Author: Momo Chan

The Beastman I had raised for five years betrayed me. He wagged his fox tail, using my business plan to curry favor with Claire Carter. Meanwhile, I was “besieged” by the board of directors. I nearly got kicked out of the company. Late at night, Orchid Pavilion had new “merchandise” available. I exhaled deeply, “After all these years, it’s time for a change of taste.” 0 The beastmen at Orchid Pavilion were all carefully selected. Be it their fur or ears, they were one in a million. As Samantha Miller would say, isn’t this a thousand times better than William? “If you like any of them, just tell me. I’ll treat you, sis,” Samantha swayed her hips, her mini skirt barely covering her thighs. I tapped the ash off my cigarette and leaned back comfortably on the leather sofa, narrowing my eyes. Before me stood a row of exquisite beastmen. It had been many years since I had enjoyed myself like this at Orchid Pavilion. Back then, to please William, I had kept myself pure, not allowing a single beastman around me, fearing he might get angry. Looking back now, I realize I had spoiled him too much. So much that he didn’t know his place and dared to team up with my cousin, steal my business plan, and cut off my project’s supply chain. Seeing the red fox tail wagging flatteringly in front of me, I felt a wave of nausea in my throat. “Don’t let me see any foxes.” The manager of Orchid Pavilion was a shrewd person. He quickly removed the row of foxes and replaced them with another batch. The beastmen were alluring and charming. Among the flamboyant flowers, an innocent white flower stood out as particularly unique. I pointed at the young man with a timid wolf tail, “You, come here.” The manager gave him a push from behind, “Didn’t you hear? Miss Carter is calling you.” The young man obediently sat down on the sofa next to me, respectfully saying, “Miss Carter.” I stroked his wolf ears. His originally erect ears trembled slightly, and his wolf tail began to wag vigorously. “What’s your name?” I asked. “Lucas. Lucas Wolf.” “Interesting. I’ll take him.” 0

Lucas came from a poor family, with only a grandmother at home. He was working part-time while attending school. Originally, he was just accompanying guests for drinks at Orchid Pavilion, but he didn’t expect that I would want to keep him exclusively. I even immediately bought an apartment for him in Apricot Gardens. When I opened the door of the apartment and handed him the keys, his fingers curled slightly, seeming a bit overwhelmed. “Miss Carter, you really don’t have to…” I raised my finger and placed it on his lips, stopping his next words. “This place is close to my company. You’ll live here from now on.” Apricot Gardens was in the most central location of the city, with transportation hubs crisscrossing here. It was not only close to my company but also near his school. An apartment like this was perfect for keeping a young beastman. Occasionally coming over for a meal or a nap would be quite enjoyable. I looked around; the furniture was all in place, it wouldn’t be a hardship for him. “There’s a million dollars in this card,” I took out a card from my bag and handed it to him. “I’m keeping you for a month first, probation period. If it doesn’t work out, you’re out.” He was probably inexperienced in the ways of the world. The moment he touched the card, his eyes widened, and even his wolf ears perked up. The young man was innocent, unlike William’s feigned innocence and romance back then. Lucas’s youthful aura was stronger, even carrying a hint of naivety. He couldn’t come back to his senses for a long time. It wasn’t until I coughed lightly that his bright gaze followed the sound and sought me out. I leaned back casually on the sofa and asked: “Shower, sleep together.” “Can you do it?” The misty steam dampened Lucas’s brow. I casually smeared foam on his rugged face, the delicate lather sliding into his dimples. He responded with a shy smile. It had been a long time since I’d encountered someone so pure. My mind wandered, and I hooked my finger on the belt of his trousers, gently tugging… Firm, muscular flesh still dripping with water droplets was within arm’s reach. At this close distance, I could even see the texture of his skin. Lucas’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He leaned in, bringing his face closer. So obedient. I pinched his ear and whispered enticingly, “Let your tail out, let me touch it…” Lucas obediently complied. The fluffy wolf tail brushed against my palm with just the right pressure. As Lucas’s moist kiss fell, the wolf tail also swayed gently. Just as we were about to fall into the depths of passion amidst the intense kiss, the phone on the bedside table suddenly rang. The screen flashed white light in the darkness, vibrating vigorously. I picked up the phone with displeasure, seeing the caller: William Sanders. The next second, I hung up and muted it without hesitation. Lucas panted heavily above my head, clutching the bed sheets pitifully, “Miss Carter…” I spoke to reassure him, “It’s nothing, continue…” After the tumultuous lovemaking, Lucas fell into a deep sleep in my arms. I picked up my phone and got up. By then, there were several more messages and missed calls in my phone, all from William. I blocked him. Jack Johnson’s call came in at the right time: “Miss Carter, Colin Carter has returned to the country.” Oh, my useless cousin who always gets in Claire’s way has finally returned. 0

Colin Carter was back. Claire Carter was in a mess. Claire was the only one in the second branch of the family who could be relied upon. As for her brother Colin, he was the epitome of a prodigal son, yet he refused to admit his own incompetence, always trying to compete with Claire. I had no time to care about their sibling drama. There was still a mess left in the company to deal with. I was busy all day, running between multiple parties, without a moment’s rest. When Jack was reporting the company’s movements to me, he mentioned William. Apparently, William hadn’t been able to catch me at my villa these past few days, and he hadn’t seen me at the company either. He had no choice but to find Jack. Jack honestly lowered his head: “Miss Carter, he’s been sending me messages asking about your schedule these past few days…” “There’s no need to report anything about him to me in the future.” “If he dares to come to the company to find me again, throw him out.” Just as I had managed to patch up the supply chain that afternoon, I breathed a sigh of relief and made plans to have afternoon tea with Samantha. Who would have thought that as soon as I stepped out of the elevator from the underground parking garage, I’d run into William. He looked unwell. “Fiona Carter, what do you mean by blocking me?” He blocked my way. These past few days, Claire had been fighting tooth and nail, probably leaving little time for him. Foxes are naturally suspicious, and he likely had his guesses. I sneered, curling my lip: “Do I need a reason to block you?” “You want to break up with me?” His voice suddenly rose, looking at me in disbelief. I frowned at his arm blocking my way. “Break up?” I scoffed. “It was just a kept relationship, aren’t you thinking too highly of yourself?” “What do you think you are?” Now I find even looking at him disgusting. Just thinking about him being used by Claire makes me sick. I walked away in my high heels, getting into the car without looking back. But he actually chased after me, desperately grabbing onto my car door. William looked very undignified. But his anxious heart couldn’t care about that anymore. He was worried about my abandonment. Because with the disappearance of my favor, many of his privileges in the city would turn to dust, scattered in the wind. He also knew clearly that Claire couldn’t give him whatever he wanted like I did. Not only because Claire didn’t dote on him enough, but also because Claire might not be able to afford it like I could. So, knowing that I could give him unlimited financial power, he still dared to bite the hand that fed him. That’s enough shamelessness and lack of bottom line. “Fiona Carter, I just didn’t come to accompany you as you wished a few days ago, why are you so angry? What are you throwing a tantrum about?” He clicked his tongue irritably, seeming to think he had done nothing wrong, only shirking responsibility. “You know, my career is on the rise, I don’t have that much time to accompany…” I interrupted him with a fake smile: “If you block me again, I’ll chop off your pathetic little thing and feed it to the dogs.” “Also, stop calling me Fiona Carter. From now on, when you see me, either call me Miss Carter or CEO Carter.” Under his shocked and confused gaze, I stepped on the gas and drove away. 0

Samantha stood me up, going off to fool around with her boy toy. I drove aimlessly, unconsciously arriving at Lucas’s apartment. The warm yellow light shone through the window, vaguely revealing a man’s silhouette. It was already dinner time. I hadn’t eaten yet. So I got out of the car and entered the apartment. Lucas probably didn’t expect me to come, and looked a bit surprised. “Miss Carter… have you eaten?” I threw down my bag, and Lucas proactively came forward to help me change into comfortable cotton slippers. “Not yet.” I glanced at the kitchen. There were two small dishes on the kitchen counter. “Then I’ll add a couple more dishes.” He got up and returned to the kitchen. Watching the busy figure in the kitchen, the anger from encountering William earlier gradually subsided. He was very different from William. When William first met me, he was spoiled and arrogant, relying on my doting to ask for the moon. Whether it was houses in the city or money, I gave him plenty. But Lucas, after so many days, stayed in the apartment without making a fuss. According to Jack’s report, these past few days he just went back and forth between school, the apartment, and the supermarket, living a very simple life. It wasn’t until Lucas brought out three dishes and a soup that I noticed he was wearing a Hello Kitty apron. Very… Husband-like. The word popped into my mind inadvertently. “Your apron?” He paused, holding the apron he had just taken off, and reacted, asking: “Does Miss not like it?” “No,” I rested my chin on my hand, “Try wearing just this tonight…” His face reddened, and he turned around to duck into the kitchen, bringing out a plate of small matcha cakes. The little cakes were exquisite, with a cherry on top. “Try it,” he pushed the plate towards me, “I had no classes this afternoon, so I made these out of boredom.” The cake was soft and smooth, but it’s not good to eat too much at night. “Not bad,” I winked at him, “As delicious as you.” He lowered his head and coughed lightly, saying softly: “I’m glad you like it.” The little wolf had tucked away his tail at the moment, but if it were out, it would surely be wagging vigorously. “I’m usually busy with work, you should find something you like to do, money is not an issue…” I suddenly asked: “Don’t you have anything you particularly like?” Back then, William wanted to start a company and become an entrepreneur, so I racked my brains to help him strategize and invested money and effort. At the mention of this, Lucas’s eyes lit up again. He fiddled with his chopsticks, smiling shyly: “I want to open a dessert shop, and then bring my grandmother here from our hometown…” I raised an eyebrow: “That’s not a problem, I can help you. How about the most prosperous area in the city?” Lucas carefully opened his mouth: “Miss Carter, I… don’t want you to help me, I want to try it myself…” My fingers, which were about to send a message to Jack, paused. I deleted the words I had just typed, letter by letter. “Are you sure?” Lucas nodded firmly: “My college classmates and I want to partner up together…” He observed my expression, and seeing that I didn’t speak, he quietly lowered his head. “That’s good,” I smiled, “If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me.” 0

After dinner, Lucas pulled me out for a walk. He was very happy, saying: “Miss Carter, we need to digest after eating, and walking is the best way.” I lazily let him lead me. The autumn wind blew desolately. The community was covered with a layer of withered leaves. With each step, there was a “crunch” sound. Lucas seemed to really enjoy stepping on them. Every step he took, he precisely made a sound, like a child, never tiring of it. He walked beside me, his knit sweater occasionally brushing against my body. I looked up and saw his handsome face. Who would have thought that behind such a face, there was a well-built body that was quite impressive. Thinking of this, I took the initiative to hold Lucas’s hand tightly. Lucas secretly curled his lips into a smile. “Miss, I bought a piece of clothing…” I replied without thinking: “Do you want me to reimburse you?” “No, no, no…” He shook his head hurriedly, stammering, “Do, do you want to see it tonight?” Due to shyness, his voice was also low and deep. I naturally brought my face closer: “Okay, wear it for me to see…” Then I casually kissed his cheek. He’s so adorable. How can there be such a cute little wolf in this world! “Fiona Carter!” Suddenly, an angry voice rang out. It was William. His face was tired, with undisguised anger in his eyes. He walked forward, pointing his finger at Lucas. “Who is he?” William had a demanding look on his face, which was quite irritating to see. He was the one who betrayed and defied me first, and now he’s the one questioning me here. What right does he have to point fingers at my little beast? The anger that Lucas had just soothed in me flared up again: “None of your business!” I gave Lucas a look. Lucas pouted his face and turned to make a phone call. William persisted: “Fiona Carter, if you break up with this guy right now and throw him out, I can forgive you for old times’ sake…” “Slap!” A resounding slap interrupted all the noisy sounds. Lucas came over at the sound, rubbing my palm concernedly: “You should let me handle this kind of thing.” William touched his cheek, staring at me with wide eyes: “Fiona Carter, you…” I gave him a cold look. He had really been spoiled by me for too long, not knowing his place. He noticed my impatience and said with a pale face: “Miss Carter…” Lucas tugged at my sleeve, shrinking behind me, saying pitifully: “I’m a bit cold, can we go back quickly…” William looked at Lucas’s submissive demeanor, almost unable to catch his breath, pointing at Lucas and stuttering: “You, you…” I curled my lips, pinching his tense arm: “Okay.” At this moment, security guards came running over, grabbing William and dragging him away. William shouted and struggled: “Let go of me, do you know who I am? Let go! Miss Carter…” “Weren’t you cold? Why aren’t you walking?” I looked at Lucas as he withdrew his gaze, pouting disappointedly: “Miss Carter, he’s so fierce…” I pinched his cheeks, our warm breaths intertwining: “Don’t mind him, let’s go back and you can show me that outfit…”

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During the year-end performance review, all the achievements that should have been mine were credited to the new intern. Thinking of my mother in the ICU, I was beside myself with anxiety. I went to argue with the manager, but he just said, “Know your place. Who are you to compete for credit with the daughter of the company’s owner?” When I vented to my friend, she turned around and printed out our chat logs, plastering them all over the company. My boyfriend also complained that I was making a scene, saying I wasn’t acting like a respectable woman. He then went off to become the new intern’s lapdog. My mother, waiting for money for her treatment, ultimately missed the best window for treatment and passed away. In a fit of rage, I quit on the spot, and suddenly they all panicked. To motivate employees for one last push at the end of the year, the company had hinted early on about generous year-end bonuses. Not only was there no cap on the bonus amount, but the top salesperson would also receive additional rewards. My colleagues had already started congratulating me, saying this year-end bonus was surely mine. I couldn’t wait to share this good news with my boyfriend. Just as I opened my phone, his call came through first. “Babe, I heard from Jennifer that your company’s year-end bonus is really high this year.” “Yes! With this money, my mom’s surgery—” Before I could finish, William hastily cut me off. “That’s great! I’ll tell my parents right away that I’ll bring you home to meet them during the New Year.” Hearing my boyfriend’s words, I was overjoyed. I never expected such double happiness today. William and I had been dating for ten years, and we were certainly at the age to discuss marriage. But every time I brought up meeting his parents, he would brush it off with various excuses. “It’s almost New Year’s, and this is your first time visiting my family. You must prepare some nice gifts for my family! That’s the only way my parents will agree to you marrying into our family.” “I’ve already thought about what gifts to buy. You don’t need to buy anything too expensive. For my mom, I mean, our mom, buy a Hermès handbag.” “Dad doesn’t have many hobbies, he just loves to drink. A bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label wouldn’t be too much, right?” “And for my little brother, he’s just a kid, he doesn’t like much. Just buy him a phone, I’ll send you the link.” Before he finished speaking, a payment link popped up. It was for the latest iPhone 1TB Pro Max version. His tone grew more and more excited, while I became increasingly calm. First of all, the year-end bonus wasn’t even confirmed yet. My mom had been in the hospital for over half a year, waiting for money for her surgery. He knew about this situation. Now that he heard I might get a year-end bonus, not only did he not think about helping with my mother’s treatment, but his mind was full of how to spend this money for his own family. When I heard him say he wanted me to buy a phone for his month-old brother, I finally couldn’t help but interrupt him: “The year-end bonus hasn’t been decided yet, and you know my mom’s situation. The doctor—” “What about your mom?” Almost instinctively, William interrupted me again, immediately switching to his usual impatient tone: “Whatever’s wrong with your mom, you’re going to marry into my family in the future. Buying gifts for my family is the same as buying gifts for your family, isn’t it? How can you show favoritism from the start?” “I know it wasn’t easy for your mom to raise you, and your mom is important, but isn’t our future important too?” “Do you know how many times my parents have tried to persuade me to break up with you? Do you know how many people are lining up to go on blind dates with me?” “If you’re not willing to buy these small gifts, how can you say you love me! Let me tell you, if you can’t come up with these things this year, we’re breaking up.” With that, he hung up the phone without giving me a chance to explain. When I tried to call back, I found that my number had been blocked.

Looking at the disconnected call, I was momentarily lost in thought. I had mentioned my mother’s illness to him more than once in the past six months. His reaction today clearly showed that he had long forgotten about my mother’s hospitalization, or perhaps he had never really remembered it at all. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed. Composing myself, I had just returned to the company when Jennifer White, the department intern, approached me. She was the “Jenny” my boyfriend had mentioned earlier. We had only eaten together once before, and I didn’t know when they had exchanged contact information. They were even close enough for him to call her Jenny. Jennifer’s expression was full of embarrassment, but her words were full of entitlement: “Sis, Manager Johnson said that the follow-up on the Quinn contract you’ve been handling will now be taken over by me.” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. The deal with Mr. Quinn was almost at the final stage, it could be said that it only needed a signature. Suddenly changing the person in charge at this point undoubtedly meant that all my previous efforts would become nothing more than paving the way for someone else. Despite this, when I spoke, I still took a roundabout approach, not intending to expose her directly. “You haven’t been involved in the early stages of this deal, so you might not be familiar with the relevant details. If you want to learn about closing deals, I can take you through the process from the beginning next time.” Before I could finish declining, a male voice interrupted. “What’s so difficult about this? You’ve already prepared the contract, and the signing date is set. Just let Jenny go and sign it, and the deal is done.” “Mia, the company still recognizes your abilities. It’s the end of the year, so give the newcomers a chance to close a deal. You have so many resources, what’s wrong with sharing one with Jenny?” “Besides, your deals are ultimately company resources. You’ve already been given the top salesperson position, don’t be so stingy about one or two small deals.” “You’re already at that age, almost thirty, about to go home to get married and have children. Holding onto these resources won’t do you much good, why not appropriately share them with your colleagues?” These words were almost no different from outright robbery. In just a few short sentences, he had brushed off all my previous efforts. He even tried to use moral coercion to make me hand over the resources I had carefully maintained. I didn’t follow his lead, but quietly reminded him: “Manager Johnson, if nothing goes wrong, this deal will be the biggest one of the year. Everyone is counting on this deal to sustain us through the first half of next year. If anything goes wrong, I might not be affected, but I’m afraid the company can’t afford to wait.” He knew very well what Jennifer was capable of. She was clearly just a connection who had been stuffed into the company to idle away her days. Let alone not having closed any deals in her year here, she had even messed up quite a few deals for her seniors. As a result, everyone later discussed collaborations like thieves, avoiding her. Now that I think about it, it’s the end of the year, and seeing her performance was too poor to account for, they just randomly found a scapegoat in the company to hand over resources to her, letting her reap the benefits without effort. But they had picked the wrong person. I wasn’t some pushover they could bully at will. He could sacrifice me to pave the way for Jennifer, but I didn’t believe he would dare risk sacrificing the collective interests of the company. Sure enough, hearing this, Manager Johnson’s expression showed some hesitation. When he spoke again, his tone had changed: “Alright, alright, everyone disperse. I understand the situation.” “Mia, you’re right, this deal is indeed very important. How about this, you prepare and personally go on a business trip to visit Mr. Quinn’s company again. This will show our sincerity. Time is of the essence, you should leave today.” “Jennifer, come with me to my office.” With that, he waved his hand to disperse the crowd and led Jennifer into his office. Although the sudden 180-degree turn was puzzling, at this point, I could only comply. I thought the matter was over, but I had underestimated how shameless they could be. After just a few days on the business trip, while I was still out of town, I saw a notice in the company group chat.

In the announcement, a large portion of my performance had vanished into thin air. And Jennifer, who hadn’t closed any deals before I left for the business trip, suddenly jumped to second place in performance. Just as I was about to question the finance department about how such a low-level mistake could occur, Jennifer’s call came through first, her tone full of smugness: “So this is all the great top salesperson Su can do after working hard for a year. Looking at the performance, it’s not much more than mine, is it?” “You don’t need to thank me too much, after all, I still left you two months’ worth of performance.” “I’m not exaggerating, but you’ve spent a year drinking and schmoozing with clients, and you only managed to bring in a few million in deals. That’s pretty useless.” “Did you call just to say this?” I interrupted her, barely containing my anger. “Oh, I almost forgot. Manager Johnson was worried you might not see the notice, so he specifically asked me to call and remind you. He said if anyone thinks there’s a problem with the performance data, they need to discuss it with him in person. The time limit is only today, no exceptions.” It wasn’t until I heard this that I realized what they were up to. Clearly, they knew that today was the day I was signing the contract with Quinn Corp. Even if I found out about this as quickly as possible, I wouldn’t be able to get back today. This meant I could only choose between the past half year’s performance and the contract with Quinn Corp. “Is he so determined to do this that he’s not afraid I’ll just quit altogether?” My voice was trembling with the immense anger that engulfed me. Hearing this, Jennifer laughed as if she had heard a joke: “Do you have the luxury to quit?” “Don’t forget your mom is still in the ICU.” “If you don’t get any money, be careful you might not even have enough to buy a coffin for your mom.” With that, she sneered and hung up the phone, leaving me standing there in shock. That’s right, my mother was still in the ICU. I could afford to wait, but she couldn’t. Starting a dispute with them now was clearly not a wise choice. I hurriedly signed the contract and caught the earliest high-speed train back to the company to prevent any further complications. They could transfer my performance to Jennifer, which meant they might do even more shameless things. But I didn’t expect that as soon as I got back to the company, before I could even hand over the contract, a figure darted out and, without a word, slapped me across the face. When I saw who it was, I could no longer contain my anger: “Jennifer, what are you throwing a tantrum about now? It’s not enough to steal my performance, you have to add insult to injury? Do you think people won’t get angry just because they don’t show it? Do you take everyone for a fool?” “Using your performance is doing you a favor. Many people are begging to give me their performance, and I don’t even want it.” “You act like you’re so noble. What right do you have to publicly insult me! It’s just because you saw the announcement and couldn’t accept it, so you used such a despicable method to humiliate me!” “I earned my performance with my own abilities! If you have the ability, why don’t you earn it back yourself!” Hearing her baseless accusations, I couldn’t help but laugh: “I publicly insulted you? Do you have any evidence? Coming up and hitting someone without rhyme or reason, is this your idea of class?” More and more people were gathering around, and although they didn’t show it clearly, they were obviously curious to see which of us would come out on top. “Evidence? This is the evidence!” Jennifer threw a stack of papers in my face. They were clearly my comments about her being a connection. Although it was just stating facts, the tone was naturally not very nice given that my performance had been stolen. Surprisingly, the record of messages spanned an entire year, organized chronologically, including even my casual complaints when Jennifer first joined the company. Every comment I made about Jennifer was taken out of context, with all praise and acknowledgment hidden, leaving only my negative evaluations of her. But I was certain that I had never disclosed these chat logs. Looking up, I saw that there were still many papers that hadn’t been torn down from the surrounding walls, with groups of people standing in front of them, observing. “Jennifer, I advise you to use your brain. Thanks to you, I’ve just returned from a business trip and haven’t even had time to do the handover. Where would I find the time to compile your glorious deeds and paste them all over the company?” “If you had any sense, you’d know that instead of picking a fight with me, you should go check the security cameras to see who the real culprit is!” “At the very least, you should find someone to clean up this garbage. Otherwise, in less than half a day, your and Manager Johnson’s glorious deeds will be spread throughout the entire company.”

I rolled my eyes, not intending to deal with her any further. Although I didn’t know who was behind this, I wasn’t stupid enough to think they were on my side. They just wanted to see Jennifer and me tear into each other, while they sat back and reaped the benefits. But clearly, Jennifer hadn’t figured this out. She continued to see me as her enemy and kept attacking: “No matter who posted it, aren’t those your own words?” “How can you have the guts to say it but not to admit it? You’re trying to shift the blame to someone else?” “Do you really think I’m that stupid, that I don’t know who did this? Security informed me immediately, it was Rachel who posted these large posters.” “Ask anyone in the sales department, who doesn’t know that you and Rachel are the closest? Do you dare say you’re not the mastermind behind this?” Hearing this, I was stunned. Even Jennifer knew that Rachel and I were the closest partners, which was enough to prove that our relationship wasn’t close enough for her to throw me under the bus. I had considered countless possibilities, but never thought it could be her. But thinking about it, I’m not one to gossip, and I had only said these things to one person, and that was Rachel. Who else could have such clear and complete chat records if not her? The only thing I couldn’t understand was why she was targeting me. “Why target you?” A woman’s voice asked the question in my mind. I turned to see it was Rachel. “Guess who was forced to give up their contract that was about to be signed after you refused White and Manager Johnson’s request that day?” Hearing her question, I finally understood. The day I left to sign the contract, Jennifer and Manager Johnson were still in the office, so I hadn’t paid attention to what happened afterward. I didn’t expect that when they didn’t get a satisfactory answer from me, they turned their target to someone else. In just a few days, so much drama had unfolded, it must have been difficult for them. “But you’re right about one thing, what kind of deal could that idiot sign? It was already at the final stage, just needing a signature to seal the deal, and she actually managed to fail the signing.” “What’s even funnier is that after failing, she still took my performance, saying it was compensation for her not successfully signing the contract.” “Do you know why I came to the company today? I came to pick up my resignation letter. They found fault with me because my performance didn’t meet the standard, and fired me.” “And all of this is thanks to you, Mia Sullivan. What’s the big deal about sharing a bit of your performance with her! Why should I pay the price for your stubborn refusal! You’re just a stupid top salesperson, what’s so great about that! Everything that’s happened to me is your fault!” Looking at Rachel’s angry expression, I felt a wave of helplessness. Clearly, we were both victims, yet she blamed everything on me, who was equally oppressed by them. The weak only swing their swords at the weak, completely failing to see that it was Jennifer and Manager Johnson, who abused their power, who were the real culprits behind this tragedy. “Implicated by me? Without Mia Sullivan, there would be a Lisa Sullivan, a Sarah Sullivan, or maybe you would have been the top salesperson! What led to this result was never colleagues unwilling to give way, but as long as there are useless colleagues like this and leaders who only know how to curry favor with their superiors! Everyone will be a sacrifice!” Faced with my colleague’s backstabbing, I could no longer hold back. I wanted to vent all the grievances I had suffered these past few days. Just as I was about to continue, my phone suddenly rang: “Hello, is this Ms. Sullivan? Your mother’s condition has suddenly deteriorated severely. The situation is very critical. We hope you can come to the hospital as soon as possible.”

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There was still half an hour until the New Year’s countdown when I received a message from the pet-sitting family. I opened the chat and saw a cozy photo. The dining table was filled with various dishes, with a steaming hot pot in the center, surrounded by bones of different sizes. I was about to wish them a Happy New Year when they sent another ten-second voice message. The moment I heard its content, I felt as if I’d been plunged into an icy abyss, my whole body trembling. “Your dog is in the pot. Do you want the bones back?” Fluffy was a stray puppy I rescued from near a dumpster during my first year of work. He was less than a month old. I couldn’t bear to leave him, as he was the only Corgi in the litter without a docked tail. For three years, I never left him alone at home for more than a day. This year, my brother was bringing his fiancée home for the first time. The young woman was severely allergic to dog hair, so I had no choice but to entrust Fluffy to someone else. Worried that Fluffy wouldn’t adapt to a strange environment, I carefully selected my downstairs neighbor as the pet-sitting family. Little did I know that my poor judgment would make me an accomplice in Fluffy’s death. To seek justice for Fluffy, I gave up my family reunion and drove nine hours back to my apartment complex. “Mom, don’t worry. I just want to retrieve Fluffy’s remains. I’ll be careful,” I said while going up the stairs, updating my family. “I’m at the building now. I’ll talk to you later.” Fluffy was as important to me as my family. I couldn’t let this go. I had no reason to make them pay with their lives, but I would at least make them face consequences. Planning silently in my mind, I stood in front of my neighbor’s door. “Is anyone home?” I knocked on the door, and soon there was movement inside. “Who is it? It’s New Year’s Eve, for crying out loud!” The door opened, revealing the man’s impatient face. I took a deep breath and managed a smile. “You ate my dog. Don’t you think you should return his remains and compensate me?” The man was surprised to see me back so soon. He paused, then started laughing. While laughing, he turned to speak to someone inside. “She actually came back for a stupid animal on New Year’s Eve, leaving her parents behind?” Shrill laughter from a woman and a child echoed from inside. Soon, the wife and their daughter appeared before me. The girl clapped her hands and sang a song she had made up: “Little fat dog, chopped in pieces, cooked in hot pot for New Year’s feast!” “Give me back my dog,” I frowned, repeating my request. The woman covered her mouth, looking at me with contempt. “You want your dog back?” She kicked a black garbage bag by the entrance, which hit my feet. “Here, take it if you want!” The garbage bag opened, spilling oily hot pot broth and revealing dog bones wrapped in leftover food. I tried hard to control my emotions, but when I touched the furry skull, I couldn’t help but sob. This was my little dog. When he first came home, he wasn’t even as big as my palm. I raised him from scratch, putting in as much love and money as I would for a child. Now, he was in pieces, stuffed into a garbage bag, spending the night with filthy trash. My Fluffy must have been so scared. I wondered if this silly dog was still wagging his tail, trying to please people, even as these monsters were sharpening their knives. “It’s New Year’s Eve. Don’t cry at my doorstep. Get lost!” A foot reeking of sour odor kicked towards my shoulder. I fell on my bottom and finally burst into tears. “Are you even human? If you hated him so much, why did you bring him home?” The woman snickered and kicked the garbage bag. “It’s just a smelly dog. We felt like eating it, so we did. It’s so cold in winter, dog meat warms you up!” I stared intently at the woman’s hands and legs, seeing no red marks, let alone bite wounds! “You all conspired to deceive me. Fluffy never bit anyone!” The little girl said with a grin, “The fat dog was punished by my dad every day. He didn’t even dare to leave the bathroom, let alone bite my mom!” “Lily!” The woman frowned and pulled the girl back inside. “How dare you beat my dog? This is animal abuse!” I scrambled to my feet, my hand shaking as I took out my phone. “I won’t let you get away with this. I’m calling the police!” The call connected quickly. Seeing that I was serious, the man immediately tried to close the door. I was quick to grab the door panel and forced my way in. “Are you crazy?” The man couldn’t act rashly with the door blocked and the police on their way. “Go ahead and call the police. It’s just a dog. I dare you to have them shoot me!”

After understanding the situation, the two responding officers took us to the station for mediation. The female officer, seeing the gruesome contents of the garbage bag, gently patted my back and comforted me, “I have a little dog too. I understand how you feel.” Because we had to sort out Fluffy’s remains, the female officer and I arrived at the station a bit later. As soon as we entered, we heard the man shouting loudly. “It’s all her fault for not being a responsible dog owner! If her dog hadn’t been bothering us every day, I wouldn’t have done this!” His wife chimed in. “These days, who really needs to eat dog meat? Don’t you agree, officer?” The sound of the couple defending themselves in the mediation room was like oil poured on my anger. I rushed into the room, “You’re lying through your teeth!” “What lies? If you keep making a fuss…” The woman stood up abruptly. The female officer quickly stepped between us. “Alright, this is a police station, not a grocery store. Shouting doesn’t make you right!” I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and turned away from them, finding a chair to sit down. “Fine, you say I’m not a responsible dog owner. Where’s your evidence?” I rummaged through my bag and tossed out a pet hospital vaccination booklet. “This contains all the payment receipts and consent forms for Fluffy’s care, from microchipping to his first vaccine, rabies shots, and even neutering.” Next came a small booklet. “Dog license and vaccination records.” I gripped my bag tightly, hiding my trembling, pale fingertips, maintaining a calm appearance. “Or do you want to say I don’t clean up after him on walks? You can check the neighborhood security cameras. If there’s even one instance where I didn’t pick up his poop or clean his pee, arrest me right away.” The woman was about to speak but sat down instead. The man, however, took out his phone and played a video pointing at the ceiling. The video occasionally captured the “thud” of a ball hitting the ground and the “slap” of slippers as someone walked. These were ordinary sounds, but quite disturbing in the dead of night. “Officer, her dog always plays with a ball at midnight, for hours on end. You can also hear the dog’s claws scratching the floor and her footsteps.” “She and her dog make noise every day. Adults can tolerate it, but my daughter’s grades have dropped because of this.” “My job is stressful enough, and now I have to worry about my daughter’s grades. I can’t even sleep well at night.” “If I have some mental issues and killed a dog, isn’t that understandable?”

“Killing a dog is understandable? Now that the dog is gone, I still live above you. If I accidentally make some noise next time, are you going to say killing a person is understandable too?” I looked helplessly at the two officers and took out my phone. “Officers, this video is from last September. It might have indeed caused them some disturbance.” “They came up to talk to me about it then. I apologized and even bought silent slippers. I carpeted almost the entire apartment and put away all of the dog’s toys.” I showed the officers photos of the carpeted apartment and the purchase record of the new slippers. “At that time, they seemed fine with it. They even accepted my gifts. I thought the matter was resolved.” “I never imagined they were harboring such resentment and plotting to kill my dog.” I deliberately emphasized the word “plotting.” As expected, under the officers’ sharp gaze, the family’s confidence visibly deflated. The woman quickly defended herself, “We never said we forgave you!” The male officer sternly rebuked, “If you didn’t forgive her, why did you accept her gifts?!” The woman flinched, shrinking her neck, and stammered, “Why refuse something offered for free?” The female officer looked exasperated. She turned to me and said gently, “We deeply sympathize with your situation. Please tell us what you want for a settlement.” I knew that no matter how important Fluffy was to me, he was still just a dog in the eyes of the law. I could only treat him as cold property. “Fluffy was my personal property. I spent $1,500 to buy him initially, and I’ve invested no less than $5,000 in his care.” The couple’s faces immediately turned sour. “Considering we’re neighbors, if you compensate me for the initial purchase price of $1,000 and cover all the costs for Fluffy’s cremation, that would be acceptable.” The man quickly looked up pet funeral costs on his phone and jumped up. “Cremation for a dog? Can’t you just throw it in the trash? Are you trying to scam us?” I slammed the table and stood up to confront him. “I’m scamming you? What about the $500 you swindled from me last night?” The two officers were stunned, not expecting there to be fraud involved. “You dare to commit fraud?” the male officer spoke first. “Yes, officer. He messaged me last night saying my dog bit someone. I paid $500 in compensation, but today his daughter said my dog was beaten daily and couldn’t possibly have bitten anyone!” The man glared at me, his eyes wide with anger, pointing at me, “What dog doesn’t bite?” I sat back down in my chair, “Fine, then let’s check your home security footage.” The man shot a fierce glare at his daughter in the corner before sitting down again. “I can compensate you. $1,000, plus the $500 you gave last night.” “$1,500, take it or leave it!” I looked at the three smug faces across from me, seemingly unfazed by the situation, and nodded. “I refuse to settle, and I won’t let you off the hook!”

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Just because I offended the principal’s daughter, I was locked in solitary confinement for three days and nights. They even threatened me to pay $1,500, or I wouldn’t get my diploma. But I have mental health issues! Three days later, the principal sat up straight and asked solemnly, “Has she learned her lesson?” The assistant replied nervously, “Sir, she’s turned into a zombie!” I found myself in this world just as I was being lectured by my academic advisor. “Anyway, let’s put this incident behind us. Don’t dwell on it anymore, and focus on your future,” she said, with a stack of money sitting in front of her. It looked like I had given it to her. I was originally a psychiatric patient who had been institutionalized for three years. Suddenly, a mysterious system approached me, asking me to complete a mission! And just like that, I opened my eyes to find myself in this body. The original owner of this body, Cassie, was a college student who had offended the daughter of a board member. With nowhere to turn for help, she was being threatened to pay $1,000 to resolve the issue and graduate smoothly. Well, well, well. If this world is so messed up, I might as well go crazy too! The bright lights in the office couldn’t suppress the darkness in my heart. “You’re trying to steal my money!” I shouted, lying flat on the ground, my eyes rolling back, foam at my mouth, and my limbs shaking. “What are you doing?!” The advisor exclaimed. My sudden outburst drew the attention of other teachers. They gathered around, blocking most of the light. I was in my element. I quickly contorted my body and lunged at the advisor. Caught off guard, she fell to the ground. I continued to crawl towards her in a twisted, dark manner, cackling maniacally. “Ahhh! Stay away from me!” she screamed. “Hahaha, scream all you want! No one’s coming to save you!” I taunted. She tried to crawl away, using both her hands and feet. I bit her on the butt and remarked, “Nice and perky!” “Ghost!” she shrieked. “Zombie outbreak! Run for your lives!” someone yelled. The teachers in the office scrambled to escape, leaving me alone with the beautiful Ms. Thompson. Ms. Thompson, bless her heart, fainted from fright, a puddle of yellow liquid forming beneath her skirt. “Tch. Boring,” I muttered. I got up, grabbed the stack of money, and walked out of the office without looking back. “Give me the plot already,” I demanded. … No response. “Ahhhhhhhhh! Give me the plot, you stupid system!” I screamed, pounding on the wall and frantically pulling at my hair. Why are you doing this to me?! “Stop pulling your hair, host!” The system finally spoke up. “Aren’t you supposed to be a well-mannered, intellectual female student?” it asked. “Bullshit! I’m clearly a psychiatric patient!” I retorted. Silence fell upon us like a thick blanket. How awkward. The system had bound itself to the wrong person. Ahhhhhh! Why did it have to bind itself to a psychiatric patient?! Left with no choice, the system silently transmitted the plot to me.

It turns out that despite being a psychiatric patient with paranoid delusions, it was the original Cassie who got punished. “So, in this world, the law only serves those with power and influence?” I asked. “Well… you could say that,” the system replied hesitantly. “I see.” That’s great. Now I don’t have to worry about paranoid delusions anymore because your (mental) illness has arrived. “Your mission is to fulfill the original Cassie’s wish of becoming a national research team member, and complete some occasional tasks along the way~” the system explained. The original Cassie even had research dreams! My expression turned grim. Being transported into a college student’s body was already terrifying enough, but now I had to complete missions too? Were they trying to kill me? “What happens if I don’t complete the tasks?” I asked. “If you complete them, you’ll receive a reward of 20 billion dollars.” “I’ll do it!” I exclaimed. Reality always bows to capitalism in the end. Meanwhile, in the principal’s office… A middle-aged man stood in front of a money tree, raising his expensive right hand to reveal an 88848 titanium alloy watch. It was exactly 11 AM. “Has that girl learned her lesson?” he asked. The assistant trembled as he spoke, “Principal Johnson, she… she’s turned into a zombie!” “What?!” (in a high-pitched voice) … When Principal Johnson and his entourage found me, I was already fast asleep in my dorm room. It wasn’t that I couldn’t act during the day; it’s just that nighttime offered better value for money. I was rudely awakened by a group of people, and it made me really angry. The lights were off in the dorm, and I was hiding in a corner. The moment the door opened, I sprang from the dark corner, leaping onto the person and biting their neck. Left foot kicking the wall, right foot providing momentum, both hands covering their head, I successfully flipped them over. First blood! My eyes glowed green as I twisted my head with a cracking sound, making eye contact with the principal’s assistant. “Ahh! A zombie!” he screamed before fainting. Double kill! No luck involved, pure skill. Principal Johnson had brought four people with him: one assistant and three security guards. Not to brag, but they were all garbage. Only one left. Bloodthirsty, I cackled menacingly, my gaze meeting the principal’s. Silence, hesitation, gulping, retreat. “Don’t… don’t come any closer. I’m the principal…” he stammered. “Principal? Who cares?” I asked, tilting my head in an evil manner. The simple, direct question, coupled with my menacing head tilt, made the principal’s legs give out. He fell to his knees before me. Receiving such an unexpected honor would surely shorten one’s lifespan. I nimbly dodged and kicked him from the side. Penta kill! Old people are so convenient; they fall asleep at the drop of a hat. Everyone was asleep now. It would be impolite if I didn’t join them, right? So I stripped the principal of his clothes, covered my stomach with them, and peacefully drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up, I found myself in a hospital. It was midnight. The dorm supervisor had assumed I had fainted like the principal and sent us all to the hospital. Such a perfect opportunity; it was time for me to make my move. I pulled out the IV from the back of my hand and climbed out the window. News of my 1v5 feat had spread like wildfire. “Senior, please go out with me!” a young man pleaded as soon as I stepped through the campus gates. He bowed at a 90-degree angle, his attitude sincere. “Senior, please teach me how to turn into a zombie!” “Senior, I’ll do anything for you!” Having such charisma can be quite troublesome. I revealed my chiseled jawline, raised my hand to my forehead, and smiled bitterly. “You’re just a little boy now. I won’t touch you, but if I ever find out you’re causing trouble elsewhere, I’ll come for you immediately!” The young man blushed and ran away shyly, while I smiled contentedly. “New task: Please remain silent when faced with verbal abuse,” the system announced. “Oh? Does being adored count as verbal abuse?” I asked. “If it does, then verbally abuse this little girl to death!” “Hahahahahahaha!!” I laughed maniacally on the spot, feeling elated. “Cassie, come with me!” A girl, who was the side character of the mentally ill Mia’s minion’s best friend’s classmate’s boyfriend’s mistress, grabbed me and started running. I was brought to the bathroom, where a group of people led by Mia surrounded me. “I heard you beat up a teacher. Do you not want to study at this school anymore?” Mia sneered. “Hmph, you dare to go against me? You should know your place.” “I’ve disliked you for a long time. If you’re smart, you’ll stay away from me, or you’ll regret it.” “I run things around here. You’d better listen to me, or I’ll make sure you can’t stay here anymore.” So this is what the system meant by verbal abuse? I need to stay silent. I can’t speak. From the corner of my eye, I spotted some unflushed excrement in the toilet bowl. I can’t speak, but I can retaliate, right? I rushed over, grabbed a handful of feces, rolled it into a ball, and threw it at her. “Ahh!” she screamed. Her mouth was wide open, and I quickly smeared the feces all over, my fingers nimbly stuffing the brown substance into her mouth. I stirred it around thoroughly, feeling her soft tongue trying to avoid my fingers. It fled, I pursued; it couldn’t escape even if it had wings. When I emerged, there was hardly anything left on my hands. I was still unsatisfied, thinking about grabbing another handful, just to see what she’d look like with her mouth full. “Ugh~ Cassie, ugh~ do you have a death wish? Ugh~” Mia retched. “You’ve got some enoki mushrooms on your teeth,” I pointed out. “Blegh—” Mia vomited up her bile, a deep green color that perfectly complemented the brown. One handful for Mia, two handfuls for her minions. In the end, they all supported each other as they headed to the hospital. “Congratulations, host. You’ve completed the task. Reward: $100,000,” the system announced. “Can I take this money back to my old world?” I asked. “I’m afraid not, host~” the system replied. “Then it’s no fun.”

Now I was truly famous on campus. They all called me the Golden Princess, and even the dogs would greet me as I passed by. “Host… I believe you’re mentally ill now…” the system said. “Did you think I was lying to you?” “Do you know how they really see you?” “Aren’t they all in awe of me?” “No, they all think you went crazy after Mia beat you up. They’re just trying to stay on your good side so you won’t feed them feces, hahahahaha.” The mechanical laughter was spine-chilling. “Your laugh is so unpleasant,” I remarked. “…” Looking closely, I could see that beneath the seemingly admiring gazes, there was indeed fear. “Am I the kind of person who would randomly feed people feces?!” I shouted. “Hey—” (stomping my foot, voice gruff, expression fierce) “Run! She’s gone berserk!” someone yelled. With that command, all my “followers” vanished. Being a college student really feels awful. Every day, I could see couples embracing passionately downstairs, not even bothering to help me guard my food deliveries. My orders had been stolen countless times. There were endless meetings every week, though I never attended them. Even the professors teaching electives weren’t easy-going at all, always trying to exert their authority. If I was one minute late to class, they’d make me write a 3,000-word self-criticism and read it aloud to the entire class. If I didn’t write it, they’d fail me. But am I the kind of person who gives in to threats? No way! I’ll never write it, not in this lifetime! “Host, if you fail the course, you won’t be able to get into graduate school. If you can’t get into graduate school, you can’t fulfill the original Cassie’s wish. If you can’t fulfill her wish, you can’t complete the mission! The original Cassie’s grades were good enough for graduate school admission. You can’t mess up such a good hand!” the system pleaded. “Oh,” I replied nonchalantly. “Host~” (electronic whining sound) “You’re disgusting.” “…” College life was both carefree and bland. I let out a long sigh. When will I finally be able to collect my retirement money? “Excuse me, are you Cassie? This is the City Police Department. You’re suspected of assault and disorderly conduct. Please come with us to the police station,” a voice said. The man pulled out a pair of shiny handcuffs from behind his back, intending to give them to me as a gift. Mia was the principal’s daughter, and after what happened last time, Principal Johnson was furious and immediately called the police. But so what? I remained calm and pulled out my tri-fold psychiatric condition certificate from my bag. Tri-fold, no matter how you fold it, it still shows I’m ill. This world is very accommodating to those with mental health issues. They’re not subject to legal restrictions and even have protective policies. The police officer was taken aback. Theoretically, they couldn’t arrest me now, but theory means little in the hands of the wealthy. After only a moment’s hesitation, he said: “This certificate is fake. It’s from some no-name hospital that’ll give out certificates for money. You’ll still need to come with us.” Their task was simply to bring me to the police station. Once I was there, it was no longer their concern. The silver bracelets finally made their way onto my wrists. The surrounding students whispered among themselves. “Her mental illness is obviously real. How could it be fake?” “Oh my god, that’s so sad. They won’t leave her alone even when she’s been driven to mental illness!” “I knew it. The school is no good. They only bully the vulnerable!” “Fellow students, let’s go! If the school dares to arrest someone with mental health issues today, they might arrest us all tomorrow!” “Resist!” “Down with the powerful!” “This damn school has been giving me trouble every day. I’ve had enough!” One person shouted, and everyone joined in. The atmosphere was intense, the voices deafening. The police officers were surrounded by the college students. In an instant, the officers were drenched in cold sweat. An older officer, someone who had seen it all, pulled out his gun and fired a shot into the air.

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I am the adopted daughter of the Brooks Family and the sister of Declan Brooks. He doted on me. Ever since my parents passed away in a car accident five years ago, he treated me as if I were the most cherished member of the family. However, after I confessed my feelings to him, he ignored me for three long years. On the day he went to propose to someone else, I accepted another man’s proposal. “I will marry.” When I agreed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Grandma Brooks smiled warmly, “Good girl, just relax and get ready for the wedding this month.” She and the other relatives chatted happily about the upcoming marriage and left, their footsteps light with joy. I sat by the window, staring blankly at the scenery outside. Nora Brooks stood nearby, her eyes red, “I’ll try talking to big brother again. Maybe things can still change.” I looked at her tear-filled eyes and chuckled, “Isn’t getting married a happy occasion? Look at how joyful they all are.” The person most relieved by my decision to marry must be Declan Brooks. Poor Nora still didn’t understand. “But big brother used to care about you the most.” Her voice, tinged with tears, brought my thoughts back to a few years ago. That year, after my parents died in the car accident, my greedy relatives divided up my family’s assets, leaving my future uncertain. “This young girl, who wants her?” “My family can’t support her.” “Neither can mine.” They passed the responsibility around. I curled up in a corner, trembling. A tall young figure, like a savior, stood before me, “I will!” He took me home. From then on, I became the adopted daughter of the Brooks Family and Declan Brooks’ sister. He seemed distant but was sensitive enough to notice my fear of the dark and would tell me stories all night long. Even while working away from home, he would find interesting gifts for me. He took my childish words to heart. He said, “If Fiona doesn’t want to get married, the Brooks Family will always be your home. Brother will always protect you.” He spoiled me deeply, allowing me to grow up safely as the most cherished daughter in our circle. I took his promise seriously. Unnoticed, my feelings gradually grew. I naturally assumed Declan Brooks would be mine forever. So, that Valentine’s Day, when he handed a bouquet he won to another girl, I smashed it without hesitation and declared my affection in front of everyone. “Declan Brooks, I don’t just see you as a brother. I like you.” Being adopted by the Brooks Family and growing up with Declan Brooks as childhood friends seemed like a perfect match. But from that moment, Declan Brooks avoided me like the plague. I still refused to give up. I believed he loved me but wouldn’t admit it. If he didn’t love me, why did he care for me so attentively? If he didn’t love me, why would he get jealous when I was around other men? I even chased him to his company. But day by day, year by year. This infatuation finally became a joke. People no longer said, “This could be a perfect match.” Instead, they said, “That Brooks Family adoptee is shameless, always clinging to Mr. Brooks.” I waited and waited, but I never heard Declan Brooks say he liked me. Only when night fell, and I was alone, did I realize the truth. The gifts in the box gathered dust over time. The boy who once told me stories with earnest persistence grew into a cold, emotionless man. I stubbornly refused to marry, gradually missing the suitable age. Grandma Brooks finally revealed the truth, “Back then, he took his little sister out to play, and when she got lost, he blamed himself deeply.” “Later, he saved you and cared for you as his own sister.” “Declan only has sibling feelings for you. You’re getting older; you should wake up.” I finally understood. This affection was just borrowed from someone else. That day, Declan Brooks went to the Song Family. To discuss marriage with the girl whose bouquet I smashed, Lydia Johnson. That day, I accepted Grandma Brooks’ suggestion, “If someone is willing to marry me, I’ll agree.” 2 At dawn, I took some money and left. I had already arranged with a friend. His mother needed medical treatment, and his brother needed to attend school. As long as he agreed to a fake marriage, I’d split my money with him. I once thought of running away. But I quickly dismissed the idea. No matter what, the Brooks Family raised me with no wrong done to me. I confirmed the details with my friend, left the money, and departed. When I returned to the Brooks home, it was lively inside. It turned out Lydia Johnson was visiting. At the dining table, she sat between Declan Brooks and Grandma Brooks, chatting and laughing harmoniously. They looked like a family. I wanted to excuse myself, saying I’d already eaten out. But Declan Brooks’ voice left no room for refusal, “Sit down and eat.” I had no choice but to sit down, wisely choosing a seat farthest from him, next to Grandma Brooks. I remained silent, focused on eating. A chopstickful of food landed in my bowl. The gesture startled me. Declan Brooks quickly retracted his chopsticks as if hiding something, speaking sternly, “You haven’t attended any classes for this past half month.” Despite avoiding me for months, he still noticed. I murmured in acknowledgment. Since I decided to marry and leave, there was no need to attend anymore. The young man’s eyebrows raised slightly, his tone cold, “You should still go, learn more to understand things.” I hesitated. He used to smile and pat my head, saying. “Fiona is the most sensible.” Lydia Johnson teased, “If she doesn’t like studying, don’t force her.” She playfully tugged at Declan Brooks’ sleeve, “It’s Valentine’s Day today. Why not let your sister join us for a walk?” Declan Brooks’ eyebrows furrowed. Lydia Johnson graciously said, “At her age, she should enjoy these festivities.” She looked at me, “You’ll come, won’t you?” 3 This was a gesture of goodwill from my future sister-in-law, so I couldn’t refuse. I nodded. Throughout the meal, I listened to Lydia Johnson talk about where to go next. Declan Brooks occasionally chimed in, and the atmosphere was harmonious. The food tasted bland to me, but I forced it down, remaining outwardly calm. On Valentine’s Day, the city was lively. Stalls selling flowers were everywhere, and there were various events in the mall. Shouts, laughter, and conversations filled the air. I followed behind the two of them. Watching Declan Brooks buy her a necklace. Watching him participate in activities, winning a grand prize and handing it to Lydia Johnson, amid envious murmurs from those around. Lydia Johnson turned back, considerately saying, “Why not give this prize to your sister? I remember she loves this.” Her words reminded me of when I broke the bouquet in a fit of temper. Declan Brooks’ long, narrow eyes glanced at me, his expression indifferent, “This is for you.” Lydia Johnson glanced at me, her brows arched, “Your sister isn’t an outsider. As her sister-in-law, I should look after her.” She pressed the prize into my hand, her tone gentle, “Declan got me a custom diamond necklace, unbreakable. This ordinary prize can go to you.” She touched the exquisite necklace around her neck, then retreated a step, re-linking her arm with Declan Brooks’. I was left behind, swallowed by the crowd, stumbling as a motorcycle sped by, knocking me down, pain shooting through my leg. Amid gasps from the crowd, I distinctly heard Lydia Johnson’s clear voice from afar. “Didn’t you say you were taking me to a great place for a night view?” People surrounded me, but through the gaps, I met his starry eyes. He looked at me twice, then was pulled away by someone, breaking eye contact. I was still a bit disoriented. “Are you okay?” With help from kind onlookers, I stood up, limping. I thanked the helpful lady, “It’s okay.” But my mind wandered. That place, he told Lydia Johnson too? The first time I discovered the beautiful view at the mountaintop scenic spot, I hurriedly pulled Declan Brooks along. “This is my secret spot. Can’t tell anyone.” I placed a finger to my lips, playfully winking. His lips curled up, “Alright.” In the dark, his gaze burned warmly, like a flame. We watched the night view together, made sincere wishes, and watched the stars twinkle. Every year, my wish was to be with Declan Brooks. Turns out, making wishes doesn’t work at all. 4 I limped home with difficulty. Nora Brooks sympathetically applied medicine to my injury. The next day, Lydia Johnson heard I was hurt and came to visit. To avoid suspicion, Declan Brooks waited outside. I only saw half of his sharp profile, softened by the morning light. Lydia Johnson expressed her concern and sent over some items. I let Nora Brooks receive them, intending to come up with an excuse to send her off, but she suddenly sat down and talked about the view from last night’s mountaintop. She spoke of Declan Brooks’ gentleness and the beauty of the night view. “Really?” “That’s nice.” “Sounds great.” I kept a calm face, using these three phrases to respond. It was as if past rumors didn’t exist. I was just a sister sincerely wishing her brother well. Finally, she stood up, surveying my room. Her gaze lingered, “This room is nice.” It was spacious and decorated warmly. With little trinkets Declan Brooks collected over the years, it had a certain style. I thought, soon I would leave, and these things should be returned. She spoke of Declan Brooks’ gentle nature and the beauty of the night view. “Really?” “That’s nice.” “Pretty good.” I listened calmly, responding with phrases like these. It was as if the past rumors never existed. I was simply a sister genuinely wishing well for my brother. Eventually, she stood up and looked around my room with a wistful gaze, “This room is nice.” The room was spacious and warmly decorated, with a touch of style from the small trinkets Declan Brooks had collected over the years. I thought that soon I would leave, and these things should be returned. Nora Brooks helped me up and walked Lydia Johnson to the door. Standing next to him, she looked particularly petite. “Are your legs feeling better?” His eyes were cold. I nodded, noticing that the watch he used to wear—a birthday gift from me—was gone, replaced by a couple’s watch. Lydia Johnson wore the matching one. The old watch seemed too ordinary for him now. I wasn’t angry as I once might have been; instead, I asked plainly, “Is the wedding date set?” Declan Brooks paused before answering, “When I return in a month.” He was going on a business trip arranged by the company. “Congratulations.” A thousand words crossed my mind, but in the end, I remained silent. I simply offered my congratulations. His gaze, like a cold, starry night, lingered on me for a moment before he nodded. Finally, I watched them walk away together. They truly looked well-matched. 5 I was just letting go of a dream that was never mine. My friend came as promised, and although Grandma Brooks hesitated about this poor employee, she accepted it when she saw I had no objections. I had no other requests, just one: to be married before Declan Brooks returned. Grandma Brooks understood and kept things simple. But three days before the set wedding date, Declan Brooks came back early. Grandma Brooks was visibly flustered. I hadn’t expected it either. Upon returning, I found my room in disarray. Clothes were scattered, a bookshelf had collapsed, and a vase was broken. My clothes were thrown on the floor, covered in dust. It didn’t look like the room of a bride-to-be. Some servants were bossy, “Search carefully, it might be somewhere.” Nora Brooks was angry, “What are you doing?” The servants weren’t intimidated, “Miss Taylor’s necklace is missing. We were ordered by Mr. Brooks to search.” I frowned slightly, “I didn’t take any necklace.” The servant sneered, wanting to say something. Two figures entered through the courtyard gate. Lydia Johnson’s eyes were red, “Sister, if you like it, I’ll have another one made. That one was a token from Declan, I can’t give it to you.” Declan Brooks, wearing a suit, had a slight frown, “Phoebe, hand it over.” “I thought you had matured, but I didn’t expect you to bully Lydia once I left.” I took a deep breath, looking at his distrustful eyes, “I didn’t take any necklace.” “You said to let go, and I did.” “I haven’t interfered with your wedding.” “Why won’t you let me be at peace?” A servant suddenly laughed mockingly, “If you’ve really let go, why is there a wedding dress in your room!” A white wedding dress was pulled out and thrown in front of everyone. Whispers immediately erupted, “Shameless, still trying to take her place!” Declan Brooks’ expression remained indifferent, but I was familiar with the disappointment in his eyes. “Stubborn.” He turned his head, “I’ll have another necklace made for you.” Lydia Johnson’s eyes gleamed with joy, and she nodded. I suddenly felt a wave of weariness. He was smart and experienced; how could he not see through this clumsy trick? As they left, Lydia Johnson whispered in my ear, “You smashed a bouquet on me back then. Now, I’m just returning the favor.” A group left, leaving behind chaos. Nora Brooks, with tears in her eyes, began to tidy up the mess. I stepped over broken vase pieces and scattered books, picked up the wedding dress that everyone scorned, and dusted it off. Nora Brooks caught up, “This is…” The room was such a mess, it would take time to restore it. I lowered my gaze, “Tell Grandma I’ll leave from the hotel.”

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In a car accident, my boyfriend sacrificed himself to save my life. But he suffered brain damage and could no longer stand up. Today, that sultry woman was sitting on his lap. “Even though you can’t stand up, you’re still so amazing.” He panted, “Luckily my little friend wasn’t hurt. Otherwise, how could I satisfy you, you little minx…” Lucas Gray said he loved my innocence the most, but then he lusted after his sister-in-law’s sultriness! I turned to find the doctor. “Have you decided? To transplant brain stem cells to him.” “If the surgery fails, you could lose all emotions.” Later I found out. When Lucas Gray grabbed me during the car accident, he was just using me as a human shield. That doesn’t matter anymore, we’re even now. After I became emotionally numb, he fell madly in love with me, begging on his knees for me to come back to him. 01 Carrying a thermos filled with soup I had made for my boyfriend, I approached his hospital room. But I heard unspeakable sounds coming from inside. “I can’t believe that even though you can’t stand up, you’re still so amazing.” Through the crack in the door, I saw Lucas Gray sitting in his wheelchair. That sultry woman was straddling his legs, their bodies intertwined. “Fortunately, my little friend wasn’t injured,” Lucas smirked confidently. “Otherwise, how could I satisfy you, you little minx?” Scarlett Evans giggled coquettishly, “That stupid girlfriend of yours, as dull as dishwater. She’s definitely not as tight as me…” She licked her lips seductively. “I specially flew to the States for surgery, just for you. You’d better appreciate it properly.” Outside the door, I staggered, almost losing my balance. Lucas Gray had once sworn to me that he had ended things with his late brother’s wife. This morning, he suddenly said he wanted to drink pork rib soup. Now I realized it was just to get me out of the way. He had told me countless times that he loved my innocence the most, but then he lusted after his sister-in-law’s sultriness! I closed the door. Throwing the thermos into the trash can, I turned to see the doctor looking at me with a grave expression. “Miss Collins, are you sure you want to transplant your brain stem cells to him?” The attending physician pushed up his glasses. “This area of the brain has a very complex structure.” He looked at me with sympathy, “If the surgery fails, you might lose all emotions.” I nodded. I begged the doctor not to tell Lucas Gray. On the day of the surgery. The nurse raised the razor, her voice filled with pity. “Pretty girl, how long have you been growing this beautiful hair?” I smiled faintly, “Six years.” Six years ago, I had short hair. Because Lucas Gray once said, “I prefer girls with long hair.” Since then, I never cut my hair again. Now, in just a few minutes, it was all shaved off. “You’re willing to undergo such a scary surgery for your boyfriend. Even I feel scared just hearing about it,” the nurse said, putting away her tools with admiration. “He must treat you very well.” Looking at the ugly bald head in the mirror, I remained silent for a long time. It was quite the opposite. I was the one who had given the most. Lucas Gray, will there be a day when you suddenly remember how good I was to you? And then feel full of regret? As the anesthetic needle pierced my vein, I looked at the dazzling surgical lights and slowly closed my eyes. You saved my life in the car accident, so I’ll help you stand up again. From now on, we’re even. 02 After the surgery, the doctor told me that Lucas Gray would recover soon. But for me, this surgery was a failure. I lost the ability to feel emotions. Six years of love turned to ashes. That night. I sent Lucas Gray a message saying I was going home to visit my mother. A few days later, I returned to the hospital room. I saw Scarlett Evans feeding Lucas soup, their lips almost touching. Once upon a time, Lucas Gray had taken care of me like this when I was sick. But in just a few years, everything had changed. Seeing me arrive, Lucas Gray suddenly pushed her away. He stammered nervously, “Ava, Scarlett said the soup was too hot, so she was just cooling it down for me…” I watched as a drop of saliva trickled from the corner of his mouth. I didn’t break down as he had expected. I just nodded calmly: “Mm, I believe you.” I really didn’t care anymore. I came this time to break up with him. At that moment, Scarlett Evans quickly snatched the documents from my hand. They were Lucas Gray’s medical records and treatment information. She casually flipped through them, reading aloud. “New drug trial report… Warning: there may be certain risks.” “Patients participating in this project will be rewarded $10,000 by our institution—” Hearing this, Lucas Gray suddenly propped himself up. His voice was low and trembling. “A-va Col-lins!” “I trusted you so much that I even let you sign the surgery consent form.” His eyes stared at me intensely, as if trying to see through me. “For money, you actually let them use me as a guinea pig?” “I’ve already given you so much money over the years, and you’re still not satisfied!” Hearing him say this, I suddenly realized— Every time Lucas Gray slept with another woman, he would send me a gift. After his last tryst with Scarlett Evans, In less than half an hour, he had his driver bring me the latest Hermès bag. And the spare room at home, Was already full of various gifts he had sent… I bent down to pick up the papers Scarlett had dropped. “If that’s what you think, then this is the answer.” “Let’s break up.” I looked up at him calmly. Lucas Gray took out a black credit card and threw it at my face. “Isn’t this what you’ve been after all along? Money?” A cruel smile spread across his face. “Don’t worry, I won’t let your six years go to waste.” “Take the money and get out!” I didn’t take the card, nor did I offer any explanation. I looked at him deeply one last time, then turned and left. A few days later. I saw Lucas Gray again. It was in a video my best friend forwarded to me. “Isn’t this your boyfriend?! How did he end up on the Forbes Billionaires List? He’s so famous now, did you know?” I texted her back. “I’ve already broken up with him.” Emma quickly sent me a voice message. I heard her speak reluctantly, “Ava, there’s something I’ve never told you—” That day, she came to the hospital to see me. She overheard a conversation between Scarlett Evans and Lucas Gray. “That stupid girl still thinks you saved her” “You actually pulled her over to use as a human shield” “Unfortunately, our Mr. Gray had bad luck and still got injured” Now, my friend’s voice was filled with pain. “But I saw that you two seemed so in love, I wasn’t sure if she was just talking nonsense, so I didn’t say anything…” Thinking back. When I woke up after the accident and cried while thanking Lucas Gray. That unnatural expression that flashed across his face. I sat motionless in the chair for a long time. Gently stroking the ugly scar on my head with my fingers. Now, I knew everything. And I didn’t feel even a bit of heartache. Lucas Gray still doesn’t know. My brain stem cells have already been transplanted into his brain. That tiny piece contains all my love. 03 In the hospital lobby. Unexpectedly, I ran into Lucas Gray, who was also there for a follow-up. He had his arm around Scarlett Evans, staring at me intently. “It’s only been a short while, Ava Collins, and you’ve turned into this ghost-like state.” I replied to him without any emotion. “I’m fine, just getting by.” The surgery’s side effects left me with excruciating daily headaches. I had become so thin I looked like a skeleton, as if I might fall apart at any moment. The day we broke up, Lucas Gray instantly deleted all our social media posts from the past six years. And I could no longer remember. What it felt like to be in love. This handsome couple attracted the attention of passersby. He walked closer to me. “If you need money, you can come work as a maid at my place.” He narrowed his eyes, looking me up and down as if assessing my value. “Better than hiring a stranger—” Lucas Gray turned to look at Scarlett Evans. “Why not hire an ex-girlfriend we know well? Right, baby?” She gave a coquettish smile. “That’s right. Since I’ve been with Lucas, we’ve had to change the bedsheets five or six times a day.” Leaning against Lucas Gray, she deliberately pressed her chest against him. “You have no idea how vigorous he is now that his legs have healed…” My head felt like it was being pierced by countless steel needles. Looks like I’ll need to get more medication. I frowned as I spoke. “I’m not interested in your private life. You can go have sex right now if you want, feel free.” My voice was calm and emotionless. “But please don’t block my way, thank you.” I stepped aside and walked straight ahead. Scarlett Evans was furious with embarrassment. “Ava Collins! You ungrateful bitch, how dare you!” “I wasn’t finished talking, where do you think you’re going!—” She reached out frantically to grab my hair. But she could only pull off my wig. The entire wig fell into her hand. Scarlett Evans was stunned, frozen in place. A girl nearby pointed at me, her face full of naive malice. “Mommy, look! That lady has no hair, she looks like Caillou!” The little girl’s mother quickly covered her mouth, “Shh, don’t talk about others like that.” Everyone around was shocked, staring at me. But I didn’t yell or make a scene. Looking at the wig, Lucas Gray seemed dazed. “Ava, are you sick? Why did you shave all your hair off…” That was the hair Ava Collins had grown for him for six years. Countless nights, he had inhaled the fragrance of her hair as he gently held her in his arms. Now, her head was completely bald. This was the Ava he remembered as being so beautiful— At this moment, Lucas Gray was visibly shaken. “Ava, if you’re in trouble, you can tell me.” “I’m willing to give you any amount of money for treatment.” His heart was full of regret and self-blame for not noticing her condition earlier. Lucas Gray’s anxious expression was reflected in my emotionless pupils. I spoke calmly, “You’re overthinking it.” “The hairdresser said it could sell for $200, so I let him cut it off.” My voice was as cold as a winter wind. Since he thought I was a gold digger, I might as well let him keep thinking that way. After speaking, I turned and left without looking at their complicated expressions. Scarlett Evans swayed her slender waist. She took Lucas Gray’s hand, cooing coquettishly. “Forget about that ugly woman, Lucas. It’s almost your turn to be called.” For some reason, Looking at the alluring beauty before him, Lucas Gray only felt annoyed. At this moment, his mind was filled with images of Ava Collins, refusing to leave. His entire heart was moved by her. What was happening to him?… 04 I had previously quit my good job as a teacher to take care of Lucas Gray. Now it’s really difficult to find a new job. Those debt collectors come to my house every day, cursing and yelling. To pay off the huge medical debt, I took a part-time job as a bar hostess. Wearing a revealing dress, I accompany middle-aged men drinking in the hall. The more the customers drink, the more commission I can earn. But now that I’m emotionally numb, I don’t care about others’ judgmental looks. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to do this job at all. Today, A drunk customer mocked me without restraint. “Hey, big-chested girl, bring me a dozen beers!” When I was serving the drinks, he deliberately knocked over a glass, splashing alcohol on my clothes. He glanced at me sideways, waiting for my reaction. Unfortunately for him, I had lost most of my emotions, and my face remained impassive. The old man suddenly grabbed my clothes, his face leering as he reached for my chest. “Oh my, I’m so sorry, beautiful. Let me help you clean that up—” Unexpectedly, “This is my girlfriend! Get lost!” Lucas Gray suddenly appeared, throwing a hard punch. For so many days, Ava Collins’ face had been constantly appearing in his mind. Her trembling shoulders when she cried, her radiant smile, those loving eyes… But he never expected, To see her about to be groped by an old man in a bar. In front of him, Lucas Gray reached out to adjust my exposed neckline. That careful, treasuring manner. In our six years together, it was the first time I had seen him like this. His eyes were slightly red, almost pleading. “Ava, you used to be a teacher, how can you do such a degrading job…” But I sat there unmoved. Like an outsider. He suddenly grabbed my hand, with an uncompromising forcefulness: “Get up, come with me!” The commotion we caused made people around us start to whisper and point. “What kind of drama is this? Trying to save a fallen woman?!” I interrupted him. “Lucas Gray, aren’t you bored?” I glanced at him and pushed him away forcefully. “I still need to work and earn money. I’m really busy. Don’t come looking for me anymore.” This gaze was ice-cold to the bone. He couldn’t see a hint of affection for him in Ava Collins’ eyes. His heart began to ache intensely. Having been a playboy for years, Lucas Gray had seen all kinds of beautiful women. But he had never felt heartache for a woman before… He shook his head, impossible, this must all be an illusion caused by the alcohol! As if to prove that Ava Collins meant nothing to him— His eyes sharpened, “Fine, you want to sell alcohol to make money?” “Waiter, bring me 50 glasses, and you drink them all!” “If you finish them all, I’ll give you $50,000!” Our eyes met, one cold, one hot. Seeing Lucas Gray’s fierce expression, I smiled faintly. “Alright, as you say.” This deal was worth it. With this money, I could pay off all my debts. 30 glasses, 40 glasses… The clear liquid slid down my throat, my stomach churning violently. “Stop fucking drinking!” Lucas Gray reached out to snatch the glass from my hand. “Ava Collins, stop it right now!” But I held onto the glass tightly, pouring the last one into my mouth. My stomach was as swollen as if I were nine months pregnant. Those endless debts… could finally be over. At that moment, My calves began to spasm uncontrollably, and I stumbled forward— I distinctly heard Lucas Gray’s sharp intake of breath. But that hand was ultimately half a step too late. My head hit the coffee table hard, right where I had the surgery. My body convulsed as if electrocuted! I lay on the ground, foaming at the mouth… The sudden turn of events threw the entire hall into chaos. Some people screamed, others hurriedly dialed 91 Emma Thompson, my best friend who had come to check on me, desperately pushed through the crowded people. She snatched me back from Lucas Gray’s arms. “It was Ava who transplanted her brain cells to you!” She slapped him hard: “She’s already barely living like a human. What more do you want? Do you have to take her life too?!!”

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My husband won the thirty million lottery and wanted a divorce. That night, I packed my bags and returned to my hometown. Two weeks later, the heatwave struck, and chaos ensued everywhere. I relaxed in my well-stocked rural villa, enjoying an ice cream bar. Meanwhile, my husband, with our son and his childhood sweetheart, was reduced to begging in the neighborhood, savoring the last drop of water they could find, reassuring himself, “I have money; money can buy anything.” I remembered how in my previous life, they locked me in the basement, where I died from dehydration. Money? First, try buying your own life! After dying from dehydration during the heatwave, I returned to the day my husband asked for a divorce. “Chloe is pregnant! I’m warning you, stop clinging!” Ethan shouted at me, his spit flying. His childhood sweetheart, Chloe, hid behind him, offering candies to my son. As I felt the cool air from the air conditioning, the suffocating sensation of being burned alive during the heatwave dissipated. I took deep breaths of fresh air. Looking at Ethan’s menacing face, I suppressed my growing hatred and agreed to the divorce without hesitation. He was taken aback, not expecting me to relent so easily, and looked at me suspiciously: “Really? You’re not planning anything, are you?” I glanced at the calendar on my phone—only seven days until the heat apocalypse. Time was short. “We either go to City Hall now, or I walk away. Your choice, Ethan.” My son, with a disdainful look, urged: “Who cares if she’s planning something? This old woman isn’t fit to be my mom!” “You need to divorce her so I can recognize Chloe as my mom!” Chloe gave Ethan a shy, coy look. Ethan shivered and eagerly drove us to City Hall. On the way, Ethan was grinning foolishly, while my son didn’t even glance at me, nestled in Chloe’s arms, full of attachment. I fought the urge to drive the car off the overpass with the three of them inside. In the last life, when the heatwave hit, Ethan and Chloe locked me in the basement, leaving me to suffer and die from the heat. This time, I swore they would pay for their blood debts.

When dividing the assets, I only took my savings card, which had 400,000 yuan. Ethan couldn’t help but boast, “Look how good I am to you. You’ve freeloaded for so many years, and I never asked for rent.” Internally, I was full of scorn, controlling the urge to slap him. “Since you were so sensible and agreed to divorce, I’ll give you an extra 100,000, so you don’t end up scavenging on the streets.” I gladly accepted the 100,000 yuan Ethan transferred. You can have issues with fools, but never with money. Besides, I knew Ethan was quite wealthy now. Three days ago, he won a thirty million lottery prize. He wanted to live with Chloe before claiming the prize, so he schemed to divorce me. In my past life, I had no idea. I thought I had a decent husband and a third-grade son, so I tried to protect my family as much as possible. Until I saw Chloe posting intimate photos with Ethan on my Snapchat feed, with the caption: “After years apart, after life’s twists and turns, it’s still you.” Ethan’s smiling face in the photo was a stark contrast to his usual impatient demeanor. I thought of how the whole family treated me after Chloe returned: Ethan mocked me for always asking for money and having no self-respect. My elementary school son despised me for not letting him play video games or eat snacks, calling me a “bad woman.” In the previous life, I rushed to the scene, gave Chloe a slap, and called her a “homewrecking sl*t,” only to be locked in the basement by them. One slap couldn’t make up for the pain of being roasted alive! I wanted them to die a hundred, a thousand times more painfully than I did! After leaving City Hall, I watched as my son jumped into Chloe’s arms. Ethan joyfully led them both away, the family of three laughing like they were on top of the world. Laugh now, but soon you won’t be able to.

Back home, I immediately began planning how to purchase supplies to protect myself. Halfway through my plan, Ethan returned with our son. Seeing his smug, satisfied expression, I guessed he had claimed the thirty million. I couldn’t be bothered to deal with the two of them and continued drawing and writing on my tablet. My son ran over, shouting, “I want to go to Miami with Dad. Hurry up and pack our things!” “I’m not your nanny. Find someone else to do it.” My son angrily threw a water cup at me, “You’re my mom; you have to do everything for me! Or I’ll have Dad hit you.” The shattered glass cut my leg. Looking at my son’s righteous expression, I felt like killing this little brat. Before having him, I was a high-ranking executive. But because he couldn’t be left alone, I became a stay-at-home mom for ten years. In the last life, when the heatwave hit, they lived comfortably off the resources I stockpiled, while I was left to die in the basement. I begged my son for a way out. But to please Chloe, he blocked the basement vent, letting me pass out. I didn’t die instantly. I watched them take a cleaver to me, heard them greedily shout: “Get a bowl to catch it! We can drink the blood!” “She’s over 100 pounds, enough for us to drink for a while!” My son jumped first to bite into my vein. Take a step back, and the sea will be vast. But the more I endured, the angrier I got. I slapped my son, swelling his cheek. He tried to bite me, yelling for me to go back to the countryside. I glanced at Ethan, who was watching the drama, and calmly said: “If you don’t control the kid, I won’t get the marriage certificate in thirty days.” Only then did Ethan intervene, “You gave birth to him. What’s wrong with packing his clothes?” “Did I reproduce asexually?” Ethan couldn’t out-argue me, so he awkwardly packed some short sleeves and shorts, dragging our son, who made faces at me, out the door. He pretended to be affectionate, asking me to stay for a while. I didn’t agree. The city apartment would soon lose water and power in the apocalypse, not only becoming useless but also making us targets for neighbors. This time, let it be the Graham family’s grave!

Once Ethan and my son left, I wasted no time rummaging through the basement. During the three special years, I developed a habit of hoarding supplies. I had stored quite a bit of food in the basement. This time, I’m taking everything! Twenty cases of bottled water? In the heatwave, water is most precious—must take! Seven bags of rice, flour, and oil? I went through hell to get these into the basement, so I’m taking them home! The vegetables growing on the balcony? They’re my hard work; no way I’m leaving them for those jerks! Light summer clothes and quilts…wear clothes and cover with quilts in the heat? I packed them into the donation box downstairs, leaving only long sleeves and thick quilts for the Grahams. I also picked up a hammer from the toolbox and gave the air conditioner a few whacks. The already-broken unit let out a few whimpers. I hope the three of them have good endurance, wearing long sleeves at 149 degrees Fahrenheit, with nothing to eat or drink, and still thrive. While emptying the house, I spotted the familiar cleaver. My son loves meat, so I used it to chop bones. But in the past life, it became the tool they used to dismember me and drink my blood. After a moment’s pause, I took it from the cabinet and placed it on the counter. Finally, I looked around the seemingly unchanged house, now empty of supplies. I ordered several surveillance cameras, installing them in hidden spots. Once everything was done, it was past 2 PM. I didn’t care about the heat outside and quickly drove back to my hometown with my things. I’m an orphan. My parents died when I was in high school, leaving me a plot of land. The villagers were kind, pooling together to support me through college. Before giving birth, I worked hard despite Ethan’s objections, building a three-story villa in my hometown. On the day it was completed, I went door-to-door, bowing and repaying the money. When the foundation was laid, most villagers helped. They used the best materials and installed eight solar panels. To avoid potential wild animals from the mountains, they even set up an electric fence around the house. Afraid I’d neglect it for long periods, the villagers planted vegetables and dug a well, maintaining it often. Even though it was 95 degrees Fahrenheit, I stood in the garden full of fruits, laughing out loud. Thanks to my stubbornness back then, this well-equipped countryside villa by the mountains is my strongest support against the heat apocalypse and my hope for rescuing villagers. With a week left until the apocalypse, I began checking the villa’s hardware. I contacted workers to install a water filtration system and bought several home-use large batteries and power banks. Even if the solar panels broke, I could manage with self-generated power. Enough cooling sources were needed. Though the house came with a complete ventilation system, I bought seven or eight stand fans, pairing them with humidifiers to ensure comfort during the apocalypse. With just a week left until the apocalypse, I began assessing the condition of my cottage’s hardware. I reached out to workers to set up a water filtration system and purchased several large home batteries and power banks. This way, even if the solar panels fail, I can still rely on alternative power sources. I also need sufficient cooling options. Although my house is equipped with a complete ventilation AC system, I wasn’t completely reassured, so I bought seven or eight stand fans and matching humidifiers to ensure I can stay cool even after the world ends. The home freezers weren’t enough. I bought an entire row of commercial freezers from the shelves, placing three on each floor of the basement. Thankfully, my house is spacious enough, so storing all this equipment didn’t make it feel cramped. After reviewing my home’s layout, I ordered five extra-large water barrels, four home fish tanks, a row of breeding cages, and a set of indoor gardening tools. I arranged for the workers to deliver these the next day. After purchasing all these items, I found myself out of money. I didn’t hesitate and quickly downloaded loan apps on my phone, borrowing nearly a million from them. By the time the water filtration system was installed, it was already late at night. I hastily ate a meal and lay in bed to rest, preparing for the challenges ahead.

The next day, I started stocking up on essentials. Not knowing how long the extreme heat apocalypse would last, I bought items focusing on quantity rather than cost. At the market, I purchased dozens of cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens, asking the vendors to butcher and sort them. I also bought a batch of easy-to-raise rabbits and Chinese quail, planning to keep them in a small compartment on the third floor as fresh meat reserves. I stocked up on heat-resistant vegetable seeds and fertilizers in large quantities. With more time on hand, I rushed to the wholesale supermarket. I got 400 pounds each of rice and flour and ordered 500 barrels of bottled water. Various seasonings were tossed into the shopping cart by the box. I also bought a lot of instant rice and mini hot pots. In case cooking wasn’t possible, these could still provide sustenance. Considering there was still time before the apocalypse, I ordered dozens more boxes of snacks, drinks, and fruits, along with various daily necessities and kitchenware. I practically cleared out entire shelves. The cashier was shocked at checkout, so I told him these were for donations. He then happily arranged for a vehicle to deliver my supplies back to the village. After leaving the supermarket, I went to the local fish pond. I bought ten each of five easy-to-raise fish species, as well as some fry, planning to throw them into the fish tanks for breeding. Passing by a clothing store, I packed up lightweight quick-dry clothes and some winter clothes for unforeseen needs. Lastly, I headed into a pharmacy, buying dozens of boxes of every type of medicine, especially those targeting heatstroke dehydration and mosquito bites. Driving a seven-seater, it took me three trips to move everything back home. After finishing all this, I opened my phone to check on Ethan’s family. Opening social media, I saw Ethan’s close-up. It was clear they were having a great time in Miami, staying at a luxury hotel that cost thousands a night and enjoying freshly caught seafood. Even their son received a full set of electronics from Chloe. Watching the three of them so carefree, I couldn’t help but smile with a sense of detachment. Enjoy your last grand celebration.

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I received a new case at my private detective agency. My assignment was to investigate Jasper Lin’s infidelity. While tailing him, I discovered the person he was cheating with was my wife, Nora. Devastated, I decided to accept an invitation to join an international mercenary organization’s reconnaissance camp. For seven years, I had been anonymously donating blood to Nora. But now, I wouldn’t need to be her donor anymore. 0 I arrived at the address in Hawthorne Villa District provided by the client. Jasper was entangled with a woman. I took out my phone and started filming. The woman, in the heat of the moment, had the face of my wife, Nora. My knees almost gave way as I staggered. My colleague, Leo, saw it too and hesitated, “Detective Beckett, maybe you should let someone else handle this case.” I shook my head, fighting the pain. Providing excellent service is a must in this line of work. Jasper thrust into Nora with a force that made my heart ache, his voice low, “How do I compare to your husband?” Nora’s voice trembled, “He doesn’t compare to you.” “Jasper, Jasper, you’re the best,” she gasped repeatedly. It took a while for them to settle down. Jasper played with her hand, looking at the wedding ring on her finger, “Seeing your ring makes me uneasy.” Nora giggled, took off the ring, and tossed it into the trash. I thought they would part ways soon. But after one round, they immediately moved on to the next. Nora turned over the box, but no condoms came out. Jasper asked anxiously, “What should we do?” Nora said casually, “Inside. I’ll take the morning-after pill.” My heart felt like it was being crushed, the pain unbearable. I once loved her with all my heart. I would never risk it inside. Yet she gave herself completely to another man. She has a blood disorder, and her periods are very heavy. A miscarriage or childbirth could be life-threatening for her. So, I’ve always been cautious to prevent pregnancy. I preferred to bear the discomfort myself rather than put her at risk. She needs blood transfusions twice a month, and with her Rh blood type, finding a match is tough. Coincidentally, I share the same blood type. I donate twice a month, 400ml each time, specifically for her. To ease her mental burden, I’ve always done it anonymously. The woman I treasured was letting herself be treated like this by another man. As I reminisced, I received a message on my phone: “Declan, my best friend needs Plan B, can you buy a box and send it to Hawthorne Villa District?” Pain spread throughout my body, and I clenched my fists unconsciously. Sweat dripped from my forehead and body. “Nora, what if your husband finds out you’re cheating?” Jasper eagerly awaited her response. “Even if I cheated with ten people, he wouldn’t have the heart to leave me.” Yes, I once said, “Nora, let’s never part. I’d be lost without you.” Back then, Nora loved me wholeheartedly. She was a formidable CEO outside but cooked and cleaned for me at home. When I had a fever, she stayed up all night taking care of me. But that was then, and this is now. When I delivered the Plan B to the villa’s door, Jasper came out to take it. He looked at me with amusement, “The woman inside is quite something.” As he spoke, his cologne wafted into my nose. I lowered my head, hiding my clenched fist, and hurried away… Nora once said she’d love me forever and never betray me. I was prepared to be her blood donor for life. With her betrayal, my plans had to change. I opened my email and clicked “Accept” on the invitation from the international mercenary organization. They needed excellent scouts, and I needed to leave this heartache behind. Departure in five days. 0

Back home, I drank alone. Seven years of love, three years of marriage, and a lifetime of plans ended like this. When Nora came home, I was nearly drunk. Seeing me with the drink, she asked anxiously, “Declan, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” As she approached, Jasper’s cologne still lingered on her. Nausea hit me, and I pushed her away, rushing to the bathroom. Her eyes flashed with panic for a moment. I vomited violently into the toilet. She followed me closely, gently patting my back. “Don’t drink so much; it’s bad for your stomach. It pains me to see you like this.” Switching from one man to another, how could she change so quickly? “I’ll make you some hangover soup.” When I came out, she had already prepared the soup. She stirred it with a spoon, hoping it would cool faster. Sitting on the couch, she fed me spoonfuls. I noticed her ring finger had a ring very similar to her wedding ring. But on the palm side, there was a small “Lin” engraved. She threw away her wedding ring and wore someone else’s. Fine. Love’s wounds are like skinning flesh. The more thoroughly they’re drawn out now, the less it will hurt when I leave. Noticing my gaze, she spoke with concern, “Am I neglecting you? Work has been hectic. I’ll accompany you tomorrow to order a suit. Our third anniversary is coming up. Let’s celebrate then.” She took a warm towel and wiped my face. When she lowered her head, her neckline was too loose, exposing the hickeys all over her chest. I grabbed her and tried to pull her clothes. She quickly covered herself with her hands, “Declan, you’ve had too much to drink. This is bad for you. You need rest, okay? Be good.” After a brief panic, she switched to a gentle tone. I just wanted to see how she hid the marks on her body, but she thought I was looking for intimacy. In the past, her words would have made me feel how considerate and caring she was. But today, I knew she just didn’t want me to discover the hickeys. While she cleaned the bathroom, her phone received a message: “You wildcat, you drained me today.” I didn’t move, staring blankly at the phone screen as it went dark again. After cleaning the bathroom, she helped me to bed. Gently changing me into pajamas. Tucking me in carefully. She even took my clothes to wash. Beside me, she still played the role of the dutiful wife. If she were to compete for the Best Actor Award, the gold medal would surely be hers. The next day, at the suit tailor’s, I was getting measured when she received a call from Jasper. “Wildcat, I want to devour you. Come find me.” She sneaked a glance at me, thinking I couldn’t hear. But I was once an excellent scout; my hearing is unmatched. My hands clenched unconsciously, my body tense and stiff. As she approached, she pretended to act casually and naturally. But the blush on her face showed her eagerness. “Declan, something came up at work. I’ll have to go. After you’re measured, go wait for me at the River View Restaurant’s penthouse. I’ve reserved a table. We’ll eat together.” I held her hand, “Can’t you stay? You promised to be with me today.” Though I decided to leave, watching her go and be with another man still hurt deeply. She pried my hand away, “Work is important. I’ll be back soon. Wait for me.” She hugged my waist quickly and left. I waited at the restaurant until the sun set, the city lights up, and the whole city fell into darkness, but she never came. I called five times, but each time was unreachable. 0

She returned home after 1 a.m. Thinking I was asleep, she didn’t call me and went straight to the guest room. I lay awake, recalling our seven years together, unable to sleep. She made long calls from the guest room, speaking coquettishly and ambiguously. It was undoubtedly Jasper on the other end. When I got up in the morning, she had already made breakfast. Including my favorite soft-boiled eggs. She apologized, “I was busy at work yesterday and couldn’t make it to the restaurant. You won’t blame me, right?” Saying this, she leaned in to kiss my forehead. I reached for the egg, avoiding her kiss. She seemed startled. Her eyes flashed with a brief disappointment. Thinking about her kissing another man made me feel dirty. Today’s task was still to tail her. She went to the hospital for a blood transfusion, and the man holding her waist was Jasper. “I heard someone has been donating blood for you for years? 800ml a month, who could it be?” Jasper wondered. “Idiot, who would willingly give so much blood monthly,” Nora scoffed. If not for loving her deeply, I wouldn’t have. The doctor always scolded me for donating too frequently. But if I didn’t, she wouldn’t have any. Only two people in the city matched her blood type. The other person wasn’t healthy enough to donate. Jasper pinched her under her clothes, “You should thank him. What if he stops donating?” Nora pinched Jasper’s butt in return, “Don’t jinx it.” A while later, they came out of the transfusion room. Nora’s face was dark, visibly puzzled. If it weren’t for the profound love I have for her, I wouldn’t find it so hard to let go. The doctor often scolds me for donating blood too frequently. But if I didn’t, she wouldn’t have any. In this entire city, only two people have a compatible blood type for her. The other person is in poor health and unable to donate. Jasper jokingly teased as he touched her waist: “You should be grateful. What if he stops donating? What would you do?” Nora playfully pinched Jasper back: “Don’t jinx it.” A short while later, they emerged from the transfusion room. Nora looked troubled, clearly perplexed. “Why didn’t he donate? He’s never missed a session in seven years. Even during a snowstorm, he still came. Something must have happened this time,” she speculated. I was supposed to donate yesterday, intending to get my suit tailored first and then donate for the last time—to finish what I started. But she left me for another man’s embrace, so I canceled the donation. Yesterday, the blood center called me, but I didn’t pick up. Nora made a few calls, trying to find out the name and number of the donor. I don’t know what was said on the other end, but her face remained a mask of disappointment and concern. Jasper gently tapped her nose: “Don’t worry, there must be a solution.” They hugged and headed to the car, both getting into the back seat. Through the car window, I saw Nora nestled into Jasper’s arms. Soon after, the car began to shake slightly. Not long after, they returned. Nora’s hair was disheveled, and her clothes were wrinkled, clear signs of intimacy. I turned away, unable to watch. Their affection felt like knives and arrows to my heart. I looked down at my hand. I touched the wedding ring she had lovingly placed on my finger. The vows that once moved me now felt nauseating. I took off the ring and tossed it into the trash can. When I looked up, they were gone. 0

I went home to pack my things. There wasn’t much; I’m quite a minimalist. But I had bought her many gifts. I discarded the shared memories along with them. Just as I was about to lie down and sleep, she returned. She approached me, bent down, and tried to hug me. The scent of another man’s cologne wafted over, and I pushed her away. Her eyes flickered with a moment of panic. “Declan, what’s wrong? You’ve seemed distant these past couple of days.” She feigned calmness and looked around. “Why is there so much less stuff in the house?” I hadn’t decided how to respond when her phone rang. She took her phone and walked to the balcony. “When I’m home, don’t call me. I don’t want our relationship to affect my relationship with Declan.” … “If you dare tell him, you’ll regret it.” … “Okay, after our third wedding anniversary, I’ll take you out.” Her deliberately hushed voice was harsh to my ears. To me, the feelings she cherished seemed so worthless. The third anniversary was to be celebrated on a cruise. I thought about finding an opportunity to tell her I was leaving. Ending things properly is my principle. Nora seemed oblivious to my impending departure. She reminisced about how we met and grew to know each other. All our sweet moments. When emotions ran deep, she nestled against me as if our marriage could last forever. But my response was no longer as enthusiastic as before. Just indifferent. Her dual behavior in public and private felt ironic to me. Her betrayal caused me deep pain. During the toast, Jasper stayed by her side. Thinking I didn’t know him, she introduced us: “Declan, this is my assistant, Jasper.” Jasper wore the suit I had tailored, and it fit him perfectly. I said calmly, “I’ve met him. Delivered medicine once.” “This suit suits him well.” She was momentarily stunned, then seemed to understand instantly: “Oh, he’s my best friend’s boyfriend.” “This suit is for him first. I’ll get another one made for you later.” From the reflection on the door’s glass, I saw Jasper secretly pinch her waist. Halfway through, Nora went to the restroom, and Jasper pulled me aside. “Declan, I heard your… abilities aren’t great, right?” He looked at me provocatively. “I can fully satisfy Nora, can you? You should leave, don’t cling to her like an octopus.” He pulled out his phone, showing me their intimate video. These, I had already seen. I turned to leave but noticed a pillar about to fall. I quickly dodged and pushed Jasper out of the way. A scout’s reflexes to danger are always faster. Jasper’s leg got hit by the falling pillar. “Declan, you damn bastard, you did this on purpose.” Jasper cursed loudly. Nora came out just in time to see everything. She walked towards me coldly and slapped me. “Declan, just because you don’t like Jasper doesn’t mean you should hurt him.” I was furious, raised my arm, but ultimately lowered it. I don’t hit women. “Why wouldn’t I like Jasper? You just introduced him to me today. Do you two have some kind of relationship?” I glared at Nora with bloodshot eyes, my voice icy. Concern clouded her judgment. She thought I didn’t know about their relationship, but her words seemed to give it away. She quickly covered up: “My best friend entrusted him to me, now his leg is injured, how do I explain to her?” “Get him to the hospital now.” The injury wasn’t severe, but he was hospitalized. Nora was running around, busy. A doctor from the hematology department saw her and came over: “You asked the director for the donor’s number, he gave it to me. Here it is.” He handed her a piece of paper with a string of numbers—my number. I wondered if Nora would regret slapping me if she knew I had been the one donating blood to her all these years. Would she regret her affair? I was curious about her reaction. I stared at her, and at the paper. Nora took the number, about to look when Jasper groaned, and she quickly placed the paper on the bedside. Jasper stretched his leg, and the paper fell to the floor. People passing by stepped on it, leaving it covered in footprints. Later, the cleaning staff came in and thought it was trash, so they cleaned it up. I didn’t linger, went straight home. The parting words I prepared were no longer needed. I left the divorce papers and the USB with their video on the living room table. I threw the keys in the door. I took one last look at the home I’d lived in for seven years and slammed the door shut. Dragging my suitcase, I headed to the airport. Just as I entered the departure lounge, Nora called. I didn’t want to answer, but accidentally hit the accept button. Nora’s voice came through, choking with tears: “Declan, was it really you donating blood for me all these years?”

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My boyfriend of five years finally proposed to me. Filled with joy, I celebrated a bit too much that night. The man I knew to be calm and considerate seemed to have vanished. He accused me of lacking self-control and left me alone and intoxicated by the roadside. Battling a headache, I wandered the chilly streets by myself for what seemed like an eternity. When I got home, I found him in our new house, embracing another woman. “I regret it. If you come back, I’m willing to call off the wedding for you.” Watching him shower her with the tenderness I once knew, I suddenly felt regret as well. To prevent him from canceling the wedding, I ran away on the day of the ceremony. No one expected that after I left, the man who was usually so confident and composed would search for me frantically everywhere. Through the window of our new home, I saw two familiar figures locked in a tight embrace. I slipped off my high heels. Theo Brooks had given them to me as a proposal gift. I liked them, but they were uncomfortable and had rubbed my feet raw. So now, I’d rather walk barefoot than endure the pain any longer. I dialed a familiar number. “Sis, I’m not getting married. I want to come find you.” My sister paused, “Alright, little sister. You’re always welcome here whenever you’re ready.” I choked back tears as I answered. Then I heard a sigh from her side, “I thought he was different… I didn’t expect you’d get hurt.” “Nora, don’t cry. You’re still young. There’s more to the world than love, so many beautiful things for you to discover. Whatever you decide, I’ll support you.” Until tonight, I thought Theo Brooks was different too. He was mature, steady, and always caring. He kept a respectful distance from other women. Even when busy with work, he made time for me. But tonight, at the celebration, he saw Lydia Harris, who showed up uninvited. For the first time, he lost his composure and knocked over a glass. For the first time, he exploded over something trivial and left me alone by the roadside. If Theo Brooks had seen someone else, I might have thought it was all a misunderstanding. I might have given him another chance. I would have been willing to spend another five or ten years quietly by his side. But the woman in the room was Lydia Harris. The Lydia Harris who bullied me for years, who took so much from me. The Lydia Harris I could never forgive. When I saw Theo Brooks bring Lydia Harris home, I gave up on him completely in my heart.

Yet, for some reason, I couldn’t help but check the home surveillance. On the screen, Lydia Harris was wearing my nightgown, lounging in our new house. Theo Brooks, who never did housework and always criticized me for drinking, was in the kitchen making her a hangover soup. Lydia looked up at him, “A stand-in, are you really going to marry her?” Theo didn’t reply, instead bending down to massage Lydia’s foot. “You don’t have to say it, I know you’re doing all this to upset me. The proposal party was just to make me show up.” “You can’t forget me. This room is decorated to my taste, the wedding ring is the style I like, the cake has our initials, even the shoes she’s wearing are ones I didn’t want.” With that, Lydia pressed her foot against Theo’s chest. “The one you love has always been me.” Theo remained silent. After a moment’s pause, he suddenly embraced Lydia. He poured all his love into a passionate kiss. Watching this, tears streamed down my face. I remembered our five years together, every time I wanted to kiss him, he’d find an excuse to avoid it. I thought he was just shy. I never imagined he reserved his deepest affection for Lydia. For five years, his body was with me, but his heart belonged to another woman. I took a deep breath, ready to leave. But Theo, somehow, was downstairs, calling my name. When I turned around, he instinctively let go of Lydia’s hand. “Lydia drank too much tonight. I was worried about her walking alone, so I brought her home.” “She’s considerate, worried you’d misunderstand, she insisted on leaving first.” Theo, usually a man of few words, seemed to have endless things to say about Lydia. And every word was in her defense. I looked at the man in front of me, suddenly feeling he’s a stranger. Clearly, I’m the girlfriend who has known him for years. Clearly, I’m the fiancée who’s been through so much with him. Why, in the end, did I become just a substitute? I held back my heartache, took a deep breath. “An offspring of an affair is still an affair.” Hearing my words, Theo suddenly got angry. “Nora Harris! How can you say that about Lydia? Apologize to her now!” “No wonder no one cares about you since you were little, no wonder no one likes you. Your sharp tongue makes me sick, you deserve to be unloved!” As if afraid I’d hurt Lydia, Theo pushed me aside to protect her. The soft moonlight fell on Theo’s face. That concerned look overlapped with the warm figure in my memory. Many, many years ago, when we were young. Theo would protect me like this. He said, “Nora, you’re the kindest girl. Even if everyone ignores you, I’ll love you forever and ever.” Growing up, I always kept Theo’s words close to my heart. I worked hard, wanting to create a beautiful future with him. But whenever I brought it up, he’d always brush it off with “We’ll talk about it later.” And now, Lydia Harris appeared. He didn’t even bother with excuses anymore. With “You deserve to be unloved,” he stabbed my deepest wound.

I turned my head away, unwilling to look at him. Yet my eyes reddened uncontrollably. Theo’s eyes trembled slightly. I don’t know if he realized he’d gone too far or noticed my bleeding feet. He sighed, “Tonight, I’ll pretend you were talking nonsense while drunk. From now on…” “There will be no ‘from now on’.” I spoke calmly. “What?” Theo was puzzled, wanting to ask more, but then he saw Lydia running away in tears. He could no longer care about his doubts, hastily chasing after her. He left so quickly, he didn’t notice the bracelet falling from his pocket. I picked up the bracelet, recalling the small tattoo on Lydia’s wrist. All the details I ignored connected at that moment. Childhood bonds couldn’t withstand a sudden love. Our so-called five years of love was just my wishful thinking. Given that, there’s no need to cling to an undeserving man. As I turned to head home, I received a message from my sister. She booked me a flight to leave. The timing was just half a month later, on our wedding day. The wedding countdown in the living room now became my countdown to leave. I let out a bitter laugh, discarding all new house decorations and couple items. With destiny’s will, I’ll use this last half month to bid farewell to my past.

After dawn, Theo’s call woke me up. “Nora, are you awake? I ordered your favorite breakfast. I won’t be back today, there’s an emergency at the company, let’s reschedule the wedding photos.” “Don’t worry about last night, I apologized to Lydia for you.” “Alright.” Theo didn’t expect me to agree so easily. Awkwardly, he added, “The wedding is just a formality, our relationship is so strong, we don’t need to prove anything with this, let’s keep it simple.” “Alright.” Keep it simple. This wedding had no marriage certificate, no wedding photos, no emcee, and no bride. After hanging up, I used a marker to cross off “wedding photos” on the calendar. Theo was busy with work, rarely having time for me. So I wrote down all the things I wanted to do on the calendar. I planned to fulfill all my wishes during the wedding period. Unfortunately, one by one, those wishes got covered by thick marker strokes. They became unspeakable regrets. I no longer focused on Theo. After submitting my resignation, I met up with some friends to say goodbye. In the following days, I slowly contacted my friends here, informing them that the wedding was canceled. “Actually, we all guessed…” A friend opened Theo’s social media for me to see. “During this time, Theo has been with Lydia.” “People who don’t know might think the person in his posts is you, but we recognized her immediately.” Theo, who never posted a photo of me, now had his profile filled with images of Lydia. They watched movies together, dined at restaurants, strolled in parks. His love for Lydia was blatant. Yet he blocked me from seeing it. My friend looked at me with concern. “Nora, don’t be too upset. Lydia can’t compare to you. If Theo knew her true colors, he would definitely regret it.” “Theo has been spending all his time with Lydia lately.” “People who aren’t familiar with them think it’s you in his social media posts, but we can tell otherwise.” Theo has never shared a single photo of me. Now his feed is filled with Lydia. They go to movies, dine out, and stroll in parks together. His affection for Lydia is on full display. Except, I’m the one who’s blocked out. My friend gives me a worried glance. “Nora, don’t be too upset. Lydia can’t hold a candle to you. Theo will realize his mistake once he sees her true colors.” “It’s alright. I’ve stopped caring long ago.” I gaze out at the street. In a few days, I’ll leave this place for good. I don’t have the time or energy to be heartbroken over Theo. So when Theo finally returns after being away for days, I remain indifferent. 5. Upon his return, he keeps responding to messages, barely looking around. “Why is the house so empty? Didn’t you pack?” “You said to keep it simple.” Theo falls silent, his eyes landing on the countdown showing “7.” “Time flies. Our wedding is just a week away.” I tear off two pages. “Our wedding is in five days.” These pages had wishes like “go to the beach together” and “stargaze together.” But Theo will never notice anything about me. Just then, my sister calls, and I step out to the balcony for a brief chat. When I return, Theo is still on his phone. “What’s up? I thought I heard something about a plane ticket.” “Nothing, just work stuff.” “Okay, just don’t plan a honeymoon. I’m too busy.” “I know.” Since Lydia returned, he hasn’t wanted to be apart from her for a second. Trying to ease the awkwardness, I hand Theo the bracelet. His calm eyes light up immediately. “So it was with you. I’ve been searching everywhere for it.” “I know. I saw your high-priced lost and found post online.” Ten thousand for a simple bracelet. Our entire wedding costs only five thousand. I look at Theo and suddenly ask, “Where’s your wedding ring?” He pauses, only realizing then his finger is bare. “Not sure when I lost it…” Theo tries to explain, but another message arrives on his phone. It’s Lydia’s special notification sound. He glances at it, then stands to kiss my forehead. “Sorry, babe. I’ve been so busy lately. Please take care of the wedding details.” “Once things settle, I promise to make you the happiest woman in the world.” Theo, usually so quiet, suddenly knows how to sweet-talk. In the past, I would have been moved. I’d have felt like I warmed that icy mountain. But now, I wash my face with disdain and continue my own tasks. Time slips by. Soon it’s the day before the wedding. The calendar’s wish is “have dinner together.” It’s been my biggest wish for years. But I know it will never come true. My sister won’t forgive the one who hurt me. And I won’t forgive Theo. I went to the beach myself, watching the stars by the sea. The starry sky envelops this familiar land, and all memories seem to fade with the sea breeze. Meanwhile, Lydia posts a new update. A big family dinner, everyone is there. Theo is beaming as he serves Lydia food. The caption reads, “Both families meeting, discussing final wedding details.” I don’t feel angry, just amused. Whose wedding? Mine or Lydia’s? I block and delete Lydia, trying to compose something to Theo, but I can’t send it. Just as I’m about to head home, Theo calls. “Where are you? Why aren’t you at home?” “Send me your location. I miss you.” 6 Theo arrives quickly. Once in the car, I notice a pillow on the passenger seat. I move it aside and find an opened box of condoms. Hesitating, I choose to sit in the back seat. Theo’s eyes remain glued to his phone, oblivious to my discomfort. He casually asks, “Why the beach? Is everything for the wedding done?” “Almost.” “I remember you always wanted to go to the beach. When I have time, I’ll take you for a proper trip. I didn’t mean to interrupt today, but my mom wanted to see you.” In Theo’s eyes, the wedding is solely my responsibility. He only thinks of me when he needs me. I don’t respond; my eyes sting from the wind. At the old house, only leftovers remain. Dad is chatting with Aunt Hazel. Aunt Hazel warmly takes my hand. “Nora, I really like you. You’re sensible and well-behaved.” As she says this, her eyes flicker to Lydia. “Though with Theo’s conditions, he could find someone better. But I advised him to cherish what he has.” “But you’re not young anymore. After the wedding, maybe stop working, have a child soon, and focus on taking care of Theo.” I respond perfunctorily. When I look up, Theo is already by Lydia’s side. He brings bridal and bridesmaid dresses for us to try on. “Knowing you’re busy, I let Lydia choose. She has better taste than you.” The old yellowed dress even has a tear. Meanwhile, Lydia, in a white dress, looks more like the bride. Theo seems anxious. “It must be a store mistake, nothing to do with Lydia.” “It’s too late to change. I’ll figure something out tomorrow.” “It’s fine.” I calmly want to change out of the bridal dress. But Lydia suggests taking a big group photo. She squeezes me to the side, standing next to Theo. As the shutter clicks, she nudges me. The final photo is so blurry, I can’t be recognized. Theo suggests retaking it. I smile, “Maybe another time. It’s late.” The wish for a group photo has already been crossed off my list. Lydia, with teary eyes, apologizes to me. “Sis, don’t be mad at Theo. I’ll scour the city tonight to find you a dress you’ll like.” With that, she runs out crying. Theo glares at me and chases after her. I feel bored and leave with the tattered dress. Anyway, tomorrow, everything will be over.

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On our seventh wedding anniversary, I joyfully prepared a table full of my husband’s favorite dishes. But he brought his first love back home. Our five-year-old daughter clung to her hand, nestling close. “Aunt Hazel, you’re so wonderful! My mom only stays home to wash clothes and cook. You’re like a fairy who can do anything.” “Aunt Hazel, can you be my mom?” My heart wrenched, and I staggered backward, shocked by my daughter’s words. My husband didn’t correct her; he just smiled at them. Then he glanced at me standing in the corner with impatience, saying, “Why do you always have that sour look? Our daughter is young and doesn’t understand, but shouldn’t you know better? Go set the table for our guest!” I quietly set the table, trying to muster a smile. “I’m not hungry. You all go ahead.” That night, I saw my husband’s latest Snapchat post. In the picture, he and that woman were holding our daughter, looking blissfully happy. The caption read: “After all the twists and turns, I’m grateful to have you, to have you both. How fortunate.” With tears in my eyes, I liked the post, then opened our chat. “Let’s get a divorce. I’ll let you be.”

The next morning, I returned home to collect my bank card and left the divorce papers on the coffee table. Passing through the living room, I saw the mess they left from last night’s meal. Hazel was sleeping in our bedroom, Sierra clinging tightly to her as if afraid she’d disappear. Declan was sleeping at the edge of the bed. I let out a dry laugh, unable to stop my tears. I took a photo of the three of them with my phone. Declan, a light sleeper, stirred at the sound of the camera shutter. Seeing me ready to leave with my suitcase, he stopped me. “Where are you going with a suitcase so early?” I smiled faintly, “Making room for you all.” Declan was annoyed. “Why are you acting crazy again?” “Hazel just returned from abroad and has nowhere to stay, so I brought her home for a bit. Do you have to be so petty?” I laughed inwardly, realizing the last bit of hope I had for him was gone. “Isn’t City A big enough for hotels?” Declan avoided my gaze. “It was so late, a woman staying at a hotel alone isn’t safe!” “Dad, Mom, why are you fighting again? Can you keep it down? Don’t wake Aunt Hazel!” Our daughter, who was holding onto Hazel, woke up and shouted at me impatiently, covering her ears protectively. Looking at the daughter I carried for ten months, my heart was torn apart, bleeding painfully. Even for a simple cold, I would get up in the middle of the night to take her to the hospital. When she had a fever, I stayed up all night caring for her, making her favorite yogurt melts. I worked tirelessly for days, collapsing from exhaustion for three days before recovering. When did she start hating me like Declan did? Was it when she inadvertently said, “Why can’t my mom make money? She just cooks and washes clothes like a lazy parasite.” But I graduated from a prestigious university, got recruited by a Fortune 500 finance company in my freshman year. In my sophomore year, Declan, then a freshman, pursued me. He wore a gray tracksuit, his eyes enchanting. He held a bouquet of roses under the girls’ dormitory, offering it to me: “Senior, I like you.” “This bouquet is for you. Once you agree to be my girlfriend, I’ll save up to buy you all kinds of flowers, everything you like, and shower you with love, making you the envy of your friends.” His love was pure and intense. I had never dated before and was drawn to him. I accepted his confession, growing to love him more deeply. Gradually, I learned he pursued me because… When I painted, I resembled his ex-girlfriend from the side. But I thought, hearts are made of flesh. If I loved him well, he would be moved. Seven years passed. He said he wanted to focus on his career, so I submitted my resignation to my boss, who had also experienced a memorable love. They agreed to give me a few years to think it over. But I had to create a new plan for their company and launch a business video account, gaining a million followers within three days to avoid paying a penalty. I worked tirelessly for days and succeeded. Thus, I became a dutiful wife. He came home later and later, growing more distant. Initially, he’d give me a reluctant smile. Eventually, only Sierra got a warm smile. Later, he’d stare at his phone late into the night, his smile unwavering. I couldn’t hold it anymore and asked who he was chatting with so late. I caught a glimpse of the note, a heart emoji, and the word “baby.” The other person sent a photo in a sexy nightgown with barely visible text: “When I return, we’ll go to a hotel. You can do whatever you want. Until then, you better behave and keep your bullets safe!” My mind exploded. My blood froze. I thought of his ex-girlfriend who went abroad. He immediately put away his phone with a dark look: “Nora, you eat what I earn, live in what I earn. When have you ever appreciated my hard work?” I trembled, my mind a mess, silently taking his dirty clothes to wash. As I thought of the past, my eyes reddened. The bitterness pressing on my heart began to clear. Some things aren’t sweet when forced. I asked our daughter, “Do you want her to be your mom?” Sierra puffed her chest, looking at me disdainfully: “Yes! Aunt Hazel is so beautiful and buys me lots of dolls and snacks. She’s better than you in every way!” “But if she becomes your mom, I won’t be around anymore.” I still held a tiny bit of hope. After all, she’s my daughter. I’ve cared for her so long, she must choose me. Sierra didn’t care, clinging tightly to Hazel. “As long as I have Aunt Hazel, I don’t need you!” My heart shattered completely. Declan frowned. “Nora, don’t make trouble! You only have the hundred dollars I gave you for groceries. You’ll be back begging for forgiveness within a day. Why bother?” I looked at him, took out the hundred dollars, and tossed it at him: “Declan, Sierra, I don’t need you.” I smiled at them, grabbing my suitcase and walking out the door.

The moment I left, I suddenly felt a sense of relief. It was like the weight on my heart for seven years had vanished. I contacted friends I hadn’t seen in seven years and planned a night out at a bar to start my new life. They all sighed. “We thought you found true love back then, but who knew he was like that!” “Seven whole years, not letting you meet us, saying we’d lead you astray?” “Ridiculous, we went shopping, got facials, did Pilates, how is that bad?” “He made you a full-time housewife!” “Companies lined up to hire you, and he shamelessly said he wanted to develop his career?” “Now he only makes twenty thousand a month! What career is that? Seven years ago, companies offered you the same!” They were indignant for me and relieved I finally escaped the nightmare. After parting with them, I left City A, rented an apartment for myself. I texted Declan, urging him to sign the divorce papers. He didn’t reply but was more active on Snapchat. All posts were with Hazel. Candlelit dinners, strolls, role-playing at home. My daughter sat eating roasted sweet potatoes, her small face beaming with happiness. At that moment, I realized… Love and indifference were so obvious. The romance I longed for was meaningless to Hazel. I blocked Declan on Snapchat and messaged him: “This is adultery, violating morality and the law.” The chat showed typing, then stopped. After a while, he sent: “Realized you need money? Admit you’re wrong, come back and cook for me, Hazel, and our daughter, and I’ll forgive you, like nothing happened.” I laughed out loud. He really thought I was just throwing a tantrum. He thought I couldn’t live without him. Even if he was with his ex, I’d endure it. I replied: “Declan, you seem to forget it’s me who doesn’t want you and Sierra.” No reply came. I had to work from home to care for our daughter and him, turning down stable job offers. I managed to earn three million dollars, planning to surprise them, but it proved to be my own fantasy. I thought he’d be happy to hug me, saying, “You’re amazing, honey.” I feel like I can’t live without him for the rest of my life. Even if he reconnects with his ex, I can endure it. I responded, “Declan, you seem to have forgotten something. I’m the one who didn’t want you and Sierra anymore.” There was no reply. I had to become a stay-at-home wife to care for our daughter and him, so I turned down several full-time job offers and chose to work from home instead. I managed to earn three million dollars, hoping to surprise them, but it turned out I was only fooling myself. I imagined that when he saw the three million, he’d joyfully hug me and say, “You’re amazing, honey.” He’d suggest taking time off work so we could all go on a trip. Even if his ex messaged him, I could pretend it never happened. But… My eyes stung as I mocked my own foolishness. A stone remains a stone; it can’t be warmed. To maintain my routine and stay connected with society, I put on the career suit I had once taken off and started applying to larger financial companies. My resume showed a seven-year gap, and although I graduated from a prestigious university, they were hesitant. However, once they saw my previous work experience, they quickly signed me, fearing I might change my mind. When I returned to my rented place, I saw a familiar Audi parked outside. Declan was there, holding Sierra’s hand, and he didn’t look pleased.

Upon seeing me, he arrogantly declared, “Nora, Genevieve advised me to bring you back home. She said you’re penniless, sulking outside, borrowing money everywhere. You have no job, and in the end, I’ll have to repay all these loans you’ve taken!” I laughed. Yes, in Declan’s eyes, I’m indeed a freeloader waiting for death! How could I have money to rent a place? How could I live without him? Declan frowned, “Why are you laughing? I’ve been generous enough to come and get you. Don’t be ungrateful.” Sierra, unwillingly, added, “Mom, don’t be so unreasonable. Don’t make things difficult for Genevieve!” A pang hit my heart. “Genevieve?” Declan’s gaze shifted, looking slightly uneasy. Sierra pouted, “Why that expression? You’re so lousy, and you won’t let me find someone better to be my mom?” If I had any lingering feelings for my daughter, they disappeared completely now. I didn’t respond to her; I just told Declan, “Sign the divorce papers quickly and stop bothering me.” “What do you mean by bothering!” He was so angry he approached me and slapped me across the face. “Slap!” The sharp sound echoed, and I didn’t react. The employment offer letter I was holding fell to the ground. The name of a top 100 financial company in the country shone brightly. Declan’s gaze fell on it. My head was still buzzing. He picked up the offer letter from the ground, glanced at it several times, then threw it at me. “Nora, I thought you were just incompetent, a parasite at home, and that was it!” “Now you’re even forging job offer letters from top companies?” “Even if you want to prove to me you’re not a parasite, you don’t need to go this far to match up to even a strand of Genevieve’s hair!” He sneered, giving me an ultimatum: “I’m telling you, if you don’t come home, then our home is never yours again!” I shook myself out of it and glared coldly at him. This reaction made Declan feel a bit guilty. After all, I used to be obedient, as loyal as a dog. When he hit me, I just thought of it as marital fun. He steadied himself, “What kind of expression is that? Do you want to hit me? Dare you!”

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