Author: Momo Chan

After being pushed off the roof by my husband’s first love, I was reborn as the cat I had raised. I watched them get married at my funeral. Rose brought all my belongings and burned them along with my body. Adrian didn’t stop her; he even helped scatter my ashes. Seeing my childhood friend faint from shock, I anxiously bit Rose. The man kicked me away and took her to the hospital, leaving me curled up in a corner, barely alive. Later, the usually calm and collected Adrian lost his temper at the vet clinic, “Don’t you know how to save a life? This isn’t a cat, it’s my wife!” At my funeral, Rose wore a wedding dress and burst into the ceremony with her bridesmaids, carrying all my belongings. She declared loudly: “Rachel, thank you for letting Adrian and me be together. I’m burning all your things for you today!” To everyone’s shock, she threw me, now a cat, onto the body and took out a lighter, looking shyly at Adrian. “Adrian, from now on, I’ll be your only woman. Let everything of Rachel’s scatter with the wind!” A flash of surprise and anger crossed Adrian’s eyes. I had married into Adrian’s family from another city, so most of the funeral guests were his friends. Everyone was lamenting the loss of Adrian’s beloved wife, as he was known for doting on her, but they didn’t expect this sudden turn of events. Before he could react, Rose’s bridesmaids surrounded him, crying: “Mr. Evans, Rachel always targeted Rose just because you and Rose were childhood sweethearts. Now that Rachel is finally gone, you can’t let her come between you and Rose anymore!” “Yes, when Rose heard Rachel was gone, she immediately got a wedding dress to marry you. She even got scratched by Rachel’s cat on the way here…” The wedding dress Rose wore looked familiar; it was the same high-end design I wore when I married Adrian seven years ago. Back then, he bought the only two pieces, saying he wanted me to wear something unique. Her fingers were unharmed, but wrapped in bandages, actually stained with my cat’s blood. I curled up with my injured paw and meowed weakly. Adrian glanced at me, then stepped forward to hold Rose’s hand: “Rose, let me take you to the hospital first. We’ll talk about the wedding later.” But Rose wouldn’t have it. “Adrian, did you really fall in love with Rachel? You said you’d only love me in this lifetime.” I knew about Adrian’s unrequited love when I first met him. At that time, he was drinking heavily every day after Rose rejected him again and went abroad to study. I fell in love with him at first sight. After a one-night stand, I ignored my childhood friend’s advice and married him, moving to A City. I always thought Adrian would fall in love with me, but I faced reality every time he flew abroad to take care of Rose. “Rachel, she’s a woman alone in a foreign country. I’m worried about her.” I knew this was just an excuse for him to see Rose, but when it happened repeatedly, I couldn’t help but argue with him, tears in my eyes: “Am I not a woman too? I’m your wife, and I don’t cling to you. Why can’t she manage without you?” At first, Adrian would guiltily comfort me, but later he just left with a cold face, impatient: “Rose isn’t just anyone. Besides, you’re already my wife. I’ll always be yours, what are you angry about?” It was as if I were the villain, breaking them up and forcing Adrian to marry me. Gradually, people outside started saying Adrian was a good man, able to tolerate such an unreasonable wife. I didn’t know many people in A City to begin with, and after my reputation was ruined, even fewer people would talk to me. Even the servants gossiped about me behind my back. “Mr. Evans must still like Miss Carter, right?” “Of course. Mr. Evans and Miss Carter are childhood sweethearts. He’s always been chasing after her, doing everything for her. Besides, the Carter and Evans families have been friends for generations. Who would choose a gold-digger orphan over a rich heiress?” “That’s right. Mr. Evans and Miss Carter are a perfect match – he’s rich and handsome, she’s rich and beautiful. I think they look good together. And old Mr. Evans used to dote on Rose so much. If he were still alive, he definitely wouldn’t have let the current Mrs. Evans into the family!”

Before I married Adrian, I had the fortune of meeting old Mr. Evans once. Though frail with age, his eyes were still sharp: “Do you really love Adrian?” I nodded firmly, “I love him more than my own life.” The old man sighed, “Very well. You’re a sincere, good child. I can see that Adrian likes you too. It’s just that he probably hasn’t realized his own feelings yet…” It was this conversation that gave me the courage to marry Adrian, even knowing about Rose’s existence. However, Rose made a phone call to the old man, yelling, “Your son likes that vixen Rachel, and you old fool like her too!” Mr. Evans collapsed on the spot and never woke up. Rose pushed all the blame onto me. I couldn’t defend myself and could only kneel and kowtow from the front gate all the way to Mr. Evans’ memorial, a hundred times in total, until my head was bloody. Only then did Adrian reluctantly forgive me. I watched the water droplets fall onto the corpse’s chest. Can cats cry? Adrian finally gave in: “Rose, whatever you want to do, I’ll go along with it.” Rose was somewhat satisfied with this. “Then let’s get married now.” “I want to cremate Rachel myself.” She glared at me. “Along with her cat. Burn everything to ashes.” The crowd was stunned. But no one dared to step forward to stop her. Just as Rose was about to light me on fire with her lighter, an elderly guest with graying hair finally couldn’t stand by any longer: “This is too much! We should respect the dead. And the cat is innocent in all this!” Others chimed in: “That’s right, Mr. Evans. At least let the cat go!” Rose wanted to argue, but Adrian had already frowned and picked me up. I curled up weakly against his chest. Fluffy was a stray cat I had picked up on the street. Because Adrian disliked cats, I always kept it in my bedroom. Not that it mattered, since Adrian slept in the study when he came home anyway. We hadn’t spoken to each other for four years, ever since we had a big fight about Rose returning to the country. From age twenty-three to twenty-seven, for four whole years, I watched my husband busy himself for another woman every day, trying to please her while ignoring me. I thought about reconciling. The old housekeeper, who was the only one who cared about me, suggested I have a child to win Adrian back. “Once there’s a child, Mr. Evans will settle down.” I dressed up carefully and waited for Adrian in the car, but he came with Rose in his arms: “Playing ‘one-night stand’ again with your wife? Rose got drunk after a breakup. I need to take her home first. You go back by yourself.” I stood awkwardly in the snow, pointed at by passersby: “Isn’t that Mrs. Evans? How shameless, still not willing to divorce…” Meanwhile, the “drunk” Rose smirked at me from the car window. There wasn’t a single car on the road on New Year’s Eve. I walked for three hours in the snow wearing just a dress and caught a high fever that night. The old housekeeper called Adrian, but he impatiently hung up: “Throwing a tantrum and pretending to be sick again? Even if she’s really unwell, can’t she see a doctor herself? What use is there in calling me?” For a whole month, Adrian never came back to see me once. But I found out I was pregnant. It was from three months ago when Adrian, upon hearing Rose had a new boyfriend, had taken me in a fit of frustration. Usually, he wouldn’t touch me. All because Rose had said: “Adrian, if you love someone, you should be able to endure hardship. Since you love me, no matter who I’m with, you can only love me. But now you’re married to Rachel.” “I want you to prove to me that you only love me.”

My relationship with Adrian got even worse. But he still never mentioned divorce, and I continued to act as his wife on the surface as if nothing had happened. However, a boastful post on social media soon slapped me hard in the face. Rose and I were mutual friends, and she posted a series of photos with the caption: After all the twists and turns, it’s still you and me. She even tagged me specifically. The meaning couldn’t be more clear. I covered my belly; the baby had already started kicking. Holding back my heartache and reluctance, I liked the post and congratulated them on getting back together, wishing them never to part again. Then I sent Adrian the divorce papers. He had finally won his beloved; although I wasn’t a gentleman, but a scoundrel who had stolen love, I understood the principle of helping others achieve happiness. After packing my bags, I called my childhood friend. “Emma, it’s me.” “…Rachel?” After many years apart, I choked up the moment I heard Emma’s voice. “Can you come pick me up and take me home?” Emma immediately replied, “I’m booking a flight right now!” Unfortunately, I didn’t get to wait for her to come pick me up. I died alone in a dirty alley. From a height of over ten meters, I fell and shattered, my flesh and blood spilling all over the ground. Even if Emma had arrived in time, she probably wouldn’t have recognized that pile of mush on the ground as the beauty-loving Rachel. As my consciousness faded, I could only apologize painfully. I’m sorry, my unborn baby. If I hadn’t wanted to see Adrian one last time, I wouldn’t have fallen for Rose’s trap and been lured to the rooftop to be pushed off. Rose didn’t break her promise. She dialed Adrian’s number, a new one I didn’t know about. No wonder I could never reach him. I fell clutching that phone that was still connected. Adrian’s voice hadn’t been so gentle in a long time. “Is that you, Rose? Where do you want to go play later? I’ll pick you up.” “Why aren’t you saying anything? What’s going on over there?” I gripped the phone tightly, not daring to make any sound, afraid of startling him, even though my bones were already broken and blood was trickling from the corner of my mouth. In the end, even when I wanted to speak, I could only let out meaningless groans. It was just too painful. Until the moment I died, Adrian thought I was still throwing a tantrum. “Is the signal bad over there, Rose?” He sighed softly, suddenly mentioning my name, “Rachel is just too stubborn. Rose, she could never compare to you…” As my only living legal relative, Adrian soon received my death notice. His first reaction was outrage. “What kind of joke is this? Rachel might be unreasonable, but you hospital staff shouldn’t go along with her pranks. She is Mrs. Evans, that’s correct, but you shouldn’t help her deceive me. Bring her to see me, or I’ll have you all fired!” Even when my reassembled corpse was brought before him, he still refused to believe it. “Rachel, if you want to act, I’ll play along. Announce that I’m holding a funeral for Rachel. Let’s see if she keeps acting then!”

But I was really dead. I curled up in his arms as a cat, watching him search the crowd with a heavy gaze. Rose had already pressed down on the lighter. Adrian’s face remained impassive, but the hand holding me unconsciously tightened. “Rachel, if you don’t come out now, I’ll burn all your things and this imposter!” The people around had various expressions on their faces, whispering among themselves. “What is Mr. Evans doing? Isn’t Rachel already dead?” “Yeah, her body is laid out up there. I heard she committed suicide by jumping off a building. Her brains were splattered all over the ground.” “Wasn’t Mr. Evans supposed to love his wife very much? Maybe he’s gone mad from the shock?” “I’m not so sure about that. Mr. Evans just called that woman ‘Rose’ so tenderly. She must be his true love. Poor Mrs. Evans, suffering like this even after death…” Rose stared at my corpse, secretly curling her lips, and threw the lit lighter onto it. The flames roared, quickly engulfing me. I watched as my already unrecognizable self was charred, instinctively shuddering as if feeling that bone-deep pain. Being burned or being shattered, which hurts more? Rose’s bridesmaids started to cheer. “Miss Carter, do you take Mr. Evans as your lawfully wedded husband?” Rose nodded gracefully, “I do.” “Then, Mr. Evans, do you take Miss Carter as your wife, and promise to cherish, care for, and tolerate her for the rest of your life?” In the fire, only my and Adrian’s wedding rings were glittering. Those were the rings I had spent countless days and nights personally helping to design. When Adrian received them, he hugged me and said, “Rachel, you’re the most sincere and beautiful girl I’ve ever met. I promise I’ll always protect you.” But now, they, along with Adrian’s vows, existed in name only. “Adrian! What are you thinking about?” Rose looked dissatisfied at Adrian, who was slow to answer. Adrian’s face had turned extremely ugly. He was staring at the rings in the fire, trembling all over, gritting his teeth as he said: “Fine, Rachel… you even threw away the rings.” He violently took off the other matching ring from his hand and threw it onto my remains. Then he kicked the part that had already been burned to ashes, scattering them instantly. Rose and her bridesmaids also came forward, spreading my ashes completely. “Stop!” Emma had finally arrived. She rushed into the funeral scene, bursting into tears the moment she saw me in the fire. “Adrian, Rachel is already dead. Why won’t you leave even her remains alone!” “And you, Rose, you murderer! Rachel would never commit suicide!” The scene erupted in chaos. Rose and Emma started fighting, with Emma being pushed to the ground, weakened by her overwhelming grief. I watched Emma faint and struggled out of Adrian’s arms, anxiously circling around her. I’m sorry, Emma. I didn’t want to die either. The moment Rose pushed me off the roof, I suddenly regretted asking Emma to come pick me up, regretted telling her I was going to meet Rose first. Emma, how could I bear to let you see me like this? Rose lunged forward to hit her again, and I bit her hard, drawing blood. The world spun as someone kicked me away violently. Adrian covered Rose’s wound, looking at me angrily: “You really are Rachel’s cat, impossible to tame…”

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After being released from prison, I started doing risqué late-night livestreams for money. When my stepmother found out, she tried to persuade me to seduce my sister’s boss. I said, “Fine, but don’t regret it!” I want your whole family to pay for what you did to me and my deceased mother. 0 The sales representative called me at noon, reminding me to pay the remaining balance for the two burial plots I had reserved. I opened PayPal to check my balance: $19,654.07. I was still $345 short of the final payment. The sales rep suggested, “Miss Foster, if you’re tight on funds right now, we have two suitable plots in section three. They’re $4,000 cheaper than these two, and if you pay in full today, you’ll get an additional 2% discount.” I knew I couldn’t give up on those two plots. They were at the highest point on the hill, overlooking the entire city. My mother had been buried in a muddy plot in our hometown for most of her life. I wanted her to be buried with me at the highest point in this city. Together, we would watch my father’s family of three face their retribution. 0

I bought a ticket home and packed my meager belongings. On a misty morning, I returned to my father’s city from the place I had been living. By noon, I was standing at my father’s doorstep with my luggage. I hadn’t been back since my release from prison, so I had no memory of this shabby house in the run-down neighborhood. I couldn’t remember my stepmother’s phone number, so I had to tell my dad I was coming home. While waiting for him to come and open the door, a neighbor who recognized me stared at me for a long time. “You’re Mia Foster, aren’t you?” she asked. I nodded awkwardly. The woman glared at me, spat in my direction, and turned away. “Six years in prison and you still haven’t learned your lesson. You’re back to doing that disgusting stuff online as soon as you’re out.” “Robert must be blind to have a daughter like you!” It seemed my stepmother had already spread exaggerated stories about my livestreaming throughout the neighborhood. I couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. Sitting on my suitcase, I said, “You’d better keep a close eye on your son, so I don’t have a chance to seduce him.” “You little slut!” The woman was furious. “You’re nothing but a whore. Why don’t you just die? You’re wasting oxygen by being alive!” I laughed coldly. Don’t worry, I’ll be dead soon enough. The winter in this city was damp and cold. Even the slightest breeze could chill you to the bone. Despite wearing thick thermal pants, the cold wind made my lower body ache and go numb. After six years in prison, it had been a long time since I’d experienced winter outside. I sat on my suitcase, enduring the cold wind for four hours, until lights began to come on in the apartments around the neighborhood. That’s when I saw Chloe post on social media. It was a photo of her cutting a birthday cake in a restaurant with our dad and Stephanie. The warmth of the family scene was almost palpable through the screen. The caption read: “With a sincere heart, I embrace the lessons of time. Many thanks to my dearest daddy and mommy for ushering in my 23rd year.” Oh, so today was Chloe’s birthday. Chloe, my half-sister, the one who had pushed me into the abyss. I looked at my dad’s unanswered message and called the locksmith’s number posted on the wall. 0

In six years, the layout of the house had changed completely. The largest bedroom had become Chloe’s exclusive “princess room,” while what used to be my room, barely larger than the bathroom, had been merged with the balcony. The down jacket my mother had left me before she died was now being used as a dog bed. “Woof! Woof! Woof!” The family dog barked incessantly at me, so I simply locked it in Chloe’s room. My dad, who hadn’t replied to my message, finally called and told me to stay with a friend for now. Lying on the couch, I lied and said I had nowhere to go. Perhaps out of guilt, dad sent me $200 via PayPal, saying, “The house is being renovated, so there’s no place for you to stay. Go find a motel for now, and tomorrow you can go stay with your uncle in the countryside for a few days.” “You’re busy, I’ll figure it out myself!” I replied. Two hours later, I saw Chloe post a video. She was enjoying a luxurious hot spring with our dad and Stephanie. Next to them was my typically weak-willed father and my obese stepmother. This time, the caption read: “Thanks, Dad, for letting me experience a hot spring that only the wealthy can afford.” Below the video was a comment from my dad – three rose emojis. Such a touching father-daughter moment, how enviable! Lying on the couch, I thought it would be nice if they stayed away for a few more days. That way, I could come home, get my family registration document, remove myself from it, and cut ties with this family of three for good. But things didn’t go as planned. At 1 AM, thanks to some neighbor’s “kind” reminder, the family of three returned home with the police. 0

“Officer, this little bitch was just released from prison. You’d better take her back and teach her a lesson,” my stepmother’s shrill voice echoed through the building as soon as the door opened. “Robert, look at your good-for-nothing daughter. She’s been in jail for years and hasn’t learned a thing. Now she’s breaking and entering!” “You little slut, why couldn’t you have died in prison?” The police officer approached me and asked, “Let me see your ID. What’s your relationship to the owner of this house?” “I’m his daughter. I couldn’t find my key, so I called a locksmith to open the door to my own home. Is that a crime?” I handed my ID to the officer. The officer looked at my dad, expecting him to say something. But my dad looked at Stephanie and finally muttered, “Didn’t I give you money to stay at a motel? Calling someone to open someone else’s door like this, aren’t you just causing trouble for yourself?” So, in my father’s eyes, I was already an outsider? Dad pulled the officer aside and explained something, finally sending him away. Stephanie glared at me with hatred. “Robert, check if anything’s missing. Even if it’s just a pair of chopsticks, I want to send this little bitch back to jail for a few more days.” Chloe, who had been standing nearby, suddenly remembered something and rushed into her bedroom. “Mom, she locked Buddy in my room! There’s pee and poop everywhere!” Chloe angrily chased the dog out and stood at the door, crying pitifully. “Mia Foster, what have your father and I ever done to wrong you? Do you want to tear this family apart before you’re satisfied?” Stephanie demanded. “Where’s my room?” I asked. “You went to jail, why would we keep a room for you?” Stephanie was furious. She grabbed an ashtray from the table and threw it at me. I didn’t dodge. The ashtray hit my head, causing a wave of dizziness. I vaguely felt blood trickling down. “Looks like six years in prison didn’t teach you anything. Look at yourself, you’re just like your dead mother!” “Like mother, like daughter. Expecting a whore to give birth to a phoenix, what a joke!” I remained silent, but my gaze was fixed on Stephanie. If it wasn’t for her seducing my dad in the city, he wouldn’t have spent the money meant for my mom’s treatment on her. In the end, my mom died next to a dying fire in the cold winter. “After your mom died, I wanted to sell the house in your hometown and buy a new one in the city!” After my mother’s simple funeral, dad set his sights on the house my grandfather had left my mom in our hometown. He didn’t even let me refuse. I secretly went to the hill where my mother was buried, thinking about her lying in the mud, and cried my eyes out. But I was powerless. To survive, I had to follow my dad to the city and live in the new home he had built with someone else. “Do I need to remind you how we got this house?” I tried to argue. Stephanie sneered, “The money from selling that house was all spent on you.” “All these years, your schooling, food, clothes – which of these didn’t cost money? You have the nerve to bring this up?” Right, a person who could only wear her sister’s hand-me-downs and lick empty snack bags on the rooftop in summer must have cost the family a fortune. I looked at my dad comforting Chloe and thought about the medical diagnosis in my bag. I had wanted to use it to evoke some final genuine care from my dad before I died. Forget it, there’s no point in showing it now! 0

I ended up sleeping at home that night. Stephanie wanted to thoroughly check if anything was missing, afraid she wouldn’t be able to contact me if I left. “I’m going to check every inch of this house tonight. If even one thing is missing, I’ll personally drag you to the police station,” she threatened. “That’s enough. The bankbook is still here, isn’t it?” Dad rarely spoke up. “What about the watch I bought for Chloe? It cost thousands!” Stephanie persisted. “It probably just fell somewhere,” Dad replied. Since there was no longer a room for me, I had to make do with the couch. Because I needed to raise the remaining balance, I waited until they were asleep and opened my livestreaming app. I changed into a thin, low-cut nightgown and started streaming on the balcony. Men love this kind of thing. Although I tried to be as quiet as possible, I still woke up Stephanie. She stood in the living room, cursing. “If you want to act like a whore, do it somewhere else. Don’t pollute my home.” I had no choice but to end the stream and lie on the couch, wrapping myself in the down jacket from my luggage. Yes, not even a blanket in this house belonged to me. Early the next morning, I took my family registration document to the police station to process my removal from it. The police told me that without proof of property ownership, an unmarried person couldn’t remove themselves from their family’s registration. I was devastated. I couldn’t afford to buy a house! And marriage? Who would want to marry a “bad girl” who had “killed” someone, and was now in the late stages of cervical cancer with little time left to live? I returned home dejectedly. The couch was full of people, and the down jacket I had used as a blanket last night was bundled up and thrown onto the balcony. “Stephanie, did anything go missing from the house?” someone asked. “Haven’t found anything yet!” Stephanie called from the kitchen where she was busy making porridge. She deliberately raised her voice when she saw me come in. As soon as I entered the house, the pain hit me again. My lower body started to ache. “Isn’t it said that people who’ve been to prison are well-educated by the state?” a sharp-faced woman stared at me as she spoke. “How a person turns out depends on their mother’s upbringing. Wouldn’t you agree, Mrs. Pay?” another chimed in. “Absolutely. You can’t expect a phoenix to hatch from a chicken’s egg!” The living room erupted in laughter. “Mrs. Pay, you’ve hit the nail on the head. Just for that comment, I’ll make sure to give you an extra-large bowl of my Laba porridge,” Stephanie called from the kitchen. Oh, so today was the Laba Festival. Since I got sick, I’ve forgotten so many things – memories, friends, even dates. Ever since I came to the city with my dad at the age of six, Stephanie had been calling me “little bastard” behind my back and telling others that my mom was lazy and just waiting for dad to make money. She spread rumors that my mom was cheating on my dad. She’s been saying these things for over a decade, and she still seems to enjoy it. Fighting through the pain in my body, I deliberately bumped into the woman who had just spoken to Stephanie and sat down on the edge of the sofa. Looking at her, I said, “Auntie Pay, you were already pregnant when you married my uncle. Did you ever tell him the child wasn’t his?” This was a piece of gossip I had overheard Stephanie sharing with others behind closed doors thirteen years ago. “You little bitch, what nonsense are you spouting?” Stephanie, who had been busy in the kitchen, rushed out and slapped me across the face. I pretended to be wronged and said, “Mom, isn’t that what you said back then? You said Auntie Pay had been used and discarded by someone in the city, and she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to have children if she had an abortion, so she secretly slept with Uncle next door while hiding her pregnancy…” Since I didn’t have much life left anyway, I decided I would no longer hold back. “You little bastard, I’m going to beat you to death today!” Mrs. Pay was furious and lunged at me. Faced with everyone’s stares, Stephanie didn’t know how to explain. She could only run back to the kitchen and tell my dad to come home quickly. 0

The lively pre-Christmas gathering turned cold and quiet because of my few words. Stephanie told me to pack my things and get out, never to return to this home again. “Don’t worry, once I get my name removed from the family registration, I’ll never come back to disturb your perfect family of three,” I promised her. I shamelessly lay down on the couch to sleep. The physical pain almost made me pass out, until I heard my dad’s voice in the living room. Dad came back and lectured me, saying I shouldn’t have spoken ill of Stephanie in front of the neighbors. “Mia, it’s dad’s fault for not raising you properly all these years, but Stephanie is innocent in this,” he said. “You were only six or seven at the time, and I was always out trying to make money. If it wasn’t for Stephanie taking care of this home and looking after you and Chloe, this family would have fallen apart long ago.” He tried to comfort me: “What’s done is done with the prison thing. Now that you’re out and not getting any younger, and with the family’s tight finances these past couple of years, why don’t you find someone suitable and get married?” My heart felt like it was being stabbed! No matter what he said, I didn’t respond. “Mia, I hope you’ll consider things from my perspective. Dad’s getting old now, don’t make things difficult for me.” I curled up tightly, controlling my emotions so I wouldn’t cry out loud. Robert Foster, I will leave. I won’t make things difficult for you anymore. 0

I still couldn’t resolve the issue of removing myself from the family registration. I really couldn’t find anyone to marry. And I couldn’t afford to buy a house! Without these two conditions, I had no way to remove myself from my family’s registration. Fortunately, I managed to scrape together the remaining three thousand dollars for the burial plots. I transferred the final payment to the cemetery company’s account. Only after confirming that the two plots truly belonged to me did I feel some relief. As I was preparing to sleep that night, Stephanie came out of the bedroom with an envelope and stood in front of me. “What is it? It’s late,” I said, thinking she wanted to settle scores with me. She threw the envelope on the coffee table. “I’ve asked around. A woman like you is only worth this much for a night. Take the money and come with me tomorrow night to meet someone.” “What do you mean?” “Chloe has been in the dance troupe for over a year but hasn’t had a chance to perform a solo. You’re single anyway, so go spend a night with their dance troupe director. The money will be yours.” “I’ve raised you since your mother died. I’ve provided for you all these years, and I’m not asking for you to repay me in the future. Just do me this favor, and we’ll call it even for all the years I’ve taken care of you.” “Since you’re already in this line of work, just consider it me looking out for your business.” “If you please this director well, he might even be willing to keep you as his mistress. Then you won’t have to beg for a few dollars from men through your livestreams every day.” 0 Ever since I went to prison six years ago, my stepmother had labeled me as a bad woman. I coldly replied, “Take your money and get out!”

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I secured a million-dollar deal for the company, essentially rescuing my husband’s business from the brink of collapse. Yet, he attributed the success to the new secretary and even awarded her my year-end bonus. He remarked, “Nora is new here. Why make a fuss over it?” Later, during a company retreat, he chose to stay in the couple’s suite with the secretary. With a smug expression, the secretary remarked, “I have health issues and need Mr. Lu nearby when I use the hot springs. Sister Fiona is so generous; she won’t mind, right?” My husband supported her by the waist, grumbling, “Don’t worry about her. If she can’t handle this, then our relationship was a mistake!” I texted my parents: [No need to invest anymore, let this trash company go bankrupt.] At the annual company meeting, everyone was present. My husband, Declan Miller, who is the boss, was an hour late, while the secretary was dressed more extravagantly than me, the boss’s wife. My mind was elsewhere, so I didn’t speak to Declan Miller. Based on this year’s performance, I should be ranked first in the company, eligible for a $200,000 year-end bonus. This isn’t merely a financial reward; it’s recognition of my capabilities. Yet, the host announced all the names, and mine wasn’t among them. The secretary was already standing on stage next to Declan Miller, who praised her endlessly. “Nora is our company’s greatest contributor, with the top performance this year. You should all look up to her.” I was furious. I had clearly secured last month’s big contract, so why was the credit given to her? In front of the whole company, I resisted the urge to confront my husband. After the awards, Declan Miller noticed me in the audience and approached. I directly asked, “Why did my year-end bonus go to Kong Nora?” He quickly pulled me to a secluded corner. “Wife, I know your contribution is the greatest. I’m just avoiding suspicion. You’re the boss’s wife; newcomers might think there’s an inside story.” “Nora is new. Give her a break. Everyone acknowledges your skills.” Hearing his explanation left me speechless. I didn’t want to argue at the annual meeting, so I let it go. “Fine, I won’t bother with a newcomer.” Declan Miller immediately grinned, “Book a couple’s suite; we can soak in the hot springs after this.” I felt much better and immediately contacted my assistant to make the reservation. But I didn’t expect the suite wasn’t for me. As soon as the meeting ended, Declan Miller led Kong Nora to me, impatiently saying, “Give me the suite key; I want to take Nora to the hot springs.” Nora clung to Declan Miller’s arm, giving me a challenging look, as if they were the married couple. “Thank you, Sister Fiona. Mr. Lu and I will enjoy it!” I stood up and handed him the key. He snatched it and bumped my shoulder as he left. I lost my balance and hit the table corner with my waist, which caused sharp pain, but Declan Miller didn’t look back. “Nora worked so hard on this project and finally succeeded,” the sales directorEthan Johnson said to me, as if warning me. But the contract was signed because I negotiated many rounds and offered additional benefits from my parents’ company. Nora only served tea, so how did she become the hero? Even the technical director, Logan Carter, spoke for Nora, “Yes, she’s exhausted these days and needs rest. Fiona, don’t disturb her, prepare something nice for her tonight!” Watching them fully support Nora made me feel cold. When Nora first joined the company, they were on my side. I lost my appetite and returned to my room.

As soon as I got back, Declan Miller called. “Nora has a headache. Get her some medicine! You have five minutes to bring it to our room.” I coldly replied, “I’m not going.” Declan Miller got angry, “If you hadn’t been so petty today, Nora wouldn’t have a headache. Just buy the medicine as an apology, or else…” I hung up and closed my eyes to sleep. Declan Miller and I married as soon as we were of age. We grew up together, and he gave up a better school to stay with me. He said, “I want to be with Fiona forever, not separated for even a step!” We were so close that everything natural between us, without a confession, only a proposal. During the proposal, at my favorite seaside, he handed over all his assets to me, even wanting to transfer his family’s shares to me. He kept nothing for himself. “Fiona, what’s mine is yours. We are one, inseparable.” But soon after the proposal, Declan Miller’s family went bankrupt. I secretly paid his tuition. He became sensitive, impatient, and angry, often scolding me. Later, he met Kong Nora, giving most of his time to her. They ate and traveled together, leaving no place for me. We agreed to start a business after graduation, but he ignored my wishes and made Nora his secretary. I hoped that while we worked for the company, he would recall our bond. But now, it seems I no longer have a place in his heart. The retreat was chosen because he casually mentioned that if we secured the collaboration, he would bring me here to celebrate with hot springs. But now, it’s Nora he’s with. Tears flowed from my eyes into my pillow. I took off my ring and threw it into the trash.

When I woke up, it was evening. I initially planned to eat barbecue. When I reached the barbecue area on the lawn, everyone had already started. The only seat left was next to Declan Miller, so I had to sit there. “Where’s your wedding ring?” Declan Miller asked as soon as I sat down. “I threw it away.” After I replied, Declan Miller slammed his chopsticks on the table. “I’ve had enough! I don’t know when you became so unreasonable!” “I just spent a day with Nora, and you give me attitude!” “Her health isn’t good. What’s wrong with helping her? Why are you so cruel and unsympathetic?” After Declan Miller spoke, sales directorEthan Johnson chimed in, “Right, Nora is right. Fiona, you’re just not kind enough.” “You wouldn’t even get a headache medicine for Nora. If I hadn’t brought some in advance, she’d be miserable!” Nora pretended to be pitiful, leaning on Declan Miller and rubbing her eyes. They all looked at me with disdain, as if I were a public enemy. “Alright, don’t let Fiona ruin our mood,” said technical director Logan Carter, placing a plate of grilled meat in front of Nora. “Eat up, Nora. Ignore irrelevant people; your health is important.” Declan Miller patted Nora’s head, comforting her, “Alright, Nora doesn’t want to see you. Go buy her a cocktail; she loves it. Come back and drink three glasses as an apology!” I left my seat, not to buy alcohol, but to get my dinner. I bought a burger and sat by the fountain in the small square outside the lawn. The fountain show was beautiful, temporarily easing my heartache. I received a message from Declan Miller asking why I hadn’t bought the alcohol yet. He forgot that I’m allergic to alcohol. I’ve never bought it, and alcohol was never present at any table I sat at. This was all due to Declan Miller’s protection. He never let me see alcohol, nor did he let anyone else drink around me. I immediately blocked Declan Miller. “What are you doing here? Why didn’t you buy the alcohol?” I looked up, and it was Nora. “If you want it, buy it yourself. What, no money?” After I spoke, it provoked Nora. She put her hands on her hips and yelled: “Isn’t your money from Declan Miller? Who are you pretending to be!” “With just a wave of my finger, do you know how much Declan Miller would give me?” “Do you believe it or not, Declan Miller will kick you out and marry me soon!” I nodded, “I believe it! You better make him divorce me quickly.” So it was for money. I wanted to see if she would still be with Declan Miller after he leaves with nothing. Seeing I wasn’t angry, she was unhappy and sneered. Then she suddenly hugged me, loudly saying, “Sister Fiona, don’t be mad. It’s my fault!” Then, she forcefully pushed me toward the fountain. My head went backward into the fountain, and the suffocating feeling made me almost feel like I was already dead. I’m afraid of water and can’t swim. I once wanted Declan Miller to teach me, but he said with him around, I wouldn’t be in danger. Yet, now I’m in danger, and he doesn’t care at all. She sneered, unhappy that I wasn’t upset. Then, she suddenly hugged me and exclaimed loudly, “Fiona, please don’t be mad. It’s my fault!” She pushed me forcefully, causing me to fall backward into the fountain. I hit the water headfirst, feeling like I was drowning. I’ve always been afraid of water and never learned to swim. I once asked Declan to teach me, but he assured me I wouldn’t be in danger as long as he was around. Yet here I was, in danger, and he didn’t seem to care. A female colleague pulled me out of the water and saved me. When I regained consciousness, I saw Declan comforting Nora from afar. I made up my mind. “Fiona! You’re so manipulative! Nora already apologized, and you still pushed her!” “And then you pretend to be pitiful by jumping into the fountain yourself! Why would I marry someone like you?” Shaking, I struggled to stand. “If that’s how you feel, let’s get a divorce!”

I returned to my room alone, took a shower, and went straight to bed. I woke up in the middle of the night with a fever and realized I was sick. I called the front desk for help, took some fever medicine, and fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up again, my colleagues had already checked out and left without a word. I called my parents, asking them to send a car for me. But they came themselves. Falling into their arms, I finally felt warmth. “Dad, Mom, I’m going back to our family company tomorrow.” “And I’ve decided to get a divorce. Can you help me find a lawyer?” My mom comforted me. “Alright. We support you! If he’s broke, just let him go.” “We could ruin him with a flick of our fingers.” “I’ve already prepared an office for you! Home is where you belong!” After a few days of recovery at home, I received a call from Logan Carter. He said a business partner was visiting the company and urged me to hurry over. Thinking this was the last deal I closed, I should see it through properly, so I went. But I found out they tricked me. As soon as I entered the office, Declan threw a divorce agreement on the table, glaring at me. “What do you mean by this?” Turns out the lawyer was fast and had already sent the draft. “It obviously means divorce. Just sign.” Declan picked up the agreement and tore it to shreds. “What about the company after the divorce?” “After the divorce, my family will pull out their investment. The company will be yours alone.” After I said that, Declan was silent for a moment, then took my hand and pressed me into a chair. “I know you’re angry. Just hear me out.” He barely finished when Nora came into the office. “Fiona, I’m here to apologize today.” She suddenly knelt on the ground. “It’s all my fault. I didn’t know my place. I’ll stay away from Mr. Declan in the future!” She barely got the words out before tears started falling. Logan and Ethan came in right on cue, tissues in hand, helping her wipe her tears. “Fiona, don’t be too much! Nora isn’t well, and you made her kneel.” Declan immediately helped her up, the three of them supporting her to the sofa. “Alright, she’s apologized. Stop making a fuss.” “Hurry back to work. Don’t let Nora do your job for you!” Ah, they felt sorry for his precious Nora. Ignoring what he said, I started packing my things on the desk. But Logan and Ethan wouldn’t let me go, snatching my things from my hands and throwing them on the ground. “How ungrateful can you be!” Looking at the broken glass tower on the floor, my heart shattered along with it. That souvenir was bought when the core team visited a temple together. Back then, Logan and Ethan had just joined the company. When we met, they had been laid off and had their research illegally seized by their previous company. I helped them reclaim their project and introduced them to a professor, who helped them win a prize in a competition. They made sincere wishes at the temple, promising never to forget my kindness if the company thrived. Yet now, they didn’t see me as their boss. My desk was a mess, the cup shattered, and the floor littered with glass shards. Logan maneuvered around the debris, trying to drag me toward Nora. “If you’re leaving, hand over the archive keys to Nora!” I couldn’t resist his pull and stumbled forward, tripping over something. I landed right on the glass shards. Pain shot through my body, and I screamed, frozen in place from the shock. Declan, as if on reflex, moved to help me, but Nora stopped him. “Mr. Declan, Fiona isn’t even bleeding. You don’t need to go.” I wore black pants today, and the glass pierced my thigh, with blood trickling down my leg. Declan couldn’t see the wound and just said, “Fiona! Stop pretending!” Nora stood in front of Declan, having Logan and Ethan pin me down. “Mr. Declan, let me teach her a lesson so she’ll behave!”

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On the day of the company’s annual meeting, Nora brought in a man and announced to everyone that he was the new Vice President. Instantly, all eyes in the company turned towards me. Manager Liam looked at me with a smirk: “Ms. Anderson, Ethan has been with the company for so many years. Why wasn’t he promoted?” Nora casually replied, “Ethan is a cornerstone of the company and performs best at the grassroots level.” I knew Nora was confident that I wouldn’t object or leave her. Seeing the new Vice President, I understood why. He looked just like Nora’s college flame who tragically passed away. Suddenly, I felt drained. I tore off my ID badge and tossed it in front of Nora. “Ms. Anderson, I’m done here.” “Ethan, what do you mean by this?” Nora’s voice carried a hint of displeasure, her brows furrowed. But with many employees present, she had to keep her composure and asked me patiently. I could sense her looming anger. At this moment, everyone in the company looked at me with amusement, some even snickering. They were all waiting for a spectacle. Nora handed my ID badge back, her tone softening slightly. But to me, this was the biggest concession she could give. “Theo is just here in name. Theo and I are old acquaintances. I’m merely having him stay for a while. In time, you can apply for the Vice President position when the opportunity presents itself.” “We’re all adults. There’s no need to throw a tantrum.” However, I was already disillusioned and replied firmly. “No, Ms. Anderson, I’m really done.” Nora’s face turned dark instantly. She seemed unprepared for me to publicly embarrass her. Theo noticed and immediately spoke, his tone carrying a hint of humility and compromise. “Ms. Anderson, Ethan truly is a key figure in the company. With me suddenly being placed here, people might have unspoken reservations. I’m willing to start from the bottom and leave the opportunity to someone more capable.” But hearing Theo’s humble tone irritated Nora even more. She quickly interrupted, “Theo, stop being modest. No one is more suitable for this position than you. My placing you here proves you deserve it. Anyone with objections can come to me.” After Nora’s declaration, my colleagues naturally dared not object, all expressing their support for her decision. Then, Nora impatiently turned to me: “Ethan, I’ve said what I needed to. If you’re willing to work, then work. If not, then leave.” I gave a cold smirk. I always knew she had less patience with me than with others, even less than with a new intern. Before I could respond, Nora continued. “Theo, sit beside me. Let’s officially start the annual meeting and introduce you to the department heads.” Suddenly, I felt like a forgotten fool, standing there, unsure of my place. Yet I could feel the subtle gazes around me, filled with either sympathy or mockery. Without hesitation, I took off my wedding ring and placed it on the conference table, then turned and left. “Ethan! If you walk out of this conference room, don’t bother coming back!” Nora’s voice echoed behind me, laced with anger. I ignored it and walked straight out of the conference room. As soon as I stepped out, a few colleagues came over, pretending to persuade me. They probably already knew everything from some inside source. “Manager Ethan, at our age, isn’t staying employed more important than anything else?” “Middle-aged and unemployed—it’s a tough world out there, especially for someone like you, who’s the technical backbone of the company. With fresh graduates everywhere, who would dare hire you? I’m just being candid, don’t take it personally.” I looked at their insincere faces, their words implying that Nora gave me this job, and without the company or her, I was nothing. I paused briefly, and the meeting was ending behind me. I heard laughter congratulating Nora on getting rid of a “pest,” some even suggesting she kick me out of the marriage too. I looked back at this toxic company and its utterly insincere faces. Feeling only exhaustion, I let out a deep sigh.

I am Nora’s so-called husband. Over the years, this identity has felt like an invisible net, binding me tightly in this relationship, leaving me breathless. Our story began in college, where I was her junior, studying finance alongside her. My father was once a driver for Nora’s family, practically family after years of service. A few years ago, he saved her father in an accident. This act of gratitude led Nora’s father to bind us together before he passed, hoping we would marry. At that time, Nora was still grieving the loss of her long-cherished college love, who also passed in an accident. In those difficult days, I was by her side, helping her out of her darkness bit by bit. Perhaps out of gratitude, or perhaps out of uncertainty about the future, she muddled through and agreed to the marriage. However, we never registered the marriage, nor did we consummate it. Whenever I tried to bring it up, Nora would use the excuse of the company being in a growth phase and outright reject me. I once thought that her agreeing to the marriage meant she had some feelings for me, that my companionship and efforts during those days might have quietly moved her heart. Later, I compromised, turning down many offers from big companies, and joined Nora’s company as a technical manager right after college, initially to help stabilize her company and because I feared chaos after her father’s death, wanting to support her. Revealing our relationship wasn’t my intention, but it turned me into a thorn in my colleagues’ eyes. I worked diligently at the company, attentive at home, hoping my actions would eventually win her over enough to look at me. However, it wasn’t until Theo appeared that I finally understood some hearts are like cold stones, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t warm them. I packed up my things and left the company. As soon as I stepped out of the office building, I pulled out my phone and submitted a resignation application, which the HR manager promptly approved. I could almost envision Nora’s cold smile upon learning about my resignation. But now, none of it mattered. I returned to the house that colleagues gossiped about as a “cohabitation” place. In reality, it was just a rental arrangement. After a final glance at the familiar decorations, I quietly packed my few belongings, ready to leave. On the way to my new place, I suddenly craved a drink and bought a few bottles. I ended up drinking myself into a stupor, lamenting the years I wasted, but also toasting to my newfound freedom. In my haze, I suddenly heard a voice. “Hey, what’s going on? Why are you lying on the floor?” “Are you feeling unwell anywhere?” I rubbed my aching temples, sobered up a bit, and saw a young girl handing me a glass of water. I hesitated, confused. “Who are you?” She seemed surprised by my question, tucked her hair behind her ear, and smiled. “Didn’t the landlord tell you? I’m the previous tenant of this place, just coming to pick up some things I left behind. Hi, I’m Daphne.”

I frowned in response, opened my phone, and sure enough, saw messages and several voice calls from the landlord. I must have been too drunk to notice them. Through our conversation, I learned Daphne had just quit her job too. Watching her youthful, spirited pursuit of freedom, I felt genuine envy. When she learned I had just lost my job and ended a relationship, seeing the mess of empty bottles, she immediately spoke up. “Ethan, how about we go see the ocean together! We hit it off so well, and we’re both newly unemployed, let’s celebrate our freedom!” “I’ve been wanting to go to the beach! My friends don’t want to go with me, so you should come!” I looked at her face, unable to remember the last time I wanted to see the sea. But isn’t life about living for those fleeting moments? Now that I’m unemployed, what’s there to fear? At least I won’t starve. So, we went to the neighboring city to see the ocean. Watching the waves wash over the sand and recede, I felt a rare sense of calm and began talking with her. Daphne was naturally friendly, probably because she was recently a graduate, still lively and unburdened by years of workplace scheming and fatigue. We talked from dawn till dusk, watched the sunset over the sea together, and her youthful dreams amazed me. We decided to visit the neighboring city to see the ocean together. As I watched the waves ebb and flow on the beach, I felt a rare sense of calmness wash over me, prompting me to start a conversation with her. Daphne was naturally sociable and full of life, possibly because she was a recent graduate and hadn’t yet been jaded by the workplace’s stress and competition. We talked from dawn till dusk, watching the sunset over the sea together. Her youthful dreams were truly remarkable and inspiring. “Ethan, I believe people shouldn’t be stuck in the past. When I first saw you, you were sprawled on the couch in the living room, reeking of alcohol. I thought you were trouble, and it scared me.” She fondly recounted the humorous incident of finding me that day, and I laughed along. It suddenly dawned on me that my entire marriage felt like a burden. Since graduation, my life had been monotonous, revolving mostly around work and Nora. During the day, I worked at the company, and at night, I took care of Nora. She never appreciated it, and her unpredictable moods often left me anxious. Nora regretted marrying me soon after our wedding. When I eagerly asked about getting our marriage certificate, she doused my enthusiasm with cold indifference. She maintained our relationship only out of obligation to her father’s last wishes. The house was a shrine to him, cluttered with photo frames that were glaringly intrusive. Whenever I moved anything, even while cleaning, she would explode in anger. The ongoing tension took a mental toll on me. Looking at Daphne’s youthful face, I let out a bitter laugh and started sharing my life story. I’m not someone who easily opens up about my pain. Partly because I’m a grown man and partly because the relationship was so complex, I didn’t know where to begin. I couldn’t even recall my feelings for Nora anymore. But Daphne was patient. She listened to my hesitant story from start to finish. After speaking with her, I suddenly felt a sense of relief. After returning home from our trip, we prepared to part ways. We returned to the apartment, and Daphne began packing her belongings. There was a small appliance that took some time to disassemble. Watching her busy figure, I felt grateful for the conversation we had. Daphne still had her dreams and freedom to pursue. I was just a passerby and friend in her life. But I was thankful she listened and offered advice. Who would have thought that upon entering the apartment, we would find a group of unexpected guests? Leading them was Nora’s bodyguard. He nodded politely at me and spoke. “Mr. Ethan, Miss Nora requests your return.”

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On Valentine’s Day, I set up a candlelit dinner, eagerly waiting for my wife to return from work. At 9 PM, she texted me: “Something came up at work. Don’t wait for me.” Moments later, I stumbled upon a tweet from her secretary, Asher. “On a business trip with the boss lady on Valentine’s Day, and all the hotels are fully booked… How awkward…” The photo accompanying his tweet showed a woman in a bathrobe in front of a large window. The comments praised his luck, admiring the boss lady’s elegant figure and femininity. Asher only responded with a smirking emoji. So, the “something” that came up was her taking her male secretary out for a good time. I took a screenshot of his tweet and shared it on Instagram with a smiling emoji. In the blink of an eye, Adeline called, reprimanding me: “Asher was just joking. Why do you care so much? Why are you so petty?” I hung up and texted her back: “Let’s get a divorce.” At 2 AM, Adeline finally came home. As soon as she opened the door, we stared at each other, neither saying a word. Her eyes drifted to the candlelit dinner, yet she showed no guilt. Ins d, she snapped: “Just because I came home a bit late? What’s with that Instagram post? You’re always so passive-aggressive, it’s infuriating!” Seeing my silence, she tossed a tie at me. “Asher bought this for you. See how thoughtful he is? He said if you don’t accept his apology, he’ll delete his Twitter.” I looked at the old stains on the tie and chuckled. An old tie, probably one he wore himself. Asher surely knows how to push my buttons. Thinking I had calmed down, Adeline handed me the phone. “Asher is so considerate; aren’t you going to thank him?” I ignored her and continued watching TV. “Declan, are you deaf?” She pulled me up violently, throwing me off balance, and I fell to the floor. Unluckily, my waist hit the corner of the table. It hurt! The injury was from a fire seven years ago when I saved Adeline and was hit by a falling beam. I clutched my waist, trembling in pain. Adeline looked at me with a hint of guilt. “I’ll get the ointment.” I glanced at her retreating figure, wanting to stop her but held back. The medical report in the drawer had been there for three days. When the results came out, the doctor specifically advised me that it’s early-stage stomach cancer. The cure rate is still high if I stay positive, watch my diet, and take my medication. Next to the report were two tickets for a seven-day trip to Iceland. I planned to tell her on Valentine’s Day, hoping to relax before the surgery. Now, there’s no need. Adeline hurried back with the medical kit, searching quickly but then paused. “The ointment is gone, could it be…” She didn’t finish her sentence. I saw a flicker of guilt cross her face. I suddenly remembered Asher’s reply on Twitter to someone: “She’s so gentle. When I accidentally burned myself cooking, she immediately applied ointment for me.” If it weren’t for the recent events, I would’ve confronted Adeline about the imported ointment. Did she use it on Asher? But this time, I didn’t expose her. I smiled wryly. “Adeline, stop searching. I’ll go out and buy some.” She looked at me seriously. “How can you go out like this? Stay home. I’ll go…” Before she could finish, her phone rang. She glanced down and immediately answered it. “Asher, what’s up?” Asher’s voice came through, sounding aggrieved. “Ms. Chen, I’m feeling down and drinking at the bar. Some people caused trouble and hurt me. Can you take me to the hospital…” Adeline threw the medical kit on the sofa and stood up abruptly. “Asher, wait, I’m coming right away.” “Ms. Chen, thank you, but it’s best you don’t come. Declan would be upset. I’ll find a way myself!” “What right does he have to be upset!” After hanging up, she glanced at me curled up on the floor with disdain. She was about to rush out. “Adeline, wait!” I quickly called out to her. “Declan, can you stop making a fuss?” “How are you going to save someone without your phone and wallet?” I pointed to the sofa. Her phone and wallet lay quietly beside the medical kit. Adeline looked at the kit for a moment. “I’ll save Asher first and take you to the hospital when I get back.” With that, she rushed out.

Dawn arrived, but Adeline hadn’t returned. The pain intensified, and I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I called an ambulance. While waiting, I scrolled through Twitter and saw Asher’s new post. He talked about being a hero at the bar, getting injured protecting a girl from troublemakers. Adeline showed up, moved by him even so late at night. He included a photo of Adeline rfully tending to his wounds, with the caption “Love can conquer all.” One comment read: “With such a beautiful woman with you, how can you resist? Dude, is your orientation off?” Another echoed: “Yeah, if she came to me so late, it wouldn’t just be about tending wounds…” Asher posted a smug emoji, replying: “What’s the rush? She’ll be mine sooner or later!” … The ambulance arrived, and the medics lifted me onto a stretcher. While receiving an IV in the emergency room, I texted my friend, Nolan. “Nolan, I want a divorce.” After getting discharged, I rested at home for a few days. I thought things would quiet down until the phone kept ringing, waking me up. Exhausted, I answered the call, hearing Adeline’s cold voice. “I’m here to pick you up for dinner.” Before I could respond, she hung up. Wanting to keep things peaceful before the divorce, I got dressed and headed out. Seeing my weary face, Adeline suddenly remembered she forgot to buy me ointment. “The restaurant is near the hospital; I’ll take you there first.” “No need, it’s been days. It’s fine now.” She sighed in relief. “I thought so. It’s been seven years. If it hurts, it’s just in your head.” I laughed at myself: “Yeah, seven years.” Back then, I pushed Adeline out with all my strength, only to get pinned by a burning beam. Three ribs were broken, and my coccyx was cracked. Even now, a slight bump is unbearable. I never told her about the lingering pain, not wanting her to feel guilty. But after seven years together, if she loved me, wouldn’t she know if I was in pain? Adeline talked about that night as she drove. “I took Asher to the hospital. His injuries were pretty bad. I stayed with him, worried he’d feel bad at night. Don’t overthink it.” I stared coldly out the window. “I’m not overthinking. He’s your secretary. It’s right to stay with him.” Adeline seemed unsatisfied with my answer and slammed the brakes. My earphone fell under the seat. As I bent down to pick it up, I found men’s swim trunks hidden under the seat. A month ago, I would’ve gone crazy, waving them at her in fury. Now, I just smiled, picking them up and placing them on the back seat. Adeline looked uncomfortable. “Oh, those must be Asher’s. He must’ve accidentally left them after swimming.” I nodded, continuing to look out the window. During dinner, a couple at the next table kept staring. When I noticed, the girl came over. “Are you the female CEO from Asher’s Twitter? You’re so pretty in person!” Adeline glanced at her. “Do you need something?” The girl asked curiously, “Are you dating Asher?” Adeline looked at me, buried in my meal, and smiled at the girl: “Yes, I’m dating Asher.” I smiled at the girl, feeling a sharp pain in my stomach. The girl, puzzled, asked, “Then who is he?” Adeline blurted out, “Security.”

Before leaving, the girl told Adeline with some reluctance, “I’ll always support you two. You must get married!” After she saw them off, Adeline turned and offered me a spoonful of ice cream. “Honey, don’t worry about it. The video series ‘The Bossy Female CEO Falls for Me’ on Liam’s Twitter is really popular right now. It’s good for the company. You have no idea how happy Liam is. If I interfere, he’ll be upset.” I wasn’t interested in her explanation. “I don’t care. You don’t need to explain.” At that moment, the stabbing pain in my stomach grew worse. I clutched my stomach in agony, my face turning pale. On the way home, Adeline received a call from Liam. “Adeline, can you pick me up from the pool? I forgot to bring a change of clothes, and it’s awkward to get a ride. Please, please…” Unable to resist Liam’s request, Adeline smiled indulgently. “Okay, okay, I’m on my way.” After hanging up, she held my hand and kissed it. “Honey, let’s go pick up Liam together. That way, you won’t overthink things.” “Adeline, you can’t go; my stomach hurts a lot. You need to take me to the hospital! Hurry!” Her expression darkened upon hearing my words. “Declan, can you stop being so dramatic? I wanted to bring you along so you wouldn’t overthink, but I didn’t expect you to play the sympathy card.” “I’m not playing games. Take me to the hospital. I’m not joking; it really hurts!” “Stop pretending. It’s not convincing at all.” I was on the verge of fainting. “I have stomach cancer. It hurts so much now, so we have to go to the hospital!” Adeline didn’t believe me and glared at me in anger. “You usually act with me, but now you’re even using stomach cancer to deceive me?” “We’ve been married for four years. You’ve been fine. How could you suddenly have stomach cancer?” “Now that I have to pick up Liam, you’re suddenly in pain?” She grew more furious and slammed on the brakes. “Get out. Get out!” “Aren’t you in a hurry to the hospital? Hurry up and get out! Don’t waste my time picking up Liam!” “Fine, I’ll get out.” I was about to get out of the car when she grabbed me. “I really can’t be too nice to you, making you disobedient!” “Let’s divorce, Adeline.” She seemed shocked by my words. “Divorce?” I nodded. “Nolan has already prepared the divorce agreement for me.” She released me, staring in shock. “Declan, do you really want a divorce? You better think it over. No one would want a petty man like you except for me!” “I’ve thought it over. Goodbye.” As I was about to get out, she slammed the gas pedal. The sudden acceleration threw me out. Amid the screams of passersby, I lay in a pool of blood, and Adeline walked away without looking back. Blood spread beneath me, blooming like vibrant flowers of the afterlife, encircling me one after another.

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Valentine’s Day, my frugal husband gave me a gold necklace. I was delighted and took a picture to share on social media, saying: “Seven years, and my husband finally understands!” That evening, I prepared a lavish dinner to reward him after a long day at work. However, it wasn’t my husband at the door, but a young woman. Just as I set the last dish on the table, the doorbell rang urgently. At this time, my son was still at his tutoring session, and my husband, Declan, if he forgot his key, would knock impatiently. Who could it be? I quickly wiped my hands on my apron and called out: “I’m coming, I’m coming.” “Theo, take a look for yourself. Isn’t this the necklace you gave me?” Before I could see who it was, a finger was pointed right in my face. I recognized her; she lived next door and had just moved in. Her name was Phoebe. Facing her rude behavior, I suppressed my anger and spoke calmly: “Young lady, you must be mistaken. My husband bought this necklace for me. Look, here’s the card he wrote himself!” The man named Theo looked at me gratefully under her aggressive gaze. “I just lost a necklace, and you received an identical one—what a coincidence!” Phoebe grabbed Theo’s phone and furiously typed on it, then thrust it in my face with a sneer: “Lady, open your eyes and take a look. This is the order screenshot, identical to the one on your neck. As for the card, it’s so scratched up, who knows how many hands it’s been through.” “And by the way, aren’t you a bit too old to be taking what your man can’t provide? Take it off and return it, and I won’t press charges.” She raised her voice to draw the attention of several neighbors who peeked out. I felt my face burn with embarrassment, thinking this young woman was out of her mind. Just because it’s the same necklace, she thinks it’s hers? “If you keep causing trouble, I’ll call the police,” I said coldly, showing her the door. But Phoebe wasn’t intimidated; she grew even more arrogant: “Never heard of the guilty party calling the police first? Who are you threatening? I’m not afraid of you!” When Declan arrived, Phoebe and I had just been separated, both with scratches on our faces. He pulled me aside without a word: “You’re embarrassing me all the time, hurry up and come home with me!” “Why are you in such a hurry? Feeling guilty? The matter isn’t resolved yet!” Seeing Phoebe provoke, Theo tugged at her sleeve: “Enough, we found the necklace, it’s all good. We’re neighbors.” “What, are you afraid he’ll retaliate? Look at him, he wouldn’t dare!” Hearing this, Declan pulled me angrily but didn’t dare lash out at Phoebe. Following Phoebe’s smug gaze, he saw the familiar necklace, then looked at my bare neck and said angrily: “Where’s the necklace you posted about? Did you give it to them? Do you know how expensive a gold necklace is?” “You have the nerve to talk about the necklace? Declan, why didn’t you tell me it was stolen? Three years of marriage, I’ve worked tirelessly, and I can’t even get a gold necklace?” Just now, Phoebe showed evidence. In the surveillance footage, Declan was seen rummaging through the flower gifts at her door, pocketing a gift box along with the greeting card. “Spare me, it wasn’t stealing. It was thrown away in the trash at their door. How was I supposed to know it was gold inside?” “And besides, gold is expensive. Do I look like I have spare money? Are you dumb? Posting pictures on social media, after all your education, housework must have fried your brain!” “And by the way, if you hadn’t been after me for it, would I have picked it up?” “Do you hear yourself? When did I ever hound you for it?” “You didn’t say? You didn’t say you keep nagging about my mother owing you a dowry? Aren’t you just after my family’s money? You don’t work, just want me to support you!” Back then, my grades were much better than Declan’s. He said the child needed a loving environment to grow up in. My mother-in-law was from the countryside, couldn’t adjust to city life, was uneducated, and couldn’t raise a child properly. He sweet-talked me into becoming a housewife. Now, it’s become a weapon against me. Watching the once handsome boy turn into this ugly face, I felt disgusted. I suddenly couldn’t argue anymore. Feeling disheartened, I said: “Declan, let’s get a divorce. I’ve had enough of this life!”

Declan was my first love. I married him right after college and soon became a housewife after having Finn. To give Finn a better life, Declan saved every penny over the years. For seven years, I’ve used Finn’s baby cream as my skincare, wore outdated clothes passed down from my sister-in-law for three years. Even the promised gifts of gold from my mother-in-law at our wedding never materialized. He said I didn’t need them since I stayed home, and it was better to invest in Finn’s future so we’d be secure in our old age. When I received the necklace, I realized I hadn’t been that happy in a long time. But it turned out to be a slap in the face. Back home, seeing Finn eating alone, Declan flipped the table in anger: “Eat! Eat! Eat! All you do is eat! What use is it for me to support you two, just costing me money all day!” “Finn, if you have something to say, say it to me. What kind of skill is it to take it out on the child!” I hugged my trembling, crying son, stroking his head, trying to comfort him. Unexpectedly, he pushed me away: “I don’t want you, go away. I want Ms. Iris!” “Who is Ms. Iris?” I knew all of Finn’s tutoring teachers but had never heard of a Ms. Iris. “Ms. Iris is Ms. Iris, she’s prettier and kinder than you, and she doesn’t make Dad angry. I hate you, why didn’t you pick me up!” Hearing the door slam as Finn shut himself in, I felt guilty, thinking he was upset because I hadn’t picked him up from school. That night, I made his favorite egg noodles to try to cheer him up. But standing outside his room, I overheard my mother-in-law on the phone with him: “My darling grandson, do you like Ms. Iris?” “Ms. Iris is young and pretty, she can earn money. She’s a hundred times better than your useless mom. Wouldn’t you like Ms. Iris to be your mom?” Finn was silent for a while before asking: “Will Ms. Iris take care of me like Mom if Dad and Mom divorce?” At that moment, I felt ice-cold. My mother-in-law was supporting my husband finding another woman. My son wanted the other woman as his mom. After giving so much to this family over the years, I found myself utterly alone. There were no disputes over property, and I didn’t want custody, so the divorce was straightforward. Leaving City Hall, my son happily leaped into Declan’s arms without a glance at me. “Ms. Iris said Dad is happy today and will take us out for a feast!” Looking at Ms. Iris, with her delicate skin and refined clothes, clearly living a life of luxury, no wonder my son liked her. But I couldn’t understand what she saw in the unkempt, pot-bellied Declan. “Ms. Iris is right. Let’s have some western food, and after dinner, we’ll take Ms. Iris shopping, okay?” “Brother Declan, don’t spend too much. I haven’t even worn the gold necklace you bought me the other day.” Watching them walk away like a happy family, I realized Declan wasn’t stingy; he just didn’t want to spend money on me. But that’s okay; I’m done revolving around them. From now on, I want to live for myself.

Declan didn’t know I had secretly taken a loan to buy this house. The rent he paid each month was my loan repayment. When Declan and his new family returned, I was packing up their things. He smugly pulled out a crumpled $200 from his pocket and threw it at my face. “Smart choice. Here’s $200 for your trip home. Take it and go, don’t dirty Iris’s eyes.” Iris blushed, shyly tapping Declan, intentionally showing off her wrist adorned with a large gold bracelet. “Brother Declan, what are you saying? It’s not easy for her, she gave her youth to this family.” I rolled my eyes at them and interrupted impatiently: “You got it wrong, Declan. This house is mine. You should be the ones leaving.” “You’re lying. How could you afford a house without a job? You’ve been living off Dad all these years. Without Dad, you’d starve.” “Without me, you’d starve. Do you really think you’re Daddy’s good son? Who has been tirelessly serving you all these years? Today, I’m going to beat some sense into you, you ungrateful brat!” I picked up a broom and started swinging it at them. Several times, Declan hid behind Iris. “Get out, or I’ll call the police!” Iris was frightened, clutching her belly, looking pained. Seeing this, Declan hurriedly called an ambulance, not forgetting to threaten me: “If anything happens to Iris, you’ll pay!” “Without me, you would have been in dire straits ages ago. You think you’re the perfect son for your father? Who’s been looking after you all these years? Today, I’m putting an end to your ungrateful antics!” I grabbed the broom next to me and started swinging it at the three of them. Declan ducked behind Iris several times to dodge the blows. “Get out now, or I’ll call the cops,” I shouted. Startled, Iris instinctively shielded her belly, wincing in discomfort. Seeing this, Declan quickly dialed for an ambulance on his phone, still managing to throw a threat my way: “If anything happens to Iris, there will be hell to pay!” Once I finally got them out, I slumped down on a chair, surveying the chaos of the room. A wave of emptiness washed over me. Just then, my mom called: “Dear, Declan said you two got divorced. Do you want us to come and get you? What’s going on?” Hearing my mom’s worried voice, I couldn’t hold back my tears any longer. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. Take your time. No matter what, your dad and I are here for you.” Through my choked words, my mom pieced together what had happened and comforted me gently: “I always had a feeling Declan wasn’t the right one. Luckily, we were smart enough to put the house under your dad’s name back then.” “And that kid, like father, like son. Don’t worry, darling, you’re still young and have plenty of opportunities ahead.” My dad also encouraged me to come home for a few days. I wiped my tears, shaking my head: “Dad, Mom, could you lend me some money? I want to open a breakfast shop downstairs.” Seeing that I wasn’t letting this knock me down, my parents were overjoyed: “Silly child, don’t talk about borrowing. You always dreamed of opening a dumpling shop when you were little. Fulfilling a dream is a good thing. We’ll come over soon to help you out.” 4. With my parents’ support and school starting, my breakfast shop quickly gained traction. Back then, we chose this area so Finn could attend school conveniently. Finn, whom I raised for six years, was now in a new family dynamic. I was concerned about how he was doing. As I set up shop, a group of elementary school kids gathered around. Amidst the chatter, I heard a familiar name: “Finn, these dumplings are amazing! But doesn’t that lady look like your mom?” After not seeing him over the winter break, Finn had grown taller and slimmer. He looked at me coldly and said nothing. I packed two meat dumplings and handed them to the chubby kid who spoke: “Thanks for the free advertising, kiddo. These are on the house.” My son suddenly knocked the dumplings from my hand, sneering: “She’s not my mom. I don’t have a mom like that. What’s so great about dumplings anyway? I’m sick of them. After school, I’ll have my mom take us for burgers.” He said this, and without another glance, dragged the chubby kid across my dumplings. I watched my son’s back, picked up the dumplings from the ground, dusted them off, and tossed them to Whiskers, who wagged his tail happily. Indeed, raising an ungrateful child is not as good as raising a dog. News about our community’s relocation had been circulating for a while and was recently finalized. I hadn’t had a chance to share it with my family. Then I got a message from Declan, asking to meet to discuss transferring Finn to my custody. Hearing Declan’s request, I was taken aback for a moment, unsure what he was up to now. Iris, sitting beside Declan, touched her round belly with both hands and pleaded with me: “Sister, I didn’t mean to come between your family. Now that I’m expecting, I understand the pain of family separation. Please take Finn back. Otherwise, I’ll always feel guilty.” Knowing my mother-in-law’s preference for boys, I followed Declan’s uneasy gaze and, sure enough, spotted a shadow behind the fake flowers. “Alright, transferring Finn to me is fine, but we have to change his last name!” As soon as my mother-in-law heard this, she rushed out, pointing at me and cursing: “I knew you had ulterior motives. It’s already a favor to transfer Finn to you, and now you want to change his last name? You want to end the Declan family line?” Not wanting to argue with them, I picked up my bag to leave. My mother-in-law quickly blocked my path, insisting on the transfer that day. Finn, called over during his last PE class, saw the aggressive scene before him. “Dad, Grandma, what are you doing? I’ve already said I don’t want to transfer. Can you stop embarrassing us?” My mother-in-law looked at him with disappointment: “What do you understand? Your mom’s house is about to be relocated. After the transfer, that money will be yours! How can your dad’s salary support you and your brother? Today, even if we have to tie her up, this brat must be transferred!” More and more onlookers gathered, but no one offered to help. Just as I was about to take out my phone to call the police, Declan snatched it away: “Don’t waste your effort. Family matters are hard to resolve even with the police!” Just when I was about to fight back, a familiar voice came from behind: “I was wondering who was being so arrogant. Turns out it’s the necklace thief!” Phoebe held up her phone, walked up to me, and recorded their faces one by one. “This is a live stream to ten thousand people. Stories about cheating husbands, mistresses, and ungrateful sons are very popular!”

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I had just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease when I forgot to pick up my son from kindergarten again. When Tommy got home, he angrily threw his backpack at me: “What’s wrong with you?! You’re nowhere near as good as Aunt Rachel!” Ethan also looked at me with disdain: “Are you becoming senile? Go wash my underwear!” As days went by, my memory got worse and worse. On my birthday, my husband and son were celebrating with his first love. I turned to go home but couldn’t remember the way. I got on a bus, heading to the only address left in my mind. Later, someone called me: “Samantha, are you done with this drama? Now you’ve even run away from home?” I frowned at the vaguely familiar yet strange voice: “Who are you?” Three months ago, I noticed my memory was getting worse, and I often became forgetful. After a hospital examination, I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. I couldn’t believe it and repeatedly asked the doctor if this was really my diagnosis. I was only twenty-six years old. Ethan and I were college classmates. We got married after an unexpected pregnancy after graduation. Now our son is three years old. The doctor advised me to inform my family immediately and come to the hospital together to discuss the treatment plan. This disease requires a lot of help and care from family members. I opened Ethan’s contact in my phone, hesitating. Today was the day Rachel returned to the country. Ethan called me first: “I have a business dinner tonight. You go pick up our son.” Before I could respond, he hung up. I stared at the darkened screen and smiled bitterly. After some thought, I decided to tell my mom. “Al… what? I’ve never heard of this disease. Are you sure the doctor isn’t trying to scam you?” “How much does it cost to treat this? I don’t have money right now. Your brother is getting married soon.” The sharp voice from the other end of the line made my temples throb. I brushed her off with a few words and hung up. Making this call was indeed unnecessary. I looked up at the doctor across from me: “Doctor, you can just tell me the treatment plan. I can take care of myself.” Not wanting the doctor to see my embarrassment, I quickly left the hospital with the treatment plan in hand. On my way home, I felt like there was something I needed to do, but I just couldn’t remember what it was. When I reached the entrance of our community, I saw Ethan standing under a streetlight. I was delighted, thinking he was waiting for me, and was about to approach him. A girl in a pink dress bounced over to him and gave him a hug. Ethan, usually cold and aloof, now had a gentle smile on his lips. He ruffled the girl’s hair, put his arm around her shoulder, and they drove away together. At home, I sat in the dark living room without turning on the lights. My mind was filled with the scene I had just witnessed. After who knows how long, I heard a sound from the entrance. My son rushed to me and threw his backpack at me: “Mom! Why didn’t you come to pick me up?! The teacher called you but you didn’t answer!” “You’re nowhere near as good as Aunt Rachel!” I picked up my phone and realized it had died. I tried to comfort him softly: “Tommy, I’m sorry. Mommy forgot…” Ethan came in shortly after, his face full of anger. He walked over and said: “Didn’t I tell you to pick up our son?!” “He waited at the kindergarten until he was the last one left. He cried so much even the teacher couldn’t bear it!” “You’re a stay-at-home mom now, enjoying an easy life without having to work. Can’t you even handle this simple task of picking up our son?!” I opened my mouth, wanting to explain. I forgot because I’m sick. But looking at the two nearly identical faces in front of me, both scolding me, I swallowed my explanation and grievances.

I didn’t expect Rachel to come find me so soon. She asked to meet me at a coffee shop but arrived nearly half an hour late. Rachel sat down across from me. Her face was actually a thorn in my heart. On Ethan’s computer, there was a folder named “first love”. It was full of her photos. When I accidentally opened it, Ethan acted nonchalant, saying he kept these just to reminisce about his youthful self, not because of her. Looking at Rachel up close, her makeup was exquisite, her smile sweet. As for me, though we were about the same age, I looked much older. I rarely put on makeup or dressed up after marriage, and my complexion wasn’t good. “Samantha, long time no see!” She spoke first with a bright smile, her eyes curved like a cunning fox. I always felt inferior in front of Rachel. She was my half-sister, sharing the same father but different mothers. The first time I met Rachel was on my eighth birthday. My mom rarely took me to fancy restaurants, but she did that year to celebrate. Knowing how hard it was for my mom to earn money, I only dared to order the cheapest items on the menu. At the table next to us, another family was also celebrating a birthday. A girl in a beautiful puffy dress wore a birthday crown, smiling happily. As for me, my clothes were wrinkled with visible mending patches. I lowered my head, but then I heard a familiar voice. The man with his back to me turned sideways, and I realized it was my dad. He was smiling and singing happy birthday to that girl. The fatherly love that seemed so out of reach for me was all given to Rachel. She was beautiful and had many admirers at school, but she turned them all down. Until she started dating Ethan, an upperclassman. Everyone said they were a perfect match. I was always the ugly duckling, the most inconspicuous existence in the crowd. That year, Rachel suddenly went abroad and broke up with Ethan. He tried desperately to keep her, but couldn’t. In college, I deliberately imitated Rachel’s style and preferences to get close to Ethan. My intentions were obvious, and after persistent pursuit, he chose me. So, I always felt that I had stolen Ethan. Now the rightful owner had returned. I took a sip of the floral tea in front of me and spoke softly: “It has been a long time. Did you ask me out today for something specific?” “Nothing special, just catching up.” “I saw Tommy yesterday. He’s very cute, looks a lot like Ethan.” “They were quite upset yesterday… I told them not to give you a hard time when they got home.” Her tone was polite, but there was an unmistakable hint of acting like the lady of the house. I looked up at her and smiled: “My husband and son certainly won’t give me a hard time.” I emphasized the word “my”, smiling brightly. Only I knew that my heart was already panicking because of her, my nails almost digging into my palms.

After delivering lunch to my son, I passed by Ethan’s company and had a sudden urge to go up and see him. Ethan had grown his small studio into a listed company that now occupied an entire office building. I had witnessed every step of his journey. Carrying some afternoon tea, I had just stepped out of the elevator when the receptionist greeted me with a smile: “Mrs. Shen, it’s been a while since you last visited!” I smiled faintly and nodded at her, then walked inside. Ethan was in a meeting, so I sat outside waiting for him. “Samantha!” I looked up, startled to see Rachel. What was she doing here? “I got bored, so I came to work for Ethan,” she said. I glanced at the name tag on her chest: ‘Executive Assistant’. “Let me get you some tea. The weather’s getting cold.” Rachel brought out a cup of tea from the pantry. Just as she was about to place it in front of me, someone rushing by bumped into her. She lost her balance and fell to the ground, shattering the teacup. Her palm was deeply cut, blood spilling onto the floor. I crouched down, wanting to check her injury. Ethan saw the injured Rachel through the glass of the conference room. He dropped the documents in his hand and pushed open the door. He shoved me aside and pulled Rachel into his arms. I fell to the ground, staring at him in shock. He turned his head to look at me, frowning: “What’s wrong with you?!” “Rachel and I are old classmates. She just came to help me at the company.” “Can’t you keep your female jealousy out of my company?!” Rachel, in pain from the shard in her palm, cried out but still said softly to Ethan: “It’s not Samantha’s fault… I was just careless…” Ethan glared at me, then carried Rachel out, full of concern. I sat on the floor, watching his back, rubbing my bruised arm, trying hard to suppress the rising bitterness. An alarm reminded me it was time to pick up my son from kindergarten. Since the last incident, I had set reminders for everything. Standing at the kindergarten gate, I looked around. My son walked up to me, looking deflated. I gently stroked his head: “What’s wrong, son? Did something unpleasant happen today?” He looked up at me, his eyes as cold as Ethan’s: “Mom, can’t you dress up a bit?” “Like Aunt Rachel.” “Look at other kids’ moms. I feel so embarrassed with you like this!” I looked down at my yellowing white down jacket and worn-out canvas shoes. My expression stiffened, and I forced a laugh: “Okay, okay. Mommy will dress up nicely to pick you up tomorrow.”

When Ethan came home, I was in the bathroom hand-washing his and our son’s underwear. He walked into the bathroom, threw a pair of underwear he had just taken off into my basin, and went into the shower. Without saying a word. I looked up at myself in the mirror, sallow and thin, with dark circles under my eyes. No wonder our son was embarrassed by me, and my husband was protecting his first love. While Ethan was showering, I opened the wardrobe and found the black lace lingerie I had bought years ago in the corner. Ethan and I hadn’t been intimate for a long time. I put it on and stood in front of the mirror, feeling a bit awkward, then quickly covered it with a bathrobe. I lay on my side on the bed, facing away from the bathroom door. Hearing the water stop, Ethan opened the door and walked out. I unconsciously gripped the bedsheet tightly. Ethan got into bed on the other side. I could smell his shower gel. I turned to look at him. He had his hands crossed on his chest, eyes already closed. I took off my bathrobe and pulled Ethan’s hand to my chest. He half-opened his eyes, glanced at me, and pulled his hand away: “I’m a bit tired today. Not in the mood.” I froze. His cold attitude made my attempt at seduction seem so ridiculous. I said nothing, turning over noisily to show my dissatisfaction. Ethan, perhaps feeling his behavior was a bit excessive, suddenly hugged me from behind and kissed my hair: “Honey, I didn’t mean anything by it… I really am tired today.” “Rachel told me today that it was another colleague who bumped into her.” “I misunderstood you, honey. I’m sorry…” “Next week is your birthday. How about I take you to the Sky Restaurant to celebrate? Our son has been wanting to go there too.” After a long silence, I finally mumbled in his arms: “Okay.” Hearing my agreement, he let go of me. Soon, I heard his steady breathing. I comforted myself. It’s okay. Anyway, my memory is bad now. I’ll soon forget these grievances.

On the day of my birthday, after sending our son to kindergarten in the morning, I specially booked a makeup artist, wanting to dress up nicely for the evening date. The makeup artist worked on my face for over an hour. Looking in the mirror, I seemed like a completely different person. The life of a housewife had long been seasoned with the flavors of daily chores, making me forget what it was like to wear makeup. From day to night, I hardly did anything. I just stood by the window, eagerly anticipating Ethan’s car. But the clock on the wall was approaching 9 PM, and Ethan still hadn’t returned. The calls I made and messages I sent to him went unanswered. An hour ago, I had asked the company receptionist, who said Ethan had left work after 6 PM. Why hasn’t he come home yet? I opened SnapChat, habitually clicking on the new updates notification. The first update was from Rachel, posted 10 minutes ago. [Being loved really can make you feel like a little girl again. Another year older!] The photo showed Rachel in a princess dress, holding a birthday cake. Behind her was the night view from the rooftop restaurant. I immediately recognized the reflection in the glass of the photo. Sitting across from her were my husband and my son. My hand holding the phone trembled involuntarily. So while I was eagerly anticipating, they were celebrating Rachel’s birthday. I rushed out the door, stood by the roadside, anxiously waving at the passing cars, watching the traffic flow. All the taxis that passed by were full. Finally, I managed to hail one. I urged the driver to go faster and faster. The driver lazily glanced at me through the rearview mirror: “Going on a date, young lady?” I met his eyes in the mirror: “Going to catch a cheater.” The next second, I clearly felt the car speed up. Getting out of the car, I ran into the Sky Restaurant, straight up to the 58th floor. Standing in front of the glass door, I was still panting heavily. Ethan had booked the entire place for Rachel. The huge restaurant had only the three of them. Every corner was carefully decorated, full of jasmine flowers, Rachel’s favorite. My husband was feeding cut steak to another woman. My son was taking photos of them with his phone. Anyone who saw this would exclaim, what a happy family of three. Looking at the scene before me, I trembled with cold all over, as if I had fallen into an ice pit. I felt like a third party, peeking at someone else’s happiness. Their every move was like a needle stabbing into my heart, making it hard to breathe. My legs were nailed to the spot, lacking the courage to step forward. I don’t know how I left the restaurant. I walked on the street, with horns occasionally telling me to move to the side. Suddenly, a speeding motorcycle brushed past me, almost hitting me. The rider even turned back and cursed at me. I crouched by the roadside, not knowing where to go. When my legs went numb from crouching, I stood up, feeling dizzy. I rubbed my aching temples and looked at the street in front of me, suddenly feeling unfamiliar. I opened the map app, wanting to take a taxi home, but my finger paused on the destination field. Where is home? I tried to search for the address in my mind. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember. There was only one address in my mind. I tried entering it. It turned out to be 500 kilometers away from here. I booked a bus ticket departing in thirty minutes.

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It was common knowledge that I was Jack’s doormat. He told everyone I was unwanted trash. For three years, I endured it all because his face resembled Alex’s. Until I saw Alex again. Without hesitation, I broke up with Jack. He glared at me angrily, asking why. I mockingly told him, “My first love is back, so it’s time to throw away the substitute trash like you.” I sat quietly on the sofa, listening to the flirtatious sounds coming from the bathroom. Moments later, a naked girl came out, giggling. “Jack, baby, you tore my panties!” Jack came out and pinched her cheek, lovingly saying he’d buy her new ones. The next second, the naked couple started passionately kissing in the living room. I recognized this girl from Instagram. She was Lily, a rising model. Just as they were about to get more intimate, Lily noticed me on the sofa. She let out a shrill scream, “Oh my God, why are you here?!” Jack shielded her behind him and casually asked me, “Why are you back so early?” “I wasn’t busy, so I came home early,” I replied. After sending the young model away, he put on a bathrobe and sat next to me. “I’ve been busy drawing blueprints all afternoon. Give me a shoulder massage.” He was calm now, as if I hadn’t just caught him in the act. I looked up at Jack. His face was so similar to my former love. Initially, to be by Jack’s side, I willingly became his doormat. I was tolerant and generous towards all the women around him. Even his friends said that finding a woman as understanding as me would be hard even with a searchlight. I always just smiled without saying anything. Because no one knew that I was so submissive only because he looked 60% like Alex. Today was my birthday. I had planned to come home early to change clothes and go out for dinner. I didn’t expect to come home and witness such a scene. Before, I thought that if I just behaved and listened, I could stay by his side. But today I realized that he was a cold-hearted person. No matter how obedient and hardworking I was, it would be in vain. As I massaged Jack’s shoulders, I slowly spoke: “Jack, let’s break up.”

The air suddenly became still. Jack went to the study and returned with an exquisite velvet box. “Don’t be upset. Here’s your birthday gift.” I didn’t take it. Jack asked if I was jealous of Lily. I shook my head. Jack looked at me with contempt and sneered, “Fine, Emma. If you want to break up, get out now.” I went back to the bedroom and started packing my suitcase. Jack burst in and kicked over my suitcase. “Stop trying to scare me with this act!” After all, in our previous arguments, I was always the first to apologize and make amends. My unusual behavior today made him furious. Jack roughly grabbed me, “Everything you’re wearing, everything you own – which of it isn’t bought by me?” He gripped my neck with one hand and yanked off my necklace. “Do you think you could afford these jewels and designer clothes on your salary?” “Could you have a chauffeur pick you up and drop you off at work?” “Being my girlfriend is your privilege. Don’t be ungrateful.” He threw me to the ground. “You want to leave? Fine. But give back everything I bought you!” “Strip naked and then get out!” I got up expressionlessly. I started taking off my clothes and jewelry piece by piece. Until I stood before him in my underwear, I said, “Here’s everything. There are some jewels I’ve never worn in the safe.” But in truth, he didn’t know that I never liked any of these things. I only wore them to please him. Because Jack always said that as a high-end designer, I couldn’t embarrass him. I dug out a slightly wrinkled white dress from the back of the closet and put it on. Then I zipped up my suitcase, pushed past him, and said, “I’m leaving now.” Just as I reached the living room, I heard his phone ring. “Jack, baby, I bought some new lingerie. Want to see?” He had put the call on speaker, and the coquettish voice on the other end made me feel sick. Jack’s voice was flirtatious, “Sure, you can come over now if you want.” I pushed open the door and left. As I closed the door, I could hear Jack’s roar: “Emma, I’ll make you regret this!”

As I was leaving with my suitcase, I ran into Lily, who had returned. “Leaving? You’d better never come back,” she sneered. “You old hag, squatting in my man’s house. I don’t know how you had the nerve to stay here for so long.” I tried to walk past with my suitcase, but she blocked my way. “Move,” I said. She didn’t budge. “That suitcase is a limited edition Louis Vuitton. Leave it here.” She stood with her arms crossed, looking ready to hit me if I didn’t comply. “These are my personal belongings,” I said. I tried to leave, but she grabbed me. I shook her off forcefully: “Don’t touch me, you filthy thing!” Lily dramatically fell to the ground. “Why did you push me? Waaah…” “Emma! What are you doing?” Jack yelled. Lily cried as Jack helped her up. “Jack, I just wanted your ex to stay. But she called me filthy and told me to get lost.” As soon as she finished speaking, Jack’s hand struck my face. “Who do you think you are? How dare you call her filthy! How clean are you yourself? You hypocritical bitch!” The slap made my head spin and my ears ring. “And sis, about that suitcase, I’ve been trying to buy one but couldn’t. So I thought…” Jack understood her implication. He took out a wad of cash from his wallet and threw it at me. “Leave the suitcase. Now get out.” Lily cried pitifully next to Jack, looking utterly wronged to anyone watching. I crouched down to pick up the money and put it in my pocket. “The suitcase costs $2,600. Transfer me another $2,000 and we’re even.” Lily stomped her feet in anger beside Jack. Jack clenched his jaw. “Fine! I’ll transfer it now. Then get out of my sight immediately!”

After leaving, I deleted all contact information for Jack. I rented an apartment and returned to my normal life, commuting between the hospital and home. One day, on my way to the cafeteria. I saw a familiar figure. I wasn’t sure if it was him, so I quickened my pace to follow, but Lily blocked my way. “Sis, if you have time, I’d like to ask you some questions.” “I’m busy,” I replied curtly. She followed me like a dog. “Jack loves the soup you make. I’ll pay top dollar for your recipe.” “Haha, I thought you had him wrapped around your finger. Guess you’ll be dumped sooner or later.” Lily’s face changed instantly. “Emma, I’m being nice here. Don’t push your luck!” I chose to ignore her and walked straight ahead. To my surprise, she caught up and poured her coffee all over my head. “You homewrecker! Have you no shame?” she shouted loudly, drawing everyone’s attention in the hall. “I can’t believe someone like you can be a doctor!” I wiped my face and slapped her hard. “Go ahead and report me if you dare.” Lily wasn’t about to back down. “Just you wait!” Soon after, I was called to the medical affairs department. I was instructed to apologize to Lily. “Emma, without Jack, what are you worth?” she taunted. As we left the department, she slapped me across the face. “You ill-bred thing! I won’t let you off easy!” Watching her walk away, I laughed bitterly at myself. I wondered if Jack was really indulging her or using her to humiliate me. For the next week. Whenever I had patients, there would inevitably be troublemakers. These people would either cry and make a scene or smash things. The outpatient department was in chaos. All the complaints received by the medical affairs department were about me. The director came to question me about how I was doing my job. “Sir! All these people were hired by Lily to cause trouble!” The director wouldn’t listen. He told me to reflect for a week and docked a month’s performance pay. Resting at home, that familiar figure kept haunting my mind. After much deliberation, I dialed that number that had never been answered before. That familiar voice entered my ear. “Hello, who is this?” At that moment, my whole body trembled. “Alex, it’s me, Emma.” The next second, the call was abruptly ended, leaving only a dial tone. Soon after, I received a call from my friend. “Alex is having a book signing event at the Grand Hotel tomorrow. Don’t forget to go!” Looking at the e-ticket she sent, my heart ached. He really was back. “Thank you, Zoe.” I stayed up all night. I tried on over a dozen outfits and learned many makeup tutorials online. The next day, I arrived at the Grand Hotel early to wait. However, I ran into two of Jack’s friends in the lobby. They stumbled towards me, drunk: “Sis-in-law, are you here to see Jack?” “No,” I replied. But they grabbed me, pulling me towards a private room on the second floor. “Jack’s waiting for you.” Before we even entered, I could hear Jack ranting inside: “Emma is just my doormat. She’ll come crawling back after a few days of throwing a tantrum.” “She’s pretty, sure, but I’m tired of her.” “Just worthless trash, that’s all she is.” His friends pushed open the door, and everyone’s eyes turned to me. “Well, well, my obedient dog is back?” Jack sneered. Lily was sitting on his lap, half-dressed. She looked at me with a challenging gaze. “Sis, have you come to your senses? Can’t survive out there on your own? I remember you were quite tough the other day.” Jack pushed the girl aside and came to me, grabbing my chin roughly. “Emma, it’s okay to throw a little tantrum, but know your limits. Who do you think you are to defy me?” “I’ll let the other day slide. Lick this glass of wine clean, and we’ll call it even.” During this time, he had tried various ways to contact me. But I avoided him, which must have angered and humiliated him. He poured the red wine in his hand onto the floor. “Lick it clean!” I shook off his hand because the book signing downstairs was about to start. “What? You won’t take the olive branch I’m offering?” “Do you think you’re some chaste woman? Don’t you know how slutty you are?” I picked up a glass of wine from a nearby table. Then I threw it forcefully in Jack’s face. At that moment, everyone fell silent. I met his eyes and said: “Let me tell you again, we are broken up! I wish you and her all the best, so stop bothering me!” I turned to leave but was blocked by Jack’s friends and pushed back. “Emma! You’re really pushing it!” These people held me in the room and humiliated me for nearly an hour. “Let’s go, I have another party to attend,” Jack finally said. “Emma, remember, you can’t escape me. I’ll always be with you.” With that, Jack left with his group. By the time I got downstairs, the book signing was almost over. I appeared disheveled at the end of the line. Alex was wearing a baseball cap and mask, earnestly signing books for his fans. “Oh my God, you’ve dirtied my bag!” The girl in front of me screamed, drawing everyone’s attention. Her white bag was stained with the dirt from my clothes. “Couldn’t you at least change before coming out? Who would sign a book for someone so filthy?” My face burned with embarrassment as I apologized profusely. The commotion grew louder, and security came to escort me out. “Wait, she’s Mr. Yang’s friend,” a staff member intervened. The staff member took me to change into clean clothes. When I came out of the room, I saw Alex standing at the door. “Are you in some kind of trouble?” he asked. His voice was familiar yet stern. It reminded me of when he used to scold me for not solving math problems correctly years ago. “No, no trouble at all,” I replied. He didn’t say anything more, just instructed his assistant to call a car for me. “Alex,” I called out as he was about to leave. “Why did you lie to me back then?” I almost shouted these words. But he didn’t even turn back, just said softly, “Go home.”

Alex and I were lovers for four years in college. But during the winter break of our senior year. He didn’t return to school, and I couldn’t contact him. The girls in our class who didn’t know the truth started mocking me. “We thought you were really going to marry into a rich family, but you got dumped instead.” “You’re like a fallen bird now, can’t fly anymore.” “Which rich person would want a poor scholarship student anyway?” These rumors persisted for a long time. I pestered our counselor for news about him. The teacher said he didn’t know either. Later, I went to his home. But that house was already empty. Alex had disappeared without a trace in the year I loved him most. During that time, I went crazy searching for him everywhere. Until I met Jack at the hospital. Jack, who looked 60% like Alex, became my lifeline that year. As a resident doctor, I started approaching Jack. I threw myself at this famous designer. My friend came several times to tell me not to do this. “But he looks 60% like Alex, I’ll pretend it’s 100%.”

The rain outside the hotel was pouring. While waiting for my car, I ran into Jack again. He was drunk, holding Lily, and came towards me. “Emma, don’t think you can escape me just because your first love is back. Have you forgotten the days you were my doormat? Want me to remind you now?” “Besides, trash like you, no one wants except me.” Lily took out a card from her bag and threw it at me. “Go buy yourself some clothes. You look like a beggar.” I picked up the card from the ground and slammed it into Lily’s face. Seeing the cut on her cheek, I felt great satisfaction. “You think I don’t have dirt on you? Jack, you’d better watch yourself!” My reaction thoroughly angered Jack, and he raised his hand to hit me again. “Stop!” Alex pulled me behind him. “Mr. Lu, hitting women is never acceptable.” Jack raised an eyebrow, sizing us up. “Well, if it isn’t the great writer? Come to play hero? She’s just a whore, why are you helping her?” “Enough! Jack, shut up!” I shouted. I wasn’t sure what other filth might come out of his mouth. Jack came closer and shoved Alex hard. “Who the fuck do you think you are? You like everything that’s mine, don’t you?” “And Emma, your taste is fucking terrible. He’s just a sickly weakling! Wasn’t I satisfying enough in bed?” Alex still stood protectively in front of me. His voice was stern, “Jack, don’t go too far!” At that moment, the car arrived. Alex took my hand and led me away.

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On my 26th birthday, my husband Zack forced me to sign divorce papers, then immediately went to marry his mistress, Lily Brooks. I was utterly humiliated. But unexpectedly, Zack’s cousin Ryan burst into the party. He brought 50% of the company’s shares as an engagement gift and declared he wanted to marry me. “Aria is the love of my life. I’d do anything for her!” he proclaimed. Three years into our marriage, I still hadn’t gotten pregnant. In fact, my health was deteriorating. I planned to see a doctor, but overheard a conversation between Ryan and the doctor. “You can’t keep giving her birth control pills. Her body can’t take it anymore.” “Lily made me promise Aria would never get pregnant. That’s why I’ve been switching her vitamins. I could never betray Lily.” So he loved Lily too. I was just a tool to make her happy! And the pills I’d been taking every day had been tampered with by Ryan! The doctor sighed and tried to reason with Ryan again. “What you’re doing isn’t fair to Miss Johnson!” “I’ve already sacrificed the rest of my life for her. She should learn to be content!” Heartbroken, I left him that day, never to see him again.

“Aria, it’s your birthday today. Why hasn’t Zack shown up yet?” my friend asked. “He’s probably busy at work. He loves his job,” I replied with a polite smile, though internally I was cringing with embarrassment. Zack Sherman was my husband, but we weren’t in love. Our marriage was arranged by our families to strengthen business ties. Zack despised me, but for the sake of family reputation, I never confronted him about it. In front of reporters and the media, I always strived to be the perfect “Mrs. Sherman.” “Missing your birthday? You need to teach him a lesson when you get home!” my friends fumed on my behalf. I just smiled gracefully and clinked glasses with them. “Charlie, please contact Zack and ask when he’ll arrive. The press and media are all here. Even if he hates me, we need to keep up appearances,” I quietly instructed my personal assistant. Shortly after, the ballroom doors opened. Zack walked in under everyone’s gaze, wearing an immaculate suit and perfectly styled hair, carrying a large bouquet of roses. I was shocked. Had he finally come around? Was he willing to put aside our differences and get along? Just as I felt a spark of hope, the figure that appeared behind Zack made me freeze, my heart sinking. It was Lily Brooks, Zack’s mistress. Lily was a rising starlet, beloved by fans for her innocent “girl-next-door” look. I’d heard rumors about her and Zack, but I never imagined he’d have the audacity to bring his mistress to my birthday party! I clenched my fists, forcing myself to walk forward with a somewhat warm smile. “You’re late. And you brought a friend?” My tone was stiff, my gaze boring into him – part accusation, part warning. “Aria, drop the act. Let’s end this farce between us once and for all, on your birthday no less.” With that, Zack rudely brushed past me and strode onto the stage, pulling Lily along by the hand in front of all the media and guests. “As you all know, I married Aria two years ago. But that was just an arrangement between our families for the sake of business stability. There was never any love between us. Now, we’ve reached the point where we can’t stand the sight of each other. So I’m divorcing Aria to marry the love of my life, Lily!” My legs went weak and I dropped my champagne glass, but with so many eyes on me, I forced myself not to show an ounce of hurt. Instead, I maintained an icy expression. “Have you lost your mind?” My angry voice carried softly through the room as I walked to the front of the stage. “Does your father know about this? You’re not some reckless 20-year-old anymore! We may not be in love, but I’ve treated you with nothing but respect these past years. Do you really need to humiliate me like this?” “Respect?” Zack sneered, looking at me with disdain. “You’re not worth a single hair on Lily’s head. Your so-called ‘respect’ only disgusts me!” I was stunned. Though Zack could be childish, he had been relatively kind and attentive when we first married. How had we ended up in this vicious situation? I suppose it’s because he never loved me, so when true love appeared, he came to despise me. A wave of emotion washed over me. I felt heartbroken at my own failure. To think that I, the heiress of the Johnson family and future CEO, could be cast aside for a scheming homewrecker. “Aria, please don’t make a scene. It’s embarrassing for everyone,” Lily chimed in, blinking her innocent-looking eyes. She gently rubbed her stomach and gazed at me pitifully. “Besides, I’m already carrying Zack’s child. Surely you wouldn’t begrudge me that?” My mind went blank, as if struck by lightning. I steadied myself and took a deep breath before slowly responding: “You two will never be happy. Zack, one day you’ll pay for everything you’ve done today.” I looked up at him, my eyes red not from sadness, but from anger and resentment. Whispers broke out all around: “Aria is so accomplished, yet she still got dumped. I bet she was too arrogant and he couldn’t stand her.” “Who is this woman? Is she the mistress? Seems like Zack has hated Aria for a while.” “This is juicy! It’ll be the talk of the town tomorrow.” “Kicking his wife to the curb to marry his mistress? Zack is such a shameless scumbag!” The room buzzed with gossip – some mocking, some sympathetic, but most just enjoying the drama. I clenched my fists so tightly my nails nearly broke the skin. “Everyone, I apologize for this spectacle. But since Mr. Sherman has found new love, I’ll graciously step aside. After all, I’d hate to see the cliché of a wife fighting the mistress play out.” With that, I signed the divorce papers and threw them at Zack. “Happy now?” In just a few sentences, I had made it clear to everyone present that Zack was cheating and Lily was the homewrecker. “How dare you spread lies!” Zack raged, raising his hand to slap me. “Stop right there!” The expected pain never came. Instead, a firm, authoritative voice rang out. The ballroom doors opened again. The newcomer wore an expensive suit that accentuated his tall, lean build. He resembled Zack somewhat, with chiseled features and cold eyes, but his aura was completely different – more mature and powerful, not childish like Zack. “Cousin!” Zack exclaimed in surprise, his raised hand slowly lowering. He hurried off the stage to greet the man. “Cousin, you didn’t tell Dad you were coming? I thought you never attended events like this. What brings you here?” Following Zack’s gaze, I noticed the newcomer was flanked by several bodyguards in dark sunglasses. Curiously, they were carrying flowers, jewelry boxes, and luxury shopping bags. “I heard it was Miss Johnson’s birthday, so I came to offer my congratulations. I didn’t expect to witness such an interesting scene,” the man Zack called “cousin” said, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized Zack. His commanding presence left everyone speechless as the cousins faced off, with Zack eventually backing down. I recognized him from the few times my father had mentioned him. Ryan Sherman was the son of Zack’s father’s older brother. Known for his intelligence and steady demeanor, he had successfully managed the company from a young age, becoming a role model for the Sherman children. Ryan scanned the room, his eyes lighting up briefly when they landed on something, before darkening again. Just as I tried to follow his gaze, he walked up to me in front of everyone. He took my hand and brought it to his lips, smiling warmly. “I came here today to announce that I want to marry Aria. I love her.” What?! Everyone, including myself, was shocked. We were all baffled by this turn of events. I barely knew Ryan – I’d only heard his name mentioned by others. Yet here he was, proposing to me right after Zack divorced me. It was absurd! “Mr. Sherman, I think there must be some misunderstanding between us,” I said. “There’s no misunderstanding. You may not know me, but I’ve known you for a long time. Your talent, your ambition, your beauty and grace – everything about you attracts me. To be precise, I’ve wanted to marry you for a while, but you were already engaged to my cousin at the time.” His heartfelt confession touched me. Growing up, my family had always been extremely strict with me. No one had ever affirmed me like this before. It piqued my interest in the man before me. “Mr. Sherman, I appreciate your affection, but isn’t marriage a bit rushed? We…” I started to refuse, but caught sight of Zack’s furious expression from the corner of my eye. Feeling a surge of satisfaction, I changed course mid-sentence. “We may not have met before, but I can tell you’re a true gentleman with integrity. When should we get engaged?” My words caused an uproar. Even the dimmest person could tell I was criticizing Zack for lacking the qualities his cousin possessed. “Cousin! I object! Did you come here just to oppose me? I just divorced Aria – she’s damaged goods now! Uncle won’t approve of this!” Zack protested. “Does it concern you?” Ryan coldly glanced at Zack, dismissing his objections. “You’re really going to humiliate me for a woman I just discarded? Do you want rumors spreading about us feuding?” Zack glared at Ryan in disbelief, his face twisted with displeasure. “Weren’t your actions today humiliating enough for her?” Ryan’s words were icy, but they warmed my heart. He furrowed his brow as he faced off against Zack, and his protective stance made my long-dormant heart flutter. “I’m marrying Aria because she’s the love of my life. I’d do anything for her!” Ryan declared firmly, gripping my hand tighter. My heart bloomed like the first flower of spring, a mix of nerves, excitement and anticipation washing over me. “Ryan Sherman! You’ll regret this. I’ll make you pay for humiliating me today!” Zack seethed, trembling with rage. But he didn’t dare say more, and could only swallow his anger as he stormed out with Lily in tow. As the stars climbed into the night sky, this dramatic scene came to an end. The rest of the birthday celebrations were awkward, with everyone lost in their own thoughts as they halfheartedly toasted to me. “Thank you for today,” I said earnestly to Ryan as we walked down the street after the party. “I meant what I said. I’ll give you three days to consider. I promise I’ll treat you better than he ever did. Please trust me and give me a chance,” Ryan said. Though he appeared cold on the outside, the tenderness in his eyes as he gazed at me intently made it hard to refuse. In fact, I found myself looking forward to being with him. “I understand. My driver’s here, so you should head home too,” I nodded, unable to hide my smile as I watched Ryan leave before getting into my car.

When I got home, my parents had already heard about the day’s events. My father looked stern, and there was tension in the air. “The Shermans have already apologized to us. Do what you think is best – we can’t control you anymore,” my father said gruffly. It seemed he had just finished venting his anger, and his attempt at concern came out more like a reprimand. “Aria, do you really want to marry Ryan Sherman? I’ve heard he’s quite ruthless in business. I don’t want to see you suffer,” my mother fretted. I laughed bitterly to myself. Now they didn’t want me to suffer? Then why did they make me marry Zack in the first place? Ryan’s face flashed through my mind again – his concern and protection for me was unforgettable. I made a firm decision. Pushing down my thoughts, I gave my mother a bright smile. “I want to marry him.” My parents respected my decision. The next day, they discussed wedding arrangements with the Sherman family again. This wedding was different from my previous arranged marriage. It was grand and lavish. Ryan’s engagement gifts were so numerous that it took our staff seven or eight trips to bring them all in, showing how much he valued me. I wore the wedding dress he had carefully chosen, put on the sparkling diamond ring, and exchanged vows of love with him on a romantic island beach. “I’ll only be good to you and love you for the rest of my life,” he promised. “Me too,” I replied. Many media outlets captured this blissful moment, widely promoting it online. Countless people envied our fairytale wedding and were moved by our happiness. I had to admit, marrying Ryan was indeed a great choice. After the wedding, I thought he’d be the type to work late at the office every day for the company. But to my surprise, he made time to go on dates with me, making up for the fact that we didn’t fall in love from the beginning. When he came home from work, he always brought me a bouquet of roses, carefully tending to them in our villa’s greenhouse. Any food I mentioned wanting would be delivered the next day. Items I desired would appear in my room when I woke up. Contrary to rumors about his coldness, he was actually quite affectionate, showing me that marriage could be warm and loving. My love for Ryan grew day by day, reaching the same intensity as his love for me. I was immersed in happiness, unable to extricate myself. From daily trivialities to major decisions we made together, he always respected me and put me first. I respected him equally and saw him as the center of my world. To me, Ryan was like a beam of light, illuminating my once dark and confused life. “Well, well, if it isn’t my ex-wife? How’d you manage to snag my cousin? Look at you now, all decked out in jewels and finery,” a unwelcome visitor suddenly appeared before me as I was enjoying afternoon tea in the villa, nearly making me sick up yesterday’s meal. “When I was married to you, I thought marriage was a tomb. But now I feel like it’s a honeypot. I guess it’s true that birds of a feather flock together. Once I left behind a low-class person like you, even the most ordinary life became blissful,” I shot back coldly, not pulling any punches. “I’ll tear that smart mouth of yours one day! Who do you think you are, acting all high and mighty? You don’t know, do you? He’s so busy fawning over you that he doesn’t have time to handle company business anymore. The chairman is quite displeased with him. I bet his assets will be gone before long thanks to you. Let’s see how smug you are then!” Zack warned through gritted teeth, clearly riled up by my words. But I didn’t have time to refute him. Ryan had never mentioned company matters to me before. Whenever I asked, he always said everything was under control and told me not to worry. What a fool. “Why are you here? Just looking to get insulted?” I eyed Zack warily. Since my marriage to Ryan, the two cousins hadn’t interacted, and their relationship had deteriorated to the point of open hostility. His sudden appearance made me suspicious. “Miss me that much? Want to rekindle our old flame now that you’ve seen me?” Zack smirked mockingly, giving me a contemptuous look before handing some documents to my assistant. “I’m just delivering something. You think I want to be here? Seeing you two makes me sick.” “Now that you’ve delivered it, please leave. You’re not welcome here!” I coldly dismissed him, seeing his nasty attitude. Zack turned to go, but suddenly seemed to remember something. He looked me up and down with a sneer. “You’ve been married to my cousin for almost three years now, right? My son is already two. I don’t see any signs of a baby from you two. Don’t tell me it’s a sham marriage?” My eyelashes fluttered in surprise. It was true that Ryan and I hadn’t had children in our three years of marriage. Initially I had wanted a child, but Ryan wasn’t very enthusiastic about the idea, so the matter was dropped. “How is that any of your business? We’re very happy together. As long as you stop showing up to ruin things, we’ll be fine. By the way, I feel sorry for your son. Having parents like you two – I’m embarrassed for him,” I glared at Zack contemptuously, not hiding my disdain. “You-! I’m not going to waste my time arguing with you!” Zack stormed off, unable to get the better of me. After he left, I pondered his question. The Sherman family had been pressuring Ryan to have a child – an heir. But his attitude was ambivalent, even completely uninterested. Could it be that he didn’t want children? Or maybe he just didn’t like kids?

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My wife’s assistant kept our client waiting in the cold for four hours. I managed to smooth things over and gently reminded him at the meeting not to let it happen again. To my surprise, he turned the tables, tearfully accusing me: “Director, how can you twist the facts and take credit for my work? It was you who was too lazy to get up. I had to plead with the client, or the deal would have fallen through.” Knowing the truth, my wife not only didn’t support me but promoted him to Vice President and insisted I hand over the project to him. Everyone at work expected me to cause a scene and quit. Instead, I quietly signed the project transfer agreement. My wife thought I’d finally come around and promised with a smile, “Don’t worry, once this project succeeds and the company goes public, I’ll focus on our family and consider having a child.” What she didn’t realize was that the client was an old friend of mine who valued my skills, which is why he agreed to work with us despite past issues. Now, with all the company’s funds tied up in this project, her decision to change the lead has not only squandered the investment but also left her facing hefty penalties.

“Ethan, did you think handing over the project was the end of it? Not a chance!” “According to company policy, you’re going to lose your year-end bonus and pay a fine!” Logan, my wife’s assistant, wasn’t satisfied with shifting the blame; he needed to trample on me to regain his lost face. Everyone knew the truth but dared not take sides, their eyes on my wife, Emily Stone. Logan sneered at my refusal to admit fault, “What? You’re just a loser, and I can’t say that?” I glanced at Emily. We’ve been secretly married for ten years, and she’s always refused to make it public. This time, she gave Logan a chance to shine, but he overslept, leaving the client waiting in the cold for hours, which understandably upset them. This project was crucial for the company going public; it couldn’t be taken lightly. Emily proposed that if I could win back the project, she’d announce our marriage in a meeting. Overjoyed, I worked tirelessly to regain the client’s trust. I thought today would be the day Emily kept her promise. I even bought new clothes and saved for half a year to buy a gold ring for her. But I never expected Emily to break her word, allowing Logan to distort the truth and steal my credit and project. Logan slammed the table in anger when I looked at Emily, “What are you staring at? If Emily didn’t value your experience, you’d have been fired long ago!” Emily gave me an apologetic look and then firmly said, “Forget the fine, but your year-end bonus is gone. Ethan, be more careful next time and avoid such rookie mistakes.” She seemed to defend me, but in reality, she was pinning the blame on me. After all, she’s the boss. Without her consent, how could a newcomer like Logan dare to challenge me? As my colleagues laughed at my expense, I chuckled instead of getting angry and removed my ID badge on the spot: “No need for all that; I’m quitting.” Emily was displeased, “Don’t be ridiculous! If you resign, what about all your projects?” I shrugged calmly, “Mr. Logan is talented; he’ll do better than me.” Everyone’s expressions shifted. They knew the company’s success was largely due to my efforts. If I left, all my projects would collapse, and they wouldn’t get their commissions. Colleagues who had sided with Logan earlier tried to persuade me: “Director Ethan, Emily’s just joking. The company can’t do without you.” Logan, seeing the attention shift away, retorted angrily, “Ethan, do you want everyone to miss their targets? Don’t be so selfish!” Emily raised her eyebrows, intending to stop Logan, but he suddenly clutched his chest and squatted down: “Emily, Ethan made me so angry I’m having an attack. Call an ambulance!” Emily panicked, “Ethan, are you just going to stand there? Help!” I glanced at Logan, whose face was rosy, and he was winking provocatively. He was obviously faking it again. Emily didn’t notice and called for others to help Logan to the car. I turned to leave, but Emily called me in a hurry: “You made Logan sick; where do you think you’re going? Get in the car and help me take him to the hospital.” I didn’t want to go, but I didn’t want Logan to blackmail me later, so I got in. In the back seat, Logan lay in Emily’s arms, whining about the pain: “Emily, Ethan wants to kill me…” Emily was heartbroken and scolded me: “Don’t you know he has a heart condition? Can’t you talk things out calmly?” I was used to it. Because of Logan, I’ve argued with Emily, smashed things, but nothing changed her bias toward him. Even now, when Logan stole my credit and project, and publicly mocked me, when I just didn’t want to be exploited anymore and chose to resign, she thought I was making trouble. If it had been my old temper, I would have argued with her. But since Logan appeared a year ago, he’s taken Emily’s love, my project shares, and now even my reputation. I wonder if he’ll try to take my husband’s position someday. Living like this, I’m really tired. I nodded and said perfunctorily, “Sure, it won’t happen again.” Because there won’t be a next time. Emily looked at me in surprise, satisfied with my compromise, and explained unusually, “I know you’re not a bad person, just your mouth gets you in trouble.” “Logan has a heart condition, and I’m just worried about him getting upset, that’s why I go along with him.” “Besides, he’s your apprentice; don’t you want him to go far?” Yeah! Logan isn’t just my apprentice; I sent him to Emily myself. I supported him through college and paid his medical bills. When he couldn’t find a job after graduation, I got him the assistant job. But he didn’t want to be an assistant forever and begged me to teach him design. I squeezed out three hours daily to teach him by hand. I knew about his condition and asked Emily to take care of him. But I didn’t expect Emily to take such good care of him, to the point of overdoing it. That day, I went to discuss work with Emily and found them sharing an ice cream in the office. Seeing this scene, I was furious and rushed to question them. That was the first time Logan faked illness, and the first time Emily gave me the cold shoulder in public since we married. She rushed Logan to the hospital, attending to him closely. Watching my wife care for someone else so attentively, it felt terrible. In ten years of marriage, I’d never been cared for like that. Once, I had acute appendicitis and was in excruciating pain, begging her to take me to the hospital. She tossed me a bottle of painkillers coldly: “If you want to slack off, just say it. I hate people who fake illness!” I ended up calling a cab myself for surgery. Even after learning about my condition, she was dismissive: “Just appendicitis, everyone gets it. Don’t act like it’s a terminal illness, alright?” I thought she was just harsh but kind-hearted. But she never visited me in the hospital once. I used to think she was just a cold woman. But turning my head, I saw Emily, with her severe cleanliness, using her white cuffs to wipe Logan’s sweat. She urged the driver to hurry as if Logan was her husband. I smiled bitterly, letting go of my obsession. I should have realized earlier; her actions were a clear message. She truly loved Logan, deeply. And I was just a passerby in her life. I sent a message to my senior, telling him I was out. He replied with a shocked emoji: “Ethan, come work with me.” I’d refused him countless times before, but this time, I replied, “Okay.” For Emily, I gave up my future. Now, it’s not too late to turn back and fight for myself. We said nothing on the way to the hospital, where Logan was doing fine. Hearing that, I turned to leave. Emily sighed in relief: “Ethan, wait, I’ll go home with you.” As she reached for my hand, Logan started feigning illness again, clutching his chest in pain. Emily sighed and transferred me $500 as compensation: “You go home first. After the project succeeds, I’ll give you the rest of your share.” “When the company goes public, I’ll return to the family. I won’t go back on my word.” I mumbled an “Okay,” turned to leave, and didn’t accept the money. I don’t plan to stay with her any longer. My senior is preparing the documents, ready to sue her. I turned and left without taking the money she offered. I’m not planning to stay with her anymore. My senior is gathering documents, preparing to sue her. Not only will the contract be terminated, but she’ll also face a substantial compensation. 2 On the way back, I received taunting messages and videos from Logan. “Leo, what does it matter if you’re her husband? She even caught my vomit with her bare hands. Have you ever been treated like that?” I really haven’t. When I was sick, she didn’t even bother to look after me, let alone get me a glass of water. “Leo, is $500 enough for you? If not, I can send you more. My sister felt sorry for me being so ill and gave me $50,000.” I looked at the transfer records he sent. Emily really did feel sorry for him, being frugal with her apologies to me but giving him over ten million in pocket money over time. I ignored his taunts and silently kept the evidence. Back home, I cooked some noodles, ate, and went to sleep. Late at night, Emily suddenly returned and shook me awake: “Don’t sleep. Logan’s sick. I’ve told him to move in temporarily so I can take care of him.” “Hurry and clean up the guest room, change the sheets and comforter.” Woken up, feeling irritable, I turned over and went back to sleep: “Do it yourself, I’m busy.” Hearing this, Logan frowned and barged in to criticize: “Emily initially planned to stay at my place. She came back for the sake of your dignity as her husband.” “I’ve already agreed to stay here, and Emily also pleaded with you not to overdo it.” Emily shook her head in disappointment: “Don’t you usually do it with enthusiasm? Why are you deliberately targeting Logan now?” “He even told me he wouldn’t mind that you made him sick. You really have less tolerance than your apprentice!” I let out a cold laugh, too lazy to argue: “Yeah, yeah, it’s all my fault. Go live at Logan’s place; you can take better care of him.” Emily’s scolding halted, and she glared at me with red eyes: “Leo! What husband pushes his wife to someone else’s home?” She hit me a few times in frustration and ran out crying. After she left, Logan slowly walked in and gave me the middle finger: “I didn’t expect you to resort to dirty tricks like me, Master, but you’ll never outplay me. Just wait and see.” I didn’t pay much attention, buried my head, and fell back asleep. The next day, I woke up feeling refreshed, and as soon as I entered the living room, I smelled something delicious. A lavish breakfast was laid out on the table. Emily, wearing an apron, seemed to have forgotten about last night, sat me down, and placed a poached egg in my bowl. “Come on, try this poached egg.” Weird, Emily never cooks. Did the sun rise in the west today? I was about to take a bite when she muttered: “Logan is picky. If it’s even slightly burnt, he won’t eat it. If it’s too soft, he won’t eat it either. Help me taste it…” I put down my chopsticks instantly. I was overthinking it. Why would she make breakfast for me? Today’s meal was all thanks to Logan. Living like this is really a disgrace. I turned to my room, pulled out the prepared divorce agreement, and handed it to her. Emily was busy with something and didn’t even glance at it: “There’s bone broth simmering on the stove. I’ll sign later.” I stopped her: “This is urgent. Sign it first, it won’t take long.” Emily sighed, quickly signed with a pen. Then she suddenly thought of something and casually asked: “Is this your new project? I want Logan to join your team.” “Don’t worry, he won’t take any money, just wants his name on it.” I put the document away. Emily really loves Logan deeply, never forgetting to get him benefits. But this time, she’s bound to be disappointed. “This isn’t a project; it’s a divorce agreement.”

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