with me quickly to save her!” He looked at me with an extremely anxious expression. After all, I was the most experienced captain of the mountain rescue team. No matter how dangerous the situation, I could always rescue people successfully, never failing. But looking at the blizzard outside, I calmly said: “In this weather, the rescue fee would be $500,000.” “Jack, are you crazy? The one who needs rescuing is your own wife! And you’re asking for money?” Ryan looked at me in disbelief, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. “Even for family, we need to be clear about money. Since it’s my wife, it’ll cost more! $1 million!” I shrugged, smiling shamelessly. “Jack, Amber came to climb this mountain to pray for your child’s safety!” Lily, my wife’s best friend, said angrily. “A life is worth more than money. No matter how greedy you are, you can’t joke about your wife’s life!” “Amber and I are like sisters. I’m begging you, please save her!” After her anger subsided, realizing that only I could save Amber, she started to kneel down to plead with me. I looked at the gloomy sky outside. To them, I was just a poor guy. Risking my life for rescue shouldn’t require payment. “I’ll pay! Just go and save her!” A flicker of an unclear emotion flashed in Ryan’s eyes. He quickly glanced around at the other climbers and said firmly. At this point, I pointed to my twisted leg and said with a smile: “It’s too late to pay now. I can’t rescue her because my leg just broke.” Lily was stunned for a moment, her eyes immediately filled with doubt: “How could someone from a rescue team get injured so easily? Are you making this up because you don’t want to save Amber?” “That’s the person you swore to love for a lifetime in there! How can you be so cold now?” “Are you going to let her die slowly in that snow cave?” Lily cried hysterically as she spoke. Obviously, she couldn’t accept that her best friend might die so close by. Hearing this, the other climbers looked sympathetic, feeling distressed. I just smiled helplessly and said calmly: “A blizzard is coming. Life and death are up to fate. The child can’t lose both mother and father.” After saying this, I looked back at the falling snow outside. From my years of experience, I knew that not only would there be a blizzard, but also strong winds. In this familiar environment, I felt strange and cold. “Thud!” Seeing my cold attitude, my wife’s brother Tom also begged me: “Brother-in-law, my sister came to the mountain for your child. I’m begging you, please save her!” “Even if you can’t go down yourself, you can at least give some advice on site!” Some of the climbers who came today couldn’t stand by anymore and stood up to speak for Lily and Tom. “Jack, you’re the only one here from a rescue team. Even if it was a stranger in danger, you’d have a responsibility to save them!” “Let alone your own wife. If you can’t even protect your own wife, what kind of man are you?” “Without timely rescue, the death rate for snow cave accidents is 100%! Are you really going to watch your wife die just for some rescue fee?” Hearing this death rate, Lily and Tom turned pale and both collapsed to the ground. “It’s hard to make money these days. If you want money, fine, I’ll give you all my money! Just go and direct the rescue for Amber!” After hearing about the death rate, Lily quickly said. “That’s right! If you want money, I’ll give you our family’s house and car too!” Hearing Lily’s words, Tom seemed to wake up a bit and also anxiously promised. “This is bad, Amber is about to get hypothermia!” Before I could respond to them, one of the climbers ran over and said anxiously. He was sweating profusely from anxiety. “Jack, have you made up your mind? You really won’t go save Amber?” A trace of anxiety and hatred flashed across Ryan’s face. As he spoke, Lily grabbed my hand, trying to drag me away. Looking at my twisted leg, I shook off Lily’s hand and said coldly: “I’m not going.”

Lily couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into tears. “Amber loved you so much. When you wanted to start a business, she gave you all of her dowry. No matter how we tried to persuade her to keep something for herself, she wouldn’t listen.” “She said she wanted to share joys and sorrows with you for life, to weather storms together. And now you won’t even save her…” “If I had known this would happen, even if it meant ending our friendship, I would have urged her to be with Ryan, her childhood sweetheart from a similar background, instead of you, this ungrateful bastard!” Lily’s heartfelt crying made the surrounding climbers even angrier. “Captain Jack, even if you’re injured, you can still direct the rescue! Your wife loves you so much, how can you bear to do this?” “That’s right! You’re the only one here with rescue experience. If you go, the chances of saving her will be much higher!” “The startup funds for his business all came from his wife’s dowry. Now that his wife is in danger, he won’t even try to save her. What an ungrateful bastard!” “His wife sacrificed so much, and he’s still so cold. There must be something wrong with this guy…” The people around went from trying to persuade me to gradually getting angry. The accusations grew louder, and some hot-tempered guys were getting ready to beat me up. I stared at the snow outside, motionless, like a cold, hard stone in a latrine. Tom knelt on the ground with a handwritten IOU, gritting his teeth as he said: “I only have one sister. As long as you’re willing to save her, all the family property will be yours in the future! This is the IOU I wrote. Everyone here can be my witness!” I took the IOU from Tom’s hand and looked at it carefully. It indeed represented the total assets the family could liquidate. “Alright, I can go rescue her.” Tom and Lily’s faces lit up with joy, and Ryan also looked relieved. “But you need to find a lawyer to sign a liability waiver. You can’t blame me if anything goes wrong.” My words made everyone’s expressions change. Where could they find a lawyer here? “The situation is urgent now. Where can we find a lawyer? Isn’t it enough for everyone here to be witnesses?” Tom couldn’t hold back anymore and grabbed my collar, about to hit me. But he didn’t follow through. The situation in the snow cave was tricky, and I was the only one capable of rescuing her. “I’ve even written an IOU. Isn’t that enough sincerity? What else do you want?” Tom roared. I removed his hand from my collar. Helplessly but firmly, I said: “Without a lawyer’s notarization, everything you say is just empty words.” Just then, a climber rushed over and said: “It’s bad! Amber has lost consciousness!” “Before she passed out, she asked me to tell you not to force Jack to save her. She knows Jack isn’t afraid of death, but afraid that the child would be left without a father to care for them.” Lily cried until she fainted, and Tom also collapsed to the ground, devastated. He regained a bit of consciousness and quickly kowtowed to me, his forehead bleeding after just a few bows. “Brother-in-law, my parents have always treated you like their own son. As long as you try your best, we definitely won’t blame you. I’m begging you!” Seeing Tom like this, I hesitated for a moment. Ever since I got together with Amber, her whole family had treated me like one of their own. Ryan’s parents had originally wanted to form a marriage alliance with Amber’s family. At that time, I had just started dating Amber and thought her parents would look down on me, a poor boy from a mountain village. But to my surprise, they firmly rejected Ryan’s parents, willing to marry Amber to me even without a bride price. I didn’t want Amber to suffer or lower her standard of living, so I started my own business. The early days of the business were tough, but Amber gave me all of her dowry to support me. Her parents helped me build connections, and Tom would come help out whenever he had free time. During Chinese New Year, when Amber’s relatives looked down on me, calling me a “phoenix man” (a poor man who marries a rich woman), The four of them – Amber and her family – all protected me. “Jack is capable and filial. He’s truly outstanding.” “If you keep mocking him, we won’t associate with you anymore!” I was so moved at the time that my eyes turned red. I silently vowed to treat Amber well for life and never do anything to betray the trust of anyone in her family. I was grateful for their acceptance of me, their respect for my background, how they protected and loved me. And now… I looked at Tom’s anxious face, his eyes revealing disappointment and anger. I didn’t dare meet his gaze, silently looking at my twisted legs. It hurt, but I couldn’t tell if it was the pain in my legs or the pain in my heart. Ryan helped Tom up from kneeling before me and angrily berated me: “Jack, Tom has always treated you like a real brother. You refuse to save a life for money and even push Tom to this state. Are you even human?” “Indeed, men who marry above their station are all ungrateful bastards! How can you face Amber and her whole family?” After saying this, he turned to face everyone and said loudly: “He’s afraid to die and won’t save her, so I’ll do it! I’m willing to risk my life to save her! Not because I’m trying to show off, but because I have a conscience!” Ryan’s words made everyone admire him, with some even shouting that he should be named the most admirable rescue worker. I just smiled calmly. “Good luck to you.” Before leaving, Ryan glared at me fiercely, then turned and walked towards the snow cave. I could no longer bear the pain and felt my vision go black as I passed out.

When I woke up again, I was already in the hospital. My assistant, who had been watching over me by the hospital bed, excitedly said, “Boss, you’re finally awake!” “You’ve been unconscious for a day. You really scared us!” I felt a splitting headache and knocked on my head a few times. With a hoarse voice, I asked: “How is Amber doing?” The assistant hesitated, seemingly unsure whether to speak, but finally answered me. “Ryan insisted on not letting others take risks. He conducted the rescue alone for 3 hours, and the boss’s wife was successfully rescued…” I couldn’t tell if I felt relieved or depressed. After all, a snow cave can truly take a person’s life… I picked up the crutches by the hospital bed, preparing to go out. “Boss, don’t go!” The assistant stopped me, his face full of conflict and anxiety. “It’s all over the internet now. They’re saying you built your career on your wife’s back and then abandoned her in a life-or-death situation. Everyone online is calling you a modern-day scumbag…” I interrupted his words, ignoring his well-intentioned warning, and went directly to Amber’s hospital room. By now, quite a few people were already standing by Amber’s bed to visit her. Amber’s parents were gratefully praising Ryan, while some investors and judges for the Outstanding Youth Award stood around. “Ryan, your selfless act of saving a life this time truly sets an example for all the youth in our city! I think you must be the National Outstanding Youth this time!” Seeing me come in, everyone went quiet for a moment. Amber, with a pale face, managed to speak, “Your leg is injured. Why aren’t you resting properly?” “Jack, your recent reputation is not good. You should lay low for a while. The investment in your company will have to wait.” Investor Wang coldly and stiffly said to me when he saw me. At this moment, a reporter who had come to get first-hand material for the Outstanding Youth award Silently turned the live broadcast camera towards me. I noticed but didn’t stop it. After all, I had once rescued countless people on snowy mountains and was an undisputed candidate. And now, embroiled in scandal, the heat was even higher… I curled my lips into a smile and repeated the investor’s words. “Recent reputation not good?” “Are you referring to me abandoning my wife in danger? Or that I’m after my wife’s family’s wealth?” Sure enough, the viewers who had been angry at me when they saw me exploded after hearing my words. They started passionately typing in the comments, not even minding that this was an official media account. “He still has the nerve to come? He wouldn’t even save his own wife. Was all his past rescue work just for show?” “A man more disgusting than a scumbag deserves to be cut into a thousand pieces!” “Without the support of Amber’s family, what is he? How dare he treat their daughter like this!” Hearing my calm words, Tom could no longer contain his anger. Amber held back the impulsive Tom who wanted to come hit me. She looked at me with tears streaming down her face like broken strings of pearls. “Jack, I don’t blame you for not saving me in the face of life and death.” “Ryan saved me. He’s our family’s benefactor. How can you not even show the most basic gratitude?” The number of people in the live broadcast room was growing rapidly, with the hashtag already reaching the top of the trending list. I looked at the popularity and smiled with satisfaction. “Of course I’m grateful to him.” “Not only am I grateful, but I also have a surprise for you all.”

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I’m a well-known socialite in the city’s nightlife scene. Despite my average looks and unremarkable figure, I’ve made quite a name for myself with my silver tongue, able to charm anyone into opening their wallet. I play both sides – the wealthy patrons and their wives. My reputation as a discreet informant is excellent because I’m only interested in money, not fame or status. But recently, I hit a snag. The hospital said there was a new treatment for my sister’s illness. After two years of medication, there was hope to control her condition enough for surgery. However, each pill cost $2,000, and two years’ worth was equivalent to the price of a house in the city. I couldn’t worry about that now. I started frantically accumulating money, taking on difficult clients I’d usually avoid. Like Lucas Graham. The first time we met, he transferred half a million dollars into my account for drinks without hesitation. Everyone in the club was green with envy, encouraging me to pursue him. But I remained surprisingly calm. Because the way he looked at me wasn’t filled with the usual lust. It was pure and clear, like a schoolboy caught red-handed delivering breakfast to his crush. One glance and I knew he liked me, but I only wanted to empty his pockets. I held his hand, kissed him softly, sent “good morning” and “good night” messages, showered him with sweet nothings. Soon enough, I had saved up for the medication. I had also won Lucas’s affection. He wanted to divorce his wife and elope with me. At first, I didn’t take it seriously, assuming it was just a moment of passion. But on the third day, he actually pulled out divorce papers, asking for my input on how to write them without shortchanging his wife. I was stunned. Unlike my usual role as a double agent informing the wives, this time I was helping the original wife win back her husband’s heart, solidifying my reputation in the circle. I had considered marrying into a wealthy family myself. Even if it angered my sister to the point of collapse, money could save her. But for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. So the next day, I went to stake out Lucas’s house at dawn. I thought I’d have to wait until mid-morning, or maybe even miss her entirely. But after circling the area a few times, I spotted a woman who might be the wife in the garden. She was standing with her back slightly turned to me, her long, slender neck exposed. Wearing a long white dress, she was bent over tending to some flowers. She looked every bit the goddess. I couldn’t help but marvel. Men truly are greedy, keeping the red flag flying at home while raising colorful flags outside. If I had a wife with both a perfect body and face, I would— I’d rip her heart out! After admiring the beautiful woman’s figure, I eagerly waited to see her face. I crouched patiently by the fence, waiting for her to turn around. When she finally did, I felt my blood freeze instantly, then surge back through my body, rushing to my heart and brain. It was a face that had tormented me for nearly ten years. Even though I’d seen so many disgusting faces since then, seeing her again made me tremble with fear, which slowly turned to excitement and wild joy. Natalie Cove, I’ve finally found you. In middle school, I was admitted to the city’s best high school with the top score in the city. I wasn’t excited about getting into the best school, but because it meant three years of free tuition. I happily told my sister that we were getting closer to our dream. Once I got into the best university, I’d take her to see the world and earn big money for her treatment. My sister was equally joyful. She had always been proud of her little sister who now had a bright future. Unfortunately, our happy fantasy didn’t even last until the first day of school. The homeroom teacher announced in the class group chat that he had been assigned an outstanding student from a poor family, a genius he had never seen before in his career, and asked everyone to take care of me. Although there wasn’t a single derogatory word and he called for everyone to protect me, he had clearly set me apart from the others. At the time, I naively thought that if I performed well in front of my classmates after school started, they wouldn’t isolate me. After school started, I realized I wasn’t isolated because of my excellent grades, but because I was from a poor family yet had excellent grades. Natalie Cove was the ringleader of the bullying. The screws on my chair were loosened, causing me to fall; I was locked in the boys’ bathroom, then reported to the teacher for trying to seduce male classmates; during the school sports meet, they switched my pants, causing me to expose my underwear in front of thousands of people. For a long time after that, I was too scared to go to school. My sister was already overwhelmed, so I didn’t dare tell her. Every day, I pretended to go to school but went to work odd jobs instead. Until the homeroom teacher came to my house with a dropout notice, tearfully telling my sister how stubborn and antisocial I was at school. He said he had tried to persuade me, but I wouldn’t listen, and now I had even been caught skipping classes and was being strongly advised to drop out. I didn’t dare tell my sister what I had been through. I could only submit to the homeroom teacher, kneeling and begging him not to expel me. After my sister and I pleaded with him, I was granted a special pardon to return to school. When I went back, I found out that without me to bully, Natalie and her group had pressured the homeroom teacher to bring me back, threatening to ruin his promotion if he didn’t. I started learning to keep my head down. If they wanted me to eat leftovers, I ate them. If they told me to write love letters to gang members to seduce them, I wrote them. If they forbade me from studying, I didn’t study. I suppressed all my resentment, obediently waiting for them to get bored and leave me alone. During this time, I quietly sabotaged Natalie’s relationship, causing her to fall out with her friends and isolate each other. As the college entrance exam approached, I even prepared a big show for them. Unfortunately, Natalie’s grades were too poor to hope for university, so her family arranged for her to study abroad. The others were also arranged by their families, and from one day on, they never came to school again. Until today, nine years later, I finally saw Natalie Cove again. I hired a private investigator to look into Natalie’s background and experiences, while I started to string Lucas along. The report showed that Natalie came from a blended family. When she was four, her mother married into the powerful Cove family in River City. Because of the questionable methods her mother used to marry up, and the family patriarch’s lukewarm attitude towards them, the mother and daughter didn’t have an easy time in the Cove family, enduring all sorts of hardships. But marrying into the Cove family with a child in tow proved her mother’s exceptional skills, which were demonstrated again in Natalie’s marriage. Lucas and Natalie’s marriage wasn’t voluntary. Before this, he had a girlfriend of 8 years, but Natalie’s mother maneuvered to break them up, successfully arranging for her daughter to take her place. Despite this, Lucas still harbored feelings for his ex-girlfriend. Although he didn’t mistreat his wife after marriage, he didn’t love her either. And I happened to look very similar to his ex-girlfriend, a sort of spiritual replacement. I couldn’t help but sneer. Rich people really are all the same. As I flipped through the expensive information, slowly crafting my revenge plan, I suddenly saw the Cove family patriarch, Natalie’s stepfather – Victor Cove. I had seen him at the club before. The man wore gold-rimmed glasses, his shirt buttoned up to the last one, his large hands with distinct knuckles holding a wine glass, his well-tailored clothes outlining his muscular and smooth body lines. Just one look made me blush. What a catch! No wonder Natalie’s mother had gone to such lengths to get into his bed. The man was rich, handsome, and well-built. If he weren’t so much older, I’d want to try my luck. It would be worth it even for free. Moreover, he seemed interested in me. I still remember in the dim, ambiguous light of the bar, the man swirling his wine glass, looking at me with a lazy expression, his burning gaze roaming over my body like a predator waiting to pounce. Too bad I didn’t know he was Natalie’s father at the time. Otherwise… Otherwise… As I thought about it, I changed my plan. What’s the point of just stealing her husband? If I could steal her mother’s husband too, wouldn’t that double the satisfaction? So that night, I went back to the club hoping to try my luck. To my surprise, I actually ran into him. Victor was sitting alone, still holding his wine glass like last time, half of his face hidden in the shadows, lost in thought. In just ten minutes, all the girls who tried to approach him were scared away. I couldn’t help feeling a bit timid. What if I miscalculated and scared him off? Unexpectedly, as if sensing my presence, he looked up at me just as I was about to leave. His expression and gaze were the same as before. I was startled and fumbled, dropping my glass. The man slightly curled his lips, patted his thigh, and beckoned to me. Through the dim lights and dancing figures, I saw his lips form the words: Come here. Victor was even more generous with his money. Just by hanging on his neck and acting coy, he slipped a black card into my pocket. I took out the card, planning what to buy and resell tomorrow. The medication cost was covered, but there was still the surgery fee, and after that, the rehabilitation costs. Victor treated me like a plaything to amuse himself, and I treated him like a wallet to make money from. We each got what we wanted. As for his wife and daughter, after a few probes, I found that he really didn’t care about them. So I completely let loose, investigating Lucas and his ex-girlfriend thoroughly as well. I started to subtly imitate his ex-girlfriend in front of Lucas. For example, when watching movies together, I would act spoiled and nestle into his arms. I’d ask him to feed me when eating or drinking, and make him help me put on my shoes when going out, acting every bit like a pampered princess. Lucas started to stare at me absent-mindedly more often. Finally, one day when we were shopping for home decor, he brought up that topic again. “Aria, marry me.” At that moment, I was holding a vase, asking him if he knew how to arrange flowers. I slowly put the vase back, looking troubled. “Lucas, we…” Lucas immediately pulled me into his arms, gently kissing the top of my head to comfort me. “Don’t be afraid, Aria. This time, I’ll protect you no matter what.” I clutched his clothes tightly, pretending to tremble in fear. Sure enough, a few days later, someone came looking for me. I looked at the address she sent on my phone, my hand shaking as I applied lipstick. I hope you haven’t forgotten me, after all, I’ve been thinking about you all these years – Natalie Cove. When I officially met her at the coffee shop, I couldn’t help but marvel again. A girl raised in wealth really is beautiful, something I could never match up to no matter how hard I tried. Natalie was dressed in plain colors, her long hair falling over her shoulders, every gesture exuding a strong sense of intimacy. It seems her mother had put a lot of effort into her, turning a viper’s daughter into the image of a saint. After I sat down, she stared at me for a while. Tears slowly began to fall from her eyes, but she tried hard not to let her lips quiver. She even added a sugar cube to my coffee. Naturally, I couldn’t let her outdo me. I half-crouched by her legs, crying even more heartbrokenly than her, as if I’d lost the love of my life. Natalie was thrown off balance by my counterattack, but she quickly regained her composure. She begged me not to take Lucas away, saying she would give me any amount of money, just asking me to return her husband to her. The coffee shop wasn’t very crowded, but her crying attracted everyone’s attention, even people from outside came in. I didn’t care about my reputation, what I wanted was to drag her down into the gutter, to become what I once was! “What are you talking about? Lucas has always been yours, no one’s trying to take him away,” I sobbed, barely able to catch my breath, my words stuttering, “Besides, Lucas… he likes you, he’s just… just reluctant to let go…” Actually, this scene should be familiar to Natalie. It was similar to when she and her mother used fake photos to deceive Lucas’s ex-girlfriend. As the victor of that battle, she might have forgotten about it. But Lucas would definitely remember. “What are you doing?!” Just as I was crying so hard I almost fell to my knees, Lucas’s voice rang out from behind me. Soon, I was lifted up and held protectively in his arms. Before coming, I had asked my friends at the club to “tattle” on me to Lucas, saying I was afraid of causing him trouble and had gone alone to meet his wife. I had timed it perfectly, repeating the words of his ex-girlfriend from years ago. As expected, Lucas was furious. “Do I need to remind you how you married into the Graham family? I’m warning you, don’t mess with her. If you know what’s good for you, just sign the agreement quietly. Otherwise, be careful, I might expose all your dirty secrets!” Lucas pointed at Natalie’s nose, looking at her like a mortal enemy. In contrast, Natalie seemed to hear nothing, her eyes fixed on Lucas’s arms tightly wrapped around me, red veins creeping into her eyes. It seems she really does love Lucas. So I snuggled even closer into Lucas’s embrace, turning my head to give Natalie a challenging look. Natalie finally couldn’t hold back. All pretense of grace was gone as she grabbed me and slapped me hard across the face. I forcefully held back the urge to slap her back, stopping Lucas who was about to step forward. I looked up at Lucas one last time, my eyes full of hot tears, then fled in a panic. As I closed the door, I heard the crisp sound of a slap and Natalie’s piercing scream. After walking quite far, I finally stopped. I gently touched the cheek that had been slapped, unable to hold back a curse: “You little bitch, just wait. When I become your stepmother, I’ll beat you black and blue!” “Whose stepmother do you want to be?” I whirled around to find Victor standing behind me, one hand in his pocket. Victor took me back to his private residence. I thought something might happen. Instead, he sat in the courtyard with his laptop, dealing with documents, allowing me to run wild around the house. Perhaps Victor had some kind of magnetic field; I always felt inexplicably uninhibited around him. Like now— After showering, I sprawled carelessly on the sofa, playing with my phone. Beside me was a fruit platter brought by the secretary, along with some ointment. Then I bounced over to the master bedroom. The mirror there was especially large and bright. I lowered my head to unscrew the cap, turning my face to the side to apply the ointment. Suddenly, a hot body pressed against me from behind. Victor wrapped his arm around my waist, his lips brushing my ear. “Who hit you?” I shuddered and melted into his arms, whimpering and pushing him away halfheartedly. He took the ointment from me. The cool ointment spread across my face, slowly easing the burning sensation. I alternated between looking in the mirror and at Victor. The detective sent a message saying that Victor had bought my information at a high price. She had concealed my investigation for me, but left everything else intact for Victor. This included my orphaned childhood, my sister’s chronic illnesses, the bullying I suffered in high school leading to poor performance in the college entrance exam, and my subsequent disillusionment and entry into the nightlife to make money. My 24 years of life were the embodiment of a tragic story, completely overlapping with Victor’s early experiences. That’s right, Victor was also a self-made man who had climbed out of the gutter. Otherwise, why would he marry a divorced single mother at the prime age of 23? I sent the detective $50,000, thanking her for the timely information. A woman’s innate compassion made me feel a bit sorry for Victor. I had struggled for years but still had my sister by my side. He seemed to have had no one by his side since losing his mother as a child. Then I found it funny. He had power and money to keep him company, while my revenge depended on him. What right did I have to pity him? Seeing me lost in thought, Victor buried his head in my neck and bit down hard. “Will you be with me?” His voice was full of seduction and temptation, hiding a barely detectable hint of inquiry. I buried my face in Victor’s chest, my face still covered in ointment. Wasn’t this exactly what I wanted? Almost without effort, Natalie’s husband and father had both fallen into my hands. But I still wasn’t satisfied. Did being pushed into the gutter mean I could only bloom in the mud? Despite this, I heard my own voice, trembling with joy: “Then please don’t ever abandon me.” Satisfied with my answer, Victor grabbed my waist and started kissing me. You might not believe it, but despite my years in the nightlife and countless wealthy patrons, I had never truly given myself to anyone. So when Victor carried me to the bedroom, I wanted to push him away and run several times, but my reason told me I couldn’t. Outside was the bright midday sun, and the room was too bright with nowhere to hide. That’s when I realized that perhaps I was no longer suited to return to the light. Victor gently laid me on the bed. Just when I thought he would press down on me, he turned and drew the curtains. He sat on the other side of the bed with his back to me, letting out an almost inaudible sigh, then pulled me down to lie with him.

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My husband William found an abandoned baby with a heart condition on the roadside. He knelt before me with tears in his eyes, begging: “Honey, please look at how pitiful this child is. Can you save him? It’s just part of your liver. I promise I’ll get you the best artificial liver in the world later.” Softened by his plea, I donated part of my liver to the child. After raising the child diligently for eighteen years, William dropped his act. He threw the paternity test results in my face. “You fool, you really can’t tell good from bad! That’s my biological son. How could I not care about him?” But I felt nothing inside. Later, he proposed divorce and cut off the hospital’s supply of artificial liver for me. I waved my hand dismissively: “Do as you please.” … William Baker found a baby on the roadside with an envelope attached. It read: “Will repay your kindness in the future!” Before I could react, my husband was on his knees in front of me. When our eyes met, he was already crying uncontrollably. “Honey, please look at how pitiful this child is. Can you save him? It’s just part of your liver. I promise I’ll get you the best artificial liver in the world later.” “You’re older and can handle the pain of using an artificial liver, but the child is so young. Can you bear to watch him suffer?” This was the first time William had ever begged me for anything. Even more coincidentally, only my liver was a match for this child. I thought long and hard about whether I should agree. But I couldn’t resist his persistent pleading. In the end, I softened my heart and donated part of my liver to the child. For all these years, I’ve survived on an artificial liver. And my sacrifice seemed to have won William’s true love. Since I donated my liver, he always cared for and looked after me. He wouldn’t let me cook, preparing three meals a day himself. Fearing I might fall ill, he had a doctor check on me weekly. He said, “As long as you can take good care of our child, I’ll treat you even better in the future!” I believed his words and raised the child to eighteen years old. He had a nice name – Noah Baker. It sounded like he and William were brothers. When the SAT results came out, he excitedly placed his college acceptance letter in front of me. “Mom! I got into Harvard!” I stroked his cheek, crying tears of joy. “That’s wonderful. After your 18th birthday, Mom will throw you a graduation party!” My mother-in-law heard the commotion and came over. I showed her Noah’s acceptance letter. “Mom, look…” Before I could finish, she mercilessly threw the child’s acceptance letter on the ground and stomped on it twice. “Lily Smith, he’s just an adopted child. Why do you care so much about him? You’re even throwing a graduation party!” “Don’t tell me this child is yours with some other man?” “You and William haven’t had a child in all these years. Are you saving yourself for some other man?” Noah tossed aside the acceptance letter and pushed my mother-in-law away, protecting me. “Grandma, don’t you dare talk about my mom like that!” “She raised me for eighteen years! I’ll protect her for life!” Hearing this, my mother-in-law’s face twisted in anger as she raised her hand high. Instinctively, I shielded Noah. The next second, her palm struck hard against my back. Instantly, my artificial liver reacted. This was the first time in eighteen years I felt such intense pain in my liver. I gently leaned against the wall, slumping to the ground. Sweat beaded on my forehead. My mother-in-law, not feeling she had done anything wrong, pointed at me and yelled arrogantly: “Lily Smith, this is the child you raised – disrespectful and ill-mannered!” Her voice was so loud it nearly shattered my artificial liver.

At that moment, my husband returned. I looked towards the door, signaling to him. He hesitated for a moment before running to my side. Wiping away the tears from the corners of my eyes, he gently kissed my ear. “Honey, what’s wrong? Is your liver hurting again? Do you need me to take you to the hospital for a replacement?” Hearing this, my mother-in-law became even more enraged. “What? You’re going to spend more money on her? William, don’t say I didn’t warn you. You’ve been married for twenty years without having a child of your own. When am I going to have a grandchild?!” The next second, he cast me aside and stood up to pacify his mother. He quietly led her into the room. I don’t know what they were discussing. Noah helped me to the bedroom to lie down. But my liver was in excruciating pain. This year marks my seventh liver replacement. Seeing my face covered in sweat, Noah carefully wiped it away. “Mom, does it still hurt?” I shook my head, saying it didn’t. After a while, my husband brought his mother back. Surprisingly, she had completely changed her attitude towards Noah. She looked at her son with a smile: “Noah, my dear grandson, my own flesh and blood! Grandma was wrong earlier.” “Tomorrow, I’ll throw you a grand graduation party. I want everyone to know my grandson got into Harvard!” William, seeing how weak I looked, felt a pang of guilt. He came over and hugged me. “Lily, is your liver acting up again? Shall I take you to the hospital for a replacement?” Before I knew it, I had fainted in his arms. When I regained consciousness, I was in the hospital. In my hazy state, I overheard a conversation between William and the doctor. “William, are you really going to give Lily the worst artificial liver? Your family isn’t short on money, why treat her like this?” “The child is an adult now, there’s no need for me to keep up the act. Once Sophia returns, I’ll divorce her.” “But Lily’s health is deteriorating. I’m afraid if we give her this one… she might die.” William furrowed his brow and sighed. “Perhaps this is her fate.” I dragged my heavy body back to the hospital bed. Closing my eyes, I thought about everything he had done to me. The affair, tricking me into raising the child, taking my liver. William, did you really think I was that stupid? Or did you think Lily Smith was just an easy target? All these years, if it weren’t for the child’s sake, I would have filed for divorce long ago. I didn’t because Noah truly loved me as his mother. He genuinely cared for me. Who did Noah take after? His mother who loved being the other woman? His heartless father? Maybe… neither of them. Before the surgery began, I received a phone call. “Lily, I’ve found the information you asked me to look into.” As I was being wheeled into the operating room, William still held my hand tightly, tears streaming down his face. “Lily, you must come out safely, okay? The child and I are waiting for you!” I turned my eyes away, no longer wanting to see that disgusting look on his face. Once inside the operating room, I gripped the doctor’s hand tightly. “Doctor, I recorded everything you and William said today. Do you really plan to give me the worst artificial liver?” The doctor stepped back in fear. He hesitated before speaking: “This was William’s idea. We didn’t dare to disobey.” I chuckled softly. “How about I give you a million dollars? I want the best artificial liver!” In the end, the doctor gave me a good artificial liver for the money. I wondered, if I hadn’t overheard their conversation, Would I really have died? When I was wheeled out of the operating room, I looked at William. In the past, whenever I had surgery, he would anxiously wait outside. When I was wheeled out, he would be the first to rush over and ask if I was in pain. This time, there was none of that. He had his back to me, talking on the phone. A smile lit up his face. He seemed to be calling the person on the other end “baby.” But it didn’t matter anymore. I should have seen through him the day he brought home that abandoned baby. It wasn’t until the doctor called out that he turned around. Suddenly, his eyes brightened. He jogged over and grabbed my hand. Kissing it affectionately. “Lily, does it hurt? I’m so worried about you.” His eyes were still as gentle as ever. It was that look that kept me by his side year after year.

The first time I got an artificial liver, he knelt before the doctor, begging him to stay by my side. When he was next to me, he held my hand tightly, constantly praying that nothing would happen to me. But now, things have changed. That William Baker was long dead in my heart. I shook my head at him. “It’s fine, just an artificial liver. No need to be so concerned.” During my days of recovery in the hospital, William never came again. Even the nurses were gossiping outside. “Mr. Baker used to come every day, couldn’t bear to leave his wife for a moment. What’s happened now?” “Who knows? Every woman has her day of falling out of favor. She’s been abandoned, I guess.” I glared at them fiercely, scolding: “Do you want to experience the pain of having your liver taken out too?!” From then on, I was labeled as a volatile woman. The day William came to pick me up, He heard others insulting me. He no longer stood by my side to defend me. He just smirked. No longer caring for me like before. We sat in the car, and he spoke much less. Midway through, he received a phone call. After hanging up, his brows furrowed as he turned to look at me. “Get out.” I tilted my head in confusion: “Why?” He straightened up and turned his head, speaking righteously: “I have a client to pick up. You can take a cab home yourself.” ??? “William Baker, this is the highway! Are you trying to kill me?” I didn’t expect his patience to be so limited. He turned his head again. “Lily Smith, I said get out!” “I…” “Get out!” His tone grew louder with each repetition. I had no choice but to open the door and step out. Before I could even close the door, he immediately stepped on the gas and sped away. Leaving me standing alone on the highway, with no one to care. The traffic continued to rush by, occasionally a car would whiz past me, but none stopped. In desperation, I called William’s phone. It was turned off. Then I called my son. He anxiously asked for my location. Soon after, he took a cab to pick me up. In this world, only the son I raised from childhood cared about me. When he saw me, he held my hand tightly, tears falling onto my chest. “Mom, you’ve been through so much.” I choked up, and after a while, I spoke: “Noah, if your biological parents came back to find you, would you waver?” He shook his head firmly. “No, never. She abandoned me after giving birth. When I was about to die, it was you who saved me.” I nodded contentedly. The next day was Noah’s graduation party. It was also his 18th birthday celebration. Many reporters came today as well. Probably invited by William specifically. I just sat quietly in my seat, waiting to see William’s next move. The graduation party officially began. William stood up and looked straight at me. From his eyes, I could see a hint of challenge. “Hello everyone, I am Noah Baker’s father.” “To be precise, I am Noah Baker’s biological father.” The crowd below erupted in chaos. “What? How is that possible? I personally saw William pick up the child back then, how could he be his biological child!” “Yeah, this can’t be Lily Smith’s child. They did a paternity test at the time.” “So all these years, Lily Smith gave her liver to Noah Baker for nothing, all because she was deceived by William Baker? That’s too shameless!” William coughed twice and continued: “Today is Noah’s graduation party, and of course, it’s also the day my wife returns.” “Today, I’ve brought my wife here. We will witness Noah’s success together.” “Of course, I also want to thank my ex-wife, Ms. Lily Smith, for providing my child with a liver, giving him a new lease on life.” Then, he clapped his hands. A tall woman walked over and stood beside him. He skillfully wrapped his arm around her waist. In front of everyone, the two embraced and kissed. William looked at me challengingly once again. Then, he had his assistant bring me some documents. The top one read “Divorce Agreement” in large letters. The words stared at me, but I felt nothing inside. There was another document – a paternity test report.

“You fool, you really can’t tell good from bad! That’s my biological son. How could I not care about him?” This time, I laughed out loud. “William Baker, do you really think that child is yours?” William looked confused. Sophia Cruz stepped forward angrily: “You bitch! What are you saying?” “You probably don’t know how passionate we were back then. We even broke the bed. You say the child isn’t his? Do you have any proof?” William’s slender hand fell on the paternity test report. “Lily Smith! I don’t want any more entanglement between us. If you keep slandering Sophia, don’t blame me for being unkind.” “You might not know, but last time you got a liver transplant, I told the doctor to give you the worst artificial liver. Your days are numbered.” “If you don’t agree to the divorce, just wait for death!” I chuckled softly. I hadn’t even said whether I wanted a divorce or not, yet he was already angry. Did he think I wouldn’t divorce him? I took out a pen and signed the divorce agreement. He stared at me with wide eyes. Unable to believe I would agree to the divorce so easily. I stood up, holding a remote control in my hand. “William Baker, don’t you want to know whose child it really is?” “Now, you better open your eyes wide and see clearly!” Actually, I had long suspected William and Noah’s relationship. So I secretly did a paternity test. To my surprise, it turned out the child wasn’t his. This made me even more confused. William usually wouldn’t show compassion for anyone. Yet he knelt before me for an abandoned baby, asking me to donate my liver. I couldn’t believe he would be such a person. So I asked my police friend to investigate everyone William had been in contact with. Among them was a woman named Sophia Cruz. The two of them had been to hotels multiple times. Even the front desk staff remembered William. Every time he went, William would bring a bouquet of flowers. They all envied Sophia for having such a husband. Little did they know, I was his real wife. What William didn’t know was that after he left the hotel each time, another man would enter that room. That man was the child’s biological father. In the video, the voices of Sophia and that man were very clear. “My dear Sophia, the tests in America came back. They said our child might have a heart condition after birth.” “But I really want this child. Would you be willing to give birth to it for me?” “Alex, we’ve grown up together since childhood. Of course I want to have a child with you, but I don’t want our child to have defects.” “Recently, there’s been a man pursuing me, but he’s married. If I just give him a little encouragement and say the child is his, when it’s born and found to have a heart condition, he’ll surely find a way to deal with it.” After saying this, Sophia’s hand slipped into the man’s pants. “Alex, Sophia’s pregnant so we can’t go all the way~ Let Sophia help you with her hand.” The man’s coquettish voice echoed through the venue. William’s face instantly darkened. “Oh my god, this Sophia is so scheming! I can’t believe Lily Smith gave part of her liver for the child’s sake.” “I still think Lily Smith is the most pitiful one in this marriage. She gave everything for love but got nothing in return.” Sophia anxiously wrung her hands, panic flashing in her eyes. “William, it’s not like that. It must be Lily Smith!” “With technology so advanced nowadays, anything can be AI-generated. Lily Smith must have used this technology.” “William, do you know how much I love you? I’d give my life for you! You won’t doubt me because of this video, will you?” William hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at me again. Pointing at me and cursing: “Lily Smith, have you really become so bold? You’ve learned to lie?” “How could Sophia possibly deceive me! The paternity test can’t be fake, right? Do you really take me for a fool?” I stood up and slapped him across the face.

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As we were about to exchange rings, a woman burst through the door, leading a child by the hand. With tears in her eyes, she cried out, “Are you really going to abandon us, your own flesh and blood?” The entire room fell into shocked silence. My fiancé froze, his hand hovering over my finger with the ring. He turned to me and said, “As you can see, that’s my child. I can’t let my own blood be cast aside. You’ll have to treat this child as your own from now on.” Without a word, I walked over to the woman and slipped the ring onto her finger instead. “Why make things complicated? You two should be together,” I said, starting to clap. “Today’s a joyous occasion. You star-crossed lovers can finally be united.” The room was stunned into silence. As my parents were about to explode with anger, I held them back with a smile. “Mom, Dad, they’re clearly in love. I’m gracious enough to step aside,” I said lightly. Then I signaled to one of the staff members. In an instant, the video showcasing my love story with Ethan Guthrie was replaced by security footage of him having an affair with his subordinate in the office. The video was extremely graphic. The room fell deathly quiet before erupting into gasps and exclamations. Ethan’s face turned ashen. “Have you lost your mind?” he hissed. After a chaotic moment, Ethan finally managed to shut off the video. Anna Shirley broke down in tears. She had been in shock, barely breathing, during the brief 30-second clip. It felt like she had been dragged through hell. She glared at me resentfully, not understanding why I had to be so cruel. She had only come today to secure a future for her child. Why did I have to utterly destroy them? The child started wailing, frightened by the commotion. Mother and son clung to each other, looking utterly pitiful. My parents’ anger gave way to stunned expressions. Dad sighed, looking at me with sympathy. Mom hugged me tightly. “Oh sweetheart, you’ve been wronged. You should have told us earlier.” I shook my head with a smile. “It’s fine. They’ve gotten their comeuppance now.” Behind me, Ethan’s face had turned black as coal. I shot him a mocking smile before turning to address the crowd. “Everyone, the engagement party ends here. I’ll refund your gifts later. But please, enjoy the food and drinks. Consider it a celebration of my escape from misery.” With that, I left with my parents. But we had barely stepped outside when Ethan’s parents blocked our way. Mrs. Guthrie looked at me reproachfully. “Stella, you went too far today. Even if our Ethan had an affair, you shouldn’t have caused such a scene at the wedding.” I hadn’t actually planned to go this far. This incident would make both the Guthrie and Moore families the subject of gossip. My engagement to Ethan had been more of a business arrangement than a love match. Or rather, I no longer had feelings for him now. I used to like him a lot. But he never truly cared for me. He had one girlfriend after another, and now he had even gotten his subordinate pregnant. I wanted to go crazy, to lash out recklessly. But I couldn’t. The business ties between our families were too deep. I couldn’t afford to be petty. So I had endured it all. I thought we could get married first, then I would slowly distance myself from the Guthries. I wanted the Moore family to extract themselves from this mess unscathed. But Ethan and Anna were too greedy. They actually tried to force me to accept that child at the wedding. Since it had come to this, we would have to go down together. Mr. and Mrs. Guthrie continued to berate me as my parents argued back. Soon, two pairs of normally dignified elites were hurling insults at each other on the street. My heart ached. I had caused my parents such embarrassment. Just then, Ethan emerged with the child in tow, Anna following behind. Seeing the chaotic scene, he frowned, his icy glare fixed on me. “Look what you’ve done!” he snapped. Rage surged within me. How dare he blame me? I could no longer contain myself. I stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face. “Ethan Guthrie, how dare you say that? You two caused this scene at our wedding, humiliating both our families, and you expected me to just swallow this bitter pill? How dare you!”

The sharp crack of the slap silenced everyone. All eyes turned to us. Ethan’s head was turned to the side from the force of the blow. He seemed stunned, unable to react. Anna let out a piercing shriek. She threw herself at Ethan, wailing as if her parents had died. “Ethan, are you okay? How could she be so cruel!” Mr. and Mrs. Guthrie finally snapped out of their shock. Mr. Guthrie’s face turned livid. “You may be from a good family, but how could you resort to violence?” he scolded me. Mrs. Guthrie dabbed at her eyes, glaring daggers at me. Ethan came back to his senses and moved to retaliate. My father quickly pulled me behind him protectively. “Ethan Guthrie, don’t you dare lay a hand on her!” he warned. Ethan halted, his chest heaving with barely contained fury. But he wasn’t so far gone as to actually strike my father. The child began crying loudly, frightened by all the commotion. Anna frantically tried to comfort him while continuing her dramatic performance. “Miss Moore, please don’t be angry. I only came for the child’s sake. I never meant to ruin your relationship,” she sobbed, her body shaking. “If you’re willing to raise little Sky, I promise I’ll never appear before you again.” Ethan looked at her with concern before turning to glare at me reproachfully. As if I was being unreasonable by not agreeing, as if I was committing some great sin. I found it laughable that even at this point, Ethan still thought we could get married. I clapped my hands together mockingly. “Ethan Guthrie, our engagement is over. Congratulations, we’re both free now.” His eyes widened in anger as he jabbed a finger at me. “Stella Moore, are you still a child? Don’t you realize canceling our engagement will have huge consequences for both our companies?” Of course Ethan didn’t believe I would actually call off the engagement. He still thought I was just throwing a tantrum, acting like a spoiled rich girl. He regretted not hiding Anna and the child better. At the very least, he should have waited until after the wedding to bring little Sky home. I regarded him coldly. “Consequences? Did you think about the consequences when you were fooling around with her?” Anna listened from the side, a smug smile playing on her lips. Ethan remained dismissive. “So what? Which man in our circles doesn’t have a mistress on the side?” At those words, both sets of parents’ expressions changed. Especially Mrs. Guthrie’s. Mr. Guthrie had quite the reputation as a womanizer in his younger days, even fathering several illegitimate children. Though the situations had been handled, Mrs. Guthrie was still sensitive about the topic. Remembering this, her gaze toward Anna turned hostile. This woman was no different from those vixens who had seduced her husband. Just then, a few paparazzi started snapping photos. They whispered amongst themselves: “Big news! The Guthrie heir and Moore heiress are finished.” “Mistress crashes wedding with love child – what juicy upper-class drama!” Hearing this, Mrs. Guthrie’s expression darkened further. “What are you standing around for? Take your son and go home. Stop embarrassing us here!” she snapped at Ethan. With a final glare at Anna, Mrs. Guthrie stormed off. Mr. Guthrie, knowing the situation well, followed without comment. Anna was taken aback by Mrs. Guthrie’s sudden change in attitude. She huddled closer to Ethan, looking pitiful. Ethan glared at me one last time before leaving with little Sky in his arms. I watched their retreating figures, lost in thought. On the surface, the Guthrie family seemed just as prestigious as the Moores. But in reality, their business had been declining in recent years.

Six months ago, Guthrie Cosmetics was exposed for using carcinogenic ingredients in their skincare products. The scandal had dealt a heavy blow to the family. That’s why they were in such a rush to have me marry Ethan. But I hadn’t known any of this before. It wasn’t until I discovered Anna was pregnant, and Ethan still stubbornly insisted on marrying me instead of giving her proper status, that I realized something was off. I did some digging and found out the Guthries were facing a major cash flow problem. But by then it was too late. We had already set the wedding date. My parents probably knew about the Guthries’ issues long ago. But for my sake, they gritted their teeth and continued working with them. I felt so unfilial. I finally broke down in tears. “I’m sorry. I’ve made you lose face,” I choked out. Mom hugged me tightly. “Stella, honey, you did nothing wrong. There’s no shame in loving someone.” Dad rushed to comfort me as well. “That’s right. It’s all the Guthries’ fault for being such scum.” Their words gradually lifted my mood. That evening, I received a message from Ethan: “I’ll let today’s incident slide. You’ve vented enough, so we’re even now.” I had to do a double-take, shocked by his thick skin. Even after all that drama, he still thought there was hope for our relationship. As I was pondering this, more messages came through: “I’ve thought it over. Since you can’t accept Sky, I’ll send him away after we’re married.” “But I still need to set aside some shares for him. He is my son after all.” “Don’t worry, only the children you bear will be the true Guthrie heirs.” I rolled my eyes so hard they nearly fell out of my head. Inherit what? The Guthrie family’s debts? I didn’t bother replying, just muted his messages. That night, I locked myself in my room. I knew the Guthries were clinging to me desperately just to save their crumbling empire. Recently, the Guthries had been working on a project with Jason Corp. I decided to contact the CEO of Jason Corp directly. “Mr. Jason, I have a business proposition for you,” I said. “Miss Moore, what do you mean…?” I smiled sweetly. Then I sent a file to Mr. Jason’s email. “This is an alternative partnership proposal I’ve prepared for you. Moore Industries has more capital and resources to ensure the project’s success.” The man on the other end went quiet for a moment. I assumed he was reviewing the file I sent. “Miss Moore, your offer is very appealing,” he finally said. “But I’ve already agreed to work with Guthrie Corp. We’re about to sign the contract. Backing out now would make me seem untrustworthy.” But I wasn’t worried. I had anticipated this response. Mr. Jason’s greatest strength was his integrity. “Of course, I understand your position,” I said calmly. “But I hope you’ll consider it carefully. Once Moore Industries officially ends our partnership with the Guthries, their problems may affect you as well…” After a long pause, he let out a heavy sigh. “Alright.” Two days later, Ethan showed up at my door. My parents happened to be out. He strode in with his usual arrogant air, looking impatient. “Alright, you’ve had your little tantrum for days now. It’s time we go get our marriage license,” he said. I rubbed my temples, giving him a cold look. I’d miscalculated. I should have told the staff not to let anyone from the Guthrie family in. “Ethan Guthrie, where do you get the confidence to think I’d still marry you?” I asked incredulously. Ethan walked over, his tone uncharacteristically placating. “Stop being childish. I admit I was wrong before. I went too far,” he said. “But I promise after we’re married, I’ll cut ties with everyone else and be devoted only to you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Those were the same words Mr. Guthrie had said to his wife years ago. Yet to this day, Mr. Guthrie still hadn’t cut ties with his mistresses. Who knows, a few more illegitimate children might pop up in the coming years. “Your own mother wouldn’t believe that,” I scoffed. Ethan was taken aback. He clearly remembered his father’s philandering ways too. As a child, he had vowed to me that he would never become like his father. But the older he got, the more he seemed to follow in Mr. Guthrie’s footsteps. The thought irritated him further. “Didn’t I say I’d take care of the child situation? Why are you being so stubborn about this?” he snapped. “Ethan Guthrie, wake up and face reality,” I retorted. With that, I ignored him and told the butler to throw him out. Then I put up a sign outside – “No dogs or Ethan Guthrie allowed.” He clearly saw it. His face turned black with rage. But there was nothing he could do. He could only fume outside. To celebrate my escape from that scumbag, my best friend took me to a bar to check out some male models. In her words, since I’d taken a fall with one man, I needed to make up for it with other hot guys. So there I was, surrounded by a parade of male models for me to choose from. They sweetly called out, “Miss, miss…” as they passed by. I was having the time of my life. I suddenly realized what a dull existence I’d been living before. My friend had her arms around one of the models. She caught my eye from across the room and gave me a knowing look. I was thoroughly enjoying myself when I spotted a familiar figure. It looked like Anna Shirley. I quickly followed her. Weaving through the crowd, I trailed Anna as she made her way to a secluded corner. A roguish-looking man was waiting there. When he turned, I got a clear view of his face. He bore a striking resemblance to Mr. Guthrie. I had a feeling something big was about to go down. I hid behind some bushes and started recording with my phone. Anna threw herself at the man with a coy expression. “Did you wait long?” The man stood still, letting her embrace him. His eyes held nothing but cynicism and mockery. “Miss me that much? I guess Ethan isn’t satisfying you?” he drawled. Anna’s face flushed red. Then, as if no one else existed, they began kissing passionately. Anna’s eyes were clouded with desire. Her legs went weak. But the man remained detached. Though he kissed her fervently, his eyes stayed cold and clear. When they finally broke apart, Anna collapsed in his arms. The man stroked her head. “You’ve done well.” Anna nodded obediently. “Ethan must be blind to fall for your act,” the man chuckled lowly. Anna let out a contemptuous laugh. “Hah, he says he loves me. Says that Miss Moore is just an old-fashioned prude, boring in bed too.” The man’s tone turned lecherous. “Is that so? I wouldn’t mind sampling the prude’s flavor myself.” Ugh. I nearly threw up. How dare they bring me into their dirty flirting? I was so disgusted my hands shook. I almost dropped my phone. But what I heard next was truly shocking.

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I had endured it for five years, from dating to marriage and having a daughter. My wife, Olivia, always said she had an avoidant personality and tended to run away from intimate relationships. But I couldn’t take it anymore when our daughter, Lily, came home drenched in rain, tearfully saying, “Mom said she had to drop off Uncle Ryan and his daughter Emma, so I had to come home by myself.” When Olivia returned, I confronted her about her actions. She simply replied, “I don’t know how to explain it to you. Think whatever you want.” This time, I couldn’t hold back anymore. Today, I was working overtime at the company. I quickly sent a message to my wife, who was flying back from a trip: “Honey, I’m working late today. Could you pick up Lily from school?” As usual, there was no response to my message. The chat history showed only my messages. I had grown accustomed to her lack of replies, assuming she had seen the message and would pick up our daughter. At 8 PM, I finished work and returned home to find Lily sitting at the doorstep, crying softly, soaked to the bone. “Lily, why are you sitting outside? Hasn’t Mom come home?” I pulled her up, feeling her ice-cold hands. She must have been sitting there for a long time. As soon as she saw me, Lily burst into tears and threw herself into my arms. I quickly carried her inside, grabbing a towel to dry her hair while gently coaxing her to tell me what had happened. Sobbing, Lily said, “I saw Mom’s car at the school gate. I thought she was there to pick me up, but she said she had to drop off Uncle Ryan and his daughter Emma. She said it wasn’t on her way and told me to go home by myself.” My heart sank. Ryan was Olivia’s ex-boyfriend. How were they in contact again? At the same time, I felt a chill run through me. Lily was only in first grade. The way home wasn’t exactly close. What if something had happened to her? I remembered when we were dating. Olivia was known for her beauty and was a future pilot. Strangely, she had always been single. Out of curiosity, I pursued her for several months, constantly showing my affection until she finally agreed to be with me. Later, I learned that her parents had divorced and remarried when she was young, leaving her to grow up alone. She told me, “I have an avoidant personality. I’m not good at maintaining intimate relationships. If you can accept that, we can be together.” She rarely replied to my messages and was indifferent to my care. When faced with relationship issues, she would either say “Think whatever you want” or avoid the problem with silence. Because I loved her so much, I still married her. After marriage, we had Lily, and I thought she would be different with our daughter. I never expected her to do something like this today. She said she had an avoidant personality, so why was she willing to drive Ryan and his daughter? Stopping my racing thoughts, I quickly got Lily to take a bath, fearing she might catch a cold. I comforted her, saying that Uncle Ryan might have had an emergency, which was why Mom couldn’t bring her home, and that Mom would apologize when she returned. Lily blinked, clearly not believing me, but she was mature enough not to press further and obediently went to the bathroom. Late at night, Lily developed a fever from getting caught in the rain, mumbling “Mom” in her delirium. I gave her some fever medication and put her to bed. Thankfully, she was okay. But Olivia still hadn’t come home. I sat in the living room, my mind in chaos. When the clock struck one, Olivia finally returned, reeking of alcohol but with clear eyes. She walked straight to the living room to pour herself some water, showing no intention of explaining herself. I asked, “Olivia, why are you back so late? Did you go drinking?” She casually replied, “Yeah, had a few drinks with friends.” I pressed on, “With Ryan, right?” She turned around, irritated, and said, “Yes, with him. He’s my colleague now. Jack, your distrust is putting pressure on me.” It was the same old response. Undeterred, I questioned her about refusing to bring Lily home in the afternoon. After a long pause, her only response was a silent, expressionless stare. Feeling heartbroken for our daughter, I demanded, “Lily is so young. What if something had happened to her on her way home? Is this how you be a mother?” She finally snapped, throwing out, “I don’t know what to say anymore. Think whatever you want.” Then she shut herself in the study and didn’t come out again. I lay sleepless on the couch until the early hours of the morning, finally drifting off as dawn broke. The next morning, Olivia was nowhere to be seen. On the way to drop Lily off at school, she anxiously asked, “Dad, did Mom apologize to me last night?” Forcing a smile, I lied, “Yes, she did. Mom said she’ll buy you your favorite doll when she flies back next time to make it up to you.” Lily immediately brightened up, entering the school with an excited smile. Watching my daughter’s retreating figure, I thought sadly, how long would I have to keep lying to her?

I found myself constantly checking my phone for messages, but Olivia hadn’t sent anything since that day. When we were dating, other guys’ girlfriends would always be texting them about the little things in their lives. I gently suggested that Olivia try sharing what she was doing with me too. She looked at me incredulously, saying she really didn’t see the point in talking about eating, waking up, or going to sleep. So I never knew what Olivia was doing or where she was. It was only my trust in her that kept our relationship going until now. Yesterday, Lily came home excited, saying there was a parent-child sports day at school. She asked if Mom would have time to participate. She added thoughtfully, “I know Mom is busy. It’s okay if she can’t make it.” It was clear she really wanted to participate. Although Olivia’s monthly salary was pooled with mine for our family expenses, her schedule was always packed, leaving little time to spend with our daughter. I had always explained to Lily that Mom worked hard to give us a better life in the future. Seeing Lily’s hopeful face, I mustered up the courage to call Olivia. The call was immediately disconnected, but I received a message from her. “What is it?” I replied, “There’s a parent-child sports day at school soon. Our daughter wants you to go with her. Can you take a day off?” She responded, “When is it? I’ll see if I can make it.” I sent her the details and reminded her of a few things. Then I asked which route she was flying today. To my surprise, she gave me a detailed answer about her flight. I felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe she had realized her mistake from last time and was trying to improve her attitude. On the day of the sports event, I was warming up with Lily in the waiting area. She kept glancing towards the entrance, clearly distracted. As other children and parents started to enter, I crouched down and hugged Lily, asking, “Mom might be held up. How about Dad participates with you first?” Lily stubbornly shook her head and ran to the entrance. “Mom promised me. I believe in her.” Time ticked by, but there was still no sign of Olivia. I quickly messaged her, asking where she was, but got no response. My daughter’s small figure stood firmly waiting. Finally, as the event ended and other students left with their parents, Olivia still hadn’t shown up. Lily’s eyes filled with tears, but she bravely told me it was time to go home, remaining silent on the way back. When we opened the door, we found Olivia sitting on the couch, reading a book. She didn’t react to our arrival. Lily ran up to her, her little face red with anger, and demanded, “Mom, you promised me. Why didn’t you come?” Ignoring Lily’s words, Olivia frowned at me and said, “I told you I’d see how things went. I had important business come up today. Couldn’t you, as her father, just accompany her?” Olivia was always like this, rarely participating in Lily’s activities. This time, she had promised and then broken that promise. I even suspected she was using work to avoid Lily and me. Lily was about to say something else when she noticed a beautifully wrapped doll on the couch – her favorite cartoon character. Just as she picked it up to take a closer look, Olivia suddenly stopped her. “That’s not for you. I bought it for Uncle Ryan’s daughter. Don’t open the packaging.” Lily couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into tears, sobbing that she hated her mom before running to her room and locking the door. Only Olivia and I were left in the living room. She glanced at Lily’s room, seeming to want to say something, but then just sat on the couch as if nothing had happened. I couldn’t contain myself anymore. I confronted her, “Why are you doing this? You promised to come and then broke that promise. Do you know how long Lily waited for you? And that doll – why did you only buy one for Ryan’s daughter? You know Lily loves that doll. Was it so hard to buy one more?” After my barrage of questions, Olivia stood up impatiently and said defiantly, “Enough! I just want my own space. You’re all putting too much pressure on me. I’ve always been like this, with everyone.” I closed my eyes, feeling overwhelmed, and said, “If you keep this up, I don’t think I can go on!” She reverted to her expressionless, indifferent state and said, “I can’t change. If you can’t handle it anymore, let’s get divorced. We’re not compatible, and you don’t need to waste any more time on me.” Olivia had just suggested we get divorced. At that moment, I felt like all my perseverance in loving her had become a joke. She was truly a block of ice that couldn’t be warmed. But for Lily’s sake, should I really get divorced? Suddenly, Olivia’s phone rang. Right in front of me, she opened SnapChat to find a message from Ryan, thanking her for helping out on short notice. She immediately replied, saying it was no problem. So that’s why she didn’t come today. She was helping him out. My SnapChat was pinned at the top of her chat list, with a “Do Not Disturb” icon next to it. She had long since found me annoying.

For the past few days, I hadn’t messaged Olivia, who had left home. Her suggestion of divorce had extinguished any lingering hope I had. I suddenly didn’t know why I had persisted in loving her. Perhaps she never needed it. When we were dating, my friends gently warned me that if a man is too devoted, a woman might not appreciate him. I didn’t believe it then, thinking it was just because of her family background and that Olivia wasn’t inherently cold. I made sure she received all the usual gifts and companionship, no less than anyone else would. She was just too avoidant when it came to emotions. Ryan was her first love. She had actively pursued him, but in the end, Ryan said they weren’t compatible and broke up. After graduation, he married and had a daughter. Now, it seemed he was divorced. Maybe with Ryan, the unattainable was appealing to her. Watching from afar made it seem better. But I couldn’t tolerate any doubt in our relationship. If she was truly wavering, there was no point in forcing her to stay. But what about Lily? Would divorce harm her? Olivia didn’t truly not love Lily. When Lily was younger, the gentle look in Olivia’s eyes as she held and fed her couldn’t be faked. Materially, Olivia always did her best to give Lily the best of everything. But the way she treated Lily now had hurt our daughter deeply. That night, Lily asked me if I had lied to her, saying that Mom hadn’t apologized or promised to buy her a gift. I apologized to her, and she hugged me, saying it was okay. She just wanted Mom to be with her. She loved her mom very much but had to be understanding because Mom was so busy. If we really left Olivia, Lily might be very upset. That afternoon after work, I bought Lily’s favorite doll and went to pick her up. After waiting for a while without seeing her come out, I called her teacher. The teacher was surprised, saying, “Lily didn’t come to school today. Her mother called in sick for her, saying she was taking her out.” Olivia had taken her out to play? Why didn’t she tell me? Was she trying to make it up to Lily by taking her out? Although I felt uneasy, she was still the child’s mother. It might be good for them to spend some time together. Late that night, mother and daughter still hadn’t returned home. Getting anxious, I called Olivia directly. She answered, sounding out of breath as if she was running. “What’s wrong? Where’s Lily? Let me talk to her,” I asked. She paused, then said in a low voice, “Something happened. I’ll have her call you later.” I pressed her to tell me what had happened. After a long silence, she finally replied, “Lily is missing. We’re looking for her now.” It felt like a bolt of lightning had struck me. I nearly collapsed, barely managing to ask for their location before rushing over. They were in the neighboring city. I took the fastest high-speed train and went straight to the police station. To my surprise, Ryan and his daughter were there too. Seeing my pale face, Olivia grabbed me and said, “Jack, calm down. Lily will be fine. The police have checked the surveillance cameras and are searching for her.” I couldn’t calm down at all. Ryan approached, looking guilty: “It’s all my fault. I mentioned that Emma was lonely and thought it would be nice if Lily could play with her. That’s why Olivia brought her along. We never expected Lily to disappear while we were shopping in the mall.” Olivia couldn’t meet my eyes, burying her head in my chest, trying to comfort me. I pushed her away forcefully, glaring at her with fury. For the sake of Ryan’s child, she had secretly taken Lily out and lost her. What kind of mother was she? “If anything happens to Lily, none of you will get away with this. Once we find Lily, let’s get divorced, Olivia.” “As you wish. We’ll set you free.”

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It was the third year of my marriage to Lucas. He was 35. I was barely 21, just starting my senior year in college. I hadn’t decided yet whether I wanted to be a full-time housewife. Then I overheard him chatting casually with a group of big shots in his circle: “Sophia has nothing going for her except her youth.” “Compared to her, Bella is much more sophisticated.” “I’m starting to regret getting married. It would have cost so much less to just keep a young mistress. Now if I divorce, I’ll lose too much.” Without hesitation, I handed him divorce papers. Seeing the black and white text stating that I would leave the marriage empty-handed, he let out a long sigh of relief. He then feigned generosity and said, “I’ll give you $2 million as compensation.” I smiled and refused, “I’m still young. I can afford to play around.” What he didn’t know was that my brother was the prince of the city’s elite circle. All these years, Lucas had only managed to squeeze into the big shots’ circle thanks to my brother’s support. Divorcing me? His losses were just beginning.

For my senior year internship, I decided to work at Lucas’s company. All so I could catch a glimpse of my handsome husband every day. As a lowly intern, I kept such a low profile that even Lucas didn’t know I was there. I didn’t want to bother him or distract him from work. Occasionally, I’d overhear other interns discussing Lucas. I’d listen carefully but never chimed in. “Mr. Evans is so handsome. 35 is really the golden age for a man.” “Too bad he’s married. I heard his wife is some unknown young girl.” “Ugh, why can’t I be that lucky…” When I was 18, Lucas pursued me with the intention of marriage from day one. He gave me the engagement ring right away to express his sincerity. I responded with equal enthusiasm. We got married after dating for a year. It was impulsive and exhilarating. Sweet and blissful. He gave me a fairytale romance beyond my wildest dreams. The love of a domineering CEO was straightforward and overwhelming, leaving me dizzy and disoriented. If I hadn’t come to intern at his company this time, I might never have discovered his secrets. Bella. Lucas’s secretary. Sexy and beautiful, the typical mature woman. She often accompanied Lucas on business trips and social engagements. She handled all company affairs, big and small, and even knew more about the company than Lucas did. So, before everyone learned about Lucas’s marriage, they all thought Bella was the real boss’s wife. While getting lunch in the cafeteria, I’d overhear old employees who had worked with Bella complain: “Mr. Evans really has poor taste. He doesn’t know how to cherish a beauty like Bella right by his side.” “Bella even gave up her high-ranking position at a listed company to be Mr. Evans’ secretary.” “Mark my words, once the passion fades, Mr. Evans will definitely divorce and end up with Bella.” There were many rumors, but I didn’t take them to heart. After all, the passion between Lucas and me was still burning hot every night. Until one night at a social event, a drunk Bella confessed her love to Lucas in front of everyone. It wasn’t so much a confession as it was forcing Lucas to make a choice. Bella asked Lucas if he had feelings for her. Lucas remained silent for a long time. Bella pressed on: “If you don’t have feelings for me, why won’t you approve my resignation letter?” Lucas’s face was grave as he replied with one word: “I do.” Then he gazed at Bella intently and said, “I do have feelings for you. I can’t be without you. That’s why I can’t approve your resignation. Is that okay?” Bella smiled, downed a glass of white wine, grabbed her purse, and walked out. The air froze for two seconds. Then Lucas chased after her. Everyone at that gathering had worked alongside Lucas and Bella for years. I wasn’t there. But Emma, a chubby girl I was friendly with who loved gossip, had recorded the scene and sent it to me privately. Emma asked me: [Do you think something will happen between Mr. Evans and Secretary White tonight?] I replied: [Probably not… right?] [They’re both adults who’ve known each other for years and have such deep feelings. They’ve had drinks, confessed their love… how could nothing happen?] I firmly typed back: [Mr. Evans is married. He should know better. Besides, Secretary White has no reason to be the other woman!] [You’re right. But whether something happened or not, we’ll know tomorrow.] I didn’t understand what Emma meant by “we’ll know tomorrow.” But the moment I exited our chat, I got my answer. Lucas messaged me saying he wouldn’t be coming home tonight due to a last-minute social engagement. My heart sank. I immediately called him. At first, no one answered. I called several times in a row. Finally, Lucas picked up. “Baby, my phone was on silent. I didn’t hear it. What’s wrong?” I held back my emotions, my fingernails digging into my palms. “Honey, are you really not coming home tonight?” “Yeah, we’re all still here at the gathering. I can’t get away. Try to understand, baby.” I gritted my teeth and continued, “Are there any women at your gathering?” He paused, then chuckled, “No. Since when did you start checking up on me? Do you want to video call so I can prove my innocence?” As he spoke, I heard a rustling sound – the kind made when expensive shirts rub against hotel sheets. In the past, when our love was wild and passionate, I often heard that sound too. “Mmm…” A muffled groan escaped Lucas’s lips. In that instant, all the knots in my heart unraveled. After three years with Lucas, we’d done plenty of intimate things. I knew exactly what that “mmm” meant. It was the sound he made when he was trying to stifle his pleasure. This detail – he probably didn’t even realize it himself. Well, well. I didn’t even need to stop him from cheating. He’d already crossed that line. I laughed bitterly, “No need for a video call…” I was afraid I’d go blind. “Enjoy yourself. I’m going to bed.” My heart felt dead as I prepared to hang up. But Lucas spoke again, his voice low and husky. “Baby, we just closed a big deal tonight. Starting tomorrow, everyone will be working overtime. I might be working late for a while, so don’t wait up for dinner.” Working overtime. Or spending overtime with Bella. It didn’t matter to me anymore.

After hanging up, I couldn’t sleep all night. With dark circles under my eyes, I arrived at the office the next morning. My mind was still blank when Emma sidled up to me to continue gossiping about last night. “Something definitely happened between Mr. Evans and Secretary White last night.” I frowned slightly. She went on, “This morning, Mr. Evans’s clothes were all wrinkled, and… he was wearing the same outfit as yesterday. Doesn’t that mean he never went home last night?” I nodded, too drained to compliment her observational skills. She continued, “Secretary White was late this morning too. When she came in, she looked radiant. Usually, she’s all business, but today she seemed like a whole new person.” I asked her, “How so?” She chose her words carefully: “More cheerful, more sexy, more coy… you’ll see for yourself.” I looked up and saw Bella walk in wearing a tight-fitting dress. I’d seen that dress before. When Lucas and I were shopping together, I had my eye on it. But they didn’t have my size, so I just paid and asked them to send it to Lucas when it came in stock. Now I see. The dress arrived alright. But the recipient had changed. Bella was in a great mood. As soon as she came in, she asked everyone what they wanted to drink, her treat. Everyone cheered excitedly. I sat in the corner, my emotions a jumbled mess. I tried to numb myself with work. But it didn’t help much. In a daze, lunchtime arrived. I sat at my desk eating takeout. Bella, carrying bags of gourmet food, headed to Lucas’s office. She went in. And didn’t come out all afternoon. When she finally emerged, it was almost time to leave work. Emma next to me clicked her tongue twice and sighed, “The world really is going downhill. Of all people, why did Secretary White have to fall for a married man? Jack, who sits close to the CEO’s office, said that as soon as Secretary White went in, she threw herself into Mr. Evans’s arms. They almost turned the office into a hotel room!” With that, Emma sent me the photo Jack had secretly taken. Bella was sitting on Lucas’s lap, feeding him lunch. Their intimate posture and expressions were unmistakable. “I wonder how Mr. Evans’s wife would feel if she saw this scene,” Emma sighed softly. Mr. Wilson, sitting across from us, frowned. “They’re in love. Why are you two meddling?” Emma didn’t catch Mr. Wilson’s tone and joked, “That’s right, she is the mistress after all!” Mr. Wilson was not pleased. He tossed a ledger at Emma, “Since you’re so free, finish this. You’re not leaving until it’s done.” Emma pouted. I quietly sent her a message: [Mr. Wilson and Secretary White go way back. He’s definitely on her side, so don’t say stuff like that anymore.] Emma sent back a crying emoji. I comforted her: [I’ll help you with that ledger. Let’s finish it quickly and get off work. I’ll treat you to crayfish.] She perked up again. That evening, we finally finished our overtime work and were ready to go for crayfish when Mr. Wilson stopped us. “Thanks for working late. Let’s all go grab a late-night snack.” Mr. Wilson didn’t give us a chance to refuse. He took us straight to a restaurant near the office. After eating, he dragged us to a karaoke bar. We didn’t want to go, but we had no choice. As lowly interns, we had no say. Sitting in a dark corner, Emma and I decided to play mobile games instead. We got so into it that we didn’t notice more people entering the private room. Until I heard a familiar voice. That’s when I saw Lucas, surrounded by a group of big shots, sitting in the main seat. At first, they were discussing business. Then, they started talking about their personal lives. Kids, wives, in-laws… and of course, mistresses. “I saw Bella’s social media post. Something about true love prevailing. What’s up? Did you finally come to your senses and take Bella to bed?” Someone asked. I couldn’t help but prick up my ears. Lucas replied calmly, “You guys don’t understand the situation that day. I had no choice. Bella was forcing my hand. If I didn’t accept her, she was going to quit. You know Bella’s been with the company for so many years. The company can’t function without her. And… I guess you could say I can’t function without her either.” “So Bella’s okay with being the mistress? Lucas, don’t let this backfire on you later.” “Yeah, we all saw how much effort you put into marrying that young girl back then. Forget about keeping your mistress stable, what if your wife finds out? Won’t that cause a huge scene?” “It’s not like that. If Bella doesn’t mind, why should that young girl care?” “After being spoiled by Lucas all these years, how could that girl go back to an ordinary life? Even if she finds out about the affair, she definitely won’t do anything rash. At least with the title of Mrs. Evans, she’s set for life and can be someone important.” Everyone chimed in with their opinions. In the end, they concluded that as long as Lucas kept Bella happy and quiet, his wife at home wouldn’t cause any trouble. They even congratulated Lucas on having the best of both worlds. Emma listened, her face scrunching up in disgust. She couldn’t help but whisper in my ear, “Disgusting.” Then she added, “Even though Mr. Evans is being a jerk, what they’re saying isn’t entirely wrong. That young girl hasn’t even graduated yet, right? With no family background or skills, making a fuss really wouldn’t do her any good. What do you think?” I nodded, “She won’t make a scene. In today’s society, everyone wants to keep up appearances.” Anything can be discussed calmly and rationally. Even divorce. At this point, Lucas put down his glass and spoke: “It’s true, Sophia has nothing going for her except her youth. Compared to her, Bella is much more sophisticated.” “But Bella’s proud personality, who knows how long she can tolerate being the other woman.” “I’m starting to regret getting married. It would have cost so much less to just keep a young mistress. Now if I divorce, I’ll lose too much.” So, he was calculating his losses. Of course, Lucas and I were legally married. A divorce would mean splitting his assets acquired during our marriage. Well, I’ll grant Lucas his wish. I can leave the marriage empty-handed. But the price he’ll pay after I walk away with nothing – that’s something he’ll have to bear.

When everyone finally dispersed, Bella left with a drunk Lucas. From a distance, I watched them embrace, their lips pressed together. Perhaps they had been holding back for too long. As soon as they got in the car, it started rocking up and down. Silently, I recorded everything that had just happened. Then, I called my brother. “What’s up, little sis? Why are you calling so late?” My brother’s voice instantly touched the softest part of my heart. With a “plop,” I couldn’t hold back anymore. Tears started streaming down my face. “Sweetie, what’s wrong? Are you crying?” I was choking on my sobs, unable to speak. My brother immediately asked where I was. I mumbled an address through my tears. Half an hour later, he appeared in front of me. I was huddled on some steps by the street, my body shaking. My brother took off his coat and draped it over me, sitting down beside me. “Where’s Lucas?” “He cheated.” My brother froze, his jaw clenching tight. “Where is he? I’ll kill him.” I grabbed my brother’s hand, shaking my head, “There’s no need. It would only dirty your hands.” My brother angrily stomped on the ground! But he wasn’t satisfied with just that. He asked me, “Do you want a divorce?” I nodded without hesitation. “Could it be a misunderstanding?” I showed my brother all the videos and photos stored on my phone. Although I didn’t say anything, my brother had already made his decision. He immediately took out his phone and made several calls. First, he contacted his lawyer friend to draft a divorce agreement for me. Second, he contacted Lucas’s suppliers, telling those who had just negotiated contracts but hadn’t signed yet to not sign, those whose contracts were expiring to not renew, and those whose contracts weren’t up yet to withdraw all discounts and charge market prices. After making those calls, my brother took my hand, “Come on, let’s go home.” I shook my head, tears still hanging in the corners of my eyes, “Before we go home, I want to move out first.” My brother didn’t hesitate. He drove me to the marital home Lucas and I shared. The house was bought by Lucas. I had nothing to be nostalgic about. It’s just that after living here for three years, I never thought I’d leave like this. “If you want this house, I’ll get you the best lawyer to help you keep it.” “No need, bro. Anything that’s touched by Lucas, I find it all quite dirty now.”

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I have a limp, a result of an injury I sustained while saving my childhood sweetheart when we were young. Despite being treated differently because of my disability, James Parker, my childhood love, promised to always be good to me. I believed him wholeheartedly. Until one day, I saw a girl corner him against a wall, attempting to kiss him. He turned his head to avoid it. The girl’s eyes reddened. “James, I don’t believe you’re not attracted to me!” James gritted his teeth and then kissed her forcefully. I’ve had a limp since I was a child, but everyone said I was lucky because I had James Parker, my childhood sweetheart who loved me dearly. James was the epitome of youth – handsome, smart, athletically gifted, and popular with girls. His only flaw, according to some, was having a disabled childhood sweetheart – me. Whenever someone said this, James would angrily rebuke them. “Lily’s leg was injured while saving me. I don’t want to hear you talk about her like that.” Each time he said this, he’d pull me into his arms. Listening to his heartbeat, I truly believed he was my prince charming, descending from heaven to save me. But I forgot that not everyone who rides a white horse is a prince. James and I started having problems in our sophomore year of college. It began when I watched a mixed doubles tennis match between him and his underclassman partner, Emma White. They had perfect chemistry and won the gold medal in the college tournament. Their high-five after winning, Emma handing James a towel, and the loving look in her eyes when she gazed at him all made me feel uneasy. But when James hung his gold medal around my neck and invited me to their tennis team’s celebration party, I forced myself to suppress my discomfort. I told myself to trust James. But at the party, when I saw Emma casually picking up James’s drink and about to sip from it, my carefully maintained composure finally cracked. I put my hand between Emma’s mouth and the bottle. “Isn’t this James’s drink? Did you grab the wrong one?” The lively atmosphere suddenly went quiet for a moment before resuming. James’s teammate laughed it off: “Emma must be too excited; she grabbed the wrong drink.” But Emma’s eyes showed no amusement as she put the drink back. The incident was brushed off with laughter, but it left me feeling unsettled. My unease reached its peak as James walked me back to my dorm that night. Because of my leg, James always walked slowly to match my pace. After hesitating, I brought up the incident at dinner. But James interrupted me: “It’s nothing, she probably just grabbed the wrong drink by mistake. Don’t worry about it.” His words caught in my throat, leaving me unable to express my concerns. My heart ached, and I had to force back tears of frustration. James took my hand and kissed it twice, telling me not to worry and insisting that he and Emma were just friends from the tennis team. His sincere gaze made me want to believe him again. I really, really wanted to trust him – if only I hadn’t later seen them kissing in a hidden corner. It was after another tennis match where James and Emma had won. I was looking for James with a water bottle and towel. Strangely, he wasn’t celebrating with his teammates. I noticed Emma was missing too. Pushing down my growing anxiety, I massaged my right leg, which was aching from standing too long, and continued searching. Perhaps my disappointment had reached its limit because when I saw Emma pressing James against a wall, I felt surprisingly numb. Emma’s coquettish voice rang out. “James, stop denying it. You like me.” James had one hand on her shoulder, as if to push her away, while the other clutched his newly won mixed doubles medal. He seemed to sigh. “Don’t do this,” he said. Emma’s voice began to break. “I don’t believe it. You don’t really like that childhood sweetheart of yours. I know you like me.” With that, she tilted her head up to kiss him. I clutched the water bottle tightly, silently praying for James to push her away. But he didn’t. James accepted Emma’s kiss, even lowering his head to deepen it. The medal that should have been mine, that should have been hanging around my neck, was now draped over Emma’s, alongside her own. As they moved passionately, the two medals clinked together, creating a clear, crisp sound. It was hauntingly beautiful. James and I had known each other since we were very young. Back then, he was the leader of our neighborhood kids, and I remember following him around everywhere. One day, while playing on a small hill, he slipped and started to fall. I quickly grabbed him, but being too weak, we both tumbled down the slope. James was fine, but I cushioned his fall with my body, and my right leg exploded in excruciating pain. I passed out from the agony. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed, surrounded by my parents’ concerned faces and James’s parents’ guilty expressions. My right leg was in a thick cast. The doctor told me that I might never be able to run and jump like other children again. Hearing this devastating news, I felt my world turn gray. I had always loved sports, and the thought of never being able to play normally again was worse than death. But then James pushed through the adults. He wiped away my tears and the gloom from my eyes. With his young, apologetic voice, he said to me, “Don’t be sad, Lily. From now on, I’ll be your legs.” He promised to take care of me until I no longer needed him, which helped ease my parents’ anger. James was indeed a sports prodigy. He excelled on the field, winning countless awards from childhood through adolescence. I could only sit in the stands, watching him triumphantly receive his prizes. Although I knew the accident wasn’t his fault, I couldn’t help but wonder: if I hadn’t saved him that day, would I be the one winning awards now? But I would shake off these thoughts because James would always hang his heavy medals around my neck. His neck glistening with sweat, his breath carrying the vibrant energy of youth, he would look at me with bright, moist eyes and say something that went straight to my heart. Holding the medal draped over my neck, he’d say proudly, “Lily, from now on, all my medals belong to you too.” I think that’s when he truly entered my heart, like a gentle breeze full of youthful vigor, quickly taking root and blossoming. After that, James began competing frequently, always giving me all his medals. His mother once joked, “People might think our Lily won these awards herself!” James shot her a fierce glare, and his mother, realizing her mistake, fell silent. Because of my leg injury, I had few friends. I spent most of my time quietly reading and waiting for James. James confessed his feelings to me on a summer evening in our sophomore year of high school. He asked me to meet him downstairs in our neighborhood. Amid the summer cicadas’ song, I slowly made my way down, my neck damp with a fine sheen of sweat. Just as I steadied myself, before I could even make out his silhouette, I felt a cool metal medal being placed around my neck. It was the medal from his recent tennis tournament. Tennis was my favorite sport, and James had won this for me. “I already have many medals,” I said slowly, looking at him. James rubbed his nose, seeming a bit nervous. “That’s not what I wanted to talk about.” I gazed at him silently as he struggled to find the words. The early summer breeze was still mild, not yet oppressively hot. A gust of wind tousled my bangs, and just as I was about to brush them aside, James leaned in and gently kissed my forehead. “Lily, let’s be together,” he said, his voice trembling. My eyes widened slowly, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst. “Okay,” I heard myself say, trying to sound calm. How strange, I thought. Spring had already passed, yet my heart was in full bloom. Life after getting together with James didn’t seem to change much. Our friends had long assumed we were a couple anyway. Although James was a sports prodigy, he struggled with his academic subjects. Heaven had closed one door for me physically but opened a window intellectually. My grades were excellent. I was genuinely concerned about James’s academic performance because I wanted us to attend the same university. So, after finishing my own studies each day, I spent extra time figuring out how to help James improve his grades. Though the process was challenging, we eventually made it into the same university, thanks in part to his sports credits. I thought we would be happy forever, but I was too naive.

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