Author: Momo Chan

At our wedding, my wife Jessica Greene suggested that her stand-in marry me, Chris Morgan, while she traveled the world with her lover, Logan Parker. Everyone thought I would be furious and cancel the wedding. Instead, I just smiled and handed her the financial report, telling her to enjoy life with her lover while I took care of the company’s small matters. My wife thought I had finally been tamed. After casually signing the contract I gave her, she promised me that when she came back, I would get a promotion and a raise. What she didn’t know was that what she signed wasn’t a financial report at all. It was the transfer of her shares and our divorce agreement. A month later, when my wife returned, eager to take back control of the company, she found that I had become the new CEO and that she had been fired. The self-proclaimed clever woman was left stunned. “Chris, the stand-in’s already changed into her wedding dress. Go on and take the vows with her. I’ve got a flight to catch, so I’ll leave you to it.” At the wedding, my CEO wife, Jessica, was wearing workout clothes. With a smile, she shoved another woman into my arms and urged me to go up and get married. It should have been a joyful day, but as I looked at the stand-in, who looked about seventy percent like Jessica, I couldn’t bring myself to smile. I had been with Jessica for seven years. When it came to our wedding, she always said she was too busy with work and didn’t have time. She kept saying, “Once the company is stable and we’re listed, we can talk about marriage.” I worked tirelessly for her, building teams, pulling in business, and sacrificing my youth and health. In the end, I helped the company go public. Finally, after all this effort, I thought our wedding day had arrived. I thought we would finally walk down the aisle together. But now, she had suddenly changed her mind and sent a stand-in to take her place. Seeing me stay silent, Jessica checked her watch, and her expression grew impatient. “Chris, it’s our big day. What are you giving me that sour face for? “If it weren’t for our seven years together, I would’ve let you go out there and make a fool of yourself with a stand-in. As it is, I’m being nice by letting you go through with this. “I don’t have time to waste with you. “Just tell me, are we getting married or not?” As soon as she finished speaking, our colleagues and friends, as if rehearsed, started pressuring me. “Chris, it’s just a different person walking down the aisle. Why make this difficult?” “Yeah, Mr. Morgan, with a wife like Ms. Greene, successful and beautiful, you won’t find better. You’re still married, whether it’s her or the stand-in.” “Besides, the stand-in looks almost identical to Ms. Greene. No one will know the difference. Why are you worried?” The guests all spoke in unison, almost scolding me as if I were the one in the wrong. It was obvious to me that from the start, I was the only one kept in the dark. And no matter how fine their words sounded, the looks in their eyes were filled with disdain and condescension. To them, I was probably just a dog on a leash owned by Jessica. After all, if Jessica truly loved me, why would she send a stand-in to marry me while she traveled the world with her lover? Instead of getting angry, I turned to look at the real culprit behind it all, Logan. Although Logan was Jessica’s lover, he had abandoned her ten years ago. Back then, Logan dumped her to flatter other rich girls. Now, seeing her become successful, he quickly came back, crying about how much he loved her over the years and claiming his departure had a hidden reason. To my surprise, Jessica not only believed him right away but also brought him into the company as an executive. To even accompany him on a trip, she casually found a substitute to cover for my carefully prepared wedding. The next moment, Logan noticed my gaze and grinned even wider. “What are you staring at? Jessica didn’t completely ditch you. She even found a stand-in to help you with the wedding. You should be grateful. “If you don’t want Jessica to go on a trip with me, just say it. Don’t act all innocent like a martyr. You think no one can see through your schemes?” I listened to Logan’s accusations, but I couldn’t help but laugh coldly inside. Logan’s tactics were as low as they were before when we worked together in the company. Since he came back to the country and Jessica brought him into the company, he had been using these twisted words to deliberately provoke me. Little by little, not only had the entire company started to gossip about me being a master of disguise, but Jessica also began to believe that I was a ruthless schemer. Logan’s taunts only seemed like straightforward honesty to her. But this time, I wasn’t going to play along with their childish game anymore. With that thought, I didn’t get angry. Instead, I smiled lightly. “How could I stop you two from going on a trip? “Ms. Greene has worked so hard for the company. Now it’s my time to give back. “As for the wedding and the company’s matters, I’ll follow Ms. Greene’s decisions. You two just go and enjoy your trip.” With that, I handed Jessica a stack of papers and smiled. “Ms. Greene, here’s this month’s financial report. If you sign it, I’ll notify the finance department to release the salaries this afternoon.” Seeing that I agreed so easily, Jessica was momentarily stunned. She stared at me for a long time before finally nodding in satisfaction, not even glancing at the papers, and just flipped to the last page, signing her name in bold strokes. “It would’ve been better if you did this earlier. You did well today. “Handle the wedding and the company matters, and when I come back from the trip, we can consider giving you a promotion and raise.” If I had heard this before, maybe I would’ve been happy, thinking Jessica finally recognized my hard work. But now, I saw clearly that she didn’t love me. She just didn’t want to handle everything herself. The company had just gone public, and everyone was swamped with work, left with countless problems. But she didn’t understand any of it. She was only looking for an excuse to go off with Logan, to relax and take a break. If she divorced me now, without me handling everything for her, how could she go out and date without worry? But when she mentioned promoting me and giving me a raise, Logan immediately furrowed his brow. “Managing the company for Jessica is already your responsibility. You don’t seriously think she’ll promote and raise your salary, do you? “If it weren’t for your incompetence and the company’s continuous decline in performance, Jessica wouldn’t be so tired that she needs to go on a trip to relax. “You agree, right, Jessica?” At that, I couldn’t help but twitch my lips. If it weren’t for Jessica insisting on bringing someone like Logan into the company and even giving him a major role as project leader, the company’s performance wouldn’t have been so bad. But Jessica didn’t hesitate for a second, immediately agreeing with Logan. “Logan’s right. I almost fell for your acting again. “A five thousand dollars salary a month? I’m not just giving it to you for free.” Hearing Jessica’s words, I couldn’t help but feel a bitter laugh rise in my chest. She actually had the nerve to bring up my salary. This company was my creation! It was because I saw how hard she worked alongside me that I transferred most of my shares to her as compensation. But after she became the CEO, she started taking advantage of everything. She became more and more demanding. All the sacrifices I made, in her eyes, became things I should have done. She even pushed me to the limit with my salary, claiming that long-time employees should set an example. Meanwhile, the new interns at the company were getting six thousand dollars a month, but I, the founder of this company, the one who built it from the ground up, was stuck with a measly five thousand. And even with that five thousand, I had to use it to cover my family’s daily expenses. By the end of the month, I couldn’t even save enough for a few packs of cigarettes. Before I could say anything, Jessica impatiently waved her hand and dragged Logan towards the door. “Alright, you handle the wedding and company matters. Logan and I have a flight to catch. “Behave yourself. When I return to the company, I might consider giving you a raise.” I watched as Jessica and Logan walked away with a cold smile. She still had no idea she wouldn’t be coming back to the company. If she had been even a little cautious just now, she would have realized that what she signed wasn’t just a financial report. It was the stock transfer agreement and the divorce papers. After the divorce, the shares she transferred, combined with the ones I originally held, now made up over 50%. In other words, I could call a shareholders’ meeting at any time, take over as CEO, and kick her out of the company. I wondered what her expression would be when she found out the company had already changed hands by the time she returned.

By the time Logan and Jessica were out of sight, I turned away and walked toward the wedding venue. Grabbing the microphone, I cleared my throat and announced. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sorry to announce that today’s wedding is canceled. “But don’t worry, I’ll cover the bill. Enjoy yourselves, consider it an early Christmas’ Eve dinner.” The room erupted into shocked murmurs, but it quickly returned to its lively buzz. After all, who wouldn’t enjoy a free meal and drinks? As for me, I left the event immediately and rushed back to the company to hold an urgent shareholders’ meeting. Between uncertain love and the firm grasp of stock equity, the latter felt a lot more secure. Before the meeting started, my assistant reminded me that according to protocol, I still had to give Jessica a call to inform her. I shrugged, not bothered at all. After all, the agreement was already signed. Even if she objected, it wouldn’t change a thing. But when I picked up the phone, it was Logan who picked up first, and he immediately started yelling. “Enough, Chris. You really are pathetic! “I heard from the substitute that you canceled the wedding. Do you really think that will make Jessica feel sorry for you or care about you? “I’ve already blocked your number and WhatsApp on her phone. She has no idea what’s going on. Even if you change your number, it’s pointless. “Everyone can see that I’m Jessica’s true love. You’re just a figurehead husband. Did you really think you meant something? “Get back to your work. Jessica’s happy with me now and has no time for your petty problems.” With that, he hung up. The moment the call ended, everyone in the meeting room awkwardly glanced at me. But I didn’t care one bit. Jessica’s little stunt had been the talk of the company ever since Logan joined. It was obvious he was doing it to flaunt his relationship with her. But Jessica was letting it happen, even enjoying the attention. Before all this, I had been in a secret relationship with her for seven years, and no one had ever found out. She had repeatedly insisted we keep our relationship private and that we couldn’t have any rumors spreading around, especially not because of the company. It wasn’t until our marriage was announced that everyone found out we had been together for seven years. Seven years. I had hidden it like a mouse in the shadows, afraid it might affect her career. But now? As soon as Logan arrived, she wanted to shout to the world to prove to everyone that Logan was truly her soulmate. This was the difference between love and indifference. At this point, though, I wasn’t even angry. Instead, I almost felt sorry for Jessica. If she knew that Logan had kept an important matter like the shareholder meeting from her and dismissed it as nothing more than a trivial matter, she’d probably be so furious she might strangle him on the spot. The thought made me smile bitterly as I slammed Jessica’s stock transfer document down on the table. “I’ll be straight with you. From now on, I’m the largest shareholder and the chairman of the company. “Any objections?” Hearing this, no one in the room shook their heads. In fact, some of them even had a look of excitement in their eyes. After all, none of these people were particularly close to Jessica. They were just there to make money. They also knew that the company had reached this point because I’d been the one holding it together all along. Jessica knew nothing about management, and ever since Logan joined, he’d been making reckless decisions that had caused the company’s performance to plummet month by month. They were angry but had been too scared to speak up. Now that the company was back in my hands, they all wholeheartedly supported me. After taking care of everything, I returned to my office and received a message from Logan. In the video, Jessica, who had supposedly gone on a trip, suddenly changed into a wedding dress I’d never seen before, walking down the aisle with Logan hand-in-hand. “Chris, you canceled your wedding with the stand-in. What good did it do you? You only saved your sorry reputation. “You’ve never seen Jessica in a wedding dress, have you? “You don’t really think we’re on a trip, do you? “Jessica herself said she wanted to save her first time wearing a wedding dress for me, and that we would have our wedding to make up for all the years we lost.” I watched the video, which showed Jessica and Logan wearing matching wedding bands on their ring fingers, and I couldn’t help but scoff. Jessica had told me the reason she didn’t get me a matching ring was because the diamond ring didn’t come in a couple’s version. So she didn’t forget about the ring at all, she had already given it to Logan. After that, Logan didn’t stop taunting me almost every day. “Chris, it’s pretty late. You’re still stuck at the office, aren’t you? “You must be exhausted. Want me to send you some money for a coffee? After all, Jessica just transferred a million dollars to me. Oh, poor me, I have too much money and nowhere to spend it. “Chris, did Jessica not reply to your messages again today? Well, what can I say? We’re on our honeymoon, and her eyes are only on me. She’s too busy sightseeing with me to have time for you. Don’t get jealous now.” I looked at the messages Logan sent and could only coldly smile as I saved the evidence and forwarded it to my lawyer. With these pieces of evidence, even if Jessica tried to act like a sore loser and sue me, it would only backfire on her. A month flew by in no time. After working non-stop to adjust the company’s business, I was exhausted. Finally, I could get a good night’s sleep. But just as I was drifting in and out of sleep, a slap landed across my face. “Chris, it’s already past 4 a.m., and you’re still sleeping like a dead pig? “Get up and throw your stinky clothes out. Don’t dirty my luggage.” I looked up to see Logan suddenly standing in my home, a frown forming on my face. “Are you crazy? This is my house. How did you get in?” At that moment, Jessica walked in from the living room, looking completely indifferent. “Of course, I brought him here. “From now on, this room is Logan’s. It’s closer to the company, so it’ll be more convenient for him to come to work. Do you have any objections?” I was stunned for a moment and instinctively asked, “This is my house. If I don’t live here, then where am I supposed to live?” Logan scoffed dismissively, “Who cares where you live? “Ms. Greene paid your salary. You can rent a place on your own if you want. “And your house isn’t even yours, it’s Ms. Greene’s house. And Ms. Greene’s house is my house. I can let anyone stay in my house. What, you got a problem with that?” I stared at Logan, his illogical reasoning making me laugh in anger. These two were done pretending. At that moment, I couldn’t help but show a cold smile as I grabbed Logan and Jessica’s luggage. Seeing that I was obediently following their orders, Jessica finally nodded in satisfaction. “At least you know your place. When we head back to the office…” But before she could finish, I tossed their luggage straight into the river and turned around to smile at them. “Just tossing out some trash on my way to work. Don’t mention it. “Also, we’re divorced now. This is my house. If you don’t leave, expect the police to come knocking.”

With that, I slammed the divorce agreement Jessica had signed on the table and headed straight back to the office. After all, now that the company was listed, my time was extremely valuable, and there was a mountain of work waiting for me. Plus, now that Jessica and her people had returned, I could finally notify HR to handle their termination. After I finished talking with HR and was about to head back to my office, I found Jessica and Logan already sitting inside. As soon as Logan saw me, he couldn’t help but sneer, “Oh, look who it is, Jessica’s ex-husband! “You were so tough back at the house. I thought maybe you’d turned into some big shot after a month, but you’re still just working at Jessica’s company, huh? Jessica tilted her chin up proudly, looking like a rooster strutting around. “Chris, it seems I’ve been too nice to you over the years. That’s why you’ve become so selfish and ungrateful. “Even if you used dirty tricks to get me to sign the divorce papers and took more than your fair share of our assets, so what? “Don’t forget, I’m the chairman of the company, and you’re just one of my employees. “I can fire you anytime, and if I mess with your background check a little, I guarantee you’ll never work in this industry again.” Saying that Jessica threw the pot on the table to the ground, looking at me with a mocking expression. “If you want to stay in this industry, then use your tongue to clean the floor. Maybe I’ll think about giving you a job as a janitor at the company.” Before I could respond, Logan chuckled and teased, “Jessica, you’re just too soft-hearted. “Not only do you give Chris a job, but you’re also letting him drink such expensive coffee. You really are soft on your ex-husband. “Now you’ve got me jealous.” Hearing their sarcastic insults, I just found it amusing. So much for being the company’s CEO. It looked like she and Logan had been having too much fun this past month and hadn’t paid a single bit of attention to the company. She didn’t even know she’d been kicked out of the board. I shrugged, indifferent. “Fine, if you’re so capable, go ahead and fire me.” At that, Jessica froze for a moment, then snorted dismissively. “Chris, don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking. Do you really think the company can’t do without you? “Let me tell you the truth. Do you really think I gave you a month to prove yourself? “You really thought I was going to make you the vice president? No. I was just using your experience to turn around the company’s decline and fix the situation with the poor performance and stock drop. “Now that the business adjustment is done, I could replace you with a dog as the director, and it wouldn’t matter. What do you think your value is now?” Logan, standing nearby, looked extremely impatient and waved his hand dismissively. “Jessica, stop wasting your breath on him. “Talking to someone like him is just like wasting your time. Once he gets blacklisted and can’t find a job, he’ll come crawling to us, begging for help.” Hearing this, Jessica smirked, walking with an air of superiority as she ordered. “HR, prepare a termination letter!” Soon, HR came back with the letter, but instead of handing it to me, they handed it to Jessica. At this, Jessica’s face turned sour. “What’s this for? “Are you new here? Don’t you know I’m the company’s CEO?” At that moment, I looked at her with disdain, slamming the board’s appointment letter onto the table with a cold laugh. “Oh, right, you probably don’t know. “After a unanimous vote at the shareholders’ meeting, I’m the new CEO now. “And you, Jessica… from this moment on, you’re fired!”

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I’ve been with Emma Sinclair for ten years. I even tattooed her favorite flower, a gardenia, on my collarbone. She finally agreed to marry me, but she’s been keeping an 18-year-old college boy on the side. Before our wedding, she indulged the boy’s countdown to our breakup. She went bungee jumping with him, skiing, and even watched the Northern Lights in Iceland. But she doesn’t know that I don’t have much time left. I’ve booked a flight out of the country, donated all her assets, and had my tattoo removed. While she’s counting down the days to our wedding, I’m planning my escape. The day I was diagnosed with stomach cancer, Emma’s boy toy came to find me. “I know I’m the other man,” he said, his honesty terrifyingly sincere. He bit his lip, “Bro, I know you’re about to get married, but—” “Emma doesn’t love you anymore.” “I’ve been with her for a year. We’ve slept together 78 times, 53 times in hotels, 21 times at my place.” “And 4 times at your place, in your bed.” He looked at me directly, “If Emma still loved you, I wouldn’t exist.” I found it amusing. I lit a cigarette and looked at him through the smoke, “What else? Go on.” He took out his phone and played a video for me. The angle was discreet, as if secretly recorded. The boy was nestled in Emma’s arms, “Even if you’re marrying him out of responsibility, can’t you keep me too?” Emma pushed him away, tossing him a credit card, “Find a girl your own age. Being with me isn’t good for you.” “No!” He begged, holding her waist, “I’m not afraid of danger.” “Can’t you not let me go?” “Emma, I won’t be a burden to you, I promise.” Emma paused. Her gaze swept over his face, momentarily lost in thought. Then she leaned in to kiss him.

I stubbed out my cigarette. The boy had just turned eighteen, full of youth and genuinely handsome. And the moment I saw him, I knew. He looked like me. Like James Harper at eighteen. “You’re right about one thing. If Emma still loved me, you wouldn’t exist.” I stood up, my stomach actually hurting a bit. I leaned on the table for support, not letting it show. “But I advise you not to get in too deep. Emma never loved you, or me.” “She only loves the James in her memories.” The handsome, innocent James who died on the path of helping her climb to the top. “In a few years, she’ll find a new replacement. You’ll end up worse off than me.” Actually, I was lying to him. I’m about to die, how could he possibly be worse off than me? At most, he’ll just be used and discarded by Emma.

I got together with Emma when I was eighteen. I grew up without parents, and the grandmother who raised me passed away when I was fifteen. That’s when Emma appeared. She pursued me relentlessly. Throwing money around, wanting to give me the best of everything. Emma was beautiful and made me feel secure. I fell for her quickly. On my nineteenth birthday, she coaxed me into my first time. That night. From sobriety to intoxication. We became one. The next day, Emma took me to meet her group of friends. I had never been in such a setting before, so I quietly followed Emma, mimicking her greetings. Their gazes as they sized me up were full of mockery. “Emma, why did you pick up a college boy?” “He’s too naive, he’ll hold you back.” At that time, I didn’t understand what they meant by “hold you back.” I couldn’t help but protest softly, “I won’t.” “I won’t be a burden to Emma.” Definitely not. But later, as I gradually became exposed to Emma’s world, I realized what kind of life she was living. It was fraught with danger. To avoid holding Emma back, to stay by her side, I had to force myself to fit into that environment. Ten years. I dyed my hair, started smoking, got tattoos. I even ended up with countless scars. Because I was tough enough, I helped Emma climb to the position of second-in-command of the North Side gang. But Emma didn’t seem happy. Countless nights. She would curl up in my arms, her fingers tracing over my scars, then leaning in to kiss them. “James.” She buried her face in my chest, sighing, “I still prefer the you from back then.” And I would always pause, then push her away and light a cigarette. Laughing bitterly. “Emma, you’re so fucking heartless to say that.”

Emma came home in the early hours of the morning. I was lying in bed, not really asleep. Just staring into the darkness. Until Emma snuggled into my arms. “Still awake?” She leaned up to kiss me but missed. After a moment’s pause, she hugged me, suppressing her temper, “Who upset you? I’ll take care of them, okay?” “Emma.” “Hmm.” The room was so dark I couldn’t see her face. But I could smell the gardenia scent on her. “Let’s break up.” Emma’s body stiffened, then she let go and rolled away, “What’s wrong now?” She rubbed her temples impatiently, “We’re not kids anymore, why are you being so sensitive?” “Break up?” She laughed, “James, you’re not young anymore. Who would want to marry a man who smokes, drinks, has tattoos, and does dirty work?” My chest ached. I pressed hard against my heart, but couldn’t suppress the sharp pain. Last year when I had stitches in my arm, I was allergic to anesthesia. Twelve stitches, sewn without numbing, and I didn’t make a sound. But Emma’s few honest words, fueled by alcohol, brought tears to my eyes. “Emma,” I couldn’t help but want to ask her, “If I had a terminal illness, would you—” “James.” She cut me off, her brow furrowed with impatience, “Stop asking such pointless questions.” “If you really had a terminal illness, would you want me to commit suicide with you?” She rubbed her forehead, “I’m busy with the wedding and business lately. I don’t have the energy to coddle you, so stop being dramatic.” As she spoke, her phone suddenly rang. Emma irritably hung up. But the caller persisted. After a few back-and-forths, Emma got out of bed with her phone, “What is it?” The boy’s voice came through the receiver, indistinct. Emma sighed, “What a hassle.” Despite her words, she hurriedly left the room. “There’s a problem with the business, I need to go deal with it.” “Go to sleep, don’t wait up for me.”

Emma and I set our wedding date for the third of next month. It was to be a simple ceremony. I never told Emma about my illness. Terminal stage, basically incurable. I also never told Emma that I had no intention of marrying her. I could accept everything about Emma. Except for betrayal. The thought of her nestling in another man’s arms, kissing his face, searching for traces of my younger self in him, made my stomach churn. It was sickening. I’ve been with Emma since I was eighteen, a full ten years now. The doctors say I have about six months left to live. By that calculation, I’ve wasted nearly half my life on her. For the little time I have left, I just want to be James Harper. I’ve booked a flight out of the country. While I still have the strength, I want to see the world I’ve always loved but never had the chance to explore. And the flight is scheduled for the third of next month.

Early in the morning, I crossed off another day on the calendar. Ten days left until my departure. I heard the door open behind me. Emma came in, wrapped in snow and wind. She took off her coat and came to hug me. She still didn’t like my hair. Her gaze followed mine to the calendar. Emma looked at the heavily circled date and laughed softly, gently pinching my cheek, “Can’t wait to marry me, huh?” She counted the days, “Just ten more.” She buried her face in my neck, “I’ll find some time in the next couple of days to help you dye your hair back to black and get it styled, okay?” “You’ll look so handsome at the wedding.” “No need.” I stared at the calendar expressionlessly, “Not much time left.” “This hairstyle is fine as it is.” Emma was silent for a while, “Okay.” She let go and picked up her coat from the chair, “There’s a lot to do for the wedding. One of our clubs got trashed yesterday, I’ll be busy for a while, so I won’t be coming home.” Emma watched me as she spoke. As if waiting for me to give in. Waiting for me to say, okay, come with me to dye my hair, to get it styled. But I just looked back at her coldly. “Go ahead.” “After all, there’s only ten days left.” Emma said nothing, turning to step into the night. She didn’t look back.

Seven days before the wedding. I went to a tattoo parlor in the suburbs. The owner was a woman in her thirties, well-maintained but with world-weary eyes. She glanced at me, “What do you want tattooed?” I rolled up my sleeve, pointing to the “ES” on my wrist bone, then exposed the gardenia below my collarbone. “Remove them both.” The owner looked, “Removing them will be painful, and it’ll leave scars.” I smiled, “I’m not afraid.” Pain is the least of my worries now. As for scars— I have so many scars all over my body, what’s two more? Besides, in half a year, this body might just be ashes. The owner chatted with me, “Broke up?” I smiled, “Yeah, soon.” “Seven days left.” The owner clicked her tongue, “So ceremonial, even a countdown for the breakup?” Perhaps because the shop was so quiet, or maybe because I felt a connection with the owner, somehow, I felt like we were kindred spirits from the first glance. I told her about my past. Back when Emma was pursuing me, I gave her a deadline. Three hundred days. If she could persist, I’d be with her. So, every morning when Emma appeared before me, she’d count the days. “Countdown: one hundred and seventy-nine days.” “James, ninety-six days left, and you’ll be my boyfriend.” “One day left, almost-boyfriend.” … The girl who persisted through rain or shine for three hundred days to win me over. Yet in the ten years that followed. She gradually grew tired. I got along well with the owner, Lily. As she removed my tattoos, I told her the meaning behind them. The “ES” on my wrist bone was tattooed a year after Emma and I got together. I had been kidnapped by her enemies, used to threaten her. Emma came alone to save me. Knowing it was a deadly trap, she went without hesitation. That time, she nearly died. When she was discharged from the hospital, I went to a tattoo parlor and had her initials tattooed on my wrist bone. I naively thought then. I’d dedicate my life to Emma. But that night, when I proudly showed my still-red wrist to Emma, she was stunned. There was no emotion I had imagined. She frowned, first asking why, then if it hurt. Finally, she hugged me, “Don’t do this again, I don’t like it.” “I don’t like you hurting yourself.” “You’re perfect as you are, you don’t need to change. I love the clean, flawless James.” I was young then, thought she was just concerned for me. Little did I know, Emma had already spoken her true feelings. The gardenia on my chest was tattooed when Emma swore she’d marry me when she turned twenty-eight. Emma loved gardenias, loved their pure white petals. So I tattooed it on my chest. Waiting for Emma to marry me. Now, Emma has finally set the wedding date in my twenty-eighth year, she’s planning our wedding seven days from now. While I’m planning how to leave her. Though this body is already in ruins, I still don’t want to leave with any marks related to her. I pointed to the other side below my collarbone, telling Lily. “Tattoo a trumpet creeper flower here.” Emma loves gardenias. But I prefer trumpet creepers. She wants me naive and ignorant. But in the little time I have left, I want to be like the trumpet creeper, proud and climbing high walls.

It was evening when I left the tattoo parlor. Lily and I got along well, we exchanged contact information and added each other on SnapChat. On my way home, I passed a cotton candy stand. I couldn’t help but stop. The last time I had it was probably when I was a child, when my grandmother was still alive. She would take out all the change she had to buy me some when I couldn’t move from craving it so much. She always watched me eat it all, then teasingly called me a “little glutton.” Grandma always loved to watch me smile. Her wrinkles deepening on her aged face as she smiled. A cold wind blew, scattering the memories. I walked to the stand and bought a rabbit-shaped cotton candy. It was sweet. As sickeningly sweet as I remembered. Passing a street corner, I heard a boy asking loudly, “Mom, look, that guy looks so cool! But why is he eating cotton candy?” “Isn’t that for kids?” The mom laughed and explained, “Who says cotton candy is only for kids? Everyone can eat it. Having something sweet makes people happier.” I walked by quietly. Then I heard a little girl’s innocent voice, “But, even after eating such sweet cotton candy, why doesn’t the guy look happy at all?” “Mom, he looks so lonely…” The voices faded away. By the time I got home, the cotton candy was gone, leaving only sticky hands. I went in and washed my hands. Then I received a call from Emma. She sounded drunk. “James.” “Yes?” She laughed a little on the other end, “Seven days left, and you’ll be marrying me.” “Tomorrow, will you come with me to choose a wedding dress?” “You can choose, you know my size.” Emma was silent for a moment. I faintly heard a man’s voice on the other end, “Emma, I’ll go with you to try on wedding dresses. Don’t you want me to see how you look in a wedding dress?”

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To save my girlfriend, I ended up crippled. She had promised to marry me, but on our wedding day, her first love showed up to interfere. “You’re a waste of space! You think you deserve to marry Lily? She’s been taking care of you for a whole year. Isn’t that enough? Do you want her to spend her whole life looking after you?” My girlfriend, who had once promised to love me forever, now held her first love’s hand and tearfully begged me to let her go, “If only you hadn’t saved me back then, I wouldn’t be stuck in this situation. It’s all because of you. Please, let us go.” I nodded, agreeing to let go of our marriage. I told her everything would go as she wished. After receiving my consent, she smiled and said, “We may not be able to be husband and wife, but we can still be like family. I’ll never forget how you saved me.” But what she didn’t know was that I had saved her because I was bound to a True Love System. Now that she had married someone else, the system was taking everything I had given for her, starting with my healthy legs.

“Since we’re like family, why not just give the house to Lily as a wedding gift?” I was about to leave when my girlfriend’s first love, Ethan Carter, called me over. Before I could even refuse, he pulled my girlfriend, Lily Thompson, over to thank me. “Lily, let’s thank Oliver for giving us the house. From now on, we’ll treat him like a real brother.” I looked at Lily, who was awkwardly bowing, and asked, “Do you really want this house?” Lily stiffened. Before she could say anything, Ethan slapped me on the shoulder and laughed, “Come on, don’t make it awkward. We’re family. No need to split hairs. The house is for all of us. “And let’s not forget, you’ve been sick in bed for the entire year, and Lily’s been looking after you. She didn’t even ask you for any money for taking care of you. A man shouldn’t be sweating the small stuff with a woman.” I glanced at Lily. She stayed silent but nodded in agreement. She knew full well that, even though I hadn’t been working this year, I had been living off my savings. Not to mention, if it weren’t for me pushing her away back then, she would be the one in my place, with the broken legs. I still remembered that right after the accident happened, she cried in my arms, fainting several times. She said that she owed me her life and she would do anything to repay me. She even said she was willing to marry me. She made a public vow, promising that she would take care of me for the rest of her life. She said she would love me forever and never leave me. Those passionate vows still echoed in my mind, but less than a year later, she broke her promise. Not only did she want to marry someone else, but she was trying to take my money too. She grabbed my hand, pleading, “It’s just transferring the title of the house. The house is still yours. After everything we’ve been through, don’t you trust me?” The image of her gentle, kind self that I had held onto collapsed in that moment. I felt a bitter emptiness inside. I shook my head to show my rejection. “You’re going to marry someone else. If we keep talking about what we’ve been through, aren’t you worried your husband will get upset?” She nervously glanced at Ethan. But he didn’t seem bothered at all. He wrapped his arm around her and smiled, “Never mind. I’m a very generous person. I respect your past. “Why can’t you just be generous like me? Give us the house as our wedding gift. Show us what it means to be a man.” Around us, Lily’s friends started chiming in, “Lily and Ethan have already pleaded with him, and he’s still being difficult? “Exactly! He’s so petty, no wonder Lily left him. Looks like he’s not just physically disabled, but emotionally as well. I actually used to believe in their love, but now…pfft.” Hearing their gossip, her face grew momently darker. “Oliver, it’s just a house. Don’t let everyone look down on you.” When I heard her words, I couldn’t help but laugh, “Anyone who wants to be respected can give their own house. I’m sure this lovely newlywed couple will be very grateful. But I won’t stick around for this.” With that, I pushed my wheelchair and started to leave, ignoring the chilly atmosphere around us. She stopped me from leaving and was about to say something when her mother, Diana, suddenly walked over. With a serious expression, she said, “Lily, we can’t take his house.” I looked up at her, feeling touched. Diana was still as sensible as ever. Over the past year, whenever Lily had slackened in taking care of me, Diana would scold her, “Lily, the reason you can still walk and live a normal life is because of Oliver’s help. You have an obligation to take care of him.” To me, she was kind of like a mother. As she walked closer, I was about to greet her when her tone suddenly changed. She looked at me coldly and said, “Oliver, the house was left to you by your late parents. We have no right to take it.” “But the 200 thousand dollars in compensation from your car accident…surely you can give that to us, right?” The words I was about to say caught in my throat. I was stunned for a moment, unable to respond. But then again, she was Lily’s mom after all. To them, morals and promises clearly didn’t matter as much as money. Ethan smiled warmly at Diana, then turned to look at me, mocking, “That money was originally Lily’s. What right do you have to hold onto it and refuse to give it up? “I get it now. You must’ve intentionally thrown yourself in front of the car just to get 200 thousand dollars, right?” I shot him a cold stare. No one would be foolish enough to choose money over their own legs. Some of the guests couldn’t take it anymore and spoke up on my behalf, “If it weren’t for Oliver, Lily would be the one in a wheelchair right now. You’re going too far.” I thought for sure Ethan would back off, but instead, he arrogantly shot back, “What do you know? Lily’s the most popular girl on campus. Oliver’s doing all this just to try and marry her.” Lily, who had been silent up until now, shook her head and said bitterly, “Ethan, if I lost my legs, I’d be the one they’d reject.” At this, Ethan put his hands on her shoulders and said passionately, “Lily, I love you. Even if you were paralyzed, I’d never leave you. “We could’ve been together a long time ago, but it’s all Oliver’s fault. He threw himself in front of the car on purpose, using his ‘favor’ to manipulate you and tear us apart.” Moved by his words, Lily threw herself into his arms. Watching them embrace, I couldn’t help but think back to just a few days ago when she said she wanted to marry me. I was so hopeful then. Now, it all seemed so ridiculous. I didn’t want to stay any longer, so I turned around and started to leave. But just as I was halfway around in my wheelchair, Ethan grabbed me. “Oliver, you’re not going anywhere until you hand over the money.” When he said that, Lily looked at me with disappointment. After a long silence, she finally gave in and said, “We need the money for the wedding. How about you just consider it a loan? I’ll write an IOU and pay you back as soon as I save up enough.” Earlier, I was confused. If she had already decided to marry Ethan, why was she still promising to marry me? Now, seeing how determined she was to get the 200 thousand dollars, I finally understood. The whole wedding was just a scam to get money. I shook my head. “I’ll go to the bathroom first. We’ll talk after.” Ethan sneered, “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do. You’re just looking for an excuse to slip away. If you need to pee, just go. Aren’t you wearing adult diapers? No need for the bathroom.” I turned to look at Lily, and to my surprise, she’d told Ethan everything. Ethan saw my reaction and sneered even more, “What’s with the look? A cripple still worried about dignity? Don’t forget, when you first became disabled, you wet yourself in front of the whole family. It was Lily who changed your pants. “What a shame! If I’d been there, I would’ve recorded it to show everyone. A man in his thirties still wets his pants!” His mocking laughter made everyone around us stare at me in a strange way. When I first lost my legs, aside from the physical pain, the worst part was feeling completely powerless, with no dignity, at the mercy of everyone around me. I never wanted to experience that again. But Ethan wouldn’t let me leave. He grabbed my wheelchair and pulled out his phone, pointing it at me. “You either give us the money, or you piss yourself in front of everyone. Your choice.” Seeing his smug face, I couldn’t take it anymore. I raised my hand and slapped his phone out of his hand. As he bent down to pick it up, I grabbed a bowl from the table, ready to throw it at him. But before I could, Lily suddenly grabbed my arm and yanked the bowl away. She shot me a scolding look and said, “Enough. Ethan was just joking with you. If you’re not going to lend the money, fine. But why break his phone and even try to hit him? “Do you really want to ruin our relationship over 200 thousand dollars? “Don’t forget, all your parents and relatives are gone. I’m the only family you have left.” Seeing her stand in front of Ethan, glaring at me like I was her enemy, I couldn’t help but feel disgusted. It was Ethan who ruined my wedding and used my dignity to force me into giving him money, and all I did was resist. But according to her, I was the one causing trouble. I didn’t need a family like that. I shook off her hand and pushed my wheelchair away. Ethan blocked my path with a dark expression. “You’re not going anywhere unless you hand over 200 thousand dollars today!” I dialed the police on my phone and held it up to show him. “Are you sure about this? Extortion for 200 thousand dollars could land you in jail. A minimum of three years, up to ten at most. If you want to go to prison, I can make that happen.” Ethan’s face turned red with fury. He raised his fist to strike me, but Lily stepped in to stop him. I knew her intention was to protect him. After all, with so many people around, if things escalated, they’d both be in legal trouble. I pushed my wheelchair out the door. As soon as I felt the fresh air, Lily ran up and squatted down beside me, trying to explain, “Oliver, please don’t be mad at me. You can’t stay home forever, living off what little savings you have. Sooner or later, you’ll run out of money. “I don’t have another choice. I’ll have to marry someone else. That way, we can both support the family and take better care of you.” If she had said this earlier, I would’ve yelled at her. But now, I didn’t want to say another word to her. “I’m fine. You should go back inside. Don’t delay the important moment.” She was surprised when I didn’t react angrily. She looked at me with a pleased expression, then happily cupped my face in her hands. “Ethan’s just tough on the outside, but he’s soft on the inside. He didn’t mean to target you. “He even promised me he’d get you the best prosthetics from abroad. We’ll take good care of you.” She had just finished speaking when someone called her away. I nodded, watching her leave. Let her keep the prosthetics for herself. As the words “I do” echoed from inside, I heard the long-awaited system voice. “Detected that Lily has entered the wedding hall with another person. The True Love Contract is now void. In three days, everything will return to its original state.” She didn’t know that the reason I saved her was because of the True Love System. Now that she had broken the contract, the system would help me reclaim everything, including the legs I had lost.

Just the thought that in three days I’d be able to stand again made the bitterness in my heart fade a little. I sat in my electric wheelchair, slowly making my way home. It was a struggle to push open the door, and the first thing that caught my eye was the wedding congratulatory banners hanging on the wall. But seeing those banners only made me feel more ridiculous. This was the old house my parents left me, a three-bedroom apartment. I stared silently at the locked door to the master bedroom. Earlier, Lily had said she wanted to turn our master bedroom into a honeymoon suite and had moved me into the tiny nursery. At the time, I thought she was just looking for some symbolism. Since I figured I’d be moving back soon, I didn’t think much of it. But now, as I opened the door to what was supposed to be our honeymoon suite, I finally understood. There was a large wedding photo of Lily and Ethan on the wall, making it clear that this room wasn’t for me and her. It was for her and her lover. No wonder her whole family had been keeping me away from it. Sitting in my wheelchair, I slowly began gathering the wedding photos and other wedding items from the room, moving them into the living room to get rid of them. Just as I was about to finish, Lily and Ethan walked in, chatting and laughing. When they saw the mess in the house, their smiles instantly disappeared. Ethan scoffed and said, “Oliver, it’s just your legs that are hurt, not your hands. You’re home this early and still haven’t cleaned up? You’re hopeless!” Diana dropped her bag and immediately joined in. “He’s always like this, using being sick as an excuse. He’s so lazy, always expecting Lily to take care of him” Lily nervously asked her mom to stop, and only then did Diana be silent. No one knew better than them that Lily had already been tired of looking after me a long time ago. And I had already learned how to take care of myself. After that, Lily hung up her coat and said to me, “We’re all a bit tired today. You should clean up soon, or mom will keep nagging you.” I nodded. “Yeah, I was planning to tidy up all this stuff anyway.” Hearing that, everyone leaned in to take a look, and only then did they realize that the pile of things in the living room was all the stuff they’d prepared for the wedding room. Diana immediately jumped up from the couch. “The wedding stuff can’t be thrown away! It’s bad luck!” With that, she rushed over to put everything back in place. Ethan rolled his eyes and stood up with a huff. “If someone doesn’t want me here, then I don’t want to stay either!” Seeing him about to leave, Lily hurriedly stopped him and reassured him, “Oliver didn’t mean it like that… “Oliver, go apologize to Ethan right now, or I’ll break up with you!” She thought this would pressure me, but I just gave a cold smile. “Break up with me? Fine, you can move out on your own then, so I don’t have to kick you out.”

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After graduating from university, my dad transferred one million dollars to me to buy an Audi A8. I was struggling with which color to choose when my boyfriend, James Anderson suddenly commanded, “Stop thinking about the car. Let’s use that million for the down payment on our new home.” Worried that I might have objections, he added, “This is for our wedding preparations.” I didn’t respond, but turned around and immediately ordered the top-spec Audi A8. And by the way, I broke up with him. On the day I graduated from university, my dad transferred one million dollars to me. He left a note: [Congratulations on your graduation, my dear daughter. Use the money to buy an Audi A8 so it’s easier for you to drive to work.] I was overjoyed and sent several emojis, replying: [Dad! You’ll always be my hero!] [I’ll do anything in the next life just to be your daughter again!] James, curious about why I was smiling so happily at my phone, leaned over and casually asked, “What did your dad give you that has you so excited?” Without noticing his change in expression, I showed him the balance on my phone and said, “My dad gave me one million dollars as a graduation gift so I can buy an A8 and drive to work.” He suddenly snatched my phone and examined the balance several times, his face turning serious. Sweat beads formed on his forehead. His voice suddenly rose. “Your dad’s crazy! How could a girl like you get one million dollars to buy a car?” I was still immersed in my excitement over the new car and didn’t notice how odd his response was. I showed him pictures of the car in black and white, asking, “Which one do you think looks better, black or white?” To my surprise, he shot me an annoyed look and plopped down on the bed, playing with his phone as though I wasn’t there. “Do you even know anything about cars? This car will be a waste for you.” His comment made me feel uncomfortable, so I retorted, “Who says only men are supposed to drive cars?” He noticed my change in mood and realized that his words had been too harsh. He quickly stepped forward, pulled me into his arms, and gently comforted me. He said, “Baby, that’s not what I meant. This car costs at least over a million dollars. Now that we’ve both graduated, wouldn’t it be better to save that money for a house?” As he spoke, he pulled up information on several new apartment complexes nearby. I recognized them all as upscale developments, with down payments requiring over a million dollars. James lightly shook my shoulders, planting a soft kiss on my forehead as he continued speaking softly, “A car is just a tool for getting around. The cheaper ones and the expensive ones aren’t that different. But a house is something else. Remember, you’ve always talked about wanting a home with me. Why not use this money for the down payment?” Gradually, my earlier excitement started to fade. I turned and looked at James quietly. Noticing my silence, he pressed on, still trying to convince me. “We’ve both graduated now. It’s time to plan for our future. I want to give you a stable home.” As I listened to the way he spoke, as if he were thinking of me in every word, my mind felt unusually clear. The first time I dated James, I knew his family wasn’t wealthy, and I had never expected him to propose marriage or buy a house anytime soon. I instinctively pulled away from his embrace and said in a flat tone, “But I don’t want to buy a house, and I don’t want to have the pressure of a mortgage either.” The place I worked was only a ten-minute drive from my parents’ house, so honestly, there was no need to buy a house. But James was persistent, continuing his suggestion in a tone that pretended to be for my benefit, “You can put the house in my name. I’ll help you with the mortgage.” At that, I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. I had never met someone so shameless. Forget that it was before marriage. He wanted to use my parents’ money for the house down payment and then expect me to share the mortgage with him. I pushed him away. “Do you think my parents can’t afford to buy me a house?” I thought, “If I ask, my parents will buy the house outright. Why would I have to struggle with him to pay off a mortgage?” James looked at me coldly, his eyebrows twitching slightly. When we argued earlier, he had the same expression on his face. Just when I thought he was about to lose it, he suddenly flashed a grin that didn’t reach his eyes. He tried to take my hand. “Baby, don’t be mad. I’m doing this for you. “I don’t have a house. How could I possibly go to your family to ask for your hand? “I just want to give you a stable home. “Don’t you dream of having a place where after work, we can cook together and watch TV? Isn’t that the life you’ve always wanted? “I just think it’s more convenient if the house is in my name, and I’ll be able to help you with the mortgage.” He kept trying to tempt me, but I outright rejected him, saying, “I don’t want to buy a house.” Seeing that I wasn’t budging, James couldn’t hold back any longer. He snapped at me, “Natalie, what do you mean? It’s just a house! What’s the difference whether it’s in my name or yours? “I really didn’t expect you to be this kind of person, arguing with me over something as small as a house!” I gathered my things and turned to leave, but James followed me, asking me accusingly, “I’ve been with you for all these years, and now you’re turning your back on me over a house? How materialistic can you be? “It’s just putting the house in my name, why are you so angry?” He followed me all the way to the door. I couldn’t help but ask him in return, “Then if you pay the down payment for the house, would you be willing to put it in my name?” James almost instinctively retorted, “Am I crazy to buy you a house?” I laughed in disbelief, “You’re the crazy one, not me.”

I took a cab back to my parents’ house. After taking a shower, I lay in bed, reflecting on the years I had spent with James. We had been together since college, and because of his family situation, I had always taken care of the finances. Our relationship used to be harmonious, and we never fought. Today, things just didn’t go his way, and he showed his true colors. Suddenly, I felt like I didn’t know him at all, as if I had never really understood him. Just as I was about to fall asleep, James messaged me: [Sorry, baby. I was too impulsive today and didn’t consider your feelings.] Reading his message, my anger faded by half. I thought, “Maybe I have misunderstood?” But the next second, he sent me pictures of newly built developments. [Baby, check out these new developments. The locations are great. I’m just thinking about our future.] He made it sound so righteous, positioning himself on the moral high ground, as if using my parents’ money to buy a car for myself was selfish. I intentionally sent him a screenshot of an order I had placed. He got frustrated and, after a while, sent me a long voice message. “Are you crazy? Who buys a car these days? What’s the point of driving a luxury car? “How selfish are you? I’m thinking about our future, have you thought about it? “You’re a woman. What’s the point of you driving such an expensive car? Do you even know anything about cars? “Besides, your dad gives you all this money, and you can’t even plan for our future?” He sent me several voice messages. I knew that sixty seconds was the limit for a voice message, not his. I didn’t want to listen to him talk any longer, so I shot back, “Are you crazy? Why should I use my dad’s money to buy you a house? “Are you that shameless? “You’re too stupid to even live off someone properly. With a brain like yours, you should hurry up and go see a doctor!” With that, I immediately blocked and deleted him. I also froze all the cards I had given him. I took screenshots of all the bank transfers I had made to him over the years and printed them out. “Scumbag, go to hell!” I thought.

The next day, my dad was a bit surprised when he saw me come out of the bedroom. “How come you’re home? Not with your little boyfriend anymore?” I rubbed my reddened eyes, feeling a bit upset. “We broke up.” To my surprise, my dad grinned from ear to ear and immediately started planning a celebration. “Breaking up is good! I’ve never liked that guy anyway.” Hearing about the breakup, my mom came out of the kitchen. “Breaking up is a good thing. Look at you, you’ve been with him for so many years, and you’re looking worn out. Just stay home for a while, and let me take care of you.” At that moment, my eyes welled up. My voice was choked. “Okay.” Looking at my parents, who were already in their older years, I realized that no matter what I had done in the past, they always loved and supported me unconditionally. I thought, “How could I not love myself? Why should I let someone like James drain me?” To my surprise, a few days later, James suddenly called me. “Have you booked the private room?” he asked. I froze, suddenly remembering he had mentioned inviting some senior students to dinner a few days ago. “This is important for my future graduate studies. You can’t mess this up. “Don’t forget to buy the cigarettes and alcohol when you come. Get the best quality. The senior girls will be there, so make sure you have a set of SK-II for each of them. “Also, make sure the food in the private room isn’t too cheap. The quality needs to be high so I don’t lose face.” Listening to him rambling on the phone, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “What do I owe you?” These things were going to cost tens of thousands of dollars at the very least, but since it wasn’t his money, of course, he didn’t care. James nonchalantly responded, “Are you still mad? It’s been a few days now, surely you’re over it, right? “You used to always encourage me to go to grad school, right? Don’t just talk, it’s time to put some action behind those words. “Also, didn’t your dad give you a million dollars? Can’t you scrape together this small amount of money?” His attitude was so entitled that it made my heart sink. I had been planning to break up with him, but now I realized that would be too easy on him! Not only did I want him to pay back all the money I had spent on him over the years, but I also wanted him to learn the consequences of messing with me. Suppressing my disgust, I forced a smile and said to James, “No problem, I already booked the private room. Tomorrow, I won’t disappoint you.” Hearing that, James couldn’t hide his smug laughter on the other end of the line. It was as if he was saying, “What’s the big deal? No matter how much money you have, I can still control you with ease.” He added, “Since that’s settled, tomorrow I’ll bring my advisor along. You’ll need to buy him some dietary supplements, at least 50 thousand dollars or more. Anything cheaper would be too low-end.” Hearing him push further and further, I casually agreed, replying, “Sure!” Hearing me agree so easily, he didn’t suspect a thing and actually felt a sense of superiority. “Natalie, if you had listened like this earlier, it would’ve been much better.” I snorted in contempt, thinking, “Fool. He’s digging his own grave.” The next day, I canceled all my plans and stayed home watching TV dramas. At first, James sent me texts saying he had arrived at the private room, ordered the food, and asked when I would bring the gifts over. I ignored all his messages. Later, he couldn’t reach me, started to panic, and bombarded me with calls. I could barely tolerate the noise, so I finally answered. “Natalie, where are you? The seniors have all arrived. Where are the gifts?” I lay on the sofa, pretending to sound anxious. “I’m on my way, I’m stuck in traffic. You guys go ahead and eat.” Then, I hung up the phone and continued watching my drama. I went ahead and ordered several expensive bottles of wine and various cosmetics and bags, but chose cash on delivery. James waited in the private room, only to receive the payment order instead of me.

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Got married five years ago, and it took 99 requests before my husband finally agreed to a wedding ceremony. But that night, a fire broke out. I was nearly blinded by the smoke, suffered severe organ damage, and my daughter was critically burned and fell into a coma. Declan, devastated, rushed us to the hospital and ensured the arsonist was put behind bars. When I regained consciousness, I anxiously inquired about my daughter’s condition, only to accidentally overhear a conversation between the doctor and Declan in the adjacent room. “There’s still a chance to treat Ms. Cora and the child now. If you wait any longer, Ms. Cora might remain blind forever, and your daughter could die. She’s your own flesh and blood. Is risking so much worth it just for a ceremony for Adeline?” “The daughter isn’t particularly lovable, and there will be other children. If she’s blind, she won’t have to witness the wedding, which might prevent unnecessary complications.” “Adeline did me a great favor in the past. I just want to fulfill her last wish so her child won’t be labeled illegitimate. If our daughter dies and Ms. Cora goes blind, she’ll have to focus on taking care of Adeline’s child.” It turned out, an event I had longed for was so easily attainable for others. Over the years, what I thought was a happy home was actually a dark, damp prison. If that’s the case, then I should leave. 0

“Enough talk. Arrange the kidney transplant surgery as soon as possible. Adeline can’t wait any longer. I don’t want her to continue suffering. Increase the anesthesia to ensure Ms. Cora doesn’t wake up and find out.” The doctor hesitated momentarily but carefully replied, “The kidney can wait a bit longer. What if there’s a way to achieve both goals?” “But Adeline can’t wait! I can’t bear to see her undergoing dialysis frequently. That beauty-loving girl has lost all her hair.” “Then the scars from the transplant will eventually be seen. What will you say to Ms. Cora if your daughter really dies? She loves kids so much…” “Then burn that patch of skin, and she’ll think it’s from the fire. I’ll tell her medical technology was limited, and we weren’t meant to be with the child. I’ll adopt Adeline’s son to divert her attention.” I pinched my thigh hard to keep from crying and shakily took out my phone to record. The doctor listened with a slight frown, his tone mixed with reluctance: “Think about it again. Ms. Cora is already blind, and her future life will be inconvenient. If the child dies and she loses a kidney, not only will it be hard to get pregnant, but just an infection could be fatal.” Declan sighed, sounding helpless: “I’ll find the best medical team to keep her alive for the rest of her life. There’ll be children in the future. I can’t just watch Adeline’s last wish go unfulfilled.” “She saved me before. I owe her. Whatever she and her child want, I must give them. Little Cora loves me so much; she’ll surely support me.” The doctor shook his head slightly with regret. Before leaving, I heard him mutter, “As long as you don’t regret it, I hope Ms. Cora’s love won’t be exhausted.” On this side, Declan took out his phone and made a call, speaking seriously: “Compensate the arsonist nanny well and let her live in a different city or country after her release. I don’t want any news reaching Ms. Cora’s ears.” I slumped inside the ward door. Even though the physical pain was overwhelming, the heartbreak was worse, and tears flowed uncontrollably. The person who should’ve been my closest companion now seemed so unfamiliar, whether it was tears blurring my eyes or smoke from the fire. Hearing footsteps approaching outside, I shakily stood up, put away my phone, ignored the blood seeping from the scars on my body, and lay down on the bed. Thinking of my severely burned daughter, whose condition was still unknown, I felt a dull ache in my chest that wouldn’t go away. Such a beauty-loving little girl, how could she face disfigurement and pain alone? I covered my painful chest, suppressing the nausea rising in my throat, but couldn’t stop the tears soaking the sheets. That fire was orchestrated by the man I was so proud of. My daughter and I were just sacrifices paving the way for his beloved. Adeline’s last wish was paramount to him, while my daughter’s and my life meant nothing. These seven years of marriage were nothing but a joke. 0

Still engulfed in sadness, a pair of warm hands gently wiped away my tears and pulled me into an embrace. “Don’t be scared. I’m here. Is your wound still hurting? I had the doctor prepare a special painkiller for you.” “I found a top doctor who can perform skin graft surgery. You’ll get your beautiful body back. Just sleep a bit, and you’ll be as good as new.” I felt the warmth of his embrace, just like every time he comforted me when I was upset before. But now, all I felt was coldness, and the man before me seemed unfamiliar. Taking a deep breath, I looked at him earnestly: “Declan, will I really go back to how I was before? Will I see again? Where’s our Phoebe? I…” I still wanted to test the importance of my daughter and me in his heart, hoping for a bit of conscience to save us. But I was wrong. The next moment, I felt his body stiffen, and he interrupted me harshly: “Enough. You’re a mother now. We’ve been married for so long. Don’t you trust me? Do you still think you’re a beauty-loving little girl? Don’t let Phoebe learn your vanity.” Seeing my pale face, he finally realized his harsh tone. He gently stroked my hair: “Don’t worry. I’m here. I won’t abandon you. Be brave for Phoebe, alright?” Can sleeping really make everything disappear? No, waking up will only bring more sorrow and deceit. I closed my eyes, feeling his kiss on my forehead. Then, from somewhere, a needle pierced my body, and my consciousness blurred. The bright lights above shone, causing my already blurry eyes discomfort. At that moment, I could only feel the blood leaving my body, the cold machines working inside, and the smell of burning flesh entering my nose. Beside me seemed to be another person undergoing surgery, radiating happiness. I knew that was Adeline, the next owner of my kidney. Tears involuntarily flowed again. The surgery went well. My waist and abdomen were wrapped in heavy bandages, just like the heavy barriers in our relationship. “Cora, you’re really brave. Tell me what you want, and I’ll make it happen. Be careful of wound infection.” “Our Phoebe would be proud of her mom if she knew. By the way, I adopted a child named Milo. He’s a little man too. We’ll always be here with you, giving you strength.” Now, he couldn’t wait to announce Milo’s identity in front of me. The happiness surrounding him was probably because they were reunited as a family. Once, I’d have thought he was a reliable husband, felt happiness in the family. But now, I only sensed his uncertain tone and that coldness. Turns out, love and indifference are so obvious. I was not just blind but also blind in heart, ignoring the deceit. 0

Maybe the medication hadn’t worn off. I drifted into a deep sleep as soon as I closed my eyes. When I woke again, I was alone. I got up, enduring the excruciating pain in my abdomen, to find my daughter’s ward. But the laughter from the next ward caught my attention. In the blur, I saw Declan affectionately holding a boy, gently caressing the face of a woman on the bed. “Adeline, everything’s over. You’ll soon be fine. Milo and I will protect you. Don’t worry; I’ll treat him as my own.” “I’ve invited your favorite designer from Country A to design your wedding dress. The jewelry I ventured to Africa for will be yours. I’ll give you the best of everything.” “You said you like a seaside villa. I bought one for you and your son. Later, I’ll take Milo to the amusement park. Don’t worry; we’ll bring back your favorite Dorayaki…” He meticulously planned their future, so tenderly and lovingly. Turns out he wasn’t a dull man. In these seven years, on every anniversary, he wasn’t home, nor did he prepare gifts, but he remembered everything about Adeline and Milo. I once cried and argued, but he said long-married couples didn’t need so many ceremonies. Even the most important wedding in life, he kept delaying. I just wasn’t worthy. He wasn’t busy but took the time to go to the amusement park. Once on Phoebe’s birthday, she asked him to join, but he claimed no interest. He was with someone else. The three of them, close and planning their future, even sneaked kisses when the child wasn’t looking. Adeline blushed and playfully scolded him. Each scene stabbed my heart. Without lingering, I called my mentor to help treat me and my child and to train me in acupuncture and traditional medicine. My mentor was overjoyed, repeatedly saying “good,” and began preparing to welcome me. I also bought two tickets for the wedding day, as a final farewell. As I walked, I finally found my daughter’s ward. Even with my blurred vision, I could see the girl wrapped in bandages, quietly lying on the bed. Her breathing was weak as if she might vanish at any moment. At that moment, I gently held Phoebe’s hand and finally couldn’t hold back, bursting into tears. I didn’t linger. I turned around and called my mentor, asking him to help treat my child and me, and to pass on his acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine skills. My mentor was thrilled and immediately agreed, starting to make arrangements for my arrival. I also purchased two plane tickets for the day of the wedding, intending them as a final farewell. While making calls and searching, I eventually located my child’s hospital room. Even though my vision was still blurry, I could make out the girl lying quietly on the bed, her body wrapped in bandages. Her breathing was weak, as if she might vanish at any moment. At that moment, I gently held Phoebe’s hand and finally couldn’t hold back my tears. A pair of hands appeared on my shoulders, gently embracing me, wiping my tears, and trembling uncontrollably. “Lydia, don’t be too upset. It’s not good for your eyes to cry; it breaks my heart. Phoebe might not make it, so let’s make her last moments happy, okay? Don’t cry and make her sad.” “And you just had surgery. The doctor said the recovery isn’t going well, and it might be difficult to have children in the future. Don’t worry, I won’t abandon you. We adopted Milo, didn’t we? We still have a child…” “Let’s think of him as staying with us in place of Phoebe. She would find peace knowing that…” As he spoke, his voice began to tremble, tears sliding down my neck as if he was enduring immense pain. If I weren’t aware of the truth, I might have thought he was empathetic and understanding. But I know this is all a web of lies around me. The one losing a kidney, going blind, and possibly dying is me. I’m the one about to lose a child and be forced to accept my husband’s lover’s child. What did I do wrong to deserve such deceit? 0

After a long silence, my tears had dried. Declan spoke carefully, “Lydia, you can’t attend the wedding this time. We’ll have plenty of chances in the future. Let Adeline attend the wedding in your place, okay?” “She won’t interfere with our relationship. Her health is poor, and who knows how long she has left. She just hopes for a wedding, to give the child a status, to fulfill this wish, okay?” He tightly held my hand, revealing his current anxiety. He had spoken, how could I refuse? After all, he’s denied me 99 times before; what’s one more time? I smiled and nodded, agreeing, “She has done you a favor; you should repay her. We’ll talk about our wedding later. I just want to wait for Phoebe to wake up now.” Declan seemed ready to persuade me further but didn’t expect me to agree so readily. He was momentarily stunned, then grasped my hand and praised me happily, his joy evident. Just then, he received a notification on his phone. “Why did you buy a plane ticket for a few days later? Your eyes haven’t recovered yet, can you see? Is there an emergency? If not, I’ll go with you, why didn’t you say anything?” When we were dating, he linked our information, saying he wanted to ensure my safety. But he never used this software. I always informed him of my whereabouts to give him a sense of security. I didn’t expect the first time he’d use this software would be under such circumstances, and I felt bitter inside. I didn’t look at him, denying it, “I was thinking of buying them for a honeymoon trip after the wedding. Now they won’t be used, and I haven’t had time to cancel them yet. We’ll talk about it later.” He listened with slight regret, then kissed my forehead to comfort me, “In the future, we’ll have plenty of time to travel as a family of three. Just focus on recovering, no need to rush.” I instinctively tightened my grip on my daughter’s hand, then loosened it, suppressing the overwhelming sense of pain inside. After exchanging a few words, he received a call and hurriedly left the room. I knew it was Adeline feeling unwell again. I didn’t try to stop him. His heart was long gone from me; there was no need to suffer further. At this moment, a small, soft hand moved, and a hoarse voice spoke, “Mom, were you crying? Phoebe will blow, and the pain will fly away.” “Where’s Dad? I miss him. Mom, can you find Dad for me?” I bit down on the soft flesh inside my mouth, controlling my voice so my daughter wouldn’t notice, and gently said, “Phoebe is the bravest. Does it still hurt? I’ll go find Dad now, okay? Don’t move, or you won’t look nice.” My daughter nodded obediently, looking forward to seeing her father. I gathered my courage again to find Declan. Even if I were heartless and could let go of everything, I couldn’t take away my child’s hope for a father’s love. Let her see him one last time, let her give up. 0 I straightened my numb body, noticing the bandage around my waist was stained with blood, and there were faint traces on the ground. But I couldn’t care about that. I went to Adeline’s hospital room.

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I married Declan ten years ago, and now his old flame has come back into the picture. She is gentle and considerate, even after spending a decade in a hospital bed to save Declan’s mother. Despite the years, she still enchants everyone in Declan’s family. My husband speaks with her as if they were childhood sweethearts, as if they shared innocent memories together. My mother-in-law treats her like a savior and even said in front of me, “I wish I had a daughter-in-law like you.” And how about me? I wasn’t sad or upset; I felt relieved. Finally, the tedious narrative I’d endured for ten years was reaching its conclusion. So when my mother-in-law stood before me, holding two eggs and glaring at me to make an egg pudding for her ideal daughter-in-law, Adeline, I didn’t even flinch. I just quietly tended to my wildflowers. “How can you be so inconsiderate? Adeline saved my life!” “Oh! Then perhaps you should be the one who’s considerate!” I casually replied to my “very considerate” mother-in-law. Ten years ago, when Declan’s family was struggling, she pleaded with my father for a family alliance to save them. I followed my father’s wishes and married him. Later, when she was diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer, Adeline donated part of her liver, coinciding with my marriage into Declan’s family. I provided the funds, hired caregivers, and took care of everything. Even when Adeline fell into a coma due to complications from the surgery, I covered the ICU expenses for nearly a decade! I’ve asked myself, regarding my role as a daughter-in-law to Declan’s family, I have no regrets. And now they look down on me? I glanced at the lucky charm peeking out of her pocket and felt nothing but disdain. The day after Adeline woke up, my mother-in-law brought her home, saying hospital food wasn’t good enough and that she’d be better cared for at home. Over the next month, the caregiver I hired stopped coming to my room and became her servant instead. What disgusted me the most was Declan visiting her room as well. My mother-in-law allowed it because I couldn’t have children. She called me barren and watched as Declan’s family lineage seemed in jeopardy. In this critical moment, Adeline was seen as their lifeline, the hope they desperately clung to. If that’s the case, I have nothing more to say. I’m about to return to reality anyway. Before entering this story, the system told me I could choose a role. If I lived by that role’s rules for ten years, I would receive half the bonus meant for that character. I gladly accepted. So, without hesitation, I followed my father’s advice and married Declan. This way, I’d earn more money. I figured, in less than half a month, my dream would come true. “Can’t have children, and you still pick and choose what work you’ll do?” No matter how sharp-tongued my mother-in-law is, she can’t hide her greed for that lucky charm. Then she stopped hiding it altogether and flaunted it. “Adeline is pregnant with my son’s child! Look at you, such a failure! You can’t even have a baby!” I couldn’t help but laugh at her outrageous words. Living in my house, using my caregiver, sleeping with my husband, and now carrying a child to fight me for family assets, and I have to pay for a caregiver to care for the homewrecker? I stared speechlessly at my daydreaming mother-in-law. “What are you looking at? The previous caregiver left because of you. You won’t pay for a new one and won’t care for the pregnant woman. What do you plan to do in this house?” “Yeah, I really don’t want to do anything.” For such a ridiculous mother-in-law, wasting even a word on her feels like a waste of breath. Did Auntie Iris leave because of me? Auntie Iris worked here for four or five years. I gave her bonuses during holidays and saved her the best food and drinks. She didn’t leave because she was ungrateful. I appreciated her diligent and efficient work. Why would I send her away? Even though I’m leaving soon, I refuse to swallow this bitter pill. No matter what, I was your daughter-in-law for ten years. Ten years! And you still wrong me?

Half a month ago, I heard Auntie Iris quietly sobbing in the kitchen. I was truly surprised because Auntie Iris was usually cheerful, optimistic, and sociable. I couldn’t imagine what had upset her so. I hadn’t even asked when my mother-in-law came out with Adeline from a room, standing on the second floor, looking down. “I told you not to put soy sauce in the egg pudding! Are you trying to harm her?” Her words practically crushed Auntie Iris. “It’s okay, Genevieve~” Adeline softly looped her arm through Genevieve’s, “My sister likes soy sauce in her egg pudding. Maybe Auntie Iris is just used to making it that way. I don’t mind having it with soy sauce too; I actually like it.” I wanted to gag. Look at her, just like a manipulative character from a palace drama. Genevieve smiled kindly and patted her hand, comforting her. “Don’t pretend you don’t want what you can’t have. You dare touch our Declan family heir!” I was so fed up with her nonsense that I didn’t even want to respond. I just took Auntie Iris’s hand and hugged her. “I’m sorry, Aunt Iris, for the trouble. I’ll pay your full salary for this month, plus half a year’s as a bonus, and you can work for my friend instead.” Aunt Iris looked tearfully at me, wanting to speak but holding back. I waved her off, understanding everything. How could I not understand? Later, Genevieve, seeing I ignored her, brought out her son Declan to confront me. Declan, without a word, launched into his usual routine, questioning me right away. I’ve had enough. Ten years, and he’s always been like this! Every time, without knowing the full story, he’d blame me, say I was wrong. Whenever I tried to have a proper conversation, he’d side with his mother and their family, treating me like I was invisible, just a figment of air in an unknown world. Even if I were an ancient turtle, I’d still be fed up! I stormed up to the second floor, ready to confront that manipulative woman. But before I could reach her, Declan blocked me. I hadn’t even raised my hand when he grabbed and held it tight. After struggling fiercely, I lost my balance and tumbled down the stairs. The outcome was worse than before. I broke my right leg, had multiple bruises, and although I didn’t bleed much, I’d still need a hundred days of rest, confined to a wheelchair. Genevieve, despite my condition, still wanted me to deliver egg pudding to Adeline. I quickly contacted the system, asking if it had any medicine to heal my leg fast. I didn’t want to return just to lie around.

“Did you forget, Master? You exchanged all your points for potions for Adeline. You don’t have enough points left to exchange for medicine.” Ah! I slapped my forehead, suddenly realizing my oversight. From the day I married Declan, I prepared to leave him. Because I never forgot my goal: money! But I overlooked the fact that I’m human. Humans have emotions, and even if I were an ice shard buried in the Arctic’s frigid pool, I’d still be moved by the ten years of shared experiences. Yet, in the end, I didn’t attain enlightenment. Instead, I became a resentful woman blaming the world and myself. I asked myself, I did want to leave him with a child or two, so he wouldn’t be too lonely after I left. So over the years, I took traditional medicine, consulted doctors, both traditional and modern. I even tried IVF several times, and of course, miscarried many times. But I never gave up. I heard he had a childhood sweetheart, an unrelated sister, who was perfect for him. She was the one who sacrificed her own body part to save his mother and fell into a deep sleep for ten years. I cried. It was straight out of a novel, and yet I ran into it. What a coincidence. Since this lifelong regret weighed so heavily, I’ll fulfill their wish. The system, seeing I hadn’t responded for a while, said, “Master, the Declan family fortune is ten billion. Including your share from your own family, it totals twenty billion. Hold on just a few more days, and you’ll be free to enjoy life!” Is this suggesting I go back to recover? “Nora, don’t push your luck!” Before that voice faded, another arose. Declan kicked open the door, looking furious, ready to settle the score with me. What a twist of fate. Since this lifelong regret weighs so heavily, let me fulfill your wishes. The system noticed I hadn’t responded for a while and said, “Master, Declan’s family fortune is a billion. Plus your share from the main family, it’s a total of two billion. Just hang in there for a few more days, and you can have your freedom!” Does this mean I should go back and heal? “Nora, don’t push your luck!” These words had barely left my mouth when another voice interrupted. Declan stormed through the door, looking furious and ready to confront me. “You chased away the aunt who was taking care of Adeline; fine, I’ll just hire another. You want to make a big deal out of hitting Adeline, I won’t say anything because I’m here to protect her from harm. But now, you’re even disregarding my mother. What kind of daughter-in-law are you?” Inside, I felt nothing. This scene had replayed countless times over my ten-year marriage: I just send off the old witch, and her son bursts through the door, cursing. Declan saw my indifference and, in a rage, grabbed my neck and yelled, spraying spit all over my face, “You fell down the stairs and startled Adeline, shouldn’t you apologize?” “Did we ask you to work yourself to the bone, to say three simple words: I’m sorry?” “At most, we asked you to bring a bowl of egg custard. And you can’t even do that???” Oh, so that’s what this is about! I coughed, my face flushed red, and Declan seemed to realize something and let go of his grip, deflating like a balloon. We had argued before, but this was the first time he’d gotten physical. I wiped my face with my sleeve, looked up at my husband of ten years, and said each word clearly, “I! Do! Not! Want! To!” “You did it on purpose!” Declan blurted out. He looked at me, “You intentionally drove away the aunt, fell down the stairs, upset my mom, and now you want to make my mom, me, Adeline, and her unborn child miserable.” I smiled bitterly. Living over thirty years, marrying into their family opened my eyes to a whole new world. Many suffer from delusions, but among those with persecution delusions, aside from Genevieve, Declan is quite a rising star. “Nora, Adeline is such an obedient and sensible girl, yet you can’t leave her alone. We’ve been married for ten years! Ten years! Have you forgotten what my mom taught you?” He’s still trying to persuade me! I opened my mouth, then closed it, and the breath I was holding finally escaped. I realized that explaining was unnecessary. “Yes, mutual respect can’t compete with a childhood sweetheart.” Especially when she’s the old flame. I huffed, turned my attention to my wildflowers, and said no more. He seemed to understand, taking my words as jealousy bubbling to the surface, and did not respond, “The lady is ill, very ill, and not fit to go out. Let’s wait until she’s better to meet others.”

His subtext was clear: since you don’t want us to be happy, we won’t let you be happy either. But my subtext was: Whether it’s good or bad, it will pass because I’m leaving you all! The system told me, just three more days, and when the contract expires, I can return to the real world and enjoy myself. After this, no matter how Declan or Genevieve talks about me, thinks of me, treats me, or tortures me, it has nothing to do with me. Except… my father… I still can’t let go… Ten years ago, I married Declan. To make sure I wouldn’t be mistreated, my father gave me a dowry of five billion, a car, a house, fearing that I would be bullied or looked down upon by Declan’s family. In the end, he even assigned me a bodyguard who had been with him for years. Every few days, he wanted to know if I was doing well, and every two weeks, he sent someone to bring me back to my family home for a few days. Even the traditional Chinese doctor he found to fulfill my wish of getting pregnant was personally selected after he visited all the major hospitals and clinics in New York City. Later, my father saw how painful IVF was for me. Fearing that Declan’s family would scold me for being unworthy, he even started visiting orphanages, hoping I would adopt a few children instead of suffering unnecessarily. But I refused. Because I knew with Genevieve’s personality, she would never accept a non-biological child as an elite successor for Declan’s family. And my husband Declan, being a mama’s boy, would definitely comply with his high and mighty mother’s wishes without question. I was completely alone, outnumbered and outmatched. It’s quite laughable. I took the bowl of thick herbal medicine Beatrix handed me, and the strong smell made me cough. It tasted as awful as ever. I looked at her. “They can’t stop me!” Beatrix’s words answered my current doubts. After all, Declan had gone to great lengths to trap me. “Miss! Sir said if you want a divorce, I can take you away right now!” Beatrix lowered her head, paused, then continued with a heavy tone, “Sir said if you don’t want a divorce, I can take you to live on an estate in the suburbs, far away from them.” “You can adopt a little miss and a little master, plant a whole garden of flowers and grass, have cats and dogs…” My eyes lit up. Beatrix reminded me of something I had forgotten. Adeline was allergic to pollen, so the day before she moved in, Genevieve stood upstairs giving orders, while Declan humbly obeyed. The flowers and plants I had planted in the backyard garden were pulled out one by one by Declan and sent to the waste disposal site. Yes, my flowers were trash, and so was I.

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My new wife is excessively supporting her brother financially. I earn $40,000 a month, but she gives $35,000 to her brother, leaving us with only $5,000 for rent and groceries. After eight months, I couldn’t take it anymore and lied to her, saying I’d been fired. To my surprise, she immediately asked for a divorce. I thought she was joking until the next day when I overheard her in the bathroom, painting her nails and talking to her brother on speakerphone: “He got fired after just eight months, what a loser.” “But we managed to get $280,000 from him, plus a $200,000 betrothal gift, enough for us to go back and get married.” Get married? Aren’t they supposed to be siblings? 0 Hearing her phone conversation felt like a lightning bolt striking my brain. They’re planning to get married? How can siblings get married? The shocking realization overwhelmed me. I fought the urge to confront her and kept eavesdropping outside the door. She was still in there, talking leisurely, unaware that I was home. “Making $480,000 in eight months, not bad. We didn’t lose out.” “Yes, it’s a pity he got fired. Otherwise, with such a high salary, we could have stuck it out for two or three years, made a couple of million, and then moved to another city. Maybe even buy a car and a house.” “I’m sorry, honey. Pretending to like someone you don’t must be hard, but it’s the easiest way for us to make money.” “It’s not hard, babe. As long as we can earn enough to have a good life, I’m fine. Once he agrees to divorce, I’ll find a way to get some assets, hehe.” “Honey, you’re working so hard, mwah mwah, I miss you. Come make me feel good.” “Oh, stop it, after all that yesterday you still want more…” As ridiculous as it sounds, I finally understood their real relationship. The one on the phone is my wife, Fiona Adams, and on the other end is her so-called brother, Lachlan Adams. We hadn’t known each other long before Fiona pursued me aggressively. In hindsight, it was just because my high salary met their goals. I admit Fiona is stunning, so when she said she needed a $200,000 betrothal gift for her brother’s wedding, I willingly paid. But after the wedding, she took $35,000 of my $40,000 salary each month for Lachlan, saying it was a tradition from her hometown to help her brother for two years so they wouldn’t have to worry about him later. Thinking it was just two years, I gritted my teeth and bore it. When my company went public, as a veteran employee, I was awarded $20 million in stock options, and my annual salary jumped to $1 million. I rushed home eager to share the news with Fiona, only to receive a bank transfer notification for $35,000 to Lachlan at the door. On a whim, I decided to joke with her that I got fired. But when Fiona heard I was fired, the usually gentle woman suddenly changed, tossed her spoon aside, and asked for a divorce. I thought she was joking, so I pretended to feel guilty and said: “I’m sorry, babe. I can’t give you a good life. If you really want a divorce, I won’t blame you.” “If you want a divorce, let’s go to the county courthouse when it opens this afternoon.” I thought she would comfort me, but instead, she dragged me to the courthouse. Just as we arrived, her brother-in-law Lachlan showed up and pushed me aside. I had no idea what I did to offend him. His glare felt like he wanted to eat me alive: “Nolan Brooks, divorcing my sister won’t be that easy. You promised to support me for two years. If you divorce her today, 70% of your assets go to her.” Seeing this unfold, I realized Fiona was serious about the divorce. I felt a mix of emotions. Despite being overly supportive of her brother, she was a near-perfect wife otherwise. She was elegant, cooked well, and even prepared my bathwater every night. Marrying her felt like my greatest happiness. I had asked her a few times about supporting her brother financially. She didn’t work, but fortunately, my salary in New York City wasn’t low, a full $40,000 a month. Yet, the moment my salary hit the account, $35,000 would be transferred to Lachlan. The remaining $5,000 was for rent, utilities, and meals. Life was tight. Whenever I suggested using some savings, she’d laugh and say savings were for emergencies and shouldn’t be touched lightly. Occasionally, looking at a table full of plain dishes, I’d get upset. But whenever I brought it up, she’d tear up, saying how hard it was raising her brother alone after their parents died. I’d soften up, feeling too sorry to press the issue, and eventually stopped mentioning it. Lachlan always called me brother-in-law, and whatever I said, he’d follow. He seemed so well-behaved that I decided to help him out, thinking two years would pass quickly. But with just one joke, I discovered everything was fake. From Fiona and his conversation, it was clear they weren’t siblings but lovers! 0

They were scamming by marrying fools like me, then draining their finances. In just eight months, they managed to scam $480,000 including the betrothal gift. Thinking about them calling each other siblings in front of me while doing who-knows-what behind my back made me sick. I was trembling with rage, realizing they even wanted 70% of my savings. They took me for a total fool. If I hadn’t forgotten a document and returned home just in time to overhear their call, I’d have been utterly duped. I had intended to show Fiona the shareholders’ agreement in a couple of days and try to win her back. After all, though we’d only been married eight months, how could there be no feelings at all? But I felt as if my heart, like a fallen leaf, was filled with disappointment. Anger surged from within, and I clenched my fists, wanting to expose their scheme right then and there. Calm down! Knowing it’s a scam, I can’t let them off easily. They must pay. To avoid alerting her that I knew everything, I quietly backed away from the door, closing it as if I’d never been there. I hid in the stairwell, and soon Fiona, wearing a short skirt and stockings, came out. She went downstairs and got into a taxi—I could guess where she was going. If only I had been prepared, I would have followed her. Fiona didn’t return until ten at night, now wearing a tracksuit instead of her earlier attire. When she opened the door, she saw me watching TV in the living room. I hadn’t agreed to the divorce yesterday, so she seemed a bit uneasy. After a moment, she slowly approached me, asking, “Nolan, have you thought about the divorce yet?” I looked up at her, the love bite behind her ear making me nauseous. “You really want a divorce? Just because I got fired?” Fiona’s eyes welled up with tears: “I don’t really want a divorce, but you know I don’t work, and my brother isn’t settled, we need money. Now that you’re unemployed with no income, what can I do? If there was another way, I wouldn’t…” “I didn’t get fired.” I cut her off before she could finish. Her face was a mix of confusion and surprise when I said I wasn’t fired. She sat next to me, leaning in, her scent faintly present. Ha, this must be the perfume she wears for her brother-husband. How disgusting. Seeing me silent, Fiona panicked. After all, not everyone makes a salary of $40,000 a month. Who knows how long it would take to find another fool like me? And not every sucker would earn such a high salary. “Hahaha.” “No worries, babe. I get it, I really do. I was just joking with you. How could someone as capable as your husband get fired?” I wrapped my arm around Fiona’s waist, pulling her close. She didn’t resist, snuggling in even closer, though her eyes lacked any genuine emotion. “Babe, I know it’s tough raising Lachlan alone. I understand your need for money.” “I wasn’t fired, just teasing you. The company decided to raise my salary starting this month, and I’ll get an extra $40,000 or $50,000 in bonuses at the end of the year. I thought since Lachlan is smart, why not set him up with a company so he can learn to earn too? That’d ease your burden.” “We won’t get divorced. I’ll always take care of you, okay?” Then I kissed her on the lips. Come on, someone else’s wife—why not kiss her? It’s a bit thrilling, actually. Fiona bashfully responded, and as I kissed her more deeply, she responded earnestly with her tongue until we both struggled for breath, finally pulling apart. Her face flushed, she looked at me earnestly, asking, “Is that true, babe?” “But starting a company for Lachlan, he doesn’t know how.” “What if he loses money?” “We’re not getting a divorce. I’ll always take care of you, okay?” With those words, I leaned in and kissed her. Just kidding, right? Not kissing someone else’s wife when you have the chance? There’s a certain thrill to it. Fiona Adams responded bashfully. Seeing how serious I was, she extended her tongue to meet mine. We only pulled away when we were both out of breath. Her face flushed, she looked at me earnestly and asked, “Honey, do you mean it?” “But Lachlan doesn’t know how to run a company.” “What if it loses money?” “Are you really going to give him so much money to start a company?” Fiona hadn’t expected that not only was I not fired, but my income had also increased, with a year-end bonus that was beyond her imagination. She was even more surprised when I suggested starting a company for her brother Lachlan; she seemed very excited. I gently patted her hand and said softly, “Of course, it’s true. You’re my wife, and Lachlan is your brother. We’re family, after all.” “If I don’t treat you well, who will I treat well, silly? Don’t mention divorce again. Everything I have is yours.” Fiona was touched by my words and embraced me. I thought to myself, “You think you can take my money that easily? I’ll make sure to get it all back with interest.” Pushing that thought aside, I picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. Tonight, let’s make this night unforgettable with Lachlan’s wife. “Stop it, I haven’t showered yet… Mmm…” …… A year ago, I first met Fiona Adams at a coffee shop near my office. Just like in many romantic dramas, she accidentally knocked over my coffee, spilling it all over me. She apologized profusely, trying to clean the coffee stains, and that’s when I noticed her. Her looks and style were exactly what I liked, like the girl next door. She insisted on adding me on WeChat, claiming she wanted to reimburse me for the laundry. I thought it was just a typical encounter. About three days after the café meeting, I saw her again near the office. This time, she was in professional attire, sitting dejectedly by the flower bed with her resume in hand. A cleaning lady passed by with a heavy-looking trash cart. Fiona didn’t hesitate to help, despite the dirt. At that moment, I was moved by her kindness, and something stirred in my heart. So, I started chatting with her on WeChat. As we talked more, we grew closer. She seemed perfect to me; we even shared the same taste in food. Even our hobbies were the same, which made me fall into her trap. I started pursuing her relentlessly. Unfortunately, what I thought was true love turned out to be a scam. There’s no such thing as a perfect lover. Had I not pretended to have been fired on a whim, I might never have discovered the true relationship between her and her brother. I might have ended up bankrupt, with them taking my money and eloping. Thankfully, I realized everything in time. Not only did I uncover their scheme, but if I played my cards right, I might even reclaim the money they swindled from me. When Lachlan Adams heard I was funding his company, he dropped all demands for a divorce and splitting assets at the county courthouse, affectionately calling me “brother-in-law.” Through his narrow eyes, I could see his disdain and contempt for me. Since we were starting a company, the location had to be prime. As the boss, Lachlan needed a secretary, right? I used my connections to find an office in a prime location and hired a drama school graduate as his secretary. Once everything was set up, I called Lachlan and Fiona over to show them the place and introduce the secretary. Through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, you could see the cityscape. The secretary, Daphne Harper, was wearing a professional top and a pencil skirt, with black stockings and high heels, which caught Lachlan’s eye. “So, Lachlan, are you satisfied with this place?” “Yes, brother-in-law, I’m very satisfied!” Lachlan couldn’t care less about the environment, his eyes glued to Daphne Harper. “Alright, Daphne, why don’t you fetch us some champagne? Let’s celebrate. Come, have a seat.” I invited them to the sofa. Lachlan and Fiona were already dreaming about the company’s future, grinning widely. Daphne Harper walked in with a tray, swaying her slim waist. As she passed by Lachlan, I gave her a look. “Oh no!” Daphne pretended to twist her ankle, spilling champagne all over Lachlan. “Sorry, Mr. Adams, I’ll clean it up right away.” She bent down to wipe the wine off Lachlan’s clothes, her wide neckline revealing a hint of skin. She was a campus beauty, not only pretty but also with an incredible figure. Her sultry eyes locked with Lachlan’s as she wiped, slowly moving the towel from his chest down to his thigh. “Mmm…” Lachlan seemed to be enjoying it. Fiona sat beside him, her face dark with anger. I chuckled, “Daphne, you should be more careful.” “Lachlan doesn’t have a girlfriend yet, right? And Daphne, you’re single too, right?” “You two make a handsome pair. If you get along, you could develop something.” Just as I finished, Fiona suddenly stood up, knocking her teacup to the ground, shattering it. She charged at them like an angry lioness. “Honey, what’s wrong?” I feigned ignorance and asked in surprise.

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After I started dating Zachary Goodwin, I overheard his twin brother say: “Bro, let me pretend to be you and play with Lily for a bit.” Zachary carelessly replied, “Sure.” I pretended not to know and dated the fake Zachary. But when Zachary saw the marks on my neck, he went berserk. Grabbing his brother’s throat, he demanded: “Who gave you permission to touch her?!” That night, just after I finished showering, Zachary sent me a message. It was the address of a high-end nightclub. I gripped my phone tightly, not replying. Zachary sent another message: “Don’t keep me waiting too long, Lily.” I sighed and replied, “Coming right away.” I quickly got dressed and as soon as I left the bathroom, I saw my stepfather standing outside the door. His cloudy eyes were filled with a nauseating desire. “All covered up after a shower? Are you going out?” My stepfather approached me, smoking a cigarette. I stepped back, keeping my distance: “Zachary wants to see me.” Hearing those words, my stepfather stopped in his tracks, seemingly afraid. I took advantage of this moment to quickly move past him and open the door. “Shameless girl, you think finding Zachary as your protector means I can’t touch you? Using him to threaten me.” My stepfather spat viciously behind me. I turned back and gave him a cold look, “Would you dare?” Then I slammed the door shut. The sound of the door closing mixed with my stepfather’s curses reached my ears.

When I arrived at the nightclub, I noticed how luxuriously it was decorated, with all the guests dressed in expensive clothes. In my hoodie, I stood out like a sore thumb. As the waiter led me to the VIP room on the top floor, I could already hear voices from inside. “Bro, I heard Lily’s been really good to you?” “Let me pretend to be you and play with her for a bit.” As soon as these words were spoken, a chorus of jeers erupted: “Damn, Harrison, you’re openly trying to steal your brother’s girl!” “You don’t get it, Lily’s so pure. She makes soup for Zachary, coaxes him to take medicine, who could resist that kind of tenderness?” “But would the great Mr. Goodwin be willing to share?” “Don’t be stupid, Zachary and Harrison are so close, it’s not like they haven’t done this before.” … After the teasing died down, Zachary’s deep voice finally sounded: “Sure, consider it my welcome home gift to you.” His voice carried a carefree laugh. The jeering grew louder. The waiter stood there, looking at me awkwardly. As the person in question, I didn’t show any emotion. I smiled at the waiter and pushed open the door to the VIP room. When I first approached Zachary, it was only to gain the Goodwin family’s protection. So I wouldn’t be bullied at school or coveted by my stepfather at home. As for who exactly I was getting close to, I didn’t care.

As I entered the room, the young men inside whistled at me. Quite the playboys. I wore a gentle smile as I walked towards the center of the sofa. Zachary and Harrison sat together, looking at me with ambiguous gazes. Like predators waiting for their prey to enter the trap. They had identical faces. The same pale skin, both extremely handsome. “Lily, you’re here.” A hand reached out to me, pulling me to his side. I looked at that face, inwardly sneering. Although Harrison and Zachary looked the same, their auras were completely different upon closer inspection. Zachary exuded a gloomy, oppressive air. Harrison was arrogant and wayward. But it didn’t matter to me. I didn’t care if he was Zachary or Harrison. As long as he could let me finish my exams safely and leave that rotten home, it was fine. I naturally took Harrison’s hand, as if I really thought he was Zachary. Harrison was pleased with my action, and after interlocking our fingers, he pointed to the person beside him: “My brother, Harrison.” I saw Zachary frown at this introduction, but he quickly composed himself and nodded at me. As if we were really meeting for the first time. I also greeted him politely, then turned to Harrison with a loving gaze: “Zachary, I bought some hangover medicine on the way. Would you like to take one first?” I had said this to Zachary many times before. Every time he drank, I would prepare hangover medicine for him. After sending him home, I would make him a warm soup for his stomach. Harrison looked at the medicine in my hand, his eyebrows twitching slightly as he smiled: “Sure, why don’t you feed it to me?” From the corner of my eye, I saw Zachary holding a cigarette but not smoking it, lost in thought. I brought the medicine to Harrison’s lips, feeding it to him.

After drinking in the VIP room, someone suggested playing a game. “The people with the 3 of clubs and 6 of clubs have to kiss for thirty seconds.” One of the guys shuffled the cards and gave the order. Harrison and I revealed our cards at the same time. “Oh, looks like we’ve got a couple here.” The guy was a good friend of the Goodwin brothers and knew about this boyfriend-swapping game. He now looked around nervously. Harrison held my chin and was about to kiss me. A dull thud sounded from beside us. Zachary had violently kicked the coffee table in front of him. He stood up, looking down at us: “I’m tired. Let’s call it a night.” Harrison paused at my lips, his eyes turning cold. After a moment, he let go of me and stood up: “You’re right. I forgot Harrison just got back today. Let’s end it here then.” Harrison looked at the grim-faced Zachary, continuing the act. Before we left, I gently zipped up Harrison’s open jacket: “It’s windy outside and very cold. You just recovered from a fever, don’t catch a chill.” As I said this, Zachary was standing right behind his brother, staring at me intently. He had a fever a few days ago, and I went to his house to take care of him, coaxing him to take medicine, making him soup and porridge. “Zachary, let’s go home.” Harrison was stunned for a few seconds before gently embracing me. As we were leaving with Harrison, the silent Zachary finally spoke: “Lily.” I stopped and turned back, looking at him like a stranger. Zachary’s brows furrowed, his voice deepening: “Who do you like?” I smiled at him mockingly, then looked up at Harrison who was holding me: “It’s Zachary. The person I like is Zachary Goodwin.” Harrison’s expression gradually cooled at my words. Yet he still insisted on continuing the act.

Zachary thought I loved him deeply. Everyone around him thought I loved him deeply. But they didn’t know that this was just an elaborate scam I had planned exclusively for Zachary Goodwin. I was just trying to survive, to leave my suffocating home. If illness hadn’t taken my father away, I would have been a girl who grew up in wealth and love. Although I lost my mother when I was very young, my stepmother had always been good to me. She would make me sweet cookies, tell me stories, and cover for me when my dad scolded me for being lazy. I thought I would grow up happily like this. But on my 12th birthday, My dad collapsed at home and was diagnosed with late-stage cancer. After a year of treatment, he still left us. I remember that day in the hospital, my dad held my hand and wiped away my tears: “It’s all Dad’s fault, I couldn’t let Lily have her 12th birthday cake.” “This year for your 13th birthday, Dad won’t be able to be with you. You won’t be mad at Dad, right?” I was crying so hard I could barely breathe, I could only shake my head. I didn’t want a birthday cake, I only wanted my dad. If I could, I would trade all my future birthday cakes for my dad to be healthy and safe. But the heavens didn’t hear my prayers. At that moment, his last words to me were: “You must live on well, Lily.” Later, my dad passed away. My stepmother tried to do business with the inheritance my dad left, but ended up being scammed out of everything. I became the biggest burden. My grandfather didn’t want me. My maternal grandparents had long passed away. The only person I could call family was my stepmother, who no longer loved me.

After my dad passed away, my stepmother often scolded me. “What are you looking at? I’m not going to raise you. It’s all because your dad was short-lived!” My stepmother pushed me away as she berated me, getting into a taxi without looking back. Ignoring my scraped knees, I got up and chased after her, crying: “Mom, please don’t abandon me. I’ll be good, I’ll eat very little.” I don’t know how long I chased, but the car finally stopped. I saw my stepmother’s eyes were red, filled with hatred and helplessness. And so, I began to rely on my stepmother for survival. Later, she remarried. The man was ten years older than her. This marriage became my hell. On the first night we moved in with my stepmother, the man opened my locked room door with a key. When I ran out to tell my stepmother, I received a slap. “Don’t spread lies here. He was just worried you might kick off your blanket and catch a cold. If you dare ruin my marriage, get out!” After that, every time I returned to my room, I would push the desk against the door. Then at midnight, I would stand by the bed, holding scissors, watching the door being pushed. Once, twice, three times. Only when the person outside finally gave up would I dare to sleep. At that time, school became my only sanctuary. No disgusting stepfather, no cold stepmother. But this sanctuary also became hell after a mock exam. I had just happily gotten first place for myself. The next second, I was dragged into the bathroom and doused with a bucket of cold water. I was held down and couldn’t fight back. The mastermind was a pretty transfer student, I remember her name was Chloe Lambert. “Lily, it’s all because of you that I only got second place this time. Do you know how many beatings I got at home?” Chloe gripped my chin, looking at me like a rat. As the slaps fell, I heard someone beside Chloe counting. It was long and torturous. When I told the teacher about this incident, I only got one response: “Chloe is an excellent student, she wouldn’t do such a thing.” “When there’s conflict between classmates, you need to be understanding and forgiving of each other.” At that moment, I realized it wasn’t that Chloe wouldn’t do it, but that the Lambert family was too powerful, and they didn’t dare to intervene. As I was leaving the office, I saw a boy walking towards me, surrounded by people. Judging by everyone’s reactions, They all seemed to be afraid of him.

When I returned home in wet clothes, I saw the man who was supposed to be on vacation with my stepmother. He looked at me lecherously. It made me sick. “Lily, why are you in this state?” “Don’t call me that!” I growled, searching for any sign of my stepmother. “What are you looking for? That woman isn’t home, she’s on vacation.” “I told her there was a problem with the business at home that needed to be dealt with, so I asked her to wait for me at the destination.” The man stood up and walked towards me step by step. I fumbled for the new craft knife in my backpack. “Lily, you’re getting prettier and prettier.” The man’s gaze deepened. As if he couldn’t resist anymore, he lunged at me. I slashed the knife hard, blood gushing from his forearm. “You little bitch!” The man roared in pain. “Touch me again, and I’ll kill you. I don’t care if I have to fight to the death with you.” I put the knife back in my backpack and ran out. I had lied to the man. I did care about my life. Because I had promised my dad that I would live on well. Suddenly, I thought of the boy I had brushed past earlier that day. I think I heard them call him Zachary Goodwin. I had a new idea.

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My boyfriend, known as the Silent Boy, has a condition that only one surgery in the world can cure, and it comes with a price tag of a million dollars. I’ve been saving every penny, working tirelessly to pay for it, and I was almost there. But one day at work, I overheard him speaking with a chilling voice: “Just one line to get a woman to spend a million dollars on me, and I’ve won my challenge.” “Crash!” The fruit platter I was holding slipped from my hands, shattering on the floor. The Silent Boy I yearned for turned to look at me. “Emma, what are you doing here?” Declan was shocked to see me, barely able to murmur my name. Hearing his voice made my heart miss a beat, and I felt a numbing pain throughout my body. With tears in my eyes, my voice trembling, I asked: “So… Declan, you’re not mute? You’ve been able to talk all along, haven’t you?!” My question left Declan flustered. He scrambled to explain: “Emma, I didn’t mean to, I just… just…” He stammered for a long time but couldn’t even manage a lie. I felt a deeper chill inside. I clutched my chest, feeling like a part of my heart was being carved out. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to stay calm. After composing myself, I looked at him, eyes red, and demanded: “Declan, do you realize how much I’ve sacrificed to help you get treated?” “I sold the house my parents left me, pawned all my jewelry, and worked five jobs a month. I didn’t spend a single penny on myself, saving everything to help you get treated so I could hear your voice.” “And now… you tell me you could always speak? This was just a game for you, a Rich Kid’s amusement?!” The more I thought about it, the more wronged I felt, and I broke down, screaming at him: “What is real?! Declan, tell me, what is real?!” After my outburst, my voice weakened, and I almost collapsed from exhaustion. Declan reached out to steady me, his fingers brushing against my hands, which were rough and calloused from endless work. Perhaps thinking of all the hardships I endured for him, guilt reddened his eyes too. He pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. “Emma, I’m sorry, I owe you. I’ll make it up to you, and I promise to treat you twice as well in the future.” This was his usual way of comforting me. When we lived together in that cramped rented apartment, whenever I was upset and vented at him, he’d hold me like this, gently patting my back. I thought it was because he couldn’t speak and wanted to comfort me and make me feel safe. Now I realize he just found me annoying and was brushing me off. This time, it didn’t work on me. I pushed him away, eyes red, staring at him. “Declan, did you enjoy playing with me?” Faced with my question, Declan seemed at a loss too. He looked down in silence for a long time before speaking: “I’ll compensate you, with two million dollars. Don’t worry, I won’t treat you poorly.” “Heh.” Hearing his words, I couldn’t help but laugh coldly. So… in his eyes, I was just a woman who could be dismissed with money.

I couldn’t help but recall our past. Declan was hard to care for. He would rather go hungry than eat cheap takeout with me. So, to take good care of him, I would buy groceries at the farmers’ market every day after work and cook for him. I wouldn’t let him eat bargain food; I always got the best organic vegetables. At first, my cooking wasn’t great, and he’d barely eat a few bites. Seeing this pained me, so I learned his preferences and honed my cooking skills. During meals, I’d always give him the food he liked first. Back then, seeing him eat just one more bite made me so happy. Now, as I looked down at the fruit platter shattered on the ground. In this upscale club, this ordinary fruit platter cost 1888, which was five months of my living expenses. I had to deliver hundreds of orders and make countless crafts to earn that. Looking at his expensive attire, every piece costly. Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but sigh: “Declan, you really went through a lot to deceive me, huh.” Faced with my sarcasm, Declan had no words, only shamefully lowering his head. As we were at an impasse, a delicate hand climbed onto Declan’s shoulder, whining: “Declan, who’s this? Why are you talking so long?” Both Declan and I froze. Declan instinctively straightened up. I felt a chilling coldness from head to toe. I knew that woman’s face all too well. Celeste! How could it be her?! Celeste clearly recognized me too. Unlike my embarrassment, she boldly walked up and kissed Declan’s cheek. As she kissed him, Declan froze, not rejecting her closeness. Celeste intimately clung to Declan’s arm, looking at me with amusement. “Emma, long time no see.” “I never thought I’d see you in such a sorry state. Tsk tsk tsk, even looking at you feels dirty, hahaha.” Then she looked at the frozen Declan, her pale fingers caressing his neck. Her voice was filled with pride: “Declan listens to me the most. As long as I say east, he’ll never go west.” “Last year, Declan chased me and confessed. I casually said if he could make you spend a million on him, playing you like a fool, I’d be with him.” “I never thought he’d actually do it, even pretending to be mute, hahaha.” Saying this, Celeste looked at me mockingly. “Emma, you really do pity every mute person, hahaha.” “No matter how many years pass, your fake compassion is still so annoying!” Hearing Celeste’s words, my face turned pale. I clenched my fists, my heart aching. Even in a warm private room, I felt only cold and pain. Celeste’s face was twisted with the same delight as when she used to bully me. She still hated me, hated me so much that even after Jasper had been gone for so long, she had to find someone to impersonate him to deceive me. Tears fell as I looked at the dazed Declan, shaking my head in despair. He’s not him, no matter how much he looks like him, he’s not him. My heart turned cold, as if I lost all strength, and I turned to leave.

“Hey, Emma, are you running away again?” Celeste called out unwillingly. She continued to provoke me. “Emma, I knew it. As long as Declan pretended to be mute, you’d feel sorry for him. No matter what he wanted, even if it meant digging out your heart for him, you’d do it.” “Because you’ve never forgotten Jasper for a single day!” “Jasper, that dirty soul, only a fool like you would give your all to love him, while I can’t even stand looking at him!” Hearing Jasper’s name, I couldn’t control my emotions anymore. My eyes turned red, all my reason vanished. I rushed over, grabbing Celeste’s collar, crazily demanding: “Celeste! What right do you have to talk about him like that! I won’t allow it! I won’t allow it! Jasper is the cleanest person in the world! He’s the best, the kindest!” “He’s just disappeared, he must still be alive! Tell me! Where is he now! Where is he now! Tell me!!!!” My chest heaved violently, years of pent-up emotions exploding. I felt wetness at the corners of my eyes, not knowing if it was blood or tears. Declan was startled by my outburst and hurried to stop me. He said: “Emma, calm down. Hit me if you must. It’s my fault, not Celeste’s.” His words made my emotions even more intense. “Slap!” I slapped him across the face. “Hit you?! Yeah, I should hit you!” “Declan, did you have fun this year, huh? Can’t help but laugh when you think about it, huh? A Rich Kid pretending to be mute, playing me like a fool. Should I be grateful?” Declan stood still, his face swollen from my slap. “Emma, I’m sorry. You can hit or scold me.” “Bang!” I didn’t hold back, kicking him. Declan clutched his stomach, painfully kneeling. “Declan, stop pretending to be deep. I’ll never forgive you!” “Never!” “Hit you? Yeah, maybe I should!” “Declan, did you enjoy this past year, playing your little charade? Laughing at the thought? A wealthy heir pretending to be mute, making a fool out of me. Should I be grateful?” Declan stood there, his cheek red from my slap. “Emma, I’m sorry. You can hit me, shout at me, do whatever you need.” “Thud!” I didn’t hold back, kicking him hard. Declan doubled over, clutching his stomach in pain. “Declan, stop faking sincerity. I’ll never forgive you!” “Never!” “You can choose not to love me, deceive me, yell at me, but pretending to be mute to trick me is unforgivable! Jasper was the only beautiful thing in my life! He was the untouchable part of my heart! Why did you have to ruin that? Why?!” By the end, I was hysterical. Tears streamed down my face, perhaps because the boy who used to wipe them away was long gone… I never wanted to believe he left me, but I searched every corner of the world and couldn’t find a trace of him. In my despair, Declan appeared, pretending to be mute. I was like a drowning person clutching onto the last piece of driftwood. I gave him everything I had. Even if he only resembled Jasper a little, I was content. But it was all a lie… Just then, Celeste pushed me aside, her fingers gently brushing Declan’s face with concern. “Emma, are you insane?! How dare you hit Declan? Don’t you know he’s the heir of the Declan family?” “Just wait, I won’t let this go. You’ll be begging for our forgiveness!” Her threats didn’t faze me. After all, these rich people are experts at crushing those of us who have nothing. I’m tired of this life, wishing I could just die right now. Maybe in another world, I could find him. — “No… don’t…” “Let her go. I’m fine,” Declan said, struggling to lift his head, tears falling from his eyes. “Emma, I was wrong. I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” I looked at him coldly. “Declan, hear me clearly. I never want to see you again!” With that, I turned and walked away. Declan kept his word. When I got home, I found two million dollars deposited into my account, undoubtedly from him. It was labeled as a “voluntary gift.” I scoffed and blocked all his accounts. I never want to have anything to do with him again. Back in my tiny rented apartment, surrounded by decay, I lost the will to live. I pulled out a teddy bear from the bottom of a box. It’s the only thing Jasper left behind before he went away. Since he left, I haven’t slept well. I keep running on that road in my dreams. I wish I could run faster, fast enough to keep him, fast enough not to miss him again. “Jasper, don’t go.” At those moments, I would hold the teddy bear tightly. Tighter, so it wouldn’t slip away from my grasp. When Declan came, I locked the bear deep in the box. I wanted to give myself a fresh start, a detox. I saw Declan, who invaded my world, as another Jasper. When I learned he also couldn’t speak, I didn’t hesitate for a moment. Instinctively, I wanted to save another him, to let him have the happiness Jasper never got. But I was wrong, Declan wasn’t him. He wouldn’t deceive me, wouldn’t let me cry… I clutched the bear, kneeling on the ground, crying. “Jasper, can I come find you? I’m so tired alone…” As I cried, I noticed something strange. One of the teddy bear’s eyes seemed to flicker with a red light. I squinted, removed that eye, and found a small USB drive hidden inside. I quickly got up, stumbled back to my room, grabbed my laptop, and plugged it in. The USB contained a video, an address, and a password. When I played the video, I saw the face I dreamed of, the twenty-year-old Jasper. With his slender fingers, he signed: “Emma, if you’re watching this, I’m probably gone. I’m sorry I lied, but I couldn’t leave with you.” “I hate him. He destroyed my life. I want him dead! I want to expose his crimes and make him pay!” “I know I might not succeed, but I have to try.” Jasper stood up, reached out to touch my head on the screen. “My dear Emma, even without me, you must be happy.” When he sat back down, I saw his eyes were red too, filled with reluctance. He continued signing: “Emma, I’ve saved some money for you. Enough for you to live well your entire life.” “This money… is clean…” “Forget me, Emma. Your life should be bright and brilliant.” The video abruptly ended, yet I was still lost in thought. 5 “Jasper!!!” I screamed his name, crying, hugging the screen, trying to see his face again. But no matter how many times I watched the video, ten, a hundred, a thousand times, he never came back. With the account password, I went to the bank to open the mysterious safety deposit box. As Jasper said, he left me enough money to live comfortably for life. Inside was also a letter that read: “Emma, take this money and leave City A. Never come back, and don’t investigate my cause of death. Forget me and start anew.” Staring at Jasper’s handwriting, tears fell, soaking the paper, smudging the ink. In an instant, I made up my mind. “I’m sorry, Jasper. This time, I can’t listen to you.” I know the road ahead is long and my abilities limited. But I’m not giving up.

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Twenty years after our wedding, Frank and I were both given a second chance at life, transported back to before we got married. This time, he bravely pursued his true love, choosing his dream girl, Jessica. I watched coldly as he did everything for Jessica. I saw him running around to celebrate her birthday, getting into fights and facing disciplinary action for her sake, and even giving her the job our professor had recommended for him. A friend told me they were planning to get married right after graduation. I smiled and said, “I sincerely wish them a lifetime of happiness together.” The first thing I did after getting this second chance was to go to the professor’s office. I wanted to take back my decision to give up my spot in the study abroad exchange program. In the office, the professor looked at me with an amused smile. “Why the sudden change of heart? Didn’t you initially tell me you were staying local because Frank was planning to find an internship here?” “I was thinking what a shame it was that such a good student would let love cloud her judgment.” “So many people would kill for this opportunity, and you just gave it up. Now you want it back?” I laughed awkwardly. In this new timeline, I had sent the message to the professor just five minutes ago. After carefully rephrasing my request and begging for another chance, the professor called me to the office and said the words above. She didn’t know that this was my first attempt to change my life after being given this second chance. I stood there awkwardly, not knowing how to explain. After stammering for a while, the professor let me off the hook and agreed to keep the spot for me. As I was about to leave, she called out to me. “Will you still give up your future for that boyfriend of yours?” I thought about Frank. To be fair, he was quite a catch, at least in others’ eyes. When Frank first entered college, the senior girls all declared him the most handsome freshman. His entrance exam scores were also among the top in our major. I had managed to win Frank’s heart by sacrificing my chance to study abroad. After pursuing him for a long time, he finally seemed moved by my efforts but said hesitantly, “But aren’t you going abroad? How can we be together?” So, I gave up the opportunity. Back then, I chose love without hesitation. Later, when I found out he had pulled some strings to give that spot to Jessica, we had a huge fight, but it was too late. Which is more important, your future or love? In my past life, I fell hard for love and paid a heavy price. In this new life, I just want to forge a path that truly belongs to me. The professor was still waiting for my answer. I smiled, looked back at her, and said cheerfully, “Professor, even a love-struck fool like me wouldn’t sell herself short anymore.” “I’m ambitious Samantha now. I don’t care about love, only my future!” The professor laughed and shooed me out of her office. Leaving the office, I headed back to the dorm.

In my past life, after giving up the exchange program, I struggled to find an internship. I rented a small studio apartment and was looking for other job opportunities. But Frank went crazy during that period, showing up drunk at my place every few days. After an accident, I got pregnant. Frank married me hastily out of a sense of responsibility. My parents had passed away early, and I had no other family. I wasn’t sent to an orphanage but was raised by the whole community, each family giving me a meal here and there. Before the wedding, I asked Frank if we could visit my uncles and aunts who had helped raise me. They had taken care of me for so many years, and now that I was starting a family, I wanted to let them see that I was doing well. But Frank impatiently said, “They’re not your real parents. What’s the point of visiting them?” My heart sank. I knew Frank still had feelings for his dream girl, Jessica, but I thought maybe he would fall in love with me after we got married. We got married without a wedding ceremony and without notifying our parents. Later, Frank got a job at a physics research institute through a senior’s recommendation. By chance, he ran into Jessica at the entrance. Jessica hadn’t found a job and had resorted to becoming a mistress to a rich man’s son. She even had a child, hoping to extort a huge amount of child support, but failed. The wife kicked her out, but she didn’t give up. She came to the research institute where the rich man’s son had a position, hoping to try her luck. She didn’t run into him but met Frank instead. While I was at home, suffering from pregnancy sickness and unable to sleep, Frank was taking Jessica and her child out for dinner. He even found Jessica a cushy job and accepted her daughter as his goddaughter. As for me, I slipped and fell at home. I called Frank, but he didn’t answer. It was our neighbor who took me to the hospital. On the way, I was pale with pain, and the neighbor scolded, “What is Frank doing? His wife is so far along, and he’s not taking care of her at all.” In the end, I lost the baby. I was in too much pain to sleep, but thinking about my unborn child, I cried with hatred. I had ruined my promising future for Frank, but he ignored all of that. He abandoned me for his dream girl he had reunited with. Every day in the hospital, I waited for Frank to come, but day after day passed without him showing up. It was our neighbor, Mrs. Johnson, who couldn’t bear to see me like that and brought me milk. She also brought me news. Mrs. Johnson went home that day and felt something was off. She asked her husband to inquire, and what she found out infuriated her. During this time, Frank had been eating at the staff cafeteria with Jessica and her child every day. Family members were allowed at the research institute, so everyone assumed Jessica was Frank’s wife. Occasionally, a curious colleague would ask, “Frank, having lunch with your wife and kid?” He would just smile and nod, tacitly agreeing. Mrs. Johnson’s face reddened with anger as she continued. Even for the institute’s employee benefits, like holiday trips, the name Frank filled in as his family member was Jessica’s. My hand trembled slightly. Mrs. Johnson patted my arm and looked at me with pity. “Samantha, dear, you’re a good girl. People need to learn to move on. You’re still young, you can cut your losses now.” But by then, I was blinded by anger. The day I miscarried, the doctor told me I might never be able to get pregnant again. I had lost my chance at motherhood. I couldn’t let it go! I couldn’t forgive! What I hated was that after marrying me, Frank didn’t give me any respect. He remained silent even when his mother bullied and ordered me around. I hated even more that he disregarded his unborn child and his married status, wining and dining with Jessica outside. He didn’t bring a penny home, treating Jessica like a goddess, and even treating Jessica’s child with another man as his own. But his own child? He couldn’t care less. On one of the rare occasions when he was home, the baby kicked in my belly. I excitedly called Frank over to feel it. He looked at my belly and turned away in disgust. “That’s so unsightly. Don’t expose your belly like that. Look at Jessica, she would never be so indecent.” All of these things fueled my endless hatred in my past life. Mrs. Johnson advised me to let go. Friends urged me to find a new path. But why should the unfaithful go unpunished? Why should I be forced to retreat? Do good people always have to compromise? I refused. I did all the chores at home, big and small. My hands were swollen from washing piles of dishes. I didn’t want to let that scumbag and his mistress off the hook. Even if it cost me my entire life, I wouldn’t let Frank and Jessica walk proudly in public. As long as I didn’t divorce him, Jessica would always be the other woman. Later, after twenty years of marriage, Frank asked me to meet and talk. He looked exhausted too. I knew that Jessica had recently run off with her child when she saw no hope left. She had already lined up her next target. I was a bit curious about what Frank wanted to say, so I went with him. But we hadn’t driven far when he started shouting at me with a twisted face, “If it weren’t for your constant interference, I would have been with Jessica long ago. You should just die!” As soon as he finished speaking, he crashed into an oncoming truck. In the intense pain and fear of death, I suddenly realized, why did I tie myself to this scumbag? I could have chosen a better life. Overwhelmed by regret, I thought maybe heaven took pity on me and gave me this second chance. I was reborn at the moment I gave up my spot in the exchange program. I still had a chance to be myself again.

Back at the dorm, my friend Lily looked at me with concern and tried to comfort me, “Samantha, don’t be sad. Frank betrayed you. He’ll surely come to no good end.” I looked at Lily in confusion. What was she talking about? At this point, Frank should have just agreed to date me. How could he have betrayed me? That was all in the future, wasn’t it? Lily showed me her phone’s social media feed. She had Jessica as a contact. Jessica had posted a status update with a caption: [We’re together now!] The photo showed her and Frank holding hands tightly, beaming with joy. I looked at the unread messages on my phone. Frank had sent a breakup message while I was meeting with the professor. So, it seems I wasn’t the only one given a second chance at life.

I burst out laughing. Lily felt my forehead and asked, “What’s wrong, Samantha? Do you have a fever?” I had pursued Frank for a long time, starting from the beginning of the semester. I brought him breakfast, lunch, and bubble tea every day. Lily thought I had gone mad with anger. But that wasn’t it. In this life, I don’t have time to get entangled with Frank. He chose to be with his dream girl, so let him have his wish. Let him see just how great his precious Jessica really is. There’s only one month left before the study abroad exchange program. Soon, I’ll be heading towards a bright future. But I never expected Frank to have the audacity to bring Jessica to confront me. “Why didn’t you bring me food today? Did something hold you up?” Frank looked at me coldly, as if I were his enemy. I looked at the two of them in disbelief and asked, “Didn’t we break up?” We’ve broken up, so why would I still bring you food? Do you think I’m running a charity? Perhaps because he was used to me taking care of him in every way in my past life, Frank didn’t expect me to talk back. In his mind, I was still the Samantha who clung to him. Maybe he wasn’t used to not having someone anticipate his every need. Back then, I would bring him food every day at school. After we got married, whenever he came home, I would have several dishes prepared for him. He was used to having everything handed to him, and now he couldn’t adapt. At this point, he didn’t have much money. I was poor too, but I could work part-time jobs. I even managed to bring him breakfast and lunch every day. Now that he’s lost all that, he has the nerve to blame me? “Frank, honey, I heard that Samantha used to bring you delicious food every day. You promised me I could try it too,” Jessica chimed in. Frank looked at Jessica awkwardly. I laughed out loud. So they came here to mooch off me. I grabbed the broom from the dorm supervisor and waved it in front of them, kicking up dust that covered their faces. Frank, ignoring the dirt on his face, pulled me aside. “Samantha, I’ll give you money. Just do me this favor.” Favor? What face does he have left now? Frank used to have some money saved, but seeing me bring him food every day, he became extravagant in his spending. Now at the end of the month, he’s so broke he has to come begging from me. I laughed coldly, shook off Frank’s hand, and deliberately raised my voice, “No money to play big shot! I’m not lending you anything!” Jessica’s face changed color beside us, apparently not expecting Frank to be penniless. I know Jessica’s type. She loves money above all else. In my past life, seeing that Frank had a managerial position at the research institute, she latched onto him tightly. I remember most clearly one time when she brought her child to our door with Frank. She looked at me timidly, “Sister-in-law, don’t misunderstand. My child and I just have nowhere to go. We’re just staying for a couple of days.” I knew she had slept with Frank. I found it disgusting and had long since started sleeping in separate rooms from Frank. They stayed at hotels when they met outside, and I didn’t care. I just didn’t expect them to bring it home, apparently unwilling to even pay for a hotel room anymore. I had just finished cooking when Jessica’s child, without even a greeting, went straight to the table and started gobbling down the food. While eating, the child loudly said, “It’s delicious, Mom! I want to eat this auntie’s food every day!” Frank didn’t look at me, just smiled and said, “If you like it, eat more. You can have it every day from now on!” I flipped the table directly. The food and dishes crashed all over the child. I smiled sweetly as I watched Frank and Jessica rush to comfort the child. Frank angrily questioned me, “What are you doing? What’s wrong with the child eating some food?” I replied nonchalantly, “I didn’t like the look of him, so I won’t let him eat.” My child was gone, so I wouldn’t let this bastard child have it easy either. Frank spent half the day comforting Jessica and the child. In the end, they didn’t stay. Jessica left with the child. Frank came back looking exhausted and looked at me, “If you didn’t want them to stay, they won’t. I guess it’s my fault for disturbing your peace.” It was the first time I heard him speak like a decent person, and I couldn’t help but look at him. However, not long after, Frank moved out. When I went out to take out the trash, I passed by the park and saw Jessica arguing with a man, “Wait a bit longer. Once Frank divorces and we get the money, we’ll leave.” My curiosity was piqued, so I asked Mrs. Johnson to inquire. It turned out that Jessica wasn’t just involved with one man. Frank was just one of them. If she couldn’t get money from him, Jessica would run off. But Frank didn’t know this. He just thought Jessica was disappointed because he hadn’t divorced me yet. Now, Frank had exposed his lack of money early on. I wonder how Jessica will react.

I ignored them and prepared to go to the library to borrow some books. Although I had secured the exchange spot, I knew there were always people better than me out there. Learning more would never be a mistake. Jessica secretly cornered me in the tea room. “Did you know Frank had no money? Is that why you broke up with him?” I ignored her and went back to study. Jessica tried to grab me in frustration, but this was the library and she couldn’t make too much noise. She could only watch me leave, unwillingly. Over the next week, I heard that Frank and Jessica had many arguments. They even fought while walking on campus. Once, Frank even raised his hand against her, “Jessica, how come I never realized you were so materialistic!” Actually, if given some time, Frank could have earned money too. But unfortunately, Jessica wasn’t willing to wait. I found another online part-time job writing copy for social media accounts. Although the school covered my tuition and I had a scholarship, there would inevitably be times when I needed money. The earnings weren’t much, but accumulated over time, it would be enough to ensure I could eat and drink well in a foreign country. The elders in my village were all proud of me. The aunts even wanted to pool some money for me, but I politely refused. They had fed me when I was little; how could I take their money now that I was grown? I set aside some money, planning to send it to the village elders on the day I left for abroad, as a small gesture of filial piety. Back home, I looked at the countdown on my phone screen. Fifteen days left. In fifteen days, I would reach a turning point in my life and embrace a new future.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295814”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance