Author: Momo Chan

I had been married to James Sullivan for two years, and he spent almost every day in the lab doing research. Everyone around me joked, “James is just focused on his research, that’s why he’s not good with words when it comes to you.” Until the day I rushed to his research lab to deliver some documents, I saw him holding his widowed mentor in his arms. His usually cold and indifferent tone was full of pleading: “Professor, can’t you just look at me?” It turned out that he wasn’t bad with words, he just had someone else in his heart. I had been married to James Sullivan for two years, and he spent almost every day in the lab doing research. Everyone around me joked, “James is just focused on his research, that’s why he’s not good with words when it comes to you.” Until the day I rushed to his research lab to deliver some documents, I saw him holding his widowed mentor in his arms. His usually cold and indifferent tone was full of pleading: “Professor, can’t you just look at me?” It turned out that he wasn’t bad with words, he just had someone else in his heart. I didn’t cry or make a scene, I calmly proposed a divorce. On the day we got the divorce agreement, his mentor was shocked: “How come the house and car all go to you in the divorce?” I smiled: “I’m sorry, but these were all my pre-marital assets.”

Outside the window, it was pouring rain, but inside, the two people were kissing passionately. The documents in my hand scattered on the floor. I was soaking wet and trembling as I witnessed this scene. On this rainy day, I discovered that my husband had forgotten to bring the test data he had stayed up all night to prepare. He had taken the car, and taxis refused to pick me up. So I ran all the way to the subway station with an umbrella, and after several transfers, I finally made it here. But unexpectedly, I stumbled upon an intimate moment between James and his mentor. After the kiss, they laughed softly. Sarah leaned into his arms and said gently, “James, are you sure about this? Being with me will bring enormous pressure.” James pondered for a moment before making a firm promise. “I’m sure, I’ve been sure for a long time.” “I’ll go home in the next few days to discuss the divorce. I won’t let you be without a proper status, Sarah.” Sarah seemed touched and raised her head to initiate another kiss. Her face, though lined with wrinkles, was still graceful and charming. No wonder James had loved her for so many years. Watching their intimate gestures, I felt nauseous and sick to my stomach. I threw the documents into the trash can and turned to go home. I don’t remember how long I walked, I only remember the sharp, continuous pain in my chest. My clothes were soaked through, and my delicate skin was scraped by the gravel. In front of me and our friends, James always appeared rational, calm, and a man of few words. Even when I complained to my friends about his neglect and coldness towards me, they would just comfort me: “Isn’t that just how Dr. Sullivan is? He’s a science nerd, his mind is full of research data. It’s normal that he’s not good at expressing affection. Actually, he treats you quite well.” That’s what I used to tell myself too. When we argued and he left me alone at the restaurant; When I had a fever and was sick, but he still had to go to the lab to do research; Even when my grandmother passed away and I was crying my eyes out, he just frowned and said “Death is a part of life.” That’s how I comforted myself. He didn’t have many complex emotions, and wasn’t the simplicity and purity what I loved about him? But today, when I caught James unable to control his feelings for his mentor, I had a sudden realization. The so-called emotional stability was just indifference all along. When faced with the person he truly loved, he was passionate and humble. Having been caught in the rain wearing thin clothes, I quickly developed a fever. I could barely open my eyes due to the heat, and vaguely heard James coming home. At this moment, I had no strength to argue, so I just wrapped myself tighter in the blanket and turned over. James quickly walked around the house and then rushed into the bedroom, pulling me up. “Mia, where are the data documents I worked on last night?” “I left them on the desk and told you not to touch them. Where are they now?” It was cold outside the blanket, and I shivered, gritting my teeth to barely squeeze out a voice: “I don’t know.” My body was burning hot, and my face was pale. These signs of illness were impossible for him not to notice. James quickly let go of my wrist, his eyes full of contempt and disgust. “You don’t even know about such a small thing at home, what use are you?” “Mia, tell me, what are you good for?”

It turned out that in James’s eyes, I was uneducated, unambitious, didn’t understand his research and dreams, and was a pedantic and ignorant existence. Before, I had been deluding myself, using his cold personality as a shield for his obvious disgust. But now, I didn’t want to fool myself anymore. “James, if you don’t love me, if you despise me, even hate me, why did you marry me in the first place?” When I shouted this sentence with all my strength, I was already in tears. He remained silent for a long time, perhaps not expecting this reaction from me. After all, I had always been submissive. Because I was always the one chasing after him. I lost my strength under his calm gaze, suddenly feeling it all pointless. “Let’s get a divorce.” “I can’t go on like this anymore.” I wiped away the tears from the corners of my eyes and lay back down in bed. James stood behind me for a while, but still chose to leave. Hearing the sound of the front door locking, I fell into complete despair and pain. The high fever didn’t subside even after taking medicine. I forced myself to take a taxi to the hospital. While queuing for medicine after getting an IV, I saw a familiar figure. James was holding a little girl, with a lollipop in his other hand, his eyes showing a gentleness I had never seen before. His wife had a fever and he wasn’t by her side, so what was he doing at the hospital now? I was filled with anger, wanting to rush over and question him. But I stopped in my tracks when I saw Sarah. She had gotten the medicine and wanted to take the child from James’s arms. “I’ll hold her.” But James stubbornly refused to let go, his eyes flashing with worry and care. “Sarah, why are you being so formal with me?” He lowered his gaze and smiled at the little girl: “Besides, Emma and I hit it off right away. Looking at her… it’s like looking at my own child.” Sarah understood the implication in his words and blushed with a smile. They looked at each other, their eyes full of affection. Emma, the little girl, hugged James’s neck and started to act coy, kicking her little legs. “Mommy! I want Uncle James to be my daddy.” “This child!” Sarah pretended to be angry, but just stroked her hair, with no trace of blame in her expression. This scene looked warm and beautiful, really like a family of three. If only that man wasn’t my husband. My hands and feet gradually turned cold, and in the heat of summer, I felt as if I had fallen into an ice cave. A doctoral student and a university professor, both highly educated, yet here they were, engaging in the despicable act of adultery. All that education seems to have gone to waste. I lowered my head and laughed coldly, raising my hand to wipe away the cold tears. At the same time, the lobby began to call my name. “Ms. Mia Quinn, please come to Consultation Room 2 to collect your prescription.” I saw James’s body stiffen, and then nervously look around. Finally, when his gaze met mine, his face turned ashen. He slowly loosened his grip, and Emma in his arms slid down. She was still struggling, grabbing onto James’s clothes and refusing to let go. Sarah’s originally somewhat reproachful expression disappeared the moment she saw me. She turned pale and fled in a panic, dragging Emma along. I leisurely withdrew my gaze and went to the consultation room to get my medicine. When I came out, James hadn’t changed his position, he hadn’t come over, nor had he gone after them. I approached him first. “Shall we go home?”

On the way home, James drove with a tense face, not sparing me a single glance. I sat on the sofa, watching James, who usually stood so straight, now slightly hunched over. Looking at his somewhat devastated expression, I felt a bit of satisfaction in my heart. I was anticipating his emotional outburst after I discovered his extramarital affair. Perhaps he would kneel and beg for my forgiveness, or maybe he would be furious at being exposed, or perhaps he would frantically ask me to cover for him, after all, he valued his reputation above all else. But none of what I had imagined happened. James just exhaled heavily, his jaw tightened, and he said in a deep voice: “Mia, it was all my fault. I forced Sarah into this. Please don’t blame her.” “I’ve loved her for nearly seven years. She has always been the person I admire and respect the most. Sarah has lived a clean and upright life for half her life, I can’t let her reputation be ruined by my hands.” “I’ll agree to any compensation you want, even divorce, but please don’t go after her.” Even now, James still didn’t show the slightest emotional fluctuation towards me. He wasn’t angry or in tears. He just calmly appeared before me, asking me not to trouble his beloved. At this point, our marriage was truly a failure. Three years of dating, two years of marriage, and James not only didn’t love me, he didn’t even care about me at all. Even though I was his wife who had been through thick and thin with him, even though I had been by his side during every difficult day. I was just like a fool. The dull pain in my heart turned into a sharp knife twisting, making it hard for me to breathe. My breath caught, and I struggled to hold back the tears that were about to fall. “Divorce, and then—” “Get out of my house.” Such a person is not worth my lingering affection. The divorce proceedings were quickly completed, and James and I walked out of the civil affairs bureau. Emma eagerly let go of Sarah’s hand and ran over to jump into James’s arms. “Uncle James, can you be my daddy now?” “Mommy said that once you’re divorced, you can live with us properly.” What a twisted view, and she’s even passing it on to her daughter. I looked up and made eye contact with Sarah in the distance. She nodded slightly, her eyes as clear as water, with a warm and charming smile on her lips. But her eyes couldn’t hide the challenge. As I passed by her, Sarah whispered softly. “What does it matter that you’re young? James has been thinking about me, a married woman, for so many years. As soon as my husband passed away, he couldn’t wait to become single again, wanting to give me a proper status.” I laughed silently, looking closely at her already cloudy eyes. “Sister, you’d better take good care of yourself.” “After all, James is only 27, and you’re almost 40.” “You—!” Sarah glared at me angrily, but immediately changed back to her gentle demeanor when James approached. “James, I’ve taken the car keys. You should move your things out of the house as soon as possible.” James nodded, thoughtfully adjusting Sarah’s collar. “What?” Sarah exclaimed in surprise, staring at me with an unfriendly expression. “In your divorce, is James leaving with nothing? How come the house and car all go to you?”

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At my birthday party, Ethan couldn’t stop praising his friend’s model girlfriend. Then he turned to me as I was eating cake, his words dripping with sarcasm: “Stop eating! You’re as fat as a pig!” “When are you going to lose weight?” “The wedding dress I ordered for you only fits someone who weighs 187 pounds!” In that moment, I didn’t want to marry him anymore. At my birthday party, Ethan’s friend Jack brought a gorgeous model girlfriend. Her skin was like porcelain, with a waist you could wrap your hands around. When they walked in, all eyes were on her. Even the usually serious Ethan couldn’t help but stare. Jack boasted proudly: “This is Lily, my girlfriend. As you can see, she’s obviously a model.” The crowd erupted in cheers and teasing. “Jack, who knew you had it in you to date such a beautiful girl!” “Be honest, did you trick her somehow?” Jack laughed, his eyes challenging as he looked at Ethan sitting next to me. “You guys are joking. How could I compare to Ethan? His girlfriend is a graduate student.” Ethan’s face immediately darkened. He and Jack were childhood friends, growing up in the same neighborhood. Their elders had always compared them. Ethan’s family was in politics, he had good grades and a steady personality. Jack’s family was in business; he was a troublemaker who relied on his family’s money. So in all the comparisons growing up, Ethan had always come out on top. But this time… Ethan gripped my hand and stood up, his smile stiff: “There’s no point in comparing. What’s best is what suits you.” “By the way, which university does your girlfriend attend?” Now it was Jack’s turn to be embarrassed. He opened and closed his mouth without saying anything. Lily stepped in: “I started working after high school, I didn’t go to college.” With those words, the atmosphere in the room froze. Ethan’s friends all came from good backgrounds. Even those with poor grades were sent abroad by their parents to study and came back with a shiny degree. Luckily, at that moment the waiter came in pushing the cake, breaking the awkward silence. Everyone started singing “Happy Birthday” in unison. Oh right, I was the star of the day. After I made my wish, Ethan eagerly started cutting and distributing cake to everyone. He especially cut the biggest piece for Lily. Lily waved her hand: “I need to maintain my figure, I can’t eat sweets.” Ethan sighed: “You’re already so thin, it’s okay to eat a little sometimes.” But Lily still politely refused with a smile. Strangely, Ethan seemed glued to that spot, taking a long time to return. The cake in front of me gave off a sweet aroma. Thinking about how I had been on a diet for a month, avoiding all my favorite foods, just waiting for my birthday as an excuse to indulge a little. I couldn’t resist using my finger to scoop up a bit of frosting. Just as I put it in my mouth, Ethan turned around as if he had radar and glared at me. “Weren’t you on a diet? Why are you still eating! You’re as fat as a pig!” “When are you going to lose weight?” “The wedding dress I ordered for you only fits someone who weighs 187 pounds!”

Being yelled at in public, I was stunned for a few seconds. A friend next to me smoothly tried to defuse the situation: “Ethan’s just joking, he said he likes you best when you’re a little chubby.” “You guys are getting married soon? Congratulations!” Ethan also realized his reaction was over the top. He walked over and held my hand, his tone softening: “Mia, I didn’t mean it like that. Didn’t you say you wanted to lose weight recently? I’m afraid you’ll regret it after eating.” I held back my anger, not wanting to make a scene. After everyone left, I looked at him with cold eyes: “Ethan, do you think I’m fat?” With the stress of grad school, I had gone from about 130 pounds to 165. It’s easy to gain weight, but hard to lose it. Ethan avoided the question, handing me his phone which showed a weight loss meal plan. “I just got this from Jack’s girlfriend. If you follow it, you’ll definitely lose weight.” So that’s why he was sitting there for so long. I let out a cold laugh. “Ethan, you do think I’m fat. You’re embarrassed to be seen with me in front of your friends.” “That model girlfriend who’s 5’9″, I can’t compare to her.” Ethan softened his tone. “It’s all for your own good. We’re getting engaged next month, don’t you want your once-in-a-lifetime engagement to be perfect?” “That wedding dress is custom-made, it’s too late to alter it now.” “Besides, didn’t you ask me to keep you accountable?” Thinking about it, I had put in a lot of effort to fit into that wedding dress. But his attitude just now still made me feel uncomfortable. I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. After comforting me a bit more, Ethan drove me home.

Back in my dorm room, there was a birthday cake on the table from my parents. The card urged me to eat well and take care of myself. Seeing this, tears inexplicably fell. Looking at my chubby figure in the mirror, I sniffled and decided to give the cake to others. I only kept the little chocolate figurine made to look like me. The next morning, Ethan was waiting at the bottom of my dorm building as usual. As I walked over, I noticed his hands were empty and his face was gloomy. “What’s wrong? Where’s breakfast?” Since I started dieting, Ethan had been calculating the calories for my two meals a day. To encourage me, he ate the same meals. Ethan replied with a hint of sarcasm: “You ate chocolate last night. That one piece of chocolate is equal to a whole day’s calories. You shouldn’t eat anything today.” “If you can’t commit to losing weight, just tell me straight. I’ll return the wedding dress right away!” With that, he walked off on his own. Leaving me standing there bewildered. How did he know? I chased after him, grabbing his hand to explain. “Ethan, I did keep a piece of chocolate, but I didn’t eat it. I can go up and show you if you don’t believe me!” Seeing my sincere attitude, Ethan didn’t say anything more. He looked me up and down, hand on his chin in thought for a moment, then surveyed me again. He exclaimed: “I know what you’re missing now!” “What?” “A goal.” Saying that, he took my phone and fiddled with it for a while. When he handed it back, the lock screen had changed to a photo of a slim model. “Mia, look at her every day and imagine your body will be like hers after you lose weight.” “After our engagement party, we’ll go to the Maldives for vacation. By then your body in a bikini…” As Ethan vividly described the scene, I suddenly felt like he was a stranger. It reminded me of when we went to a water park. He insisted I wear a skimpy bikini and wanted to show me off to his friends. It was only after my repeated refusals that he finally gave up. His reluctant expression at the time… I suddenly felt nauseous and interrupted his fantasy: “Ethan, I just remembered I have something to do. I’m leaving first.”

Over the next few days, Ethan seemed obsessed, sending me photos of different models every day. The implication was encouragement. Once when I opened the chat, I saw he had quickly deleted a photo. Though he deleted it fast, my sharp eyes still caught that it was Jack’s girlfriend. A woman’s intuition told me this wasn’t an accident. One day, I saw a timed alarm on Ethan’s phone. It was a reminder for him to attend a classmate gathering that night. I deliberately asked him: “Do you have plans tonight?” His expression froze: “My advisor wants me to attend a meeting tonight to discuss the topic for the next paper.” I smiled without exposing him. However, shortly after he left, I suddenly received a text from an unknown number: [Ethan is in Room 306 at the Grand Hotel.] After hesitating for a long time, I decided to go take a look. Through the crack in the door, I saw Ethan. He had dressed up specially and was wearing the shirt I bought him. He used to complain it was too flashy and refused to wear it, but now he was happily wearing it? It was supposed to be a classmate gathering, but most people had brought their girlfriends. Jack had his arm around Lily as he sat next to Ethan: “Where’s your girlfriend?” Ethan downed the drink in front of him: “She’s busy with school, no time to come. Not like your girlfriend who can be with you all the time.” His expression was very dejected. Anyone who didn’t know better would think he’d been dumped. Jack patted him on the shoulder with a smile “Looks like dating a genius means being alone a lot. You might as well be like me and find someone without much education. Give her a few thousand a month to keep her, and she’ll stick to you like glue.” “It’s impressive to bring a grad student girlfriend out, but girls with too much education have too much autonomy. It’ll be hard to control her in the future.” Listening to this speech from outside the door made me want to vomit. Satisfying themselves by putting women down. I thought that no matter how much of a jerk Ethan was, he wouldn’t be like that. I waited for his rebuttal. But Ethan’s words made my heart go cold. “You have a point. Why don’t you have your girlfriend introduce someone to me?” Jack clearly hadn’t expected this answer. After freezing for a few seconds, he patted his chest and promised: “Leave it to me!”

Almost simultaneously, I pushed open the door and entered. Seeing me, Ethan hurriedly stood up, his tone nervous: “Why are you here?” I walked over and questioned him: “Didn’t you say you were going to a meeting?” Embarrassment flashed across Ethan’s face, but he quickly recovered: “The advisor had something come up and cancelled. Since there was a classmate gathering, I came here.” The others noticed something was wrong and tried to help cover for him. Only Jack seemed eager to watch the drama unfold. “Well well, sister-in-law is so busy with school but still came to check up on him?” “I can vouch for Ethan, he definitely hasn’t cheated. You can rest easy.” I looked at him and said sarcastically: “A fine man like you, why act as a pimp?” “Your family spent so much money to send you abroad to study, and this is what you learned?” Jack angrily stood up, about to retort, but I glared at him: “If you say one more word, don’t blame me for spilling your secrets and letting everyone see what kind of person you really are!” Jack was at a loss for words. But Ethan was unhappy. “Mia! Where did a graduate student like you learn such vulgar language? Stop embarrassing me here! Come home with me!” I laughed coldly and looked at him “You shamelessly asked someone to introduce you to a girlfriend, and you have the nerve to talk about me?” “I was just joking! What evidence do you have against me?” I looked around at everyone. They all avoided eye contact, afraid of taking sides. Heh, truly a bunch of fair-weather friends. Just then, Lily suddenly stood up and said timidly: “Ethan, I just sent you the WeChat contacts of some models that meet your requirements. Remember to check.”

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To make me his wife, Alex ignored his mother’s obstruction and all the criticism from their social circle. He knelt outside his father’s study for three days and three nights, finally moving his father. After our marriage, we were loving and harmonious, envied by many. However, beneath that happy facade, undercurrents were surging. My battle with his childhood sweetheart lasted for a full eight years. During those eight years, I miscarried twice, while the childhood sweetheart was gradually neglected. The struggle between us was so intense it nearly became a fight to the death. But just after Alex took over the family business, he proposed divorce to me and held a grand wedding with another woman – my previously unknown stepsister, Olivia. While I ended up dying miserably in a mental hospital, his childhood sweetheart was pushed off a high-rise by the two of them. My sister Olivia replaced my position, and their glory and happiness seemed to last forever. It wasn’t until the last moment of my life that I suddenly realized that Alex and I were not the perfect match everyone praised us to be. He and Olivia were destined for each other, a truly “perfect couple.”

When I opened my eyes again, it was at the moment my body was about to fall into the cold water. “Miss, be careful!” The waiter’s alarmed cry broke the tense atmosphere. In that split second, I had no time to think. I instinctively grabbed the man next to me, pulling him down with me. “You…” I was about to speak when I suddenly realized that this was none other than the dream man of those noble young ladies – the eldest son of the Moore family, Ethan. We fell together into the flower pond. I held onto him tightly, our bodies entangled in the water. After being rescued, I still clung tightly to his waist. I hadn’t forgotten that I was wearing a strapless dress, which had slipped down during the struggle in the water. I could only use his body to cover myself. He didn’t push me away, his eyes full of surprise. I forced myself to stay calm, looking around at the giant crystal chandelier and the men and women in suits and dresses mingling with drinks in hand. Unbelievably, I seemed to have returned to Mrs. Moore’s birthday party from that year. At that time, my stepsister had led me to the pool and pushed me towards the deep end with her own hands. In my past life, I was saved by Alex after falling into the water. We fell in love at first sight. Mrs. Moore left the party in anger. Her original intention was to use the party to let her son get to know Emily Thompson, the daughter of the Thompson family. But I had cut in, becoming a thorn in her side. After I married Alex, she humiliated me even more, calling me a shameless woman who seduced men. In the end, she often invited Emily to visit our home. For eight years after the marriage, Emily and I fought openly and covertly, both ending up hurt. Instead, it was my cunning and treacherous stepsister who reaped the benefits. But now that I’m living a second life, everything can still be changed. Starting from this moment of falling into the water, I will rewrite my destiny. I whispered softly to Ethan: “I’m sorry.” He could have stayed out of this, but was dragged in by me for no reason. The crowd gathered more and more. I covered my face and cried, while Alex and my stepsister stood among them, their faces terrifyingly dark.

I noticed the exchange of glances between them. At that moment, I suddenly realized how foolish I had been in my previous life. Olivia’s mother, Rachel, was originally my mother’s best friend, but she had an affair with my father while my mother was pregnant. Rachel was skilled in bed, captivating my father completely. In comparison, my mother came from a noble family. My father often complained that she was too reserved and not fun enough, so he became even more blatant about mentioning Rachel, putting her on a pedestal. As a result, the Young family became the talk of the town. My father lost face completely and became even more disgusted with my mother and me. But my mother was kind-hearted. Despite her resentment towards Rachel, she never did anything to harm the innocent child. Olivia was clever and likable from a young age, winning people’s hearts. My mother, worried that Olivia’s illegitimate status would make her a target of bullying at school, asked me to treat her like a real sister. My grandfather repeatedly and firmly demanded that my father cut ties with Rachel, while Olivia knelt at the threshold with tears in her eyes, begging my mother for mercy. In the end, the incident was left unresolved. Rachel remained as a mistress outside, while Olivia stayed with my mother, living with me. Before my wedding to Alex, Olivia knelt at my feet, begging to go with me, even if just as a maid to take care of me. We never expected that all of this was an elaborately set trap.

Like father, like daughter. Olivia took this crooked path even further. She had been secretly involved with Alex for a long time. Because the difference in status was too great for her to enter the Moore family’s door, she used me as a stepping stone. When I often lost my rationality due to mental issues, she would appear all dressed up, throwing down a divorce agreement and a stack of money at my feet, as if dismissing a beggar. “Sister dear, I kindly asked for mercy on your behalf and even left you some cremation money. You should thank me.” I looked at her coldly. That smug look of hers was exactly like her mother’s, as if cut from the same mold. We were too naive, forgetting that some people are rotten to the core. I couldn’t die like this. If I left, my mother would have no one to rely on. “I want to see Alex!” “Hehe, I really don’t understand why you insist on living. Don’t you know? Your mother, our Mrs. Young, has long since died of illness.” Her face was twisted, her words sharp, with a mix of pity and mockery. I suddenly looked up, grabbing her throat, “What nonsense are you talking?” My eyes were almost bulging with blood. The servants rushed forward to pull me away. The butler slapped me without a word. My hair was disheveled, and half of my face swelled up. She wasn’t satisfied and slapped me hard again. “You think your grandfather’s gone, those useless uncles of yours could still protect your mother?” She grabbed my hair, forcing me to look at her. I knew all about my father’s little tricks. As soon as my grandfather passed away, he couldn’t wait to bring Rachel home, quickly taking control of the family affairs. But I never imagined he could be so heartless towards my mother. Back then, he was just a penniless college student. It was my mother who took a liking to him at first glance. My mother threatened to go on a hunger strike, and my grandfather had no choice but to let his precious daughter marry him. She nurtured him carefully and gave him connections and resources, which finally allowed him to become the chairman of the Young Group. After I married Alex, the messages my father sent became like death warrants, not caring about my well-being, but forcing me to humble myself to seek benefits for him. In the end, as the Young Group gradually grew stronger, he married his mistress and his daughter became Mrs. Moore. What about me? What about my mother? We were just stepping stones for this couple to climb up.

The anger in my heart was like a flood about to burst its banks. At this critical moment, my mother arrived just in time, wrapping a scarf around me and helping me up, shielding me. Mrs. Moore was usually kind and didn’t show me any bad attitude. She just asked the waiter to carefully help Ethan leave. Mrs. Moore’s face was long with mockery, as if blaming me for ruining her party just to climb the social ladder. Back home, my father stormed in, not caring about my weak condition, and immediately started scolding me. “You little brat, have you gotten too bold? How dare you go after the Moore family’s son? Do you really think you can turn from a sparrow into a phoenix?” He paced back and forth in the room, unable to contain his anger. My mother stood up to try to persuade him to leave, but he pushed her away violently, nearly causing her to fall. After my father left, my mother sat by my bed, holding my hand tightly, tears glistening in her eyes. The news of me falling into the water and being saved by Ethan spread quickly in our circle. Everyone was waiting to see me embarrass myself. A daughter of a small group wanting to marry into the Moore family was simply a daydream. Since falling into the water, Ethan had been running a high fever and was bedridden. I sat on the bed, full of guilt. It was my fault he got hurt. This was not my intention at all. The guilty should be punished. Involving an innocent person made me restless and unable to eat or sleep. Fortunately, three days later, Ethan’s fever broke and he gradually regained consciousness. I, who had never believed in Buddha before, silently said “Amitabha” in my heart. That day, my father suddenly summoned me to the front hall. “Quick, this is Aunt Lin.” My father’s words pulled me out of my daze. I suddenly looked up and saw the elegant and dignified Mrs. Moore sitting in the hall. She pulled me to her side, held my hand, and looked me over carefully, a satisfied smile appearing on her face. “Let’s set the wedding date for the middle of next month. It’s an auspicious day.” I was stunned and didn’t react. After she left, my father talked to me all night in the study, repeatedly instructing me to think of the family. So, I became engaged to Ethan just like that. According to Mrs. Moore, as soon as he woke up, he knelt before his parents and begged to marry me. Logically, given my family’s status, it would be impossible to connect with the Moore family. But when the Moore couple saw their son struggle back from the brink of death, they were moved to tears and agreed on the spot. Mrs. Moore even calculated mine and Ethan’s birth dates, saying we were a match made in heaven, and that he woke up because of the good luck I brought. I didn’t believe in these things. It was clearly me who almost harmed him.

After dragging on for a few more days, the Thompson family’s precious daughter cried at home, refusing to marry Alex no matter what, saying she just wanted to stay at home with her parents. The Thompson family had always doted on this daughter. Since she was unwilling, they simply decided not to marry her off and directly rejected Mrs. Moore’s suggestion for the two to spend more time together. This really angered Mrs. Moore. She smashed a bunch of precious treasures in her rage. I was puzzled. Everyone knew Emily had liked Alex since childhood. Mrs. Moore had been grooming her as a future daughter-in-law from early on. Why did she suddenly change her mind? I heard that Emily accidentally hit her head on a table corner and was unconscious for several days. When she woke up, she seemed like a completely different person, avoiding Alex like the plague. I couldn’t help but have a bold thought: could it be that she had also been reborn? I needed to find an opportunity to meet her and verify my idea. Coincidentally, she seemed to have the same intention. So we met in the Thompson family’s small garden. As soon as I saw her, I knew that the person standing in front of me was no longer the same Emily. We had fought for eight years, and I knew her thoughts better than my own. “You’ve come back too.” She looked at me, her eyes no longer filled with jealousy and hatred, only tranquility. I silently handed her the high-grade spring tea in my hand, without saying a word. She gently rotated the teacup in her hand, “There’s something you should know. Your child wasn’t harmed by me. It was Alex and your dear sister who did it together.” The teapot I had just picked up crashed to the ground with a loud bang. I had gone mentally unstable because I had been pregnant twice, but both ended in miscarriage. At that time, I had some suspicions, but the pain of losing a child was too heavy, leaving me no time to investigate. I only knew to blindly seek revenge. Although Emily loved to compete for attention, she wasn’t essentially bad, just a spoiled young lady. “Your child was actually poisoned by that bitch Olivia.” “What you don’t know is that after you, I was also pushed off a building by them, smashed to pieces. They even spread rumors saying I committed suicide out of guilt for causing your miscarriage.” Killing two birds with one stone, using my child to get rid of both of us. After Emily’s death, the Thompson family gradually declined. Alex’s father had long been wary of the Thompson family and simply crushed them completely. “You still need to enter the Moore family. Soon, I’ll make her go down to accompany you,” I said. In this life, I won’t fight alone anymore.

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I used the money from my fruit stand to help my boyfriend’s company go public. But on Valentine’s Day, he drugged me. Right in front of me, he had sex with his young assistant. Afterwards, the assistant taunted me by sending me the video. In the video, Ethan was panting heavily, looking straight at me, his words full of contempt: “Olivia, I really like you so much. If I had met you earlier, I wouldn’t have gotten together with Mia. “Mia? What is she? She’s nothing! Just a useless stay-at-home wife!” Olivia was his young assistant. What he didn’t know was… I could make him rise to the top, and I could also make him fall to rock bottom. I didn’t reply, but saved the evidence and started planning my departure. Six months later, Ethan’s company went bankrupt and he ended up on the streets. He saw me shopping with my new fiancé. “Mia, I regret it, I really regret it. I shouldn’t have treated you that way.” His voice was hoarse as he begged me to get back together. I shook off his hand and looked at him with disgust: “Ethan, you’re the one who said you looked down on me for selling fruit. “Oh, by the way, guess who made your company go bankrupt?” Ethan’s face slowly turned pale.

On Valentine’s Day, Ethan personally made me pork rib soup. He knew I loved the pork rib soup he made. Ethan watched me eagerly as I finished the soup. My vision started to blur, and my eyelids felt heavy. My head was spinning. Just before I closed my eyes, I thought I saw Ethan pulling Olivia, who had appeared out of nowhere, into a passionate kiss right in front of me. I vaguely heard the sound of bodies colliding. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t wake up. It must have been a dream, right? When I woke up, Ethan gently helped me sit up in bed, his eyes full of concern: “Mia, what happened? You fell asleep right after drinking the soup.” His voice trembled slightly. I had no energy and told him about the dream I had. Ethan pulled me into his arms, saying dreams are often the opposite of reality. How could he possibly betray me? As he said this, his hand accidentally touched my rough fingers. He awkwardly avoided them, subtly wiping his hand on his pants. Ethan’s phone rang. He answered it in front of me. “Hello, I told you to reschedule all company matters for today. I’m spending the day with my wife.” He frowned impatiently at the person on the other end. After hanging up, he looked at me tenderly, slowly tracing my features with his gaze. How long had it been since he looked at me like this? Three months? Four months? My heartstrings were touched, and all my previous frustrations disappeared. I comforted myself, thinking dreams are often the opposite of reality. He loved me so much, how could he possibly betray me? “Mia, how about I take you to River View Restaurant for dinner tonight?” River View was the most famous restaurant in the city. You usually needed a reservation to eat there. I had mentioned wanting to go there with him several times before. He had always refused, citing his busy work schedule. Now that he was offering to take me, I was pleasantly surprised. I was just about to tell him the news of my pregnancy. Ethan’s phone received several messages. He read them with a blank expression, then apologized to me: “Mia, something urgent came up at the company that I need to handle. I’ll go to the study to deal with it first.” I was still basking in happiness and didn’t notice the desire in his eyes. Never mind, I could tell him at dinner later. I was still happily thinking about what to wear for dinner. My sharp eyes caught sight of several strands of hair on the bed that didn’t belong to me. Those strands of hair had a slight yellow tint under the light, and the quality wasn’t particularly good. At the same time, the message I received on my phone was like a bucket of cold water, drenching me to the bone.

Olivia had sent me a video. In the video, Ethan was having sex with Olivia. The two of them were doing the deed right in front of me. Ethan even said: “Olivia, I really like you so much. If I had met you earlier, I wouldn’t have gotten together with Mia. “Mia? What is she? She’s nothing! Just always asking me for money!” I had worked so hard using the money from my fruit stand to help his company go public. And this is how he talked about me. In an instant, my heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly, and I could barely breathe. My hands and feet turned cold, and my ears were ringing. I couldn’t believe Ethan would betray me. All the previous joy was gone. Lost in thought, I heard ambiguous sounds coming from the study. I got up, feeling dizzy, and walked unsteadily to the study door. I knocked on the door, my whole body trembling violently. Fifteen seconds later, Ethan opened the door somewhat hastily. “What’s wrong, Mia?” His voice was strangely hoarse. There were several ambiguous red marks on his neck. “What’s that on your neck?” I pointed at his neck, clutching my phone tightly. I looked straight at him. I leaned against the doorframe, barely able to stand. The truth was right in front of me, but I didn’t dare face it. Ethan opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Olivia. She slowly walked out from behind Ethan, casually adjusting her clothes. She looked at me provocatively: “Sister-in-law, Ethan and I were just dealing with some company business. Do you have to question that too?” Her tone was lazy as she casually stroked the expensive necklace around her neck. It was the one Ethan had bought at an auction a month ago. Worth three million dollars. At the time, I had fallen in love with it at first sight. But Ethan said that as a stay-at-home wife who didn’t need to go out for business, that necklace wasn’t suitable for me. Now that necklace was glaringly obvious around Olivia’s neck, painfully glaring. After Olivia said this, Ethan looked at me with some displeasure. He changed the subject: “Mia, Olivia and I will be done soon. You don’t understand my work matters anyway. “Why don’t you go rest first? Didn’t you say you were feeling dizzy?” He said perfunctorily, his voice tinged with impatience. In the past, I would have listened to him and tactfully stopped asking. But now, I just wanted to hear an answer from his own mouth. Was that so hard? “What’s that on your neck?” I asked him again, my voice stronger. My nails dug into my palms as my voice trembled. “Mia, do you have to make this so difficult?!” Ethan’s voice suddenly rose, avoiding my question. I stood there in a daze. In our five years together, this was the first time he had raised his voice at me. In the past, he had always spoken to me gently. How could he bear to speak harshly to me? “Mia, those with dirty hearts see everything as dirty!” He threw down these words heavily, not even looking at me as he left the house with Olivia in big strides.

The door slammed shut with a “bang”. I completely lost strength and crouched helplessly on the ground. I didn’t understand what I had done wrong for him to treat me this way. My face was wet with tears as my foot went numb. I slowly got up to wash my face in the bathroom. As I went in, my leg gave out and my head hit the sink hard. In that moment of crisis, I instinctively protected my belly. My head was spinning in pain as blood slowly trickled down my face. I had always been squeamish about blood, so I was too scared to open my eyes. I washed my face blindly with my eyes closed. Then I endured the pain to put on a simple bandage. Fifteen minutes ago, Olivia had updated her SnapChat status. “Happy Valentine’s Day, so glad to have Ethan with me~” In the live photo was the interior of River View Restaurant, with the restaurant’s signature dishes on the table. In the background, I heard Ethan’s deep voice: “I’ll take this necklace then.” Ethan had once told me about a romantic legend at River View Restaurant. It was said that couples who dined there for the first time would definitely have a romantic ending and grow old together. I had begged Ethan to take me there before, just because of this legend. He was busy then and never had time, but promised me he would only ever take me there in this lifetime. But now, Ethan had blatantly broken his promise. At that moment, my heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. I suddenly realized that the man I had shared a bed with for five years had changed at some unknown point. I lowered my head and stroked my belly. My fingers instinctively dialed Ethan’s number. He rejected the call. My phone vibrated as he sent me a message: “Busy now, I’ll pick you up later.” But three minutes later, Olivia updated another SnapChat post. The silhouette of a man under the street lamp was especially tall. “Thanks to Ethan for sending me home late at night~ Love you~” I waited for three hours. At 8 PM, Ethan still hadn’t come. Instead, his secretary arrived. Secretary Lily said Ethan had asked her to take me to River View Restaurant. She glanced at the bandage on my head and couldn’t help asking: “Mrs. Gray, that wound looks quite painful. Do you need me to take you to the hospital first?” I shook my head, saying it wasn’t necessary. As I was getting out of the car, she reminded me: “Mrs. Gray, Ethan’s young assistant seems to be quite close to him lately.” She hinted at it without saying too much. I understood her meaning and thanked her. I sat down at River View Restaurant. Ethan still hadn’t arrived. Half an hour later, he finally showed up. He was as caring towards me as before: “Mia, why are you dressed so lightly? What if you catch a cold?” His gaze swept over the bandage on my head, pausing only briefly before he didn’t ask how I got hurt. It was pouring rain outside. I looked at him silently, not saying a word. I wanted to ask him why he betrayed me. The words were on the tip of my tongue but I just couldn’t say them. I couldn’t believe it. The man I had shared a bed with for five years had betrayed me. “I shouldn’t have treated you that way this afternoon.” Ethan coughed lightly and apologized to me. I didn’t say anything. Ethan took out an exquisitely wrapped jewelry box from his pocket and handed it to me. “Open it and take a look.” He gestured for me to open it. Inside the jewelry box lay a diamond necklace. It sparkled brilliantly, dazzling to the eye. “Do you like it?” He asked me. Just then, I received a message. Olivia had sent me a message: “Mia, do you like the trash I didn’t want?” I looked up at Ethan. He was lowering his head to reply to a message, a smile on his lips. I glanced at his phone. It was a photo of Olivia in a bunny girl outfit that she had sent him. She said she would only give Ethan fifteen minutes to wait for him. I looked away and my phone vibrated. Olivia had sent me another message: “Guess whether Ethan will stay and have dinner with you?” “Ethan, I’m pregnant…” Ethan suddenly stood up, not hearing clearly what I said. “Mia, something urgent came up at the company that I need to deal with right away.” His tone was anxious, his voice tinged with desire. “I’ve already paid the bill. Didn’t you really want to try their dishes? Eat whatever you like. “I’ll have dinner with you next time.” He threw down these words and hurriedly left. What Ethan didn’t know was… Today was actually my 26th birthday. And I had wanted to tell him I was pregnant.

I threw the necklace into the trash can. After getting home, I kept debating whether to keep this baby. I couldn’t accept that Ethan had betrayed me. But I had been looking forward to this baby for so long, I couldn’t bear to give it up. Lost in thought, Ethan came home drunk. The one who brought him back was Olivia. I took Ethan from Olivia’s hands. He collapsed drunk on the sofa. Olivia stood there without moving. Her gaze passed over me and looked straight at Ethan on the sofa. “Mia, I’m pregnant with Ethan’s child.” She said slowly to me, her tone provocative. My body shook violently and I took a step back in disbelief. Olivia was very satisfied with my reaction. She sneered: “Do you know what Ethan said to me? “Ethan said he doesn’t need someone who sells fruit to bear his children. “He also said if it wasn’t for the five years you’ve been together, he would have broken up with you long ago! “Do you know what people in the industry say about him? They all say he’s a fruit stand sugar baby. If it wasn’t for you, he wouldn’t be laughed at by employees in the company! “Mia, if you really like him, you should leave him voluntarily.” After saying these words, Olivia gave me a contemptuous look and left proudly. I stood there in a daze. So this was how Ethan had viewed me all along. So he had wanted to break up with me for a long time. There was a loud clap of thunder outside. Rain pattered on the ground. Ethan suddenly woke up and sat up from the sofa. He opened his drunken eyes, muttering something. The living room was quiet and I clearly heard what he said. “It’s raining so hard, how will Olivia get home? I hope she doesn’t get wet.” The moment his words fell into my ears, I was completely disappointed in him. When you love someone, you instinctively care about them. That’s how he used to treat me. His actions had already said it all. I suddenly remembered that a few days ago, Ethan had taken me to a company gathering. I excused myself to go to the bathroom because of morning sickness. When I came out, I vaguely heard Ethan say I had no tact, was fussy, and couldn’t handle social situations. The environment was noisy at the time. I thought I had misheard. Thinking about it now, Ethan probably had wanted to say that about me for a long time. “Mia, go call Olivia back. Let her stay at our place tonight. What if she gets wet in this heavy rain?” Ethan ordered me drunkenly, his tone reproachful. He was so drunk he could barely sit up straight, his body slumped crookedly on the sofa as he looked at me with unfocused eyes. “Ethan, do you like Olivia that much? Then what am I to you?” I asked him. In vino veritas. In the silence of the room, I heard Ethan’s drunken voice: “Mia, what are you? You’re just a fruit seller. You can’t even compare to one of Olivia’s fingers.” The rain fell harder and harder. My heart sank deeper and deeper. Seeing that I didn’t move, Ethan stumbled over and pushed me: “Why haven’t you gone to call Olivia back yet?” He used about 80% of his strength and I was pushed to the ground. As I fell, I frantically covered my abdomen. Blood began to spread from beneath me. I was in so much pain I lost my senses, but Ethan just gave me a cold look before heading upstairs without looking back.

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My cold female boss asked me to help her escape her wedding. As her assistant, I could only follow her orders. But the night before, I drank too much and forgot about it. So on the wedding day, I watched helplessly as she ran away holding the bridesmaid’s hand…… 0 I had just returned home when I found Sophia standing at my doorstep. She looked utterly exhausted, her eyes empty and confused. “Ms. Evans, what happened at the wedding? How did you……” I quickly stood up, looking at her in surprise. Sophia stared at me, suddenly stepping closer. “Ethan, let me ask you, why didn’t you come to stop the wedding?” I was stunned, at a loss for words. Today was supposed to be the joyous day when my boss, the talented writer Ms. Sophia Evans, married her childhood friend Mr. William White. As her personal assistant, I was late. When I hurriedly arrived at the church, Sophia was being led down the aisle by William. She was wearing a pure white wedding dress, all in white, like a blooming lily. But on her usually cold face, there was not a hint of a smile now. Amidst the blessings from all around, Sophia and William walked to the priest. The priest was reciting the sacred vows loudly, but Sophia’s gaze was always looking blankly into the distance. Suddenly, she turned her head and our eyes met. At that moment, I seemed to see questioning and resentment in her eyes. My heart trembled, and I hurriedly looked away. The wedding proceeded to the exchange of rings. William took the ring, about to put it on Sophia’s finger. But Sophia just stared blankly at the diamond ring, not moving for a long time. Murmurs gradually arose from the crowd. Just as the priest looked at Sophia in confusion, she suddenly grabbed the bridesmaid’s hand and ran off the stage. The crowd gasped, and the bridesmaid looked bewildered. But Sophia didn’t look back, ignoring the discussions behind her, and fled alone towards the door. Me: “?” Groom: “……” Bridesmaid: “!” “Sophia ran away from the wedding!? And with the bridesmaid!” “Oh my god, could it be the talented female writer’s forbidden love?” “No way, the bride and groom seemed fine just now……” People discussed in hushed tones, the scene in chaos. William stood expressionlessly on the stage, showing no reaction. I knew that as Sophia’s assistant, I should do something at this moment. But before I could think further, I was stopped by a guest who questioned me about the cause and effect of this incident. It wasn’t until dusk fell and the guests dispersed that I was able to get away. 0

Three days ago, Sophia called me to her study. She was wearing a beige long dress, sitting upright at her desk. Her slender fingers unconsciously tapped on the desk, her brows slightly furrowed. “Ethan, I’m getting married this weekend, so I want you to find a way to ruin this wedding.” Sophia spoke slowly, her tone indifferent. I was very surprised. “But Ms. Evans, this is your and Mr. White’s big day, don’t you want……” “Ethan!” She interrupted me sharply. “I’ve said it, I don’t want to get married. You just do as I say.” I stood there stunned, completely at a loss. Sophia had always been willful, but this level of unreasonableness was unprecedented. I opened my mouth, but in the end, I didn’t dare to defy her wishes. “I understand. I’ll find a way to help you escape the wedding on the day.” I said, lowering my eyes. Hearing this, Sophia’s expression eased slightly. She nodded, returning to her usual cold and distant demeanor. “Go then. I’m leaving this to you.” Who would have thought that fate seemed to be against me. That night, I accompanied colleagues to celebrate a new book, and after several rounds of drinks, I accidentally blacked out. When I woke up the next day, the wedding had completely slipped my mind. It wasn’t until today, when I personally witnessed Sophia fleeing the church in panic, that I belatedly realized what had happened. 0

“I’m… I’m sorry Ms. Evans, I was careless……” I avoided Sophia’s gaze guiltily, stammering an apology, feeling increasingly uneasy. No wonder she came to confront me late at night, I guess running away with the bridesmaid was just a temporary measure. “I’m sorry Ms. Evans, I was careless……” I apologized sincerely. “You think a simple sorry is enough?” Sophia’s face was cold, her demeanor intimidating. I laughed awkwardly, blurting out: “Why don’t you just fire me then.” Only after saying it did I realize my mistake. Sophia stared at me, her eyes dark and unreadable. After a while, she suddenly leaned closer, her cold fingertips caressing my cheek. “Ethan, I like you. After all this time, haven’t you noticed?” I was stunned, looking at her in disbelief. Sophia, a world-renowned famous writer, who had just run away from her wedding, was now confessing to me? I unconsciously took a step back, slowly shaking my head: “I don’t believe it…… unless……” As I spoke, I pretended to look at Sophia’s body lecherously. Sophia seemed to have anticipated I would do this, neither embarrassed nor avoiding it. She snorted with laughter, raising an eyebrow and said: “Unless I take off my clothes one by one in front of you, you won’t believe it, right?” I took a sharp breath, meeting her playful gaze, stammering: “I, I didn’t mean that……” “Then what did you mean?” Sophia pressed closer step by step, her long slender fingers already caressing the collar of her shirt. She tilted her head, observing my reaction, a mischievous smile on her lips. I felt my face burning. Sophia unbuttoned the first button, her lips parting slightly: “Ethan, what are you afraid of? Are you afraid I’ll take advantage of you, or afraid you won’t be able to control yourself?” Her delicate collarbone peeked out, her fair skin glowing softly in the light. I took a sharp breath, unconsciously swallowing. Sophia’s unbuttoning was slow and alluring, the open neckline of the wedding dress revealing a glimpse of her exquisite collarbone and snow-white skin. Then she was about to pull my hand towards her neckline. I hurriedly turned away, my ears burning red. “Miss, Miss Evans, it’s getting late, why don’t you go home and rest……” I stammered, reaching out to open the door to see her off. Unexpectedly, Sophia suddenly grasped my wrist, with surprising strength. She magically produced a small velvet box from her pocket, slowly opening it in front of me to reveal a sparkling diamond ring. I stared wide-eyed in shock as she slowly opened the box in front of me, revealing a dazzling diamond ring. Sophia knelt on one knee, looking up at me, her eyes full of sincerity and passion. “Ethan, will you marry me?” I stood there dumbfounded, my brain exploding with a bang, unable to process everything happening before me. 0

Sophia stood up, smiled faintly, and said she and William were just childhood friends, engaged since childhood, but both had feelings for others. She told me to think carefully for three days, then left looking dejected. I was left alone at home, at a complete loss. Running away from the wedding, confessing love, proposing…… These successive bombshells left me dizzy. I began to suspect that Sophia might have mental issues. For the next three days, Sophia didn’t appear at the company. I buried myself in work as usual, but couldn’t calm down at all. Finally, I made up my mind, sorted out the manuscripts at hand, submitted my resignation application to HR, planning to say goodbye to this place of trouble after using up my annual leave. As for that ring, I put it back in Sophia’s office desk drawer untouched, and left her a note: “Ms. Evans, thank you for your affection, but unfortunately we are not meant to be.” “I’m returning your ring, and I hope you find the right person soon and grow old together.” However, until I got home and had a good sleep, there was still no news from Sophia’s side. I was puzzled, and early the next morning, a call from an unknown number interrupted my thoughts. “Hello, who is this?” I answered the phone with some irritation from just waking up. An authoritative female voice came from the other end: “Is this Ethan Miller? I’m Sophia’s mother, Margaret Evans. Bring your ID card and come downstairs to meet me right now.” “Huh? Meet you…… for what?” I wasn’t fully awake yet. Mrs. Evans snorted impatiently: “This is outrageous. Aren’t you going to the civil affairs bureau with Sophia today to get your marriage certificate? What are you dawdling for, come down quickly!” I was suddenly wide awake. What was going on? Yesterday Sophia was proposing to me passionately, and in the blink of an eye, we’re directly getting our marriage certificate? I hurriedly got dressed, and just as I opened the door, I saw Sophia standing outside in a black trench coat. Her expression was solemn as she got straight to the point: “Ethan, to be honest, my mother has paranoid personality disorder, usually controlled by medication. But a few days ago, because of the wedding, her condition suddenly worsened.” “I had no choice but to tell her about running away from the wedding and proposing to you.” “Unexpectedly, she strongly agreed and insisted we get married quickly.” “Ethan, I know this is very unfair to you, but I beg you to help me one more time, to cooperate in acting out this play. Once my mother’s condition stabilizes, you can do whatever you want.” Sophia’s autumn water-like eyes were full of pleading and helplessness. My heart was filled with mixed emotions, but I couldn’t say no. I had no idea about Mrs. Evans’s medical history, but she seemed perfectly normal at the last wedding…… “Then…… if I just act out this play with you, will you stop bothering me afterwards?” I asked cautiously. Hearing this, Sophia gave a bitter laugh, her retreating figure seeming even more frail. “Don’t worry Ethan, I won’t disturb your life again.” “After all, I just wanted to be selfish one last time.” 0

Sophia begged me to cooperate with her in acting out a marriage registration to fool her mother, Mrs. Evans. I was filled with mixed emotions, caught in a dilemma. On one hand, I didn’t want to continue this mistake, but on the other hand, I couldn’t bear to refuse. In the end, I gritted my teeth and agreed, treating it as doing one last favor for this boss I had known for many years. Mrs. Evans’s car was already waiting downstairs at the apartment building. I was about to open the front passenger door when Mrs. Evans stopped me sharply: “Ethan, come here, sit next to me.” I sheepishly looked at the expressionless Sophia and obediently got into the back seat. Seeing this, Mrs. Evans put her arm around my shoulder and whispered in my ear, “Ethan, Sophia has always been emotionally unstable, she’s attempted suicide a few times before.” “I’m relieved that she’s with you now.” “In the future, you need to be more tolerant of her, take good care of her, understand?” I sat there uncomfortably, not knowing how to respond. So Sophia had such a past, no wonder Mrs. Evans was so anxious. But the “being together” she spoke of was just a scam after all. Moreover, Sophia said Mrs. Evans had a mental illness. Mrs. Evans said Sophia was emotionally unstable. Could their family have some hereditary mental illness? Thinking of this, my heart felt bitter, and I didn’t even have the energy to agree. Twenty minutes later, we arrived at the marriage registration office. I followed behind Sophia like a zombie walking towards the entrance. Suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I caught a familiar figure. Looking closer, it was William and the bridesmaid from the wedding. The two were chatting and laughing, seeming quite close. I couldn’t help but make some guesses. Could this be the person the groom truly likes, as Sophia mentioned? Sophia sat upright in the registration office hall, her back straight as a board, her face calm and unperturbed. Mrs. Evans, on the other hand, was all smiles, taking my and Sophia’s hands and putting them together, full of loving kindness. I looked at Sophia, trying to find any flaws in her eyes. But she just calmly looked back at me, her eyes dark and unreadable. “Mom, it’s getting late, you should go home and rest. Ethan and I still have some procedures to take care of.” Hearing this, Mrs. Evans nodded with a beaming smile. “That’s right, newlyweds need their private time. Mom won’t disturb you then, you two take care of things well!” With that, she left with someone’s assistance. Watching Mrs. Evans’s figure disappear, I finally let out a long sigh. This act was finally over, I wonder how she’ll react when she finds out she’s been deceived. But these things no longer concern me. Just as I was lost in my own thoughts, William and Sophia’s bridesmaid suddenly appeared before me. 0 William just nodded symbolically to Sophia, then his gaze fell on me, full of meaning. “Mr. Miller, I have some things I’d like to discuss with you privately, may I have a word?” He said, glancing at the nearby restroom. I was confused, instinctively looking towards Sophia. But she just turned her face away expressionlessly, as if it had nothing to do with her. With no choice, I reluctantly followed William’s footsteps. “Is there something you can’t say in front of Ms. Evans?” I asked first after closing the restroom door. William looked me up and down with a half-smile, speaking unhurriedly, “Mr. Miller, have you ever heard Sophia mention that she once had a first love she couldn’t forget?” “What? First love?” I was stunned, my mind buzzing.

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During the New Year’s dinner, my cousin Arlo started boasting about his girlfriend, claiming she was a billionaire CEO, all while subtly flashing his knockoff Rolex. Then my other cousin, Hazel, jumped in to say her boyfriend was a Beijing big shot, waving her imitation Hermès bag at me and asking, “Ever seen one of these, cousin?” Funny thing is, the billionaire CEO and the Beijing tycoon they’re bragging about are listed on the same marriage certificate. I took a sip of my drink and texted Ezra: “Since when did you get a girlfriend?” He replied immediately: “Auntie, that’s not true. I just transferred you 5 million as a note saying ‘Spend freely!’” … On New Year’s Eve, following family tradition, we held an ancestral ceremony. My eldest uncle proudly announced he had booked a top-notch VIP suite at the city’s fanciest restaurant, Fancy City Restaurant, for our family gathering. He made sure to tell my parents: “Fancy City Restaurant is so exclusive. I had to ask a friend and wait six months to book it! Ordinary folks can’t just walk in.” “The food is exquisite, dishes like Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, sashimi, and Australian lobster. You probably haven’t had anything like it!” “Your family works hard all year round away from home, rarely experiencing such luxury. This is a chance to see and taste something new!” My grandmother had three children. My dad is the youngest, with my eldest and second uncles above him. My eldest uncle works as a subcontractor for a construction company, earning about a hundred thousand annually, and he’s always looked down on us. My second uncle is unemployed, spending his time idly around the village gambling, relying on his wife for financial support. Our family moved to Beijing ten years ago. My mom mentioned that every New Year, these relatives we rarely see can’t resist flaunting and ridiculing us. For the past few years, I’ve been too busy to visit. This year, I’m curious to see what they’ll pull. I smiled and said to my eldest uncle, “Sure, Uncle, we’re looking forward to it.” He flicked his cigarette ash and, with a tilt of his chin, remarked: “I checked, and it’s over an hour by bus on route 19 to Fancy City Restaurant, so you should start early!” Then he added, “Daphne, since you’re back, I’ve prepared a surprise for you.” At 5 PM, I arrived at the restaurant suite with my parents. My mom whispered to me discreetly: “Daughter, this place is smaller than where we usually eat.” Just then, my second uncle entered, overhearing, and raised his voice: “Sister-in-law! You can’t just work all the time. We need to learn to enjoy life too!” “People with no worldly experience get laughed at! No wonder Daphne is still single at her age!” “Oh, by the way…” He gestured outside. “That electric tricycle outside is yours, right? Better charge it up, or it’ll run out of power on your way back!” Cousin Arlo chimed in: “Hey, that’s why we, as children, need to work hard.” “Daphne, I’m just saying, you should at least get a car. Otherwise, in this cold winter, your parents will freeze on that tricycle!” He casually showed off his Audi car key, saying, “Learn from your brother. It’s not about showing off, but having pride. Get a good car and a good partner!” Then he flaunted his fake Rolex again, grinning with pride: “Dear elders and siblings, I don’t mean to brag, but my girlfriend is just too famous. Do you know who she is?” The whole table stared at him with curiosity. Cousin Arlo lowered his voice and whispered: “The billionaire CEO of Harmony Group!” “Check it out, this watch is just one of the many expensive ones she gifted me.” I almost choked on my soup but managed to keep my bowl steady. I wiped my mouth with a napkin: “Cousin, if your girlfriend is so amazing, why not bring her over for us to meet?” He glared at me, “What do you know? She’s a big CEO, very busy! As her boyfriend, I must support her work!” His words made all the relatives nod in agreement, their eyes filled with envy. I almost burst out laughing, confirming with him word by word: “Cousin, are you sure? Your girlfriend is the CEO of Harmony Group?” He lifted his head proudly: “Of course!” I widened my eyes, feigning admiration as I looked at him: “Cousin, I heard the CEO of Harmony Group is mysterious. There are no photos of her online, and she’s rarely seen. How did you pursue her?” He stood with his hands on his hips, looking even more smug: “Pursue her? She pursued me! It was love at first sight! I’m so handsome; it’s only natural she’d like me. I couldn’t shake her off!” Not wanting to be left out, cousin Hazel stood up, holding her knockoff Hermès, and loudly announced: “I wasn’t going to say anything, but since we’re family, it doesn’t matter.” “My boyfriend is also a big shot, just like the CEO of Harmony Group!” Everyone turned to her, and I poured myself another bowl of soup. Seeing my indifferent reaction, she quickly called out to me: “Hey, cousin, know Hermès? You might never see one in your life. My boyfriend gave it to me.” “Aren’t you working in Beijing? You must’ve heard of his name. It’ll shock you!” “My boyfriend is known as the Beijing tycoon, Ezra Taylor!” I gave her a surprised look. She seemed pleased with my reaction and continued confidently: “Cousin, why are you just drinking soup? Is it because you can’t usually afford such good dishes?” I took a sip of my drink and messaged Ezra: “Heard you got a girlfriend?” He replied instantly: “Auntie, that’s false.” Transferred me 5 million via mobile banking, noted as “Dear, spend freely!”

After receiving the money, I looked up at cousin Hazel: “Cousin, such a coincidence, your boyfriend is too busy to come too?” She scoffed, rolling her eyes: “Idiot! You think everyone is like you, working hard every day? He’s busy with billion-dollar deals.” “Daphne, don’t delay any longer. Staying single too long will mess with your mind. Look at you, turning into an old maid!” I pointed to the Buccellati necklace around my neck: “Who said I’m single? I have someone.” “Look, a necklace from my partner. It took six months to order, just got it, said I should wear it for fun.” “And guess what, he’s busy too.” Cousin Hazel burst into loud laughter, mockingly: “Daphne, you’re lying through your teeth!” “What takes half a year to order?” “This looks like a $9.9 package from Bargain Bin!” “Are you going to return it after wearing it?” Everyone at the table laughed hysterically, leaning back in their seats. Aunt Vera laughed the loudest, even hiccupping: “Haha, this silly girl has been single too long, spouting nonsense!” My mom’s face turned a bit pale. She nudged me discreetly, and I patted her hand under the table, signaling her to calm down. My eldest uncle blew on his tea and kept glancing outside, seemingly waiting for someone. After a while, someone opened the door. An elderly couple and a chubby middle-aged man entered. My uncle’s eyes lit up, and he stood up: “Ah, Mr. Beckett, you’re finally here! We’ve been waiting for you!” He eagerly had the server add chairs. The middle-aged man called “Mr. Beckett” had thinning hair slicked back with gel, making him look even greasier. His belt couldn’t hold his large beer belly, and he emitted an unkempt odor. Cousin Hazel covered her nose in feigned disinterest. My uncle beckoned me over: “Daphne, this is Mr. Beckett from our construction site. His family is well-off and drives a Mercedes.” “Though he’s divorced and a bit older, his child is with the mother, so he has no burden.” “I think divorced men know how to treat women better!” “You’re not young anymore, quite a match.” I felt nauseated, slamming my chopsticks down: “Uncle, what do you mean by this? I already said I have someone, no need for introductions.” My dad’s face darkened too: “Nolan, we’re here to eat as family, what are you doing?” The elderly couple scanned me from head to toe with critical eyes. The old lady said with disdain: “Too skinny, won’t be good for childbirth. I’m waiting for a grandchild.” I held back my disgust and messaged Ezra: “Come quickly, or your wife will be sold off.” Then I sent a location pin. Uncle wasn’t expecting my refusal, slamming the table, speaking earnestly: “Daphne, stop lying!” “You’re not getting any younger. You avoid coming back for New Years because you’re single!” “I know working is tough, but don’t delay yourself!” “Your parents spoil you, not worrying about your marriage. They’ve let you become an old maid.” “Today is New Year’s Eve, a good day! Mr. Beckett is reliable, let’s just settle the marriage!” Then I shared my location. Uncle was taken aback by my refusal. He slammed the table and said sternly, “Daphne, enough with the lies!” “You’re not getting any younger. You keep avoiding coming home for the holidays because you don’t have a boyfriend!” “I understand work is hard, but you can’t put your personal life on hold forever.” “Your parents are clueless and just indulge you without worrying about your future. They’ve let you become a spinster.” “Today is New Year’s Eve, a perfect day! And we know Mr. Beckett well, so let’s just arrange this marriage!” Instead of getting angry, I laughed, “Uncle, let me repeat: my partner and I are very happy together. I’m sorry, but your efforts are in vain.” Aunt snorted with laughter. “Daphne, there’s no need to lie to save face. Look at your shabby state. What kind of good partner could you possibly find?” The designer clothes I had custom-made looked like gray rags to them. As soon as Aunt finished speaking, Cousin burst out laughing, openly mocking: “Oh dear, poor Daphne! Look at us, we all have rich and successful partners. She’s just a poor single worker. Must be so miserable. It’s New Year’s, let her have her moment without calling her out.” Cousin lifted his chin, his eyes full of mockery. Just as I was about to respond, my phone screen lit up. The message was from “Gatekeeper of Love.” Cousin, with his sharp eyes, caught a glimpse and laughed, holding his stomach. “Gatekeeper of Love, Daphne, is that your boyfriend?” With that, all the relatives turned their attention to me, ready for a spectacle. He raised his voice and said: “Oh, so your partner is a security guard! No wonder you kept it from us.” “Next time, I’ll ask my girlfriend if her company needs more security staff? Maybe get your partner a better salary!” Uncle’s expression was full of disdain: “Daphne, a security guard? Come on, break up and join Mr. Beckett, and live a harmonious life!” The old couple took the opportunity to approach, pulling out a gold bracelet, trying to slip it onto my hand: “You’re getting older, forget about dowries and gifts. Take this big bracelet and give us a grandchild soon.” Uncle signaled to my cousin and his sister, and they each grabbed one of my arms: “Daphne, dating a security guard is pointless. While you’re still young, find someone wealthy.” “Take the Beckett family bracelet! We’re just waiting for your wedding banquet!” I shouted, “What are you doing!” 3. I kicked Cousin in the stomach, and she let out an “ouch” and released my arm. She lost her balance and fell into “Mr. Beckett’s” arms, who took the opportunity to grope her. Cousin screamed in anger. The private room door was kicked open, and a man strode in. This man wore gold-rimmed glasses and a black wool coat, his face slightly sweaty, clearly having rushed over. His gaze swept the room, landing on me. I gave him a look. He understood and strode over to “Mr. Beckett,” landing a punch. Surprisingly, the scholarly-looking man had an astonishingly strong punch. The table of relatives was shocked. “Mr. Beckett” screamed in pain: “Do you know who I am? How dare you hit me!” Uncle was also alarmed: “Who are you? How can you hit people like this?” “Mr. Beckett’s” mom was furious, shouting at the stranger: “Why did you hit my son! Call the police! I’m calling the police! You won’t get away!” The man ignored them, standing by like a steadfast pine, hands clasped. The door was still open, and the wind and snow blew in, bringing a chill. A tall man in a suit walked in gracefully, much taller than the previous one. In the wind and snow, his face was more handsome than any popular star, so stunning that it was hard to look away. With broad shoulders and long legs, his perfectly tailored suit made him look tall and elegant, walking like he was on an international runway. The man exuded a natural aura of authority. Cousin gaped at him, her face full of admiration and infatuation. Mr. Beckett quickly stood upright, bowing and trembling as he spoke, “Mr. Ezra… What brings you here? You…” Ezra had a faint trace of anger on his face: “I heard noise outside, where did he touch?” Mr. Beckett’s face turned red, kneeling in terror, slapping himself: “Mr. Ezra, I was overcome with lust and groped.” Ezra kicked him over. Mr. Beckett curled up on the ground, not daring to get up: “Mr. Ezra, well kicked, well kicked.” Cousin Hazel blushed, her eyes sparkling, hurriedly tidying her clothes. She showed a shy expression, touching her hair: “Mr. Ezra, thank you for standing up for me, I’m so happy.” Ezra frowned at her: “Who are you? Was it you he touched?” “I’m here to find my wife.” Wife???

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My Wife Dragged Me to the Court of Selfishness If found guilty, I would lose everything, face ten years in prison, and be forbidden from interfering with her pure friendship with her first love. My wife would get all my property and could legally live with her first love. If found not guilty, my wife would be cursed with misfortune and become the ugliest woman in the world. Her first love would be chemically castrated and have to pay me a million dollars in emotional damages. I would receive ten million dollars as a reward and have the right to divorce her. My relatives and friends all advised me to apologize to my wife, believing she had always been faithful and devoted to me, incapable of cheating. Little did they know that in my previous life, I caught my wife cheating with her first love, and they killed me. This time, I’ll make them pay dearly! Before I even stepped into the Court of Justice, videos of me abusing my wife, being selfish and petty, were already circulating online. Those so-called justice warriors on the internet doxxed me, sent me funeral wreaths, and harassed my workplace with phone calls cursing me, saying I should die, questioning why I got married, and claiming I was wasting oxygen by being alive. Even my colleagues were affected. Some were attacked by angry mobs after work, with a few ending up in the hospital. Under the pressure of public opinion, my boss had no choice but to fire me. This job was something I had worked hard to get after years of studying. The effort I put in was known only to those closest to me. All of this was orchestrated by my wife of three years, Lily. Because in this world, married couples cannot divorce. I arrived at the Court of Justice as scheduled. At the entrance, I ran into Lily, who was visibly startled to see me. Lily probably didn’t expect me to show up. After three years of marriage and two years of dating, it’s enough time to know a person. Lily was certain I wouldn’t appear. She knew I loved her and was afraid of pain, so she thought I wouldn’t come to court. At least, in my previous life, even under intense cyberbullying and immense life pressure, I never appeared in court. Yes, I’ve been reborn. In my previous life, I caught Lily cheating with Ryan. Ryan, without hesitation, knocked me unconscious with a hammer. As I lay in a pool of blood, weakly reaching out to Lily for help, she turned away, grabbed an axe, and chopped me into pieces, stuffing me into a suitcase. They then created the illusion that I had fled the country due to public pressure. Lily and Ryan, the adulterous couple, moved in together, stealing everything I had. Even when my parents searched for me endlessly, they ended up dying in a car crash on a rainy night. Only after death did I realize that Ryan, Lily’s so-called male best friend, was actually her first love. They had been secretly involved for a long time, plotting how to get rid of me. The public opinion was just the beginning. They killed me so early only because I caught them in the act, and they couldn’t hide it anymore. My discovery had disrupted every step of their carefully laid plan. After all, in this world, the punishment for adultery is even more severe than for murder. In this new life, I won’t be foolish enough to trust Lily again.

“Honey, please forgive me. Don’t torment me like this anymore. Ryan is my best friend, my only family. If you promise not to hit me again and not to cut off my contact with Ryan, I’ll withdraw the lawsuit. I don’t want you to be punished,” Lily’s voice pulled me back from the painful memories of my previous death, my back covered in cold sweat. Seeing me appear, Lily reacted quickly. Before anyone else could respond, she knelt down, playing the role of a long-term victim of domestic violence who still loved her petty and selfish husband. In this world, a trial at the Court of Justice was the highest form of punishment, and nobody dared to come lightly. In others’ eyes, if Lily had experienced pain worse than death, she definitely wouldn’t have come to court. My case was the first example in fifty years, naturally causing quite a stir globally. Some media outlets, eager for exclusive coverage, had been waiting outside the court with their cameras. When they saw Lily kneel, they quickly turned on their cameras and rushed over. “Honey, even though I love you, separating me from my best friend is worse than killing me. Please stop this. Let’s go home. As long as you promise, we can go back and live a good life,” Lily continued, seeing that the fire wasn’t hot enough yet. What a declaration of love. If this had happened in my previous life, seeing Lily cry to the point of losing her composure would have softened my heart. But I’ve crawled out of hell, and I won’t be softened again, especially not by the person who pushed me into that hell with her own hands. I just stared coldly at Lily and said word by word, “If that’s the case, then you should just die!” The crowd around us wasn’t just media; there were also many people who had cyberbullied me. They all pointed at me and whispered. “My God, are there really men like this in the world? Don’t married women deserve their own social circles?” “I heard Lily and her male best friend have known each other since childhood. If there was really something between them, why would Jack even be in the picture? I think he’s just jealous because Ryan is handsome. He’s insecure.” “Who would date such a selfish man? He even cursed his own wife to die. Lily must have been blind to fall for such a beast. It seems we need to be more careful when choosing a partner in the future.” Various insults echoed in my ears, deafening, but I still had no intention of backing down. I walked straight into the Court of Justice.

I sat in the Court of Justice, with Lily in the plaintiff’s seat. Her eyes were red, and she looked weak and fragile. Faced with others’ comfort, she spoke with a pained expression. “We can’t blame Jack entirely. Maybe he just can’t understand the concept of pure friendship between men and women.” “He was wrong to hit me, but that’s just how he is. He can’t control his emotions. I feel sorry for him too.” Hearing these words, I almost laughed. On the surface, Lily seemed to be speaking on my behalf, but in reality, she had already confirmed my guilt. The uninformed audience pointed at me and cursed. “Jack, are you even human? Lily has always been so good to you, a model of a virtuous wife. How could you lay a hand on her? Have you no conscience?” “Could it be that Jack has another woman outside? Is that why he’s trying so hard to force Lily to leave?” This comment caused an uproar among the audience and those watching the live stream. Adultery was no small matter; if caught, one could be directly eliminated. Lily’s lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile of triumph, but she still pretended to defend me. “How could that be? Jack isn’t that kind of person. Don’t say such things. He still loves me. There’s even a lipstick in the car that he bought for me, although it’s been used. He was probably tricked by the sales assistant.” This bombshell revelation directly confirmed the suspicion of my infidelity. The comments flooded in: [Silly sister, it’s not the sales assistant who tricked him, you’re the one being tricked!] [What a good wife, still defending that scumbag even now. Jack should just die, he doesn’t deserve to be human!] Seeing the dense text, I let out a cold laugh, but I didn’t bother to respond. I didn’t need to prove anything to these fools who jumped to conclusions without knowing the whole story. “Your Honor, we can begin,” I said, looking at the stern judge. Someone mocked me, “He’s even eager to start. These days, it seems the more brazen you are, the more you can get away with.” The judge tapped his gavel to silence the court and began the trial. “The plaintiff needs to submit evidence to prove the defendant’s crimes. Once the trial begins, no one can withdraw. Anyone who withdraws will be immediately eliminated.” I saw a flash of panic cross Lily’s face, but she still stood up to start presenting evidence. The first piece was accusing me of domestic violence. The big screen lit up. I glanced at the viewer count, which had reached 80 million. Obviously, this number made me a bit nervous. After all, if public opinion was overwhelmingly against me, it wouldn’t be good for my case.

The big screen showed a scene from our home. Lily had just come out of the shower, and I was sitting on the bed with a dark expression. Lily approached me gently, as usual. “Honey, the water temperature is just right now, and the bathroom isn’t cold. Why don’t you go take a shower?” But I didn’t respond to Lily at all. Instead, I threw my phone on the ground with a loud crash, causing Lily to scream. She was only wrapped in a towel and crouched on the ground, covering her head with her hands. “Bitch! Haven’t I been good to you? Why would you do this?” I shouted as I approached her, punching the wall next to her ear. Instantly, blood seeped from my knuckles. Lily didn’t say anything, just kept crying. My emotions spiraled out of control, and I slapped Lily across the face. “A woman like you doesn’t deserve to be by my side. Get out!” Lily looked at me with a hurt expression, her eyes brimming with tears. After my outburst, she ran out the door without even changing her clothes. The video ended with Lily shivering in the cold wind, crouching on the ground helplessly, mumbling, “Why don’t you believe me? I’m so scared. Honey, can you please take me home?” The screen froze on this image, and the comments exploded. [How can there be such men in this world? Do married women not deserve to have their own social circles?] [Even if Lily did something wrong, you can’t hit a woman, can you? Jack is truly a disgrace to men.] [Didn’t you notice that Lily showered first so that it wouldn’t be cold when Jack went in? How could Jack bear to let such a considerate and gentle wife go out in just a towel in the middle of winter? Forget about safety, it’s freezing out there, she could literally die in those temperatures.] [Although Jack was wrong to hit her, what if Lily really did something terrible that made Jack lose control?] The comments were overwhelmingly against me, with only occasional rational voices trying to defend me, which were quickly drowned out by the vitriol. The judge tapped his gavel. “For the first charge of domestic violence, the defendant Jack is found not guilty.”

The moment the verdict was announced, there was a brief silence in the comments, followed by a flood of text. [Domestic violence was clearly proven, how can he be found not guilty? There must be some behind-the-scenes manipulation!] [I heard Jack is very rich. It’s possible he bribed the judge privately.] [Although I’ve never watched a trial before, I always thought the Court of Justice was a fair and just place. The judge must be in cahoots with Jack!] Faced with these doubts, the judge remained impassive and simply asked Lily, “Do you have a second piece of evidence?” Lily hesitantly submitted the evidence, not even daring to look at me. The second piece was accusing me of infidelity. After the previous verdict, many people were dissatisfied, and their trust in the Court of Justice had significantly diminished. However, the number of viewers continued to increase. It seemed they were dissatisfied with the trial results and were calling in more people to support Lily. The scene shifted to my car. Lily was bending down to pick something up when she suddenly noticed a lipstick under the seat. She asked with a confused expression, “Honey, whose lipstick is this?” As she spoke, Lily opened the lipstick, which had clearly been used. Before I could respond, Lily continued, “I don’t use this brand or this color.” I just glanced at it and replied nonchalantly, “It’s probably from one of my female colleagues who carpooled with me during the last team-building event. Just leave it there, I’ll ask around later to see whose it is.” Lily’s eyes immediately welled up with tears. “Call your female colleagues one by one and ask whose it is. I don’t want to be deceived by you.” I replied impatiently, “Do you know what time it is now? Can you stop being unreasonable?” Lily turned her head away, but tears were streaming down her face. I continued driving, completely ignoring her. After the evidence was played, the comments started pouring in with sarcasm and criticism. [Unreasonable? I think he’s just guilty. When I discovered my husband was cheating, it was also because I found another woman’s belongings in the car. These cheating men all use the same excuses.] [Poor Lily, baby. She’s been betrayed but still has to swallow her pain.] [Scumbag, I wonder if you can escape punishment this time?] Then the judge announced again, “For the second charge of infidelity, Jack is found not guilty.”

This time, the comments completely exploded. Some cursed the judge, some cursed me. Someone even opened a channel for a public vote. Yes, if the audience questions the verdict in the Court of Justice, a public vote can be initiated. In just a few seconds, the votes declaring me guilty reached 26%. If it reaches 60%, I could be convicted by the audience. Lily shot me a challenging look. At this point, there was no need for her to keep pretending. The judge ignored this and continued to ask Lily for evidence. Lily held her head high and submitted the final piece of evidence. This segment was accusing me of being petty and selfish. It showed Lily and me planning a vacation to the Maldives during the holiday. However, when we were about to leave, Ryan showed up with his suitcase. My face immediately darkened. Ryan smiled playfully at me and said, “I’m here to take photos for you guys. Professional vacation photography is so expensive these days. Don’t worry, brother-in-law, I’ll cover all my own travel expenses.” But Lily quickly refused, “How can we let you pay for your own expenses when you’re helping us take photos? We should at least cover your costs, right honey?” She tugged at my sleeve as she said this. I yanked my arm away from Lily and snapped back, “If you have too much money to spend, why don’t you just donate it? This is your friend, why should I pay for him?” Lily was stunned. She looked at me helplessly, on the verge of tears. “Honey, we’re married. Aren’t my friends your friends too?” I sneered, “Don’t make me sick. Is there such a thing as pure friendship between men and women?” I stormed off, leaving the two of them in an awkward situation. After the video played, the judge still said, “For the third charge of being petty and selfish, the defendant is found not guilty.” As he spoke, the vote count on the big screen started rolling, reaching 58%. This meant that if it continued to rise, I could be convicted without the judge’s verdict. [Who says there’s no pure friendship between men and women? Jack must have a dirty mind to see everything as impure!] [Even if they’re just friends, you should still pay for the photography, right? How can Jack be so selfish that he doesn’t want to spend a penny? Why don’t you just die poor?] [If you can’t tolerate your wife having friends, why don’t you just tie her to your belt? Disgusting scumbag, stingy bastard, petty man!] More and more people in the comments were siding with Lily. Lily was now triumphant. Wanting to speed up the voting process, she directly said to me, “Honey, I know you blame me. I won’t quibble about you bribing the judge behind my back. All I ask for is your undivided attention and love, and for you to allow me to have friends freely. We can still continue our life together.”

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As my husband lay on his deathbed, he grasped my hand and declared his last will. “Half for our son, half for Bella.” But my name is Claire Evans. Our son nodded, “Aunt Bella has been by your side for half a lifetime. She deserves it.” My husband’s final words were directed at me. “Don’t worry, you’re not left out. You can be buried with me when your time comes.” So, he had a secret lover all these years. The shock caused me to have a stroke, and I died right there by his hospital bed. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day he asked me to quit my job and become a full-time housewife, claiming our son was too young. 0 I looked around the shabby hospital, feeling disoriented. Jack came rushing in on his old bicycle. “What happened? Kevin’s such a well-behaved kid. How could his teacher page me saying he blinded a classmate?” He frowned at me disapprovingly. “I’ve been telling you, there’s too much going on at home, and the kid’s still young. As a mother, you should quit your job and take care of the family properly. If you had agreed earlier, this wouldn’t have happened.” After dealing with the injured child and paying a hefty compensation, Jack spoke to me again. I finally realized that I had somehow come back to life, reliving the day when he asked me to quit my job and become a full-time housewife to support his career. I couldn’t be blamed for my slow reaction. After all, in my previous life, I had died as an elderly woman. To care for our young son and aging in-laws, I had no choice but to resign from the theater company at the peak of my career. The soon-to-retire director was an old acquaintance of my father’s, and I had learned acting from him since childhood. He tried to persuade me to stay several times, saying that women could hold up half the sky. With my vocal skills and abilities, I had a real shot at taking over his position. Jack, as one of the few university graduates specializing in theater at that time, had been eyeing that position for a long time. If I stepped down, the director’s position would undoubtedly be his. “I shouldn’t interfere with your family matters, but Claire, I hope you keep your fate in your own hands. If one day he turns out to be unfaithful like those characters in our plays, at least you’ll have something to fall back on.” Back then, I was overwhelmed by family responsibilities and swayed by Jack’s sweet words. I firmly believed our marriage was built on love, unlike those arranged marriages. After I resigned, Jack smoothly took over as the theater company director. From then on, he became even busier. Busy writing plays, rehearsing, socializing, and touring across the country. Each time he left, it was for at least a couple of weeks, sometimes even months. I had to handle all the household chores alone. My in-laws were getting old. My mother-in-law would have chest pains whenever she got upset. I took care of them carefully until they passed away peacefully at 83. Our son was different from other children from a young age. He couldn’t speak until he was three. Later, there was a trendy term for it – autism. He liked his classmate’s tiger eraser and tried to grab it, stabbing the classmate’s eye with a pencil. I researched foreign materials, exercised with him every day, and repeated words thousands of times to teach him. Gradually, he started to improve. Fortunately, Jack’s career was smooth sailing, even soaring. He looked vibrant every day, making me seem even more worn out. People on the street sometimes mistook me for his mother. Finally, when he was about to retire, I thought he would fulfill the promise he made when he asked me to quit my job. “I’ll make sure you have a good life. When I have time, I’ll take you traveling everywhere.” Unexpectedly, just as he received his retirement notice, he became agitated and had a heart attack. The doctor issued a critical condition notice. He struggled to sit up, called for medical staff as witnesses, and wanted to make a will. “I’ll divide my assets into two parts, one for our son, and one for Bella Davis.” But my name is Claire Evans. While I was still in shock, our son, whom I had raised to be no different from others, nodded. “Aunt Bella has been by your side for a lifetime. She deserves this.” Jack raised his hand towards me. “I’m not neglecting you either. When your time comes, you can be buried with me.” Only then did I realize that he and Bella Davis, the lead actress in our theater company, had been having an affair for years! I felt dizzy as all the blood rushed to my head. I died right there by his hospital bed. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day our son got into trouble and was expelled from school, and Jack asked me to quit my job to take care of the family. I lowered my eyes and smirked, “Kevin isn’t just my child. Why should I be the one to quit my job?” 0

For the first time since we met, Jack was stunned by my sharp retort. He stood there, speechless. After a while, he finally found his voice. “I’m the man, the pillar of this family. Naturally, I should take on the responsibility of providing for the family. Why don’t you just stay at home and be a housewife? Isn’t that good?” He softened his voice and promised, “Claire, I promise you, I will definitely…” I cut him off, not wanting to hear that line that had deceived me for half a lifetime. “I will definitely treat you well too. When I have free time, I’ll take you traveling all over the country to enjoy life. Jack, why don’t you quit your job instead? After all, besides our son needing care, your parents need even more attention.” Jack opened his mouth, then closed it again. I initially wanted to propose divorce directly, but in this era, complete freedom of divorce wasn’t possible yet. Even if my parents were relatively open-minded, they probably couldn’t accept my sudden divorce. At the very least, I needed to find evidence of his affair to have public opinion on my side. Finally, Jack and I reached an agreement. We would both compete for the position of theater company director, and whoever lost would resign to take care of the family. Jack looked at me arrogantly. “It’s not like the old days when masters trained apprentices anymore. Being good at singing alone isn’t enough to convince people. The key is having management skills! Let me be clear, you’re close to Director Chen, and your parents have connections with big shots in the theater world. If I find out there’s any unfairness, don’t blame me for not considering our marital bond!” Jack’s tone was harsh and cold, already treating me like an enemy. In my previous life, how could I have thought he was cold on the outside but warm-hearted, responsible for the family? Our son seemed oblivious to our argument, focused on fiddling with the eraser he had snatched. I now know this is a stereotypical behavior of autistic children, but Jack didn’t. He snatched the eraser away and ground it under his foot. “Are you stupid? It’s bad enough that you can’t talk, but you keep causing trouble! Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused? I had to pay a whole year’s salary in compensation!” He then slapped our son’s head several times, still not satisfied. In the past, I would have stopped him. I would have hugged our son, comforting him, saying I’d take responsibility for his mistakes, and then make up the money from my own salary. That’s what I did in my previous life. To get treatment for Kevin in the south, I even borrowed money from my parents. But now, I just stood by coldly, watching. I even wanted to applaud and say, “Well done.” Seeing my lack of reaction, Jack stopped. “Claire Evans, I knew you were cold-hearted!” he said before riding away on his bike. I knew he was betting on me softening towards our son, but when I thought about how in my previous life, the son I had poured my heart and soul into had helped these two despicable people deceive me for half a lifetime, and even said the mistress had it tough, I couldn’t help but feel furious. Thinking of this, I turned and left as well. As I turned the corner, I caught a glimpse of Jack stopping his bike and riding back. See? A child doesn’t die without his mother. Whoever softens first is the one who ends up sacrificing more. This life, I was determined to be the hard-hearted one. But I wasn’t testing him. I really had something to deal with. I needed to find Bella Davis from my previous life, the “Aunt Bella” who Kevin said had been by Jack’s side for half a lifetime and deserved half of his assets. Actually, Bella and I were quite familiar with each other. We both started as lead actresses. But after I gave birth to Kevin, my mother-in-law complained of heart palpitations and couldn’t help with my postpartum care. I had to cook, do laundry, and take care of the baby just two days after giving birth, which led to a herniated disc. I couldn’t dance anymore and could only play supporting roles. She then considered herself the star of the theater company. I never thought about truly competing with Jack for the director position. After all, why make things difficult for myself when there was an easier path? Bella was that easier path. 0

Only now did I understand why Bella, after transferring from the countryside to the city, constantly targeted me. It turns out she was hoping this “first wife” would step down soon, but I had stubbornly refused to fulfill her wish. I had thought Jack and I were in harmony, believing we had fallen in love at first sight. Our first meeting was when he arrived with his luggage to report for duty. I was on stage rehearsing “Romance of the West Chamber,” playing the role of Cui Yingying. The actor playing Zhang Sheng had sprained his ankle, and I was in a dilemma when Jack was pushed onto the stage. He watched me wave my sleeves and twist my waist. Our eyes met and lingered. My heart skipped a beat, and I thought he felt the same. But in my previous life, it wasn’t until I closed my eyes in resentment that I realized the look in his eyes at that time was filled with a strange emotion, as if he was seeing someone else through me. And Bella’s specialty was also “Romance of the West Chamber.” Before returning to the theater company, I took a detour to the department store. In the alley behind the store, a few people were loitering with their hands in their pockets, looking around. Seeing me approach, they came closer and whispered mysteriously, “Want a tape?” When I walked out, I had a cassette voice recorder in my hand. When I got back to the theater company, Bella was on stage rehearsing “Romance of the West Chamber.” Seeing me enter, she twirled, waving her sleeves, and gave me a cold look. In my previous life, I thought she was just jealous of my superior singing skills and that’s why she always gave me a hard time. But now I realize, she resented me for taking her Zhang Sheng, forcing them to become secret lovers. I placed the voice recorder in a corner of the props room. As I came out, I saw Bella clinging to Jack. “Brother Jack, help me rehearse, won’t you~” Without waiting for his response, she put a blue robe on Jack. The two of them, oblivious to others, became intimately entangled on stage under the guise of rehearsing. After finishing a scene, Jack said he needed to return some props himself, and the two walked hand in hand towards the props room. In my previous life, after I had resigned, I once came to bring Jack lunch and saw the two of them walking out of the props room with flushed faces. Jack’s shirt buttons were misaligned. He said they were rehearsing a new play, and I believed him. This time, when they walked out with flushed faces again, I cursed my past naivety while holding my nose and going in to retrieve the voice recorder. Finding a quiet corner, I pressed play. “Bella, these past few days while you were out of town performing, I’ve been going crazy missing you…” After a series of rustling sounds accompanied by moans, Bella spoke: “Thanks to you, my son can come to the city for school. Jack, I’m yours for life!” Bella’s husband was a martial arts actor in the rural theater troupe. He fell from a high platform last year and died on the spot. The theater company, to take care of her, made an exception and transferred her to the city last year. But her child’s residence permit was difficult to arrange. Jack had taken two bottles of good liquor from home a while ago; it turns out he was using them to grease some palms. “Don’t rush. Claire’s family has deep roots, I still need her family’s support. Once I become the director… This arrangement is good for now, we don’t need that piece of paper. My heart is yours, and naturally, so am I.” My heart turned cold. This was a side of Jack I had never seen before. Throughout our years of marriage, even during our newlywed phase, he always maintained a cool and indifferent demeanor. I used to think this was just the unique temperament of a cultured gentleman, different from others. However, I gradually discovered that he could also show a tender, passionate side. I saved the tape and went home. My mother-in-law was listening to the radio. She lifted her eyelids to look at me and said irritably: “What kind of woman are you? Not only do you parade yourself in public, but you also neglect your child! If this were the old days…” I interrupted her: “I would have been divorced already, right? Well, let me tell you, I’m not afraid. And this isn’t the old days anymore. If you want to separate, you need a divorce certificate!” Jack’s mother clutched her chest, her face contorted in pain: “This is outrageous! You’re rebelling! I must tell Jack about this. You’re going to be the death of me!” When Jack came home and saw the cold stove and empty kitchen, he frowned. His mother immediately rushed to him, tearfully recounting my “unfilial” behavior. In my previous life, she had used these two words to manipulate me for a lifetime. I packed my things and walked out with my bag. “There’s an end-of-year performance before next month’s competition. I’m moving to stay at the theater company. Besides, we’re competitors now, it’s not appropriate for us to live together.” I put a hundred dollars on the table. “This is my duty as a mother to Kevin. This money should cover all his expenses for a month.” My monthly salary was 153 , g i v i n g 153,giving100 was already quite generous. Jack angrily smashed his teacup, chipping a piece of white porcelain. “If you have the guts, don’t come back once you leave!” I remained indifferent, glancing at Kevin sitting nearby before leaving without looking back. At the theater company, I rehearsed day and night. This performance was national, and even television stations were coming to film. If I could win first prize, it would help me gain respect when I became the director. But before the day of the performance arrived, the atmosphere in the theater company started to feel off. Wherever I went, there were whispers and pointing behind my back. I deliberately squatted in a corner of the bathroom to eavesdrop on others’ hushed conversations. “Is the news true? Is Claire really having an affair with Director Chen?” “It must be true. The note even detailed which day she entered the director’s office and how long she stayed. If there wasn’t something fishy going on, why would Director Chen support Claire so much? She can’t even play lead roles anymore!” So, this was why Jack dared to speak so harshly to me that day. He had a backup plan. Being the subject of scandalous rumors is devastating for a woman in any era. I couldn’t just passively take the hits. I needed to do something to take control of the situation. 0

As the two women were walking out, I stood up directly from the toilet stall and chased after them. “Is what you’re saying true? Repeat what you just said.” I grabbed the woman who had mentioned the incriminating note. Seeing it was me, her eyes flickered, but she tried to maintain her composure. “Of course, I just heard about it. How shameless of you to make such a fuss about it. Are you trying to make sure everyone in the theater knows? What difference does it make if I repeat it? You’re married to such a good husband like Jack and still not satisfied. You actually had an affair with Director Chen just to win the director position!” This woman was Zoe Parker, who played the role of the matchmaker. She often hung out with Bella. I immediately collapsed to the ground, crying and clinging tightly to her legs. “I had no idea I had been drugged and taken advantage of. I know nothing about what you’re saying. You must help me testify and bring the culprit to justice!” By this time, quite a crowd had gathered to watch the commotion. I looked around with a distraught expression. “Please, can someone help me call the police? I’m a married woman. I never thought I’d be… This is driving me to my death. I can’t go on living!” I used my vocal training to project my voice, startling a flock of sparrows from a nearby tree. Seeing someone rush towards the reception desk in response, Zoe visibly panicked. She started trying to pry my hands off, attempting to free her leg. “I just heard it from someone else. I didn’t see anything myself. How can I testify for you?” I held on even tighter: “Then who did you hear it from? They must know.” Zoe hurriedly blurted out Bella’s name. When the police arrived, they called both Bella and Director Chen over. They also found several notes scattered around the theater, describing my alleged affair with Director Chen. This immediately caused an uproar, even attracting the attention of the provincial theater company’s leadership. I winked at Director Chen. Having watched me grow up, he knew I had my limits. He just gave me a warning glare, indicating we’d settle this later. Under immense pressure, Bella had to admit that she had fabricated the rumors about me and hadn’t actually seen anything. The police sternly told her: “Your behavior has seriously disrupted social order and damaged Claire’s reputation.” Bella looked tearfully towards Jack, who was standing at the edge of the crowd, biting her lip in silence. Jack pushed through the crowd and stepped forward. “Claire is my wife. Since this is all a misunderstanding, and we’re all colleagues here, let’s just treat it as a joke. On her behalf, I won’t pursue this matter any further.” I let out a cold laugh: “Since when do I need you to speak for me? I have my own voice.” “Officer, I want to pursue legal action against those who spread these rumors and restore my reputation!”

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I Had a Girlfriend in College I had a girlfriend in college. She was gentle and lovely, with clear eyes. I was head over heels for her, wanting to give her the world. One day, I received a friend request. It dawned on me that I might have been cheated on. I confronted my girlfriend, but she denied it vehemently, tears in her eyes. My heart softened, and I believed her, even buying her a new bag to make up. Until my friends told me the truth: she had long been married to a man in his fifties back in her hometown. They were working together to deceive me and swindle my money, causing my company to face frequent troubles. I couldn’t believe it. As my vision blurred, I suddenly found myself in her husband’s body when I opened my eyes again. Still reeling from the shock of being the other man, the harsh sunlight outside the window snapped me back to reality. The soft sensation beneath me startled me. I looked down to find myself sitting on a bed, surrounded by unfamiliar surroundings. “Where am I?” The pain of being cheated on was momentarily forgotten, replaced by confusion. I unconsciously reached up to scratch my neck, surprised by the rough texture. Shocked, I looked down at my hands. They were rough, dark, and calloused. My confusion deepened. “Who am I?” I rushed to a mirror, staring at the unfamiliar “me” reflected back. The man in the mirror was overweight, with a fleshy face and dark skin, looking to be in his fifties. I stared at him, feeling a sense of familiarity. Racking my brain, it suddenly hit me where I’d seen him before. This was Emma’s husband back in her hometown! I had seen him in my friend’s phone. “Holy crap, did I… swap bodies with him?” The situation had gone beyond my comprehension. “Where is he then? Is he in my body?” Just then, a ringtone interrupted my thoughts. I pulled out a phone from my pocket, seeing “Mom” on the caller ID. I answered. Before I could speak, an elderly voice came through, “Richard, Emma’s just playing around with that boy. She’s still yours. Once she’s swindled all his money, the company will be yours too. You can provoke him however you want, it’s fine. We’re just enduring for now, we won’t lose out in the end.” The barrage of words left me dizzy. Hearing my silence, the voice continued, “Richard? Richard? I know you’re upset about Emma seeing another man, but listen to your mother. If we endure now, you can do whatever you want with Emma when she comes back for summer break. I heard that boy’s quite generous with her, let Emma milk him for all he’s worth and bring back some money for you to buy cigarettes.” Only then did I fully grasp the situation. So, not only had I swapped bodies with the older man, but I had also traveled back to the moment he sent me a friend request. “So the company’s troubles were their doing too. Damn it!” I slapped my thigh. “Heaven’s given me this chance. This time, I’ll protect my money and my company.” If I had swapped into his body, he might have swapped into mine. In that case, wouldn’t he empty my bank account?! I had a moment of panic, wishing I hadn’t set up fingerprint payments.

No, wait. What if he hadn’t? I clung to a shred of hope, silently praying that this greedy old man hadn’t swapped into my body. First, I needed to confirm who was in my body. With this realization, I quickly pulled out my phone, found my chat window, and with trembling hands, slowly typed, “Who are you?” “?” The reply came quickly, followed by, “Are you crazy?” It felt so familiar, like my style. Excited, I eagerly typed, “Who was our elementary school teacher?” “Mr. Thompson, of course.” The instant reply, coupled with the fact that I had never discussed this with Emma and had no elementary school classmates’ contacts in my phone, plus the familiar feeling, was conclusive! I was almost certain the person on the other end was me. “Emma is a fraud. Don’t be fooled by her sweet talk!!” I typed furiously, afraid that my younger self might soften and fall for Emma’s tricks again. “She’s already married.” “?” came the reply from the other end, “You’re the fraud. Don’t I know my own girlfriend?” My heart sank at this response. It was over; he must have already confronted Emma, and she had managed to talk her way out of it. I was disappointed in myself. How could I believe everything Emma said? I felt like flying over there to knock some sense into myself. I kept trying, typing frantically, but the other end stopped responding. Frustrated, calling myself an idiot, a sudden idea struck me. I hurriedly rummaged around and found Richard and Emma’s marriage certificate. I took about a hundred photos of the certificate from every possible angle, proving it was as real as gold. Confident, I sent the photos over with a trademark “haha”, thinking, “Now with this iron-clad evidence, you’ve got to believe me.” Before I could celebrate for long, a red exclamation mark appeared on the screen. I had been blocked. Blocked by myself. Okay, I guess I’ve really outdone myself this time, being both a hopeless romantic and a clown. Not giving up, I tried adding him from other accounts, but none were accepted. At this point, with my savings at stake, I didn’t hesitate. I quickly booked a flight, planning to confront Emma and knock some sense into my love-struck self. Fortunately, Richard had also set up fingerprint payments. I booked a first-class ticket. Hehe, it’s the old man’s money, so might as well go all out. After all the trouble he’s caused me, a little compensation isn’t too much to ask, right?

As the plane landed, I once again set foot on familiar ground. On the taxi ride to campus, memories of my time with Emma flooded my mind. I remembered the first time I saw her on campus. She was wearing a white dress that fluttered in the wind, standing in the sunlight, flashing me a sweet smile. I got her WeChat under the pretext of helping her move her luggage. I sent her good morning, good afternoon, and good night messages every day. I spent time and energy making her happy, time and money accompanying her shopping and paying for her. It took me over three months of pursuing her before I dared to confess. When I saw her hesitate, seemingly about to refuse, I quickly told her how much I liked her, swearing to treat her well. Only then did I manage to convince her to be my girlfriend. After we got together, I told her everything, even company secrets without any reservations. We spent what I thought was a sweet and blissful time together. At least, that’s how it seemed to me. Occasionally, she would avoid taking calls in front of me, but I never questioned it, giving her enough privacy. Sometimes when we talked about family topics, she would stammer and refuse to elaborate. I thought it was because of a troubled family background, and feeling sorry for her, I would quickly change the subject. I thought that as long as I gave her my whole heart, we would be together forever. I never expected she would give me such a big surprise. I was the one intruding on their marriage. This realization once again stabbed at my heart. The phone screen reflected Richard’s face. I stared at it, thinking how I, a 6’1″ extremely handsome guy, couldn’t compete with this fifty-year-old man. The thought made my heart ache even more. The driver’s voice snapped me out of my daze. I got out of the car, standing at the university gates, determination in my eyes. Emma, this time I won’t be fooled by you. At this time, my younger self should have just finished Calculus class and be on the way back to the dorm. Relying on my memory, I went to the path he would take and waited for a while before I saw myself. I approached and stopped him. I watched a look of confusion spread across my familiar face. “Can I help you?” Talking to my own face, hearing my own voice, was an indescribably strange feeling. “Jack, I’m the uncle who added you the other day,” I said, knowing I didn’t have much patience and getting straight to the point. Jack’s face flashed with impatience. “I trust my girlfriend. I made it clear last time, please don’t bother us anymore.” Come on, man. I’ve come all this way and you still believe Emma? I facepalmed once again at my past self’s stupidity. Seeing Jack’s firm attitude, I didn’t dare to proceed with my original plan.

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My best friend and I married into the same wealthy family, becoming sisters-in-law. Shortly after, we both became pregnant. Our in-laws announced a million-dollar reward for whoever gave birth to a son. On the day I delivered, my friend, who had just undergone a C-section, came to my bedside and switched my son with her daughter. Twenty years later, after her son had caused a major scandal, she proudly declared in front of everyone, pointing at my academically excellent daughter: “Actually, this is my biological child!” I smiled and replied, “They say children often resemble their uncles. If your son shaved his head, he’d look exactly like your brother!” “Indeed, he is your biological son…” At the hospital room door, I saw a woman in a patient gown, hunched over and carrying a thick bundle. I quickly closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep. She entered, just as I expected. Even while enduring the pain from her C-section, she had come to switch our babies for the million-dollar reward. After she left, I looked at my fair-skinned daughter with love. Caressing her face, I whispered, “That scrawny, premature boy can go to whoever wants him.” Two hours later, my husband and in-laws arrived. My room was quiet, with only my husband, the nurse, and me present. Olivia’s room, on the other hand, was bustling with our in-laws, sister-in-law, and a crowd of relatives. My husband looked uncomfortable and tried to comfort me, “It’s okay, Emma. Our little princess has us, and that’s enough.” I patted his hand and said, “The surgery has left me weak. Since Olivia has the energy, let her entertain the guests.” That night, after running around switching babies and greeting visitors, Olivia suffered severe bleeding and was rushed back to surgery.

A year ago, shortly after I married into the wealthy family, Olivia would cry in front of me every day. She accused me of forgetting our promise to “stay friends even in wealth and success.” Seeing her strange, heavy makeup and exaggerated expressions, I remembered how she had cut ties with all our old classmates after marrying a nouveau riche man five or six years ago. I could only laugh it off and deny her accusations. To my surprise, within two weeks, she had hooked up with my gambling-addicted brother-in-law. When our in-laws disapproved, she got pregnant and forced a shotgun wedding. Her baby was due just a month after mine. Our in-laws were thrilled to have two pregnant daughters-in-law and announced the million-dollar reward for a grandson. I didn’t care much, as I hadn’t married my husband for his family’s wealth. I would be happy with either a son or a daughter. Olivia, however, was obsessed. She consulted fortune tellers who all said she was carrying a girl. She spent a fortune on rituals to change her luck, but to no avail. All this stress led to her being hospitalized for a month to protect the pregnancy. As my due date approached, I noticed Olivia constantly staring at my belly. My maternal instincts kicked in, and I became wary. Sure enough, on the day my water broke, Olivia arrived at the hospital right after me. She insisted on having a C-section that day, claiming it was an auspicious date. After my daughter was born, I took the opportunity to switch her son with my daughter when no one was looking. So, the baby Olivia took was actually her own son.

On the babies’ one-month birthday celebration, the family mansion was decorated lavishly, with luxury cars lining the driveway and guests filling the halls. Olivia’s “little prince” wore a bright yellow traditional outfit, which only made his complexion look darker. My daughter wore a simple pink dress, prioritizing comfort. Our in-laws had arranged stacks of cash totaling a million dollars on a long table. Olivia’s family hovered around it, as if afraid someone might steal a bundle. I rolled my eyes. How petty, I thought. Everyone here is wealthy; no one cares about your measly sum. When my mother-in-law placed a palm-sized solid gold charm necklace around Olivia’s son’s neck, Olivia immediately removed it and insisted on putting it on my daughter. “Boys are tough; this charm would be better for Sophia,” she said, taking the hollow gold charm from my daughter’s neck. Everyone praised her for being so considerate. I played along, saying, “You’re so good to Sophia, someone might think she’s your own daughter!” Olivia hesitated for a moment, then looked at my daughter with affection. “Of course, we’re best friends and sisters-in-law now. I just adore Sophia.” I blocked her hand as she reached out to touch my daughter. “Olivia, your son is crying. You should check on him.”

When the children were two years old, they were playing in the courtyard. Hearing a commotion, Olivia and I rushed downstairs. Seeing my daughter’s face scratched and bleeding, I held her silently, my face grim. Olivia went berserk, slapping her son Tyler hard across the face multiple times. His face swelled up immediately, and he cried uncontrollably. Despite the beating, he reached out to Olivia, sobbing, “Mommy, hug me.” Olivia kicked him away, “You little bastard! How dare you hurt Sophia? I’ll cut off your hands!” Hearing this, my daughter started crying in fear. Olivia glanced at her and became even angrier. She grabbed Tyler’s head and shoved it into the swimming pool. “You worthless piece of shit! You deserve to be punished! If Sophia’s face scars, I’ll kill you!” She only let go when the boy’s little hands stopped flailing. Seeing him sink to the bottom of the pool, I quickly pulled him out. The child coughed and sputtered water after being rescued. Olivia held my daughter, comforting her softly. I snorted coldly. Was she trying to kill a two-year-old child for making a mistake? She thought this was my son, which is why she treated him this way. If my daughter had been in her care, she might have suffered an even worse fate. “Olivia, no matter what Tyler did wrong, he’s still your own son. You almost killed him,” I said. She didn’t even look up. “If he dies, it’s his bad luck. We can always have another one.” Her words proved true. She got pregnant again, this time with a boy.

Our in-laws were overjoyed, saying they’d give her a million dollars for every son she bore. “The more children, the more blessings,” they said. “Have ten if you want!” Because of this, she treated Tyler even worse. After all, she had already spent the first million dollars. She had used the money to pay off her brother’s gambling debts, but he had since accumulated more. Her mother frequently came asking for money, insisting that her brother was even dearer than her own son. Years ago, when she was dating rich men to buy her brother phones and computers, I had warned her. Being excessively devoted to her brother would only lead to loss. She accused me of trying to ruin her relationship with her brother and cut off contact with me. Now, she came crying to me about her family bleeding her dry to support her brother. I advised her, “He’s your brother. If you don’t take care of him, who will? I’ve heard debt collectors use brutal methods these days. If they come to your in-laws, they’ll be very unhappy.” Olivia’s monthly allowance was only a few thousand dollars, far from enough to cover her brother’s expenses. So she set her sights on having more children for the rewards.

When Sophia was eight and starting elementary school, she suddenly had to be hospitalized. The doctor said it was a severe allergic reaction. Olivia arrived at the hospital before me. When I got there, she was arguing with the doctor: “She’s allergic to mangoes! How can it be this severe? You incompetent doctors! Use the most expensive medicine!” “If she suffers any more, I’ll shut down this entire hospital!” A nurse tried to calm her down, “Ma’am, please don’t worry. We’ve already treated her. She’ll be fine soon.” Olivia shouted, “It’s easy for you to say! What if it was your daughter lying there?” The doctors and nurses fell silent, not wanting to argue further. I ran over, caught my breath, and patted the nurse’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, I’m the child’s mother. Thank you for your help. Please, go attend to your other patients.” The doctor who had been yelled at looked confused. “Then who is this lady?” I forced a smile, “She’s the child’s aunt.” The doctor and nurse looked at Olivia, then left with expressions that suggested they thought she was mentally unstable. As he was leaving, the doctor said, “Ma’am, our hospital has an excellent psychiatric department. If you’re often overly anxious or stressed, you might want to consider a consultation.”

After Sophia was discharged, she stayed home from school for a few days to recover. During this time, Olivia nearly turned the school upside down. She reported the principal and teachers to the education bureau, accusing them of allowing students to poison others at school. She even hired tabloid reporters to interview people at the school. Banners were hung all over the school grounds: “Unethical school endangers my daughter’s life!” “Corrupt principal allows poisoning and protects the culprit!” “Immoral teachers abuse students!” To fabricate evidence against the teachers, she beat Tyler until he was black and blue. She forced Tyler to tell reporters on camera that the teachers had beaten him. The incident, involving school food safety, caused a huge uproar. Tyler, covered in new and old bruises, was dragged by Olivia to kneel at the school gate every day. He looked completely dejected. Onlookers began to speak up: “The child looks so ill, why isn’t he in the hospital?” “These injuries are clearly fresh. How could the teachers have beaten him at home?” “Rich people are so dramatic. Instead of going to the police, they put on heavy makeup and block the school entrance in luxury cars.” More and more people accused Olivia of putting on an act. The situation only ended when I brought Sophia to the school gate. I had also called reporters to explain the whole story. Sophia was allergic to mangoes, and her classmates, unaware of this, had shared some mango candy with her. I admitted that we, as parents, should have been more vigilant and asked everyone to stop discussing the incident. I apologized for the trouble Olivia had caused the school. We also withdrew the lawsuit against the classmate and their parents, hoping everyone would let the children return to their studies in peace.

Our in-laws cared deeply about their reputation. After my husband told them about this incident, they showed no mercy to Olivia, despite her having given them four grandsons. During a family gathering, they made her kneel down and apologize for her behavior in front of everyone. Olivia was humiliated, and my husband was worried. “Will Olivia take out her anger on Sophia? After all, she did all this for our daughter,” he said. I assured him, “She won’t. Olivia loves Sophia too much to blame her.” She would be too busy worrying about Sophia to be angry with her. If anyone would face her wrath, it would be her own son. That night, we heard screaming and crying as she punished her child. Tyler cried the loudest, “Mom, I’m your son! Why do you always hit me because of my sister? I feel pain too!” “Shut up! Cry again and I’ll sew your mouth shut! You don’t deserve to say Sophia’s name!” Finally, our in-laws couldn’t bear it anymore and took Tyler away. They also canceled Olivia’s credit cards and forbade Daniel from giving her money. Olivia endured a couple of years of financial hardship. She harbored resentment and pestered Daniel constantly. When she gave birth to her fifth son, she was overjoyed, expecting another million-dollar reward. Our in-laws only gave her $200,000. “$200,000 is more than enough for having a child. From now on, you’ll have to pay for baby formula yourselves,” they said.

With less money per child, Olivia decided to focus on quantity. Over the next few years, she had three more children. The toll of multiple pregnancies and raising eight children left Olivia’s face wrinkled. She looked nearly ten years older than me. What little money she received went to support her family. Daniel had taken up with a woman in her twenties and rarely came home. Even if Olivia wanted to have more children, she couldn’t find anyone to help her. Everyone thought she would become depressed and bitter, sighing all day like a wronged woman. But surprisingly, she remained energetic and upbeat, even though she had raised her sons to be good-for-nothing. They were uneducated and spent their days either playing video games at home or causing trouble outside, living off the allowance from their grandparents. Some had even dropped out of school, and Olivia indulged them. People were confused by her attitude, but only I knew the truth. Sophia was now twenty years old and pursuing a graduate degree at a top university. Whether the family fortune went to the grandsons or the most accomplished grandchild, Olivia thought she would be the winner either way.

During the New Year’s Eve family gathering, Tyler burst in, panicked and out of breath. He had been drinking at a bar and took an intoxicated girl to a hotel. Now she had called the police, and he had rushed home. He knelt before his grandfather, begging the family patriarch to save his eldest grandson. “Grandpa, please save me! When I helped that girl out of the bar, she didn’t resist at all!” “Grandpa, don’t you have friends in the police department? This girl is falsely accusing me. Can’t you have her arrested instead?” His father, seeing his father-in-law’s face turning purple with rage, smashed his wine glass on Tyler’s head. Blood trickled down Tyler’s forehead as he crawled towards his mother, his 300-pound body barely moving. “Mom, save me! I’m your own son!” His brothers stood by with their arms crossed, watching the scene unfold as if their kneeling brother were an enemy rather than family. Olivia crouched down to wipe the blood from his face. “Tyler, you’ve caused such big trouble. Even I can’t help you now. With a criminal record… I hope it won’t affect your sister’s chances of becoming a civil servant.” Tyler looked at her in disbelief. “I might go to jail, and all you care about is Sophia?” Their grandfather exploded in anger. “Enough! Olivia, look at the son you’ve raised! Take him to turn himself in right now. As far as we’re concerned, we never saw him today!” “And you, we don’t want a daughter-in-law like you in our family anymore. When you get back, divorce Daniel and leave with nothing!” Olivia panicked. She grabbed Sophia, who was sitting next to her grandparents, and before anyone could react, she blurted out: “Dad, I’m not the one who should leave. Tyler is Michael and Emma’s son. Sophia is my real daughter!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295472”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #励志Inspiring