Author: Momo Chan

My sister was often caught up in fantasies of being a real heiress after reading a novel about such characters. Eventually, an assistant of a wealthy tycoon sought us out, claiming the tycoon was looking for a true heiress from the public to inherit his business. I tried to dissuade her, suspecting there was more to it than met the eye. But soon after, my sister’s friend was chosen and began living a life of luxury, eventually marrying the city’s renowned Declan Graham. My sister blamed it all on me and shoved me into the street when I was off guard. When I regained consciousness, my sister asked for my opinion. I smiled and replied, “Such a great opportunity, you should definitely seize it.” Just like in my previous life, the tycoon’s assistant arrived as expected. He explained that the tycoon, having no children in his old age, had been told by a fortune teller that our family’s daughter shared a father-daughter bond with him. He wanted to choose one of us as his true heiress to inherit his business. Last time, I thought it was too good to be true and advised my sister against it. Yet, my sister’s best friend was chosen and received more wealth monthly than most people earn in a lifetime. She even married the dashing and wealthy Declan Graham, whose family topped the city’s wealth rankings. Consumed by jealousy, my sister turned her anger on me. She pushed me into the street, hissing behind me: “It’s all your fault. I should be the one marrying Declan Graham. You ruined everything for me. Go die.” The agony of being hit by a car is still etched in my memory. This time around, my sister wanted my advice again. I smirked slightly, a trace of sarcasm in my eyes. “Sister, this is a rare opportunity. Making the right choice outweighs hard work. If you don’t choose, I will.” True to her selfish nature, my sister quickly agreed. But my parents looked worried, as she was their treasured daughter. “Sierra, do you really want to leave us to become someone else’s daughter?” Sierra playfully took my parents’ arms and reassured them: “Oh, it’s for our family’s sake. They said they have no children and feel connected to us. If I go, there will be endless money. You’ll always be my dearest parents, and I’ll never forget you. I’ll take care of you in your old age.” After speaking, she kissed my parents’ faces. They were overjoyed. “Alright, our daughter has grown up and become sensible. If you want to go, go. But if you don’t like it, you can always come back.” “Okay, I know. Isn’t my sister here to keep you company?” After she said this, my parents gave me a disdainful look. “Your sister? She’s ungrateful, not as obedient and understanding as you. She hasn’t even bought your dad a new car yet.” I found it amusing since the car was bought less than three years ago, and they were already asking me to get them a new one. “May I ask who bought the current car?” My parents were speechless, then retorted disdainfully: “That cheap car only cost tens of thousands. Raising you was a waste. In the future, Sierra will buy us something better.” I chuckled and stayed silent. Sierra raised her head proudly. “Don’t worry, parents. Once I’m the tycoon’s daughter, tens of thousands are nothing. I’ll buy you a Rolls Royce.” My parents and sister were lost in their dreams, oblivious to the assistant’s sarcastic look.

The assistant noted the time and reminded us. “If everything’s fine, we need to sign an agreement. From now on, Miss Sierra won’t be your daughter. However, we understand raising a daughter isn’t easy, so you’ll receive a million as compensation. But you can’t contact Miss Sierra actively. Our boss Mr. Carter is a well-known figure in City A and wants to avoid gossip.” Hearing this, my parents frowned but were tempted by the million—an amount they could never earn in their lifetimes. They remained silent. The assistant continued: “Of course, it’s not like you’ll never meet. If Sierra misses home and gets Mr. Carter’s approval, she can visit you.” Seeing their hesitation, Sierra quickly said: “Mom, Dad, I’ll become a rich heiress overnight. If I’m acknowledging someone else as my parent, there will be sacrifices. Don’t hesitate.” I stirred the pot: “If you’re hesitant, I can go instead of Sierra.” That did it. At the thought of me taking away their daughter’s opportunity, they agreed immediately and signed the agreement. As soon as it was signed, Sierra didn’t pack anything, shed a few fake tears, and left with the butler. I said to my parents: “Doesn’t seem like she misses this home much, leaving so quickly.” Their faces darkened, and my mom scolded: “Sierra is doing it for this family. Without her, where would the million come from? When will you be as successful, so we don’t raise you for nothing?” Yes, the duty of upbringing outweighed everything. I used to believe that. So even when I was seriously ill and they refused to pay for my treatment, I was grateful for their upbringing. But the moment Sierra pushed me into the street in my last life, I repaid that debt. This time, I came to uncover the truth.

Two months later, I saw Sierra again. She was clad in an Hermes bag, a shiny gold necklace around her neck, wearing designer brands from head to toe. A complete transformation. Sierra generously bought Mom a pearl necklace and Dad a Rolex watch. She looked at me with disdain. “Sis, I didn’t get anything for you. No matter how expensive, people will think it’s fake on you.” I shrugged indifferently, thinking her good days wouldn’t last long. My parents’ combined gifts weren’t even worth thirty thousand, not even as much as Sierra’s outfit. They couldn’t tell and just praised: “Sierra is capable, bringing us gifts. We missed you so much. How have you been?” They reached out to hold Sierra’s hand, but she avoided them. “I’m good. My dad treats me well. Life with the rich is worlds apart from ordinary life. Uncle and Aunt, I’m here to share some good news.” The words “Uncle and Aunt” made my parents’ faces stiffen, but they were curious about the good news. “Daughter, what’s the good news?” Sierra looked smug. “I’m about to marry Declan Graham, the famous heir of the Graham family in City A. His family tops the wealth list here. Meeting new people really changes you.” My parents were thrilled. “Really? Our daughter is amazing. When’s the wedding? We’ll prepare a grand dowry for you.” Sierra’s face showed a hint of hidden disdain, but her voice was playful. “Oh, my dad has everything. Doesn’t need a dowry. I’m here to tell you not to attend the wedding. The Carter family says I’m the lost heiress, and rich families care about reputation.” My parents understood, their eyes filled with disappointment. I scoffed and said: “After raising you, you won’t let them attend your wedding. At least let them meet the son-in-law.” My words hit my parents’ soft spot. This was the only time they didn’t just think about my sister. Sierra glared at me. “Fine, but Declan is busy. I’ll bring him to meet you in a few days.”

A few days later, Sierra brought Declan Graham home. Luckily, I checked beforehand, and it was really him. When Declan saw me, his eyes lit up. “Sierra, who is this?” Sierra was upset seeing Declan gaze at me but reluctantly introduced us. “Oh, my sister. Declan, these are my adoptive parents.” Declan seemed gentlemanly and modest, and my parents praised him. In Sierra’s words, they were her adoptive parents who raised her. They chatted happily while I was like air. Declan didn’t act like an arrogant heir, nor was he as difficult as rumored. But I knew he was far from simple. Declan noticed me watching him. His gaze had a hint of scheming intent, but he quickly withdrew it. Feeling bored, I returned to my room. Unexpectedly, Declan sneaked into my room soon after. I frowned, puzzled. “Is there something you need from me?” Declan’s lips curled into a wicked smile. Declan Graham didn’t have the airs of a typical rich heir, nor was he as difficult to deal with as the rumors suggested. But I knew better; he was anything but straightforward. When Declan caught me looking at him, there was a fleeting hint of malice in his gaze before he quickly looked away. Feeling uninterested, I went back to my room. To my surprise, it wasn’t long before Declan slipped into my room. Frowning in confusion, I asked, “What brings you to my room?” Declan’s lips curled into a mischievous smile. “You were staring at me earlier, and now you’re acting all coy? I didn’t expect Nora Anderson’s sister to be so enchanting.” I felt a wave of disgust. “Sorry, you’ve got it wrong. I’m not interested in you.” Declan raised an eyebrow. “Really? Your sister is about to become my wife, enjoying endless wealth. Don’t you want that too?” I let out a scoff. “No, thanks. That kind of fortune should stay with my sister. She’s more suited to you.” Declan’s eyes darkened as if he had more to say, but Nora’s voice interrupted from behind him. “Declan, what are you doing here? It’s time for dinner.” Declan coughed, pretending nothing had happened. “Oh, I was just curious and came up to take a look.” With that, he turned and left. Nora stayed, her whole demeanor radiating anger. “Cora Anderson, how could you be so shameless? He’s your sister’s fiancé, and you’re trying to seduce him. Have you no shame?” I laughed instead of getting angry. “Do I look like I want to seduce him? Maybe you should find out what kind of person your fiancé really is before accusing me.” Nora was breathless with anger, then suddenly laughed. “Hmph, I know you’re jealous that I can marry someone like Declan Graham. The Graham family’s wealth is something you’ll never see in your life. You’re just an outsider, stop dreaming.” I looked at her without a word, and she walked away, thinking she had struck a nerve. But I knew her good days were numbered.

Logically, with my sister marrying into the Graham family, the media should have been buzzing with this happy news. Yet, there was nothing online, as if nothing had happened with the Graham family. In interviews, Declan never mentioned his marriage, focusing instead on the Graham Corporation. As for Nora, after that incident, she seemed to vanish. She didn’t call or visit home. Our parents were worried but couldn’t reach her, and they were too embarrassed to actively search, fearing it might affect the Graham family’s view of Nora. Then, one day, six months later, Nora suddenly returned home looking unwell and vacant. If not for her glamorous attire, one might think she had just been released from prison. Our parents showered her with concern, which she brushed off with a few dismissive replies. But when she saw me, she acted strangely and handed me an exquisite gift box. “Look, sis, I specially picked out this dress for you. It’ll look great on you.” I opened it for a glance. It was a new Chanel low-cut dress. Curiously, she only got a gift for me, not our parents. A sense of unease crept over me. I smiled faintly. “Thanks, sister, but I don’t need it.” Nora didn’t seem offended by my refusal. She just put the gift down and continued catching up with our parents, saying she planned to stay the night. When asked about Declan, Nora’s face changed. I could tell she was scared, but she maintained her composure, explaining that Declan was busy, though her eyes often darted toward me. That made me suspicious. Sure enough, late at night, I overheard noises from my parents’ room. It was Nora, crying and complaining to them. “Dad, Mom, you must help me. Declan Graham is a monster in disguise. I can’t take it anymore.” Our parents were furious. “How could he be so ruthless? Let’s go to the police. I refuse to believe he’s untouchable.” “It’s no use. There’s no evidence. Declan Graham has the entire city under his thumb. If this escalates, he won’t spare us. But luckily, Declan promised me that if I could bring Cora Anderson over to take my place, he’d let me come back home.” Hearing this, my parents didn’t hesitate. “Then let your sister take your place. We’ve raised her for so many years; it’s time she repays us. But how will you make her agree?” “She doesn’t need to agree. Tomorrow, I’ll slip some knockout drugs into her food. You just need to cooperate with me.”

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I have a husband who is not only handsome and wealthy but also loves me dearly. Not long after we got married, my sister-in-law was diagnosed with liver cancer and needed a transplant. After testing, I was the only compatible donor in the family. But shortly after the transplant, my sister-in-law passed away due to rejection. My mother-in-law and husband blamed me for her death and sent me down to join her. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day I was supposed to sign the donation agreement. I threw down the pen and said, “I’ll donate, but what are you willing to give in return?” Your lives, perhaps? My husband, Declan Turner, looked at me with sudden anger. “Didn’t we agree that if you save Nora, our whole family will be eternally grateful?” “Nora is so close to you. You wouldn’t want to see her lose her life so young, would you?” When I stayed silent, he resorted to emotional blackmail again. Never mentioning what they’d offer me, just expecting me to give up half my liver to save his sister. My mother-in-law, Beatrix Carter, looked like she was about to start shouting. I tapped the agreement on the table, and she closed her mouth. She took a deep breath and said, “Cora, are you worried about something? Tell me, and I’ll fix it for you.” Only then did I slowly speak up, “Mom, didn’t I say? You know there are risks with donating. I need something in return.” “Nothing will happen. The expert we found is top-notch and won’t let anything go wrong. Besides, everything I have will eventually be yours.” She pretended to act in my best interest. In my past life, I was fooled by this facade, signed the liver donation agreement, and ended up being killed by this heartless family. I met my husband by chance. One day after work, a creep was following me, and he saved me. After finding out I was single, he pursued me relentlessly. He said it was love at first sight. He sent flowers to my office every day and took me out to dinner. He took me out on weekends. He was completely devoted to me. My coworkers were all envious. After all, I was an orphan girl, and he was not only handsome and kind but also a modestly wealthy businessman. It seemed like I had a stroke of luck. He was eight years older than me and said he’d been busy building his career and hadn’t found the right person. After meeting me, he felt it was time to marry. I was skeptical about such good fortune, but he said his family consulted fortune tellers, and not marrying this year would affect his business. Business people often believe in this. Under his persuasion, we quickly got married. The first time I met my sister-in-law, she was very affectionate, constantly calling me “sister-in-law” and personally made a gift for me. My mother-in-law also gave me several sets of valuable jewelry on our wedding day, and the attendees praised how kind his family was to me. I didn’t notice anything wrong. Shortly after the wedding, my mother-in-law tearfully told us my sister-in-law had liver cancer and needed a liver transplant to survive. My husband said we should ask all relatives to do a compatibility test, to see if anyone could donate, as donating a liver wouldn’t affect one’s life. Under their persuasion, I naively went for the test. My husband reassured me it was just for show for his mom and unlikely to succeed. But I was the only successful match. My mother-in-law tearfully said her husband had passed away a few years ago, and now all her focus was on her two children. Declan was married, so she wasn’t worried, but Nora was so young. If she died, how could she live? She implied that if I didn’t save her, it would be my fault if Nora died. My husband promised it was just a liver donation, not dangerous, and they’d be grateful to me forever. All their property would be ours in the future. I said I didn’t marry him for his money. Upon hearing this, he was even more patient and caring. But he constantly looked troubled in front of me. Feeling sorry for him, I softened and agreed. But my sister-in-law still didn’t survive the rejection after surgery. My mother-in-law blamed my liver for being bad, causing my sister-in-law’s death, and hit me, completely ignoring that I had just donated my liver and was recovering from surgery. I thought my husband would be reasonable and went to him. I found him and his ex-girlfriend discussing how to get rid of me. Turns out I was just a tool they had planned to use to save his sister. In shock, I dropped my phone, alerting the two inside. Afraid of being exposed, my husband personally pushed me down the stairs, saying his sister would be lonely underground and since I was so good to her, I should go down and continue taking care of her. Perhaps the heavens couldn’t tolerate this family’s actions and gave me a chance to start over. This time, I will make them pay.

Thinking of this, I looked at my eager husband, pretending to hesitate. “But what if after the surgery, I’m not well, and you end up disliking me?” Hearing my concession, my husband and mother-in-law both relaxed. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on him. If he ever wrongs you, I won’t recognize him as my son,” my mother-in-law promised. I picked up the pen, and they thought I was going to sign. They exchanged a glance, smiles forming. I spun the pen in my hand but didn’t sign. “Cora, as long as you sign, all our property will be yours,” Declan promised. “If it’s going to be mine eventually, why not transfer it to me first? Then I’ll feel assured.” Their smiles froze. It took a while for Declan to find his voice. “We’re all family. I said I’ll give it to you later, so why aren’t you assured?” “I trust you, husband. But I’m just nervous about the surgery. Since it’s all going to be mine, let me feel at ease first.” I suggested kindly. Then, I excused myself to the restroom to take care of something. I left the room for the mother and son. When I returned, they had come to an agreement. Knowing them, they were either planning to manipulate the gift contract or plotting how to quietly get rid of me after the donation. … As soon as I entered, Declan approached. “I’ll give you two houses in my name. Sign this first, and I’ll transfer them to you later, okay?” “No, I need the house first to feel at ease.” They were anxious, but I wasn’t. Seeing my insistence, they had to go back and sign the property transfer agreement. I deliberately chose the notary office to sign. My husband and mother-in-law wore sullen expressions. “What do you mean by this, are you afraid we won’t keep our promise?” my mother-in-law asked angrily. “No, you misunderstood. I just don’t know much and thought this place was convenient. Let’s sign quickly so we can go to the hospital.” With the big promise hanging in front of them, they reluctantly completed the gift contract under the staff’s guidance.

On the way to the hospital, I casually mentioned, “After the surgery, I won’t be able to work for a long time. Without money, I’ll be in a bad mood.” My mother-in-law, who had a sullen face the whole way, retorted without kindness. “Didn’t you just get two houses worth over ten million? How can you have no money?” “Then should I sell the houses?” I pretended to get out to sell the houses. My mother-in-law rolled her eyes in exasperation. My husband quickly appeased me, “I still have a credit card, I’ll give it to you when we get back.” Only then did I sit back, satisfied. When we arrived at the hospital, they flanked me, afraid I would run away. Sigh, their vision is too narrow. This is just the beginning. In the office, they kept their eyes fixed on me. The doctor, seeing their urgency, repeatedly confirmed if I was volunteering. Seeing Declan and his mother’s tense expressions, I paused. Until their faces darkened, ready to hit me, I said I was volunteering. The doctor instructed me to rest and keep calm for the pre-surgery examination in a few days. I agreed to everything. Once the signing was complete, they were finally relieved. Back home, I immediately asked my husband for the money. Since the houses were already given, he saw no point in making me unhappy over the money and handed it over willingly. Happy, I used the excuse of being unable to go out a few days before surgery to go shopping with my best friend. I spent over a million on the credit card in one day. Declan called many times, but I didn’t answer. Leisurely, I took my spoils and had hot pot with my best friend before heading back. On the couch, Declan was suppressing his anger. “Where did you go? Why didn’t you answer my calls?” “I bought some things,” I replied nonchalantly, kicking off my shoes and slipping into comfy slippers. “Lin Wei, I’d like to know, what did you buy that cost over a million?” he asked angrily. The Turner family is modestly wealthy, running a company that makes a few million a year. Over the years, they’ve accumulated assets worth tens of millions. Spending so much in one day made him feel the pinch. “Jewelry!” I waved the shopping bags. “Didn’t you say before the wedding that you didn’t have time to buy anything, and we could buy it after? I happened to have time today.” He was speechless. Before the wedding, he kept saying he was busy and promised to go shopping with me later. In my last life, until my death, I never received anything. The Turner Family is moderately wealthy, owning a company that earns millions each year. Over the years, they have accumulated assets worth tens of millions. Although I spent a large amount in a single day, he still felt the financial strain. “Jewelry!” I said, holding up the shopping bag. “Didn’t you say before our marriage that there was no time to buy it, and that we could go shopping after the wedding? I just had some time today, so I went ahead and bought it.” He was at a loss for words. Before the wedding, he always used the excuse of being busy, promising to go with me afterward. In my previous life, I never received anything until the day I died. “Oh, by the way, Mom said to give me the jewelry she set aside for me. I bought a safe, and it would look nice to keep them together,” I added, as if reminded. In my previous life, my mother-in-law pretended to care for me, saying she was worried I’d lose the jewelry she gave me at the wedding, so she took it all back. I thought I wouldn’t wear it anyway, so it was fine if she kept it, and I even thanked her for her thoughtfulness. Later, I realized she just didn’t want me to have it. After all, I was just a tool to them, and once I donated my liver, my role was complete. How could they possibly let me spend more money? This family was always deceiving me. Afraid of upsetting me and affecting the liver donation for her daughter, my mother-in-law reluctantly gave me the jewelry, but couldn’t help but remind me, “You’ve got the house, spent the money, now you should be willing to undergo the transplant surgery. Go to the hospital for the pre-surgery examination tomorrow.” I casually agreed. There would be quite the scene for them tomorrow. 4. The next morning, I went to the hospital. My mother-in-law thought I had run off and frantically searched everywhere. I only called them after ten o’clock to tell them where I was. When they arrived, breathless, I handed them a test result. “This surgery might not be possible.” At the hospital, they stared incredulously at my test result. My mother-in-law’s hands trembled as she held the thin paper that read: early pregnancy. “What about Nora?” she shouted anxiously at her son. Declan Turner looked at me, troubled, and without a moment’s hesitation, said, “Cora, we can have children in the future, but my sister can’t wait. The donation agreement is signed; only you can save her now.” Who says signing means I have to donate? I can still back out, right? Though it’s not ideal, the person I’m meant to save isn’t good either. In my previous life, I felt sorry for that sister and took good care of her. But she always knew their family’s plan. When her condition worsened, she claimed I refused to save her, accusing me of deliberately donating a bad liver. Even on her deathbed, she cursed me. Why should I save such an ungrateful person? “I need to think about it,” I said, and quickly left the hospital. Back home, they took turns trying to convince me, but I remained unmoved, acting determined to keep the child. I moved out of their house and into the property he transferred to me. Seeing my determination, Declan agreed to find another way. He said he was worried about my safety while living alone during pregnancy and came to take me back, promising not to pressure me to donate my liver to his sister anymore. He would find another solution. A few days later, I found out about his plan. The car I often drove was in a car accident.

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My daughter suddenly collapsed and urgently needed surgery. When it was time to pay, I discovered that the education fund, which I had painstakingly saved up for her, was gone. Desperate, I called my husband, Declan, the hospital director, to ask if he could expedite the process. He dismissed me coldly, “Adeline, how could you joke about our daughter’s life out of jealousy?” “You expect me to break the rules?” In tears, I tried to reach him again, but his phone was off. My daughter never woke up. Later, I found out that Declan had used my daughter’s life-saving money to buy a house in a good school district for Rosalie’s son. And on the day of her cremation, he spent the entire night watching fireworks with Rosalie and her son. At the hospital. Watching my daughter’s heart rate plummet, I was so desperate that I fell to my knees. “Dr. Wesley, please operate on my daughter. I promise I’ll pay the fees soon.” Dr. Wesley gently pushed my hand aside, looking troubled. “Sister-in-law, please don’t put us in a difficult position. We can’t perform the surgery without payment.” “Director Declan didn’t approve it over the phone.” “And he specifically instructed us not to let you cause a scene here.” “Is this causing a scene?” “This is life and death!” “The patient’s heartbeat is weakening,” an abrupt voice sent chills down my spine. The alarm from the monitor filled me with terror and confusion. Yes, I could call Declan’s Rosalie, Nora; they were likely together. With trembling hands, I dialed Nora’s number. After what felt like an eternity, she answered. “Adeline, Declan is bathing Finn right now. If it’s urgent, I’ll get him to answer.” I closed my eyes, trying to suppress my fury. “Tell him to come to the hospital immediately!” Declan must have heard me, as he shouted angrily on the other end. “Adeline, aren’t you done with your drama?” “You’re taking this too far.” “No,” I cried out in desperation. “Our daughter needs you. Come back quickly; she doesn’t have much time.” Before I could finish, the call was disconnected. Tears streamed down my face as I watched my daughter slipping away. As I hesitated, wondering whom to call next, the nurse’s urgent voice rang out again. “The patient’s heart has stopped.” “No, it can’t be!” I screamed and rushed to my daughter’s side. “Zoe must be in pain, just asleep. She wouldn’t leave me.” I shook her frantically. “Zoe, wake up and look at Mommy, please?” But no matter how hard I tried, her eyes remained closed. Overwhelmed with grief and anger, I fainted. When I awoke, my daughter had been taken to the morgue. I pushed through the pain in my head and stumbled there. I could only touch my daughter’s cold body. No! I couldn’t accept it. My Zoe was alive. Just a while ago, we were playing games happily. How could she leave me? I didn’t know how long I had been crying, my eyes swollen. With trembling hands, I dialed Declan’s number again. But he kept rejecting the call immediately. I laughed bitterly at myself. Why was I still hoping? Suppressing my deep sorrow, I called my best friend. She was the one helping with my daughter’s arrangements. At the crematorium, she said with red eyes. “Maybe, try calling again.” “After all, he is Zoe’s biological father.”

I remembered how much Zoe adored her dad. Not wanting her to leave with regrets, I dialed his number with a composed face. “Then I’ll give him one more chance.” The call was quickly answered. “What is it this time? You have time to call me; you should spend more with Zoe drawing.” Yes, Zoe loved drawing with me the most. But we would never have that chance again. “Come to the crematorium to see your daughter one last time.” I held back tears, speaking calmly. “Heh.” Declan laughed mockingly, “Where did you learn these lines? Don’t teach Zoe bad things.” “Let Zoe talk to me.” “You can’t hear her voice anymore.” “If she’s asleep, then tomorrow. I’m busy now.” Without listening further, Declan hung up. He even turned off his phone. If he wouldn’t listen, let him regret it. Watching the fire turn my daughter’s small body into ashes. My heart hurt so much I could barely breathe. I silently made a vow in my heart. At home, I held a memorial service for my daughter. Guests were curious. “Adeline, where’s Zoe’s dad?” “Yeah, what’s more important than a child’s funeral?” Indeed, I also wondered what Declan was doing. My daughter’s playful smile appeared in my mind. “Mommy, come catch me.” “Mommy, my birthday wish is to celebrate with both parents, okay?” A noise at the door snapped me back. I looked up to see Declan, who hadn’t been home for days, carrying a big cake. Beside him were Nora and her son, both dressed in red. I felt a sting in my nose and looked down. “Adeline, what are you doing? Turning our home into a funeral hall.” Guests started whispering as Declan walked in with the unfamiliar pair. He sensed something was wrong. He saw our daughter’s black-and-white photo on the table. Emotionally charged, he shouted, “Adeline, you’ve gone too far. Why put Zoe’s photo here?” “You’re crazy and shouldn’t curse my daughter.” “Can’t you see? This is Zoe’s funeral and memorial service.” My tone was calm, devoid of emotion. Declan squinted, frowning, in disbelief. To cover up his unease, he raised his voice several times. “No, this must be some trick of yours. Tell me, where are you hiding Zoe? Bring her out.” “Dad Declan, where’s Zoe? Didn’t we agree to celebrate her birthday today?” Nora’s son, Jasper, asked. Yes, today was supposed to be my daughter’s fifth birthday. But it turned out like this.

“Yes, today is Zoe’s birthday. I bought her favorite cake.” He said, panicking as he went upstairs. Calling, “Zoe, are you upstairs? Don’t play hide and seek with Dad, okay?” Guests started whispering again. “What kind of father doesn’t know his daughter died?” “Exactly, bringing a mistress and her child here, heartless.” I ignored them, kneeling, continuing to burn paper money. Unable to find my daughter, Declan stormed back down. “Adeline, where’s Zoe?” “Dad Declan, is Zoe playing hide and seek with us?” “Can we take her to our new home to play? It’s beautiful.” Hearing “new home,” I suddenly looked up. Remembering Nora wanted to buy a house here for her son to attend school. Could it be? I quickly stood, walked to Declan. “Declan, did you use our daughter’s education fund to buy a house for them?” “Adeline, don’t blame Declan. He felt sorry for us having no place to live and used it temporarily.” Nora acted pitifully, trying to gain sympathy. So it was true! If Declan hadn’t taken that money, Zoe wouldn’t have died from lack of surgery funds. I suddenly shouted at Declan angrily, “That was our daughter’s life-saving money! How could you do this?” “What life-saving money? Our daughter is alive.” Declan still couldn’t accept that our daughter was gone. “Then, Dad Declan, can I invite Zoe to see fireworks tonight?” “Last night’s fireworks were beautiful.” Hearing Jasper’s words, I laughed in anger. “So yesterday, when you hung up on me, it was to watch fireworks with them?” Declan answered confidently. “Yes, kids like excitement. I joined them. So what?” Ha! What do you mean, so what? Yesterday was our daughter’s cremation day, and he was busy with someone else’s child. Zoe always wanted Declan to take her to see fireworks, but he always had excuses. Yet now, he watched fireworks all night with Rosalie’s child. Declan, you’re so heartless. It’s fine if you don’t love me, but how could you treat my daughter like this? My best friend, unable to hold back, shouted at Declan. “Declan, you’re such a jerk, ignoring your child but treating someone else’s as your own. Is he your biological son?” Nora suddenly, with teary eyes, explained. “Miss, you can’t say that. It will cause misunderstandings.” I spent the entire night watching fireworks with Rosalie’s child. Declan, how could you be so cruel? You may not love me, but how can you treat my daughter this way? My best friend, unable to hold back any longer, began to berate Declan. “Declan, you’re truly despicable. You neglect your own daughter but treat someone else’s child like they’re your own. I bet that kid is actually yours.” Nora’s eyes welled up with tears as she tried to defend herself. “Ma’am, please don’t say such things. It will cause misunderstandings.” Declan stepped protectively in front of Nora and her child, glaring at my best friend. “Your words are damaging Nora’s reputation. Apologize to her.” My best friend sneered, “Apologize? Never. You should be the ones apologizing to Zoe.” “You didn’t even know your own daughter had passed away. You don’t deserve to be called a father.” She spoke the last sentence with sheer contempt for Declan. “Stop spewing nonsense. My Zoe isn’t dead; she’s only five years old.” He shouted, then began to tear apart the wreaths in the room. “I’ll show you acting. I’ll show you playing.” “Declan, you can’t do this. Zoe wouldn’t be happy.” “Stop it right now.” I rushed to stop Declan from destroying things, but he wouldn’t listen. In a matter of moments, the entire memorial service was in shambles. Many guests, unable to bear the sight, left, shaking their heads. Seeing him about to strike my daughter’s urn, I ran over and cradled it protectively in my arms. “You can’t smash this.” “Heh, Adeline, you’re really putting on a show, even setting up an urn.” “No, it’s truly my daughter’s ashes inside,” I croaked, my voice nearly gone. Declan snatched the urn from my hands and smashed it to the ground. Watching the ashes scatter, I fell to my knees with a thud. I murmured in agony, “Zoe, I’m sorry. It’s Mom who didn’t protect you.” “Truly sorry!” Tears streamed down my face like a broken string of pearls, mingling with my daughter’s ashes on the floor. Declan seemed to realize he had gone too far, his lips moving slightly. “You wanted to use these things to deceive me.” My best friend, furious, shoved Declan, “Declan, do you have any humanity? Why would you scatter Zoe’s ashes? She was just a child!” At that moment, Dr. Wesley from the hospital arrived at the memorial service. 4. Seeing the chaos inside, he feared being implicated in the child’s death and wanted to leave. But Declan stopped him, “Dr. Wesley, you’re here just in time. Tell me, isn’t Zoe still alive?” Dr. Wesley was even more frightened by the question, trembling as he replied, “Dean, back then, Adeline didn’t have the money for the surgery fees. She called you, but you refused to authorize the surgery. All the doctors present heard it.” “So now you’re lying for her, saying Zoe is dead?” “Answer me!” Declan shouted when Dr. Wesley remained silent. “I’m sorry, Dean Declan. Your daughter didn’t survive because the surgery wasn’t performed in time.” Dr. Wesley’s head was almost touching the ground as he spoke the last words. “Declan, did you hear that? Zoe is really gone, and it’s your fault.” My best friend took the opportunity to add. “No, that’s not how it is.” Declan muttered to himself, backing away. Suddenly, Declan lunged forward and grabbed Dr. Wesley by the collar. “You knew the situation best. Why didn’t you perform the surgery for Zoe?” “Dean, didn’t you instruct that without your consent, we shouldn’t agree to Adeline’s demands?” Declan ruffled his hair in frustration, gritting his teeth, “When did I ever say such a thing?” Dr. Wesley widened his eyes in disbelief, “Isn’t that what you instructed? Everyone in the hospital knows.” I knew Declan’s character. If he didn’t do something, he wouldn’t admit it. Could it be? I instinctively looked at Nora, seeing her panicked expression and tightly clenched fists. Declan also suddenly shot a fierce look at Nora. Terrified, Nora’s eyes filled with tears as she desperately defended herself, “Declan, I didn’t do anything.” I quickly approached Nora and slapped her hard. “I’ll make you pretend. Give me Zoe’s life back.” Seeing Nora being hit, Declan pushed me to the ground without hesitation. My head hit the ground with a loud thud. The pain was unbearable, and familiar yet unfamiliar fragments flooded into my mind. My best friend, seeing me clutching my head in pain, hurriedly helped me up. “Adeline, is your head hurting again? Let’s get you up first.” The images in my mind slowly overlapped. I finally remembered who I was. After a moment, I shot Declan a cold glare. He was already falling apart. With red eyes, he apologized to me, “Adeline, I’m sorry. I didn’t know Zoe’s condition would become so serious, and in the end…” I shook off Declan’s hand decisively. “Declan, we’re finished. Get ready to face the consequences!” My best friend was stunned by my sudden change. “Adeline, did that bump knock some sense into you? Your aura is so powerful.” It was only after that bump that I remembered my past. I met Declan after a car accident. I was the patient, and he was the doctor. After the accident, I only remembered my name and had no other memories. During my hospital stay, I fell for Declan’s handsome appearance. He had just broken up with Nora not long before, and since we were both orphans, we ended up together out of convenience. After marriage, I knew he didn’t love me that much, but he didn’t lack love for Zoe. Until recently, when his Rosalie returned with a child, taking away the little affection he had for me. Declan was shocked by my sudden powerful aura. “Adeline, how did you suddenly become a different person?” “As for Zoe, I really didn’t expect it. I thought…” “Yes,” I interrupted Declan, “You thought everything I did before was just my way of competing for your attention.” “Declan, in your eyes, am I really so despicable that I would joke about my daughter’s life?” “Now that our daughter is gone, our union was a mistake from the start. Let’s end it here.” After speaking coldly, I crouched down, carefully gathering my daughter’s ashes from the ground and wrapping them in cloth. Declan was thoroughly panicked. “No, Adeline, Zoe is gone, and now you’re leaving me too?” I found it utterly ridiculous. I sneered, “Declan, it’s not that I’m leaving you. You pushed me away.” “Without us, there are others waiting for you to take them home.” I glanced at Nora standing nearby. Her eyes gleamed with pride, full of provocation. But the next second, she played the victim, “Declan, Finn is a little scared. Can you take us home first?”

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After my wife had a miscarriage, I was concerned about her health, so I decided to pause our intimate life. One day, I happened to stumble upon her private messages with a male student. The boy, in a playful yet slightly complaining tone, said: “You can’t even spend the Valentine’s Festival with me. I’m so sad.” “Will you be with him tonight?” Her response was, “No, you know I don’t want to treat it as just a baby-making task.” “I bought you a tie. Wear it for me tomorrow.” 1 That mismatched tie is around my neck right now. I thought it was a romantic surprise from Eloise for the Valentine’s Festival. So when she was in the shower, I secretly put it on. It turns out the problem wasn’t the size; she simply got the delivery address wrong. Following the hint from the message, I clicked on that boy’s social media profile. In the latest video, the boy was at the beach, holding hands with the person behind the camera, his face beaming with a bright smile. I immediately recognized that familiar hand—it was Eloise’s left hand. Long slender fingers, with the faint outline of a wedding ring on the ring finger. I unconsciously tightened my grip on the ring on my own hand. With a slight swipe of my fingertip, the screen scrolled. The boy had also shared a photo showing a shoe cabinet. The caption read: “My wife isn’t great at picking shoes, just buys blindly. #helplessLOL” I opened Eloise’s Amazon account. In her recent purchase history, there were many expensive clothes and accessories like watches, belts, and shoes. Upon checking each item, all the delivery addresses were to a dormitory at a university downtown, addressed to Jasper. I returned to the chat interface, turned on the screen recording, and started recording their chat history. Their conversations weren’t extensive, mostly her asking him out or him asking when Eloise could come to see him. In between, there were some explicit flirtations. I sent the recorded video to myself, then deleted the chat history. Next, I went to the gallery, deleted the video, and cleared it from the trash. All actions were completed smoothly. The moment the bathroom doorknob turned gently, I quietly put the phone back in its place. 2 Eloise came out, her hair hanging wet and slightly curly, drying it as she walked. Droplets of water slid down her hair, brushing past her delicate chin. She noticed that I was still wearing the tie I hadn’t had a chance to take off. For a moment, she seemed a bit surprised. “Do you like it?” she asked. “The size is a bit off. I’ve already washed it, so it can’t be returned, right?” “Return it? I bought it especially for you.” I didn’t expose her obvious lie. Eloise came closer, gently placing her hand on her abdomen. “Thinking about Buddy again?” she said. Buddy was the nickname we gave to the child we lost before birth. “Don’t be sad, we’ll have more children.” She comforted me gently. “But it’s been a year since we…” “Asher, I want that too, but considering my health… let’s wait a bit longer, okay?” I knew she wasn’t really willing. A woman’s body doesn’t lie. “My mom messaged me today, asking why you’re not pregnant yet, suggesting we see a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner.” I rested my head on her shoulder, “Why don’t we try tonight?” Eloise’s body suddenly stiffened. “Asher, we could consider IVF, you know. I’ve looked into it. It maximizes embryonic health and lets us choose the timing, number, even gender.” Although I expected her refusal, a chill still swept through me. To avoid intimacy with me, she’d rather opt for IVF. “Alright, let’s see how it goes,” I said calmly. “Eloise, I’m hungry. Could you get me something to eat downstairs?” After she left, I went to the underground parking on level -2 and secretly placed a voice recorder in her car. 3 Eloise held my hand as she fell asleep. I turned over, quietly slipping my hand out of her grasp without waking her. I didn’t know how much time had passed when her phone rang loudly in the darkness. She hesitated for just half a second before cutting the call. “Asher…” I closed my eyes, not responding. She gently nudged me and whispered, “There’s an urgent matter at work, I need to handle it. If all goes well, I’ll be back by morning.” I groggily hummed in response, “Be careful on the road.” She kissed me briefly, dressed up, and left the bedroom. Not long after, I heard the front door close. I casually put on some clothes and went downstairs to hail a cab. The driver asked, “Where to?” “Columbia University, south campus dorm entrance.” That was the delivery address I found on Eloise’s shopping app. In the car, I opened TikTok and searched for a username: 203 degrees. That boy liked sharing his daily life—shopping, traveling, dining, gaming. He posted several updates almost daily. I clicked on a video he posted of a game ending screen. Seeing his game ID “Predator,” I suddenly remembered when Eloise and I played games together, this “Predator” was on our team. He played a healer role, but looking at the stats, I hadn’t received a single heal, not even a splash. I was puzzled and typed in the chat box: Why didn’t you heal me? After about a minute, he replied: Sorry, I just bought this account, not very skilled yet. I asked Eloise about it, and she said he was just a newbie, not good at playing, and suggested not playing with him again. Turns out, I was just a passerby in their game. 4 The driver floored the gas pedal, and the car sped forward. By the time I arrived, Eloise’s car hadn’t shown up yet. The sky was overcast with thick clouds, and the thunder rumbled a few times. Then, raindrops the size of soybeans started pouring down. I quickly took shelter in a 24-hour self-service bank on the street. My phone beeped, the screen lit up—it was a call from Eloise. “Asher, you awake?” her voice came through. I replied, “How did you guess?” “I knew the thunder would wake you up,” Eloise said gently. “Before leaving, I checked the weather and unplugged all the appliances except the fridge. Don’t worry, just sleep.” When I was a kid, our house caught fire during a thunderstorm. Since then, thunder and lightning at night always made me anxious. Whenever this kind of weather hit, Eloise would find a way to stay with me. Once, she even left halfway through a social event just to come home to me. I pondered if I was overthinking it, maybe she really was handling work issues. But just then, a familiar SUV with its hazard lights on slowly came into view. In the rain, a figure dashed out from the school gate. The wind lightly tousled his hair. The boy ran to Eloise’s car, paused by the passenger window but didn’t open it. Instead, he circled to the back and got into the rear seat. Soon after, Eloise also emerged, opened the rear door, and bent into the car. Rain kept pattering down as I silently watched the dark vehicle. For quite a while, Eloise’s car slowly drove off. And that boy stayed inside, never coming out again. 5 Eloise stepped into the house at dawn. She held a bouquet of bright red roses and a seafood porridge from Joe’s Seafood. “This is a belated Valentine’s gift.” I looked at her and joked, “Did you stay up all night?” “There was too much work, couldn’t finish, no time to sleep.” She pinched her brows, seemingly trying to relieve the tension there. “I need to pack and catch a high-speed train. Drink the porridge and rest; your dark circles are almost touching the ground.” With that, she called a car and left in a hurry. I went downstairs to retrieve the voice recorder I had placed there and tossed the bouquet into the trash can. Just then, the cleaning lady picked the flowers out of the trash and called out behind me, “Oh dear, such beautiful flowers, why throw them away?” I turned back, smiled at her, and softly said, “Yeah, I don’t want them.” 6 Back home, I pressed play on the voice recorder. Eloise picked up the phone and called the boy. “Wait for me at the school gate later.” “Oh my! Is it okay now?” She had the speakerphone on, and I could clearly hear the boy’s excited voice. Eloise chuckled softly, “Don’t rush, it’ll be a little while before I get there.” “Weren’t we not supposed to meet today? Why the sudden change?” “It’s the Valentine’s Festival, after all. I couldn’t bear the thought of you spending it alone.” The boy was so happy he almost jumped, “Drive safely!” “Okay. It’s about to rain, remember to bring an umbrella.” Soon, I heard the sound of rain tapping on the car window. “Wait for me at the school gate later, okay?” “Oops! Is it okay like this?” She turned on the speakerphone, and I could hear the boy’s excited shout clearly. Eloise chuckled softly, “Don’t rush, it’ll take a little while to get there.” “Didn’t we agree not to meet today? Why are you suddenly coming over?” “Today is the traditional festival, and I couldn’t bear the thought of you spending it alone.” The boy was so happy he could hardly contain himself. “Then drive safely!” “Okay. It’s about to rain, remember to bring an umbrella.” Soon after, there was a knock on the car window. “Come in from the back,” Eloise instructed. The boy climbed into the car. “Alright, I guess I’m still not qualified to sit in the front seat,” he said, sounding a bit dejected. Eloise explained, “Asher has a friend at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Better safe than sorry.” “Tsk.” “Jasper.” Eloise said his name slowly, with a hint of coldness. “I was wrong… I shouldn’t have been so petty. Punish me however you like.” His voice was full of grievance. “Then take it off now.” Eloise said leisurely. “Uh, wh-what?” Jasper seemed completely caught off guard. “Hmm? Didn’t you say I could punish you?” … In the heat of the moment, Jasper asked, “Do you love me?” “If I didn’t love you, why would I come out looking for you?” “I love you too, so much.” I sat in the living room, listening to this recording over and over. The voice recorder’s battery had long since died, but I kept pressing the play button mechanically. Click, click, click… until night fell and it gradually got dark. 7 Eloise texted me, asking why I wasn’t home. I didn’t reply. Soon, her call came through. “Asher, why didn’t you reply to my message?” “Didn’t notice my phone.” She sensed something was off in my tone and said with concern, “Let’s have dinner at that grill house on Main Street tonight.” I’ve always wanted to try that place but never found the time. “Don’t let it get to you, you have me. Let’s focus on living well.” Those words sounded so familiar. During our toughest times, she comforted me that way too. I didn’t respond to her, and tears quietly fell. “Fool, are you crying? I’ll book you a ticket right now, come home soon.” “Okay.” 8 As soon as I walked out of the station, I spotted Eloise in the crowd. She occasionally looked up towards the exit. “Asher!” She gently took my hand as soon as she saw me. I looked down at her, and the attachment in her eyes didn’t seem fake. At that moment, a thought flashed in my mind: maybe I could pretend nothing happened. We’ve been through storms together, and our emotional bond is deep. If she doesn’t want to be close to me, I could try IVF and have a cute little baby. Walking towards the grill house, Eloise took a call. I noticed her expression changed, so I asked what happened. She hesitated for a moment. “The company has something urgent… but I promised to have Japanese food with you, so I told them I wouldn’t go.” I unconsciously clenched my fingers in my palm. “It’s okay, work is important. My stomach hasn’t been feeling well these days anyway, we can go next time.” “But…” “No buts, just drop me off at that square ahead, I’ll wander around.” “Alright, then go ahead and shop, buy whatever you like, I’ll pay for it.” “Okay.” I got off at the corner, watching Eloise’s car drive away. I knew today was Jasper’s birthday. They mentioned it during their chat. Eloise said she’d go home for the festival and couldn’t be with him, planning to make it up on his birthday. About an hour later, Eloise texted me. “Arrived at the company, starting to get busy.” I thought for a long time before replying, “Don’t work too hard.” At night, I opened Jasper’s social page. He updated his status. In the photo, he closed his eyes, hands clasped, making a wish in front of a cake. Eloise’s reflection appeared in the glass behind him. There was also a photo from a romantic hotel. The lighting was dim, and the round bed was covered with petals. The location showed it was a romantic hotel in downtown. I went home to retrieve the marriage certificate, then took a cab to that hotel. Standing downstairs, I took out my phone and dialed 91

“Is this the police station? I’d like to report, my wife Eloise is having an affair.” 9 Accompanied by the officer, the staff knocked on the door of room 30 Eloise opened the door. She wore a bathrobe loosely tied around her waist. “You…” She was stunned seeing us at the door.

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On the eve of our wedding, Jack coaxed me into giving him my first time. The next morning, I painfully crawled out of his bed. Unintentionally, I overheard him chatting with his ex-girlfriend in the study. “Hey, wasn’t it thrilling to play with her in bed last night like I taught you?” “If I hadn’t told you to use a permanent marker to write ‘slut,’ ‘whore,’ and ‘bitch’ on her body while she was out of it, you wouldn’t have had such an exciting experience.” Jack replied affectionately, “You’re something else.” His ex-girlfriend whined, “You know, I’m actually a bit jealous that you’re marrying her.” Jack casually responded, “I’m just playing with her. On the wedding day, you come and crash it. I’ll leave with you, and she’ll be humiliated. Wouldn’t that be fun?” I put down my phone, neither crying nor making a scene. Instead, I booked a flight for studying abroad. The departure date was the same day as the wedding. I leaned against the door, listening to their conversation, my fingertips trembling. Emily’s tone was gleeful: “Hey, isn’t Lily supposed to be our university’s campus beauty queen? And you’ve reduced her to this state?” “You’re such a bad boy!” Jack replied nonchalantly, “Don’t say it like that. She enjoyed herself last night too.” “She chased after me for three years in college. By sleeping with her, I’m just helping her fulfill her wish.” “It’s her own fault. I only agreed to marry her, but now she’s becoming too controlling. Running away from the wedding is just to teach her a lesson.” His tone was so matter-of-fact. I felt a chill run through my body, my head spinning, almost collapsing. I had to lean against the wall to barely stand up. I didn’t know when I fell asleep last night. Or rather, when I passed out. It was my first time, and neither the preparation nor the aftercare was done properly. I touched my forehead. It was burning hot. I must have a fever. In the study, Jack spoke casually: “There’s one thing I forgot to ask. Last night was her first time, and I couldn’t hold back. I finished inside her and didn’t clean up in time.” “She’s physically weak and had a bit of a fever in the early hours. You’re a girl, you should know better how to handle this?” But Emily was dismissive: “I didn’t expect your fiancée to be such a drama queen. What’s the big deal?” “You absolutely can’t spoil her too much, or she’ll be even more difficult to deal with in the future.” I clenched my fists, holding my breath waiting for Jack’s response. He was silent for a moment, then replied, “Mm, I’ll do as you say.” I stood there stunned, suddenly feeling drained. I thought he would care about me at least a little bit. Even if it was just a tiny bit. Emily whined on the other end of the phone: “Alright, let’s not talk about your boring fiancée anymore. I want to eat breakfast from that place in New Town. Can you come over and bring me some?” Jack frowned slightly: “I should help Lily take a shower first, to wash off those words on her body before she notices.” Emily wasn’t happy: “No way! It’s more fun if she finds out!” “Oh come on, don’t worry. Even if she discovers it, she won’t dare to break up with you. Besides, she might even like being treated that way~” “Come on, I’m starving.” “Alright, you little glutton. What do you want to eat? I’ll bring it for you.” Jack hung up the phone and hurriedly left. He didn’t care at all about me, still running a fever.

After Jack left. In the bathroom, I slowly unbuttoned my white shirt. Last night, Jack pinned me down on the bed, sweet-talking me. “Are you sure you don’t want to try?” His beautiful eyes were full of deep affection. I couldn’t utter a word of refusal. So last night, I was seduced by him and foolishly rolled around with him. He held me, showing no restraint, taking me again and again. When I was barely conscious, he took out a permanent marker and held my thigh, writing on my body. I shivered at the cold sensation: “What are you writing?” He leaned down to kiss my forehead, saying softly, “Silly, of course I’m writing that I’ll love you forever.” The last button was undone. The shirt fell to the floor. I looked in the mirror, my eyes widening, my whole body trembling uncontrollably. Dirty words appeared all over my body. Last night, he carefully held me in his arms, coaxing me: “It’s my first time too, I don’t have much experience. I’m afraid I might not do it well and make you uncomfortable.” His warm breath lingered by my ear. I endured the pain and said to him: “It’s okay.” He pressed me down, using his fingertips to wipe away the tears from the corners of my eyes: “Be good, bear with it for a moment, it’ll feel good soon.” “Lily, I’m your first man, you must remember me for a lifetime.” I thought he truly loved me, that’s why he agreed to marry me. I thought when he covered my eyes and wrote those words one by one gently, he really meant he would love me forever. But in reality, he was counting the days until he could run away on our wedding day, humiliating me and turning me into a joke. In reality… there was another woman teaching him how to play with me, letting him write all sorts of dirty words on my body. Slut, whore, bitch, toilet… In my dazed state, on my lower abdomen which Jack had kissed, he even wrote word by word: “I’m a cheap whore, please use me as you wish.” … My self-esteem, which had been well-protected since childhood, disappeared in an instant at this moment. I had never felt so awful before. I leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths, my whole body shaking. I clutched my stomach, wanting to cry out loud, to scream, to smash everything around me. I wanted to rush over and confront Jack immediately, asking why he did this. I only liked him, why did he have to treat me like this? But in the end, I just numbly soaked myself in the bathtub. Those unsightly words were already very difficult to wash off. I scrubbed my body desperately with red-rimmed eyes. My skin turned red and even started bleeding, but I didn’t feel the pain. Even so, those filthy words seemed to have grown on my body. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t wash them clean. I fell into deep self-loathing. I bit my lip, hugging myself, trying hard to hold back my tears. But the tears still fell uncontrollably, splashing into the bathtub in large drops.

That day, I tried every way I could think of to clean those filthy things out of my body with my fingers. Until evening, Jack hadn’t sent me any messages. At 8 PM, Emily posted a video on Instagram. My best friend had discovered early on that Emily wasn’t a good person and told me to be more cautious. She had secretly helped me add Emily with a fake account, something neither Jack nor Emily knew about. In the video, they were playing an exciting game with a group of old classmates. Emily lost quickly and was required to choose someone for a passionate kiss. If the person she chose refused her, Emily would be punished by having to take off a piece of clothing in front of everyone. Emily walked up to Jack with a red face: “Jack, you wouldn’t let me embarrass myself, would you?” Jack looked at her, neither agreeing nor refusing. The next second, Emily took the initiative to wrap her arms around his neck, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed his lips. Jack was stunned for a moment but didn’t push her away. He closed his eyes and accepted the kiss. They kissed deeply for a long time before separating. Around them were the teasing cheers of the crowd. Emily laughed: “My lipstick left a mark on your lips. I hope your fiancée won’t get jealous enough to break up with you.” Jack belatedly wiped his lips, his voice soft but firm: “You’re overthinking it. How could she bear to break up with me?” I suddenly felt nauseous and ran to the bathroom, vomiting for a long time. … That day, because of my fever, I curled up on the couch, drifting in and out of sleep until midnight. I don’t know when Jack came back. The living room light came on. I was covered in cold sweat, unable to gather the strength to get up for a long time. The next second, I heard Jack’s panicked footsteps: “Lily, why are you so hot?” I wanted to open my eyes, but I found that even moving a finger was extremely difficult. After that, I lost consciousness. The next morning, I woke up in the hospital. Jack was holding my hand, with faint dark circles under his eyes, as if he had stayed up all night watching over me. Seeing me awake, he first looked delighted, then sighed: “How can you be so careless about taking care of yourself? What would you do without me?” “You’re very weak now. The doctor said you need to eat more.” “Look, I specially bought you food from your favorite restaurant.” He deliberately lowered his voice to threaten me: “I queued for a long time to buy this for you. You better eat more, or you’ll be in for it tonight.” I turned over and said, “I don’t want to eat.” He became a bit nervous: “What’s wrong, darling? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?” I interrupted him: “Get out, I want to be alone for a while.” Jack helplessly stroked my head: “Are you angry that I didn’t accompany you yesterday?” “Baby, I’m sorry. I just wanted to marry you sooner, so I was busy planning our wedding yesterday. I want to give you the most perfect wedding.” “I’m sorry I didn’t notice you were sick. I’ll make it up to you in the future, please forgive me.” I bit my lip, holding back tears. Liar. How could he tell lies so calmly? Jack said worriedly: “I know you don’t have an appetite, but please eat a little. Come on, I’ll feed you.” I avoided him and pushed his hand away forcefully. He couldn’t hold it steady, and the bowl fell to the ground, breaking with a jarring sound. He was stunned and said angrily: “What are you throwing a tantrum about now? Is it because of those words I left on your body last night?” I looked at him without saying anything. He continued: “Stop making a fuss. Isn’t it normal for couples to play like this?” “Why are you being so sensitive now? Can’t you even handle this? Look at Emily, she never throws tantrums like you!” Hearing the name “Emily,” I couldn’t hold back anymore, and tears flowed uncontrollably. He was stunned for a moment, hurriedly wiping my tears: “You’re so grown up now, why are you still crying so easily.” “Alright baby, I’m sorry, it’s my fault. Your husband was wrong. I’ll never do it again, okay?” I threw a pillow at him hard: “Get out! I don’t want to see you!” Jack’s head was hit by the pillow, and he gradually lost patience in comforting me. He looked at me disappointedly, as if looking at an unreasonable child. “Fine, I’m leaving.” “You’re an adult now. You can’t throw tantrums like a child anymore.” “I hope when I see you tomorrow, you’ll have calmed down on your own.” After saying this, he left. I felt a lump in my throat, unable to breathe properly. From then on, I shut myself away. Until a week later, when I walked to the bathroom and saw my haggard reflection in the mirror, I was stunned. My eyelids were swollen, with dark circles under my eyes, and bloodshot eyes that couldn’t be hidden. In just a few days, I looked completely different from the once youthful and beautiful me. Looking in the mirror, I questioned myself, how did I end up like this? I angrily took off my clothes, walked into the shower, and scrubbed my body vigorously. I put on a sexy red dress like I used to, applied beautiful makeup, not missing even a single strand of hair. As I was about to go out, I received a call from my academic advisor. She had always taken good care of me and admired my talent in art design. Now, her tone was serious: “Lily, I’m calling to confirm one more time. You received an offer from that French university you applied to for your Ph.D. Are you really going to give it up because of marriage?” “The professor there thinks highly of you. Are you sure you want to give up your future to stay in the country and get married?” When I was in college, I had been preparing for studying abroad for my master’s degree, spending day and night in the library. But when I finally won Jack over, I started to waver. Jack was the student union president at that time, cold and proud, from a wealthy family. I would be secretly happy if I could talk to him once a week. When we were dating, it was mostly me taking the initiative. Sometimes if I didn’t take the initiative to message him, he might not even think of chatting with me. I put in a lot of effort, trying hard to maintain our relationship. Later, when we finally reached the stage of talking about marriage, I became even more reluctant to leave. But now… I bit my lip, gripped the phone tightly, and said decisively: “Professor, I’ll go!” My advisor’s excited voice came from the other end of the phone: That’s great, you’ve finally come to your senses. That day, I talked with my advisor for a very long time, confirming the time for going abroad and future plans. After hanging up the phone, I immediately booked a flight ticket for going abroad. The departure date was the same day as the wedding. I gritted my teeth and told myself, Lily, you have to be strong. Since Jack wants to run away from the wedding and humiliate me, Why don’t I take the first step to run away from the wedding and turn him into a joke?

In the following days, I kept everything from Jack, applying for a passport and visa, preparing for studying abroad. Because I was so busy, I had almost forgotten about Jack’s affairs. Five days before the wedding countdown, when Jack suddenly said he wanted to take me to meet his parents, I was a bit stunned. In the past, when Jack said he wanted to take me to meet his parents, I was so nervous that I couldn’t sleep all night, constantly worrying about whether they would like me or not. I even dragged my best friend to the mall for a whole day to choose what to wear when meeting his parents. But now, I found that I didn’t care as much as I had imagined. I shook my head and said, “I don’t want to go.” He grabbed my hand: “Lily, be good, don’t make a fuss. This was planned long ago.” “Although my parents don’t interfere with my love life, only if they approve of you can we have a proper wedding.” “Don’t you want to receive my parents’ blessings?” Not wanting Jack to notice my intention to run away from the wedding, I nodded half-heartedly. When I was dragged by Jack to his parents’ house. Jack knocked on the door for a long time. Emily opened the door. She was wearing pajamas and slippers, casual as if this was her home. I was stunned, my palms turning cold. Jack looked at her, his voice gentle: “Why are you here?” Emily naturally took the gifts we had bought for Jack’s parents: “You’re being too distant. We’ve grown up together since childhood, of course I should come to see what kind of girl your fiancée is!” She looked at me, pretending to be surprised: “Isn’t this the campus beauty queen from our school? Did she fall for you so easily?” “How long have you been chasing her? A year? A month?” Jack said softly, “Not necessary.” Emily suddenly burst out laughing. She held Jack’s hand and said, “Alright, let’s not talk about her. Uncle and Auntie have been missing you so much.” Emily linked arms with Jack and went to greet his parents. It was as if she was Jack’s fiancée. And I was like a mistress peeking at their happiness. Every time I tried to speak, Emily would eagerly interrupt me. I was left out in the cold, not knowing whether to stand or sit. At the dinner table, Emily naturally sat next to Jack. She casually arranged for me: “Hey you, find a seat yourself.” The only seat left was far away from Jack. Jack didn’t notice my awkwardness, chatting and laughing with Emily. In the past, I would definitely have made a scene. But now, looking at him like this, I suddenly felt it was pointless and didn’t want to say a word. During the meal, Jack’s parents complimented me on my looks. Emily unhappily said: “Lily was our school’s campus beauty queen in college… When she was in class, quite a few guys would stare at her chest.” Jack’s expression gradually became unpleasant. He chuckled lightly: “What kind of campus beauty queen is she? At home, she just wears T-shirts and sweatshirts, with her hair in a messy bun. She gets tanned every summer, and any random person on the street looks better than her.” “She also likes to eat late-night snacks. After eating, her face swells up the next day. She keeps talking about losing weight while continuing to eat. How is that like a beauty at all?” “If her former admirers knew what she’s really like, their illusions would be shattered.” While saying these things, he lazily leaned back in his chair, slowly peeling shrimp. After peeling, he naturally put the shrimp in Emily’s bowl. Emily held the bowl, smiling and saying: “Why are you giving it to me? Your fiancée is right here.” The others at the table seemed to remember something and started observing my expression. Before I could speak, Emily spoke first. She was grinning. “Sister-in-law, why do you look so unhappy?” “Are you angry that Jack peeled shrimp for me?” “Don’t misunderstand, sister-in-law. I’ve known him since we were kids. Jack is very caring and has been peeling shrimp for me since we were little. We’re used to it.” After saying this, she affectionately put her arm around Jack’s neck: “Isn’t that right?” I clenched my hands. Jack had never peeled shrimp for me. Once during a date, I had my nails done and couldn’t peel shrimp easily. So I acted coquettishly, asking him to peel shrimp for me just once. But he frowned and refused without hesitation: “Lily, you know I never like peeling shrimp.” After that, I never asked again, even reflecting on whether I was being too demanding. But it turns out, he would willingly and without complaint peel shrimp for someone else. Jack noticed my unhappy expression and gave me a slightly reproachful look: “Lily, Emily has never peeled shrimp herself since she was little. Don’t compare yourself to her.” Where Jack couldn’t see, Emily gave me a challenging smile. I held back tears: “I haven’t said anything yet, why are you in such a hurry?” Jack’s expression became unnatural: “This is just a small matter, don’t make a fuss.” “Since you think I’m making a fuss, I’ll leave then.” Jack gripped my wrist: “Lily, don’t make a scene.” “Do you have to make things so ugly?” I pushed his hand away: “The one making things ugly is you.” Emily sat there, her eyes slightly red, saying: “Did I make Lily angry?” Jack sighed lightly: “Emily, you didn’t do anything wrong, no need to apologize.” “Lily, you’ve made such a big deal out of this. Emily didn’t even mind, when will you learn to be as sensible as her?” My eyes heated up, and I couldn’t hold back anymore: “If she’s so sensible, why don’t you marry her!” Jack frowned: “What nonsense are you talking about now?” I shook him off and turned to leave. Jack quickly tried to follow. But Emily held onto the hem of his shirt from behind: “Jack, come back.” “You men are so stupid, you don’t understand women at all.” “At a time like this, you shouldn’t follow her. You’ll only make things worse. Women just need some time to calm down on their own.” Jack listened to her words and stood still, looking at me, and really didn’t follow. Sometimes, I really wonder if he’s Emily’s puppet. If Emily says something, will he always listen?

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On my sister’s wedding night, she caught me having an affair with her husband. The wedding guests pointed at me, laughing at how disgraceful our family was. My father had a heart attack from the shock, while my mother rushed over in tears, scratching my face and pulling my hair, forcing me to kneel and apologize to my sister. At that moment, I became the most despicable and promiscuous woman in Cloud City. Gabriel Knight, satisfied with our encounter, elegantly buttoned up his shirt. In front of everyone, he suddenly grabbed my neck, his tone cold and indifferent. “Not bad, but your methods of climbing the social ladder are a bit crude.” As I struggled to breathe, I couldn’t help but laugh hysterically. Because in my previous life, this was exactly how he choked my sister when she was eight months pregnant, Until the baby stopped moving completely. When Rose kicked open the hotel room door, I was straddling her fiancé’s waist. “What are you doing?!” Rose, dressed in an elegant wedding gown, looked like a devastated clown. I threw my head back and laughed, gently biting Gabriel’s ear. “Your husband says white wedding dresses are too dull. He prefers my black lace~” “You whore!” My usually gentle sister cursed for the first time in her life. She grabbed a nearby glass and hurled it at me. The shards grazed the corner of my eye, drawing blood, nearly blinding me. Amidst the gasps of the guests, our father arrived and collapsed, clutching his chest at the sight. “Someone’s dying! Call 911!” “How awful, the Rivers family adopted a viper!” In the chaos, our elderly mother charged through the crowd like a lioness, her eyes blazing red as she slapped me hard across the face. “You ungrateful bitch! Have you forgotten how your sister worked five jobs a day to pay for your surgery when we adopted you?!” The pain left me speechless, but my mother grabbed my hair and dragged me off the bed, throwing me at my sister’s feet. Meanwhile, Rose’s fiancé – Gabriel Knight – stood by coldly, observing like an outsider. “Apologize to your sister! Kneel and beg for forgiveness!” My mother angrily pulled my hair, slamming my head against the floor repeatedly. My forehead bled from the impacts, some drops even staining Rose’s pristine white wedding dress. “I won’t! I love Gabriel Knight!” I shouted defiantly, my makeup smeared like a ghost’s. My sister, who had always loved and cared for me, slapped me for the first time. Her diamond ring cut my cheek, drawing blood. Trembling, screaming, she broke down and yelled. “Gabriel is mine! Lily Rivers, don’t you dare!” This scene of the Rivers sisters turning against each other over Cloud City’s elite bachelor clearly pleased Gabriel Knight immensely. The man elegantly buttoned his shirt, got off the bed, and suddenly grabbed my neck, his tone frivolous as if appraising merchandise. “Not bad, but your methods of climbing the social ladder are a bit crude.” I rolled my eyes, my face turning red from near suffocation. But I couldn’t help grinning widely. Yes, just thinking about how I got Gabriel Knight first in this life, Made me tremble with joy all over.

After that day, Gabriel changed his engagement with the Rivers family, abandoning my sister and marrying me instead. My father was so angry he was hospitalized, and my mother’s hair turned white overnight at his bedside. I lay in Gabriel’s arms, carelessly laughing as I fed him grapes. The whole world said I was shameless, but I had no regrets. I looked at my face in the mirror opposite, so similar to my sister’s, and bit my lip hard. Don’t blame me, sister. In my previous life, you were tortured to death by this man. In this life, even if you hate me, I must prevent it all. The next day, I stood in front of the mirror with exquisite makeup, wearing an expensive haute couture dress. Downstairs was the birthday party Gabriel threw for me. Amidst everyone’s praise, I took Gabriel’s arm, smiling seductively. “Lily, please give Gabriel back to me, please… I’m begging you! Please!” Rose somehow burst in, still wearing that ridiculous wedding dress, falling to her knees in front of me. Disheveled and bloodshot, she had lost all the grace and dignity of the Rivers family’s eldest daughter. “For the sake of our sisterhood, for all these years I’ve loved and cared for you, can’t you let your sister have this…” Seeing my sister torture herself like this over a man broke my heart. Better to end it quickly than prolong the pain. I pretended to laugh cruelly, deliberately crouching down to pat Rose’s face. “Sis, men aren’t something you can just ‘let’ someone have. You have to fight for them, understand?” Catching Gabriel glancing at me from the corner of my eye, I unhesitatingly slapped Rose hard across the face in front of everyone, so hard my palm swelled. My sister fell to the ground, her cheek bleeding, utterly disheveled. I gritted my teeth and delivered the cruel words, “Mom slapped me once. Now you’re paying it back.”

After marrying Gabriel Knight, everyone in Cloud City said his love for me knew no bounds. I could freely enter and exit his private club, and he even generously gifted me a yacht. I was the last conquest in his playboy life, able to keep him in bed. The media almost daily caught steamy photos of us at hotels. Indeed, I put in a lot of effort to achieve all this. That night, Gabriel imprisoned me in a private hot spring hotel. I was carefully applying fake scars to my inner thighs. “Back then, when Mr. Rivers had a heart attack, your sister begged me on her knees to save him,” he said, gripping my chin and pouring red wine into my mouth. “Guess what I said? Unless she gave you to me to play with for three months.” “Who would have thought I wouldn’t need her to do that? You came to me voluntarily.” I let the wine soak through my lace nightgown, offering no resistance, obedient and fawning. “Your father’s condition is very serious, you know? The hospital has already issued a critical condition notice.” “Your mother is now also lying in a hospital bed, sick with worry. Rivers Corp’s stock price is plummeting, about to go bankrupt. Your sister even has to borrow money now to pay for their medical bills.” With each sentence, Gabriel’s sharp, icy snake-like eyes stared intently at my face, afraid to miss even the slightest expression. I curled my lips into a smile, my burning red lips lightly kissing Gabriel’s Adam’s apple, my tone cold and vicious. “What does that have to do with me? If they die, they die.” “They’re not my birth parents. Do they expect me to be grateful to them for life?” Gabriel’s eyes flickered. He cursed me for being heartless, but his eyes showed satisfaction. “Mr. Knight, I have something even more exciting here.” I untied my robe, revealing a body covered in cigarette burns – all faked with special effects makeup glue. “Would you like to try a branding iron?” His eyes lit up with that familiar sadistic desire, just like when he used an iron to burn my sister’s back in my previous life. Afterward, as I lay on the bed, Gabriel gently caressed the scars on my back, placing a soft kiss on them. “You’re more interesting than Rose. She would only cry when beaten, but you climax.”

A few days later, I went to the hospital, not to see my parents, but to flaunt my upcoming wedding to my sister. “Rose Rivers, I’m going to marry Gabriel Knight.” My mother, lying in the hospital bed, was so angered she suddenly sat up, pointing at me with a trembling finger, her eyes full of hatred. “Lily Rivers! How can you be so shameless? Are you trying to drive your sister to her death? Is this how you repay her for nearly sacrificing her life for you?” “Are you really that desperate for a man?” My sister, for the sake of Rivers Corp and to be with Gabriel Knight, had taken stomach medication like food to accompany clients for drinks, drinking until she vomited blood, just to climb to Gabriel’s side and become his girlfriend. In everyone’s eyes, Rose Rivers and Gabriel Knight were a match made in heaven. But I insisted on breaking them up. I pulled open my collar, revealing suggestive red marks. “That’s right, I just don’t want my sister to have a good life. I’ve slept with Gabriel Knight, and I’m keeping him.” My always gentle and kind sister burst into tears. The recent blows had already pushed her to the brink of mental collapse, and she had lost a significant amount of weight. “Lily Rivers, I hate you so much… I hate you…” “Hate me then. Oh, and I advise you to leave Cloud City soon.” I admired my newly done blood-red manicure, carelessly addressing their hatred. “So you don’t have to watch me marry your fiancé and go crazy with jealousy~” Before Rose could react, my mother threw a pillow at me first, crying and shouting. “You don’t deserve the Rivers name! We were blind to adopt you back then! Get out of here!” I turned and left the hospital room, closing the door to block out the angry outbursts, breakdowns, and endless crying inside. Just as I walked out of the hospital, an egg smashed against my head. The foul-smelling egg yolk dripped down my hair. “Bad woman! Mommy, look! That’s the bad woman from the news who stole someone else’s husband!” A little brat helping his mother carry groceries angrily pointed at me, turning to tattle to his mother. “Child, let’s go, let’s go.” The woman first glanced at me, both fearful and disgusted, then quickly left, pulling her child’s hand. Not far away, the woman couldn’t wait to say, “Honey, in the future, never interact with people like that. It’s too unlucky.” I was stunned for a moment, then casually wiped off the egg yolk and put on my new Bvlgari sunglasses.

I returned alone to the empty Rivers house, watching as debt collectors were carrying out valuable items one by one. This once grand and luxurious house was instantly left hollow inside. According to media rumors, a mysterious wealthy buyer had swept in and purchased all the Rivers family furniture at a high price. I took off my sunglasses and went to my room to pack my things. I saw the strawberry bear plush toy that my father had braved a snowstorm to buy for me when I had acute gastritis at fifteen. I saw the performance dress studded with diamonds that my mother had hand-sewn for my dance competition when I was eighteen. I saw the brooch that my sister had personally designed for me a week before her wedding at twenty-three, smiling as she told me she wanted me to wear it with my bridesmaid dress. I didn’t want any of these anymore. When I returned to the Knight residence empty-handed, Gabriel looked somewhat surprised. He put down his newspaper and raised an eyebrow. “What’s this? They wouldn’t let you take your belongings?” I shook my head, smiling as I curled up in Gabriel’s arms, kissing his chin. “It’s all worthless stuff. I couldn’t be bothered to take it. You’ll give me everything I need, won’t you, Mr. Knight?” “You’re very clever.” Gabriel stared at the red marks on my fair shoulders, his eyes tinged with desire. Those were whip marks he had personally inflicted last night. The man picked me up in his arms and carried me to the bedroom. In the heat of passion, I gently caressed Gabriel’s chiseled jawline, seizing the moment of his climax to ask, “That female celebrity who drowned last year, you had someone tie rocks to her, didn’t you?” The man chuckled, his tone contemptuous. “Who told her to get pregnant with my child? Not just anyone can be my wife.” “I still prefer your type… scheming yet self-aware.” I pretended to be jealous, playfully hitting Gabriel’s chest while extracting more information. “How mean~ Just how many women have you had? I might get jealous, you know.” Gabriel smirked, his casual words full of boasting and teasing. “Not many. You know that famous ‘pure’ actress in the entertainment industry, right? My men drugged her and sent her to my bed.” My eyes darkened, but my tone remained coy. “So how did Mr. Knight deal with her?” “Of course, I played with her once and then discarded her. Some money as compensation is enough for people like that.” “Mr. Knight, you’re so heartless. What about me then?” I pretended to be scared, actually observing Gabriel’s reaction. As expected, the man pulled me into his arms and whispered reassuringly.

Gabriel had lowered his guard around me considerably. These past few days I had been quite demanding, complaining of boredom, so he decided to take me to his underground auction house for some entertainment. Gabriel’s current status as the all-powerful figure in Cloud City was inseparable from his behind-the-scenes power and methods. At the auction house, seeing the battered young girl in the cage gasping for breath, I let out a startled cry and curled up in Gabriel’s arms like a frightened kitten. “Such a delicate little thing.” Gabriel lowered his head and affectionately tweaked my nose, smiling slightly. “I told you not to come along. Now you’ve been scared, haven’t you?” I stubbornly retorted. “I just wanted to be with Mr. Knight. Besides, it’s just this much, I’m not scared at all.” “Oh? So you won’t be scared by what comes next either?” Gabriel snapped his fingers, and the next batch of auction items were brought out one by one, either walking a fine moral line or existing in legal gray areas. These shocking and spine-chilling items made my pupils dilate, but I still clung tightly to Gabriel, looking up at him adoringly. “Mr. Knight is so amazing. Are all these yours?” “Of course, they’re all my businesses. This entire underground auction house is mine.” My pearl earrings grew slightly warm. I leaned on Gabriel’s shoulder, curling my lips in satisfaction. Gabriel took my hand, kissing the back of it, his tone gentle. “It’s not easy to acquire these goods. Is there anything you like, baby?” I shook my head, obedient yet clear-minded. “Lily only wants Mr. Knight. I don’t covet anything else.” Gabriel patted my head, saying nothing, but his eyes were full of infatuation for me. On the way back, it started pouring rain, and the car was suddenly stopped. At that moment, I was being intimate with Gabriel. “Mr. Knight, there’s a crazy woman blocking the road!” The man’s eyes filled with bloody intent. He adjusted his tie and got out of the car. I straightened my dress and followed him out, only to find that the person blocking the road was actually Rose Rivers. She looked like she had lost all will to live. The woman knelt on the ground, her face sallow, her voice hoarse, her clothes tattered and filthy, drenched by the rain like a beggar. “Mr. Knight, Mr. Knight… will you marry me? I love you… I love you more than Lily Rivers does.” I smirked, as the assistant held an umbrella for me. I crossed my arms and sneered. “Sister, still harboring such delusions? Do you think you’re worthy?” Gabriel said nothing, coldly sweeping his gaze over her before preparing to get back in the car. However, he was stopped by Rose’s next words. “I’m pregnant.” Rose pulled out a pregnancy test report, which clearly stated she was one week pregnant. Thinking carefully, my last intimate encounter with Gabriel was two weeks ago. “It’s yours, Gabriel Knight.” Gabriel’s face darkened. He walked over and grabbed Rose’s hair, slamming her against the luxury car without a word. His demeanor was fierce, his actions decisive, showing no mercy. Rose, already weak from pregnancy, now had no strength to resist as the man gripped her scalp and slammed her against the car. The impacts were so severe she opened her mouth but couldn’t even moan. I suddenly snapped back to reality and rushed forward like a madwoman, trying to pull the man away. Because in my previous life, when he choked my sister and slammed her against the piano corner, he had the exact same expression.

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The father and his two sons, originally antagonistic figures, were destined to destroy each other over the heroine. But I intervened and altered their fate. In the end, the elder son took over the family business, while the younger son gained admission to a top university. Yet, at the company’s annual meeting, both brothers implored the Chairman to let their father marry the widowed heroine and make her the family’s Heiress. “Dad and Sister Lydia have already missed over ten years together. Mom, you need to be understanding and generous.” On the day of my husband’s wedding, I didn’t cause a scene. Instead, I summoned the long-silent System. “Confirm departure from this wretched place.” I stood in the rain, the bridge already collapsed, with old love songs playing from the speakers by the roadside until the final note faded away. I leaned forward, letting myself fall into the icy, bone-chilling river. I was a strategist, tasked with saving the antagonist and his family from tearing themselves apart over the heroine. What was tragic was that once the original male lead was gone, my husband and sons were eager to bring the widowed heroine into our home. The System’s voice chimed in: [Master, the mission has failed. Once your physical body in this alternate universe perishes, your real-world body will awaken. However, your time there is running short. Are you sure you want to leave here?] I nodded slightly. With the little time remaining, I just wanted to spend it with my family and friends. But the expected suffocation didn’t come. A strong hand grabbed my arm from behind and pulled me up. “What are you doing? Today is Sister Lydia’s special day, and you’re pulling this stunt?” I turned around to see my stepson, Jasper, panting heavily, his bright eyes aflame with anger. He was one of my targets in this world and later became the most fervent antagonist in the story. He would become obsessed with the heroine, turn against his family, and ultimately become someone everyone shunned. When I became Nolan’s second wife, Jasper was just six years old. His birth mother had passed away, and his father was always busy with work. As a child, he caused trouble in the streets, seeking attention but often ending up bullied. I brought him home, cleaned him up, and planned his future. Jasper wasn’t interested in studying, so I encouraged him, saying a man could achieve great things in business. For the first time, young Jasper had a dream. His eyes reddened, and he asked, “Can I call you Mom? They all laugh at me for not having a Mom, saying I’m a wild child…” With my permission, he hugged me gently. “Mom, when I grow up and make a lot of money, the first thing I’ll do is buy you a big house and give you a good life.” But when he actually achieved his dream, his first request was to make Lydia his new mom. He stopped calling me Mom. He even hated me because Lydia said it was my fault she got kidnapped by bad people and couldn’t come back to see him. The handsome young man in front of me overlapped with the child who used to call me Mom, but his eyes were now filled with coldness. “Stop pretending. You’re just trying to get our attention, right? If you really wanted to die, why choose the road where I’d be coming home from work, perfectly timed?” I was speechless. I just wanted to find a not-too-ugly way to leave, in a place with a nice view. I never expected to run into Jasper. Seeing that I didn’t reply, Jasper mocked, “If you really want to die, find a place further away. Sister Lydia loves this river. She takes walks here when the weather’s nice, so don’t…” He suddenly stopped. I quickly dashed to the other end of the broken bridge and jumped off. Lydia likes this river, right? Then I hope she never comes here again. Every time she does, I hate it more.

My body grew heavier, and in a daze, I heard the instruments ticking in the hospital room. Dad, Mom, wait for me! Your daughter will be home soon! Just when I thought I would succeed, a powerful force dragged me back to the shore. Jasper was soaked, his eyes misty with tears or water, I couldn’t tell. Looking at Jasper, I jokingly teased him, “You don’t want me dead, huh?” Jasper’s face twisted awkwardly, “You’re overthinking it. Whether you live or die has nothing to do with me. Even if you want to die, I wouldn’t stop you, but not today! I don’t want Sister Lydia thinking of you and being unhappy on her anniversary!” Of course, it was for Lydia. Seeing I didn’t respond, Jasper dragged me home. “Let’s go back. Today, you can’t die. If you really want to, find a place further away, at least where I won’t see you!” Jasper was strong, and I couldn’t break free. When we reached the Nolan Family’s door, we ran into my biological son, Declan, in this world. He wore a neat suit, looking incredibly handsome. He had rushed back from school, and upon seeing Jasper and me drenched, he gave me a quick glance but greeted Jasper, “Big Brother.” Jasper nodded in response. Declan then remarked, “Why are your clothes wet? Be careful not to catch a cold. Big Brother, change your clothes quickly. Sister Lydia and Dad’s wedding is about to start.” Throughout, he didn’t look at me once, as if I wasn’t his real mom but a stranger on the street. In the original story, Declan was lost by the original character at birth and grew up in an orphanage, developing an extremely gloomy personality. The heroine would be the only light in his life. But now that I’m here, I gave birth to him myself, and I have high hopes for him. In my vision, he and I were connected by blood, not merely characters in a story. He didn’t need me to “strategize” him, he would naturally be on my side. I cherished Declan like my own eyes, afraid he might get lost like in the book. I did everything myself to ensure his safe upbringing. Declan indeed grew up to be a cultured gentleman, unlike the delinquent in the book. He was humble, respectful to his parents, cared for his brothers, and even became a school leader. I never doubted I could handle my own son. But once Lydia appeared, my always considerate Declan turned into a different person. He began doing all the things I disapproved of to show his dissatisfaction and rebellion against me. “Why does Mom always have to go against Sister Lydia? Clearly, Mom is in the wrong!” I never expected that after reading so many books with Declan, all those principles would become weapons he used against me. “Mom is jealous of Sister Lydia, so she let her be kidnapped by bad people, showing no kindness. How can you be my Mom?” At the time, I stood there holding the nourishing soup I had gotten up early to make for him, feeling like I didn’t recognize the son I raised. He knocked the soup from my hands, saying he’d never eat anything I made again. My heart ached beyond words, and I slapped him. His eyes turned on me with hatred. Since then, we haven’t spoken a word to each other. Hearing Declan’s question, Jasper looked uncomfortable. “Just now… she really jumped.” Declan’s handsome brow furrowed slightly, his cold voice devoid of emotion. “Big Brother, don’t be fooled by her. With you there, how could she die? She’s just using women’s tricks, seeking death because Sister Lydia is entering the family. Do you think she could really give up the wealth and prosperity here…” Before Declan finished, I slammed my head against the doorpost. I sighed inwardly, hoping to die with some dignity, but these two boys were too noisy. Hot blood ran down my cheek, and the world went black. Before my consciousness completely faded, I seemed to hear someone scream “Mom” in agony.

When I opened my eyes again, my forehead throbbed. Above me was a modern and luxurious chandelier. I realized I had once again failed to leave this world. Every night, I teetered on the brink of death. This meant my time with my family in the original world was growing shorter. Time was incredibly precious to me. I stared at the chandelier, wondering if I could use it to end everything. Just as I moved, a hand tightly gripped mine. “Cora, stop fooling around, okay? Luckily, you’re weak, so you didn’t hit too hard. Otherwise, you’d have scared the two kids to death.” The speaker was my husband in this world, the company CEO, Nolan. At this moment, his brow was furrowed, his eyes locked on the bandage wrapped around my forehead. His gaze was deep, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking. In the original story, Nolan was the heroine’s most passionate admirer. Unable to attain his love, he eventually turned dark, even betraying the company and harming others to get closer to the heroine. When I first arrived, I drugged Nolan to prevent him from pursuing the heroine, cutting off the source of his later crimes. Nolan woke up wishing he could end me right there. I knew the story inside out, so I was sure the heroine wouldn’t be harmed. In the original story, Nolan was the heroine’s most ardent admirer. Unable to win her love, he eventually succumbed to darkness, even betraying the company and harming others just to be near her. The first thing I did upon entering this world was to incapacitate Nolan with a drug, preventing him from pursuing the heroine and cutting off the source of future crimes. When Nolan woke up, he was furious, wishing he could end me on the spot. I knew the plot of the book inside and out and was confident the heroine would not be harmed. It wasn’t until he saw the heroine and the male lead happily together that Nolan began to let go of his resentment towards me. He tried to understand me, cared for me, and even stood up for me during a difficult time when he mistakenly thought I was being bullied. During those challenging days, our hearts quietly drew closer. Later, I softened my demeanor, managed household affairs for Nolan, cared for the family, and raised the children. Nolan, like any ordinary husband who loves his wife, stayed by my side, promising to be together in the next life. The system informed me that the strategist’s favorability was steadily increasing and that my mission was nearing completion. At that time, my terminal illness in the real world would be cured, and I could choose to pause time in the real world to accompany the Nolan family through this happy life. However, an unexpected change came without warning. One stormy night, the heroine returned alone. She threw herself into Nolan’s arms, weeping and recounting the inhuman torment she had suffered over the years. Usually calm and composed, Nolan was moved to tears. When he learned of my actions that had maliciously hindered him, pushing her into a predicament, the Nolan family was furious. They carefully tended to Lydia at home and ignored me. On Declan’s birthday, I prepared a table full of dishes that the family loved, but no one returned even late into the night. It turned out they were out entertaining a despondent Lydia, just to cheer her up. When I gave birth to Declan, I endured pain all night before delivering. At that time, Nolan promised to celebrate with the children every year because I hadn’t left them. But now, they’ve all broken their promises. When the Nolan family returned, they merely said, “Lydia doesn’t like the dishes you made, so there’s no need to make them again.” Recalling these events, I coldly withdrew my hand from Nolan’s grip and calmly said, “I’m not being unreasonable. I just don’t want to live anymore…” Nolan suddenly became somewhat annoyed, leaning over to hold me tightly. I couldn’t break free, so I just let him. After a moment, he finally spoke, his tone tinged with helplessness. “Cora, stop saying things like that, and don’t use death to threaten me and the kids. Our feelings won’t change, and I’ll discipline the boys. You’re forever the mistress of this house.” Nolan’s words sounded sincere, as if he still loved me as before. But then he cautiously observed my expression and mentioned Lydia. “I’ve already promised, Lydia won’t take your place. You were unfair to her before; now she just wants a place to stay… So, where did you hide her? Tell me, and we can pretend nothing happened and continue living our simple life, okay?” I laughed coldly inside. Lydia has disappeared again? Nolan still thinks I did it? Seeing me laugh, Nolan could no longer feign indifference, his tone becoming urgent. “Cora, stop pretending. I’ve searched, and Lydia’s jewelry is clearly hidden in your room’s closet. Both of you disappeared early this morning… Tell me, where did you hide Lydia?” It seems Lydia can’t wait to drive me away, even using her wedding as a ploy. After all, as the heroine, she craves attention and can’t share a man with another woman. What she wants is to be the only one in the hearts of the Nolan family. I suddenly burst into laughter, “Ha, yes, I did it. Lydia is dead! I’m just jealous of her, so I killed her. Do you want to avenge her? Then kill me unless you can’t bear to.” Nolan would do anything for Lydia. As long as he kills me, I can go home. Nolan was clearly enraged and lost his mind, gripping my neck with his hands. “Cora! How did you become like this… Lydia has suffered enough, why do you keep tormenting her?” In reality, it wasn’t me who changed, but them, the father and sons. I didn’t resist, letting my breath gradually weaken. Finally, everything will end. The door was suddenly pushed open, and Jasper and Declan helped Lydia inside.

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I followed James for seven years, living frugally, and finally saved our first million dollars. In this vast New York City, we could finally have a place to call our own. But on the day we were supposed to pay the deposit, James withdrew all the money from our joint account. I called him repeatedly: “Where’s the money? Why did you take out all of our savings?” He replied, “I can’t ignore Lily’s situation. You know she’s like a sister to me.” “She needs this money more than we do.” I looked at the woman in front of me, wearing a silk nightgown, every hair in place. Then I glanced at myself, worn out after seven years, wearing a wrinkled old sweater. Suddenly, I woke up. The determination to end this seven-year relationship filled me at that moment. “James, where’s the money? Why did you withdraw all of it without saying a word?” I shouted as soon as I entered the apartment, filled with anger. James got up from the couch and brought a cake to me: “Emma, I bought your favorite chestnut cake. Have a slice and calm down.” I stared into his eyes and asked again: “I’m asking you where the money went?” He avoided my gaze: “You know, Lily was scammed recently and got into online debt.” James lowered his voice and continued: “She even… sent her nude photos to someone as collateral.” “They said if she doesn’t pay back soon, they’ll send the photos to her friends and family.” “You’re a woman too, you should understand what this means for a girl, right?” I felt weak all over: “Did you give her everything?” I pounded on James’s chest: “You knew very well that was our seven-year savings for buying a house!” At this moment, Lily came out of the bathroom. Fresh out of the shower, Lily’s skin was fair and radiant. Her bare face looked clean and beautiful, with large innocent eyes that made her look particularly pitiful. Not just James, even I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her when I saw her. She spoke with a hint of tears, looking at me: “It’s all my fault. Sister, please don’t fight with James. He was just trying to help me.” “I only borrowed a few thousand dollars, but in just two months, they’re asking me to pay back hundreds of thousands. Where would I get that kind of money?” I looked at her, wearing a silk nightgown that made her look very refined. Then I looked at myself, wearing a sweater I’d had for five years, wrinkled like a cleaning rag, looking more like sleepwear than her actual nightgown. I took deep breaths, trying to expel the anger building up in my chest. But I still felt extremely frustrated. Seeing me like this, James wanted to say something more but didn’t dare. After hesitating several times, he finally spoke: “By the way, Emma, there’s something I want to discuss with you.” “Lily hasn’t paid rent for two months and was kicked out by her landlord.” “She’s a girl, and she has nowhere to go.” “Can we… can we let her stay with us for a few days?” I looked around and noticed several suitcases in the living room that weren’t there before. I didn’t respond, just walked into the bedroom and slammed the door shut. Discuss? He took all our money to pay off Lily’s loan and directly brought her to our home. Which of these things did he actually discuss with me? 0

James and I had been together for seven years. When I was interviewing for my first job in New York City, I almost arrived late because the subway system was so confusing with all its twists and turns. I wandered around for ages without finding the right exit. In desperation, I grabbed a random person on the street to ask for directions. As it turned out, this person worked at the company where I was interviewing and directly took me there. Later, we became colleagues, and then we became a couple. New York City can feel like a cold place, but because of him, these seven years have had a bit of warmth. He wasn’t just my boyfriend; he was also my dining companion, movie buddy, and travel partner. After getting together, like many people in New York, we started saving money, eagerly anticipating the day when we could have our own little nest among the city’s dazzling lights. To save up for a down payment on a house, we lived frugally for seven years, leaving early and returning late every day, never missing a day of work, not even taking a single sick day. On rainy days in the run-down neighborhood, the narrow alleys would be filled with muddy water, making my shoes dirty. Walking through it so often, even my obsession with cleanliness seemed to have worn away. On social media, people our age were traveling to various places, seeing beautiful sights, and eating all kinds of delicious food. During holidays, we only dared to stay in our damp, dark little room, sharing a single portion of cheap takeout between the two of us. During these seven years, James would often stroke my head and say with concern in his eyes: “Emma, I’m sorry you have to struggle like this with me.” “Once we buy a house, we’ll get married right away, and I promise I’ll treat you well.” Every time I saw the sincerity in his eyes, I felt it was all worth it. But now that all the money had been given to Lily to pay off her debt, we couldn’t buy the house anymore. Would we still get married? A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. James came in with a cup of hot chocolate: “I’m sorry, please don’t be angry, okay?” He put the hot drink on the table and tried to hug me. Seeing the apologetic look in his eyes, in the past, I might have softened. But this time, I found the person in front of me repulsive. Being with James for so many years, his good qualities were obvious. He wasn’t flirtatious and was quite family-oriented. He was good to me and my family too. When my dad suddenly had a heart attack, if it wasn’t for him, I might have just panicked helplessly. But all his maturity and rationality seemed to disappear when it came to Lily. Thinking about how he had repeatedly favored Lily in the past, I felt anger rising inside me. I avoided him and crawled into bed. He seemed a bit helpless: “Don’t always be like this.” “That money… I’ll find a way to earn it back. If I have to, I’ll drive for Uber or deliver food after work.” “You know, Lily grew up with me. When we were poor, her parents helped our family a lot. When her dad passed away, he asked me to take good care of her. Now that she’s in such big trouble, how can I just stand by and do nothing?” “You can understand that, right?” James cared for his childhood friend, but where did he put me when he was protecting her? Lily ate and dressed well every day. If she had borrowed money to save a life or do something meaningful, I could still understand. But she only borrowed money to satisfy her vanity, buying luxury bags and traveling everywhere. How could I understand that? I looked into James’s eyes, tears welling up: “What about me?” “I struggled with you for seven years, and now we have nothing left. Did you think about me?” We stood in silent confrontation. Suddenly, I felt utterly exhausted. I grabbed my pajamas and ran to the bathroom, hoping a shower would help alleviate the frustration in my chest. After showering and returning to the room, I found Lily sitting on my bed watching a TV series, occasionally bursting into laughter. For me, today felt like the sky had fallen. For her, it seemed like nothing had happened. Her laughter was grating, as if mocking me for being a fool all these years. I walked straight up to her and said only two words: “Get out.” 0

Lily looked up in shock, giving me an innocent look. James, hearing the commotion, came in from the living room. Seeing James, Lily’s eyes welled up with tears: “I’m sorry, sister. I thought James had told you I’d be sleeping with you tonight.” “If you don’t want me to sleep here, I’ll leave right away.” James pressed his lips together: “Didn’t Lily always sleep with you when she came over before?” “Besides, we only have one bedroom, there’s no other option.” “You two squeeze in for tonight, and first thing tomorrow morning, I’ll take a day off to help Lily find a place.” I coldly repeated: “Get out.” “Both of you, get out.” I’ve always been mild-mannered, so when James saw me like this, he knew I was truly angry. He signaled to Lily with his eyes, indicating that they should leave. Seeing this, Lily started gathering her bedding while sobbing. As they left and closed the door, my tears finally fell uncontrollably down my cheeks. These tears were so bitter. Half for finally seeing my place in James’s heart, half for my seven years of youth. I don’t know what time I fell asleep, but as soon as the alarm went off, I habitually got up. After so many years, I had been trained into a qualified corporate slave, and a qualified corporate slave goes to work no matter what happens, no matter how upset they are. Opening the bedroom door, I saw Lily and James also getting ready for work. Today’s weather matched my mood – pouring rain. Lily looked out the window and whined to James, “Let’s take a cab today, okay?” “Our offices are on the same route anyway, it won’t cost much. Fifty dollars should be enough to get there.” James’s eyes were full of indulgence as he took out his phone and called a cab without hesitation. James looked at my puffy and swollen eyes, a flash of concern crossing his face: “Emma, come with us. It’s raining heavily today.” I shook my head and went to wash up. For the past seven years, to save money, I never took a cab, whether it was raining or even during a typhoon. Several times I had already opened the ride-hailing app and entered the starting location, but seeing the fare displayed on my phone, I would steel myself, grab an umbrella, and walk a mile to take the bus instead. Thinking back now, although James always said he felt sorry for me, he never actively offered to call a car for me. As I reached the ground floor, I seemed to see my past self wearing rain boots, carefully holding an umbrella, but still getting splashed all over by passing cars, looking utterly miserable. The rain was getting heavier, fine droplets landing on my body, adding a chill to my heart. This time, I called a car for myself. 0

For the next few days, not wanting to see them, I left early and returned late every day. On Saturday, while I was still thinking about how to avoid them, I woke up to find they had already gone out. In the evening, James sent me a message: “No need to cook tonight, I’ll bring food back for you.” Since I didn’t feel like cooking anyway, I didn’t refuse. Around 8 PM, James and Lily returned with several bags. Their laughter could be heard even before they entered the apartment. James put the takeout on the dining table: “Emma, I brought you some Japanese food. Come and eat.” These past few days, James had been trying to please me, either consciously or unconsciously. I didn’t know if he genuinely felt he had done something wrong, or if he was just placating me, hoping I would end the cold war quickly. I glanced at the bags they brought back. The orange Louis Vuitton shopping bag was particularly eye-catching. Lily took out the LV handbag from the bag, showing it off in front of me: “Sister, isn’t this bag beautiful?” “James bought it for me, saying it’s to celebrate my escape from the threats of those loan sharks.” James noticed my gaze and said sheepishly: “You didn’t go today, so another day I’ll take you shopping and buy you one too.” I looked at the bag hanging on the back of the door, which I had bought from a second-hand platform and had been using for five years, and suddenly found it somewhat amusing. One year on my birthday, James said he wanted to buy me a luxury handbag as a birthday gift. His regular salary was mostly deposited into our joint account, leaving him with little money for himself. The money he said he would use to buy me a bag was his overtime pay for half a year. I felt sorry for him and thought that for a handbag, a second-hand one would be fine. So I told him to buy one from a second-hand website. Now that I think about it, I was wrong. In all these years with James, I had placed myself too low. Because I loved him, I always thought more about him, always felt that being together meant working hard towards a common goal. I always thought James felt the same way. I always thought he couldn’t bear to take me to nice restaurants, couldn’t bear to give me expensive things, couldn’t bear to go out and play with me, because he wanted to save money to give me a home. But I was terribly mistaken. As time went on, he only came to think that I didn’t deserve these things, that there was no need to spend money or effort buying these things for me, and that I would always stay by his side anyway. At this moment, it was as if I suddenly woke up. No longer hysterical, no longer trying to evoke his love through the cold war. I quietly walked to the dining table and put the scattered pieces of sushi, which looked like their leftovers, into my mouth. The determination to end this seven-year relationship filled me at this moment. After eating, I slowly spoke: “Weren’t you supposed to be looking for an apartment? When are you moving out?” 0

Lily’s tears came on cue: “Sister, I’m sorry for disturbing you two.” “We haven’t found a place yet.” “If you really don’t want me to stay here, I can go crash at a friend’s place for a few days starting tomorrow.” Although Lily seemed to be talking to me, her eyes were on James. I reminded her: “Okay, remember to pack all your things.” Lily glanced at James and started packing. Her sobbing sounded particularly loud in the quiet room. James grabbed Lily’s hand: “Don’t mind her.” Then he turned to look at me, frowning: “Emma, haven’t you had enough?” “It’s been days, and you’re still walking around with that sour face. Who are you trying to impress?” “Why are you being so petty?” “I’ve already explained everything to you nicely. Lily is like a sister to me. She just escaped from danger, can’t she stay here for a few days until we find her a place? It’s dangerous for a girl to be out there alone, who knows if she might get scammed again.” “Do you have to make everyone so uncomfortable?” Originally, I just wanted to quietly sort out everything between us and then part ways gracefully. But since James insisted on laying it all out like this, I’d play along. I glared at James: “Sister, you say sister, right?” “Giving her all the money we saved for seven years, being at her beck and call anytime, even running to her when I was sick, that kind of sister?” “You two clearly have something going on, yet you hide behind the facade of being siblings, flirting ambiguously.” “Am I your backup plan? Or am I here to highlight how well-matched you two are, how in sync, how good your relationship is?” Guilt, nervousness, and awkwardness intertwined on James’s face. He transformed these unmanageable emotions into a slap across my face. It also completely shattered our seven years of relationship.

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During Freshman Orientation Week, my family’s housekeeper’s son publicly confessed his love for me. After I rejected him, he turned the whole class against me, isolating and bullying me. He even had his admirers put snakes in my bed to bite me. Driven to the brink of a mental breakdown, he pretended to help me, only to get me drunk and hand me over to the notorious class monitor and some street thugs. “I wanted you to marry me, then I’d spare your life. Now it’s perfect. Your mom only has me as her child, and all your family’s wealth will be mine.” I was tortured to death. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day of his confession. “Cassie, be my girlfriend. I’ll treat you like a princess!” Lucas Harrison knelt on one knee, holding a bouquet in one hand and a soda can tab in the other. “I’ll be good to you forever, trust me, okay?” “Get together! Get together!” “Oh my god, the teaching assistant is so handsome! And he’s rich too. Cassie is so lucky!” The voices bombarded my ears. Seeing the smugness in Lucas’s eyes, I finally realized – I had been reborn. Lucas had saved my mom’s life once, so she became his godmother. He and his mother pretended to be rich, but they were always spending my family’s money. I had tolerated all of this, but he went too far when he publicly confessed his love to me just to get his hands on my family’s fortune. After I rejected him, he harbored a grudge. He secretly had people bully me, then pretended to be a caring brother and invited the whole class to an entertainment venue, claiming he wanted to clear up any misunderstandings. But halfway through, he deliberately got me drunk and drugged my drink. As I was dizzy and disoriented, he dragged me into a room. Inside wasn’t just anyone, but Mark Lewis, the class monitor who had always been harsh on me. Mark was utterly despicable and tried to force himself on me. I bit my tongue to stay conscious and managed to escape. But outside the door, a group of thugs was waiting. I was violated to death. Mark, fearing for his reputation, worked with Lucas to tie my body to a rock and throw it in the river. They even used my phone to scam my mom out of millions. My poor mother lost her daughter in middle age. She searched for me day and night without sleep, aging a decade in just a few days. I clenched my fists tightly. “Slap!” Just as Lucas grabbed my hand to put the soda can tab on my finger, I gave him a hard slap. Under his surprised gaze, I sneered, “Tch, aren’t you supposed to be the young master of Sullivan Corp? Proposing with a soda can tab?” “What kind of rich heir is so cheap?” Lucas’s expression changed, and immediately someone came to his defense. “Lucas just thought you weren’t a materialistic girl. Who knew you were so money-hungry!” “It’s rare to find such a pure-hearted rich guy like Lucas these days.” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but laugh. “Rich guy? I’ve never heard of any Mr. Harrison in the Sullivan family. But I do know the Sullivan family’s housekeeper has a son named Harrison.” “Cassie Sullivan!” Lucas glared at me angrily. “That’s enough!” I leaned in close to him, my voice cold. “Now, apologize to me and get lost, or I’ll have your teaching assistant position revoked immediately.”

“Cassie Sullivan, what are you playing at? How dare you tell Lucas to get lost? Look at yourself in the mirror. Do you think you’re worthy of him?” I scanned them with a mocking smile. “I have excellent grades and I’m beautiful. He has beady eyes and a flat nose – looking at him would give me nightmares. Me, worthy of him? I’d be lowering my standards!” Lucas was so angered by my words that he couldn’t control his facial expressions. He shot me a vicious look, with a hint of confusion in his eyes. Perhaps he couldn’t understand why I had changed so much today? He gritted his teeth. “I was too forward today. I thought Cassie had feelings for me. I didn’t expect things to turn out like this.” “I’m sorry.” With that, he turned and left, pretending to be dejected. Many people started cursing at me behind my back. But this time around, I wouldn’t be as weak as in my past life. Just then, a whistle sounded from behind. Mark Lewis, the one who had a hand in my death in my previous life, walked out. I saw him exchange a glance with Lucas in the distance before he angrily reprimanded me. “Cassie Sullivan! You’re violating discipline again!” Mark stared at me with hostility. “Always up to no good. Do you think Orientation Week is a place where you can do whatever you want? Run twenty laps around the field!” “On what grounds?” I said coldly. Mark’s face darkened. “You dare to argue! If it weren’t for you, why would all the students be gathered here wasting training time?” “And on the first day of orientation, you’ve altered your uniform to make it so small. What are you trying to show off? Everyone can see clearly. You’ve just entered college and you’re already learning bad habits, trying to seduce others. You have no self-respect!” Hearing this, everyone looked at me. Their gazes were scrutinizing, and some even lewdly scanned my entire body. “Monitor, you seem to have a selective memory. When we were given our uniforms, I asked for a size larger, but you insisted on giving me the smaller one. Now you’re using body shaming to attack me?” I laughed coldly. “Fine, I recorded it. The uniforms were distributed in the classroom, which has surveillance cameras. Why don’t we go ask the principal how they admitted such a perverted student with a dirty mind?” “You dare!” Mark grabbed me, his eyes full of warning. I skillfully dodged and punched him in the face. “Everyone, come look! The monitor is harassing a female student!” At this point, Lucas couldn’t sit still anymore. He quickly ran over. “Cassie, stop making a scene! Mark—” “Everyone, come look! The teaching assistant is harassing a female student! Could the female students please call the police for me!” Hearing about calling the police, the two men saw that the situation was getting out of hand and even tried to cover my mouth. Just then, the drill instructor walked over. “It’s break time. What’s going on here?” After a cacophony of explanations, the situation was finally clarified. The drill instructor gave Mark a cold glare, then looked meaningfully at Lucas. “During orientation, unauthorized personnel are not allowed to interfere.” Lucas’s face darkened. The head instructor ordered Mark to apologize to me before quickly taking them away. I also called the principal after class, and by the afternoon, Mark had been stripped of his monitor position. When he looked at me now, his eyes were full of venom. What’s there to be afraid of? I smirked. This was just the first step!

In the evening, to save face, Lucas invited the whole class to eat at the cafeteria. “Lucas, I heard Sullivan Corp donated a building to the school because you came to work here. That’s so generous.” “Our school is one of the top universities in the city. Lucas gave up working at the company to come here… he must be here to gain experience, right?” The classmates chattered away. Lucas neither confirmed nor denied, letting them talk. He enjoyed being the center of attention, as if he had the whole world in the palm of his hand. Just then, a girl said in a sarcastic tone, “Cassie Sullivan really has no luck. She offended Lucas and now she’ll never have the fortune to eat in the VIP dining hall.” As soon as she finished speaking, I sauntered past her, carrying two plates of food. The VIP dining hall was donated by my mom. I’ve been a picky eater since childhood. Worried that I wouldn’t adapt to the food, my mom specially donated a dining hall building, and the third floor was practically my private restaurant. Seeing this, everyone’s faces fell. The girl muttered, “She couldn’t have sold herself, could she?” As soon as the words left her mouth, a resounding slap landed on her face. Under her shocked gaze, my bodyguard stepped back and respectfully said to me, “Miss Sullivan, I’ve dealt with the foul-mouthed individual for you. Please enjoy your lunch.” I raised an eyebrow slightly. My mom taught me to be low-key, but some people are really despicable. If you’re low-key, they’ll think you’re easy to bully. So, after my confrontation with them this morning, I hired two bodyguards to protect me. My life comes first. Under the girl’s murderous gaze and Lucas’s gloomy eyes, I raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Lucas, can you afford this?” Sure enough, Lucas was provoked by me. In his anger, he took everyone to the most expensive area. After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the bill came to nearly ten thousand dollars. He trembled slightly in pain but pretended to be generous as he handed over his card. The cafeteria lady took it and swiped it on the machine. “Insufficient balance. Please top up.” Suddenly, the air went quiet. Lucas frowned slightly. He snatched the card back in disbelief and swiped it on the machine a couple more times. Still insufficient balance. He tried other methods, all showing no money. He cursed in frustration, then under the gaze of his classmates and the cafeteria lady, Lucas took out his phone and messaged me. “Cassie, come over quickly and let me use your meal card. Godmother said we should help each other in the new school.” I immediately blocked him. Having seen enough of the show, I turned to leave. Not wanting Lucas to be embarrassed, one of his admirers grabbed me. “Cassie Sullivan, here’s a chance for you to redeem yourself. Hurry up and pay for Lucas!” Seeing me, Lucas’s eyes lit up. He took a few steps towards me and pulled me over. “Use your meal card to pay. I’ll forget about what happened this morning and treat you even better in the future.” I rolled my eyes and kicked Lucas in the leg. He grimaced in pain, and I continued to twist the knife. “Used to being a beggar, aren’t you?” I showed everyone the message he sent me. “Using my family’s money to gain fame, then slandering me, and now ordering me around? The housekeeper’s son has really opened my eyes.” “Trying to mooch off me, huh?”

Everyone looked at Lucas with meaningful gazes. Some of the sharper ones seemed to have caught on to what was happening. “Cassie Sullivan!” Lucas’s face was ugly. In this life, he probably hated being called the housekeeper’s son more than anything. He clenched his fists tightly, wanting to hit me, but when he saw my bodyguards behind me, he immediately backed down. He gritted his teeth. “Cassie, we grew up together. Even if you don’t like me, you shouldn’t slander me like this.” “Which part of what I said was wrong?” I hadn’t said a single wrong word, but his admirer Wendy jumped out. “You’re not slandering him? If Lucas isn’t Mr. Sullivan’s son, why would Mr. Sullivan donate a building to the school?” “I heard this with my own ears.” “And how many expensive gifts has Lucas bought for you?” I laughed in disbelief. “You mean the 99-cent roses from the dollar store? The ones that lost their color? Or the random soda can tab he picked up from the street?” “You want this kind of treatment? Be my guest.” Wendy threw herself into Lucas’s arms, whining. “Lucas, look at what this gold digger is saying. She’s not even willing to spend ten thousand dollars on you. All the designer clothes and accessories she’s wearing were bought with your money. She doesn’t deserve your affection!” “I say, you should make her return everything and teach her a lesson!” I felt like I had just heard the joke of the century. I turned to look at Lucas. “You bought them? Can you even afford them?” Lucas coughed lightly, his eyes darting around. “You… you hurry up and pay. I’ll have my mom transfer the money to you later.” “Then why don’t you ask your mom to transfer it to you now?” I looked at him mockingly. Under everyone’s gaze, he sent a message to my mom, only to receive a red exclamation mark. Hmm, Special Assistant Wang did a good job. Before coming to the cafeteria, I had already asked Special Assistant Wang to freeze the cards of Lucas and his mother. Not only that, to prevent him from deceiving my mom, I directly had Special Assistant Wang block them all. Under everyone’s gaze, Lucas was extremely embarrassed. “I contacted the wrong person.” “Tsk, can’t even find the right mom.” I smiled and said, “You’re not planning to dine and dash, are you?”

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Every time before Sophia goes “camping”, she always serves me a hearty meal the night before. I know she has a big appetite. To accommodate her, I work hard all night, trying my best to satisfy all her special preferences. But the next day, she still takes three or five boxes of trial-sized products from the bedside table. I’m not a fool. I know what this means. But I thought she was just playing around, and everything would still revolve around our family. Until she maxed out my credit card to buy six-figure camping equipment for her “best friend”. I finally couldn’t take it anymore… At 1 AM, Sophia still hadn’t returned. On SnapChat, Sophia’s avatar was still gray, with her last message lingering from the evening: “James, I’m going camping in the suburbs with Lucas. My phone might not have signal, don’t worry.” This was already her tenth night out this month, and each time, the excuse was camping. Ten times in a month. Well done, Sophia, you really take me for a fool. I laughed coldly as I tore up our wedding photo. Sophia and I met on a blind date. I pursued her for a whole year before she agreed to marry me. At our wedding, she said she wanted to be with me forever. I believed her. I gave her everything I could, including the freedom she wanted. But ever since Lucas came to this city, everything changed. Lucas was Sophia’s childhood friend. At first, they just hiked and watched movies together, but later it developed into business trips, travels, and even overnight stays. Whenever I asked about it, she always brushed it off saying: “We’re just friends, you’re overthinking.” When I asked too often, she impatiently said: “Can’t you be less petty? I’ve told you we’re just friends. If you don’t even have this much trust, how are we going to live together in the future?” Lucas would always stand with his hands in his pockets, smiling nonchalantly and saying: “Bro, don’t be so narrow-minded. Sophia and I grew up together, we’re like siblings. There’s definitely nothing between us, don’t be so dramatic.” I’m being dramatic? Looking at his pretentious face, I wanted to punch him right there. I remembered the last dinner party when Lucas directly held Sophia in his arms, feeding her as if no one else was around. Do siblings act like that? I was sitting right across from them, feeling like an outsider, awkward and embarrassed. My phone rang. It was Sophia. “James, my phone died while camping, I just charged it. It’s raining outside, so I’m staying at Lucas’s place to avoid the rain. I’ll be back in the morning.” Sophia’s voice sounded coy and tired. No messages for 8 whole hours, was it really just simple camping? I looked at the drawer where another ten boxes of trial-sized products were missing, my heart churning. “Oh.” I tried hard to control my emotions, appearing calm on the surface while gritting my teeth inside. “You must be tired from playing. Get some rest.” “Okay, honey. Love you.” Sophia’s sweet voice made me feel nauseous. At 7 AM, Sophia came back with her usual smile, holding coffee and bagels: “It was too late last night, I didn’t want to wake you, so I just crashed at Lucas’s place. You don’t mind, right?” “I don’t mind.” I answered calmly. Of course I mind, but what’s the use? Some people are just despicable, their vile habits ingrained to the bone. The next day was Lucas’s birthday, and Sophia insisted on hosting a birthday party for him at our house. “Lucas, happy birthday!” Sophia’s eyes curved into crescents as she handed Lucas an exquisitely wrapped gift box. “See if you like it.” Lucas smiled as he took the gift: “I like everything you give me, Sophia.” He opened the gift right in front of me. It was a men’s watch. Forcing back my anger, I smiled insincerely and said: “Sophia, you’re so good to your ‘dear brother’. This watch must have cost a lot, right?” Sophia glanced at me impatiently: “What, do I need your permission to give my friend a gift?” I was instantly filled with rage, slamming the table and shouting, hoping to awaken some conscience in her. Giving gifts is fine, but why are you using my money?! Sophia, you only make $3000 a month, yet you’re always splurging. I’m the one supporting this family! Yesterday you spent six figures buying him camping equipment, and now you’ve bought him a watch worth over a hundred thousand?! I’ve had my eye on that watch for a long time, but I gritted my teeth and didn’t buy it because of the mortgage! Now, it’s on that bastard Lucas’s wrist?! Great, just great! After dinner, I sat alone on the balcony smoking, playing with the lighter in my hand, lighting it and extinguishing it repeatedly, my heart sinking bit by bit. Sophia was video chatting with Lucas in the bedroom. Snippets of their conversation drifted out, things like “let’s try something new tomorrow” and “I want to see you right now” – disgusting talk. I laughed coldly. She just got back and now she’s going “camping” with her “dear brother” again? She hung up the phone and walked to the balcony with her usual fake smile: “James, you’re not angry today, are you?” I blew out a smoke ring and said calmly: “No, I’m not.” She came over and snuggled into my arms, cooing: “I knew you were the best.” I stroked her hair gently, laughing coldly in my heart. Getting angry with someone like you? Not worth it.

The next night, I went out drinking with some colleagues and didn’t return home until dawn. Sophia’s calls kept coming, but I turned off my phone, finally getting a taste of making her wait for me. I returned home slightly drunk, and surprisingly, Sophia was sitting in the living room waiting for me. She tried to come over and support me, but I pushed her away. “Don’t touch me!” I staggered along the wall back to the bedroom and fell face-first into the bed. “James! Get up right now!” Sophia’s shrill voice exploded next to my ear. “You stink of alcohol. You’re getting into bed without showering?” I suddenly opened my eyes, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her close. “Sophia, since when did you care about me so much? In the past, when I came home drunk, didn’t you wish I’d just die outside?” Sophia was frightened by my gaze and stammered: “I… I was just worried about you.” “Worried about me?” I sneered. You’re just worried about dirtying your sheets! I flung her hand away. “Sophia, I’m not your servant, nor am I your punching bag! If you dare to boss me around again, get out!” Sophia was stunned. She probably never thought that I, who had always been so docile, would rebel. I couldn’t be bothered to look at her again and turned over to sleep. After that day, Sophia’s attitude seemed to improve a bit. She prepared loving breakfasts for me every morning, sent me many messages during work hours, and occasionally bought small gifts. Her attitude seemed to have changed. This weekend, Sophia said she wanted to go to the mall and asked me to wait for her there, saying she’d come after work. I arrived early and sat idly by the fountain in the center of the mall, watching the crowds come and go. At that moment, I saw Sophia and Lucas walking in side by side, their behavior intimate, laughing and talking, seemingly not noticing me. Lucas even had his hand on my wife’s neck, their faces almost touching. Sophia didn’t resist, allowing him to hold her. “Have you been waiting long, honey?” Seeming to have noticed me, Sophia broke away from his arm and walked towards me. Lucas looked a bit surprised as Sophia pulled away from him, but he still strode over. He stood in front of me, raising an eyebrow and said: “Sorry, bro, didn’t mean to interrupt your couple time. I just got off work too and ran into Sophia on the way. I know this area well, so I came along with her. You don’t mind, right?” As he spoke, he casually raised his right hand, revealing the new watch on his wrist. It was the birthday gift from Sophia. “It’s fine, the more the merrier.” My tone was calm, showing no sign of discomfort. “You’re so good, honey!” Hearing my agreement, Sophia smiled coyly. “Let’s go buy some clothes for Lucas first, he hasn’t had any new clothes recently.” She said, pulling Lucas towards the men’s clothing section. Store after store, Sophia enthusiastically picked out clothes – shirts, suits, jackets… Lucas was like a clothes hanger, letting her do as she pleased, a smug smile on his face. “How about this one? I think it suits you well.” Sophia held up a light gray cashmere sweater, comparing it against Lucas’s body. “Hmm, not bad. Let’s get this one.” Lucas nodded, his smile confident. “And this tie too, let’s get it as well.” Sophia picked up a dark blue tie, matching it with the sweater, nodding in satisfaction. In just an hour, Lucas’s shopping cart was full of bags big and small, but Sophia showed no signs of stopping. “Sophia, why don’t you buy something for James too?” Lucas turned to look at me, raising his eyebrows, speaking with deep meaning. “Him? He has plenty of clothes at home, no need to buy more, he has enough to wear.” Sophia waved her hand dismissively, her gaze falling on a new leather jacket. “Lucas, this leather jacket looks so cool, try it on?” Sophia linked arms with Lucas, the two walking intimately in front, chatting and laughing, while I felt like an outsider. I looked at the two of them, finding it all ridiculous, a playful smile tugging at my lips. At that moment, a woman in a red bodycon dress with a charming aura spotted me from afar. She walked over gracefully in her high heels.

“Sorry I’m late,” she smiled, her gaze falling on me with a hint of amusement. I watched her approach, ignoring Sophia’s displeased expression, and said gently, “It’s alright, Emma. We haven’t been here long either.” Sophia scrutinized Emma, her face darkening, “Honey, who is this?” I introduced calmly, “This is Emma, my senior from university.” Turning to Emma, I said, “Emma, this is my wife, Sophia, and this is… my wife’s friend, Lucas.” Sophia didn’t extend her hand, her expression even more unpleasant. Emma directly linked arms with me and said, “Hello everyone, I’m James’s college classmate. James is a great guy, we were very close in college, and I’ve always seen him as a little brother.” Hearing this, Sophia’s face darkened further, and she let go of Lucas’s arm. For the rest of the shopping trip, Sophia was clearly distracted. I didn’t pay attention to her, instead walking directly into a jewelry store. Sophia and Lucas followed. Under the lights, a dazzling array of gold jewelry sparkled. My gaze locked onto an intricately crafted gold bracelet with several small diamonds embedded in it, shimmering brilliantly under the lights. “Emma, today is your birthday. This is for you,” I picked up the bracelet and handed it to Emma. Emma covered her mouth in surprise, “This… it’s too expensive, I can’t accept it.” “Take it, it’s just a birthday gift,” I smiled, placing the bracelet on Emma’s wrist. “It suits you well.” The price tag on the bracelet clearly read “$24,000”. Seeing the price, Sophia’s face instantly turned sour. “Hmph, quite generous, aren’t you?” she said sarcastically, her tone bitter. She walked to the side, pretending to look at other jewelry, seemingly wanting to pick something for herself. I ignored her and directly led Emma out of the jewelry store. I thought I heard her grinding her teeth behind me. After leaving the jewelry store, the atmosphere became even more awkward. Sophia’s hostility towards Emma was obvious: “Miss Emma seems very close to James. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you two were a couple.” She glanced at me reproachfully. Emma responded calmly, “James is a good person, he takes care of all his friends. Don’t misunderstand, sister.” She leaned closer to Sophia and whispered, “Let me tell you a secret, James was very popular with girls in the past. Everyone used to say he was handsome, capable, and considerate.” I blushed hearing these words about myself. Sophia forced a smile, “Is that so? Seems like I have good taste.” Emma pointed at Lucas and teased, “Of course, but compared to this gentleman beside you, James is still a bit lacking. Look at him, his eyes haven’t left you since we came in.” Her words were too direct, and Lucas felt a bit awkward, coughing twice, “No, no, Miss Emma, you’re too kind.” After shopping, Emma left first. Lucas turned to Sophia and asked, “It’s still early, why don’t we go somewhere to sit for a while?” Sophia refused, “No, we have something to do. We’re going home first.” He raised an eyebrow, seeming a bit surprised. Sophia pulled me away hurriedly. As soon as we got to the car, she started questioning me: “Who exactly is that Emma?” “Just a friend, a college classmate.” “Just a friend and you give her such an expensive gift!” “It’s her birthday, of course I should give her a gift! Besides, didn’t you give Lucas gifts too?” She was momentarily speechless.

Sophia was sullen the whole way home. Once home, she threw her bag on the sofa without a word, kicked off her high heels, and leaned against the sofa with her arms crossed, glaring at me coldly. In the past, when she acted like this, I would have certainly tried to appease her with kind words, hanging up her bag and giving her a shoulder massage. But today, I coldly watched her performance and walked straight to the bathroom to wash up. “Stop right there!” she shouted shrilly, grabbing my arm. “What’s going on between you and that Emma?” I shook off her hand, my tone icy: “Do I need to report my relationships to you?” “What kind of attitude is this?” She glared at me, fuming. “She calls you James, so intimately, and you give her such an expensive bracelet. Do you think I’m an idiot?” I sneered, “What, you’re allowed to be all warm and caring with Lucas, but I can’t catch up with an old friend?” “Lucas is my friend, it’s just normal social etiquette! What about you? You give her gifts, she looks at you lovingly, you two exchange glances, do you dare say there’s nothing between you?” She pressed on, her voice sharp enough to pierce my eardrums. “What’s between Emma and me is none of your business. As for you, you’re in no position to question me when things are so unclear between you and Lucas,” I retorted unwaveringly, my tone mocking. “Don’t forget, who was it clinging to him in the mall, not wanting to let go, remember?” Her face flushed red then pale, but she couldn’t say a word. Seeing her like this, I felt a wave of irritation. “Sophia,” I said flatly, but still with a hint of coldness. “Don’t do unto others what you don’t want done unto you. If you don’t have evidence, don’t make wild speculations about others. My relationship with Emma is open and aboveboard, unlike some people…” I paused deliberately, looking at her flushed face, and said word by word: “Who have a guilty conscience.”

Sophia has been giving me the cold shoulder for the past couple of days. This is her usual tactic, playing the victim and waiting for me to apologize first. In the past, I would always give in, but now I’m tired of it. I remember last winter when I had a bad cold, feeling weak all over with a splitting headache. I lay in bed, weakly calling her, hoping she could buy some cold medicine for me. Her tone was cold on the phone, saying she had to work overtime and couldn’t get away. I had to drag myself to the hospital alone. While getting an IV, I was idly scrolling through social media when I saw her post, tagged at the most expensive restaurant in New York. In the photo, she and Lucas were sitting face to face, both holding coffee cups, seemingly celebrating something, looking quite happy. The caption read: “So glad to have you.” And a while ago, when Lucas just slightly sprained his ankle, she was anxious like an ant on a hot pan, dropping all her work to take care of him for a whole week. Making tea, serving water, cooking chicken soup – I realized then that she’s not incapable of caring for others. She’s just incapable of caring for me. At that moment, I clearly understood that in her heart, I would never measure up to Lucas. This time, I won’t be the first to back down. Sophia’s cold war lasted a whole week. On the weekend, as usual, Sophia’s parents called us to come home for dinner. The meal tasted like chewing wax. Sophia had a sour face throughout and barely touched her chopsticks. Her mother reproached her somewhat complainingly: “Sophia, are you throwing a tantrum again? James gave up his job in New York to stay here for you, why are you always quarreling with him?” I smiled bitterly. Yes, for her, I gave up that high-paying job at a big company in New York, gave up my dreams, to stay in this unfamiliar city, just to be closer to her. Seemingly remembering something, her expression softened a bit. The doorbell rang abruptly, breaking the suffocating silence. Sophia’s mother went to open the door excitedly: “Oh, it’s Lucas! Come in quickly! You knew Sophia was coming back today, so you came to see her, right?” Lucas walked in smiling, greeting Sophia’s parents familiarly, as if this was his home. After sitting down, his gaze naturally fell on Sophia: “Sophia, want to go watch a movie tonight? That new one you’ve been wanting to see.” Sophia glanced at me furtively, her eyes somewhat evasive. I didn’t say anything. So she said stiffly: “No, we have plans tonight.” Lucas didn’t seem surprised. He turned to look at me, feigning enthusiasm: “James, why don’t you come too? We’re all friends, let’s have some fun together.” I could clearly see the smugness and showing off in his eyes. He didn’t care at all whether I was there or not, he just wanted to display his “care” for Sophia in front of me. Sophia’s parents also joined in persuading: “Go together, it’s good for young people to hang out.” I looked at them all chiming in, as if I were the outsider in this family. I stood up, grabbing my coat: “You all go ahead, I’m a bit tired, I’ll head back first.” “Honey!” Sophia called out to me, her eyes flickering, “Drive safely, I’ll be home early.” Huh, another perfunctory line. I smiled self-mockingly, turned and left, leaving them to continue their “family gathering”. Sophia didn’t come home all night again. I lay on the empty double bed, staring at the ceiling, laughing sardonically. On our wedding anniversary, she also came back this late, carrying a branded handbag, reeking of strong perfume, saying she had been entertaining clients. Huh, which client needs entertaining until 3 AM?

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295613”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic