Author: Momo Chan

During the first month of our relationship, my girlfriend was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and her therapy sessions cost ten thousand dollars each month. I sacrificed my rest, working tirelessly washing cars and delivering takeout, just to support her in battling her illness. But then, while working a car wash job that paid a thousand dollars, I saw the door of a Ferrari open. My girlfriend, who was supposed to be at therapy, stepped out, looking shocked when our eyes met. “Donna? What are you doing here?” I took a step back, staring at the red Ferrari in front of me, feeling disoriented. Despite the bright lights of the store, it was as if I had been plunged into darkness. I’d never even touched a luxury car like this before. “Dan, please listen to me,” Donna said, grabbing my hand anxiously. “I left late this afternoon… I took an Uber because I wouldn’t make it to the hospital in time.” Normally, when she pleaded like this, I’d relent. But not now. I looked at her outfit. The purple silk dress she wore looked expensive, like it was made just for her. I glanced at the nearby red Ferrari and smirked inwardly. Who uses a luxury car for Uber rides? Unable to muster the strength to argue, I looked at Donna, my hands falling to my sides helplessly. “Is this amusing to you, Donna? A young lady who spends a thousand dollars on a car wash, pretending to be poor around me, and won’t even buy a pack of sanitary pads?” My chest tightened, a wave of bitterness washed over me as memories surfaced, causing my heart to ache. “You really fooled me. A thousand dollars! I have to wash eighty-five cars and work an entire week to earn that much.” The most absurd part was that before work, I had prepared a surprise for Donna. I had just received my paycheck last night and bought a silver ring with tiny diamonds because every time we passed the jewelry store, she’d gaze at it longingly. I never imagined that the cost of washing her car would surpass the price of that ring.

Donna often curled up in my arms at night, saying I was the only one who truly loved her, even more than her own parents. In countless nights, exhausted from working tirelessly to pay for her medical bills, those words kept me going. But now, as I look back, my struggle to save up ten thousand dollars, standing on blistered feet at the car wash, seems laughable. After all, the Donna before me was dressed head-to-toe in designer brands, with the scarf around her neck alone costing over ten thousand dollars. “I worked so hard to earn money so your condition could improve sooner. I even ended up in the hospital from exhaustion. Didn’t you know that?” Tears blurred my vision. Donna’s indifferent expression began to crack, her eyes shimmering with tears. “I’m sorry,” she said. On my birthday, she gave me a handwritten letter. Under the dim light, tears of emotion blurred my eyes. Reading her words, I promised myself to cherish her for life. But now, seeing the Ferrari in front of me, I felt drained of all strength, and I dropped the pressure washer. I took off my gloves, threw them at her, and headed for the door. Donna caught up to me, pulling me back. “Dan, I’ll make it up to you, don’t be mad. This is all my fault…” Before she could finish, the car door opened again, and someone stepped out. The air filled with the smell of tobacco, and a voice slowly became clear. “Donna, what’s going on? Why are you talking so much with a car washer?”

Donna froze, her expression stiffening. We turned to see a man in a white shirt, smoking, leaning against the car door. Donna hurried over to him, “Brother, why are you out here? I’m almost done, go back inside…” But the man didn’t seem to care. He pulled Donna aside, holding a cigarette between two fingers, and walked toward me. His thin lips curled into a mocking smile, asking, “Car washer, do you remember who I am?” I rubbed my eyes, taking a long time to connect the person in front of me with the face in my memory. “Jessica?” “Oh, you remember. I thought you’d forgotten.” Jessica’s almond eyes curved, and he naturally pulled Donna into his arms. His smile was exactly the same as it was a year ago. I met Jessica last year while delivering takeout to make ends meet. He was one of my customers. Because I was five minutes late, he poured a whole bowl of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall on me. Jessica observed my expression, as if confirming my memory. He placed a large hand on Donna’s shoulder, pretending to be surprised. “Donna, you went too far. I just complained about an annoying delivery guy, and you actually dealt with him for me. Amazing…” Jessica glanced at me and couldn’t help but laugh. “Playing with this fake noble Dan is just like playing with a dog.” Donna’s expression was unnatural. I covered my eyes, holding back tears. My rough palm rubbed against my eyelids, and my heart felt as if it were being cut. Those moments I thought were genuine were just seasoning for their wealthy couple’s relationship. Hardworking ordinary people like me were like stray cats and dogs to them, ignored and kicked aside when they were in a bad mood. So I didn’t want to stay any longer. I wiped the tears spilling from my eyes and turned to leave. Jessica suddenly raised his voice, asking me, “Dan, do you know why Donna told you she has bipolar disorder?”

I abruptly halted, uncertain of what he intended to say. A heavy silence hung behind me, followed by an eruption of deafening laughter. The voice, however, clung to me like a ghostly whisper around my neck. “It’s because I told her your only sister died by suicide due to bipolar disorder. The moment Donna says she has bipolar, you become a fool and obey her every word. And guess what, hahaha, you really worked yourself to the bone for her!” A surge of heat flooded my mind, my blood boiling and rushing to my head. By the time I regained my senses, I was already striding towards Jessica, repeatedly swinging my fist at his face. If I could forgive this, I might as well become a saint. My chest heaved as I grasped Jessica’s collar: “Playing poor, huh? Pretending to be sick, huh? Enjoy mocking other people’s wounds, huh? No wonder your parents cheated, no wonder your dad doesn’t care and your mom doesn’t love you, you scumbag. Today, I’m going to beat you until your own mother can’t recognize you!” During the year I spent with Donna, whether our feelings were genuine or not, we shared our pasts. So, I knew their social circle was emotionally detached, with parents mostly preoccupied with their own lives, leading to psychological issues in these young people. I understood their pain and knew where to hit where it hurt the most. Before they could react, I slapped Jessica several times. The moment Jessica mentioned my sister Rachel with a smirk, the rational thread in my mind snapped. She was the last piece of purity in my heart, and I wouldn’t allow anyone to tarnish it. Seeing Jessica about to fight back, Donna ran over, crying, and pulled me away. He gasped for air, spitting out blood. “You’re a lunatic car washer daring to hit me! You’re really insane! Donna, call Rose and have her bring people over to handle this…” Jessica’s expression was vicious, but Donna clung to his arm, pleading, “No… Blame me, I’m the one who owes him too much.” She fumbled to pick up her bag and searched through it. After a while, she found a card and handed it to me with her head down. “The password is the day we got together. I put some money in there—it’s a small compensation for you.” I clenched my fists, my words as sharp as knives: “Hope you two lock yourselves away.” With that, I took the card from her hand and walked away.

The card had $1.2 million. I withdrew the cash and went to another bank next door, eventually securing a decent annual interest rate. I put $200,000 on WhatsApp, and $1 million in the bank. In this 30-square-meter one-bedroom apartment, Donna’s things were everywhere. Although this place wasn’t small, it was quite remote. If it weren’t for Donna, I wouldn’t have rented it. Initially, I didn’t want to move in so soon with Donna, whom I had just started dating a month ago. But because she claimed to have bipolar disorder and feared being alone, I let my guard down. Even now, I can’t distinguish whether my feelings for her were out of love or guilt after learning she had the same illness as my sister. Maybe I thought by doing this, I could finally untie the knot in my heart. Speaking of which, she had a lot of stuff—couple mugs, matching outfits, and couple pillows, all bought by me. But seeing them everywhere was truly annoying, so I decided to pack them all into trash bags. I stared at the trash bags in the corner, my gaze slowly overtaken by the blackness, and gradually relaxed as I fell asleep. I dreamt of that afternoon again. I was coming home from work when I heard police and ambulance sirens. The sharp wails almost burst my eardrums. I stood among the crowd, watching my sister being carried onto a stretcher. The red dress she wore was as bright as blood, staining her pale wrists red. Her face was as white as jasmine, her long eyelashes drooping, just like when she used to wait for me to come home but fell asleep. But this time, she would never open her eyes again, never run over and sweetly say that her brother was finally home. A week later, I walked, step by step, towards my sister’s new home, holding an urn. My sister, she wouldn’t be coming back.

Tears soaked my pillow. I woke up crying, staring into a pair of glowing eyes in the dark. “Who are you?!” I screamed, turning on the bedside lamp, and the woman instinctively covered her face. It was Donna, still wearing a mask, holding the trash bag tightly in her arms. I rubbed my eyes, regretting not changing the password for the rented room. The couple mugs, pillows, and clothes I packed into the trash bag that afternoon were still there, hugged by her. “What are you doing with those?” Donna clutched the bag tighter, silently lowering her head. “Every piece here is a memory of ours. I can’t let go…” “Even worthless things catch your eye?” Sitting up in bed, I looked around for anything important. Now that we had broken up, I could just move out. Donna held the bag, fingers lightly stroking it, her voice filled with grievance and disappointment: “Dan, I know you don’t believe anything I say, but I truly only have you in my heart… No one has ever loved me as wholeheartedly as you do. I can’t live without you.” I shook my head, chuckling bitterly. The events of the afternoon played out like a cruel joke. “Enough, did you love me so much that you flaunted your affection with Jessica in front of me? Should I be cheering you on?” “Jessica wanted to drive to your place! I couldn’t stop him… And even if I was with him, I just made a mistake anyone could make. Can’t you forgive me a little?” Her words were laughable, and as I laughed, tears fell. The year I loved her most, I worked 13-hour days and could only afford one meal a day. Life’s abyss chewed me up until only bones remained. Thinking I could help her cure her bipolar disorder was sweet in my heart. “I can’t tolerate your deceit. The moment the lie was exposed, you became a thorn in my heart. Pulling it out will only make it bleed. But Donna, did you ever think that by using my sister’s situation to get close to me, you trapped yourself too?” “What are you talking about?” I didn’t respond, silently opening the door and waiting for her to leave. Her face turned pale, as if stung by my indifference. She clutched the bag tighter and walked towards the door. “Don’t joke about bipolar anymore. Your so-called joke might make it harder for real patients to face their condition.” Like Rachel’s tragedy, it would happen again. After a while, Donna nodded lightly. Then she pointed to the jewelry box on the nightstand, still remembering that ring. “Can I have this?” “Jessica will buy you a better one.” “I only want the one you gave me. Dan, we were so happy before. Do you really not want me anymore?” Her voice was soft, with a hint of desperation. I heard her muffled sobs, saw her trembling shoulders. I never imagined that Donna, the young heiress, would one day ask for my help. Knowing her pride and seeing her defeat didn’t bring me any joy. I just stood there silently. Understanding my refusal, she quietly took the ring before leaving. Donna’s eyes turned red as she looked at me. “Love me one more time, okay?” “No.”

After Donna left, I poured myself a glass of water. I took a few sips, and my mind started to wander. I kept refreshing my phone screen, flipping between different apps, but nothing seemed to make sense. Then, I noticed a flood of red notifications on my account. When I clicked to check, I discovered a slew of direct messages: “Loser, if you’re being ridiculous, go get help. Why are you bothering someone else’s girlfriend?” I frowned and clicked on the links. Someone had posted photos of me with Donna online, showing me delivering breakfast and gifts to her. Donna’s face was blurred, but mine was clearly visible. The post accused me of harassing the wealthy CEO Jessica’s girlfriend and demanded a public apology. As I scrolled down, my hand holding the glass began to tremble slightly. There were hundreds of comments criticizing me. “This guy looks decent but does such shameless things. Appearances can be deceiving.” “Don’t you see? He’s obviously trying to latch onto a rich girl to avoid struggling for years. But going after Jessica’s girlfriend is like hitting a brick wall.” A wave of dizziness hit me, and the cup slipped from my hand. The ceramic shattered on the floor, breaking into several pieces. I crouched down, desperately trying to piece it back together, but it wouldn’t return to its original form. This cup was a birthday gift from Rachel, the year she passed away, and she had made it herself. Rachel and I were twins. When we were ten, our parents died in a car accident, leaving us with only twenty thousand dollars. No relatives wanted to take us in; we were like unwanted burdens, tossed around in disdain. So, after graduating junior high, I started working to support my sister, eventually helping her attend a prestigious university. The cup had a white and blue gradient, and the little stars on it were crafted by Rachel’s hands. “Bro, I made this cup for you with my own money. Do you like it? My brother is so handsome, this fresh color suits you best! I will work hard to become successful and buy more and better things for my brother. I won’t be a kid who worries you anymore!” Her eyes sparkled, and I pinched her chubby cheeks, nodding with affection. Rachel, it’s alright. With your brother, you can always be a kid. At the bottom of the broken cup, there was some writing. After piecing it together, I found the number “907.” When Rachel gave it to me two years ago, there was no writing on the bottom. She must have added it later. I held the ceramic pieces, thinking for a moment, and then my gaze fell on the corner where my sister’s suitcase was. I slid the numbers, and with a click, the lock opened. Inside the suitcase, there were only four items: a pair of white ballet shoes, a photo of her practicing ballet, a journal, and a cell phone she used before. I gently touched the cover of the journal with Rachel’s name on it, picked it up, and opened it carefully. Starting from the beginning, the earlier entries were just daily records, including which boys confessed to her at school. Rachel was born with curly chestnut hair, a small, doll-like face. She even received an offer from a director. But perhaps because our parents left us so early, even with all the admiration she received from others, she never dared to face it directly and only opened her heart in her journal. After starting university, Rachel, who had practiced ballet since childhood, was recommended by the school to participate in major competitions. Each spin and jump on stage made her shine like a star. I smiled as I read the entries, but my smile froze when I saw a particular line. Because my sister mentioned Jessica’s name.

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James has always been deeply emotional. There was a time when I went to see a girl, and he nearly ran me over with his car. I couldn’t help but ask, “Do you really like her that much?” James replied with a chilling tone, “She would take a bullet for me, would you?” I laughed, “Of course not.” James had been hiding a lover behind my back for six months, and I had no clue. It wasn’t until a week ago, when I was dealing with my period, that he suddenly commented, “You never seem to be in much pain.” I was taken aback, and it dawned on me that this jerk must have someone else who suffers a lot during hers. So I casually remarked, “Dennie has been helping me with some remedies, just a few doses and I’m fine.” James didn’t flinch, just gave a nonchalant “Hmm.” Three days later, I went abroad, and he took that girl to the same place. When the photo reached me, it was too blurry to make out any faces. But James’s radiant demeanor was unmistakable. I’m not shocked that James would cheat. I’m shocked that he’s so invested. What kind of girl could she be? Out of curiosity, I returned to the country without informing James. I had Katy drive me to where James was hiding her. By chance, James was stepping out of his Cullinan, throwing his custom suit into the car, and putting on a cheap jacket. Then he added glasses, ruffled his hair, and picked up a laptop bag. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Is he trying to look like Kevin the programmer?” Katy kept her head down, as quiet as a mouse. Once James was upstairs, I opened the car door. “Wait here, I’ll go check it out.” “Lila…” “What are you afraid of? He can’t kill me, right?” ………… “And he won’t kill you either!”

Anyone would know that once I go up there and confront him, things between James and me could never be the same. Especially these past two years, our conflicts have only increased. Silent treatments, arguments, breaking things—it’s become routine. The most recent was half a month ago. I can’t even remember what sparked it. In the end, I threw a water cup at him. He could have dodged, but he didn’t. Let the blood run down from his forehead, his gaze icy cold. “Do you even resemble the person you used to be?” How absurd. If I’ve changed, hasn’t he changed too? He changes, and it’s justified. I change, and it’s unforgivable? I knocked on the door. James opened it, still wearing that gentle smile, looking inside. “Leave it, I’ll handle it.” He turned back, and the moment he saw me, his smile broke, his gentle gaze turning to ice. “Who is it?” A cute girl peeked out from behind James. Meeting her gaze, I was momentarily stunned. James shifted slightly. “You go inside first.” His deep, serious voice left the girl a bit confused. A smile crept onto my face unexpectedly. I quickly extended my hand. “Hello, I’m James’s colleague, here to discuss some work matters with him.” James glanced at me lightly, acknowledging my excuse. “You stay home; we’ll talk outside.” “Is it inconvenient? Did I disturb Mrs. Xie?” The girl blushed, waving her hands quickly. “No, I’m not Mrs. Xie, we haven’t…” “Not married yet? Then it must be soon. I’ll want a drink at your wedding.” The girl’s face turned even redder, shyly sneaking glances at James. My smile widened. “By the way, I’m Lila, what’s your name?” “Lily, nice to meet you!”

Lily, 19 years old, a student at Harvard, excellent in both character and academics. That’s all the information I could find. The rest was hidden by James. In the end, I still didn’t get into their house. Under James’s extremely cold gaze, I followed him down the stairs obediently. “How did you get here?” ………… “Why didn’t you tell me you returned to the country?” ………… “How long have you known?” ………… James took a deep drag of his cigarette. “What do you want?” I sneered. Finally, we were getting to the point. “What do you think I should do?” James tilted his head, looking at me. “It’s not as sordid as you think between her and me.” “She’s not well, I’m just taking care of her, that’s all.” I let out a casual “Oh.” “What if I don’t believe you?” James’s face suddenly turned gloomy. My warm demeanor disappeared completely. I got out of the car, slamming the door shut. “Lila.” I turned around. The next second, the roar of the engine filled the air. James gripped the steering wheel with one hand. As the car sped toward me, his gaze never left me. Watching my pupils dilate, my body stiffen. The screeching brakes. The car’s front stopped at my knees. Brakes engaged. My mind went blank for a moment, as if a thunderclap exploded in my ears. The car reversed, changed direction, and drove to my side. James looked up at me. “Don’t touch her.” This wasn’t a plea. It was a warning. “Lila, are you alright?” Katy stumbled over, her face ashen, eyes full of fear. As I collapsed, I suddenly understood it wasn’t my imagination—he really intended to kill me.

James was never a saint. He, a middle school dropout, has come this far by being ruthless to others and even more so to himself. When he was six, our deadbeat dad used the excuse of taking me out to secretly meet his mistress. They rolled around in the suite while James watched Tom and Jerry with me in the living room. I didn’t understand why there were those sounds coming from the suite. Curiously, I asked, “Brother, what are Dad and Auntie doing?” He turned up the TV volume and covered my ears. “It’s dirty, don’t listen.” He was only a year older than me but took care of me well. Not because he liked me. His mom told him if he kept me in line, she’d give him a hundred bucks. That was his weekly living allowance. At fourteen, my dad eloped with his mom. My mom set the house on fire. It was James who carried me out of the flames. Half his arm still bears burn scars. He had no money for school, so he dropped out and worked odd jobs. I smashed his place with a baseball bat and paid him two grand. He still didn’t go back to school, instead went far to collect goods. He used his first earnings to buy me a princess dress. That year, I was fifteen, he was sixteen. My mom went hysterical. “Your dad ran off with a whore, and you still want to be with the bastard she bore?” “You’re truly your dad’s spawn; I should’ve strangled you at birth.” I guess I should’ve sided with my mom. But, unfortunately, I was raised by James. In the years my dad was busy cheating, and my mom busy catching him, I lived like an outcast. James didn’t charge me. He might be filthy, but I had to be clean. He could be bruised and battered, but no one could touch a hair on my head. He wouldn’t let me tell anyone about us; he feared he couldn’t protect me. He feared my tears the most, awkwardly wiping them away. Fiercely telling me to hold them back. But later, when I truly stopped crying, he didn’t seem that delighted. “If you cried and made a scene, I’d give in to you.” “Why do you have to be so stubborn with me?”

I spent a day and a half in the hospital. Eric suggested I continue pretending to be out of it. “Alright then, hand me a pack of cigarettes.” “You can’t smoke in the hospital.” “Then I want to check out.” “Can’t you just quit smoking?” “Just like that? I might as well be dead.” Eric rolled his eyes, clearly fed up with me. “What’s going on between you and James?” “Normally, he panics over a scratch. But this time, he hasn’t even shown up.” I let out a cold laugh. “Finally curious enough to ask?” “Bet it was eating you up inside.” Evan burst into the hospital just as I was about to leave, almost running into me. He looked worried, his face a bit pale. “Hey, sis, are you alright?” “What are you doing here?” “Are you hurt anywhere?” “Who told you to come back?” “Where’s James?” “Have you finished what you needed to do?” “I’m going to kill him!” Not a single word I wanted to hear. I kicked his leg. He didn’t dodge, just took it quietly and even bent down to my level. “Sis, I’m sorry.” I gave him a light slap. “Did Katy tell you?” “No, I figured it out myself.” This kid is getting smarter and more capable as he grows. Daring to check up on me, huh? “How’s the situation in the South?” “They can handle it.” He still sounded a bit defiant. “I couldn’t just not come back.” I laughed in exasperation. “Alright, you win.” Evan followed me around, whining like a puppy. And then we ran into James. He looked indifferent, holding Lily’s hand. Guess they weren’t hiding it anymore. Evan froze for a few seconds, then charged forward furiously, but I kicked him back. Eric stood aside, his face changing colors rapidly. What a spectacle. “Lila, are you not feeling well either?” Lily’s innocent voice broke the tension. I smiled at her. “Just a minor issue. What about you?” She seemed a bit embarrassed. “I have a scar, wondering if it can be removed.” I realized, “With modern medicine, it’s not a problem. Pretty girls like you shouldn’t have any flaws.” Lily blushed. “You’re very pretty too, Lila.” James tightened his grip on her hand. “We need to leave, the specialist is waiting.” “Bye, Lila.” As we passed each other, James nodded politely at me. Such a formal nodding acquaintance. On the way back, Evan’s face was as dark as coal. I couldn’t help teasing him. “What, if I hadn’t stopped you, would you really fight James?” “Shouldn’t I?” “Not scared of him now?” He pressed his lips together. “Sis, you should break it off with him.” Ha! Naive kid.

I found Evan when I was twenty, in the hallway. He was eleven then, locked out by his biological father and stepmother. Wearing spring clothes in the dead of winter, shivering with cold, bruises all over. Clinging to my pant leg, murmuring he was hungry. So I took him home, made him a bowl of instant noodles, and added a sausage. Back then, things were tense between James and me. He didn’t want me involved in his affairs, told me to focus on my studies. But he kept getting hurt. I couldn’t stand it. Money, those few bucks, could really be life-threatening. I compromised with my mom, saying I broke up with James and would come home to inherit the family business. She mocked me. But she also knew, the shares my grandparents left were only mine to control. She hated me. But she needed me. She couldn’t do anything to me, so she recorded what I said and played it for James. James didn’t believe it. He believed in me. So he felt incredibly guilty. Guilty for not protecting me. Guilt turned into arguments. From arguing about things to arguing about feelings. Then making up. Over and over. Evan was an accident. I fed him on and off for half a year. James didn’t care, wasn’t bothered. But because he always had a cold face, Evan was afraid of him. Later, Evan’s father found out about our relationship. His murky eyes ogled me up and down, lust clear as day. Evan must have overheard something, he spent his last pocket money on a knife. Scared and desperate. I cooked him a bowl of noodles, took the knife away, told him not to worry about anything. I let the man into my house, tore my clothes, pinned me to the bed. I watched as the woman followed him. They fought, and the man stabbed the woman in the stomach. He fled in panic, taking all the cash from my safe. The newly installed surveillance recorded the whole thing. He was caught, sentenced heavily. To me back then, it was a perfect setup. James said nothing, silently applied medicine to my wounds. After a long time, he spoke. “You shouldn’t have used yourself as bait.” “What if something happened to you?” Those words stuck with me. But there was another sentence, which I understood years later. He said, “You’re filthy, go take a shower.”

When James came back, I was reading in the living room. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?” “Waiting for you.” A rather rhetorical question. He knew I was waiting for him. Just as I knew he would come back. For no other reason than I had Lily’s medical file. James paused while putting down his keys. He took off his tie and sat across from me. “What do you want to talk about?” His calmness was stifling. I looked at him quietly. “What if I told Lily everything?” James looked up, his eyes cold. “I told you, don’t touch her.” “What if I insist? What will you do? Run me over?” “Lila, I won’t hurt you. But I can hurt a lot of people.” That made my face go cold. As I stood up, the book fell to the floor with a dull thud. I picked up a baseball bat. “I won’t touch her.” “An arm or a leg, your choice.” James stood up. After a long stare, he extended his left hand. Without hesitation, the bat came down heavy. I heard the bone crack. James’s face turned pale, a muffled groan escaping. He gritted his teeth, looking at me. “Happy now?” “Get lost.” He cradled his arm, walking out. I couldn’t help but ask, “Do you really like her that much?” James stopped, blurting out. “She took a knife for me, can you do that?” For a moment, the air was completely still. I watched James’s tense back. He turned abruptly. Paler than before. His lips moved. “I…” I just laughed. Leaning back lazily. “Of course not.”

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My daughter is allergic to peanuts, yet my sister-in-law deceived her into eating something with peanuts. Without a moment’s hesitation, I flagged down a car to rush to the hospital. In a previous time, when my daughter had an allergic reaction, I called my husband in a panic. Although he was reluctant, he hurried back from my sister-in-law’s graduation ceremony. Unexpectedly, that night, my sister-in-law was attacked by a criminal and tragically lost her life. My husband calmly handled her funeral and told me it was just her ill fate. A year later, on the anniversary of her death, my husband poisoned my food. As I lay dying, I heard his spiteful words: “You wicked woman, you made our daughter have an allergic reaction on purpose to stop me from attending my sister’s graduation.” “You deserve to die, go and atone for her!” My daughter and I died with our grievances unresolved. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of my daughter’s allergy incident. I clutched my daughter, tears blurring my vision. The situation was critical, leaving no room for delay. I hurriedly carried my daughter downstairs. She was having a severe reaction, breaking out in hives and quickly going into shock. It was just like before. In my panic, I called my husband. He initially refused to return, insisting it was just a common cold. But my desperate cries eventually brought him back, though unwillingly. That decision led us to a dead end before. This time, I didn’t seek his help. Instead, I flagged down a car on the street. Halfway to the hospital, we encountered an Audi parked in the emergency lane. Other drivers avoided it upon hearing there was a patient inside, but this one wouldn’t budge. The driver honked furiously, but the Audi stayed put. “Damn it, this person is doing it on purpose,” the driver cursed. I was drenched in sweat from anxiety, my daughter looking ghostly pale. I could only provide her with some basic first aid. Then my phone rang. It was my husband, Ethan. “Aren’t you the schemer? Not calling me this time? Well, enjoy being trapped in the car!” I froze. The Audi blocking the way was Ethan’s doing. “Ethan, are you insane? That’s your own daughter in there, fighting for her life! Are you human or a monster?” He chuckled coldly on the other end, “Stop pretending to be pitiful. You think I don’t know your plan? Just trying to ruin my sister’s graduation, right? I’ve had enough of women like you!” My sister-in-law’s voice chimed in. “Sis, can’t you let me enjoy my graduation? I promise to give my brother back to you after this.” “Bastards!” I shook with rage. “We can’t move because of the car you called to block us. If you have any humanity left, move it!” “Spare me the act. You’re not getting your way today. I want you to feel what it’s like to be manipulated.” Ethan hung up. I looked at my unconscious daughter, tears streaming down my face. The driver was anxious, “Your husband did this? Tell him to move the car.” I wiped my tears and continued calling Ethan. This time, my sister-in-law answered. “Sis, my brother’s busy. Talk to me.” “Put him on.” “No can do, he’s really busy.” I screamed, “Tell him to move that Audi now.” She laughed softly. “No can do. He said you’d ruin my graduation if you got out. Just stay put.” With that, she hung up. The driver was desperate, trying to push past the Audi. But the Audi stubbornly stayed put, reversing into us. The driver cursed, “Son of a b*tch.” Left with no choice, he called the traffic police, but they were slow to arrive. I grew more frantic. “We can’t wait any longer. My daughter’s condition is critical. If we don’t get help soon, it’ll be too late.” Tears fell uncontrollably. In that previous time, my daughter made it to the hospital. Could things turn out worse this time? With no other option, I got out to confront the Audi driver. I ran over, knocking on the window. It rolled down, revealing a familiar face. It was Ethan’s childhood friend, Liam.

“Liam, please move the car. My daughter’s in danger.” He chuckled, shaking his head. I anxiously reached to pull him, but he rolled up the window, trapping my hand. I screamed in pain. “Are you trying to scam me?” Liam laughed maliciously. The other drivers were watching. Some began to speak up for me. “There’s a patient in the car behind, move yours!” “Yeah, you’re endangering lives.” Liam opened his door abruptly, causing me to stumble and fall. He enjoyed watching my misery. “Folks, it’s not that I don’t want to move. This lady’s daughter is fine.” “Her daughter just has a cold. She’s making a big deal to fight with her sister-in-law, using her daughter as a pawn.” After his words, others looked at me with disdain. I couldn’t bother explaining, trying to drag him to see for himself. He pushed me off with force. “Disgusting, don’t touch me. Why Ethan married a jealous woman like you, I don’t know!” “No, she’s really allergic. If you don’t believe me, go see.” I pleaded from the ground. The driver came down. “Move the car, the kid looks really bad, as pale as a sheet.” Liam frowned, then smirked knowingly. “I underestimated you, got someone to act with you.” His stubbornness and malicious assumptions made me furious, tears uncontrollably flowing. “Liam, this is a matter of life and death. How can you be so heartless? This is a living, breathing life. Aren’t you afraid of karma?” The crowd sided with Liam, some accusing me of wasting public resources. “People these days, making a scene over small disputes, using their kids as actors, it’s morally corrupt.” “Exactly, it’s too much.” I was desperate but couldn’t defend myself. My daughter’s condition worsened with every passing second. Yet, I was stuck here arguing with Liam. The driver pleaded with him, “Sir, you’ve misunderstood. The child really looks serious. Any more delay could be fatal.” Perhaps the driver’s earnestness made Liam doubt. He called Ethan. “What’s going on? Are you sure she’s not allergic?” “Of course not. I saw her coughing this morning. If she were allergic, would I leave her?” To convince Liam, Ethan lied. Liam nodded, satisfied, and hung up. He turned to us with more disdain. “Ha, you two act well. You think I’ll move the car? No way!” I lost control. Frantically, I tried to drag Liam to see my daughter’s dire state. “Go see her, see how bad it is.” Liam didn’t budge. Just then, a police car sped over with its siren blaring. The traffic police finally arrived. They quickly got out.

Understanding the situation, the officer sternly told Liam, “Sir, move your car immediately.” Liam tried to argue, pointing at us, “Officer, they’re scamming me, saying the kid’s allergic. It’s just a cold, they’re wasting medical resources.” The officer frowned, then looked at me. With tears streaming down my face, I pleaded, “Officer, please believe us. My daughter’s in critical condition. It’s urgent.” Realizing the gravity, the officer ignored Liam’s nonsense. He commanded other officers to tow the Audi from the emergency lane. Liam was taken away for obstructing traffic. Finally, we sped to the hospital. But upon arrival, I received devastating news. The allergy emergency equipment was under maintenance and unavailable. This sudden news hit me like a bolt from the blue, plunging me into despair. This didn’t happen before. Ethan must have had a hand in this. He’s one of the hospital’s investors. “How can this be? What about my daughter? She can’t wait!” Desperate, I clung to the doctor’s arm, voice breaking with tears. The doctor was anxious, “I… there’s nothing I can do.” I felt like I was falling into the deepest pit of hell. I rushed to the hospital, only to be met with devastating news. The hospital’s emergency allergy equipment was undergoing a comprehensive inspection and was currently out of service. This news struck me like a lightning bolt, plunging me back into a pit of despair. This never happened in my past life. Ethan must be behind this; he’s one of the hospital’s investors. “How could this happen? What about my daughter? She can’t wait!” I cried out, grabbing the doctor’s arm in desperation, my voice cracking with tears. The doctor was just as anxious, “I… I don’t have a solution.” It felt like I was suddenly trapped in a living nightmare. The doctor continued, worried, “We can try some basic medications to start an initial anti-allergy treatment for the child to ease her symptoms, but it’s just a temporary fix. Her condition is still very critical.” I looked at my daughter, unconscious on the hospital bed, her breathing shallow. Heart heavy with worry, I nodded in agreement. The doctors quickly got to work, frantically attending to my daughter. During this time, I made an urgent call to the relevant authorities. To make them take it seriously, I falsely claimed that the hospital was withholding the allergy rescue equipment deliberately because I had offended them. The department took immediate action, promising a swift investigation and a prompt response. Upon hearing this, I finally felt a glimmer of hope. Time crawled by, each second feeling like an eternity. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Ethan. “How does it feel to be played for a fool?” “Why are you doing this? You know our daughter has allergies.” Ethan’s low laugh echoed with malice, like a devil’s whisper. “So what? She’s a bastard. Don’t think I don’t know she’s not my child.” I was stunned. I had gone through so much to have this child through IVF, and he’d never believed she was his. No wonder he was so ruthless to me and our daughter in our past life. I pleaded in despair, “She is your daughter. Save her!” “Shut up, you witch. My sister secretly did a paternity test. That little bastard and I have no relation.” His sister, always his sister. Does she hate me and my daughter that much? Tears streamed down my face, a mix of anger and despair. “Ethan, do you really trust your sister that much?” “I only trust evidence. How can a paternity test be wrong? You and your bastard daughter can fend for yourselves!” He hung up. I collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by sorrow. Just then, the doctor rushed out from the emergency room. The doctor looked serious, “The child’s situation is very critical. If we still don’t have the allergy emergency equipment, she might…” The doctor didn’t finish, but I understood what he meant. As I was sinking into despair, my phone rang again.

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To prevent me from competing with my stepsister for the gold medal in the dance competition, my fiancé used a crane to lift me to the second floor and then threw me off. My brother was even more ruthless, hitting me with his sports car and sending me flying. I lay there, bleeding and crying, begging them to save my child. But my fiancé remained indifferent: “A child? It’s better gone. That way, you can focus on your sadness and not interfere with Nora winning the award.” I passed out, and when I woke up, I saw my stepsister’s social media post. She was on stage holding the medal that should have been mine, with my brother and fiancé protectively flanking her. The post read: “Thanks to my two princes for their protection, even a little princess like me, who doesn’t aim high, got the gold medal!” My brother and fiancé commented: “Anyone who stands in Nora’s way must perish.” I stared for a moment before silently liking her post. Nobody knows,I came here to complete the tasks assigned to me by the system. Now it’s time to leave. “System, I want to leave this world.”

[Host is about to complete the pain point task.] [The male lead and the second male lead will soon see the true nature of the female supporting character and awaken. Are you sure you want to abandon all your progress?] “Yes.” I lay in a pool of blood, softly murmuring: “I don’t want it. I don’t want my brother, and I don’t want Ezra.” “Ah—” As I spoke, a sharp pain pierced through me. I barely opened my eyes to see my brother, Gideon, sneering as he stomped on my stomach. “Save… the child…” My child… The pain contorted my face, yet my brother withdrew his foot disdainfully. “Playing the pregnancy card again?” “I told you if you dared to make Nora cry, I’d make you bleed. Have you learned your lesson now?” Ezra stood indifferent too. “If the child is lost, it’s for the best. I promised Nora that I’d marry you but only have children with her.” “Mabel, be good, don’t make things difficult for me.” “A little blood won’t kill you; reflect on it right here.” With that, they left without looking back. I watched their retreating figures, feeling the blood draining away beneath me. My body grew colder. My child… I’m sorry, Mom. I shouldn’t have. Maybe I was destined to be a lonely star. In my original world, I was an orphan. Ill and without money for treatment, I waited quietly for death. Then the system found me. It said that if I completed the predetermined plot tasks of the novel, the family in the novel would become my real family. Then, I would be the happiest person. I believed it and became the youngest daughter of the Gideon family, Mabel. At first, I was happy. My parents were loving, my brother cherished me, and Ezra and I were fond of each other. Until Mom died. Dad quickly brought back a woman, and with her, he only cared about her child—Nora. I hated them for making Dad forget Mom and my brother and me. Back then, my brother and I were united against them. Ezra promised he would love me forever. But promises were fleeting. I had been bound by family ties for too long, and at this moment. I suddenly didn’t want them anymore. As darkness overtook my consciousness, a cold familiar voice sounded: [Child successfully miscarried. Congratulations, Host, on achieving two-thirds of the pain point task.]

I was in the operating room for a day and night. After a week in the hospital, Ezra and my brother finally remembered me. Because the stepmother’s birthday was approaching, she wanted the family to reunite, so I was “brought” home. In the luxurious living room, Nora’s sweet and coquettish voice could be heard from time to time. A servant brought a birthday cake to the table, and Nora coyly said she made it herself and even hurt her hand, so they shouldn’t dislike it. Ezra grabbed her hand angrily, scolding her for hurting herself again. His expression was stern, yet he couldn’t hide the tenderness in his voice. Nora playfully stuck out her tongue. My brother looked at her with a face full of affection. Dad and stepmother smiled with kindness. My vision suddenly blurred, making it difficult to see. I reached up to touch my face, only to find my fingertips wet. “Sister finally came back.” “Today is Mom’s birthday. You won’t blame us for not waiting to eat with you, will you?” Nora saw me and smiled brightly, though her eyes shone with obvious provocation and ridicule. Everyone in the room turned to look at me. “Are you mute? Why don’t you speak when you come in?” Seeing me, Dad’s smile faded. Seeing me standing at the door motionless, my brother also impatiently scolded, “What are you standing there for? Don’t you see everyone waiting for you? When will you change your spoiled princess attitude?” I blinked, holding back tears, clutching my aching stomach, and limped over with my injured leg. Ezra saw my movements and frowned, “You’re hurt?” It might have been my imagination, but there was a trace of concern in his voice. My brother glanced at me and then sneered, “She’s pretending again. Ever since Nora came, she’s always like this.” Hearing this, the concern in Ezra’s eyes disappeared, replaced by the familiar disdain. “How long do you plan to keep this act up? How many times have I told you, Nora is just a young girl. She lost her dad, came with her mom to your house, and has been living cautiously. It’s normal for her to rely more on me and Gideon. You have everything. Why can’t you give her a little?” I gave a bitter smile. I have everything? Since Nora and her mother arrived, Dad became colder towards me, and my brother grew to dislike me more. Even Ezra, who used to be devoted to me, gradually sided with Nora. “Ezra, she lost her dad, but I lost my mom.” “Later she got a dad, and I lost my dad.” “Slap!” As soon as I finished speaking, the next second, Dad slapped me across the face. He glared at me: “Your old man isn’t dead yet!” But whether alive or dead, is there a difference? I held my cheek, silently weeping: “I lost my brother, my fiancé.” “And my child.” Ezra looked at me, and there seemed to be some reluctance in his eyes. Suddenly, Nora choked on her sobs. “Sister, are you blaming me?” “Sister, I’m sorry. Then I’ll just go die!” “Nora!” Ezra and my brother immediately rushed to embrace her. I watched the smugness in her eyes, watching their anxious faces. “Mabel, you never change.” “Falling from only the second floor, do you really need to play the victim in front of us?” I stared at him blankly, feeling the pain creeping in. Before, I would’ve cried and begged him to believe me. But now, I didn’t want to explain anymore. I closed my eyes, looking at my brother with one last bit of hope. “My leg is broken.” “The doctor said I can never dance again.” My brother didn’t even look at me, indulgently watching Nora: “That’s just as well. Nora won’t have to hide under the covers crying about you winning dance awards anymore.”

Nora shyly stomped her foot, “I never cried under the covers, brother, you’re so annoying.” Laughter from the family filled the hall. I stood there frozen, my vision starting to blur again. When I was in school, I won an award for dancing, and Nora cried all night. My brother threw away all my dance costumes and shoes, forbidding me to dance anymore. My heart grew colder with every beat. “Alright, let’s eat!” Ezra saw my expression, a hint of reluctance flashing on his face. He pulled me to sit next to him, “Don’t be stubborn. Once your leg heals, we’ll get married.” If it were the old me hearing this, I would’ve jumped up in joy and hugged him. But now, my heart was unusually calm. Nora gave me a look full of jealousy, quickly hiding her emotions, and smiled as she pushed the cake in front of me. “Sister, today is Mom’s birthday. It’s rare for our family to be together.” I lowered my gaze and spoke softly, “My mom’s been dead a long time. Her memorial day isn’t today.” Nora was at a loss for words. The stepmother graciously tried to smooth things over. “You child, your sister rarely comes back. As a younger sister, how can you not know to yield a bit?” My gaze landed on the stepmother’s neck, staring at the familiar and precious emerald necklace. Sensing my look, the stepmother straightened up and intentionally touched the necklace. That was my mom’s favorite thing. Once she was gone, it was safely kept in a safe. I never thought it would appear around the stepmother’s neck. “This is my mom’s. Why are you wearing it?” I lunged madly to snatch it away. The stepmother pretended to be scared and stepped back, yet when no one was looking, she whispered mockingly in my ear: “Your mom couldn’t win against me, and neither will you against my daughter. Everything you and your mom had will be ours sooner or later.” My eyes turned red, and I squeezed her neck tightly. Everyone finally reacted and rushed to separate us. The stepmother leaned tearfully against Dad. Dad, feeling sorry for her, pointed at me and cursed. “You rebellious daughter, your mom’s been dead a long time. I gave the necklace to your Aunt Fiona. If you’ve got a problem, take it out on me.” I rushed forward desperately, trying to snatch it away. My stepmother feigned fear and stepped back. But when no one was looking, she whispered mockingly in my ear, “Your mother couldn’t defeat me, and neither will you against my daughter. Everything that belongs to you and your mother will eventually be ours.” Fury welled up inside me, and I tightened my grip on her neck. Only then did the others react, rushing over to separate us. My stepmother collapsed into Dad’s arms, sobbing. Dad, sympathetic to her, pointed at me and shouted. “You ungrateful daughter, your mom’s long gone. I gave that necklace to Aunt Fiona. If you have a problem, take it up with me.” “Apologize to your Aunt Fiona, or leave this house. I don’t have a daughter like you.” My brother kicked my chair, “Mom and Nora kindly brought you back to reunite, and here you are causing trouble. Is that what you want?” I looked at him defiantly, my face pale. “That’s Mom’s necklace. Why should the other woman wear it?” “Brother, do you still remember Mom?” My brother froze. In a fit of rage, Dad flipped the table and threw a cup at me. “You rebellious daughter, get out!” Ezra and my brother immediately shielded Nora. Blood trickled down my forehead, blurring my vision, and dizziness overwhelmed me. Before I lost consciousness, Ezra rushed over and caught me.

I woke up the next day. I found myself back in the hospital, and the wound on my forehead had been treated. Turning my head, I saw a haggard, pale face reflected clearly in the window. I numbly removed the bandage, revealing a long, deep wound stretching from my forehead to my cheekbone, raw and bloody. [Congratulations, Host, on completing the task of disfigurement.] Touching my ruined face, my throat tightened. “Where are Ezra and my brother?” [Nora was frightened, and her depression relapsed. Your fiancé and brother are by her side, not leaving for a moment.] [And…] The system hesitated but ultimately said nothing, only comforting me: [Host, just hang on a little longer. No matter what they do, once you finish the abuse plot, they’ll realize you’re the only one they love. Then you can enjoy their love and live happily ever after.] Happily ever after, huh? I tugged at the corners of my mouth, saying nothing. I used to believe Ezra and my brother would eventually see through Nora and her mother’s facade. I compromised again and again. But now I finally understand. This so-called happiness is twisted. I don’t want this kind of happiness anymore. When I got home from the hospital, Ezra was resting with his eyes closed on the sofa. His expensive suit jacket was casually thrown aside. He looked utterly exhausted. As I got closer, I could faintly smell Nora’s perfume on him. Hearing my movement, he opened his eyes and looked at me in confusion. “Why are you back? Why aren’t you staying at the hospital?” I lowered my head and said nothing, trying to pass by him to my room. He suddenly grabbed my wrist, somewhat angrily asking, “Mabel, I’m talking to you. What’s your problem now?” My foot injury hadn’t healed yet, and his forceful tug made me gasp in pain. Seeing my gritted teeth, Ezra stood up and stared at me. “Is it because of your face, or are you mad about last time?” “It was just a small lesson. Is it really a big deal?” So, in his eyes, throwing me from a height causing a miscarriage and a broken leg, and forcing me to kneel and apologize to Nora was just a small lesson? I looked at him with red eyes, filled with grief and anger, “A small matter? You think causing my miscarriage and breaking my leg is a small matter? Is Nora’s mood more important than that?” That so-called small matter in his words killed my child and made it impossible for me to dance again. But just because Nora was upset, he was so anxious. Ezra had never seen me so out of control. After a moment of surprise, his tone became a bit impatient. “The doctor said it won’t affect your walking in the future. If you can’t dance, then don’t. Just be Mrs. Ezra after we get married.” “Miscarriage? Even if you never get pregnant again, Nora will have kids for you.” “Then you can raise her kids.” He frowned as he spoke, wanting to say more, but his gaze softened when he saw the scar on my face, “As for the scar on your face, just leave it. Don’t treat it.” “You’re prettier than Nora, which makes her feel inferior. Now that you’re disfigured, it’s just in time for my engagement party with her.” “You can be the bridesmaid, so you don’t steal her spotlight.” I stared at Ezra, dumbfounded. Even though I was used to his favoritism toward Nora, my heart still ached. “What am I then?” “What does our relationship mean?” Ezra moved his lips but remained silent for a long time before saying: “Just be good.” He seemed to want to say more, but his phone rang suddenly. As he answered, his expression grew more and more serious, and his gaze toward me became increasingly complicated. On the other end, I could hear my brother’s excited voice, “There’s hope; Nora can be saved… the same rare blood type…” My heart skipped a beat, and I felt a foreboding sense of doom. At that moment, the system suddenly shouted, “Host, run!”

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In the sixth year of my concealed marriage with Elaine, we decided to quietly part ways. He wanted to protect his young girlfriend from being labeled as a homewrecker. He said, “I want no one to know we were ever married.” I nodded silently and added an extra zero during the property division. Elaine’s expression shifted. “Is money all that matters to you?” he questioned. I laughed softly. “After all these years, you know me best.” Elaine ended up in the hospital from drinking too much. A nurse asked, “Who is the patient’s family?” Lily and I both stood up. “I am.” “It’s me.” The nurse frowned. “Who really is it?” Lily quickly stepped forward. “It’s me. Tell me whatever is needed.” The nurse explained the night care instructions, and Lily listened carefully. I glanced at Elaine. His breathing was labored, his brow furrowed, and the corners of his eyes were red, yet his lips were pale and bloodless. It had been years since I’d seen him like this. Alcohol tolerance can be developed, but it also depends on one’s constitution. Elaine, unfortunately, is allergic to alcohol. Lily, with tears in her eyes, warmed his hands. For a mistress to go to such lengths, it’s quite awkward for me, his lawful wife. I hesitated whether to leave when she spoke. “It’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t have drunk so much.” My assistant had already briefed me before I came. At the banquet, someone flirted with Lily and tried to drink with her, but Elaine intervened. The person mocked, “A man who won’t drink? You might as well be with me.” Elaine had long outgrown reckless behavior, but that night he lost control and started drinking heavily. Those who know Elaine understand he can’t handle liquor. But if he decides to drink his life away with you, you might not keep up with him. In his youth, such recklessness had landed him in the hospital several times. The last time was in the second year of our marriage. He was in the hospital vomiting blood while I got into a car accident on the highway. After that, he changed. Lily asked, “Leader Demi, did he protect you like this before too?” I was at a loss for words. “You take care of him; I’m heading back.” “Leader Demi.” Lily’s voice was urgent. She bit her lip as if making a decision. “I told Elaine I want to get married, and he agreed.”

Two days ago, I had to return to the office for something important. Passing by Elaine’s office, the lights were still on. Lily was sitting on Elaine’s lap, her arms wrapped around his neck, leaning into him. In a sweet voice, she said, “Elaine, I want to get married.” I don’t habitually eavesdrop, but her words made me stop. Elaine wore a lazy smile, his eyes half-closed, gently running his fingers through Lily’s hair. “Why, little girl, can’t wait to get married?” “No, it’s not that!” Lily pouted. “I just want to marry you. Will you marry me, Elaine?” I stood outside, watching Elaine through the half-open door. He was silent for a long time, the smile fading from his face. Quietly, he met my gaze. Then he softly said, “Okay.” “Leader Demi, Elaine doesn’t like you anymore; he likes me now,” Lily said confidently. She looked at me with a mix of nervousness and pride. I lowered my gaze. “Well, congratulations.” Elaine returned to the office the next afternoon. As soon as he entered, he called me over. Entering the office, I found him holding his head, pressing hard on his temples. The aftermath of a hangover, the migraine was acting up. “Sort out Julia’s project and hand it over to Lily,” he suddenly said, making me pause for a few seconds. “What?” He didn’t repeat himself, just looked at me intently. “Julia’s project is important, and Lily is new… So she needs a chance, a head start, a glamorous resume.” I stayed silent again. “Demi, I’m not discussing this with you.” Elaine struck the table heavily, clearly impatient. Taking a deep breath, I relaxed my clenched fists. “Fine. But I have one condition.” Elaine raised his chin, signaling me to continue. “Don’t change the original team, just replace the leader with her. The dividends and bonuses for the project members must remain unchanged.” “Fine, I agree.”

With Elaine’s confirmation, I turned to leave. I spent an hour and a half organizing everything and explaining the situation to everyone. Their looks were filled with pity, sympathy, resentment, and anger. I knocked on the table. “No personal feelings, don’t talk about so-called loyalty. It’s just work, do your job, get paid.” With my things in hand, I went back to Elaine’s office. Lily was there too. She was smiling, feeding Elaine cookies. Elaine doesn’t like sweets. Though he frowned, he reluctantly accepted. Seeing me, Lily quickly stood up. “You guys have things to discuss, I’ll step out.” “No need.” Elaine placed the cookie box in Lily’s hands. “Eat in the corner.” Then he looked at me, his tone unfriendly. “Remember to knock next time.” I didn’t knock? Seems like I didn’t. Habit. “There won’t be a next time.” “What?” I placed all the documents on Elaine’s desk. Meeting his suspicious gaze, I handed him the sheet of paper at the bottom. It was a resignation letter. Elaine paused for two seconds. When he looked up again, his eyes were cold. “What do you mean? Threatening me?” I paused. “You’re overthinking. The resignation letter was prepared a long time ago, just waiting for Julia’s project to finish. Now that it’s handed over, I’ve completed everything. Just the right time to resign.” Elaine glared at me, angry. Lily seemed scared. “Leader Demi, I won’t do this project anymore, please don’t be mad. I know I’m not qualified, I just wanted to learn from you. I won’t participate; it’s my fault. I apologize.” Elaine’s expression turned even darker. He pulled Lily close. “Do it if you want. No need to apologize to anyone. Resign, huh? The company won’t stop running without you.” Elaine picked up a pen and swiftly wrote his name at the end. He threw the resignation letter at me. “Get out.” I looked down at the paper at my feet. “One more thing.” Elaine’s face was tight, silent. “Since you and Lily are getting married, shouldn’t we end our marriage first?” Even Lily’s sniffles stopped. She clung to Elaine’s arm, looking at him with both nervousness and anticipation. Elaine seemed stiff. He slowly turned his head. “What did you say?” “I said, let’s get a divorce while we’re at it!”

Lily was sent out by Elaine. She was a bit reluctant but didn’t disobey him. She just gave me a hesitant glance before leaving. Elaine and I stood facing each other. He broke the silence first. “How long have you been planning this resignation?” “Half a year.” “So, you’ve been ready to divorce for half a year, right?” I didn’t affirm or deny. Elaine sneered. “Demi, what right do you have to ask for a divorce?” I looked at him. “Does it matter now?” “Yeah, it doesn’t.” Elaine took out a divorce agreement from the bottom drawer. “Name your terms. Just one thing. I don’t want people saying Lily climbed up as a mistress. So, no one can know about our divorce. Or rather, I don’t want anyone to know we were ever married.” I skimmed through the agreement’s content quickly. Nodding, I said, “Okay, no problem.” Then I picked up a pen and added an extra zero to the property division. Elaine looked at me mockingly. “Demi, is money all that matters to you?” I smiled. “After so many years, you still know me best.” That day, I packed everything and left the company. Some were gloating, some were reluctant to see me go. The most complicated emotions probably belonged to Lily. She seemed hesitant to speak, but her relief was visible. I nodded. “Sure, that’s fine.” I picked up the pen and added an extra zero to the asset division. Elaine looked at me with a sardonic smile. “Demi, is money all you ever think about?” I smirked. “After all these years, you still know me best.”

That day, I packed my things and left the company. Some people were happy to see me go, while others were sad. Lily, though, had the most mixed emotions—she seemed relieved but hesitant to speak. Back home, I felt a bit lost without work to occupy me. I spent the day feeling like a restless cat, unsure of what to do. In the afternoon, my assistant messaged me. “Elaine was like a fire-breathing dragon today, even giving the cold shoulder to his future boss lady. Leader Demi, I bet he’ll soon realize he’s made a huge mistake. If you find a good opportunity, take us with you! We’d love to follow you, hehe.” I chuckled. “Don’t overthink it. As long as Julia’s project goes through, the company’s future is still promising. At least you won’t miss out on your salary.” As for me— I don’t plan on working for a while. In the evening, Rose invited me out for drinks. Like clockwork, she asked every day. I replied: “Send me the location.” Her call came in the next second. “Wow, the workaholic is taking a break? Did Elaine go bankrupt?” Her lively voice made me smile. “So, are you inviting me or not?” “Of course, get over here! We’ve got a private room, drinks, and guys—all set!” I met Rose through Elaine, but we became unexpected friends. She’s one of the few who knows about my marriage to Elaine. So, when Elaine blatantly cheated, she was furious with him and eager to set me up with other men. In her words: “If he’s going to cheat, why shouldn’t you? Let’s see who’s got the better options!” By the time I arrived, Rose was already in full swing. Clutching a drink, she danced and cheered surrounded by six-foot male models. “Demi, over here!” She pushed the most handsome guy towards me. He was quick to catch on, pouring me a drink and calling me “sister.” I smiled and downed it in one go. “Alright, you guys can leave now!” “What do you mean? Demi, you’re such a buzzkill.” I rubbed my temples with a sigh. “It’s too noisy.” She winked at me. “I thought you were shy!” I raised an eyebrow. “Do I look that innocent to you?” “Definitely not. So why stay faithful to Elaine with his behavior?” Rose was blunt. “If he cheats, I cheat—it’s payback.” “Revenge is too strong a word; we’re not there yet. Besides, he cheated after we fell apart.” … “Does he admit that?” Rose sat up, her eyes bright with realization. “I think I’ve just figured something out.” I asked her what she meant, but she kept it mysterious. “Alright! Actually, I came to tell you that I’m going abroad soon.” “For what, a vacation? Business?” “School.” “What?” “I got accepted into a business school for my master’s.” “What about your job? And you and Elaine…” “I’ve already resigned, and as for Elaine, we’ve agreed to go to the registry office tomorrow.” Reaching this point with Elaine was almost inevitable. I always thought I didn’t feel much. But when Rose’s eyes turned red, I felt a pang in my heart. “Is he causing trouble again?” “No.” “Is he targeting you on purpose?” “No.” “Why are you resigning? He should be the one to leave!” Rose and I drank glass after glass. She criticized Elaine, feeling sorry for me and thinking it wasn’t fair. It seems love is the only thing where effort and reward don’t match. It’s strange; once in love, both parties end up feeling shortchanged.

I met Elaine in high school. He wasn’t supposed to be in our small town. But family changes forced him to transfer and live with his grandfather. Back then, he was rebellious. Not long after school started, he was among the first to be publicly criticized. Others at least acted humble when admitting mistakes. But even standing before the whole school, he remained nonchalant. I didn’t like people like him. Nor did I want to interact with him. Yet when he was falsely accused, I couldn’t help but stand up for him. From that day, he followed me, from school to my home, until I went upstairs. “Without me, you’d have been retaliated against by now.” “Good student, stay out of such matters in the future.” He didn’t care. Fighting, false accusations, misunderstandings, and punishments—he didn’t care about any of them. But when my dad’s fist was about to fall on me after hitting my mom, he rushed in, knocking him down. My mom screamed, supporting my dad, glaring at me and calling me a disgrace. Elaine froze. The next second, he grabbed my hand and ran. He made me a bowl of noodles. Cooked too long, it tasted bad. Too much soy sauce made it salty. The veggies were added too late, tasting bland. It was the worst noodles I’d ever eaten, but I finished every drop. In our turbulent youth, two lonely people, we warmed each other and pushed each other forward. But everyone opposed us. The school was against early romance. Elaine’s family looked down on us. “I’ve seen many reaching for higher branches, but never this young.” My mom’s eyes reddened with anger, hitting me and calling me a disgrace. Elaine was forcibly taken away, and I became the school outcast. But he escaped, bringing all his New Year’s money, injuring his leg. He said, “Let’s elope!” I hugged him, leaning against his head. “One year. “We’ll get into the same college. “Then no one can stop us. “Just one year.”

Elaine reached the office before me. I got out of the car, seeing him there, squinting, holding a cigarette, pressing his thumb against his temple. Noticing my gaze, he looked up and put out the cigarette. “Let’s go!” The divorce process went smoothly. The moment I got the divorce certificate, I couldn’t help but sigh in relief. “What about your stuff in the house?” “Toss it.” We turned and walked in opposite directions. There was still a lot left for me to handle. I called a familiar organizer to clear out all the male belongings from the house and pack the rest for storage. Midway through, a young girl came from the study with a 36-inch photo frame. “Sis, what do we do with this?” Inside the cracked, web-like glass was an enlarged red registration photo. Seeing the two heads leaning together, looking happy, I felt a bit dazed. This was hung at our bedside, replacing a wedding photo. We never took wedding photos, nor held a ceremony, just quietly registered behind everyone’s back. The reason was his family’s disapproval. If we insisted on being together, it had to be a secret marriage. I didn’t mind, but Elaine felt bad about it for a long time. At first, he said he’d make it up to me once he was established, making our marriage public. Later, he said it didn’t matter; as long as we were happy, who cared if others knew? Eventually, he smashed the frame, saying harshly, “I’m so glad I listened to my mom.” “Throw the frame away, shred the photo.” After handling everything, I boarded a plane abroad a week later.

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I hadn’t fully recovered after giving birth when my husband, Albert Decker, asked me to help set up a new home for his childhood friend, Emily Harris. “Who doesn’t know you’re the go-to expert for all things home-related? With your help, things will be much easier for us.” As I was finishing up the last few tasks, I suddenly felt a wetness in my pants, and the afterbirth began to trickle down my legs, pooling on the floor. Emily covered her mouth and exaggeratedly exclaimed, “What is that? How disgusting!” She bent over, pretending to gag, making the situation even more uncomfortable. Embarrassment and shame hit me like a wave, and I wanted to disappear. But Albert grabbed my arm, furrowing his brow deeply. “I asked you to help, not cause trouble. Is that what you’re doing?” It was Christmas Day, and he sent me home, leaving me to wait for him with the baby all night. It wasn’t until the next morning that he returned with hickeys on his neck. At that moment, I knew there was no future for me and Albert.

“Betty? Why aren’t you asleep?” Albert looked a bit puzzled when he saw I was still awake as he returned. It was just beginning to get light outside. At his words, I slowly looked up, staring blankly. When I saw the marks on his neck, I smiled faintly. “Why are you coming back at this hour?” I should’ve known, but I hadn’t expected it to be so blatantly right in front of me. Albert was momentarily taken aback when he heard my hoarse voice. He noticed where I was looking and instinctively touched the marks on his neck, awkwardly explaining. “I was helping Emily fix her fridge. I didn’t finish until late, so I just dozed off over there. I thought coming back would disturb you and the baby. The marks on my neck are from mosquito bites, so don’t think too much about it.” Mosquitoes in the middle of winter? After Christmas, no less? Didn’t he know better? My gaze grew colder, and I gently rocked the baby in my arms, muttering to myself. “The baby’s still so young… it’s not right for him to grow up without a father…” “Stop thinking like that. Don’t overthink it.” Albert tried to play dumb. I sighed inwardly, no longer willing to engage with him. I laid the sleeping baby in his crib and turned to head to the bedroom to rest. “Betty!” Seeing what I was doing, Albert suddenly came up behind me and hugged me tightly. I froze in place, and my whole body stiffened. Albert didn’t seem to notice, resting his chin on my shoulder. “You have to know, I love you.” “Let go of me!” I furrowed my brows, my voice laced with irritation. Albert didn’t let go, continuing to explain. “It’s just a little thing. You’re still upset about yesterday. I’m your husband now, you should at least be a bit more understanding. Emily and I haven’t seen each other in ages. And besides, you were the one who made a mess of her new place.” At that moment, I couldn’t hold back my anger any longer. I snapped at him. “Albert! Would I have embarrassed myself if it weren’t for you? You knew I wasn’t fully recovered yet and that my health wasn’t great, yet you still made me help her clean! And now you want me to be understanding? Do you have any feelings at all?” Albert sighed and put on an apologetic face. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I promise it won’t happen again.” I simply snorted in response. I had been married to Albert for three years, but our relationship had been distant ever since I got pregnant. I knew Albert didn’t feel much for me, but every time I thought about leaving, the thought would disappear when I looked at our child. He was still so small, and I couldn’t bring myself to be that cruel. But now, I couldn’t justify staying for a father like him. At that moment, the baby, who had been stirred by our conversation, started crying. I pulled out of Albert’s embrace and rushed to scoop the baby into my arms, gently patting him to calm him down. “Alright, Dennis, don’t cry. I’m here, don’t cry, don’t cry…” Albert was about to say something but was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. He told me to go answer the door, and when I opened it, Emily was there, looking upset. “Albert, I… can I stay over? I spent one night in my new house, but the formaldehyde is too strong, and I’ve got a terrible headache.” I walked closer, holding the baby, furrowing my brows, about to refuse. “If there’s too much formaldehyde, you should go stay at a hotel…” “Of course! Come in, Emily. You didn’t sleep well last night, did you?” My words were interrupted by Albert, who immediately greeted Emily warmly, pulling her into the house. Emily hesitated for a moment, then nervously glanced at me. “Is it too much trouble for you, Betty?” “Trouble? Don’t worry about it, it’s fine. Betty doesn’t mind.” Albert grabbed her suitcase and started pulling it inside, acting as if he had already made the decision for me, and kept throwing me glances. I felt completely drained. I couldn’t take another day of this. Chapter 2 “Who said I don’t mind? Why did you move in? Get out! This is my house!” I raised my eyebrows, saying and standing in the doorway to refuse. My gaze toward Emily was cold and unfriendly. Albert frowned again, stepping forward as if he was going to bypass me and enter. Seeing that I wasn’t budging, he sighed in frustration. “Betty! Why are you making this so difficult? Emily came to us because she really had nowhere else to go! Letting her stay here is just what friends do for each other! Why are you reacting like this?” “…Albert, don’t argue with Betty. It’s really my fault for troubling you, I’ll leave right away. Don’t fight, I’m fine!” Emily’s eyes reddened as she apologized and turned to leave, but Albert immediately grabbed her, soothing her. “Emily! What’s the problem? How long have we known each other? Of course, you can stay with us! I can’t let you stay in a hotel!” After calming Emily down, Albert turned to me in a low voice. “Betty, I know what you’re worried about. I swear, I would never betray you. Emily and I have been friends since we were kids. If something was going on between us, it would’ve happened a long time ago. How could I be marrying you if there was anything?” I was so angry I nearly laughed, my frustration boiling over. “Yes! If you two really have something going on, it’s not my place to marry you! Albert, don’t you feel any guilt saying that? You’re just making up excuses for your own cheating! Do you think everyone here is a fool, just buying into your lies?” “Is this all the trust you have in me?” Albert was shocked. I stared coldly at his face, my voice trembling with emotion as I responded. “Otherwise, what?” “…Do whatever you want.” Albert’s temper flared, too. He grabbed the suitcase and tried to push past me. I stepped back, directly facing his angry expression. “Betty! You’ll see whether I’m cheating or not! Don’t think that just because I gave you a son, you get to decide everything around here! Emily has to stay today!” Albert forcefully arranged for Emily to stay in the guest room. I was exhausted, too tired to argue anymore. I should’ve known this would happen. I wasn’t even sure what I was hoping for anymore. Maybe a small part of me still had some hope for our relationship. “Sorry to trouble you, Betty.” Emily followed Albert into the room, pretending to feel guilty as she nodded at me, but her eyes were full of smugness. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and thought to myself that I just needed to hold on for a few more days. Once the month-long recovery period was over, Albert and I would be done, and this painful marriage, which had tormented me for so long, would finally come to an end. After that, Albert and I sat in silence. I had thought that with Emily moving in today, he would find some excuse to be with her, but to my surprise, after showering, he came straight to the master bedroom. I lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. When his body heat neared my back, I tensed up instinctively. I wanted to pull away, and I even felt a slight urge to gag. I couldn’t believe I felt such strong disgust for him. “Darling.” Albert hugged me from behind, his hands starting to wander. “Don’t touch me! I just want to sleep today.” I rejected him bluntly, not even trying to spare his feelings. His movements froze for a moment, and I could almost feel his embarrassment. He sighed deeply and fell silent. But then Emily started causing trouble again. Without a word, she opened the door and walked out in her pajamas and slippers. “Emily!” Albert heard the noise and quickly got out of bed to chase after her. When he came back, he wore an apologetic expression. “Sorry, honey. Emily… she was sleepwalking. I need to go check on her in the next room.” A poorly executed excuse, but I didn’t stop him. “Go ahead, do whatever you want, Albert.” What I mean was, not just whatever with him, but whatever with them too! Chapter 3 The next day, Emily came over to apologize. She was all smiles, pulling my hand as she spoke. I quietly pulled my hand away, feeling disgusted inside. “Betty, I’m so sorry for making you sleep alone last night. Sleepwalking is an old problem of mine. I always lock the door and windows, but I just forgot last night. If you don’t believe me, I even have a doctor’s note.” She apologized with an almost pitiful tone, but there was a look of satisfaction in her eyes that couldn’t be hidden. Albert was standing by, ready to step in if I said anything difficult. “I know, you don’t need to explain it.” I responded flatly, which made both of them look at me in surprise, but they didn’t have an excuse to keep pushing. Albert seemed a little awkward, trying to speak a few times but never succeeding. I watched them both, feeling completely uninterested. Just then, the baby let out a soft cry. I stood up, moved past them, and went to warm up some breast milk without saying a word. Emily hadn’t just returned recently. From what I knew, she had probably come back from overseas as soon as my pregnancy started showing. By now, it had been at least half a year. They were nothing but liars. After an awkward breakfast together, Albert bought me breakfast, and we ate in silence. Then, I received a notification from the hospital about a follow-up checkup. “Albert, the hospital wants me to go in for a checkup.” I showed him the message, and Albert looked a little uncomfortable, rubbing his nose. “I need to do some cleaning at Emily’s place today. I don’t think I can go with you. You’ll be okay on your own, right?” “Fine.” I had a feeling something was up, so I didn’t push it. I gathered the things I needed for the baby and was about to leave. “Darling!” Albert saw the situation and called me back, looking at the child with some guilt. “Just leave Dennis with me, I can help take care of him. It’s quite a hassle to go to the hospital anyway, and you don’t want to forget anything or make the kid go through all that trouble too.” I was a bit stunned. I hadn’t expected him to offer to help with the baby. After all, in the past month since I gave birth, he had never once offered to help with the child. But considering the long distance ahead, I reluctantly agreed to his suggestion, giving him a few instructions. “The breast milk is in the fridge. You know the temperature he likes. Make sure to feed him in small amounts, and don’t give him too much at once.” “No problem, honey! You can trust me!” Albert replied confidently, so I left. The checkup went smoothly. The doctor said my postpartum discharge would gradually decrease, but I needed to pay extra attention to my emotional well-being, as stress could cause other issues. I thanked the doctor and was about to leave the ward when Albert texted me. [Betty! Dennis has been throwing up non-stop! What should I do?] [What?] In that instant, I panicked and told him to bring the baby to me immediately. When Albert and Emily brought Dennis over, the poor baby had already thrown up so much that he looked completely drained. Seeing Dennis’ pale face made me feel like I was going to collapse. Once they brought him in, the doctors immediately rushed him into the emergency room. For such a small baby, any issue could be life-threatening. Seeing Albert in a panic as well, I was furious. I stormed up to him and slapped him across the face. “What the hell happened? I was gone for less than two hours, and you let the baby get like this? Albert! Was this on purpose? He is our child!” Albert, stunned by the slap, covered his face and looked at me in shock. Chapter 4 “This… this… is…” Albert stammered, unable to speak properly. I grabbed his collar and dragged him to the window near the emergency room, fiercely demanding an explanation. After a few moments, he finally gritted his teeth and spoke up. “Well… I left the feeding task to Emily. She’s always been really curious about Dennis and likes him a lot, but it seems… she didn’t heat the milk fully. After he drank a bag, he started vomiting and having diarrhea.” “You let her feed our baby? What were you thinking? Albert! Are you out of your mind?” I was completely stunned. I released his collar and slapped him again, shouting in anger. “Albert! I swear to God, if anything happens to Dennis, I will never forgive you! I won’t let either of you get away with it! If something happens to him, you’ll regret it!” As I spoke, my anger boiled over, especially when I saw Emily standing silently behind Albert, wiping her tears. The resentment that had built up over the past six months exploded in a flash, and I immediately slapped her across the face. Amid Emily’s screams, I grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head into the wall, cursing at her. “And you, you bitch! Albert might not see it, but do you think I don’t? You’re trying to harm my baby! Emily, if anything happens to my child, the next one who’s going down is you!” Emily, hurt by the blow, choked and struggled to break free. “Betty! I didn’t mean it… I’ve never taken care of a baby before! I swear I wasn’t doing it on purpose! Betty! Let go! Someone’s going to get hurt!” Seeing me yell and hit Emily, Albert couldn’t sit still any longer. He rushed up and grabbed my wrist. “Betty! Emily didn’t mean it! The baby’s still in critical condition, so stop making a scene! It’s already happened, can’t you calm down for a second?” I turned around and slapped him again, in disbelief, accusing him. “Albert! You think the safety of our child is less important than me hitting Emily, right? Why can’t I hit her? Who does she think she is, that she can take care of our child?” “Enough! Betty! Calm down!” As more and more people gathered around, Albert, who had been slapped several times, finally lost his temper. He yelled at me in a voice so loud it made the whole room go quiet. Some nurses stepped forward, grabbing my arms and trying to calm me down, while other security guards helped control the situation and clear the crowd. I watched as Albert pulled Emily into his arms, shielding her, and suddenly felt weak. I no longer had the energy to argue. I just sat helplessly on the bench in the hallway, waiting for the doctor’s report. The doctor took a long time to finish the treatment. When he came out wearing a mask, I rushed forward and grabbed his hand. “Doctor! How is the baby?” Albert and Emily also stepped forward, anxiously waiting for the doctor’s news. The doctor took off his mask, and in the worried silence, he spoke softly. “The baby is out of danger now. Are you both the parents? You were so careless! The milk wasn’t heated properly, and the bacteria inside can sometimes be fatal for a baby.” Hearing the doctor’s reprimand, I nodded continuously, my eyes reddening, and only then did I relax. After the doctor left, Albert sat next to me and put his arm around my shoulders, trying to comfort me. “The baby’s out of danger now, sweetheart, don’t worry too much. I made a mistake. I won’t let it happen again. This is a lesson for me.” I pulled away from his arm and stood up, smiling faintly. “Albert, there won’t be a next time.” Albert froze for a moment, his brows furrowing as he asked, “What do you mean?”

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My wife’s assistant, Chris Green, suddenly posted a tweet saying that he no longer wanted to continue this unclear relationship. Yolanda Bowers, my usually indifferent wife, suddenly looked panicked. She rushed home and said to me. “Chris has really made a big mess this time. Let’s pretend to divorce for now. You can go back to your hometown for a couple of days, and when you come back, we can remarry, okay? “Don’t worry, it’s just a fake divorce. You, Matthew Castro, are still my true husband!” Seeing the urgency in her face, I nodded. But what she didn’t know was that my fate had already been tied to hers by the system. If I divorced her, I would leave this world forever and would never see her again. After I agreed, Yolanda took me straight to the courthouse. I remembered the last time I told her I wanted a snack. She took a few minutes to get it from the snack cupboard. At the courthouse, she held my hand tightly and said, “Matthew, trust me. Just seven days. I just need to calm him down for seven days, and then we can remarry, okay? “Once I’ve sorted things out with him, you can have anything you want!” I numbly nodded. She smiled brightly and pulled out divorce gifts. The things I liked were laid out in front of me, but I didn’t want to look at them anymore. These were just her tools to get rid of me and be with her assistant. I didn’t accept them. I quietly walked out of the courthouse. Her lovers had never stopped, even after we got married. Her assistant always changed, but it was always a handsome young guy. I had argued with her, even begged her, but after she soothed me, she would still act as she pleased. Eventually, I stopped caring. It was her nature, and no matter what, she wouldn’t change. As long as she still considered me her husband, I could bear it. But this time, her assistant seemed different from the others. It seemed like she had really fallen for this young guy who had just graduated. She would spend lavishly just to make him happy, leave me at home while she traveled with him, and ignore my calls just to avoid upsetting Chris. Now, to make Chris happy, she even came home and begged me for a fake divorce, planning to hold a grand wedding for Chris. Her heart had long since stopped being with me. I walked side by side with her out of the courthouse, and Chris had been waiting outside for a while. As soon as he saw us come out, he hurried over to Yolanda. “Yolanda, you’re finally out! I’ve been waiting for you forever. Let’s go!” He ignored the dark look on Yolanda’s face and quickly turned to bow to me. “Thank you, Matthew. It’s because you left that I got this chance. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of Yolanda!” Chris seemed ready to say more, but Yolanda stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face. “Shut up! Didn’t I tell you to stay in the car and not come out? “If you ever pull this again, just leave!” Chris looked down, covering his face, his expression filled with grievance and anger. “Yolanda, haven’t you two divorced? Why are you still protecting him like this?” Yolanda pressed her hand on Chris’ face and shoved him away. “I’ve warned you about this already. Don’t make me say it again!” Chris seemed to feel Yolanda’s anger. He turned and left, his voice choking and trembling. Yolanda looked at him for a moment, reaching out as if to comfort him. But then she pulled back. She stood in front of me as if protecting me. Once, Yolanda promised that no matter how she acted with others, she would never bring trouble to me. But now, she was panicking. When Yolanda looked at me again, her face turned pale and flustered. She spoke carefully. “Matthew, I’m so sorry. I didn’t expect him to run over like that. “It’s probably my fault for spoiling him too much lately. I’ll make sure to teach him a lesson.” I shook my head to signal that it was fine. It was not like I haven’t seen more upsetting scenes, so this wasn’t something I cared about anymore. I spoke to Yolanda. “Since he’s here, you should go be with him. You don’t need to worry about me. “I’ll just take a cab back, pack my things, and head to another place.” Yolanda froze for a moment, then slowly regained her composure. “Matthew, if you want to go anywhere, I’ll pay for it. Just go and enjoy yourself.” I nodded without saying a word and continued walking toward the door. After leaving the courthouse, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in my mind. “Matthew, the system has detected that you are divorced and separated from Yolanda. The mission is complete! “In seven days, you will pass away from illness and leave this world!”

Eight years ago, while reading a novel at home, I accidentally traveled to this world. I was bound to a companion system and ended up by Yolanda’s side. The system told me I needed to accompany Yolanda for eight years or help her achieve success and happiness. In those eight years, Yolanda’s happiness had long reached its peak, and with my help, her company thrived, eventually becoming worth over one hundred million dollars. But despite completing the mission early, I didn’t leave. During those eight years, I truly fell in love with Yolanda. I couldn’t bring myself to leave her. The system had told me I only needed to stay with her for eight years, and then I could remain in this world. I thought I would stay by her side until the end of my life. But, with only seven days left until the eight years were up, Yolanda suddenly filed for divorce. On the final day of the eight years, I would be sent back to my original world. With seven days left, I checked into a hotel for the time being. On my way back, I noticed billboards everywhere, filled with pictures of Yolanda and Chris, looking all sweet and happy. Even the news was full of stories about Yolanda and Chris preparing to get married and hold a grand wedding. I watched the two of them in their wedding attire, full of happiness, and it suddenly hit me. No wonder Yolanda was in such a rush to get a divorce. She was preparing a surprise for her assistant. I remembered when I first arrived. I followed the system’s mission and found Yolanda, and when she saw me, she instantly fell in love with me. From that day on, she vowed that I would be the love of her life. To be with me, she said she would do anything. And she kept that promise. She cared for me in every possible way, and every detail of my life had Yolanda’s touch. Back then, I truly felt she saw me as the only person in her life. Yolanda’s family didn’t want her to marry someone like me, a man with nothing. To get their approval for our marriage, she starved herself for three days and nights, and only then did her parents agree. At the wedding, she held my hand and swore to the heavens. “I, Yolanda, will love Matthew for life, forever and always!” But she didn’t keep that promise. I had just lay down when, without warning, blood suddenly surged up my throat. Seeing the blood on the sheets, I rushed to the hospital. It seemed that the illness the system planned for me over these seven days was going to be hard to endure. Surprisingly, the hospital couldn’t figure out what was wrong and just gave me some painkillers before sending me home. I couldn’t help but wonder how Yolanda would look when I finally passed away. The expression on her face would surely be something to behold. Of course, before I die, there was one more thing I need to do. I want to tell her parents to rest well and not to mourn for me. In this strange foreign world, they were the only ones who still treated me like family. Since my condition was beyond saving, I felt it was time they knew. Before I even reached Yolanda’s father’s house, I saw through the window that Yolanda had Chris behind her, glaring angrily. “Mom, Dad, Matthew has been busy lately, so I brought my assistant to visit you. You don’t need to throw the gifts!” Yolanda’s father pointed at her and cursed. “How could you! I’ve told you. I only accept Matthew as your husband! “Tell that damn Chris to get out! Get out of here now!” Yolanda’s mother was even more furious, clutching her chest as her face turned pale. “Your father’s right. Take him and leave! “Yolanda, Matthew has never wronged you!” Watching this scene, I felt a slight warmth in my heart. It was once Yolanda’s parents who refused to let me marry her, only agreeing after she starved for three days and nights. Later, to earn their approval, I often visited, cooked for them, and looked after their health. They slowly began to treat me like their own son. “I already discussed it with Matthew, and he agreed. “I’m not asking you to accept him. I just wanted him to meet you. Is that too much to ask? “Chris, let’s go!” Yolanda’s face turned red with anger, and she pulled Chris toward the door. This scene was almost identical to when she fought for me, back when she would do anything for me. But now, things have changed. I placed my medical report at the door and prepared to leave. Just as I was about to step out, Yolanda suddenly saw me, her expression paling instantly. “Matthew?”

Yolanda’s eyes flickered with panic. She probably didn’t expect to run into me here. But I just left the report at the door, turned around, and walked out without saying another word. It wasn’t until I was almost home that I received a message from Yolanda. [Matthew, I only brought Chris home today to introduce him to my parents.] [He kept insisting on a wedding, so I just let him meet my parents.] [But don’t worry, it’s just a fake wedding. You’re still my husband!] She typed quickly, as though she had been waiting to say this for a while, and the words came pouring out. This message certainly came later than the idea of a wedding. I didn’t know how long she had been planning the wedding with Chris. I also didn’t know how long I had stopped being her husband in her heart. All I knew was that in five days, I would never have to see Yolanda again. I wandered aimlessly down the street, my feet instinctively carrying me toward the café where Yolanda and I used to go on dates. Everything inside the café felt so familiar. But now, the two people sitting at the bar drinking coffee were Yolanda and Chris. He held a glass of wine, his arm around her. Both of them flushed, their eyes full of desire. “Come on, Yolanda, let’s drink another toast.” A toast? I stared at the two of them, my mind scrambling to remember this gesture. The memory shot back to our wedding day when Yolanda looked at me in her pure white wedding dress, her eyes full of love and gratitude. But after that day, we never had the desire to share a toast. I had tried countless times, but all I got in return was rejection. Yolanda refused to drink even a single glass of wine in front of me, but with Chris, she drank glass after glass. The two of them were completely engrossed in their interaction, not noticing me sitting nearby, but the coffee shop owner did. His gaze shifted between me and the couple, confusion and shock filling his eyes. Maybe, to others, we appeared like a happy couple, but only I knew how torturous this marriage really was. Chris followed the owner’s gaze and immediately furrowed his brow when he saw me. He set down his drink and walked over, his voice tinged with frustration. “Matthew, I just asked Yolanda to spend a few days with me. You don’t have to act like this! “I swear, I’m not trying to take Yolanda away from you. Please, just let us have a few more days together. Just a few, I beg you! “After that, I won’t bother you two anymore!” Yolanda, seeing me, had the flush of alcohol and desire fade from her face in an instant. “Chris, be a bit more polite to Matthew. Stop making a scene!” Hearing Yolanda’s words, Chris looked down and quietly returned to the bar, sipping his drink. Yolanda’s brow furrowed tightly as she gripped my hand a little too forcefully. “Honey, I’ve told you. He won’t shake your place in my heart. You’ll always be my husband! “After this fake marriage is over, we can remarry, okay? “But right now, just leave us alone. Don’t show up here again, alright?” Her voice grew louder and more desperate, almost turning into a scream. I wasn’t angry, nor was I pleading. Just like when she told me she wanted a fake divorce, I quietly nodded and turned to leave. Yolanda still wanted to say something, but seeing my silent demeanor, she opened her mouth and couldn’t get a word out. The greatest sorrow was when one’s heart died. When one gave up on someone, even the desire to be angry at them vanished. For the next few days, I stayed home, as the condition the system gave me kept me bedridden. Then, I received a message from Chris. [Matthew, today is the wedding between Yolanda and me. Are you coming?]

My legs were weak from the system’s condition, making walking difficult. I had to use a cane to get to their wedding. I couldn’t really describe my feelings about attending their wedding, but I thought it would be interesting if I collapsed in front of them. Most of the people at the wedding were Yolanda’s friends and family, and as an outsider in this world, I had no one to talk to. In this world, Yolanda was my everything. The guests looked at me with various expressions, some mocking, some pitying, others with disdain. I had seen too many of those looks already, and I had become immune to them. The internet was flooded with news about their wedding, and as Yolanda’s ex-husband, I was being discussed by countless netizens. I walked slowly through the wedding venue, taking in the surroundings. The couple stood in front of an arch of flowers, greeting their guests, all of whom had once blessed Yolanda and me. I couldn’t help but wonder how they would mock me today. I gave a self-deprecating smile. This was all my own doing. Behind the wedding stage, there was a deep blue lake with fluffy, cotton-like clouds drifting above it. The lawn was covered with Chris’ favorite white roses, and countless blooms surrounded Yolanda, who stood there in a beautiful wedding dress. When Yolanda married me, our wedding was simple. We were poor back then and had nothing. Yolanda had told me that she wanted a wedding like this. I promised her that once we had enough money, I would give her the perfect wedding she had always dreamed of. But we had just started making money, and before I could fulfill my promise, she was about to marry another man. Everything here was exactly what Chris liked, and everything here was bought with the money that Yolanda and I had earned together. Yolanda walked slowly toward Chris in her wedding dress, her face glowing with a happy smile as she looked at him. “Chris! You don’t know how many times I’ve imagined this moment!” Tears of joy welled up in Yolanda’s eyes as she gazed at him with deep affection. “Chris, marrying you has always been my dream, and today, I’ve finally made my dream come true! “My love!” Chris, too, shed tears, but his eyes were filled with ambition and smugness. “Yolanda, the moment I first met you, I fell hopelessly in love with you. Marrying you has been my dream for life!” After sharing their feelings, they embraced each other tightly. The crowd cheered, offering their blessings for the couple to be together forever. Eleven years ago, they had done the same for me. The atmosphere was filled with excitement, everyone eager to offer their well wishes to the newlyweds. I sat in the audience, watching the beautiful scene unfold, tears streaming down my face. Suddenly, Chris spotted me from the stage. He probably didn’t expect that I would actually show up, and a sly grin appeared on his face. He tapped the microphone to quiet the crowd and fixed his gaze on me. “I owe a lot to one person for being able to marry Yolanda.” All eyes turned to me as they had already read about me in the gossip columns. Everyone knew I was Yolanda’s ex-husband. They were all waiting to see what I would say, what kind of spectacle I would make at my ex-wife’s wedding. I looked toward Yolanda, but all I saw on her face was panic and unease. She quickly grabbed the microphone from Chris’ hand and whispered something in his ear, but her words were still loud enough for everyone to hear. “What are you doing? Didn’t I tell you not to provoke Matthew?” She turned around and looked at me, her eyes pleading. After being married to her for so many years, I knew exactly what that look meant. It was a silent plea for me not to say anything that would embarrass her. After all, she had planned this wedding for so long, and she didn’t want anything to ruin it. I gave a self-deprecating smile. I had taken care of her for so long, but she couldn’t even spare me the last shred of sympathy. She knew full well that I would be ridiculed when I stepped onto that stage. Amidst the boos and applause, I made my way to the stage and grabbed the microphone.

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In the restaurant, my husband Keith Beltran’s good friend spoke to him in a foreign language. “Isn’t Mildred you’re keeping pregnant? I bet Cynthia doesn’t know about it.” Keith shook his head lightly, his expression unchanged. “Cynthia said she wouldn’t accept betrayal. “If she ever finds out, she’ll vanish from my life forever, so I’ve kept it well hidden.” What he didn’t know was that not only had I learned foreign languages, but I was also planning to leave him. In just one month, I would disappear completely from his world. Keith chatted away with his friend in a fluent foreign language while carefully feeding fruit to me. He didn’t notice my slightly swollen, red eyes. He thought I couldn’t understand foreign languages, which was why he felt free to discuss his affairs right in front of me. What he didn’t know was that, over the years, I had learned multiple languages and was fluent in five of them. Even his casual conversations with his mistress, Mildred Clayton, always in another language, were all within my understanding. He’d been deceiving me for so long, but I had kept one secret from him, too. One month from now, I would erase all my information and leave for another country with a completely new identity. By then, no matter what methods Keith used, he would never find me. I looked coldly at the man I had loved for ten years. His face was the same, his features unchanged, but to me, he had become a stranger. Suddenly, everything felt so pointless. I didn’t want to play along anymore. I made an excuse to go home and rest. Just as I stood up, Keith did the same, saying. “You all have fun. I’m leaving, need to take my wife home to rest.” His friends sighed, clearly dissatisfied. “We’ve barely started, and now you’re leaving? This is no fun.” I let go of his hand, coolly replying, “Just have the driver take me home. Just stay and enjoy yourself.” Without giving him a chance to respond, I turned and walked out.

Outside the restaurant, the driver had been waiting for a while. As I got in, I realized that Keith’s coat was still draped over my shoulders. I told the driver to turn around. When we got back to the restaurant, a familiar figure appeared before me. It was Mildred, the woman Keith had been keeping for the past six months. She was wearing a black, tight-fitting dress that highlighted her curves, her high heels clicking as she swayed her hips toward the restaurant. My breath caught in my throat, and my heart tightened in pain. She walked into the private room and immediately sat down on Keith’s lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and speaking in a playful tone. “As soon as I got your call, I rushed over. I missed you so much.” Then, she pressed her lips to Keith’s, a brief, teasing kiss. Keith smirked, and his eyes were full of desire. He cupped the back of her head, pulling her closer as he kissed her with an intensity that seemed to want to consume her completely. Laughter erupted from the group. “That’s why Keith keeps a mistress. Mildred’s the perfect type, innocent yet so tempting. Who could resist her?” I stood outside the door, coldly watching the scene before me, my heart slowly numbing. They all knew about this, and they played along with Keith to deceive me. Meanwhile, I had been desperately trying to fit into their world, hoping to bond with them. In the end, I was just a fool. In my panic, Mildred had already climbed off Keith’s lap. She raised her glass, toasting the group with a drink, acting carefree as she downed it. A friend joked, “Keith, you sure know how to live. We’re all jealous of you. “I thought you’d stay faithful to Cynthia, but seems like even the innocent guy couldn’t resist Mildred at all.” When he heard my name, Keith’s smile faded, replaced by a cold expression. His tone turned sharp, carrying an unspoken warning. “I hope this stays between us. If it reaches Cynthia, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” The atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point. A friend slapped his chest and reassured him, “Keith, don’t worry. We’ve got your back. Cynthia will never find out.” “Yeah, don’t worry. As long as you’re careful, she won’t notice. Women are easy to deceive.” Their chatter made Keith’s furrowed brow relax a little. Trying to lighten the mood, Mildred suggested they play a game of truth or dare. The bottle spun, and whoever it pointed to had to tell the truth. After several rounds, it was finally Mildred’s turn. With a mischievous grin, a friend asked, “When was the last time you…?” Mildred playfully pouted and answered, “Yesterday, in Keith’s office.”

As soon as those words left her mouth, the room erupted in laughter and praise for Mildred’s boldness. Outside the door, I gripped the hem of my dress, my body trembling. Yesterday was our five-year wedding anniversary. I had cooked all of Keith’s favorite dishes myself. I heated the food again and again, only to get the message that he had to stay late for a meeting. To keep me from suspecting, he even arranged for his secretary to pretend to be with him. I remembered the day five years ago when he married me. He had raised my hand high, tears in his eyes, and loudly announced to the world, “I married Cynthia! She is my wife!” That day, he laughed and cried as if he had finally achieved his long-awaited dream. But in just five years, the boy who had made me feel like I had won the world now made me feel like I had lost everything. I couldn’t bear to watch anymore, so I turned and left. As I turned, I bumped into the waiter who was bringing the next dish. I signaled for him to stay quiet. “I don’t want anyone in there to know I was here.” Afraid he might blurt something out and ruin my plan, I slipped a few bills into his hand, feeling relieved once he took them. I wiped away the tears from my eyes and composed myself before walking out. The driver noticed Keith’s jacket still draped over me and looked puzzled. “Mrs. Beltran, haven’t you seen Mr. Beltran? You can wait in the car. I will take it to him. You look a bit pale.” I waved him off and tossed the jacket into the car. “He’s too hot right now for that jacket. I’ll take it back later. You can drive another car. I need to use this one.” I started the engine and drove toward the university, where Keith and I had spent our wonderful college years. For a moment, I could almost see that young, ambitious man again, holding my face in his hands, making a promise for a lifetime. He had said, “I’ll only love Cynthia in this life.” He had said, “Cynthia, I can’t live without you.” Keith, the one who broke his promise, deserved to swallow ten thousand needles. So, I would punish him. After a month, he would never see me again.

I sat alone on a bench by the lake for a long time until the night quietly settled in, and I snapped back to reality. Having been with Keith for five years, married for another five, ten years of love, it would be a lie to say I wasn’t heartbroken. But now, I felt strangely indifferent, no longer stirred by any emotion. Time was the best medicine. I stood up, ready to head back, but was suddenly hit by an electric bike. The intense pain made me lose consciousness. When I opened my eyes again, I was in the hospital. I had an IV drip attached to my hand, which helped reduce the pain in my body. When the nurse saw that I was awake, she spoke to me while changing my bandages. “Mrs. Beltran, you were hit by an electric scooter. Luckily, it’s not serious, just some minor injuries. A period of rest, and you’ll be fine. “Mr. Beltran is outside the room. I’ll go get him for you. When he heard about the accident, he was so worried his voice was shaking. He really cares about you.” As she said that, she started to head toward the door. I stopped her. “No need. Let him finish whatever he’s doing first.” The nurse nodded, didn’t say more, and left. The room was quiet except for my breathing. Even though Keith tried to lower his voice outside, I could still hear his conversation. “Is that true? I’ll be there right away.” His voice faded as he walked away. Struggling, I got out of bed, yanked the IV needle from my hand, slipped on my shoes, and followed Keith. He walked briskly, and in no time, we were at the obstetrics and gynecology department. Mildred, with her slightly swollen belly, rested contentedly in Keith’s arms, her face glowing with the happiness of expecting a child. Both of them radiated the joy of becoming parents for the first time. In the second year of our marriage, I told Keith I wanted a child, but he refused. He said he couldn’t bear to see me suffer through the pain of pregnancy and childbirth. He said he didn’t want anyone else to take away his love for me, that he wanted to love me with all his heart. But now, I could clearly see the joy on his face. He did want a child. He wanted to be a father. I couldn’t understand his conflicting feelings. At that moment, I even felt relieved that we didn’t have any children between us.

Keith finally saw me two minutes later. His smile immediately froze, and he hurriedly pushed Mildred aside. “Cynthia, what… what are you doing out here? How do you feel? Does it still hurt?” I looked at him steadily, trying to find a trace of the man I once knew on his face, but there was nothing. Now, he was mature and composed, no longer the passionate man who once loved me deeply. I shook my head. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. Just some minor injuries, nothing serious. The doctor said I just need to rest at home.” Keith seemed to sigh in relief and casually introduced the woman next to him. “Mildred is my business partner. She happened to be here for a checkup, so I came to visit her.” My eyes lingered on Mildred’s baby bump. “You’re pregnant? Why isn’t your husband here with you?” Mildred gently touched her belly and smiled, looking very happy. “My baby’s father couldn’t come today because he’s busy, but he loves me so much. He bought me a villa and even designed a special blue firework show for me. It will be launched all over the city to celebrate my pregnancy.” I smiled faintly. “Really? You’re so lucky.” Mildred became even more pleased with herself. “Mrs. Beltran, would you join us for dinner and watch the fireworks together?” At that, Keith’s voice turned low and cold, like ice. “There’s no need. My wife needs to rest.” With that, he wrapped his arm around my waist and carried me out of the room. Behind us, Mildred’s smile froze, and her eyes burned with venom as she stared at me.

Keith brought me home and took care of me carefully, though he seemed distant. I was too tired to face him, so I pretended to sleep. He seemed distracted all day. When he saw that I was asleep, he immediately went into his study. Suddenly, I received a text from an unknown number. It was from Mildred. [You’ve probably figured out that the baby in my belly is Keith’s, right? Why do you still cling to him? He doesn’t love you anymore. He’s with me on every important holiday. Everywhere you look, you’ll find traces of me in your life. Your man completely belongs to me now, so leave him. I will love him more than you ever did.] I let out a cold laugh and turned off my phone. At that moment, the sky was lit up with brilliant blue fireworks. It was the blue I once loved the most. Keith rushed in, covering my ears. “I’m afraid the sound of the fireworks will scare you.” I pushed his hand away and looked up at the sky full of fireworks. “These blue fireworks are so beautiful.” Keith gently patted my head. “If you like them, I’ll make sure they set off even bigger and more beautiful fireworks for you tomorrow. How about it?” I shook my head. “No need. I find things other people have used dirty.” Though I was clearly talking about the fireworks, a hint of panic flashed across Keith’s face. He held me tightly in his arms. “Don’t worry. I’ll design a unique firework just for you, one that’s only yours.” In the following days, Keith kept coming home late, using work as an excuse. I didn’t ask about his whereabouts, but Mildred’s messages never stopped. There were photos of Keith personally making soup for her. There were videos of Keith playing the guitar and singing for her during her pregnancy. There were pictures of Keith spending a fortune on collectibles just to make her smile. Each message seemed to flaunt the deep love Keith had for her. I never replied, pretending I hadn’t seen them. I had more important things to focus on, clearing all traces of myself from this home. On the first day, when Keith was busy making soup for Mildred, I shredded the nutrition plan he’d personally written for me. On the second day, after Keith bought a collectible for Mildred, I took off the necklace he had designed for me, the one with the crescent moon, and sent it to the auction house. On the third day, when Keith and Mildred shared a kiss under the moonlight, I burned all the love letters between us. On the day I left, Keith stood by my bed, his face tired. “Cynthia, why did you send the necklace I gave you to the auction?” I looked at him, my tone flat. “I grew tired of it. I don’t like it anymore.” He looked down and gently placed the necklace back around my neck. “Just wear it for now. When I have time, I’ll design a new one for you. That way, you won’t get bored of it.” As he spoke, my phone received a message. Keith asked, “Successful cancellation?” My heart skipped a beat at his words.

I grabbed my phone, quickly turned the screen down, and put it on the bed. Luckily, I had changed the password, so Keith could only see a few words. I pretended nothing had happened and casually said, “Nothing. I just canceled my membership at a dessert shop. Their products have been getting worse lately, not to my taste, so I decided to stop going.” Keith seemed to relax and pulled me into his arms, gently asking, “Cynthia, guess what I brought back for you?” I paused for a moment and replied faintly, “A cake.” Keith’s eyes showed a hint of surprise. “How did you know?” How could I not know? Back in college, whenever Keith made me angry, he would drive to a popular tourist spot to wait in line for two hours just to get me a cake. That shop was really popular, so it took him ages to get through the line. He never asked anyone else to do it. He would stand in line himself, just for me. When he appeared in front of me, holding that sweet, delicious cake, I couldn’t help but soften. Keith teased, “You are so easy to please, you don’t care for designer bags, just love cakes.” I pretended to be angry and lightly poked his forehead. “It’s not that I’m easy to please. It’s because I love you, and I’m willing to let you off the hook. “If one day I stop loving you, even if you kneel in front of me, I won’t even look at you.” Now, he still thought the same old tricks would soften my heart. But I no longer wanted to give him that chance. Keith carefully took out the box of pastries from behind him and placed it in front of me, like a treasure, his voice soft with affection. “I knew nothing could get past you. Your sharp nose catches every scent, doesn’t it?” I gave a wry smile. “You really can’t hide anything from me.” He looked down as if my words hit a nerve. He looked a little flustered. “Cynthia, I…” Seeing his panic, I couldn’t help but find it amusing. I took the pastries he handed me, placed them on the bedside table, and then got up to wash my face in the bathroom. When I came out, I noticed that Keith’s face had darkened. “Cynthia, are you still mad at me? I’ve been so busy lately, and I know I’ve been neglecting you. I haven’t spent enough time with you, but once I get through this, I’ll make it up to you, okay?” I stayed silent, and he grew more anxious. “Next month, I’ll take you to Dathia for a while. Don’t you want to see the ocean?” Next month? Keith, we wouldn’t have a next month.

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In my previous life, my mother suffered a massive hemorrhage after a car accident. I desperately pleaded with my brother to bring my adopted sister to the hospital for a blood transfusion to save her since they both had the rare blood type. But after the transfusion, my sister slipped away in the night and drowned herself in the sea. She left a note accusing our family of treating her like a human blood bank. My brother managed her funeral with an unsettling calm and assured me not to feel guilty. However, on my birthday, he forcibly took me to the hospital rooftop. “You’re so cruel. You caused her depression and even convinced Mom to go along with your act.” “You killed Bella. You should die to make amends for her.” Then he pushed me off the rooftop. I died with unresolved regrets. When I opened my eyes again, it was the day of the car accident. The loud crash brought my drifting consciousness back. I opened my eyes to see my mother shielding me with her body. My eyes immediately welled up with tears. This scene was so heartbreakingly familiar. In my last life, my mom protected me the same way, leading to her severe blood loss. “Mom, are you okay?” “Don’t worry, I’m fine.” But I could clearly see the blood gushing from her abdomen. How could she be okay? I held back my tears, pulled out my phone, and called for an ambulance. Then I pressed on my mom’s wound with trembling hands, trying to slow the bleeding. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my reflection in the shattered car window, a face full of determination. This was unlike the helpless me from before. In my last life, I was so scared and lost, only thinking to call my brother for help. He didn’t believe me at first and took a long time to come and take my mom to the hospital, causing her to miss the optimal rescue time. Although she survived, she was paralyzed from the waist down and had to rely on a wheelchair. The ambulance arrived quickly, and I went with my mom to the hospital. At the hospital, doctors rushed her into surgery. I waited outside, staring intently at the closed door. Before the doctor could say anything, I hurriedly posted a help request online, asking those with the rare blood type to come forward. I couldn’t rely on my brother and adopted sister anymore. The more avenues, the more hope. I still called my brother. “Mom had a car accident. She urgently needs the rare blood type. Bring sister…” “Are you still pretending? Are you so vicious that you can’t let her have a peaceful birthday?” My heart sank. “No, it’s true, Mom, she…” “Shut up! Mom is not seriously injured, and the hospital isn’t short of blood.” His voice was cold on the other end. “This time, I will protect Bella. I won’t let you bully her anymore!” At this moment, the doctor came out. He told me the blood bank’s rare blood type stock was insufficient and the situation was critical. My brother heard it too. He sneered. “Oh, you got other actors to join your show?” I was frantic. “Mom is in a massive hemorrhage now. It’s critical. She urgently needs the rare blood type. Bring sister to the hospital!” My voice was sharp with urgency, almost crying. “Sister, do you like bullying me so much? Can’t you let me have a good birthday?” I heard my adopted sister’s voice on the phone, full of doubt and feigned innocence. My heart sank further. “Still using Mom as an excuse? You just have to stir things up on her birthday.” My brother’s tone was cold and certain, convinced I was deliberately causing trouble. “Brother, I’m really not lying to you.” I was so anxious that tears welled up in my eyes, my voice trembling. “Enough!” my brother roared. “Do you think I’ll be fooled by you like before? You’re always like this, jealous of Bella, trying every way to trouble her. I’ll tell you, I won’t let you succeed again.” He hung up, leaving me holding the phone, listening to the cold busy tone, tears streaming down my face.

I leaned against the hospital wall, overwhelmed by a mixture of despair and anger. Just as I was about to lose hope, a message appeared in our support group chat. “Is it the city hospital? I have a rare blood type, and I’m nearby.” I wiped my tears and quickly responded. “Yes, yes.” “All right, I’m heading over now.” But five minutes later, I received several voice messages. When I listened to them, I heard the furious voice of a middle-aged man. “Are you kidding? Sending out false information just to compete with your sister?” “Do you think people have time for this nonsense? It’s insane.” “…” The rest of the messages were harsh criticisms aimed at me. I felt like I had been plunged into a deep freeze. How could this happen? Why would he… It must be my brother! It has to be him! Then came the scorn and ridicule from others in the group. “What kind of person jokes in a hospital support group?” “Kick her out immediately.” My body trembled uncontrollably. Anger, despair, and helplessness swirled within me, threatening to consume me. I stared at the phone screen, watching the relentless flow of accusations. My nails dug into my palms, yet I felt no pain. I hurriedly replied. “No, the patient is truly experiencing massive hemorrhage.” I also sent the hospital’s medical report. “It’s the city hospital; please believe me.” “I’m begging you, please come and save my mom.” For a moment, the group fell silent. Then different voices began to emerge. “Is anyone near the hospital? Can someone check it out? What if it’s true?” “Yeah, the medical report doesn’t look fake.” The middle-aged man with the rare blood type messaged again. “I’ll head over once more, hoping it’s not a trick.” I finally breathed a sigh of relief and thanked them repeatedly. While waiting for the middle-aged man, I kept searching my contacts for anyone who might help. Even if there’s just a sliver of hope, I wouldn’t give up. But after a series of calls, all I got were disappointing responses. Either they didn’t have the rare blood type, or they were too far away. I could only place my hopes on that middle-aged man. Who would’ve thought, hope would shatter again. He sent another barrage of voice messages. “I swear, I really want to kill someone. Is it fun to deceive me this many times?” I quickly replied, “No, I’m right at the emergency room door. If you don’t believe me, you can ask the doctor. It happened on Wall Street.” “You’re still lying. I just asked the doctor.” The man’s voice grew more agitated. “The doctor told me the Wall Street accident was minor, just superficial injuries, no need for a transfusion.” “No, that doctor is lying to you; he’s deceiving you.” As soon as I sent that message, I was kicked out of the group. I kept trying to rejoin, but the admin denied my requests. I tried several times, all denied. I couldn’t bear it anymore and collapsed, sobbing. That’s when Dr. Blair called. He’s a friend of my brother’s. “Stop causing trouble. I already asked the admin to kick you out.” “Your brother was right; you’ve been spoiled by your mom, resorting to such underhanded tactics just for jealousy.” “Your adopted sister is pitiful; please stop targeting her and let her have a nice birthday.” All my words caught in my throat, and I cried silently.

I was completely in despair until Dr. Blair hung up. Yet, my brother couldn’t let it go. “Alice Johnson, you never change, do you? Still spreading lies in the help group?” “If something happens to Mom, I won’t forgive you or Bella.” My voice, hoarse with resentment, barely managed to come out. On the other end, my brother paused for a moment before letting out a mocking laugh. “Really? After Bella’s birthday, I’ll take her back. This time, I’ll make sure Mom sets you straight.” “You’re so jealous; you should just move out. I don’t feel safe with Bella living under the same roof as you.” I listened numbly, unsure if the voice on the other end was truly my brother’s or some demon wearing his skin. He used to care so deeply for me, his little sister. But everything changed when Bella was adopted. Mom was always busy, jetting around the world for work. My brother took on the role of looking after both me and Bella. Whenever Bella shed a tear, he assumed I was the one bullying her. It happened so often that he began to dislike me more and more. Initially, I tried hard to explain myself. But my efforts only led to harsher scoldings and increased protection for my adopted sister. Now, with Mom’s life hanging in the balance in the operating room, my brother’s thoughts are on Bella’s birthday and pushing me out of the house. My hatred grew stronger. I hated my brother’s inability to see the truth, Bella’s deceitful nature, and my own past weakness… The light in the operating room remained on, each passing second pounding heavily on my heart. Just as I was about to succumb to despair, a call from an unknown number came through. I hesitated but answered it. “Hello, are you looking for someone with a rare blood type to save your mother? I’m a nurse at the city hospital and just saw your message in the group.” “Yes, yes, I’m looking for someone.” My voice was tearful. “Don’t cry, little sister. I found a former patient in the hospital records with a rare blood type. I’ll give you his contact info. Try reaching out to him.” Hearing this was like grabbing a lifeline. I quickly thanked the nurse and dialed the number she gave me. When the call connected, I urgently explained the situation through my tears. The person on the other end was silent for a moment before saying, “I can donate blood, but I need some compensation. After all, donating blood isn’t a small matter.” “I need a million dollars.” I agreed to his demand without hesitation. As long as it saved Mom, I would accept any condition. Ten minutes later, the person willing to donate blood showed up. I hurried with him to find the doctor, only to be suddenly stopped by Dr. Blair. “What are you up to now? Why are you causing a scene in the hospital?” The donor looked at me, confused. I told him to go to the blood center first, “The patient is Eliza. Tell the doctor you’re donating for her.” He nodded, a bit skeptical, and turned to leave. But Dr. Blair tried to stop him again. I wouldn’t let him block my way to saving Mom. Driven by desperation, I lunged at Dr. Blair, hitting him. Like my brother, he was used to hearing only one side. If it weren’t for his interference, Mom could have been saved by now. I hated him. My hateful gaze made Dr. Blair pause, momentarily forgetting to fight back until hospital security guards came to pull me away. More and more people gathered, including the hospital director. “What’s going on?” “Director, she’s the sister of a friend of mine. She’s just throwing a fit at the hospital to spite her family.” I wanted to punch him again, but the guards held me back. “Cora, you’re such a fool. If I wanted to spite them, why wouldn’t I crash Bella’s birthday party instead?”

Cora was momentarily taken aback but then continued with a defiant tone. “Your brother said your aunt had a car accident, and you used that opportunity to bring Bella over for a blood transfusion.” “It’s like you’re making Bella think she’s just a walking blood bank for the family.” “She’s already struggling with depression, and you’re trying to push her over the edge.” I let out a bitter laugh, tears forming in my eyes. I turned to the director and said, “You heard it yourselves. Dr. Blair at your hospital has been endangering patients’ lives and repeatedly obstructing my efforts to save someone.” “My mom was in a car accident and urgently needs a rare blood type, yet he misled the willing donors and even got the group admin to kick me out.” Dr. Blair insisted, “You’re a fraud. It’s not like I just met you yesterday. I’ve been to your house several times, and each time you were mistreating Bella.” The director was more composed. He quickly consulted with other doctors and nurses. A nurse quietly explained, “Director, this young lady’s mom indeed had a car accident with significant blood loss and needs a rare blood type. She’s currently in the emergency room.” Cora turned pale, murmuring, “Impossible, impossible…” The director stopped listening to his excuses and led the way to the emergency room. Cora followed behind. … The red light outside the operating room was still on, a stark reminder that this battle for life wasn’t over yet. I sat on the bench, finally able to catch my breath. Cora was so shocked that he was trembling, looking at me in disbelief. “How could this be… but your brother and Bella…” I ignored him, keeping my eyes fixed on the emergency room door. Cora, overwhelmed and in pain, kicked the trash can and kept trying to call his brother. After a long wait, the call finally connected. “What’s going on?” “Danielle, your mom is really in trouble.” “Heh, so even you were manipulated by Alice Johnson?” Cora punched the wall in frustration, “I’m in big trouble because of you. You’re celebrating your birthday at a time like this.” “Alright, I’m done talking. I’m going to cut Bella’s cake.” “You…” The call ended abruptly. Cora turned to me, looking defeated. His eyes were filled with regret. “Alice, I’m sorry. I was misled by your brother.” “I’ll add you back to the support group, and I’ll help clear your name.” I stared at him intently, “It’s too late. No matter what you do, I will see this through to the end. Your career is over.” “Cora, you’re a disgrace to the medical profession.” Cora froze, his face drained of color. In the past life, Cora wasn’t innocent either. He liked Bella and often aided her in hurting me. It was partly due to his help that my brother lured me to the hospital rooftop in the previous life. Just before I was pushed off, the hospital security happened to pass by. It was Cora who sent the guard away. I want them to face the consequences of their actions. I also want Mom to see the true nature of my brother and Bella. Two hours later, the operating room doors opened. “Congratulations, the surgery was a great success.” I finally smiled through my tears. Mom was moved to a private room, and she slowly woke up around nine in the evening. “Mom.” “Don’t cry, my daughter, as long as you’re okay.” “Mom, about my brother and them…” Mom raised her hand and gently caressed my cheek. “Don’t worry, this time, Mom will protect you.” “I’m sorry, my daughter, for not taking good care of you and letting you suffer for so many years.”

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The prettiest girl in our class, Vanessa Harper, sent a letter of complaint to the principal’s office, accusing me of embezzling class funds. The school immediately dispatched an inspection team and demanded that I hand over the funds. Even the counselor, Caroline Blake, tried to convince me to confess for a lighter sentence. I nodded and agreed to hold a class meeting to admit my actions. As I looked at Vanessa standing in the front of the room, I grabbed the microphone and spoke firmly. “You say I embezzled funds? Where’s the evidence?” I held a USB drive filled with payment screenshots, watching as a look of panic flashed across Vanessa’s face. Ever since I saw my father, who worked as an accountant, take the fall for his boss, I had understood one thing. When money was involved, you must keep records. It was this very lesson my father learned the hard way when he ended up in prison. From then on, for every single penny that passed through my hands, I made sure to keep meticulous records. My USB drive was full of dense Excel files, down to the exact minute and second. I could say that even a dog walking out of my USB drive would have its exact number of hairs accounted for. The reason for this meticulousness? I didn’t want to meet the same fate as my father. Little did I know that this caution would come in handy at this very moment. When the counselor called me into her office, I was still in the dorm room eating spicy snacks. Since I was the class president, going into her office was nothing new for me. So, I assumed it was just a routine matter. But when I entered, I found everyone with strange expressions on their faces. I thought something serious must have happened. In the past, whenever a student jumped from a building or attempted suicide, the teachers in the office looked about the same way. I had just walked up to the counselor’s desk when she slammed several books down with a loud thud. “Bertha, why did you embezzle the class funds?!”

Usually, I managed the class expenses. As a computer science major, sometimes the class would win prize money from competitions, and I would keep that as well. The goal was to ensure the class had enough funds for future events. Over time, the total accumulated amount reached tens of thousands of dollars. Caroline turned toward me, her face showing blatant disappointment. “Your classmates trusted you so much, and yet you did something so heartless. “Now, you’re going with me to the school’s inspection team to confess your wrongdoings.” Without waiting for my reaction, Caroline physically pushed me into the meeting room, the same one used for meeting parents. Just as the door was closing, the class teacher took a seat in the corner of the room. I looked up and saw the leaders sitting at the table. As I expected, they began by accusing me of embezzling public funds and lacking class pride and public morals. Then they lectured me about being honest and trustworthy. One of the leaders on the right pulled out a document and handed it to me, asking me to sign an apology letter. I looked around the room, finally breaking my silence. “I’m willing to confess, but it must be in the form of a class meeting.”

The school’s efficiency was faster than I had expected. In less than half an hour, they had quickly gathered all the students from my class. I stood at the podium, looking around. The students below were whispering among themselves. “Why is Bertha standing up there? Why is there a class meeting today? This is so annoying. I haven’t finished watching my TV show yet.” “Didn’t you hear? I heard Bertha embezzled the class funds and spent it all on herself!” “What! Embezzling is terrible! I haven’t stolen anything, so why should she get to?” “Being class president is the best. You can spend the class’ money however you want.” “I told you not to elect Bertha as class president. She has a scheming look. If it were me, I’d have picked Vanessa. She definitely wouldn’t embezzle!” When I saw Vanessa sitting eagerly in her chair, I finally figured out who had reported me. It could only be her. She had run against me for class president and lost with only half the votes I received. Since then, she had been making trouble for me. For example, at class meals, she would deliberately sit at the same table as me, then enthusiastically mingle with the other students, either serving food or toasting, all while bossing around. Or in class, she would always sit right in front of me, as close to the teacher as possible, trying to show off her studious nature while overshadowing me. The most memorable instance was during gym class when she would choose a spot at a comfortable distance from me, chatting with the boys around her. Thanks to her looks, the boys quickly gathered around her. Vanessa seemed like a victorious peacock, strutting past me proudly. My roommate saw this and whispered to me, “Why does she look like a turkey, sticking out her butt all high and mighty?” While I understood Vanessa’s almost twisted sense of victory, that didn’t mean I had to accept it. I tapped the microphone to check the sound. The class quickly fell silent, clearly curious about what I would say. “Today, one of my classmates reported me for embezzling public funds. “Normally, I would need to prove my innocence. “But according to Article 67 of the Civil Procedure Law, the person making a claim must provide evidence. That means whoever makes the claim must prove it. “You say I embezzled, but where’s the evidence? Vanessa?” A wave of murmurs spread throughout the class. I watched Vanessa’s face flash with a hint of panic, and I couldn’t help but sneer.

Vanessa clearly hadn’t expected me to call her out in front of the entire class. After receiving curious looks from the surrounding students, she stood up and met my gaze. After a brief moment of fluster, Vanessa quickly regained her composure. She tilted her chin, acting unfazed. “What evidence? All the students here are my witnesses. Don’t think you can fool us by quoting the law. “Bertha, the money is in your hands. You spend it however you want. Over the past two years, our class has won plenty of competition prizes, but I’ve never seen where that money went. “You say you didn’t steal, but who’s going to believe that?” Her tone became more and more certain as if she had personally witnessed me spending the class funds. Other students, who didn’t know the full story, were taken aback by what she said. Soon, whispers filled the room. “Don’t you think Vanessa might be right? Our class has a lot of money. Who knows where it all went?” “Yeah, the whereabouts of the money haven’t been revealed in two years. I didn’t really pay attention. I didn’t expect Bertha, of all people, to steal class funds.” “It’s not necessarily true, though. Vanessa is just speculating. No one knows if the money was actually spent like that.” If this were anyone else in this situation, they might be afraid of being misunderstood by their classmates. But not me. I scanned the room, making eye contact with every student below me. Finally, my eyes landed on Vanessa. “Vanessa, I said ‘show me the evidence,’ not tell me your opinions. “You’re not giving an award speech. You need to provide real evidence of my embezzlement. Understand? “If you didn’t hear me clearly, I don’t mind repeating it again.” Vanessa’s beautiful face cracked with frustration, and she nearly lost her composure. She raised her voice instinctively. “If you didn’t steal the class funds, then where did you get the money to buy designer shoes and bags?” “We’re all students, so we can’t possibly afford that with our living allowance.” Vanessa said this with a smug look on her face, completely oblivious to the awkward expressions of some of the students around her, who found her comment strange. Though everyone’s living allowances were about the same, not everyone had the same family background. Vanessa couldn’t blame the others for living off their parents just because she couldn’t do the same. As for me, I was waiting for exactly this moment. I lowered my head, leaning toward the microphone. “Vanessa, did you actually see me use the class funds to buy designer bags and shoes?” Her question caught Vanessa off guard, but she refused to let go of the opportunity to put me down. She responded confidently, “I didn’t see it, but that money definitely wasn’t yours.” At that moment, I almost burst out laughing at Vanessa’s stupidity. If it weren’t for being on stage, I would’ve applauded her. There was no evidence, just wild assumptions. When questioned, she had no idea about anything, but she reported me without hesitation. Such a beautiful face, yet such a foolish mind. I held back my laughter and quickly turned on the computer. Then, I pulled a USB drive from my pocket and plugged it into the computer. Soon, a bunch of folders appeared on the screen. The students below gasped in surprise. “What the hell? What am I seeing? There are hundreds of Excel files! Even a pro wouldn’t produce this many!” “Bertha always seemed quiet. Who could have imagined that she’s secretly a workaholic?” “Aren’t you curious what’s in there? I’m dying to know.” I bypassed the Excel files and opened a folder labeled “Video Files,” which contained the footage from the part-time jobs I had done. When I worked part-time, I was afraid the boss might exploit me and not pay, so I always filmed videos as proof. “Today is September 8, 2023. I’m at Star Zoo cleaning up parrot poop. The parrot is small, but it poops a lot.” “Today is November 30, 2023. I’m at New Century Amusement Park as a mascot, preparing to hug any handsome guy I see.” “Today is December 16, 2023. I’m in Movie Town playing a side role. Just stuck on a fake beard, ready to harass tourists.” And so on. After playing several videos, I opened up the screenshots of the payments I received for those jobs, including the name of the boss, hours worked, and other details. I ignored the class’ stunned silence and directly questioned Vanessa. “You want to know where my money came from? Well, time to take a good look.”

As soon as I finished speaking, the entire class erupted into laughter. “Oh my God, Bertha looks all quiet and reserved, but she’s really out here living it up with side gigs!” “Who even keeps such a meticulous record of their transactions in Excel?!” “Did Bertha predict that someone would try to slander her? This looks like it was planned.” “Well, Vanessa definitely seems like she’s just making stuff up. Bertha doesn’t look guilty at all.” The room buzzed with excitement as everyone discussed my side jobs. Meanwhile, Vanessa stood up, visibly out of place. Seeing all the attention shift toward me, Vanessa’s face went from pale to a shade of deep red. She clearly hadn’t anticipated that I would have taken on such a variety of side jobs during my free time, nor that I would have kept detailed records, even taking videos of my work and screenshots of every payment. She quickly regained her composure and was about to speak up, but I didn’t give her the chance. “Vanessa, you’re claiming I used class funds to buy luxury shoes and bags,” I continued, “But the truth is, I earned the money myself.” I paused, giving her a pointed look. “Even if I didn’t have side jobs, my family could support me. Does buying expensive items mean I must have stolen or misused funds?” The students who had previously looked uneasy at Vanessa’s remarks suddenly started clapping. “Exactly! Just because someone doesn’t have money doesn’t mean they should assume others are stealing! “What a loser. Always thinking that the others are as filthy as her.” My roommate was among the clappers. I’ve introduced her to several part-time jobs, and she wasn’t going to stay silent now that Vanessa had slandered me. Afterward, she gave me a wink of encouragement. Vanessa, unable to handle the backlash, started to lose her cool. Typically, she liked to maintain a soft, agreeable image in front of the class. She made sure to be overly friendly, especially during events, so that she could earn a reputation as being approachable. This had led her to believe that she was the center of attention. Now, with her true nature exposed in front of everyone, she couldn’t contain her anger any longer. “Stop making wild accusations!” she yelled. “You have no idea what kind of person I am! Do you think I’m just going to let you slander me like this? “Even if Bertha did work to earn money for luxury goods, that doesn’t prove she didn’t use class funds. The money’s all in her hands, and she can say whatever she wants. “Do you even know where our money is?” Her voice, raised in frustration, echoed throughout the room. The students winced, clearly disturbed by her outburst. After a moment of silence, they started exchanging looks. Some seemed to think Vanessa had a point because the class funds had never been accounted for. Others still felt something didn’t add up and wanted more clarity. But the majority seemed to be waiting for me to explain. After all, Caroline was present, along with a few department leaders. This class meeting had a formal tone, and the stakes were higher than usual. Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Caroline stepped in. It seemed that the evidence I’d presented had swayed the room in my favor, as Caroline’s tone was more measured now. “Bertha, as a class officer, you set an example for everyone. Now that a classmate has raised doubts, it’s your responsibility to present evidence for everyone to see. “Whether or not there has been any misappropriation of funds, justice will prevail. I’ll never wrong any innocent student.” Caroline then turned to Vanessa. “Vanessa, calm down. If Bertha really misused class funds, I will not condone it. We will take appropriate action, as we cannot tolerate any improper behavior in this class.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295583”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #励志Inspiring