Author: Momo Chan

My business partner secretly sabotaged my company, pushing me to the brink of ruin. Meanwhile, my wife, who should have been my closest ally, stood by and watched coldly. I hit rock bottom, exhausted and broken. My cash flow dried up, and years of hard work were destroyed in an instant. To my shock, I saw my wife embracing my business partner intimately at the company. I begged her to help me find a way out, but she replied with annoyance: “I’m not interested in what you’re saying. Your problems are such a headache!” But what they were trampling underfoot was my last hope. In the end, that hope was crushed beyond repair. As I wept over my ruined business, I saw my partner’s latest social media update: “Enjoying a thrilling night with a married woman. So exciting!” I instantly recognized the alluring figure in the glamorous dress as my wife. That night, I called a number I hadn’t dialed in years: “Dad, I’m giving up on my entrepreneurial dream. I’ve booked a flight home in ten days to take over the family business.”

Emily stormed into our home, shouting angrily: “You’re the only one moping around here! Why do I have to come home in broad daylight to see your miserable face?” “So your business failed, is it really that bad? If you can’t handle this little setback, are you even a man?” “Mark didn’t intentionally put you in a difficult position. Do you have to cut ties with him over this small matter?” I laughed bitterly, overwhelmed with grief and anger. Since she came in, she hadn’t even glanced at me or offered a single word of comfort. Instead, she was berating me for distancing myself from Mark, as if she felt sorry for him. He had deliberately manipulated the contract, causing me to fall from the top to rock bottom. Not only that, but he had also left me with nothing. My entrepreneurial dream could never be realized now! Seeing my grim expression, she finally approached me, halfheartedly glancing at my haggard face, and softened her tone: “Honey, if the business failed, just start over. Once you recover, you can keep working hard!” “Didn’t you always want to become a business tycoon? You need to pull yourself together!” I laughed coldly inside. This was the woman I had loved and cherished for seven years, yet at this moment, she seemed like a complete stranger! I coldly observed her. Emily was wearing an elegant suit and high heels. Apart from her new smartphone, she hadn’t brought anything else. It seemed she had only come to check on me briefly, with no intention of staying to keep me company. Emily felt uncomfortable under my gaze and realized something. “Honey, you’re just facing a small problem that you can solve on your own. I have a party to attend tomorrow, so I won’t be staying here with you tonight.” A small problem? If she cared about me even a little, she would have noticed my utter despair when my career collapsed. But she didn’t. She was too busy entangling with Mark, leaving me to struggle in pain. While I was running around trying to save the company, she was putting on sexy lingerie to enjoy the thrill of an affair with Mark. My heart turned cold, and I asked disappointedly: “So, you just came to check on me? Did you want to see if I was dead yet?” Emily’s face darkened, and she snapped: “Jack, what are you talking about? What do you mean by checking if you’re dead? We’ve been married for seven years, is this how you see me?” I smirked sarcastically. “Since you’ve seen me, you can go now.” Emily didn’t leave. Instead, she raised her phone to my face. “When you offended all your business friends, Mark’s wife happened to get the news and came over. I was at the company working overtime with Mark, discussing the next project plan.” “His wife misunderstood our relationship. You need to quickly record a video to clarify things and explain to her.” She said this with a completely natural expression, as if she and Mark were truly innocent. “What do you want me to explain?” Emily looked a bit embarrassed but still had to say it. “Well, when his wife came late at night, Mark and I were working on a new idea. Anyway, just explain that it was business-related material, that’s all!” As soon as she finished speaking, I suddenly remembered Mark’s social media post mentioning his plans to spend a sweet night with a married woman. I immediately understood. They had been caught in the act of having an affair by Mark’s wife. How dare she ask me to help her clear things up! Seeing Emily’s now unfamiliar face, I could no longer contain my emotions. I let out a hysterical roar and swatted the phone out of her hand.

Even now, I couldn’t believe Emily had really cheated on me. We had been married for seven years. I was afraid she might suffer even the slightest hardship with me, so I spoiled her rotten. She used to be an ordinary employee at the company. Seeing her struggling and often being excluded by colleagues, I asked Mark to make her my assistant. At first, Mark disagreed, but when I offered to deduct her salary from my own wages, he finally agreed. I didn’t lack money; I started my business just to realize my own value. But my parents, in an attempt to force me to return home and take over the family business, cut off my financial support. Later, I gave up an arranged marriage to marry Emily, which caused another rift with my parents. I haven’t been in contact with them for three years now. To give Emily a better life, I worked day and night. When I got home, I would do the housework, truly treating her like a queen. But now, she had betrayed me. During my bankruptcy and downfall, she was having an affair with Mark in the company office, and now she wanted me to explain it away for her. Why should I? What right did she have to treat me like this? Anger rushed to my head, and at this moment, I could no longer control myself. I exposed her on the spot. “Emily, do you take me for a fool? Don’t think I don’t know about your dirty business with Mark!” Emily was stunned, then picked up her handbag and hit me hard on the head with it. “Jack, you’ve grown some nerve! How dare you point your finger at me and speak to me in such a loud voice!” I had already suffered a heavy blow in the business world during the day, and I was physically and mentally exhausted. I felt dizzy and sick. She hit my head so hard that I felt like I was about to pass out. Even though I tried to maintain my composure, the pain in my heart still came like a flood. I was in so much pain that I could barely breathe, gritting my teeth hard. “You knew about us, yet you still called that old woman over! You deliberately wanted to embarrass me, didn’t you?” “You useless piece of trash, why didn’t you just die from bankruptcy today!” “Mark is from a rich family. It’s your honor that he’s interested in your wife! Do you think he gave you so many business opportunities because of your few lousy business ideas?” “Hurry up and record that clarification video for me. If Mark isn’t happy at home, don’t think you’ll have an easy time at home either!” I was hit so hard that I felt dizzy, my heart aching as if it was about to break. Using my good hand, I grabbed Emily’s arm tightly and threw her to the side. I had never been as angry as I was at this moment, my voice almost tearing my throat: “Emily, you’re just Mark’s used-up plaything! You have a husband, and he has a wife. You two doing such shameless things, how can you face me?” “Now you want me to clarify things for him? What should I clarify? That you two are having an affair?” Emily fell to the ground, looking at me in disbelief. I had never spoken a harsh word to her before, and she didn’t expect that I actually had a temper. She became furious with embarrassment and pointed at me angrily: “Jack, you can insult me, but you have no right to insult Mark!” She waved her new smartphone and the clothes she was wearing. “If it weren’t for Mark, could I live such a good life? Your little income is barely enough to make ends meet. How could I hold my head high in front of my friends?” “When I first met you, you dressed decently and were willing to spend money on me. I thought you were quite rich, but it turns out it was all for show! Did you trick me into marrying you just to make me suffer and struggle with you?” “Jack, you deceived me first by pretending to be rich! Why should I, Emily, have to live a hard life with you? I haven’t asked for a divorce for the sake of our child, you should be grateful for that!” She stood up in front of me, looking down at me arrogantly and smugly: “But you need to understand something! From now on, when Mark and I are intimate, you stay far away. Don’t interfere with our good times!” “I really don’t want to look at you for another second now. Seeing your pathetic face makes me angry!” At this moment, Emily’s phone rang. She picked it up and looked at it, a smile involuntarily appearing on her face. When she turned to look at me again, her expression darkened: “Record the clarification video yourself and send it to me. Mark needs me for something urgent, I have to go!” With that, she slammed the door and left. I was shaking with anger, waves of pain washing over my heart. I got up, wanting to chase after Emily and argue with her, but as soon as I stood up, I fell heavily to the ground. I buried my head in my knees, letting out bursts of painful cries. Seven years of marriage, I had given her my heart and soul, but she had stabbed me in the back! She not only trampled on my true feelings but also on my dignity! In her heart, I was just a lowly, humble piece of trash, while Mark was her beloved! I laughed coldly. So every time she stayed late at the office under the pretext of discussing plans for me, she was actually having an affair with Mark in the office! No wonder she always made excuses about being tired and wouldn’t let me touch her. Even when she agreed once after my repeated begging, it was just perfunctory. But when she was having an affair with Mark, she played so uninhibitedly, so shamelessly! I punched the ground hard, gritting my teeth, tasting blood in my mouth. I really wanted to rush to the company right now and beat this pair of scoundrels to death, then jump from the top of the building! But I couldn’t. I still have an adorable son. He’s only six years old. I can’t let him become an orphan at such a young age. Thinking of the son I had raised single-handedly, tears streamed down my face. He was so sweet and sensible. I lay back on the sofa. I need to get out of this predicament quickly, then take my son away from here.

After staying at home for seven days, Emily never showed her face again. Except for urging me a few times to record a clarification video for her, she didn’t say a single word of concern for me. The last bit of hope in my heart was wiped away. I decided to pull myself together and start looking for new opportunities. In two more days, I would take my son and leave this place. When I returned home, Emily wasn’t there. My mother-in-law had been helping to look after my son these past few days. When she saw me come back, she gave me a disgusted look. “It’s just a business failure, yet you’ve been staying at home for seven days. What a pathetic man!” I ignored her. When I first got together with Emily, she was quite satisfied with me. Later, to marry Emily, I had a falling out with my family, and my parents cut off my financial support. But I had always been working hard, trying my best to give Emily the best life, and I was always respectful to my mother-in-law. I don’t know when it started, but they changed, becoming more and more disdainful of me. Thinking about it now, it probably started when Emily got involved with Mark. She suddenly started spending money lavishly. I was too trusting of her and our relationship. I should have noticed her affair earlier. But it’s too late to say anything now. Seeing me with a gloomy face, my mother-in-law snorted coldly. “Comparisons really do make people miserable!” My heart skipped a beat. Did she know about Emily’s affair? Remembering that Emily often took our son to stay at her parents’ house, I realized my mother-in-law had been covering for their affair all along! Poor son of mine, ending up with such a mother and grandmother. My son, hearing my voice, rushed out from the bedroom. Then he said disappointedly: “Oh, it’s just Dad. I thought Mom had finally come back!” “Grandma, when will Mom and Uncle Mark come back? I can’t wait to get my gifts!” I turned my head to look at my mother-in-law. Her face became unnatural, and she guiltily turned away. During these few days while I was at home, Emily had been fooling around with Mark the whole time. But I didn’t want to say these things in front of my son. Children are innocent. I picked up my son and asked softly: “What gift does my baby want? Dad will buy it for you!” But my son pouted: “I don’t want anything from you! You’re so poor, what good gifts could you buy? Uncle Mark always brings me limited edition toys from abroad!” My heart turned cold, and I gently put my son down. He ran to my mother-in-law’s side and continued to ask when Emily would come back. Then my son pointed at me, using the same disdainful tone as my mother-in-law: “Grandma, didn’t you say Uncle Mark is my real dad? Why does this dad still come back?” “What real dad?” I looked at my son in disbelief. What did he just say? The son I had raised single-handedly actually despised me and wanted to acknowledge Mark as his father? Wasn’t he closest to me? After staying with his grandmother for just a few days, he was ready to accept an impostor as his father! What did he mean by Mark being his real dad? “Uncle Mark and I both had blood tests. Grandma said the paternity test report shows Uncle Mark is my real dad.” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but laugh, and then as I laughed, tears started falling. My heart suddenly ached sharply, and I laughed at myself for being a complete fool! Looking at my son’s face that increasingly resembled Mark’s, I understood everything at once. I had been raising someone else’s son for six years! I silently went back to the bedroom, packed all my things into a suitcase, and left this home without looking back. I sent a message to my lawyer, asking him to handle the divorce case fully. Emily was the one at fault, and I would make sure she got nothing! Then I sent the evidence of her affair with Mark to Mark’s wife. On the day I called my parents, they resumed their financial support for me. I checked into a hotel and turned off my phone to get a good night’s sleep. The next day, I set off on my journey home.

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My ex-husband died in a tragic accident at sea, and I was branded as a widow-maker. Even my grandfather issued a statement severing ties with me. In my despair and loneliness, I nearly lost my life. The icy sea water chilled me to the bone, but Lucas Lee saved me and gave me love. On our wedding night, I was shocked to realize he was my ex-husband’s brother, but it was too late to change my mind. After three years of trying, I finally got pregnant. He rushed back from across the ocean overnight to celebrate with me. In my fifth month of pregnancy, he conspired with his cousin: “Brother Lucas, can you really keep your promise and switch our babies?” “Of course. From then on, our child will inherit the Gray family’s vast fortune.” “What about your child with her?” “That bastard is lucky to be alive. Two layers of protection couldn’t stop it!” “Send it to an orphanage. Stella Gray is just my brother’s leftovers! The child she bears doesn’t deserve to be in my sight!” Is that so? Then neither the child nor the man needs to stay.

After three years of trying, I finally got pregnant. I had taken so many fertility drugs. Lucas was worried about me and said it didn’t matter if we couldn’t have a child. Little did I know that while I was desperately trying to conceive, he was doing everything he could to prevent it. The day after I found out I was pregnant, Lucas was overjoyed. He even rushed back home overnight to celebrate with me. He had a scratch on his arm that he claimed was from a stray cat, telling me not to worry. Now everything made sense. A month ago, Lucas brought his pregnant cousin Chloe back home. He said Chloe was further along than me and had more experience. My mother-in-law had even thrown Chloe a birthday party at our house. At the time, Chloe was Mrs. Lee’s precious goddaughter, while I had to stand and massage Mrs. Lee’s shoulders. Pregnancy brain made me stupid for three years. I even treated Chloe like a sister and took care of her. I clenched my jaw and fists, a mix of anger and despair nearly suffocating me. I tried to calm myself, steadying my trembling body as I carefully returned to our bedroom. “Stella seems to be asleep. Lucas, I want you,” I heard Chloe say outside. “Chloe, you’re pregnant!” Lucas protested. “You asked me to help you yesterday!” Chloe retorted. Their conversation continued, accompanied by the sound of rustling fabric. Tears instantly filled my eyes. I covered my mouth as if it could stop my body from shaking. What did I mean to him? A wave of nausea hit me. I rushed to the toilet and vomited uncontrollably, as if trying to expel all the blood and tears from my body. I sat back against the wall, gasping for air. Hot tears had already filled my eyes, ready to burst forth. Which pain was worse – being betrayed by my husband or losing him? I had experienced both, yet couldn’t compare. I thought of my late husband, Marcus. You must think I deserve this, right? You said I was heartless and arrogant. But in this marriage, I’ve suffered for so long. I dialed the number for a private hospital. “Ms. Gray, terminating a five-month pregnancy can cause severe damage. You may never be able to conceive again,” the doctor warned. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve made up my mind,” I replied firmly. A child should be born into a loving, happy family. If not, it’s better not to come into this world at all. The lawyer answered quickly, promising to prepare the divorce papers as soon as possible. Of course, that woman had to leave immediately too. Drowsiness overtook me. When I woke up, I found Lucas holding me, his hand resting on my swollen belly. This familiar, warm gesture was just like before. In the past, I would have turned and nestled into his chest, thinking I was embracing love. For a moment, I was confused, but then I smelled a woman’s perfume on him and vomited again. It caught him off guard, even getting on his clothes. Lucas woke up startled but didn’t get angry. Instead, he quickly grabbed a towel to wipe my face and body. He frowned with concern, looking just like before. As always. My heart ached. But it was all fake – his acting was too good. I felt sick again and rushed to the bathroom. He followed urgently, saying, “This little troublemaker! Stella, are you okay? Should we go to the hospital?” My stomach churned again. The physical and emotional pain was overwhelming. My eyes were bloodshot, tears pooling but not falling. How could I have fallen for this deep façade before? If he didn’t love me, why didn’t he just say so? I couldn’t show any signs of suspicion. I had to play along: “There are too many people in the house. The baby and I find it noisy. Can you ask Mrs. Zhang to take Chloe to stay somewhere else?” Lucas indeed showed some impatience. My heart was in my throat. If he had revealed his true face earlier, I wouldn’t have had to keep up this act. But after some thought, he compromised: “Alright, you and the baby are the most important. But Mrs. Liu needs to stay to take care of you. I’d be worried otherwise.” The words I had prepared got stuck in my throat. If I hadn’t found out, how long would he have kept up this charade? Outside the room, I could hear Lucas and Chloe arguing. Chloe even pushed open the door: “Sister-in-law is so clever. Even while pregnant, she can manipulate Lucas into kicking me out!” “Of course, sister-in-law’s baby is precious. Mine is just a bastard without a father!” “They say the grass is always greener, but for Lucas, it’s the opposite.” I clenched my fists, feeling a lump in my throat. Lucas’s face darkened: “Chloe, don’t be unreasonable!” Chloe immediately fell to the ground, clutching her belly and crying: “If you kick me out, where can I go? I can bear the mistreatment, but should my baby suffer too?” Lucas’s face turned grim. Finally, he turned to me: “How about we move to your hillside mansion? The scenery is nice there too.” Unexpectedly, in the end, I was the one who had to leave our marital home. I packed up with Mrs. Liu and left the place where we had lived for four years – three years of getting to know and loving each other, four years of marriage. In these seven years together, can you tell me when your heart changed? As I was packing and moving out, Chloe was happily moving her things into our master bedroom. I’m sure Lucas saw it, but he didn’t stop her. A knot formed in my chest. He made the mistake, yet I found myself reflecting on my own actions. What made this woman so worthy of his care that he would ignore me? Women in love are foolishly worthy of scolding, including myself.

When we moved to the hillside mansion, Lucas didn’t come with us. “Chloe has it tough. I’m going to help her move her old things over. I’ve called the moving company for you,” he said. Every little thing felt like a dull knife cutting into my flesh, breaking my heart. The hillside mansion was where I lived before marriage. As soon as I entered, I saw the large decorative painting Lucas had made. It depicted a newly developed tourist area with cherry blossoms in full bloom. He said he wanted to capture my most beautiful moment. The floor-to-ceiling glass cabinets along the walls were filled with rare items he had collected for me from around the world. Now, they all seemed painfully out of place. “Mrs. Liu, please find someone to lock all of these in the small room,” I instructed. After finishing unpacking, the doorbell rang. It wasn’t Lucas. “Sister-in-law, this place is much more comfortable than your marital home. You must have been wanting to move out for a while!” Chloe said as she entered. I ignored her and continued eating my dinner, though it now tasted like sawdust. “What’s wrong?” Lucas asked as he came in carrying bags. Before I could speak, Chloe quickly said, “Lucas, you were worried she’d be hungry, but she didn’t even wait for you to start eating. Sister-in-law even thanked me. If it weren’t for me, who knows how long she would have stayed in that small house.” I was completely stunned. Then I saw Lucas’s face turn from red to black. The marital home was Lucas’s first major purchase after his career took off. It was proof of his hard work. He hated when people looked down on him. I tried to find words to explain, but Lucas grabbed me forcefully: “Come on, let’s go out to eat!” His grip was strong, and I couldn’t break free. Despite my pregnant belly and slippers, he dragged me out, ignoring my cries of pain until he shoved me into the backseat of the car. He believed Chloe. He was furious. What was left for me to explain? The red marks on my wrist were glaring, bringing a numb pain that spread to my heart. Suddenly, a violent crash rang out, forcing the car to stop. That’s when I realized I was bleeding. The pain intensified. But I heard Chloe cry out: “Lucas, it hurts! Ah! My baby!” Lucas’s forehead was bleeding too. The panic in his voice was real: “Stella, are you okay? Let me help you out!” How could this be? How could he care about me? “Lucas, save me,” Chloe’s words snapped Lucas out of his daze. He swiftly and efficiently carried Chloe out, hailed a cab to the hospital, and never looked back. Though my body was in pain, a smile crept onto my face. Don’t be so conceited, Stella Gray. A kind passerby, unable to bear the sight, took me to the hospital. The concerned doctor frowned and asked, “Where’s your husband?” Coincidentally, a nurse changing shifts was chatting: “Did you see that? If you want a husband, find one like Mr. Lee just now. We told him his wife and child were fine, but he still insisted on having them admitted. He didn’t even care about the blood on his own head.” “Ms. Gray, you need surgery to save the pregnancy. We can’t delay any longer,” the doctor’s words brought my attention back. My body, numb with pain, along with my heart, finally calmed down completely. “No need. I don’t want this child anymore,” I replied.

The surgery was quick. By the time I was settled in the hospital room, my phone was still ringing non-stop. I simply put it on silent. My lower abdomen still had a slight curve, but only I knew the child was gone. I touched my belly, feeling incredibly sad. When Lucas found me, he was extremely anxious. Seeing me touch my belly, he let out a sigh of relief. He instinctively reached out to touch my abdomen, like a caring father. The pain below felt like a knife cutting through me. I avoided his touch: “The baby is gone.” The relieved smile on Lucas’s face froze, which seemed particularly ironic to me. He rushed into the doctor’s office, questioning and angry, then returned dejected. “I’m sorry,” he said. I saw his eyes were slightly red, but I only admired his acting skills. It was too real, real enough to fool even himself. After he left, I called my grandfather to tell him about the miscarriage and my plans for divorce. Grandfather was silent for a while, but finally agreed to my request for a leave of absence from work. As soon as I hung up, Mrs. Lee entered the hospital room and slapped me across the face: “You bring bad luck! Why don’t you just die!” “It’s fortunate Lucas and Chloe are okay, or you’d have to pay with your life!” My already weak body felt even worse. I gritted my teeth and sat up, glaring at her angrily. Mrs. Lee was about to strike again, but Lucas rushed in and stopped her raised hand, scolding her: “Mom! What are you doing?” “The baby is gone. It’s all my fault!” he exclaimed. His protection and acting were like needles to me. Each time it happened, another needle stabbed me. The pain made it hard to breathe. Mrs. Lee grabbed him and berated him outside: “She was your brother’s woman. I’ve tolerated her for too long!” “Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with her?” Lucas, reminded of his brother, immediately filled with hatred: “Of course not. Once I get the Gray family’s assets, I’ll divorce her!” After acting for so long, he seemed a bit reluctant to leave now. No, that’s not it. Lucas said he was working overtime at the company for several days in a row, but he was actually taking care of Chloe. She was completely unharmed, yet she clung to Lucas, asking him to push her wheelchair around the hospital garden. She would look towards the window of my hospital room, and sometimes I could catch her challenging gaze. Chloe had provoked me several times without getting a response. Just before I was to be discharged, she couldn’t resist coming to find me: “Some people can even tolerate their husband’s infidelity.” Who could tolerate that? I sneered, not responding. Should I still try to fight for him? The pain below and my body full of wounds were the answer. “Stella Gray, you think you’re so great just because you have some money? Just you wait!” Chloe huffed as she left. I received a notification of a credit card charge – a $200,000 jewelry purchase. Only then did I remember I was still supporting my mother-in-law. I informed the bank and had the card reported lost and replaced. Coincidentally, the lawyer told me that the analysis of our respective assets was complete, and the divorce agreement could be given to me within three days. Three days. Alright, just three more days. I was just feeling happy about leaving soon when Mrs. Lee’s text message made me feel like I’d fallen into an ice pit. “We’re hosting Chloe’s birthday party at home tomorrow. As her sister-in-law, you can’t be absent.” “It’s not too much to ask you to contribute some money as her sister-in-law, right? $500,000. Remember to transfer it to me.” “Be there at 5 PM sharp. You wouldn’t want tomorrow’s guests to know you brought bad luck to your husband and then married his brother, would you?” Mrs. Lee had been holding this over me for three years. Marcus’s death was already a wound in my heart. The deceased are gone, and I didn’t want to discuss it further with his family.

When Lucas came to pick me up, the doctor refused to discharge me: “Postpartum recovery is crucial. Your husband should understand this.” Lucas showed no concern: “She’s not that delicate.” My bleeding hadn’t stopped, and hearing this from outside the door, I felt my heart grow cold. Once, when I accidentally cut my finger while peeling an apple, he caught my gasp over the phone. He immediately stopped work and rushed home, carefully bandaging my finger: “A wife is meant to be pampered.” How many years has it been since then? On the way back to the family home, I spoke up: “Your mother asked me for $500,000 yesterday. I haven’t given it to her yet.” Lucas had always been unwilling to lose face in front of me. He cleared his throat awkwardly: “I’ll give it to her later.” I nodded and closed my eyes, pretending to doze off. The old house was adorned with red roses, transforming the once simple courtyard into something resembling a wedding venue. Chloe wore a white tulle dress, holding pink roses. When she saw Lucas, a beautiful blush spread across her face. “That must be Lucas’s wife. Why does she have such a gloomy face at her sister-in-law’s birthday? She’s so pale, it’s creepy.” “I heard she had a miscarriage and is still in postpartum recovery. How could she look well?” “Ugh, and she still came? Is she afraid Lucas will dislike her and prefer Chloe?” The coldness in my heart intensified. Unable to hide the pain in my abdomen, I found a place to sit and rest. As soon as I sat down, Mrs. Lee called me over, surrounded by the gossiping women from earlier: “I’ve found a folk remedy that will help you get pregnant again quickly.” The women around her inquired curiously. “From 5:30 until the end of the party, you’ll wash dishes in the kitchen. The more dishes you wash, the more sincere your heart. I’ve bought plenty of extra dishes just for this.” Chloe and Mrs. Lee’s faces showed mocking smiles. From start to finish, it was just a ploy to humiliate me. I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood. The humiliation was unbearable. As I turned to leave, Mrs. Lee suddenly spoke: “Did you all know about Stella’s ex-husband?” I stopped in my tracks, clenching my fists. The pain in my palms reminded me to remember this humiliation. The kitchen was full of servants preparing for the birthday party. They weren’t surprised to see me and collectively sneered. The sink was already piled high with dishes. They pushed me to wash in a basin on the floor. People clearing tables threw oil-stained dishes directly into my basin, splashing dirty water onto my head, face, and clothes. Seeing my miserable state, Chloe covered her mouth and laughed loudly: “Remember to be sincere!” When Lucas passed by with a friend, his friend frowned: “Isn’t that your wife?” I didn’t look up, my hands busy non-stop. I only heard him say: “No, you’re mistaken.” The winter water was freezing, and the pain below persisted. At that moment, I froze. Those words echoed around me like a spell. My heart sank to the depths. Two tears fell straight down, indistinguishable from the oily water. “Hurry up and wash! You’ll be in trouble if you don’t finish!” The curses shattered what was left of my dignity. At the banquet, Lucas presented a gift to Chloe. Chloe blushed shyly, embracing Lucas as if he were her whole world. I stared at the perfect couple, lost in thought. When he proposed, Lucas promised to protect me for life. In our first year of marriage, Mrs. Lee treated me like her own daughter. In our second year, when Mrs. Lee gave me a hard time, he firmly shielded me. In our fourth year of marriage, another woman was carrying his child. My heart turned to ashes, no longer stirred by anything. As the guests began to leave, there were fewer and fewer dishes. Lucas rushed to the kitchen and helped me up. My hands were red from the cold, but I still had the strength to slap him. He didn’t dodge. The sound was crisp. He even held my hand to his chest: “Why are your hands so cold!” That moment of warmth couldn’t thaw my heart. I held my head high, not letting tears fall, and laughed softly: “Lucas, you’re so contradictory.”

I thought I was strong enough, but the moment I finished speaking, tears streamed down my face. As my emotions erupted, Lucas panicked like a child. He held me tightly in his arms, begging softly: “I was wrong, I was wrong. Stella, Stella, let’s start over.” He no longer wanted to deceive himself. He no longer wanted to act. His wife was innocent. Before I could push him away, Chloe appeared and forcefully separated us. She was hysterical, her eyes brimming with tears, as if she were the wronged wife catching her husband in the act: “Lucas, what about us? What about our child?” “Have you forgotten? You never liked her. You dated her, married her, only because she’s the Gray family’s daughter!” “You love me! We’ve been in love for eight years!” “Back then, you saved her only because…!” “Enough, Chloe, you’ve gone mad. I’m calling the driver to take you home right now!” Lucas rushed over to cover her mouth. Shame, anger, fear – for the first time, I saw so many emotions on Lucas’s face. What was there to hide? I already knew all of this. But I never expected that I was the other woman. At this point, I lost all strength. Seven whole years. I never imagined I had fallen into an elaborately designed trap. A man from humble beginnings marrying into wealth for money, abandoning his loyal wife. How cliché. I admit I married the wrong person. I loved the wrong person, and I’ll change that. My heart ached intensely. Marriage is a gamble, and I had lost completely. Lucas finally got Chloe into the car and locked her inside. The driver took Chloe away.

In the instant Lucas turned to run back to me, I saw the hatred in Chloe’s eyes. “Stella, Chloe was talking nonsense. Don’t take it to heart.” “Everything she said was a lie.” “I’ve neglected you too much. For your birthday, how about we go on vacation to England?” Lucas reached for my hand as he spoke, but I dodged, barely managing to stand. The disgust on my face was undisguised. When he looked at me, his breath stopped for a moment. At that moment, Attorney Zhou called: “The agreement has been delivered to your home.” My body, which had been on the verge of collapse from exhaustion, found new strength. I smiled sweetly, suppressing my disgust to hold his hand that I had just avoided: “The Starry Sky development agreement is ready. Let’s go home and sign it.” The Starry Sky development had been Lucas’s passion project for the past year. He wouldn’t suspect anything. Perhaps my acting was convincing, as Lucas’s face showed joy at being accepted by me. Lucas silently reflected on his actions. He vowed to prepare a grand birthday trip for me and fulfill all the promises he had once made. This vision of the future made him sign two documents without noticing anything amiss. The moment the divorce agreement was signed, I was free. From that moment, the Gray family, including its assets, had no connection to Lucas Lee. Lucas finally noticed the changes in the hillside mansion. He suddenly felt uneasy: “Stella, where’s the painting I made for you?” “I sent it for touch-ups.” He reminded me – those things should have been burned long ago. If he could act, so could I. Lucas’s phone kept ringing. After silencing it, his expression turned sour. He spoke up: “Chloe might have some issues. I’ll go check on her and come right back.” I nodded. Lucas thought I was jealous: “If you don’t like it, I won’t go.” I sneered and turned back to the bedroom. Behind me, Chloe’s distinctive ringtone sounded, clear and persistent. Then, the door opened, and he left. Stella Gray, it’s all over now. A tear fell, and my heart ached. I sent the divorce agreement to my grandfather. The rest would need his help to tie up loose ends. I quickly packed my bags and headed to the airport. On his way to find Chloe, Lucas had already planned what to say to her. Five million dollars was all he could give her. Using half of his savings for a new life seemed fair to both of them. Lucas also contacted an overseas travel agency to prepare a grand birthday trip for me. But Chloe clearly wasn’t satisfied. She cried and made a scene. Her emotional outburst even led her to the hospital. Lucas couldn’t make it home, but not wanting me to worry, he called me. He called again and again, but no one answered. For some reason, he felt an overwhelming sense of unease at that moment. He quickly sent his assistant to the hillside mansion. “Mr. Lee, it’s not good. Mrs. Lee is gone!”

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At the press conference, David Blackwell, my husband, was about to announce his love for someone else when Ella Carter, the new assistant, suddenly stepped onto the stage holding a little girl. “Sweetie, Daddy’s calling you up here!” she said. The crowd instantly erupted in excitement, bombarding David with questions about his new romance. David didn’t deny it. Instead, he affectionately pulled the little girl into his arms and even put on the company’s newest, multi-million-dollar jewelry collection for her. “Yes, we have a child,” he confirmed. Seeing me, Victoria Hayes, standing frozen, the reporters were only too eager to stir the pot. “Ms. Hayes, you’ve been with Mr. Blackwell for so long. On such an important day, shouldn’t you say something?” I smiled faintly, then tossed the jewelry design I’d worked a year on to the new assistant. “Good things come in pairs,” I said. “Consider this the gift for your daughter.” When I gave the designs to Ella Carter, everyone paused for a moment before bursting into laughter. “Only Ms. Hayes could be so generous with something so valuable. These designs were your entire year’s work!” “Ms. Hayes, you spoil Mr. Blackwell’s daughter so much. Why not just be her godmother?” Ella, hearing this, tilted her chin up and shot me a smug look. David, on the other hand, clenched his jaw, his deep, cold eyes fixed on me. Seeing him so uncomfortable only amused me. We’d been married for ten years. Yet, he’d always avoided officially announcing our marriage, using the company’s interests as an excuse. He never drove me to or from work, leaving me to take the bus every day. At the office, he kept a strict line between us, refusing to let me call him honey. I was only allowed to address him as Mr. Blackwell. I never complained, quietly staying in this hidden marriage for a decade, supporting him as we built the company from the ground up. It wasn’t until yesterday, when I won the design competition with my new jewelry line worth millions, bringing in numerous partnerships for the company, that he finally agreed to officially announce me as his wife at today’s press conference. I couldn’t believe it. After all these years, he was finally going to recognize me publicly. I’d stayed up all night out of excitement. The next day, I woke up early to get ready. I even spent half a year’s salary on a new dress, hoping to look perfect beside David. But in the end, the woman standing next to him wasn’t me. I was the punchline of the joke. If this had happened before, I would’ve been furious, screaming at him. But now, I just stood there, calmly watching the family of three on stage. “Wishing you all a lifetime of happiness,” I said, my voice steady. David’s eyes turned icy. He opened his mouth and was about to say something when he was interrupted by the little girl’s crying. Ella tugged at David’s sleeve. “David, I think Hannah’s scared and crying…” At her words, David shot me a cold glance and spat, “Look at what you’ve done.” He waved his hand dismissively, shoving me aside as he scooped up Hannah and took Ella’s hand, leaving the stage without looking back. The push threw me off balance. My high heels twisted, and I fell hard, my head hitting the champagne tower. The glasses shattered on me, the cold champagne soaking my dress, and a sharp pain ran through my back. Yet David didn’t even glance back. Watching his indifferent back, I couldn’t help but feel a bitter sense of irony. He was kinder to a stranger than to his wife and daughter. Hannah Carter was only crying from being startled, and David was clearly rattled. But when our own daughter had a high fever, delirious and on the brink of death, he did nothing. Once upon a time, David and I had a five-year-old daughter. That year, while I was away on business, I asked David to take care of her since she had a high fever. He promised he would. But instead of staying with her, he went out for business meetings, leaving our daughter alone at home, burning with fever for hours. By the time I rushed back, it was too late. She had passed away. We fought terribly that day. Later, he knelt in front of me, crying and apologizing. I softened because of our shared history, and I forgave him. I was foolish back then, but not anymore. I turned around and left the venue, not like before when I stayed behind to let David clean up the mess. After leaving the venue, I took a taxi home, planning to disinfect and bandage my wounds with iodine and gauze. As soon as I walked in, I saw Ella and Hannah sitting on the couch, laughing. Hannah was holding my daughter’s favorite teddy bear. When Ella saw me, she smiled. “Victoria, you’re back! Hannah said she wanted to come see your place, so David brought us here. He even told us to treat it like our own home!” She then pulled out a set of design blueprints and started playing with them in front of me, clearly showing off. “I heard these are your precious blueprints, and the necklace Hannah’s wearing is the one you designed for your daughter, right? “I only brought it up, and David just handed everything over to us. “Victoria, if you know what’s good for you, just leave already! Don’t wait until you get dumped and end up embarrassed!” Before, I would have been furious at her provocation. But now, I just gave her a cold glance and turned to head upstairs. I was in a hurry to clean my wound and had no time for her petty games. But Ella blocked my path. The next moment, she ripped the necklace off Hannah’s neck and slapped her across the face. Hannah’s face turned red, and she burst into tears as she was scared out of her mind. Ella held Hannah in her arms and deliberately shouted. “Victoria, I know you’re angry with me because of the press conference. If you have a problem, come at me! But Hannah’s just a child!” I almost wanted to laugh. This was one of her usual tricks. Before I could react, David rushed over. His face darkened when he saw Hannah’s swollen face, and he slapped me across the cheek. “Victoria, you’ve gone too far! How could you hurt an innocent child? “Hannah is Ella’s niece! They were just joking around earlier, trying to lighten the mood. Why do you have to make such a big deal out of it?” Pathetic acting, but David bought it. If this had happened before, I would have been furious and jealous of how biased he was toward Ella. But now, I felt nothing, just calm and not a trace of sadness. I picked up the necklace from the floor, handed it back to Ella, and smiled faintly. “You were just trying to lighten the mood, and I should be grateful, not angry. How could I possibly hold it against you? “To show my appreciation, I even booked a five-star restaurant for us.” I pulled out my phone and showed them the reservation. This was the restaurant I had originally booked to celebrate after announcing things with David, but now there was no need. Seeing that I wasn’t lying, David went silent for a moment, then awkwardly said, “I’ll transfer you the money for the meal.” I waved my hand, refusing his offer. David’s tone softened a bit. “Victoria, you’ve really changed. Don’t worry. I’ll make it up to you after we announce everything.” But he didn’t realize that when a woman suddenly became more understanding, it was not because she was weaker. It was because she no longer loved him. This time, I was determined to be the one who walked away first.

After that, David took Ella and Hannah to the restaurant. I went upstairs to treat my wounds. When I took off my high heels, my ankles were swollen and red. My heels were covered in blisters, some of which had burst and were oozing blood. When the iodine touched the wounds, I couldn’t help but suck in a breath. It really hurt. I never liked high heels, but David did, especially watching me wear them. Over the years, I forced myself to wear them just to please him. Even though my feet were constantly bleeding, I endured it willingly. Looking back now, I realize how foolish I was. After treating my wounds, I slipped on some comfortable slippers and threw the high heels into the trash. Compared to the painful high heels, I much preferred the comfort of slippers. This time, I wasn’t going to cater to anyone. I wanted to live for myself. With that thought in mind, I quickly took out my phone and sent a message to a major company that had been showing interest in me. I wrote: [I’ve agreed to the collaboration.] The reply came instantly: [Victoria, you’ve finally made up your mind. Set the reporting date. We’ll be ready whenever you are.] This big company was the leading enterprise in Larkhaven, and their CEO had always been impressed by my business skills and design ability. He often extended offers to me, and their salary and benefits were very attractive. But I turned them all down. It was because David needed me. Most of the company’s operations depended on me, and all their new products relied on my design blueprints. I gave up my future, willingly staying by David’s side, working like a dog for him. But once the company grew stronger, he kicked me to the curb without a second thought. It was then that I realized that true feelings didn’t always get reciprocated. When it came to the matter with my daughter, I forgave him because of what he had once done for me. But this time, I didn’t owe him anything. We were completely done. Thinking of this, I replied to the company: [I’ll report tomorrow.] With that, I bought the earliest flight for tomorrow and began packing my bags. As I was packing, I realized I couldn’t even fill a suitcase with my things. The closet was full of David’s suits and ties, while my clothes consisted of a few faded and worn-out skirts. The only thing of value was the gold bracelet he had given me. Although it was an old style from more than a decade ago, I treasured it. It was a gift from David, bought with his first earnings. Back then, in his twenties, he smiled brightly as he put the bracelet on me, promising he would love me forever and saying that one day, when he had money, he would buy me a whole collection of jewelry. But once he did have money, he never bought me anything nice again. On our seventh anniversary, I couldn’t help but ask him for a set of jewelry. He got angry, scolding me for being wasteful and not understanding how hard he worked to make money. After that, to correct my spending habits, he set a strict budget for me. Any expense over two hundred dollars had to be approved by the finance department. The man I once loved suddenly became a stranger. When did everything change? Maybe it was when Ella appeared. Once Ella showed up, David’s heart quietly drifted away. He restricted every penny I spent down to the cent. But when it came to Ella, he was generous. When Ella said, “I want this,” he didn’t hesitate to buy her a diamond necklace worth millions. He was always very clear about the boundaries between us, never allowing me to interact with him too much at the office. But with Ella, he let her casually call him David. Not only that, he even took Ella out to eat and watch movies during work hours… As I was thinking, the bracelet slipped from my hand and fell to the floor. I picked it up and saw that the surface was scratched, revealing black marks inside. The bracelet was fake. I couldn’t help but laugh. This relationship was a mistake from the start, yet I foolishly held on for all these years! At least now, it wasn’t too late to wake up. I threw the bracelet into the trash and cut up all the photos I had with David. Just then, my phone rang. It was an Instagram update from Ella. In the photo, David was holding Hannah, allowing her oil-covered hands to rub all over his expensive suit while looking at her with doting eyes. Ella was leaning against him, smiling as she fed him a steak covered in her saliva, and he ate it without a hint of disgust. It was so ironic. He had always been a clean freak. Once, when our daughter had made him coffee and accidentally spilled it on his leather shoes, he yelled at her for an hour and locked her in the basement all day, not letting her eat or drink anything. That was when her health started to decline, making her weak and prone to illness. And when I once mistakenly drank from his cup, he smashed it in front of me, glaring at me with disgust. “How disgusting!” But he only had a problem with our hygiene. He found both my daughter and me disgusting. I let out a cold laugh and gave a like. That only made my resolve to leave stronger, so I quickened my pace. Once I finished, I went to bed and went to sleep. I hadn’t been asleep long when I was woken up by a knock on the door. I didn’t even have to guess. It was David. David hated the trouble of entering the passcode, so he had gotten into the habit of asking me to open the door for him. Before, he never even needed to knock. All he had to do was shout, and I would run to open the door for him. But now, I just turned over and continued sleeping. I was just about to drift into sleep when, the next second, David angrily kicked the door open, flipped the light on with a loud snap, and shouted, “Victoria, are you deaf? You’re clearly awake, why didn’t you get up to open the door for me!”

The sudden burst of light snapped me awake. I had been sleeping so deeply that I hadn’t heard the knock at all. Seeing David’s dark expression, I was a little surprised. Did he actually come back this time? Every time he went on a date with Ella, he would always make up an excuse to stay at her place. Either he’d say Ella was scared of thunder and couldn’t sleep alone or that she was just a young girl who needed him to look after her for safety. But once, when our five-year-old daughter said she was scared of the dark and wanted David to come back to keep her company, he’d said she was being melodramatic. He claimed it was good for her to face her fears and, when I wasn’t paying attention, locked her in a small, dark room, giving her a fear of enclosed spaces. Back then, I used to feel so upset about David’s bias and double standards, and I would get into huge arguments with him. But now, no matter what he did, I didn’t care anymore. I gave a faint “Hmm,” pulled the blanket over my head, and went back to sleep. David froze for a moment, then furrowed his brows in displeasure. “Don’t play around. I’m really tired. Get up and run a bath for me. And wash my clothes too.” He tossed his jacket at me. The collar was covered with lipstick stains and smelled strongly of Ella’s perfume. It was disgusting. If this had been before, I wouldn’t have needed him to say anything. I would’ve eagerly gotten up to serve him. But now, he just seemed like a nuisance. I tossed the jacket back at him. “You’re not disabled, you can wash it yourself.” David was stunned for a second, then pulled a gift box out of his pocket and threw it at me. “I know you’re upset about what happened today, so here, this is for you.” Inside was a pair of silver earrings. But he forgot that I was allergic to silver, and I didn’t even have ear piercings. What was even more ridiculous was that these earrings were things Ella had discarded. I had seen them on her Instagram before. I let out a cold laugh and tossed the earrings in the trash. “If someone else doesn’t want it, I don’t either.” David’s patience finally ran out, and his face darkened even more. “Victoria, have I spoiled you too much?” The drowsiness hit me hard, and I yawned. “I’m tired, nothing else. I’m going back to sleep.” Seeing my indifferent attitude, David gritted his teeth and said, “Fine! You’re pushing me away, don’t regret it!” David turned to leave, but I called out to him. “Wait.” He smiled, thinking I was just playing hard to get. The next moment, I took out a pen and paper from the drawer and handed them to him. “Sign this.” David’s eyes immediately turned cold. “You stopped me just to have me sign some meaningless contract?” I smirked. “Maybe you should read it properly before speaking?” After looking at the document, David froze for a moment, then snapped the pen in his hand.

“Divorce Agreement? You want a divorce from me?” David narrowed his eyes and looked at me coldly. “Victoria, there’s a limit to how jealous you can be.” I responded indifferently, “I’m serious.” David’s face darkened as he slammed the divorce papers onto the table. “I won’t sign.” I spoke calmly, “If you don’t sign, I can still leave. It’s just a matter of time.” Unable to argue with me, David gritted his teeth in frustration. He snorted and stormed off, deliberately stomping his feet as he left. I knew what he was trying to do. He wanted me to chase after him. In the past, whenever he got angry, I would rush to apologize. But now? Who cared about him? I had more important things to do, like sleeping. The sound of footsteps outside gradually faded, and I quickly drifted into a deep sleep. The next morning, I woke up naturally. As expected, David hadn’t come home the night before. He must have been really upset yesterday. After breakfast, I took a taxi to the office and submitted my resignation letter to HR. Once that was done, I took out my phone and sent a message to our business partner. When we signed the deal, their only request was for me to be the point of contact. Now that I was leaving, I needed to inform them. After taking care of that, I turned to leave. Just as I stepped outside, I ran into David and Ella. So, he really did go to Ella last night. They were standing close to each other, chatting and laughing. “David, I’m really sorry about Hannah yesterday. She’s always been a handful, and with her parents both gone, I only asked you to act as her father to make her happy. Victoria wouldn’t mind, would she?” David scoffed. “What’s there for her to mind? She’s a mother herself now. She should learn to be more understanding.” I found it amusing. He wanted me to be understanding? Then why didn’t he apply the same to our own daughter when he cared about other people’s kids? When they saw me, both Ella and David fell silent. The air between us froze instantly. Soon, some colleagues broke the awkwardness with teasing. They crowded around me, complimenting Ella and David. “Wow, Ella, you and Mr. Blackwell kept it a secret so well, you even have a daughter now!” “So when are you two having a second child? You’d make a perfect pair of a son and a daughter!” Ella chuckled softly, casting a shy glance at David. David didn’t object, letting them tease without saying a word. But when my daughter and I came to the company to find him before, and she called him “Daddy,” he angrily slapped her ten times and told her to avoid causing trouble. Later, rumors spread about me and David, and he even fired the gossiping employees on the spot. Yet now, with everyone teasing him, he didn’t say a word, showing no care for appearances. What a hypocrite! As I thought about this, Ella had already swayed her hips over to me. “Victoria, why are you only just getting to the office now? It’s already eleven. You’ve been with the company so long, you should set an example.” David immediately grew cold. “Victoria, what’s with your attitude? “If you don’t want to work, just give your position to Ella. In terms of ability, she’s far above you.” I almost laughed out loud. David knew full well that the company depended on me for everything. Ella couldn’t even print a document, yet he said she was more capable than me. I knew exactly what he was trying to do, humiliate me and pressure me into giving in. But I was in a rush to catch a flight and didn’t have time for their workplace games. “It’s not that complicated. I’ve already resigned, and I can give up the position right now.” Ella pretended to try to convince me to stay. “Victoria, this isn’t the time to act on impulse. Your age is showing. After you quit, where are you going to find such a good job? You might even struggle to get a job as a janitor. “Besides, the company’s new product is about to launch. Leaving now would be such a loss.” Her words only made David angrier. He snapped coldly, “Ella, don’t try to convince her! Let her go. The company will be fine without her! “Just one thing, Victoria. Once the new product launches, the company is going to soar. Don’t come crying to me when you regret this.” It was hard to say who would end up regretting it. They had no idea that I was the only one in the company who held the core technology. Without me, they couldn’t even get the samples ready. If he wanted to list it, maybe in his next life. I sneered. “You probably won’t even make it that far.” David furrowed his brows in confusion. “What do you mean?” At that moment, his phone rang. It was a call from our partner. David immediately smiled, his eyes full of smugness. “The partner must be calling to discuss the new product launch. Now, you’ll regret it, but it’s too late.” To provoke me, he even put the call on speaker. But in the next second, the partner’s words burst his bubble. “Why haven’t the latest samples been delivered yet? If you don’t send them over today, your company will be facing a three-hundred-million-dollar penalty for breach of contract!”

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As a CEO, my wife is incredibly wealthy, yet she’s always worried I’m after her inheritance. She keeps a tight rein on our finances, allowing my daughter and me just $200 a month for spending money. However, when her first love came back to the country, she didn’t hesitate to shower him with a luxury car and a mansion, worth millions, to welcome him. Later, when my daughter had a sudden heart attack, the only thing that could save her was a $10,000 surgery. Instead, I was accused of being ambitious and was thrown out of the company by security. I watched as my daughter passed away in the operating room, while my wife boarded a plane for a joyful world tour with her first love. After I finished arranging my daughter’s funeral, my wife returned from her trip, as indifferent as ever. She said: “Hey, didn’t you and our daughter always want to go to the amusement park? I’ll take you next week.” But she didn’t know that the moment our daughter died on that operating table, I was ready to end our marriage.

I was packing up my daughter’s belongings when my wife, Adeline, who had just returned from her world tour, casually walked back into our home. “Declan, can you massage my shoulders? The trip really wore me out.” Hearing this, I, who once cherished her dearly, remained silent and continued packing. Seeing I ignored her, Adeline frowned, then suddenly laughed as if something amusing had crossed her mind. “Are you still jealous about Jasper and I traveling together?” Jasper was her childhood friend. Adeline had left our daughter, who was gravely ill, to travel the world with this friend, letting our daughter die on a cold operating table. Thinking about my daughter’s eyes slowly losing their warmth felt like a dagger through my heart. Before I could speak, Jasper walked in, feigning innocence: “Oh, Declan, it’s all my fault for dragging Adeline on the trip.” “But don’t worry, it was just a trip, nothing more.” He spoke lightly, yet they wore matching outfits and rings, looking like a genuine couple in public. Meanwhile, the wedding ring Adeline and I shared had long been discarded by her. Seeing I still wouldn’t speak, Adeline sighed, looking helpless. “Alright, don’t be mad. I’ll send an extra $500 this month for Anna to get something nice.” “Just remember, I’m doing this for you. No need to thank me.” But looking at the transaction on my phone, I felt nothing but mockery. She spent millions on a world tour with Jasper, buying luxury brands, where a single bag costs thousands. Yet now, giving me $500 felt as if she was doing me a huge favor. Jasper stood by, trying to suppress his laughter, sarcastically saying: “Declan, $500 is quite a bit. You should thank Adeline.” “Let me tell you, kids should be raised modestly, so they won’t be materialistic when they grow up!” As absurd as it was, Adeline believed it. To prevent our daughter from being materialistic, she strictly controlled our expenses, giving only $200 monthly. I used to argue because I wanted a better life for our daughter, but now she’s gone. Arguing means nothing. With this thought, I returned the money and said calmly: “No need, I don’t want it.” Adeline’s smile froze, then she helplessly said: “Declan, I already apologized. What more do you want?” Before I could speak, Jasper’s mocking voice came from the side, “I think he just thinks $500 is too little, right?” “Declan, not to be harsh, but with your greedy attitude, how can you be a good example for Anna?” He lectured me condescendingly. Hearing this, Adeline also looked at me with disappointment. “Declan, we’ve been married a few years, and you’re already this greedy?” “In a few more years, are you planning to take over the shares and inheritance from Adeline’s family?” Listening to Adeline’s accusation, I couldn’t help but laugh at myself. After all this time, this is how she sees me. But my silence, to her, seemed like guilt. The next moment, Adeline spoke with irritation: “Looks like Jasper was right, you’re not a fit father.” “I’m doing this to teach our daughter resilience.” “If you keep this up, and Anna turns out materialistic and greedy like you, can we still call this a family?” Looking at her seriousness, I found it ironic. Her so-called resilience was scolding me for asking for a little extra for groceries, accusing me of eyeing her inheritance. Even when our daughter scored high and wanted a small cake, she’d point at her, scolding: “So materialistic at a young age, you’ll grow up to be a gold-digger!” “Your dad will spoil you rotten someday!” Thinking of this, I was about to tell her about our daughter. “Adeline, our daughter is already…” But before I could finish, Jasper suddenly cried out in pain at the door. The next moment, Adeline didn’t even bother continuing to lecture me, she rushed to Jasper’s side. “Jasper, what happened?” Jasper feigned nonchalance, waving it off: “Adeline, I’m fine. Maybe the long flight triggered my old back pain.” “I’m okay, don’t let me delay your time with family.” Hearing this, Adeline shook her head. “Your health comes first. I’ll take you to the hospital now.” Just before leaving, Adeline seemed to remember something, turned to me, and sighed seriously. “Declan, let’s both calm down first.” “When I get back, we can discuss taking our daughter out next week.” But she didn’t know our daughter was gone, and I had no intention of waiting for her anymore.

After gathering my thoughts, I took my resignation letter and went straight to the company to resign. On the way, colleagues pointed and whispered. “Isn’t that Declan? How can he still show his face here?” “Yeah, asking CEO Adeline for $10,000 last month and got thrown out by security.” “With his salary, how many years would he need to earn $10,000?” “Ignore this clown, let’s go…” Hearing these, I laughed at myself. For years, Adeline never announced our relationship, even arranged for me to be just a regular employee to avoid suspicion. I’ve worked hard, even drank myself sick to secure big deals for the company. All I wanted was to become better, to make her acknowledge me and our daughter. But my promotion applications were repeatedly rejected by her. I sought her out for an explanation. She smiled, clinging to my arm, sweetly said: “Declan, this is all to train you, so you can be a better husband and father!” “Besides, I earn enough for us. Do you think I can’t support you and our daughter, or are you trying to climb into the company’s upper ranks to seize power?” I was left speechless, thinking she had her reasons. But on the day Jasper returned, she sent dozens of luxury cars to the airport, the cannon salute was deafening. That night, Jasper parachuted into the company, appointed as Vice President. I realized then, love or lack thereof, the difference was obvious. Given this, there’s no need to continue this ridiculous marriage. I submitted my resignation. Stepping out of the company, I expected to feel heavy-hearted, but I only felt relief. For years, like a bird with clipped wings, I’ve been trapped in a cage, oppressed. Now, I see freedom ahead. I visited my daughter’s grave, placed her favorite toys by her small tombstone. Stayed with her until nightfall, then dragged my tired body home. To my surprise, opening the door, Adeline was unexpectedly home waiting. “Do you know what time it is? I thought you’d learned to stay out all night.” On the couch, Adeline frowned, arms crossed, displeased. Her expression was a signal for me to comfort her. But I found it odd that while Jasper’s minor injuries would keep her by his side, she wasn’t with him at the hospital today. Not my concern, so I didn’t ask. I calmly asked: “What’s up?” My cold tone made Adeline’s face stiffen. No matter what happened before, I always greeted her with a smile. But since she returned from her trip, I’ve been different. No arguments, no fuss, even my gaze lost warmth. This made her uneasy, quickly saying: “Are you still mad about me going with Jasper? I told you, it was just to relax.” “Didn’t our daughter always say she wanted to go to the beach? Once I’m less busy, I’ll take you and her, okay?” “Is something the matter?” Adeline’s expression shifted, caught off guard by the icy tone. In the past, no matter what happened, I always greeted her with a smile. But ever since she returned from her trip, I’ve changed. I no longer argue or make a fuss, and even my gaze towards her has grown cold. This unsettled her, prompting her to say hurriedly, “Are you still upset about me going out with Jasper? I told you, it was just a break to clear my mind.” “Our daughter has always wanted to go to the beach, right? Once things settle down, I’ll take you both. How about that?” Her attempt at reconciliation felt more like a condescending gesture. To her, my daughter and I were like pets—amusing when she was in a good mood, and pushed aside when she wasn’t. Suddenly, Adeline seemed to remember something and looked at me curiously. “Wait, where’s our daughter? I haven’t seen her since I got back.” “Did you send her to your mom?” I stared at her in disbelief. She had been back for two days and was only now asking about our daughter? It was clear she didn’t truly care about our daughter or this family. Before I could respond, Jasper emerged from the bathroom wearing my bathrobe.

Seeing me, Jasper was unfazed and acted as if he owned the place, warmly inviting me in: “Declan, come on in, make yourself comfortable.” I was momentarily speechless, looking questioningly at Adeline on the sofa. “Why is he here?” Sensing my expression, Adeline awkwardly explained, “Jasper hasn’t been well, so I brought him here to look after him. Don’t overthink it.” I suddenly understood. No wonder Adeline was home tonight—it was all for Jasper. She seemed relieved, adding, “It’s a good thing you sent our daughter to your mom’s beforehand. Otherwise, it would’ve been inconvenient with so many people here.” I found it ironic. She hadn’t even noticed our daughter’s absence, her mind solely occupied with Jasper. Jasper feigned remorse, saying, “It’s all my fault for disrupting your married life, Declan. I’m just here temporarily. You aren’t upset, right?” But his eyes were filled with smugness and a challenge. Adeline, anxious to avoid conflict, quickly interjected, “Declan, don’t worry. Jasper and I agreed he’d sleep on the sofa. He won’t disturb us.” But the next moment, I saw pity in her eyes for him. How could she bear to let Jasper sleep on a cold sofa? If I hadn’t come back suddenly, she would have cradled him in her arms. Thinking of this, I said, “Since his back is bad, he shouldn’t sleep on the sofa. He should sleep in the master bedroom.” Jasper’s face lit up with delight at my words. “Really? Declan, you’re so generous.” Adeline also breathed a sigh of relief. “Declan, I’m glad you see it this way. I was worried you’d be jealous of Jasper and make a scene.” She thought I had matured and wouldn’t argue over such trivial matters. I was leaving anyway, so why should it matter to me where he stays? As Adeline joyfully led Jasper into the master bedroom, I quietly packed my bags, ready to stay at a hotel. But as I reached the door, Adeline emerged from the bedroom and stopped me. “Declan, it’s late. Where are you going?” I smiled faintly. “To give you and Jasper some space, of course.” Upon hearing this, Adeline’s expression turned grim, and she gritted her teeth. “What do you mean by that, Declan?” “I already explained. It’s because of Jasper’s back pain that I brought him here temporarily. You’re the one who agreed to let him stay in the master bedroom. What are you doing now?” “Don’t you have any sympathy?” Her words were endless, but I found them amusing. I used to argue with her about Jasper, and she’d call me immature and unreasonable. Now that I was mature and didn’t argue, she was unhappy again. Jasper pretended to sob. “I knew Declan was still mad at me. It’s all my fault. I should just suffer on the street.” His poor acting fooled Adeline, who then shielded Jasper. “Jasper, you’re staying here today. I’d like to see who dares to kick you out!” Crossing her arms, she coldly said to me: “You’ve grown bold. Go ahead, leave if you dare!” She assumed I loved her too much to really leave. But from the moment our daughter died, my love for her vanished. I would never forgive her. I chuckled coldly, grabbed my suitcase, and left. Adeline stared at my back in disbelief, unable to comprehend. It wasn’t until I got in the elevator that I heard her shout, “Go on! If you leave, don’t come back!” But she didn’t realize I truly wouldn’t return. She had lost me forever. At the hotel, I slept peacefully. The next morning, I woke up to dozens of missed calls—all from Adeline. The last call was half an hour ago. I was surprised she hadn’t slept all night. She used to tell me to be more tolerant and not argue with Jasper. When did she become so petty? When I opened the door, Adeline sat tiredly in a chair. Seeing me, her eyes immediately welled up. “Just because I let Jasper stay with us, you’re leaving and quitting your job?”

I didn’t answer directly, but asked, frowning: “How did you know I was here?” Adeline’s voice was hoarse. “I checked your bank transactions.” I suddenly remembered that not long after we married, Adeline took control of our finances, monitoring my and our daughter’s expenses closely. Even the bank cards were under her name. Looks like I won’t be needing that card anymore. But I was puzzled. Shouldn’t she be at home taking care of Jasper? Why was she here? Adeline, unusually gentle, took my hand. “I know you’re still mad about last night.” “So this morning, after Jasper felt a bit better, I sent him away. Don’t worry, he slept on the sofa.” I looked at her in disbelief. She never used to explain these things. Whenever I argued with her about them, she’d call me petty and narrow-minded. But now, without me asking, she kept talking in my ear. I felt annoyed and pushed her away, expressionless. “Are you done? I need to go to an interview.” Recently, I’d sent out many resumes and received offers from several big companies. But just as I was about to leave, Adeline, tearful, grabbed me, her voice trembling: “Declan, must you be so heartless?” “Jasper and I grew up together. I just want him to be well. Is that wrong?” “Besides, haven’t I been good to you and our daughter?” “Haven’t I paid for everything you and our daughter needed all these years?” “Do you think this is fair to me?” Her confident words felt ironic. She only gave us 200 dollars a month, barely enough for basic needs, let alone school or commuting… To feed our daughter, I worked three part-time jobs after work. Yet, I couldn’t gather the ten thousand dollars for surgery and watched as our daughter died on the operating table. Tearfully, Adeline softly said: “Declan, stop this, come home with our daughter. Let’s live happily as a family, okay?” Her pitiful look only amused me. Why should I act like her obedient dog, doing whatever she says? Seeing my stern face, she reluctantly offered: “Then… I’ll raise your and our daughter’s allowance to 500 a month!” “Didn’t our daughter want to go to the beach? Let’s go today, okay?” “Look, I even bought her the swimsuit she always wanted.” She finished, looking at me expectantly. She thought her offer was tempting enough that I couldn’t refuse. I sneered coldly, “You want to take our daughter to the beach?” “Then come with me.” Adeline had no idea what was coming. She thought I’d forgiven her. As she followed me to the car, she joked: “We’ve been together so long, and you still have surprises for me?” “Alright, I’ll humor you and check it out.” But when I drove to our daughter’s grave, Adeline looked confused. “Declan, weren’t we going to your mom’s to see our daughter?” “Why did you bring me here?” I gave a bitter chuckle, “You want to take our daughter to the beach, right?” “Then follow me.” Adeline had no idea what was coming. She thought I’d forgiven her. Even as she got into the car with me, she joked with a playful smile: “We’ve been together for so long, and you’re still planning surprises for me?” “Alright, I’ll humor you and come along.” But when I drove to our daughter’s grave, Adeline looked puzzled. “Declan, weren’t you taking me to your mom’s to see our daughter?” “Why did you bring me here?” The moment Adeline saw our daughter’s photo on the tombstone, the swimsuit she had bought slipped from her hands.

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I had a fever of 39 degrees and asked my wife to take me to the hospital. She dismissed it as a waste of money and told me to just tough it out. I was writhing in pain on the floor when I overheard her on the phone, speaking warmly to someone she cherished deeply. “I got the latest model of the watch. Make sure to wear it for our date today.” “Of course, I have to give you something special. After all, you’re the heir to Lin Corporation. I can’t let you feel wronged.” My heart sank with despair. After a brief pause, I asked my wife for a divorce. She looked irritated. “You want a divorce over something so trivial? Do you even realize how much you earn monthly? What are you trying to do?” “If you want to divorce, fine. But all the marital assets must go to me.” I nodded in agreement. After all, what are marital assets compared to the fact that I’ve only been away for three years, and someone has already usurped my rightful place as the true heir of the Lin family? “It’s just a fever. Drink some warm water, and you’ll be fine. Going to the hospital is just a waste of money.” “Besides, the salary you gave me last month was too little. Our daily expenses are barely covered. If we go to the hospital, we’ll really be out of money next month.” My wife, Phoebe, sighed and gently adjusted the covers for me. In the past, seeing her troubled and concerned expression might have convinced me. But her recent phone call is still echoing in my mind. I looked at her without speaking. Assuming I believed her as usual, Phoebe patted my hair. “You stay home and rest. I’ll go out to buy groceries and make you a nice dinner tonight.” With that, she left without waiting for my response. Before leaving, she sprayed on some perfume and checked her reflection to ensure her makeup and outfit were perfect. Clearly, she wasn’t going grocery shopping but rather on a date. I sat in silence for two minutes, then got up and followed her in a cab. Soon, I saw Phoebe’s car parked in front of a restaurant. She got out and leapt onto the back of a waiting man with a smile. Their natural interaction showed this wasn’t their first meeting. I sat in the car, wrapped in a thick blanket, yet feeling colder than ever. All my lingering doubts were finally answered. No wonder she always complained about the lack of living expenses. No wonder she was hot and cold towards me, even though I tried so hard to please her. No wonder I often saw receipts for men’s gifts in her bag, but never received any myself. … Turns out, in her heart, my place had already been taken by another man. I felt a complex mix of emotions. I paid the cab fare and walked into the restaurant. Phoebe and I had come a long way, and I didn’t want to separate over a misunderstanding. I needed to understand her position. As I entered, I saw Phoebe feeding the man milk tea, using the same straw he had used without hesitation. But I remembered she had a cleanliness obsession and even found my worn clothes dirty. I clenched my fist, intending to step forward when Phoebe spotted me first. “Declan, what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be resting at home since you’re unwell?” Her expression was tense for a moment but quickly returned to normal. I stepped forward, glancing at the sumptuous meal on the table and the bill next to her. Two people, a meal costing nearly ten thousand. The card used was our joint one. The man beside her wore a brand-new watch on his wrist, and even the cheapest model of this brand costs over fifty thousand. I didn’t respond to her. I just gave a bitter laugh. “No wonder you didn’t want to take me to the hospital. Turns out all the money went here.” Phoebe got flustered, her usual gentle demeanor vanishing as she glared at me. “What are you sneering about? Orion is a friend who has helped me a lot. This is just a way to repay him.” “Instead, why are you, sick and all, following me here for no reason?” Before I could speak, Orion sneered, deliberately showing off his watch to me. “So you’re Phoebe’s useless boyfriend?” “You’re useless, making Phoebe suffer so much. If it were me, I’d be too ashamed to ask such questions and would only blame myself for not giving Phoebe a good life.” I looked him up and down, sneering without a word. “What are you looking at?” He felt uneasy, getting angry, and kicked at me. I quickly stepped back. Orion wasn’t quick enough and kicked the table leg instead. He yelled, and Phoebe immediately supported him, checking his foot without hesitation. “Why is it bleeding?” She frowned and glared at me, “Declan, look at what you’ve done. Apologize to Orion!” I laughed out of frustration. It was just a scratch, yet she made it sound serious. But I’d had a fever for two days, and she only lightly told me to bear it. Knowing what I was thinking, Phoebe snapped, “Can you compare to Orion? He’s the heir to Lin Corporation, someone special, and you’re rough and unrefined. Why are you being so dramatic?” I froze. Heir to Lin Corporation? Before I could react, Orion thought I was scared and raised his eyebrows smugly. “I advise you to listen to Phoebe. Apologize to me now, and maybe I’ll spare you.” “Otherwise…” “Otherwise, what?” I chuckled. As soon as I spoke, Phoebe slapped me hard. Her voice was cold, “Otherwise, we’ll divorce.” I was stunned, ignoring my ringing ears, staring at Phoebe. For a moment, she felt so unfamiliar. Three years ago, after we registered our marriage, she tore up our marriage certificate. I was shocked, but she told me tearing it meant we could never divorce. The person who once insisted on never divorcing now mentioned it first to make me apologize to another man. “I won’t apologize.” I looked at Orion, who was smug, and let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Do you remember? Our marriage certificate was torn.” “Tear it and replace it. Declan, did you really think tearing the certificate meant we couldn’t divorce? How naive are you?” They exchanged a glance and laughed in unison. The laughter was sharp and piercing. I clenched my fists, my voice dry. “Fine, let’s divorce.” “Alright, let’s go to the County Clerk’s Office tomorrow and make it official.” “But don’t forget, we signed a prenuptial agreement. No matter the reason, if we divorce, you’ll have to leave with nothing.” Phoebe replied swiftly. She didn’t seem surprised that I agreed to the divorce. There was even a glimmer of joy in her expression. For a moment, I couldn’t help but wonder if everything she’d done recently, even me following her today, was all part of her plan for our divorce. She’d wanted to divorce me for a long time. And I was just a fool being played. I said nothing, turned, and left. Outside the hotel, I picked up my phone and dialed. “Mom and Dad, I’ll listen to you. I’m coming home to take over the family business.”

When I initially refused an arranged marriage to be with Phoebe, who had saved me, my parents were strongly opposed. They believed that since I would eventually carry the Lin family legacy, I needed a wife who could support me. But Phoebe came from a poor background, hadn’t attended college, and had parents who favored sons over daughters. She didn’t meet the requirements for the Lin family matriarch. They even thought that without money, Phoebe and I wouldn’t last three years. I argued with them, and in the end, we signed a challenge agreement. If Phoebe and I stayed married for three years, they would drop their prejudices and accept her. Just this past New Year, I was smug. But who would have thought it was all wishful thinking? Our marriage ended today. Dad was surprised, “There’s only a week left until three years. You’re giving up now?” Hearing his disbelief, I laughed bitterly. “Stop pretending. You already knew, didn’t you? That person, you sent him, didn’t you?” When Orion claimed to be the heir of Lin Corporation, I suspected my parents were involved. But to my surprise, Dad sounded even more confused. “Pretending? What person?” “Your mom and I are vacationing abroad. We finally have some time off. How could we be involved in your affairs?” I felt puzzled, “Then, do you have a secret son, or did you adopt another child?” “You brat, what secret son, what child!” “I would if I could, but your mom wouldn’t agree. Otherwise, I’d have cut ties with you.” Dad said angrily. I knew he was just venting, so I quickly reassured him. When he heard I wanted to take over the company, he was soon all smiles. But I grew even more confused. Dad had no reason to lie to me. If Orion wasn’t sent by them and wasn’t an adopted child, then what was the deal with the heir of Lin Corporation? My head hurt, and considering my fever, I decided not to think further. “Foolish boy, what nonsense about illegitimate children? You’re my son!” “If it weren’t for your mom’s objections, I’d have cut ties with you long ago,” my dad fumed. I knew he was just venting, so I quickly reassured him. When he heard I was going to take over the company, his mood lifted instantly. Yet, I was more confused. My dad had no reason to lie. If Orion wasn’t someone my parents sent or adopted, then how was he involved with the Lin Corporation as an heir? Feeling a headache coming on, and still feverish, I decided to stop thinking about it for the moment. I returned to the home I hadn’t seen in three years. Thanks to the care of the family doctor and housekeeper, I was mostly recovered by the next day. Remembering I needed to finalize my divorce with Phoebe, I went back to my apartment to collect some documents. As soon as I entered, I heard laughter from the living room. My slippers were missing from the shoe cabinet, replaced by a pair of men’s sneakers. I recognized them as Orion’s. “Orion, you’re incredible. I didn’t expect someone like you to be into gaming,” Phoebe applauded him, then her tone shifted. “But Declan is hopeless. He’s so bad at games that playing with him ruins my appetite.” I found it ironic. Phoebe had always complained about my earnings, prompting me to work tirelessly, even sacrificing sleep. Phoebe, full of energy at home, always insisted I play games with her after work. Wanting to please her, I found time to play, despite her earlier claims that winning didn’t matter, just having fun. Now she was criticizing me for being bad at it. I chuckled and walked into the living room. Orion, wearing my pajamas, sat cross-legged on one side of the sofa, while Phoebe, in matching pajamas, lay with her head on his lap, looking cozy. Upon seeing me, Phoebe hesitated, seemingly wanting to sit up. But quickly, as if remembering our impending divorce, she remained where she was. “You didn’t come home last night? Where were you?” “Probably clearing the path for us. Didn’t expect this loser to be so considerate,” Orion sneered. I glanced at him, ignored the comment, and headed to my room to pack my belongings. Phoebe didn’t seem to mind him calling me a loser and continued enjoying herself with him. Their laughter echoed through the door. I planned to pack my things, finalize the divorce, and leave. But barely two minutes later, Phoebe walked in. I didn’t look up, continuing my task. “You still have this?” Phoebe suddenly spoke. I looked up to see her holding an envelope. After she once helped cover my medical bills, I tried to repay her. But she put the money in an envelope and handed it back with a smile. “I don’t like being repaid. I prefer to be remembered forever.” She got her wish. Since then, I hadn’t forgotten her. Even after marriage, I never touched that money. No matter how broke I was, I wouldn’t use it. “Take it. Once we finalize the divorce, we’ll be completely done.” I said calmly. Phoebe frowned. After a few seconds of thought, she gently said, “We don’t have to get divorced. If you can accept my relationship with Orion, I won’t divorce you.” I was taken aback. Then I laughed and asked, “He doesn’t want to marry you?” “What nonsense are you spouting?” Phoebe was visibly upset and embarrassed. “He dreams of marrying me.” Yet, her face paled a bit, and her tone softened. But there was a hint of disappointment. “But in Orion’s circle, that’s not common. Marriage is usually for alliances.” “Declan, it’s not that I don’t like you. I’m just considering my future.” “With your current salary, you can’t even buy me a house. I’m tired of living in a rental, seeing a future that’s so predictable. I don’t want this life anymore.” Seeing her impatience, I couldn’t help but ask. “You’re giving up on me just for money? Do these three years mean nothing to you?” “What if I told you Orion’s a fake, and I’m the real heir of the Lin family?” Phoebe laughed dismissively. “Stop being ridiculous.” She looked at me with disdain. “Declan, I thought we might stay together because of some feelings. But now you’re lying and slandering Orion.” I didn’t explain. I just found it amusing. We were together for three years, yet she chose to believe another man over me. “I’ve printed the divorce agreement.” “Let’s part ways.” I handed her the divorce papers. For some reason, Phoebe seemed upset but still took the papers, immediately checking the asset division clauses. “You drafted this before. If there are no issues, sign it,” I said. Phoebe had drawn up this prenuptial agreement before our marriage, specifically noting that I would leave with nothing upon divorce. Sadly, I thought it was a joke at the time. After checking, Phoebe signed both copies. I left one with her, took my suitcase, and prepared to leave. “Wait.” After taking a couple of steps, Phoebe suddenly came forward and grabbed my suitcase. I looked at her, puzzled. Phoebe waved the agreement. “Declan, don’t forget. It says you leave with nothing, so nothing here is yours.” I laughed out of frustration. “These are my clothes and personal items, not assets.” “How are they not? Didn’t money buy these things?” Phoebe sneered. “Strictly following the contract, you should strip, not even keep your underwear, unless you pay for them…” I didn’t want to argue, so I took out my phone and transferred money to her. Most of my clothes were cheap, bought from street vendors. They weren’t worth much. But I never kept money on me. Seeing I really transferred the money, she was surprised. “Where did you get the money?” “Declan, are you hiding money from me?” This time I didn’t feel sad about her distrust. I ignored her and left with my suitcase. I had returned home. Why would I need to hide money? All the money would rightfully end up in my pocket. I focused on the family business. Hearing I was home, Mom and Dad were so happy they took a few extra days for their honeymoon. I joined the company. My parents wanted me to take a high position immediately, but I refused. After all, I’d been gone for three years. Even if everyone listened to me because I’m their son, they might not respect me. So I started from the bottom, hiding my identity. Thinking about Orion claiming he’s the Lin heir, I looked into him. But everyone seemed tight-lipped. Eventually, I pieced it together. But I didn’t tell Phoebe. During this time, she posted a lot on social media, and Orion was in every post. They traveled together, dined together, exchanged gifts. Once, she posted a picture on the beach with Orion, dressed lightly. Orion commented inappropriately. Phoebe just replied with a coy emoji. I realized there was no need to say more. Phoebe’s heart was entirely set on Orion, and there was no point in trying. I focused on work. One day after work, I had nothing to do. Since my parents were returning the next day, I wanted to leave a good impression, so I cleaned the executive office. Halfway through, a loud voice came from behind. “Hey, isn’t this Declan, the loser?” I turned to see Orion standing at the door, with Phoebe holding his arm, looking cozy. “Why are you here?” Phoebe looked at me disdainfully, her eyes scanning the cloth in my hand. I wanted to ask the same. Lin Corporation’s security is strict. How did they get in? Before I could speak, Orion laughed exaggeratedly. “Wow, couldn’t find a job so you’re cleaning at Lin Corporation? You know, if you want a good job, I could help. Cleaning is beneath you.” His words were full of sarcasm. Phoebe looked at me with even more disdain. “Declan, I didn’t expect you’d end up like this.” “Orion, help him out. He’s my ex, and I don’t want others gossiping.” Phoebe said softly to Orion. Her attitude towards me was completely different. Orion was pleased and smiled proudly. “Sure, I’m not one to hold grudges. Since you asked for him, I’ll let the past go.” His words dripped with sarcasm. Phoebe’s face showed even more displeasure. “Declan, I didn’t think you’d fall so far.” Orion was pleased and smiled smugly. “But if you want my help, you’ll have to show some sincerity. Declan, kneel down and apologize, and I’ll consider transferring you.” I couldn’t help but laugh at his arrogance. “What are you laughing at?” Orion frowned. I replied, “You claim to be the heir to the Lin Corporation, but your name isn’t on the executive list. If you don’t believe me, check it yourself. The Lin Corporation’s executive list is publicly available.” Phoebe’s eyes filled with doubt, as if she was considering verifying it. Orion’s expression flickered with unease but quickly returned to normal. “It’s just to avoid suspicion.” “Regardless of whether my name is on the list, I’m still my dad’s son.” Hearing this, Phoebe seemed to agree and nodded, dismissing her doubts. “Enough, Declan. Orion is kindly offering to help you. Don’t be ungrateful.” “Kindly?” I sneered, “More like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Perhaps because I exposed him, a flash of malice crossed Orion’s eyes. Angrily, he grabbed a vase next to him, intending to throw it at me. I immediately recognized it as my dad’s prized antique, which he had spent millions on at an auction. “You’d better put that down, that’s…” Before I could finish, Orion smashed the vase at my feet with a vicious throw. “So what if I threw it? It’s my dad’s stuff. I can do whatever I want with it!” Phoebe gently traced a finger along his chest. “Don’t get upset. Declan’s just a poor soul without parents and doesn’t understand much. Don’t bother with him.” When Phoebe and I were together, I had spun a tale about being from an orphanage, and she promised to keep it a secret forever. But now, she just revealed it. Orion sneered, “No wonder he’s so uncultured. But we don’t take just anyone at Lin Corporation.” He gestured to the security guards nearby. After giving them instructions, the guards nodded and were about to throw me out. “Stop! I’m the real heir to the Lin Corporation!” I said coldly. As soon as I spoke, a guard struck me hard with a baton. The strong electric shock made my whole body ache, and I couldn’t help but scream. “Come on, we’ve seen the real young master countless times over the past three years. You’re just a newbie. If you’re the young master, then I’m the chairman.” The guards laughed loudly, and Phoebe looked at me with even more disdain. Orion insulted me while dragging me toward the stairs. Just then, my dad’s deep voice suddenly boomed from behind. “Are you out of your mind? Let’s see who dares touch my son!” I struggled to turn around and saw my dad looking in my direction, his face stern. Behind him were a dozen people, and I recognized that most of the company’s executives were there. Orion froze at first, then quickly let go of me and stepped forward with a smile. “Dad, you’re back. Weren’t you supposed to return from your honeymoon tomorrow? Why didn’t you…” Before he could finish, my dad slapped him hard across the face. The slap was loud, and he was immediately stunned. “Who do you think you are? You dare to hit my son and then claim you’re related to me?!”

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On our wedding anniversary, my husband invited Cora to our home for a rendezvous. They stayed together until late into the night. Cora caught a cold, but my husband redirected his frustration at me. He locked me out on the balcony all night and then shoved me into the freezer as if to punish me. I was trapped for three full days. After I died, my soul drifted away from my body. I watched Cora place my corpse into boiling water until it was beyond recognition. Then, she had the crematorium staff take me away to an abandoned factory. When my husband saw my pitiful state, he called Cora to remind her to stay safe. A colleague reminded him not to forget about me. He sneered, “Cora is delicate, so of course I should care for her. As for Adeline, she’s too tough to die so easily.” But he had no idea that the decayed body in front of him was mine. As a top mortician, he couldn’t even recognize my face. 0 Cora was the one who sent me to the crematorium. Before they took me in, she looked at my disfigured body and sneered, “Adeline, since you love Asher so much, I’ll let him send you off.” So, after my death, I saw Asher for the first time. He frowned at my body and then took out his phone to call Cora. “Cora, I’ve received a highly decomposed body here, so I’ll be home late. Also, with all these homicide cases lately, make sure to lock the doors and windows. Don’t go out at night.” His tone was tender and affectionate. Sadly, in five years of marriage, I never experienced that. On the other end, Cora responded coyly. “Come back soon, I’ll be worried about you.” They exchanged a few more words, and before hanging up, Cora hinted, “Asher, you’ll make sure today’s client looks beautiful, won’t you?” She meant something deeper, but unfortunately, Asher didn’t catch on. After all, in his heart, Cora was the delicate flower needing protection. But it was this delicate flower who, after my death, placed my body into boiling water until I was unrecognizable before bringing me here. Seven days ago was my fifth wedding anniversary with Asher. I prepared a candlelight dinner at home, waiting for Asher to return. Instead, he came back with Cora. Seeing my mood drop, he impatiently scolded, “Cora just came back from abroad all alone. Can’t you be a bit more understanding?” But wasn’t she alone abroad too? Before I could say anything, Asher pushed me onto the balcony. Maybe he was afraid I’d interrupt them, so he locked the door from the inside. The candlelight dinner I prepared became their feast. I froze on the balcony all night. The next day, Cora claimed she caught a cold. Unusually, Asher got angry at me, which ultimately led to my demise. While Asher and I argued, Cora pressed against his arm, trying to mediate, “Asher, Adeline surely didn’t mean it. It’s all my fault for being so delicate.” I was furious at Cora’s behavior and pointed to the door, telling her to leave. Asher, however, was enraged. He dragged me by the hair to the freezer and shoved me in. Before the light faded, the last thing I heard him say was, “Adeline, you’re worthless. Just cool off in there.” I struggled inside, banging and shouting. But the freezer door wouldn’t open from the inside. I begged until my fingers bled, but Asher never let me out. I died from suffocation and cold. Afterward, Cora soaked me in boiling water, leaving me unrecognizable. It wasn’t until today that she sent me to the crematorium. 0

After calling Cora, Asher’s colleague Gideon teased, “Asher, you’re so concerned about your first love. Doesn’t your wife mind?” Asher walked over to my body and replied, “Cora is delicate. Of course, I care about her. As for Adeline, she’s too tough to die easily.” Hearing that, my heart ached. I wondered how Asher would feel once he realized the decayed body lying before him was the same Adeline he thought was too tough to die. All I knew was that I felt deeply hurt. I had loved Asher for so many years, yet in his heart, I couldn’t even compare to a single word from Cora. After the preparations were done, Asher and Gideon stood solemnly by my body and bowed deeply. It was the first time I saw Asher at work, and the first time I realized he was gentler with corpses than he ever was with me. I had deceived myself into thinking he was just naturally cold. Turns out it was just because he didn’t love me. I felt so unwilling! But Asher was already absorbed in his work. Even when Gideon couldn’t stand the smell and stepped out for air, Asher didn’t stop. Soon, he restored my legs, body, and arms. When only my head was left, Asher took a deep breath and stood up to stretch his stiff muscles. He leaned against the hallway wall, lost in thought. Gideon asked, “Got to you?” Asher didn’t answer. As he put on his mask to return to work, he said, “Just seems a little tragic.” For someone who sees corpses daily to find my situation tragic, I chuckled, anticipating his next reaction. Asher meticulously filled, pressed, and reshaped. My face slowly took form. His skills were truly impressive. My face, once unrecognizable, began to resemble its former self. When he finished, Asher examined my face closely. After a moment, he turned to Gideon, “Doesn’t this face look familiar to you?” Gideon glanced over and exclaimed, “You know, it does look a bit like…” He stopped mid-sentence, staring at Asher, “Don’t get mad, but it looks a bit like… like your wife.” 0

After he spoke, he watched Asher intently, but Asher just frowned and stood up. “Must be a coincidence. Adeline’s worthless. Who would go to such lengths to kill her?” Gideon couldn’t respond, so he agreed, “It must be a coincidence. Your wife hardly ever leaves the house. How could anything happen to her?” They covered my body with a white cloth and called for it to be taken for cremation. Perhaps the resemblance disturbed Asher. After my body left, he followed shortly after. Several times, his car almost hit the guardrail. Eventually, he pulled over and called Cora. “Cora, Adeline… she’s at home, right?” Cora pretended to be jealous, huffing, “Why do you always ask about Adeline? You afraid I’ll eat her or something?” As Asher anxiously explained, she laughed, “I’m just teasing. Adeline’s your wife. You’re supposed to care about her. Why would I be jealous?” “Don’t worry, she was with me just now. She’s probably out shopping.” Cora lied effortlessly. Trusting her completely, Asher was reassured. After a few sweet words, he hung up and headed to the mall. Watching him walk, I recalled wanting that unique ring before our wedding. Asher berated me in public. “It’s just a gimmick meant to fool idiots like you.” The salesperson’s expression was unpleasant, and I felt humiliated under their gazes, like a cold splash of water on a chilly spring day. That was my first hint that I might just be a substitute for Cora. Asher didn’t love me. But I loved him from the moment he stood in front of me. So I swallowed my pride, smoothed things over, and bought a simple wedding band. Why was he here now? Was he finally feeling guilty after my death? Trying to make amends this way? I followed Asher to the store. Maybe it left a strong impression, because the clerk remembered him. “Mr. Asher, are you picking a gift for your wife?” 0

Asher didn’t deny it. But when the clerk showed him the latest styles, he suddenly said, “I want that ring you can only buy once.” The clerk seemed genuinely happy for me. She handed Asher that ring and said, “Your wife wanted this last time. She’ll be thrilled to receive it.” “By the way, Mr. Asher, we can engrave the ring. Would you like that?” My heart pounded. Though Asher caused my death, I had loved him for so long. I needed to know if he had even the slightest affection for me, just a tiny bit. “Engrave Cola.” When Asher’s words came, my heart shattered completely. The clerk thought it was my initials and cheerfully went to engrave it. Asher waited with an indifferent expression. But I was truly dead. My body and heart were gone. Yet for some reason, I was still bound to Asher, unable to leave. How cruel of fate, to have me killed by them, then watch their love unfold even in death. Is this my punishment for being blind and giving my heart to the wrong person? As soon as Asher spoke, my heart, which had been anxiously suspended, shattered into pieces. The shop assistant mistakenly thought it was my name and eagerly went to have it engraved. Meanwhile, Asher waited with a detached demeanor. I was the only one truly gone—my life ended, and my spirit crushed. Yet, inexplicably, I remained bound to Asher, unable to leave. How cruel the universe is, to let me be harmed by them, and even in death, force me to witness their affection. Is this my punishment for misplacing my trust and heart in the wrong person? After the engraving was done, Asher casually picked up a necklace, paid, and left. When we returned home, Cora feigned worry, “Asher, Adeline still hasn’t come back. Do you think something might have happened?” Perhaps surprised I wasn’t home, Asher paused momentarily before relaxing. “She’s probably just being stubborn. Don’t worry about her. She has no family here; she’ll come back eventually.” I was shocked by Asher’s words. Only now did I realize my journey for love, crossing mountains and seas, was just a gamble to him, certain I wouldn’t leave. No wonder! No wonder he dared to openly bring Cora home, convinced that I couldn’t survive without him. Cora blamed herself, “I shouldn’t have come here. Otherwise, Adeline wouldn’t be upset, affecting your relationship.” Her self-reproachful expression made Asher feel incredibly tender towards her, comforting her with an arm around her shoulders, “It’s not your fault. I never had feelings for her. I only married her because she seemed suitable for daily life.” Cora wanted to continue, but Asher cut her off. “Let’s not talk about these unlucky things. I got you a birthday gift. Come see if you like it?” Asher spoke as if I were the misfortune, completely forgetting that Cora had broken up with him initially because she despised his job. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself, watching as Cora easily got the ring I had desperately desired. When she put it on, it was a bit tight, and her touched expression froze. “Asher, did you get the wrong size? This isn’t my size?” Asher felt a bit frustrated. The shop assistant assumed the ring was for me and used my size. Asher, concerned about his pride, couldn’t admit it was for someone else. He had to swallow this bitter pill. Their unhappiness lightened the weight in my chest. Even in death, Asher was my unresolved issue. In the end, to maintain appearances, Cora placed the ring, meant for her ring finger, on her pinky and forced a smile, “Maybe I’ve gained weight recently. A different finger works.” Their awkwardness dissipated. To make it up to her, Asher went to the kitchen to cook, while Cora stormed into the room and stomped on the newly bought ring, her face dark. “Adeline, you bothered me alive, and now in death, you won’t let me be. Didn’t you care most about Asher? I’ll show you how he becomes mine.” I saw her take out a small bottle from a locked drawer, piecing together her words… A sense of foreboding arose. “Cora, dinner’s ready!” Asher’s voice called out, and Cora, clutching the bottle, went to the living room. “Asher, I have some fine wine. Let’s have a drink.” She suggested gently, and Asher suspected nothing, continuing to bring dishes to the table. I saw Cora pour the contents of the bottle into the wine behind his back. As they drank, their figures became suggestive. After a few sips, Asher’s eyes turned hazy, and he kept murmuring, “Cora… Cora…” They say you speak the truth when drunk. Asher really never had me in his heart. The next moment, Cora coaxed him into our room, half-undressed on the wedding bed I had chosen. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see, but the sounds still reached my ears. My hatred reached its peak. I hated the injustice of fate, hated Asher’s heartlessness, hated Cora’s malice, and hated myself more for being unable to avenge myself. I curled up in the living room, head buried, when suddenly there was a knock at the door late at night. Asher opened the door, and the person outside said with a sorrowful expression, “Professor Asher, my condolences.” Before he could speak, they handed him an urn and a peace amulet necklace. It was the one I had spent a month’s salary on to get for Asher when he first started his job. Because of Cora’s one remark about it being ugly, he had thrown it away, and I had later picked it up again. “We found this among the deceased’s belongings yesterday. I remember Adeline treasured it. Professor Asher, is this right?”

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After finishing the SAT, I got into a car accident on my way to pick up my Harvard acceptance letter. My parents gave up on saving me and donated my corneas to my sister. I died on the operating table, while my sister regained her sight. She and my handsome, rich boyfriend went on to live a perfect life. But what they didn’t know was that I was reborn into another person’s body. This time, it was my sister lying on my operating table, wanting to look exactly like me so she could attend Harvard in my place. “Dr. Reed, the surgery is about to begin.” 1 Pain. Excruciating pain. Every inch of my body ached. My eyelids were covered in blood, and my eardrums were ringing. I could only hear the chaotic sounds of people screaming about a car accident. Through my blood-soaked vision, I vaguely saw someone rush over and hold me, shouting my name and begging me to wake up, screaming at others to call 91 Who are you? I tried to open my mouth, but only blood spilled out. I don’t know how much time passed, but the smell of antiseptic stimulated my brain. I heard my usually indifferent parents coldly tell the doctor, “Don’t bother saving her.” Save me… I wanted to raise my arm, beg them to save me. I got into Harvard, I would be rich, I would give them so much money if they just saved me. But my arm was broken, the pain was intense, and I had no strength left in my body. My consciousness began to blur, and my soul gradually sank into a dark quagmire. I struggled, the feeling of weightlessness making me panic. In the thick, seemingly impenetrable darkness, I heard my dad and mom announce to many people that they would donate my body, giving my useful organs to those who needed them more. How ironic. Would those people moved by their “great love” know that they gave their adopted daughter’s corneas to their biological daughter – my dear sister? Would they know that my sister would take my place, go to Harvard, and be with my boyfriend? Just because I was adopted, did I deserve to be beaten and scolded since childhood, using my efforts and my future to pave the way for their daughter? Just because I was adopted, did I deserve to die?! I hated them! I hated them so much! My soul felt like it was being split in two, one half being dragged down to hell, the other half desperately struggling to survive. I couldn’t die. I had to live. I had to live! In this intense emotional state, my consciousness once again fell into chaos… “Dr. Reed? Dr. Reed?” I suddenly woke up from my nightmare, cold sweat beading on my forehead. “Dr. Reed, are you alright? Another nightmare?” Although I had been reborn into this body for two months, I still frequently dreamed of the day of the accident. The fear of death enveloped me like a nightmare. I pinched the bridge of my nose where my glasses had left a mark and looked up. Nurse Emma was holding a medical record, looking at me with concern. “I’m fine, Emma. Don’t worry.” “Dr. Reed, are you sure? If you’re not feeling well, maybe Dr. Johnson should take over the next surgery.” Emma frowned, clearly not believing me. “You haven’t rested properly for days. No matter how busy work is, you need to take care of yourself.” I took the handkerchief from the desk and wiped the cold sweat from my forehead. “I’m really fine, Emma. Go prepare for the surgery.” Seeing Emma’s worried expression, I felt a warmth in my heart. “It’s okay, don’t worry about me. I know my own body.” I smiled, “Go prepare for the surgery. I’ll be there soon.” Emma nodded and left with the medical record. I got up and walked to the window, looking down at the city’s night view. Bright lights, bustling nightlife – this kind of luxury was what my dear sister had pursued all her life, even going so far as to have surgery to look like me and steal my identity. Thinking about this, a cold glint flashed in my eyes. Natalie, you won’t be so lucky this time. The window reflected a face with an indifferent expression. Looking at this face, I felt a moment of disorientation. Dr. Reed, since fate has given me a chance to be reborn as you, I will definitely make them pay. “Dr. Reed, the surgery is about to start.” I nodded. “I’m coming.” Natalie, Mom, Dad, I wonder how you’ll feel when you see me again. I’m quite curious. 2 Dr. Olivia Reed was a top plastic surgeon at a private cosmetic surgery clinic. It was said that the faces she created were more beautiful than those done by ordinary plastic surgeons, with a special kind of beauty. Natalie had heard of Dr. Reed’s reputation and insisted on coming to this private clinic for her surgery. I put on my gloves, looking at Dr. Reed’s hands. They were long and slender, and without gloves, you could see they were white and delicate, with beautiful knuckles – not at all like hands that wielded a scalpel. Unlike my hands from my previous life, which were covered in calluses from years of hard work. Natalie, these hands are about to operate on you. Are you happy? I coldly looked at Natalie lying on the operating table. Don’t worry, I’ll make you exceptionally beautiful. Whether you can handle this kind of beauty is your problem. “Dr. Reed, the surgery is starting.” “Mm.” Looking at the photo Natalie had provided, which was placed nearby, I felt strangely calm. Remembering the three of them in my office made me sick to my stomach. Natalie had thrown a tantrum in my office, “Why do I have to look like that bitch? I don’t want to!” They at least knew enough to be embarrassed, scolding Natalie in a low voice. “Behave yourself!” Natalie looked defiant after being scolded but didn’t say anything else. I looked at her bright eyes. These were originally my corneas. Sister, are you comfortable with my corneas? “Dr. Reed, we want her to look exactly like this photo. It has to be identical. Is that possible?” Emily Sanders asked haughtily. “We’ve heard you’re the best, that’s why we came to you! I must say, you charge almost twice as much as other clinics for a single surgery. Since we’re paying this much, we expect to see results, you understand?” I smiled politely, but the smile didn’t reach my eyes. “Mrs. Sanders, I’m the top surgeon at our clinic. If I say I can do it, I’ll definitely make sure you and Natalie are satisfied.” I picked up the photo on the desk. The girl in it had a ponytail and a youthful face. If it weren’t for this family, I should have been enjoying my college life… “Well, if Dr. Reed says so, then I’m relieved. Natalie, let’s go.” “Take care!” The surgery proceeded step by step. Not only did I have to give Natalie a perfect face, but I also had to make her even more stunning than the girl in the photo. Three hours later, the surgery was over. I tiredly left the operating room, almost collapsing when I sat down in my office. I stared blankly at the ceiling, silently calculating how long it would take for problems to appear on Natalie’s face. Yes, although Dr. Reed was indeed the star surgeon of this plastic surgery clinic, she almost never accepted full-face reconstructions like Natalie had requested. This type of surgery not only had a long recovery period but also carried extreme risks. Moreover, to “satisfy” Natalie’s demands, I had made quite extensive changes to her face. If my calculations were correct, within two years at most, Natalie’s face would start showing problems. Without regular corrective surgeries, there would be virtually no chance of recovery. Natalie, you have two years. Are you ready? 3 Natalie stayed in the hospital for nearly a month. Almost every day, I saw her using my phone to contact Jack. Jack Thompson, my boyfriend. We had once promised to go to Harvard together. But now, it seems that was nothing but a bubble, not worth mentioning. “Ms. Sanders,” I said as I entered the room. Seeing me come in, Natalie hurriedly hid the phone behind her back and said angrily, “Why don’t you knock before entering? Is this how you behave?” I smiled politely, “I’m sorry, Ms. Sanders, but our hospital policy allows plastic surgeons to enter patient rooms without knocking. It’s mainly to prevent certain emergency situations.” “Please understand.” “What kind of stupid rule is that? Call your hospital director, I can’t believe I have to put up with this from a mere plastic surgeon!” Natalie had always had a bad temper and particularly liked to take my things. I used to think my parents spoiled her because they felt sorry for her poor eyesight, but now I realize they probably just disliked me for no particular reason. Hating someone doesn’t require a reason. They can even let that person die. Listening to her unreasonable complaints, my head throbbed. It looks like I’ll be causing trouble for Dr. Johnson again today. Unexpectedly, George Sanders walked in at that moment. “Natalie, are you being unreasonable again? Dr. Reed performed your surgery, how can you throw a tantrum? Apologize to Dr. Reed right now!” George Sanders was always smooth in his dealings with people. As soon as he entered, he sized up the situation and realized Natalie was throwing another tantrum. He immediately scolded Natalie, effectively cutting off any response I might have had. “Dad, she came in without knocking!” “Enough, stop being unreasonable!” I stood to the side with my arms crossed, coldly watching the father-daughter act, my heart aching. You see, George Sanders would defend his daughter, but only Natalie. He would never defend me. He would only slap me across the face when I was accused of stealing from classmates, unable to defend myself, calling me a bitch and a thief. I often wondered how a father could treat two daughters so differently. They even let Natalie replace everything about me, effortlessly obtaining what she shouldn’t have. So what was I? Wasn’t I their daughter too? “Dr. Reed, I’m so sorry. We’ve been too lenient at home, spoiling her. I’ll have a good talk with her later.” “It’s alright, I understand. Young girls are often pampered at home.” Just not me. “I’m glad you understand. So, when can we remove the bandages from Natalie’s face?” “That’s actually why I came today. Ms. Sanders, I’ve checked your records, and you’re recovering well. We can remove the bandages tomorrow, and then you can go home. Just take good care of yourself at home after that.” I turned to George Sanders, “Mr. Sanders, when you check out tomorrow, Nurse Emma will give you and Mrs. Sanders a booklet with important instructions. Please pay close attention to them.” Hearing that Natalie could be discharged tomorrow, George Sanders’ face wrinkled with a smile. Knowing him, a month of hospital fees must have cost him quite a bit. “Great, great. Thank you so much, Dr. Reed.” “You’re welcome. If you need anything, just press the call button for Nurse Emma. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now.” “Take care, Dr. Reed!” Walking out of the room, I looked through the window and saw Natalie holding George Sanders’ hand, acting coy. I suddenly smiled. The game is about to begin. 4 The day Natalie was discharged was quite spectacular. When she removed her bandages, everyone in the room was shocked. Even the doctors and nurses, who were used to seeing artificial beauties, were stunned for a moment. Only I remained calm. It was exactly as I had expected. This face was truly perfect. In Dr. Olivia Reed’s professional career, this was perhaps her most flawless work.

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The day Jack Sullivan was admitted to the ICU, I broke up with him, tired of living in constant danger by his side. I left the country and got married. While he was struggling for his life, I didn’t even visit him once. He hated me to the bone. Three years later, his grandfather dragged him back to their hometown to exhume and rebury the remains from an unmarked grave. Jack held a wrist bone in his hand and said coldly, “Rachel Sullivan, why couldn’t it have been you who died?” But he didn’t know. The skeleton he was picking up with his own hands was mine. … July had just arrived when a heavy rainstorm hit, washing away my grave. It rained for several days. As soon as the sky cleared, I saw a figure stumbling towards me, step by step. I sat in front of the tombstone and greeted Grandpa, but I watched as he slowly crouched down, digging at the soil bit by bit with his aged hands, trying to rebury my coffin. “Oh, my poor child! What are we going to do?” he lamented. My heart ached. I wanted to help Grandpa up and tell him it was okay, but my hand passed right through his body. I kept forgetting that I had been dead for three years. As Grandpa continued digging, a sudden clarity flashed in his cloudy eyes. He muttered to himself, “A wet grave won’t do. Rachel won’t rest in peace… We need to exhume the remains and rebury them. Yes, that’s it.” He then shakily pulled out his phone from his pocket. The old man’s fingers were stiff, pausing after each number, but he persevered and dialed his grandson’s number. “Jack, come back quickly! It’s an emergency!” I tried to stop Grandpa when he dialed that familiar number, but as a mere soul, I could do nothing. So I could only clasp my hands together and silently pray that Jack wouldn’t come. “Grandpa, what’s wrong? Don’t worry, I’ll take leave and come right away.” …My last hope died. After hanging up, Grandpa sat dazed for a while, then stood up and stumbled towards home. “Grandpa! You’ve really done it this time! Didn’t we agree to keep it a secret?” I knew Grandpa couldn’t hear me, but I couldn’t help nagging as I followed behind him. Before I knew it, I had followed Grandpa back home. I was both surprised and delighted. For the past three years, I could only move within ten meters of my grave. It had been suffocating. I hovered near Grandpa’s shoulder, as if I were still alive. Over the years, Jack had repeatedly suggested that Grandpa move to the city with him, but each time Grandpa refused. Jack thought Grandpa just couldn’t bear to leave his hometown, but I understood. Grandpa was afraid the little girl he had raised since childhood would be lonely, so he stayed here. The next day, Jack arrived. He looked rushed and disheveled, clearly having traveled in haste. He crouched down to be at eye level with Grandpa, who was sitting, and carefully checked if he had any injuries. “Grandpa, are you alright? What happened? Why did you call me back so urgently?” Grandpa’s gaze was somewhat unfocused, and he spoke haltingly but with obvious anxiety: “Wet grave… not good, move… need to move… exhume!” Exhuming remains, also known as bone washing, refers to the ritual of opening a grave years after burial, collecting the remains, and reburying them. Jack frowned. Having grown up with his grandfather, he naturally understood some of the techniques of exhuming remains, but he didn’t understand. His parents’ ashes were buried in a cemetery after cremation, so whose bones did Grandpa want to exhume? I floated in front of Jack, my hand gently caressing his face. The man before me had grown thinner, darker, with unshaven stubble on his face. “Jack? So this is your home.” I saw a beautiful woman appear at the door, her voice filled with intimacy and dependence. Jack nodded in response and continued questioning Grandpa, “Grandpa, whose bones are we exhuming?” Grandpa’s eyes were still somewhat confused as he spoke unclearly. “It’s… Ra…chel.” My mind went blank, and I froze in place. Then I heard Jack laugh coldly. “Her? Good riddance.”

Jack and I grew up together as family and were also lovers who understood each other’s hearts. But when we parted, it was ugly. In front of everyone, I argued with Jack, saying I was tired of living in constant danger with him, tired of the anxiety-filled life. I said I had found a rich man and was preparing to go abroad to marry him. I had never said such hurtful things before, and naturally, Jack didn’t believe it. He lay in the ICU for a month, constantly mumbling that he wanted to see me when he was conscious, but I never showed up. I even had someone tell him that we were done for good. Finally, he gave up hope. His hatred for me was justified. Meanwhile, Jack thought that since Grandpa had mistaken that grave for Rachel Sullivan’s, he would go check it out to give Grandpa an explanation, so he could quickly return to the police station. I followed behind Jack, afraid he would recognize my remains. His junior, Emily Johnson, also followed behind him. “Jack,” she said coquettishly, “who was that person Grandpa mentioned earlier?” I saw Jack’s footsteps falter. “A liar.” “Is that so? I thought it might be your girlfriend. People at the police station all say… you had a girlfriend you were about to marry before.” “If it were her… I’d hope it really was her buried in that grave.” He muttered softly, but I heard it all. “But why would Grandpa bring up a liar?” Jack was clearly annoyed by topics related to me. “Why keep talking about this?” Emily pouted. “Fine.” Soon, we arrived at my tombstone. Emily looked around, seeing only dense forest. The heavy rain had mercilessly uncovered this piece of land, the soil had slid away, and the grave had collapsed, revealing the place where I had long been resting. The coffin lay there alone, looking somewhat eerie. “Jack, this place is scary.” Jack said impatiently, “Emily, no one asked you to come along. I promised your dad I’d take care of you, but you don’t need to follow me everywhere.” His junior felt a bit hurt by these words and lowered her head, no longer speaking. However, she still followed behind Jack. The path was uneven, and she accidentally twisted her ankle, the pain bringing tears to her eyes. Jack was crouching down to examine the unmarked tombstone. Hearing her soft cry, he stopped and looked back. Seeing the pain on his junior’s face, he sighed. He walked over, bent down, and carried her on his back. “Let’s head back,” Jack said softly. Emily smiled secretly on Jack’s back. “I knew Jack was the best,” she said. Watching them, I remembered when Jack and I were young. When I couldn’t walk on mountain paths, I would pretend to twist my ankle to get Jack to carry me. Every time, he would do this – his face full of impatience, grumbling, “Not again. Why are you so delicate?” But even so, he would still crouch down, turn his back to me, sigh softly, and say, “Come on, get on.” I would climb onto his back with a smile, my arms around his neck. The mountain path was steep, but his steps were so steady it was reassuring. From his back, I could see far into the distance, as if I could see our future. His future might now include a new girl. Reaching this conclusion, my eyes stung. I immediately rubbed my face hard. Rachel! Wake up! You’re already dead! His bride will never be you! Jack didn’t know why, but ever since he arrived here, he had felt uneasy, as if some primordial instinct was warning him. This feeling wasn’t unfamiliar to him. Many times during missions, he had relied on this intuition to escape danger. However, this panic now was more intense and rapid than ever before. Jack suddenly looked back, and I stared at him, momentarily unable to distinguish between dream and reality. For that instant, his gaze seemed to cross the boundary between life and death, seeing my soul… I hurriedly averted my gaze, my heart racing. It’s impossible for him to see me! I remembered when we were young, Jack always boasted about being the world’s bravest man, fearing nothing. But then I discovered he was afraid of ghosts, and I teased him about it for a long time. If he could really see me now, he’d be scared to death. I clutched my chest, cursing myself for becoming so sentimental after becoming a ghost, aching at every little thing.

When Grandpa saw the two return, he put down the rag doll in his hand. “How did it go?” he asked, tightly gripping Jack’s arm. Jack tried to reassure him, “Grandpa, it’s too late today. I’ll bring the tools tomorrow and officially open the coffin then.” Emily stepped forward, flashing a sweet smile, and said ingratiatingly, “Grandpa, you should rest now. I’ll accompany Jack tomorrow and keep an eye on him.” Grandpa looked at her, a flash of confusion in his eyes. He picked up the rag doll again and said softly, “I don’t know you. Where’s Rachel?” “Jack, hurry and bring Rachel back. Don’t let her stay away from home for too long.” Upon hearing these words, Jack’s expression instantly darkened, as if something had stung him. “Don’t mention her anymore, Grandpa.” “It’s too late, she’ll be cold.” “Grandpa! She’s not coming back.” Jack’s chest heaved violently. “You need to coax her properly.” “Grandpa!” He snatched the rag doll from Grandpa’s hand and threw it out the window, his voice trembling as he said, “Grandpa, how many times do I have to tell you? She left with someone else! She doesn’t want us anymore, doesn’t want me!” Startled by Jack’s actions, Grandpa turned and glared at him angrily, “That’s not true! Rachel must be hiding because that rascal Jack upset her. She can’t find her way home. Rachel always listens to me. I’ll wait for her here, she’ll definitely come back.” Jack clenched his jaw tightly. He had tried so hard to forget her, why did everyone keep reminding him that he had been abandoned? Those past events always left behind sharp remnants that cut deep new wounds every time they were mentioned. His eyes were bloodshot from the emotional turmoil. He instinctively reached into his pocket for eye drops but found nothing. Seeing this scene, my heart ached. Don’t argue because of me, it’s not worth it, it’s not worth it! Suddenly, I remembered my childhood promise to protect this family. I was an orphan saved by Jack’s parents, who were both police officers. When I was rescued as a child, I was covered in wounds, so thin it was hard to tell if I was a boy or a girl. The orphanage staff said children like me were hard to adopt. I huddled in a corner, thinking I was about to be abandoned again. But Jack’s parents came over, patted my head, and asked me, “Would you like to live with us?” The feeling at that moment was indescribable. It was like enjoying a warm cup of milk in the bitter cold, finding an umbrella in the rain, or waking up to sunshine on your bed. From then on, I had a family. But I couldn’t do anything in return. Instead, I made Grandpa bury his grandchild and caused them to argue incessantly. The atmosphere remained tense, the stuffiness in the room almost suffocating. Just then, a cheerful voice came from outside. “Jack! Oh my, you came back home in such a hurry without even telling me!” It was Alex Chen, Jack’s and my childhood friend. As soon as Alex entered, he looked around and said with a smile, “It’s been a long time since I’ve been back. This place hasn’t changed at all.” He knew I had passed away, but because he had to keep it from Jack, he never dared to come and pay his respects to me. Jack asked with some surprise, “Why are you here too? Isn’t the hospital busy?” Alex patted Jack’s shoulder and replied, “Well, I heard about the heavy rain back home. I figured I’d take some annual leave and check on Grandpa while I’m at it.” “But what’s going on here? Why is everyone so serious?” Alex asked. Jack briefly explained the situation. After listening, Alex furrowed his brow, looking thoughtful. “Oh, that’s simple. If you’re busy with work, go back to the police station. Leave the exhumation to me. I’ve dealt with more dead bodies than you have.” Alex said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. Jack lowered his eyes and pressed his lips together, noncommittal: “Grandpa seems to care a lot about that body.” “Grandpa’s getting old, maybe he just got confused. Don’t worry, I’ve seen Grandpa exhume remains before. How hard can it be to copy what he does?” Alex patted his chest, putting on a confident air. Jack hesitated for a moment. Alex’s proposal was indeed the best option, but he still felt something was off. Alex didn’t give him time to think: “By the way, aren’t you going to introduce me to…” Jack paused, then introduced, “This is my boss’s daughter, Emily Johnson.” Emily extended her hand, smiling, “Hello, I’m Emily Johnson.” Her hand lingered in the air for a moment, but Alex pretended not to notice her gesture. He turned and patted Jack’s shoulder, his tone teasing: “Jack, you lucky dog. You’ve got a beauty by your side.” Emily awkwardly withdrew her hand, her smile becoming a bit stiff. She was about to explain. But before she could speak, Jack coldly rebuked, “Alex!” Alex shrugged, putting on an indifferent air, and muttered, “I was just joking, don’t take it seriously.” “Alright, alright, everyone go rest now. I’ll sleep with Grandpa tonight, you two can each take a room. There’s a train you can catch together early tomorrow morning.” Alex hurried Jack off to rest. Emily felt a bit disappointed. She had come to make a good impression on Jack’s family, but they had settled everything in just a few words. She couldn’t say anything more and could only silently follow behind. Just then, Jack suddenly stopped in his tracks. He turned back, asking as if casually, “After she went to America, did you hear any news about her?” He didn’t mention a name, but Alex knew who Jack was referring to. My heart instantly jumped to my throat. Alex was taken aback for a moment, then replied, “What are you talking about? Didn’t she go to France?”

After Jack left, Alex and I both let out a long sigh of relief. That moment seemed to make the air in the entire room a bit lighter. Alex sat next to Grandpa, cursing under his breath, “This guy’s using his police interrogation tactics on me. Good thing I’m quick-witted.” I sat beside Alex, feeling so tense I was almost faint. My emotions that night had been like a rollercoaster, up and down, unable to calm down. Late at night, the house gradually quieted down. I gazed at the moon outside the window, its silver-white light spilling into the courtyard, making everything seem particularly peaceful. Occasionally, the sound of insects chirping reached my ears, adding a touch of life to this quiet night. I knew that once Jack left tomorrow, it might be our final goodbye. I understood that I should go see him one last time, but I was afraid that if I did, I wouldn’t be able to let go. As I was struggling with this dilemma, I heard a soft creak. Jack gently pushed open the door and walked into the small courtyard. The faint moonlight fell on the ground. Using this dim light, he searched for something. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He crouched down and carefully picked up the rag doll, gently brushing off the dirt. So, he came to find Bebe? Bebe was my rag doll. I took it everywhere with me; I couldn’t sleep without it. Jack stared blankly at the doll, his expression somewhat dazed. He murmured softly to himself, “Did she not want you either?” My heart ached. This doll was my most important companion, and he always knew what it meant to me. Seeing him now, holding Bebe so preciously, tears welled up in my eyes. I knew him too well. He must have started to suspect something. His intuition had always been sharp, especially after he became a police officer. His keen observation and judgment made it even harder to deceive him. I consoled myself that as long as nothing unexpected happened, he would leave tomorrow. Then everything would return to normal, and my secret would remain undiscovered. Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, someone knocked on our door. The knocking sound seemed particularly jarring in the quiet morning. My heart suddenly leaped; for some reason, I had an ominous feeling. “Jack, are you there?” Mrs. Thompson from next door stood at the small courtyard gate, knocking and calling out. Jack went over and learned that last night, someone had taken advantage of the darkness to rob the graves around the village. Mrs. Thompson was asking him, as a police officer, to help investigate. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Thompson. I’ll handle it as soon as possible,” Jack reassured her while quickly changing his shoes to go out and taking out his phone to cancel his train ticket. Watching this scene, Alex couldn’t help but try to dissuade him: “Jack, do you really have to go?” Jack coldly retorted: “Can you mimic catching thieves too?” After saying this, he thought for a moment, then turned back to grab the exhumation tools, clearly planning to handle both matters. Alex and Emily volunteered to help, and even Grandpa, who wasn’t fully lucid, insisted on going along. So, a large group of people set off towards my grave. I stood behind them, feeling a bit lost, wondering how things had suddenly developed to this point. When we arrived at the gravesite, we found that my coffin had already been pried open. I shouted internally: “Damn it, who would steal from my grave!” Alex’s reaction was even stronger than mine. His face instantly turned ashen, “Who’s so heartless to steal from the dead!” Jack didn’t say anything. He just glanced at the pried-open coffin, thought for a moment, then silently took out his tools, preparing to start the exhumation. Seeing Jack’s attitude, Alex became somewhat irritated and angrily said, “Jack, what do you call this? They didn’t even spare the dead, it’s completely inhumane!” Jack remained silent, continuing his work, and said calmly, “Why are you so angry? You don’t know the deceased. Or do you?” Alex was suddenly at a loss for words, the anger in his heart seemed to be blocked. Jack continued, “This timing is perfect. Let Grandpa watch us finish so he can be at ease, and then I can go catch the thieves.” Alex didn’t say anything more. At the auspicious hour, the exhumation ritual finally began. Jack first lit three incense sticks for the deceased at the grave, then tapped the wall around the tombstone with a large hammer, signaling to the departed about the upcoming actions. Following tradition, he first grasped the hand of the deceased, indicating “we’re going to get up now.” Jack’s expression froze the moment he saw my hand bones. He kept leaning closer, trying hard to discern something, even holding his breath. Slowly, he rubbed the broken joint with his fingertip. I felt a bit scared. He might recognize me. This hand was missing a joint because of saving Jack.

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I died on the operating table. My father personally strapped me to it. To transplant my heart to my half-sister. In a private hospital, on a cold operating table. Looking at the chilling surgical instruments, I cried out loudly, “Dad, please, let me go.” But with my hands and feet restrained, I couldn’t escape. A sharp pain shot through me. The doctor wanted to anesthetize me, but my father stopped him. “No need for anesthesia, just take out her heart directly.” I stared at him with wide eyes, hardly believing this was my father. I watched as the doctor slowly cut open my chest, each incision feeling like a slow execution. “Ah!” The pain made me scream involuntarily. “So noisy,” my father said impatiently. Then he stuffed a dirty, smelly rag into my mouth, mixed with disinfectant. The pungent smell instantly filled my nostrils. “Much quieter now.” After saying this, he ran to the other side. Speaking softly to the person lying on the bed, he said, “Melody, soon daddy will give you a healthy body.” Finally, unable to bear the excruciating pain, I passed out. With a strong sense of injustice, I found myself reborn to the day they came to pick me up.

When my parents came to get me, I was doing construction work. There was no choice. The orphanage had many children, and the town rarely provided subsidies. We could barely eat enough. To take care of them, the older children went out to work early to earn money. Children without parents not only had to support themselves but also had to support the younger brothers and sisters who depended on them. “There’s a car parked at the entrance, and the two people who got out look very rich. I wonder what they’re here for.” “That car, I’ve heard my son talk about it. It costs several million.” The voices of my coworkers drifted into my ears. I remembered that in my previous life, they stood not far from me. The woman was on the phone, I didn’t know what she was saying. Occasionally she looked over here, and I saw the dislike in her eyes. Yes, she disliked me. That was my first impression. The man walked over to me: “Are you Lily Song?” I looked up, confused: “Yes, sir. Is there something I can help you with?” Then I slowly lowered my head. Standing in front of them always gave me a sense of inferiority, as if I was filthy and would taint them. In my previous life, I was so happy to find my parents that I didn’t notice the deep disgust in their eyes. This time, something seemed different. From a distance, my mom ran over. Ignoring the sweaty, smelly odor on my body, she hugged me. “Child, I’m sorry. Mom has finally found you. This time, Mom will be good to you.” I was stunned and confused. The plot wasn’t supposed to develop like this. What the hell is going on??? “I’m sorry, did I scare you?” She took a step back and bent down to speak softly. “No, no,” I stammered, wondering what new trick this was. “I’m your mother. I’m here to take you home.” Then she took out a clean, pretty handkerchief and wiped the sweat from my forehead. As she wiped, she said with concern, “Lily, you’ve been through so much. Will you come home with Mom?” But in my previous life, she only wanted to touch me after I had cleaned up. What was going on now? “No,” I pushed her away and said frankly.

My father, who had slowly approached, heard what I said. His face immediately turned displeased: “We are your legal guardians. You have to come with us.” I sneered: “But I’m already an adult.” He became even more forceful: “The fact that I came to get you is already giving you face. Today, you’re coming back whether you like it or not.” Seeing the situation, my mom stepped in: “Old Lin, how can you talk like that? Lily is just unfamiliar with us. You should speak to her nicely.” Well, well, so you know I’m not familiar with you. “Look, you’ve scared the child so much she’s at a loss.” It’s you who scared me, okay? After all, in my previous life, my mom would only echo whatever my dad said, and she didn’t take the initiative to talk to me the whole way. If they strongly wanted me to go back, this would be easy. “If you want me to go back, it’s not impossible.” “Give me five million dollars, and I’ll go back with you.” My mom agreed very quickly: “Okay, okay, as long as you’re willing to come back with us, money is not an issue.” Only my dad was indignant, his face full of displeasure. Just wait, there will be more things to make you unhappy in the future. So, they agreed to give me five million dollars. In this life, with this money, I could help my family at the orphanage and search for my sister. I went back with them to the home I had longed for in my previous life but despised in this one. As soon as we entered the house, Melody Lin was waiting for me. The first move in my previous life was to frame me. I wonder if it would be the same today?

Because my mom’s brother had an emergency, both my parents left, so a servant brought me in. “Sister, you’ve suffered so much. Welcome home.” “Melody, who is she? Does any beggar have the right to enter your house?” “How can someone like that deserve to be called your sister? It’s so dirty.” Just like in my previous life, it wasn’t just Melody Lin who greeted me, but also her friends and their foul language. On the surface, it was a welcome party for me, but in reality, it was a humiliation party. Mrs. Thompson couldn’t stand it anymore: “Young Miss, this is the Elder Miss.” Before Melody Lin could open her mouth, her little follower was eager to perform: “What kind of Elder Miss is she? Look at her clothes, she’s just a smelly beggar.” I looked at myself too. Indeed, the sweat had dried, and the white marks were even more obvious on the black clothes. My pants, shoes, and the edges of my clothes were all dusty. I smiled slightly at Mrs. Wilson: “It’s okay, Mrs. Wilson. You can go about your business. I can handle this.” But this didn’t affect my desire to go crazy. I turned to those who had just spoken and let loose a barrage. “Don’t look down on beggars. If you had to be one, you’d probably starve to death.” “I haven’t stolen or robbed. I earn my money honestly and cleanly. What’s it to you?” “And whether I’m her sister or not is none of your business. Did I eat your rice?” “Yes, I’m a bit dirty, I admit it. This is proof that I can earn my own money. What about you? Who are you without your parents?” This time, I didn’t want to be like in my previous life, where I would just cry a little in frustration, pretend nothing happened, and meekly continue to serve them tea and water. The number one follower was furious: “You, you’re completely unreasonable.” “I can be even more unreasonable. Do you want to hear?” Melody Lin first coughed lightly twice, proving herself to be weak and pitiful. Her eyes were red, as if tears could fall at any moment. She had a congenital heart disease and was born with a weak body. “Sister, I’m sorry. My friends are all just looking out for me. They didn’t mean any harm. Please be the bigger person and forgive them.” Look at that, every word stabbing at your heart. First saying you have no friends, then saying my friends didn’t mean it, and finally, if you don’t forgive, it becomes your fault. However, I didn’t want to give any face at all: “Right, they didn’t mean it. They meant it.” “Why should I forgive you just because you apologized?” “Since you know what they said hurt me, why didn’t you stop them earlier, instead of coming to play the good person afterward?” “I’ve seen gossipy old ladies who talk less than you.” As expected, she rolled her eyes and fainted.

I quickly supported her. Still wanting to play this trick, I looked down at her with a smile. My hands weren’t idle at all. I had prepared two needles in advance, which were now pressed against her waist. “Melody, what’s wrong with you?” “Hey, you dirty tramp, why are you bullying Melody?” “She’s fainted, quick, call 911.” Taking advantage of the moment when her friends took over, I suddenly jabbed. She screamed and jumped up, instantly full of life and vigor. Completely gone was the weak and delicate feeling from before. “Is everyone having a good time?” Accompanied by the voice, my parents walked in. The opposing camp immediately started tattling on me in front of my face. The one who called me a beggar pointed at me and said, “Uncle, Auntie, she bullied Melody and scolded us.” Meanwhile, Melody stood to the side, her eyes brimming with tears. Slap! My father took a quick step forward and slapped me. “Serves her right,” someone muttered. “Who taught you to bully your sister?” The accusatory words followed. My mom came to her senses, pushed my dad away, and rushed over to hug me. “What are you doing? Hitting the child without even finding out what happened?” I let go of my mom’s hand and stared at him with blazing eyes. “What right do you have to hit me? Since you dare to hit me, I’ll hit her.” Another slap, and a clear handprint appeared on Melody’s face. Seeing that she was about to pretend to faint again. I leaned close to her and whispered, “If you dare to fall down, I’ll stab you to death.” Let’s see if you wake up or not then. Melody stared at me with wide eyes, even forgetting to cry. My dad wanted to hit me again, but my mom held him back. In my previous life, I was framed and even accused of stealing. There was no evidence. No one spoke up for me, and my dad badmouthed me to my mom. Even my mom let it happen, thinking I should be properly disciplined, allowing my dad to whip me. This time, has my mom changed?

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When my wealthy boyfriend wanted to drain my blood to save his dream girl’s life, everyone thought I would break up with him. Instead, I voluntarily inserted the needle into my vein and agreed to the full blood transfusion surgery. For a moment, my boyfriend thought I truly loved him to death. He made an unprecedented promise that if I cooperated with the surgery obediently, he would give me a title and marry me. But what he didn’t know was that I didn’t love him at all, nor did I want to marry him. I was only doing this to complete the system’s task. As long as I fulfilled a thousand of his requests, the system would help me return to the real world and cure my husband’s terminal illness. When I voluntarily inserted the needle into my vein, an eerie silence fell over the private room. Those who had been waiting to see me humiliated now looked at me with shock and confusion in their eyes. But after just a brief moment of silence, a burst of laughter erupted in the room. “Sophia, you’re such a loyal dog! Seven years, and you’re still so obedient to our Lucas.” “Lucas, how do you train her? Teach me too, I want to keep one for fun!” “Nonsense, she’s just a poor girl, what else does she have besides her looks? If she doesn’t lower herself and cling to him, how else could she get close to a rich young master like Lucas?” Suddenly, countless sharp and sarcastic words stabbed at me like blades without mercy. But I endured it all with a blank expression. After all, I had been in this world for exactly seven years and had long since grown accustomed to these rumors and gossip. These people were all Lucas’s fair-weather friends. To please Lucas, they never missed an opportunity to humiliate me over the past seven years, highlighting their pathetic sense of existence. But I didn’t care. My purpose for coming to this world had always been only one thing. That was to cure my husband’s cancer. Back then, he inhaled a large amount of toxic smoke while rescuing me from a fire. In less than a year, his condition deteriorated from diagnosis to late-stage lung cancer. In my despair, it was the system that appeared and told me. As long as I willingly went to another world and fulfilled a thousand of Lucas’s requests, the system could cure my husband’s lung cancer, and I could return to the real world. Seven years had passed, and this was Lucas’s last request. Let alone taking my blood, even if he wanted my life, so what? After all, once the task was completed, this body would disappear anyway. Thinking of this, I looked up at Lucas, expecting him to eagerly take me to the hospital as usual. After all, in his eyes, I had been worth less than a strand of his dream girl Zoe’s hair for all these years. Previously, when Zoe failed to get a job, he demanded that I give up the interview opportunity I had worked hard to get, insisting I give up my spot for her. When Zoe fell ill with a fever, he ordered me to go out and buy medicine at three in the morning during a typhoon. When Zoe got drunk and had a car accident, he didn’t hesitate to cross the line and make me take the blame for Zoe. Each time, I completed his requests without complaint, but in return, I only received his increasingly cold gaze. But this time, Lucas’s pupils trembled slightly, his eyes filled with hesitation. “Sophia, I’m asking you one last time…” “Are you serious?” Among the crowd, Zoe noticed this and a flash of displeasure crossed her eyes. But she quickly put on a sympathetic expression, pretending to walk forward and hold my hand, her tone full of guilt. “Sister Sophia, my leukemia has worsened. The doctor said I need a full blood transfusion to survive.” “Now in the whole city, you’re the only one with the matching rare blood type.” “If you really replace all my blood alone, you might be drained dry, and you might even die…” Zoe said halfway through but suddenly raised her head, looking as if she was about to cry. “Ah, it’s bad enough that I’m suffering alone, how could I drag you into this…” As I watched her poor performance, I couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. Seven years, and she’s still the same. Playing the victim, seeking sympathy, pushing all responsibility onto others. But anyway, my task was about to be completed, so it didn’t matter what she did. Thinking of this, I just smiled faintly. “Don’t worry, Miss Zoe. I’m volunteering.” “Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, and moreover…” “I’ve said it countless times over these seven years, I’ll fulfill whatever Lucas asks.” “This 600cc is enough for you to get through this period, so please accept it with peace of mind.” With that, I handed the blood bag to Lucas with blood on the corner of my mouth. After all, I would soon be able to see my husband again, just thinking about it made me happy. And curing Zoe’s illness meant they could be together properly, it was a win-win situation, no one lost out. But Lucas, who had been so arrogant moments ago, was now stunned for some reason. He stared at me for a long time, as if seeing me for the first time. After a while, he finally took the blood bag, though his voice was suddenly a bit hoarse for some reason. “The surgery is tentatively scheduled for next week…” “Take this money, don’t collapse by then and prevent Zoe from having the surgery.” I looked at the check Lucas handed me, somewhat surprised. In seven years, this was the first time Lucas had offered to compensate me. However, I was about to return to my own world, so this money was completely useless to me. I shook my head, refusing his kindness. “I’m simply fulfilling your wish, I don’t need money.” “Being able to help you is enough for me.” Hearing this, Lucas looked at me in surprise, his eyes full of confusion. I didn’t bother to explain anything, just smiled at him and turned to leave. But perhaps because I had just donated 600cc of blood, I felt a bit dizzy. After walking a few steps, my high-heeled boots slipped on the smooth ice, and my already thin down jacket was torn by pebbles, letting the cold wind constantly blow in. “Pfft—” Seeing my sprained ankle, a burst of laughter immediately erupted around me. “It was just 600cc, look how weak she is, she can’t even walk. It’s hilarious!” “Alright, stop pretending to be fragile in front of our Lucas. You’re just a poor girl who throws herself at him, do you really think you can climb the social ladder with such childish tricks?” “That’s right, she’s just an outsider. Why should Lucas care about her? Lucas, let’s go, I’ve called quite a few beauties for the next party, they’re all waiting to meet you!” Among the crowd, Zoe also secretly gave me a challenging smile, then hooked her arm through Lucas’s and sat in his passenger seat. I didn’t say anything, just silently gritted my teeth and slowly stood up, leaning against the wall. Such humiliation had become commonplace for me over the past seven years. Just as I thought Lucas would leave with Zoe without looking back as he had done before, he suddenly stopped and walked over to me. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke in a low voice. “Never mind, get in the car.” “I’ll have the driver take you back.”

When I heard Lucas tell me to get in the car, I was stunned. In seven years, this was the first time. Before, he was always very harsh with me, looking as if he despised me to the bone. Not only did he never let me touch his car, but he also said that a woman of my class getting into his car would be an embarrassment to him. I remember once when I accidentally steadied myself by touching his car door, he immediately pushed me down, and the next day he even sold the new car he had bought less than three months ago. But now, he was actively telling me to get in the car. For a moment, I really couldn’t react. The people around us were also stunned, including Zoe. Everyone’s eyes were focused on Lucas, their gazes full of surprise. It wasn’t until this moment that Lucas seemed to belatedly realize his own slip, a flash of panic unlike his usual self crossing his eyes, but he quickly returned to his usual indifferent demeanor. “She’s the only one in the city with the rare blood type. I just thought that if it gets dark and the roads are slippery, it would be a waste of all that rare blood if she froze to death outside.” “For Zoe’s safety, I have to ensure this blood bag doesn’t have any accidents.” This reason, I had already guessed in my heart earlier. Hearing him say this, I didn’t feel much turmoil in my heart. After all, Lucas being madly in love with Zoe was something everyone knew. Once when Zoe made a mistake at work and was just scolded by her supervisor, Lucas directly brought down that company. He even used his family connections to blacklist that supervisor, completely ruining his career. Now, for Zoe’s safety, he reluctantly let me get in the car once, which was normal. However, I get carsick anyway, so I still declined his kindness. “No need, I’ll just walk back.” Lucas’s face immediately turned cold. “Suit yourself.” With that, he got in the car and left without looking back. Immediately, a burst of mocking laughter erupted around me. “Lucas just took pity on you for a moment, and you’re getting cocky? Did you really think anyone could get in Lucas’s car?” “With such poor judgment, no wonder Lucas hasn’t even bothered to look at you properly in seven years.” Zoe even gave me a smug smile from the car. But I just wrapped my coat tighter and turned to walk towards my home in this world. The night sky in this world was different from my hometown’s. Looking at the unfamiliar starry sky, I couldn’t help but think of my husband. Although the system had temporarily saved his life. But after not seeing each other for seven years, he must be very worried about me now. But fortunately, all this was about to end. Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but smile slightly. But just then, someone suddenly pushed me hard from behind. Caught off guard, I fell directly into the cold lake water. I had just donated 600cc of blood and was already weak, now I felt like my whole body was turning into an ice cube, unable to move. Struggling in the freezing cold water, I saw Zoe standing on the shore, looking at me with a cold smile. “Well, well, if it isn’t our little wife Sophia? Still alive, are you?” She walked to my hospital bed, looking down at me with contempt in her voice. “I’m surprised you actually signed the surgery consent form. I thought you’d refuse to save my life for the sake of your pathetic self-respect.” “Looks like you do have some self-awareness after all.” “You know that the only use for your worthless life is to save mine.” She paused, her tone becoming even more cutting. “But don’t even think about marrying Lucas.” “Forget about me not agreeing, Lucas’s family would never allow it.” “How could they possibly let someone like you, with such an unclear background, marry into their wealthy family?” With that, Zoe took a bank card out of her pocket and threw it onto my hospital bed. “Take this money after the surgery and get as far away as possible.” “If you ever show up in front of Lucas and me again, you’ll face the consequences.” But I looked at the bank card and just shook my head. I was about to leave this world anyway, what use did I have for money? “I don’t need your money.” Zoe’s face immediately darkened. “You’re asking for trouble!” “Since you care so much about your image in Lucas’s eyes, I’ll make sure you give up completely.” The next moment, she grabbed the bowl of hot medicine Lucas had left on the table and suddenly splashed it on her own face. Then, she covered her face and started screaming loudly, pretending to be in pain. “Ah! It’s so hot!” She moaned in pain while secretly glancing at me from the corner of her eye, her lips curling into a sinister cold smile, but her voice still pretending to be sincere: “Miss Sophia, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I didn’t realize the medicine was so hot.” “But if doing this makes you feel better, I won’t tell Lucas you splashed me.” I saw through Zoe’s poor acting at a glance. It was the same old trick. She had used this method to frame me more than once or twice. Every time, Lucas would punish me without considering the consequences. Sure enough, the next moment Lucas pushed open the door and walked in. He saw this scene, and his face immediately turned ugly. He then quickly walked up to me and raised his hand, about to hit me. But the next moment, his hand suddenly stopped in mid-air, followed by a sigh. “Sophia, don’t let this happen again.”

Seeing that Lucas didn’t actually hit me, not only was I surprised, but Zoe also looked at Lucas as if she had seen a ghost, her face full of astonishment. “Lucas, she splashed me, why aren’t you doing anything about it?” “Don’t tell me… you’ve actually fallen for this bootlicker?” Lucas sighed helplessly, then held Zoe’s hand tightly. “Zoe, you can act up however you want usually, it doesn’t matter.” “But Sophia’s safety is very important right now. Without her, your life might not be saved.” “Let’s focus on the big picture, okay?” Hearing this, I was suddenly shocked. So, for these seven years, Lucas had always known that Zoe was doing it on purpose. He just loved her too much, so he knew but didn’t say anything. For a moment, Zoe knew she was in the wrong, her face alternating between shades of green and white. “Sophia, don’t get cocky. Don’t forget what I said earlier, Lucas will absolutely never marry you!” She glared at me fiercely before storming out, slamming the door behind her. Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Lucas took the initiative to offer to take me back. I nodded, after all, my body was still quite weak. On the way, we passed by a shopping mall. In the window display, a pair of platinum rings shimmered under the lights. The style was exactly the same as the one my husband gave me when he proposed. I couldn’t help but stop, my gaze fixed on that ring. “You like it?” Lucas followed my gaze, his tone indifferent. “Let me make this clear in advance. Although I agreed to marry you, it’s only for Zoe’s surgery.” “Don’t even think about wedding rings and such.” “I only have Zoe in my heart. You’re just a wife in name, don’t fantasize about anything.” But I just smiled faintly. “It’s okay, I don’t mind.” “As long as I can help you fulfill your wish, I’m satisfied.” Hearing this, the smile on Lucas’s face suddenly froze. For the rest of the journey, he didn’t say another word. Until a car at the intersection couldn’t brake in time and suddenly lost control, rushing towards us. Lucas was still looking down, seemingly lost in thought, completely unaware of the approaching danger. My heart suddenly tightened. If he died, what about my task? What about my husband’s illness? Almost instinctively, I suddenly pushed Lucas away. “Sophia! Are you crazy?” Lucas stumbled from my push, frowning as he looked at me. But the next second, he saw me being hit by the car and lying on the ground covered in blood. His pupils suddenly contracted, his face filled with disbelief. “Sophia!” He stumbled towards me, his voice trembling. “Why… why did you still save me?” I was in so much pain I could barely speak, but I still managed to force out a smile. “I just… didn’t want to see you die…” Hearing this, the usually cold and arrogant Lucas’s eyes reddened. “Fool, you really are a fool.” “How can there be someone like you in this world?” I looked at him, but just managed a weak smile. He had grown up in a world of intrigue and deception among the wealthy elite, how could he have ever seen pure kindness? In the end, he was also a pitiful person. Just as Lucas was about to call an ambulance, his phone suddenly rang. It was Lucas’s secretary. “Young Master Lucas, it’s terrible! Miss Zoe’s condition has suddenly worsened, she might not make it!” “We need to operate immediately! Please bring Sophia over for the blood transfusion right away!” Lucas was stunned, looking at me, then at his phone. “But… Sophia is injured too, she needs treatment now…” On the other end of the phone, the secretary was shocked: “Young Master Lucas, what are you saying?” “Who is Sophia compared to Miss Zoe’s life?” I looked at Lucas, somewhat surprised. In seven years, this was the first time he had hesitated between me and Zoe. Probably because I had just saved him, and he felt guilty. But I didn’t care. I was happy to have the surgery early and complete the task. I struggled to get up from the ground, a wave of intense pain spreading through my body. “Let’s go.” “Let’s go perform the surgery for Zoe now.” Lucas’s eyes immediately widened. “But… but you’re injured now! If you have surgery recklessly, you could die!” I waved my hand dismissively. “It doesn’t matter.” “Saving someone is the most important thing, isn’t it?” Lucas stared at me blankly, his eyes complex. He probably never imagined that in this situation, I would still be thinking about saving Zoe. He was silent for a moment, and finally said nothing, turning to walk towards the car. On the way, neither of us spoke. It wasn’t until just before entering the operating room that Lucas spoke again. “Sophia…” “Why… why are you doing this?” But I just smiled. “Of course it’s because you’re very important to me.” Lucas was immediately stunned, a barely noticeable flicker of emotion passing through his eyes. I turned and walked into the operating room. Just before the door closed, Lucas suddenly said softly. “Sophia.” “You’re not allowed to die…” His voice was very quiet. Although I heard it, I didn’t respond. After all, once this surgery was completed, I would leave this world. Such a promise meant nothing to me. In the operating room, under the cold light. I lay on the operating table, watching my blood slowly flow into Zoe’s body. Zoe’s face gradually regained its rosy color, and her breathing became steady. The doctors all breathed a sigh of relief. I also breathed a sigh of relief, forcing out a weak smile. It’s over. These seven years of strategy were finally over. “Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the task. Your husband’s cancer has been successfully cured, and you will return to the real world soon.” … Meanwhile. Upon learning that the surgery went smoothly, Lucas took a deep breath and walked into my hospital room with an exquisite ring box, clearing his throat: “You worked hard today.” “I don’t like owing people favors. You’ve been eyeing that ring, right? I saw it wasn’t expensive so I bought it on a whim. Try it on.” But there was no response from me on the hospital bed. Lucas called out in confusion. “Sophia?” “Did you hear what I said…”

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