Author: Momo Chan

My mom came from another world. She was a “player” sent here on a mission. After Mom successfully won Dad’s heart, she chose to stay in this world forever. Our family lived happily. But then Dad fell for his secretary. Mom told Dad, “If you see her again, I’m leaving.” Dad replied, “You don’t even have a family to go back to. Where could you possibly go?” But when Mom really left,Dad lost his mind. I pushed open the bedroom door. Mom was lying quietly on the bed. She seemed to be asleep. I walked over and called out softly, “Mom.” But she didn’t open her eyes and pull me into her arms like she usually did. I gently placed my hand under her nose, but there was no breath. I knew then that my mom was gone.

Mom had told me before that she was a “player” from another world. Because she successfully completed her mission, she chose to stay in this world forever. Her eyes twinkled when she said this. I didn’t understand what a “player” was at the time, but I still asked, “Mom, what was your mission?” Mom held my little hand and said, “To win your dad’s heart, make him fall in love with me, and then have you!” “So, Lily, you’re Mom’s greatest gift.” She gently kissed my cheek and said she would never regret it. But later, Mom never smiled like that again. Because Dad later fell for a secretary. People said that since Dad had someone else, he would soon abandon Mom and me. I angrily chased them away and hugged Mom. At the time, I thought: Even if Dad didn’t want Mom anymore, it didn’t matter. At least Mom still wanted Lily. Because she was my mom, she would surely stay with me forever.

Usually, it was Mom who took off my pajamas, put on my clothes, and then took me to brush my teeth. Mom said I was already ten years old, and it was embarrassing that she still had to watch over me doing these things. What if my classmates found out and laughed at me? I would pout and say, “They’d only be jealous that my mom loves me so much.” But now that Mom was gone, I had to dress myself. At the dining table, Aunt May had already prepared breakfast. Aunt May asked me, “Why isn’t the madam up yet?” I said, “Mom’s sleeping.” Aunt May was the nanny Mom had hired for me, paying ten years’ salary in advance to take care of my daily needs. Before, we didn’t have a nanny at home. Because Mom did everything in the house. My mom was Superwoman. Every day, after finishing the housework, putting me to bed, and spending time with Dad, she would still go to the study and teach herself law for an hour. Because she was preparing for the bar exam. Dad didn’t understand and said, “You’re so busy and tired every day, why bother?” “I provide for you, isn’t it good enough to just relax and enjoy life?” But Mom would just shake her head gently yet firmly, and say, “Jake, this is my dream.” When she said this, Mom’s eyes would sparkle. I thought Mom looked so beautiful, so beautiful at that moment. I think Dad must have thought the same. He reached out and instinctively pulled Mom into his arms, then buried his face in her neck, nuzzling her like a puppy. Mom blushed and pushed Dad away. “Lily’s still here.” I knew that Dad and Mom were about to play their game again, the one they never let me join. I wanted to beg Mom to include me this time. But Dad’s eyes fell on me, and he said, “Lily, out.” I suddenly didn’t dare anymore. I could only obediently leave. Most of the time, Dad was very good to me. But I was most afraid when he looked at me with those eyes, making me unconsciously agree to things. In the time that followed, the house became very harmonious. Dad encouraged Mom to take the bar exam and would even keep her company late into the night. But on the day before the bar exam, Dad took away all of Mom’s documents and locked her in the room. He only brought me back from the company after the exam time had passed. Mom looked at Dad, her eyes blazing with fire. “Jake, do you know I’ve been preparing for this for a year!” “Do you know how important this is to me?” Dad walked up to her, holding her tight in his arms despite her struggles. He said softly, “Olivia, I’m sorry, but I’m doing this for our family.” “I just want you to stay at home, where I can hold you whenever I reach out.” “Besides, Lily feels the same way, don’t you?” As he said the last sentence, Dad’s eyes turned to me. But I remembered what Dad had told me earlier that day. “If Mom becomes a lawyer, she’ll be traveling all the time, dealing with clients, and she’ll forget about you.” “And if Mom goes out to meet people every day, what if she falls for someone else? She’ll abandon me, abandon you, and abandon this family.” I thought what Dad said was so scary. I didn’t want Mom to abandon me. So I walked up, tugged at Mom’s hand, and said, “Mom, don’t be mad at Dad. I don’t want you to go either.” Mom looked at me, her body seeming to lose all strength, gradually softening in Dad’s arms. Mom’s dry voice came after a long while. “This is the last time.” Dad smiled with satisfaction. Even though things had developed as I wanted them to, Looking at Mom’s eyes, a little dimmer than before, I felt uneasy, like I had done something wrong.

After finishing my meal, I went back to my bedroom, closed the door, and quietly looked at my mom. At ten years old, I could already understand life and death. But I wasn’t afraid. Mom said she was eighteen when she crossed over to this world. In her original world, her body was still lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines. She said that when she successfully completed her mission, the system gave her two choices. Return to her original world, or stay here. She wanted to go home to see her mom, but she couldn’t bear to leave Dad, and especially couldn’t leave me, still a baby in the cradle, so she stayed. I asked Mom, “Mom, can you stay with Lily forever?” Mom said, “Of course.” I remembered those two words for a long time. Now I just gently tapped Mom’s nose. Softly, I said, “Mom, you liar.” Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I knew it couldn’t be Dad; he hadn’t been home in a long time. Aunt Rachel’s voice called from outside, “Lily, come open the door for Auntie. Auntie will take you home.” “Auntie will be your mom.” I shouted loudly, “Go away! You’re not my mom. You’re a homewrecker, destroying my family!” After Mom gave up on the bar exam, she devoted herself entirely to taking care of Dad and me. We were very happy. I thought we would always be happy. But then Aunt Rachel appeared. She was Dad’s newly hired secretary, always clumsy and fumbling. During that time, Dad complained about Aunt Rachel more and more often. I was puzzled. If Dad disliked her so much, why didn’t he just fire her? Moreover, because of her, Dad came home later and later, sometimes not coming home at all. Aunt Rachel’s figure also started appearing in Dad’s social media posts. When Mom took me shopping at the mall, we would also see Dad accompanying Aunt Rachel. When Mom saw them, she accidentally dropped a vase. Dad heard the sound and looked over. The expression on his face changed to panic for a moment. Then he let go of Aunt Rachel’s wrist, wanting to chase after Mom. But Mom picked me up, covered her mouth, and ran out. That night, Dad and Mom had a big fight. I crouched behind the door, listening to Dad explain to Mom. Dad said he was just helping Aunt Rachel because she looked so pitiful alone. He said there was nothing between them, that he just treated her like a little sister. I thought Dad’s words sounded so fake. In my class, Tommy was always calling girls his “little sister,” and people said he was playing with multiple girls at once. I saw Mom give a cold laugh, refuting Dad’s half-hearted excuses, and then she said to Dad: “If you see her again, I’m leaving.” Dad, who had been explaining, got angry when he heard this. Dad shouted, “Olivia, you’re going to divorce me over something so trivial?” “Is that necessary? I won’t do anything with Rachel. I still love you. Can’t you be a bit more understanding?” Mom said, “This isn’t trivial to me.” “You broke your vows, betrayed our love. How can I be understanding?” Dad panicked a bit, but he angrily said, “Where would you go if you left?” “Who do you know here besides me and Lily?” Dad knew. He knew Mom was a player from another world, who gave up the chance to return to her original world for him. He knew Mom could only stay here forever, with nowhere else to go. I remember once when Dad made Mom angry. Mom was so upset she grabbed her bag and ran out. I was so anxious, patting Dad’s leg, telling him to go find Mom. But Dad just crossed his legs, looked at his newspaper, and said, “Where else could she go?” In the evening, Mom came back with her bag, her eyes red. She held up the bag in her hand and said, “Jake, I bought food for you guys.” She opened the takeout boxes. Ah. It was my favorite crab roe dumplings and Dad’s favorite chive dumplings. I happily ate the dumplings, but when I saw Mom quietly eating yesterday’s steamed bun with her head down, I suddenly couldn’t eat anymore. I thought, if Mom had a family to go back to, no matter how far, by train or plane, she would go back. But her family was in another world, so she had nowhere to go. Dad took advantage of this point to make Mom obey.

Outside, Aunt Rachel knocked on the door for a while, and soon the sound stopped. I thought she had left. But an hour later, I heard the sound of someone tampering with the lock. On the security camera, I saw an unfamiliar man. I got a bit scared. Mom always said that if a child is home alone and there are strangers outside, they must find an adult. I couldn’t find Mom, so I could only run to the kitchen to find Aunt May. “Auntie, there’s someone outside. I don’t know them.” Aunt May grabbed a knife, swallowed hard, and led me to wait by the door. Until the lock was opened. Aunt Rachel stood smiling at the door, then handed the locksmith twenty dollars. “Thank you, sir.” Aunt May said, “Miss Rachel, how could you do this?” Aunt Rachel said, “Lily, your dad asked me to take you away.” “You wouldn’t see me, so I had to do this.” She stepped forward to grab me. I bit her hand viciously. I shouted, “I won’t go with you.” “Give up on that idea.” Aunt Rachel let out a scream. I tasted blood in my throat. Only then did I let go. Aunt Rachel angrily pushed me to the ground. Then she stormed off furiously. My hand was scratched by a splinter on the floor, bleeding a bit. Aunt May quickly brought the first aid kit. Even though it was Aunt May bandaging me, I couldn’t help but say, “Mom, it hurts.” But my mom, she couldn’t hear me anymore. Before, Mom was with Dad and me every day. But now that she’s gone, I realized, So this is what it feels like to miss Mom. I remember when I was six, during Chinese New Year, Dad took Mom and me back to the ancestral home for a family gathering. The gathering was full of Dad’s relatives. There were uncles, aunts, grandpa, grandma… So many people, bustling with noise and excitement. But only Mom was there alone with me. That day, Mom was busy back and forth, cooking an entire table of dishes by herself. We were all eating while she was still busy in the kitchen. The uncles all said to Dad: “Little brother, you really married a capable and virtuous woman.” Dad smiled proudly. Mom tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, wiped the flour from her forehead, and lowered her head with a smile. By the time she could finally sit at the table, most of the food had been eaten. Because I said I was full and a bit sleepy after eating, She only ate a few bites hastily, then took me upstairs. But when we reached the stairs, Mom suddenly stopped, turning to look down. I was a bit curious, so I looked too. Grandpa and Grandma were giving red envelopes to the younger generation, uncles were discussing work with Dad, and many aunts were gathered to play cards. They were all one family. Mom looked for a long time. I tugged at Mom’s hand and asked, “Mom, what’s wrong?” Mom came back to her senses and looked at me. Behind her was the bustling noise and the lights of countless homes, but her eyes looked incredibly sad and lonely. “Lily, what do you think your grandmother is doing right now?” So my mom misses her mom too!

After Aunt May finished bandaging me, she looked at Mom’s room with a frown and said, “It’s almost dark, why hasn’t the madam woken up yet?” I said, “Mom’s so tired, let her sleep a bit longer.” Aunt May said again, “Sigh, it’s been several days, and the master hasn’t come back to check on her.” My dad hasn’t been home for a long time. He once said he was on a business trip, but he actually went on vacation with Aunt Rachel. Aunt Rachel proudly showed those photos to Mom, telling her to quickly divorce Dad and make room for her. I saw Mom’s eyes turn red in an instant. Because that place was somewhere Mom had wanted to go for a long time. Mom wanted Dad to take her there, but Dad was always too busy. Unexpectedly, Dad took Aunt Rachel there first. Mom showed the photos to Dad. When Dad saw them, his face changed immediately. Dad said those photos were photoshopped, fake, and didn’t count. At that moment, Mom’s eyes were filled with sadness. Mom said: “Jake, what did you promise me when we got married? To love only me, to be good only to me.” “Otherwise, why would I stay here!” Dad said, “Haven’t I been good to you? A house worth millions, a ring worth hundreds of thousands, clothes worth tens of thousands, I’ve given you everything you wanted.” “Isn’t that good enough?” Mom shook her head, muttering, “There’s just no way to communicate with you.” She threw all of Dad’s clothes and shoes out. Dad felt very embarrassed, so he said he wouldn’t come back. So from that day on, Dad really moved out. Soon after, Aunt Rachel’s house caught fire. So Aunt Rachel moved in with Dad. When we heard this news, Mom didn’t cry. She just hugged me gently. Mom said she now understood that people’s hearts can change easily, love can change, and vows only count when they’re made. It’s just that she understood too late. Now it was too late for regrets. 8 In the evening, I squeezed my own toothpaste, brushed my teeth, and wiped my small body with a towel. Then I climbed next to Mom, hugging her. Even though my mom’s body had already stiffened and her skin had turned cold, as long as she was still lying here, I felt so happy. I once asked Mom. “Mom, what kind of person was your mom?” My mom didn’t seem to have a dad; her mom was her only relative before. Mom said her mom was very strict with her, always hitting her, scolding her, and lecturing her when she didn’t do her homework. I frowned. I didn’t understand. Why, if she was like that, would Mom still miss her mom? Sometimes when Mom had nightmares, she would call out not Dad’s name, but “Mom.” Mom’s tone suddenly changed. “But when I was diagnosed with leukemia at sixteen, my mom never got angry with me again.” “She quit her job, sold our house, and stayed by my bedside every day to take care of me.” “My mom, she loved me very much too.” As she spoke, Mom’s tone was a bit proud, and a bit sad. I knew that my mom had never forgotten her mom. Because when she crossed over to this world at eighteen, she was still just a little girl. The day she discovered Dad was vacationing with Aunt Rachel, Mom sat by the window and cried alone. Mom said she shouldn’t have been blinded by love, giving up everything, including her own mother, whom she could never see again. 9 Mom had actually proposed divorce to Dad before. A month after Dad moved out, Mom sent him a message asking him to come home. Dad wore a black suit, his hair styled with gel, looking even more handsome than before. That day Mom had prepared a table full of dishes. Dad said somewhat smugly: “Thought it through?” I also happily sat at the table, looking at Dad and Mom, hoping they could reconcile. But Mom put down her chopsticks and said: “Jake, let’s get a divorce.” I was old enough to know what divorce meant. Divorce meant Dad and Mom would be separated forever, and we would rarely be together. When Dad heard this, his expression changed instantly. “Olivia, you want a divorce over something so trivial?” “Is it necessary? I won’t do anything with Rachel. I still love you. Can’t you be more understanding?” Mom said: “This isn’t trivial to me.” “You broke your vows, betrayed our love. How can I be understanding?” Dad panicked a bit, but he angrily said: “Where would you go if we divorced?” “Who do you know here besides me and Lily?” Mom choked up and said: “If I don’t know anyone, I’ll go out and meet people. If I have no money, I’ll wash dishes and mop floors for others. I can always manage to survive with Lily on my own.” Dad laughed coldly, throwing down a sentence: “You’re welcome to try.” He turned and walked away hurriedly. Over the next few days, Mom sent out many job applications, but they were all rejected. Mom didn’t give up, sending the same resume hundreds and thousands of times. Until a kind-hearted person told her: “Mrs. Zhou, Mr. Jiang has already spread the word, so no one dares to hire you.” Soon after, a lawyer came to the door with a document for Mom. Mom asked: “What’s this?” The lawyer said: “This is a comparison of your and Mr. Jiang’s assets.” “If there’s a custody battle for your daughter in the future—” He pushed up his glasses. “Unfortunately, you have no chance of winning.” Mom’s face turned pale. I clutched Mom’s clothes tightly, but didn’t dare to say anything. Soon, all of Dad’s relatives came. They surrounded Mom, their tone like an interrogation. “Little Jiang has such good conditions, and you still want to divorce him? You won’t find another opportunity like this.” “Really ungrateful, don’t know what Little Jiang saw in her?” Mom said coldly: “Stop trying to persuade me. I just want to divorce him.” Someone softened their tone, appealing to emotions. “Olivia, look, the child is so big now. If she knows her parents are divorcing, how sad would she be?” Mom’s expression softened a bit. The group immediately said: “Yes, children always need a healthy childhood.” “It’s all for the child, what can’t you endure?” “…” Someone pushed me in front of Mom, then smiled and asked me: “Lily, do you want your parents to divorce?” “If they divorce, you’ll be a child without a mother.” My tears fell instantly. I hugged Mom, saying fearfully: “Mom, please, don’t leave Dad.” “Lily can’t bear to be without you.” Mom looked at me blankly, her eyes seeming to have tears too. “Forget it.” A soft voice. Like a sigh. Mom gave up. I thought this way, I could keep Mom forever. But I didn’t know that some birds can’t be caged, every feather shines with the light of freedom.

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Mom came from another world. She was a “player” sent here on a mission. After winning Dad’s heart, she chose to stay here forever. We were happy, for a while. Then Dad fell for his secretary. “If you see her again, I’m leaving,” Mom warned. Dad scoffed. “Where would you go? You have no family here.” He thought he had her trapped. But when she really left, Dad lost it. I pushed open the bedroom door. Mom lay still on the bed. She looked asleep. “Mom?” I called softly. No response. No hug. Nothing. I touched her nose. No breath. My mom was gone.

Mom once told me she was a “player” from another world. She completed her mission and chose to stay. Her eyes sparkled when she said it. I didn’t get it then. “What was your mission, Mom?” I asked. She squeezed my hand. “To make your dad fall for me and have you, Lily. You’re my greatest gift.” She kissed my cheek. Said she’d never regret it. But Mom stopped smiling like that after Dad’s affair. Everyone said he’d dump us soon. I hugged Mom tight. I thought: Even if Dad doesn’t want her, it’s okay. Mom still wants me. She’ll stay forever.

Usually, Mom helped me dress and brush my teeth. “Lily, you’re ten now. Aren’t you embarrassed? What if your friends knew?” I’d pout. “They’d just be jealous that my mom loves me so much.” But now Mom was gone. I had to do it all myself. At breakfast, Mrs. Davis, our housekeeper, asked, “Why isn’t the missus up yet?” “Mom’s sleeping,” I said. Mrs. Davis was the nanny Mom hired. Paid ten years upfront to care for me. We never had help before. Mom did everything. My mom was Superwoman. After chores, tucking me in, and time with Dad, she’d study law for an hour each night. Prepping for the bar exam. Dad didn’t get it. “Why bother? You’re busy enough. I support you. Just relax.” Mom shook her head. “James, this is my dream.” Her eyes shone. She looked so beautiful. I think Dad thought so too. He’d pull her close, nuzzling her neck. Mom would blush and push him away. “Lily’s still here.” I knew they were about to play their “game” – one they never let me join. I wanted to beg to play just once. But Dad’s eyes fell on me. “Lily, out.” I lost my nerve and left. Dad was usually good to me, but I hated that look. It made me agree to things without thinking. Things were good for a while after that. Dad encouraged Mom’s bar prep. Stayed up late with her. But the day before the exam, he took her IDs and locked her in. Only brought me home after it was over. Mom’s eyes blazed. “James, I’ve been preparing for a year! Do you know how important this is?” Dad held her tight. “Emily, I’m sorry. It’s for our family. I want you home where I can reach you. Lily feels the same, right?” His eyes turned to me. I remembered what he’d said earlier. “If Mom becomes a lawyer, she’ll always be traveling. Meeting clients. She might forget you. What if she falls for someone else? She could leave us all behind.” It terrified me. I didn’t want Mom to leave. I tugged her hand. “Mom, don’t be mad. I don’t want you to go either.” Mom looked at me. All fight drained from her. She went limp in Dad’s arms. After a long silence, she said, “This is the last time.” Dad smiled, satisfied. Things went how I wanted. But seeing Mom’s dim eyes, I felt uneasy. Had I done something wrong?

After dinner, I watched Mom quietly. At ten, I understood death. But I wasn’t scared. Mom said she came here at eighteen. In her world, she was on life support. When she finished her mission, the “system” gave her two choices: go home or stay. She wanted to see her mom but couldn’t leave Dad or baby me. So she stayed. I once asked, “Mom, will you stay with Lily forever?” “Of course,” she said. I held those words close. Now, I just tapped her nose. “Mom, you liar,” I whispered. The doorbell rang. Not Dad; he hadn’t been home in ages. I heard Ms. Wilson outside. “Lily, open up. I’m here to take you home. I’ll be your new mom.” I yelled back, “Go away! You’re not my mom. You’re a homewrecker!” After quitting the bar, Mom devoted herself to us. We were happy. I thought we always would be. Then Ms. Wilson showed up. Dad’s new secretary. Always fumbling things. Dad complained about her constantly. I was confused – if he hated her, why not fire her? But he came home later and later. Sometimes not at all. Ms. Wilson appeared in Dad’s social media. Once, shopping with Mom, we spotted them at the mall. Mom dropped a vase. Dad looked over, panicked. He let go of Ms. Wilson and tried to chase us. But Mom scooped me up and ran. That night, they fought. I hid, listening to Dad’s excuses. He claimed he was just helping Ms. Wilson. Said she was like a sister. It sounded so fake. In my class, Billy called girls his “sisters.” Everyone said he was playing around. Mom laughed coldly. She told Dad, “If you see her again, I’m leaving.” Dad got angry. “Where would you go? Who do you know here besides us?” Dad knew Mom was from another world. She gave up going home for him. She had nowhere else. I remember another time Dad made Mom mad. She stormed out with her bag. I begged Dad to find her. He just read his paper. “Where else could she go?” That night, Mom came back, eyes red. She held up a bag. “James, I bought dinner.” My favorite dumplings. Dad’s too. I ate happily. Then I saw Mom quietly eating old bread. I lost my appetite. I thought, if Mom had family here, she’d go to them. But her family was in another world. She had nowhere to go. Dad used this to control her.

Ms. Wilson knocked for a while, then stopped. I thought she left. An hour later, I heard someone picking the lock. The camera showed a strange man. I got scared. Mom said to find an adult if strangers came when I was alone. I ran to Mrs. Davis in the kitchen. “Someone’s outside. I don’t know them.” She grabbed a knife. We waited by the door. The lock opened. Ms. Wilson stood there smiling. She paid the locksmith. Mrs. Davis said, “Ms. Wilson, how could you do this?” She replied, “Lily, your dad asked me to get you. You wouldn’t see me, so I had to do this.” She reached for me. I bit her hand hard. “I won’t go with you,” I shouted. “Give up!” She screamed. I tasted blood. I let go. She pushed me down and stormed off. My hand got cut. Mrs. Davis brought the first aid kit. Even though she bandaged me, I said, “Mom, it hurts.” But my mom couldn’t hear me anymore. Before, Mom was always with us. Now she was gone. I realized what missing her felt like. I remembered Chinese New Year when I was six. Dad took us to the family dinner. It was full of relatives. Uncles, aunts, grandparents. So lively. But only Mom was there with me. She cooked everything herself that day. We ate while she was still in the kitchen. The uncles told Dad, “You married a great woman.” Dad smiled proudly. Mom brushed her hair back, wiped flour off her face, and smiled shyly. When she finally sat down, most food was gone. I said I was full and sleepy. She ate a few bites and took me upstairs. At the stairs, Mom stopped and looked back. I looked too. Grandparents giving out money, uncles talking work with Dad, aunts playing cards. They were all family. Mom stared for a long time. I asked, “Mom, what’s wrong?” She looked at me. Behind her was noise and light, but her eyes were so sad. “Lily, what do you think Grandma is doing now?” So my mom missed her mom too!

Mrs. Davis finished bandaging me. She frowned at Mom’s room. “It’s almost dark. Why hasn’t she woken up?” I said, “Mom’s tired. Let her sleep.” She sighed. “It’s been days. The master hasn’t checked on her.” Dad hadn’t been home in ages. He said he was on a trip, but he took Ms. Wilson on vacation. Ms. Wilson showed Mom the photos. Told her to divorce Dad. Mom’s eyes went red. She’d wanted to go there for so long. She always asked Dad, but he was too busy. Now he took Ms. Wilson instead. Mom showed Dad the photos. His face changed. He said they were fake. Photoshopped. Mom’s eyes filled with sadness. “James, what did you promise when we married? To love only me, be good only to me.” “Why else would I stay here?” Dad said, “Haven’t I been good? A million-dollar house, expensive jewelry, designer clothes. I’ve given you everything.” “Isn’t that enough?” Mom shook her head. “You just don’t get it.” She threw out all his stuff. Dad felt embarrassed. Said he wouldn’t come back. From that day, he really moved out. Soon after, Ms. Wilson’s place caught fire. She moved in with Dad. When we heard, Mom didn’t cry. She just hugged me. She said she now understood. People change. Love changes. Vows only count when made. She realized too late. No use regretting now. 8 That night, I did everything myself. Brushed my teeth. Washed up. Then I climbed next to Mom and hugged her. Even though she was stiff and cold, having her there made me happy. I once asked Mom about her mother. Mom said her mom was strict. Always scolding and hitting her for not doing homework. I frowned. Didn’t understand why Mom would miss someone like that. Sometimes Mom had nightmares. She’d call for her mom, not Dad. Her tone changed. “But when I got leukemia at sixteen, she never yelled again.” “She quit her job, sold our house, stayed with me in the hospital every day.” “My mom loved me very much too.” She sounded proud and sad. I knew Mom never forgot her mother. She was just a girl when she came here at eighteen. The day she found out about Dad’s vacation, Mom cried alone by the window. She said she shouldn’t have been blinded by love. Giving up everything, even her mom. Now she could never see her again. 9 Mom actually asked Dad for a divorce once. A month after he moved out, she called him home. Dad came in a black suit. Hair gelled. Looking extra handsome. Mom made a big dinner. Dad said smugly, “Thought it through?” I sat happily, hoping they’d make up. But Mom put down her chopsticks. “James, let’s divorce.” I knew what divorce meant. Mom and Dad apart forever. Us rarely together. Dad’s face changed instantly. “Olivia, divorce over this? Is it necessary? I won’t do anything with Rachel. I still love you. Can’t you understand?” Mom said, “This isn’t small to me. You broke your vows. Betrayed our love. How can I understand?” Dad panicked but got angry. “Where would you go if we divorced? Who do you know besides us?” Mom choked up. “I’ll meet people. I’ll wash dishes or mop floors. I’ll survive with Lily somehow.” Dad laughed coldly. “Go ahead and try.” He turned and left. Mom sent out job applications. All rejected. She kept trying. Hundreds, thousands of times. Until someone told her, “Mrs. Jiang, your husband spread the word. No one dares hire you.” A lawyer came with papers. “This shows your assets versus Mr. Jiang’s,” he said. “In a custody battle—” He pushed up his glasses. “You have no chance.” Mom went pale. I clutched her clothes, scared to speak. Soon, all Dad’s relatives came. They surrounded Mom. Interrogating her. “James is such a catch. You still want to divorce? You won’t find better.” “So ungrateful. What did he see in her?” Mom said coldly, “Stop. I want the divorce.” Someone softened their tone. “Olivia, think of the child. How sad she’d be if you divorced.” Mom’s face softened. They pounced. “Children need a healthy home.” “It’s all for the child. What can’t you endure?” Someone pushed me to Mom. “Lily, do you want your parents to divorce?” “You’ll be motherless if they do.” I burst into tears. Hugged Mom tight. “Mom, please don’t leave Dad. I can’t lose you.” Mom looked at me blankly. Her eyes watered. “Forget it,” she whispered. Like a sigh. Mom gave up. I thought this would keep her forever. I didn’t know some birds can’t be caged. Their feathers shine with freedom.

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I was the hot teacher. Every student’s dream girl. But the guy I helped? He doped me up. As I mumbled “honey” in a daze, his hands went where they shouldn’t. Later, he bragged. Spread our videos everywhere. “Dream girl? Ha! I’ve had her. Nothing special.” Just like that, I fell from grace. My husband left. My parents became outcasts. The school fired me. The cyberbullying crushed me. I jumped from the school roof. Then I woke up. Back to the day that guy first came to our class. There I was. Standing in front of my senior class again. Same old boho dress. White sandals. Looking good as ever. Still the young, gorgeous lit teacher. We got a new kid. Charity case. His first day. He shuffled in. Everyone stared. Whispers broke out. “Jesus. He looks like a horror movie extra. Talk about a letdown.” “Not to be mean, but I might puke. For real. Sorry.” He limped in. Face full of acne scars. Huge nose. Mole the size of a quarter underneath. “H-hi everyone. I’m new. Hope we can get along.” His eyes never left me as he stammered. I couldn’t breathe. Ethan Rivers. A name I’d never forget. Not in a thousand lifetimes. Last time, I pitied him. Stood up for him against bullies. Bought him clothes. Taught him confidence. Then one stormy night, he followed me home. Stupid me let him in. He spiked my drink. I lay on the couch. Called for my husband. His shaky hands unbuttoned my shirt. Then I blacked out. Helpless. Next day, I woke up bruised. Ran to the cops. But he’d vanished. For days, I was a wreck. Jumping at shadows. Then I saw it. High-def video. Every group chat. Caption read: “Dream girl? Please. Had her. Nothing special.” It was me in the video. Whimpering. Sobbing. Begging. The internet exploded. See, I’d gone viral before. Some candid shot. They called me “The Girl Next Door”. “The Unattainable Dream”. #DreamTeacherSeducesStudent #DisgraceToTheProfession He never owned up. Just hid in the shadows. Giggling like a creep. Sending anonymous texts: “Ms. Summers, we’re both in the gutter now. Be with me. I’ll treat you right.” I couldn’t take it. The online lynch mob. So I climbed to the school roof. And jumped. Three months pregnant. From everyone’s dream to public enemy number one. Rock bottom. But now? Standing at that podium again? Watching him in the back row? I felt fate shifting. My chance for payback. He looked up. Thick accent: “‘The bubbling spring is voiceless in its flow; In shadow of the trees, a fountain plays.’ Ms. Summers, I’m… I’m Ethan. Ethan Rivers.” The class lost it. “Dude, seriously? You know our teacher’s Ms. Olivia Summers, right?” He froze. Then flashed a shy smile.

Our eyes met. Chills down my spine. I played it cool. This time, he knew nothing. I could stop it all. “New kid. Anyone want to sit with him?” He’d started late. Already twenty. Built big. Face like it went through a meat grinder. Dead silence. No volunteers. Then Megan, class rep, raised her hand. “Ms. Summers, I’m class rep. I should set an example. I’ll sit with him.” Megan’s face? Kind. Honest. Just like I used to be. I shot her down cold: “Heard your grades sucked before transferring. Don’t want to hold Megan back. Take that empty seat in the back.” Plenty of spots open. I’d picked the worst option. He looked shocked. Like he couldn’t believe I was throwing him under the bus. Ethan’s lips twitched. He mumbled: “How… Ms. Summers looks so nice. Why’s she picking on me too?” Every word made my skin crawl. After class, I bolted to the staff room. Back soaked in sweat. Didn’t even notice as I chugged scalding tea. Mind racing. Quit now? Run? I’d fought hard for this job. Sleepless nights studying. They never switch teachers in senior year. Not with finals coming. Why give it all up because of him? I sat there. Dazed. Until home time. Michael picked me up. Waited half an hour in his car. Saw me coming. Rushed to open the door. Pulled me close. “Babe, you look terrible. What’s wrong?” His familiar warmth. I lost it. Sobbed like crazy. We’ve always been solid. Last time, we fake-divorced. To protect me from the hate. Moved to a new city. Fresh start. Later, when he saw how broken I was? He went after Ethan. Knife in hand. But Ethan used his grandma as a shield. Michael got played. Bled out on the street. Now? Looking at his handsome face? No tragedy yet? I wiped my tears. Forced a smile. “It’s nothing. Just feeling off. Let’s go home.” Michael wasn’t buying it. Dragged me straight to the hospital. Couldn’t talk him out of it. An hour later, rush blood test results. I was pregnant. Turns out, I was already carrying Michael’s baby. When he found out? Michael swept me up. Spun me around. “Babe, this is amazing! We’re having a baby!” “Hope it’s a girl. A mini-Olivia. Beautiful and sweet like you.” I smiled through tears. Made a silent promise. This time? I’d protect our happiness. No matter what. Next day, I went to class as usual. Voice still hoarse. Brought a clip-on mic. Loud voice drowned out my messy feelings. Didn’t even look his way. Just taught like normal. Few quiet days passed. Then Thursday afternoon. Just finished my last class. Heading to the staff room. Group of girls blocking my path. Helping Ethan along. He’d been roughed up. Reeked of toilet water. Bruises everywhere. Limping worse than ever. But I knew better. This poor-me act? Just a mask. Hiding the monster underneath. He was strong. Never fought back. Let the bullies have their way. Never made a sound. Long, dirty nails. Left hand a mess. Skin peeled off his index finger. Nasty wound. “Ms. Summers! Ethan got beat up! His finger’s skin is falling off! What do we do?” Girls in our class. Always playing hero. Standing up for the underdog. Ethan gave me puppy dog eyes. Nose scrunched in pain. Oily sheen made me want to gag. “Help me, Ms. Summers… please.” I was about to brush them off. Send him to the nurse. Then Jenny, our class monitor, spoke up: “Ms. Summers, don’t you have a first aid kit in your office? Nurse’s office is so far. Maybe we could patch him up real quick?” I paused. Looked at his pleading eyes. His bleeding finger. Bell rang for next class. I nodded. “Alright, come with me. Rest of you, get to class.” Ethan’s lips curled. Barely noticeable smirk. He followed me to the office. Class time. Place was empty. Casual as can be, I opened the first aid kit. Took out tweezers and gauze. “Sit down. I’ll bandage you up.” Wind rustled the curtains. Seashell wind chimes tinkled softly. I gently cleaned his wound. He suddenly blushed. I asked, “What’s wrong?” “Ms. Summers, you’re… you’re really pretty.” Ethan’s face turned red as a tomato. Stammering out the compliment. Then his eyes glazed over. Staring at my collarbone. While he was distracted, I smiled. Plunged his whole finger into the bottle. Raw, bloody finger. Now submerged in nearly full bottle of medical-grade ethanol CH3CH2OH. “Gotta disinfect properly, right?” He was horrified. Trying to pull away. Face twisted in pain. “It hurts! Ms. Summers, it really hurts!” But I kept smiling. Grip tight on his wrist. Wouldn’t let go. Bottle’s narrow opening practically swallowed his finger. Held it there. Until blood turned the whole bottle red. He’d bitten his lip bloody. Eyes bulging. Staring at me in shock. For the first time, I saw real hate in his eyes.

But he didn’t know. This time around? I was a psycho. All sunshine and rainbows to everyone else. Pure evil to him. His injury was bad. School nurse sent him to the hospital. Next few days, Ethan came to school. Hand all wrapped up. Tried hard in my class. Always raising his hand. Answering questions. I ignored him completely. Even when he won first prize. School computer competition. Brought glory to our class. I didn’t say a word. His eyes changed. From eager to dark. Once came to ask me directly: “Ms. Summers, why don’t you ever notice my efforts? No matter how hard I try?” I swiveled in my chair. Didn’t even look at him. If kindness only bred betrayal? This time, I didn’t mind being the villain. As long as I could protect myself. “Because you don’t deserve it. Some things can’t be changed by trying. Like your disgusting inner self. Even uglier than your face.” Even now, I had good reason to say this. Few days ago. On my way home from work. Caught him torturing a stray cat. By the time I found them? Little white cat was already dead. Scalded by boiling water. He’d smiled and said, “This stuck-up cat scratched me. How could a cat be better than a human?” Now, Ethan glared at me. Hate in his eyes. Hands clenched under his sleeves. I didn’t care. Kept giving him the cold shoulder. Even the head teacher noticed. Frowned as he reminded me: “Olivia, teachers should treat all students the same. We shouldn’t be harsh on special cases. Should give them extra care.” But I didn’t hold back. Said right in front of Ethan: “What’s so special about him? He has hands and feet. He’s mentally sound. If we give him special treatment, is that fair to the other students?” He started to hate me. Spread rumors. Said I had a wild private life. That I was seducing the principal. That sort of thing. But on the surface? He’d still flash me a grin. Say hi when he saw me. As autumn turned to winter, Ethan started wearing shabby coats. Ripped jeans. Stuck out like a sore thumb. I’d heard he was orphaned young. Raised by his grandma. Spoiled rotten. On my 25th birthday, I won the city’s Outstanding Teacher award. Double celebration. I had a great rapport with my students. This was the job I’d always dreamed of. Several students chipped in. Bought me a huge, gorgeous bouquet. I accepted with a big smile. “Megan, Jenny, you both made top ten in the recent mock exam. Didn’t you two want to be desk buddies before? I was worried you’d chat too much and fall behind. Now, go for it.” “Travis, your literature score’s looking up. Try to shift some focus from science and math to memorizing more poetry. Easy points, right?” As I was chatting with the students, I spotted an uninvited guest in the crowd. Ethan had brought me flowers too. Whether by accident or design, it was a single white rose. Petals crushed and oozing sap. Hideous. “Ms. Summers, I saved up my allowance for a week to buy this for you. You have to like it, okay?” He held it out to me. Hope shining in his eyes. My smile vanished. In front of all the teachers and students in the office, I picked it up with a tissue. Dropped it on the floor. Wrinkled my nose in disgust. “Filthy.” Ethan’s lips quivered. But he bent down. Picked up the flower without a word. Walked away. The dark look in his eyes sent chills down my spine. But I didn’t look back. I wasn’t afraid of his hatred. He always preyed on those weaker than him. Cowered before the strong.

Michael had earned a black belt in Taekwondo. In his spare time. I’d picked up some self-defense moves from him. Just in case. When I got home, my husband was waiting. Massive bouquet of roses. Voice soft and loving. “Happy birthday to my award-winning teacher, my beautiful Olivia!” Despite my excitement, I put on a sour face. Feigning disappointment. Sure enough, over our candlelit dinner, Michael brought it up. His upcoming research trip abroad. “This research opportunity is crucial for my career. Babe, I’m afraid I won’t be able to take care of you for these two months.” He sighed. My adamant refusal took him by surprise. I knew he wouldn’t believe in time travel or reincarnation. So instead, I said: “Michael, I had this awful dream the other day. After you left, someone broke into our home. And… and tortured me. When you came back to avenge me, knife in hand, they killed you instead.” “Our family of three was destroyed. But the culprit got away scot-free.” “That’s impossible. We live in a society governed by law. Are you feeling okay? You seem a bit unstable lately.” He clasped my hand. Concern etched on his face. In the end, after my relentless pleading, Michael decided to stay. Gave up his research opportunity. Out of worry for me. I felt guilty about hindering his career. But it was getting close. That stormy night when Ethan would break into my home and ruin everything. Even though my attitude towards him was completely different this time, I couldn’t risk fate playing a cruel joke on me. I remembered clearly it was on a Friday. Ethan had followed me after school. Begged me to let him in to escape the rain. But tonight, Michael was stuck in traffic. Couldn’t make it home after work. After several unanswered calls, I started to get anxious. Soon, Michael sent me a text. “Honey, accidents everywhere due to heavy rain. Highway’s jammed. Can’t get back. They’re not letting us use phones. Don’t wait up, okay?” By 10:30 PM, still no knock at the door. Rain coming down harder. Drowning out my chaotic thoughts. My taut nerves finally relaxed a bit. Finally feeling sleepy. Body covered in cold sweat. Decided to take a shower and go to bed. Hot water felt good on my skin. In the bathroom mirror, I saw my reflection. Delicate features. Straight nose. Big doe eyes with long lashes. Hint of sensuality. I caressed my still-flat belly. Michael always said I was beautiful. He wasn’t bad looking himself. Our baby would surely be a little angel. Lost in thought, I grabbed a towel to dry off. Just then, in the steamy mirror, a dark, grinning face appeared behind me. Limping closer. It was Ethan! Sheer terror washed over me. This wasn’t a hallucination. He’d cracked my home security system. In my past life, when I’d let him in to escape the rain, he’d seen my door code. This time, to avoid bad luck, I’d changed the locks. Even installed a reinforced security door. Only my fingerprint and Michael’s could open it. Had all my precautions been for nothing? Was I doomed to relive this nightmare? A cold, mud-caked hand reached in. I screamed, but my waist was suddenly gripped tight. Another hand sliding upwards. “Ms. Summers, it’s raining outside. I’m so cold. Can you… can you hold me?”

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Ten years ago, I saved a drowning boy. I conducted a rapid rescue on him. After waking up, he told me, “I have decided to marry you when I grow up!” Thinking that he was joking, I didn’t take his words seriously. Ten years later, the boy grew up, becoming a crazy and domineering CEO, whose name was Brian Hawk. At my wedding with my fiancé, he led a group of people and beat up my fiancé, forcibly taking me away. “I told you I would marry you. Your husband can only be me.” He threatened me with my whole family’s lives and forced me to marry him. He imprisoned me in a private villa, allowing no man to be in touch with me. To win me over, he tried every means, but I remained unmoved. He became furious and found someone who was 90% like me to replace me. Relying on his affection and favoritism, the substitute, Ariel Berg, did whatever she wanted and broke into the villa where I lived. “Where did this cheap woman come from? How dare she pretend to be me and seduce my man? I will tear you apart today!” She stripped me naked, cut off my tongue, and ordered the bodyguards to ravage and humiliate me. Only after I was tortured to death did Brian arrive late. Ariel dragged my body to the front of Brian, who was overbearing. She proudly said, “Darling, this woman, who had done plastic surgery, wanted to hide here and seduce you. I killed her for you!” Brian Hawk was infatuated and crazy. According to him, right from the moment I saved him, he decided to marry no one else but me! To win me over, he imprisoned me for three years and tried every means to please me every day. But I, who didn’t love him at all, couldn’t accept him! Recently, he got a substitute who looked like me. The two of them had been getting along affectionately for several months. To provoke me, Brian often forwarded me videos showing how ambiguous they were on WhatsApp. As I was sitting in the courtyard and enjoying their videos, there was a sudden burst of noise outside. “Brian comes here every few days. Today, I want to see what kind of treasures are hidden in this villa!” “But didn’t Mr. Hawk say that this villa was his private restricted area, and no one was allowed to come here?” “Yes, Ariel, I heard that someone took a glance inside the villa before. Mr. Hawk broke his hands and dug out his eyes. Isn’t it inappropriate for us to sneak in without his permission?” “What are you afraid of? Brian dotes on me to the bone. He won’t blame me.” Listening to the noisy sound outside the courtyard, I frowned slightly and felt uneasy. I knew better than anyone about how crazy Brian was. He had strong possessiveness, treating me as his private possession and imprisoning me in this villa. Someone once had sneaked into my villa out of curiosity and taken a glance at me. Brian disabled his hands and feet, digging out his eyes. The next day, the man vanished into the void. At first, he was only jealous of other men. Later, he realized that I, who had never been gentle to him, treated the housemaid gently. He dismissed all the housemaids in a fit of anger. He would rather personally deliver daily meals to me than let anyone else do it. Except him, no one else could look at me in my eyes for a moment. “If those people outside the courtyard come in, they may be in big trouble.” I quickly got up and intended to remind them to leave here as soon as possible. As soon as the door opened, someone who looked almost the same as me came into my view. Before I could say something, she slapped me hard across my face. “Where did this cheap woman come from? How dare she disguise herself as me and hide in Brian’s villa. Do you want to compete with me for a man?”   She hit me with a sudden slap, making my face burn with pain. “You cheap woman who did plastic surgery. Do you know where you are? How dare you barge in here without the owner’s permission?” “You deliberately made yourself look like Ariel to seduce Mr. Hawk. You let go of your dignity to climb up the ladder, right?” At this moment, I finally realized that the person who had suddenly come in and attacked me was Ariel Berg, the substitute who Brian had found. Because of Brian’s pathological desire for control, I had always been indifferent towards him. Even though I was forced to marry him, I treated him indifferently. I never let him touch me. Perhaps out of resentment, or to make up for his regrets, he searched everywhere for someone who resembled me. Ariel Berg was the substitute he had found, who resembled me the most. At this moment, Ariel, looking furious, looked at me with overwhelming resentment. “You slut. You know that Brian is hopelessly in love with me, so you try every means to make yourself look like me. You want to replace me as my double, don’t you?” Ariel was arrogant and flamboyant. “Since she doesn’t know the truth, I don’t intend to argue with her about why she slapped me.” Instead, I kindly advised her. “You shouldn’t be here. Before Brian arrives, leave here quickly. Otherwise, no one can help you.” However, Ariel didn’t appreciate my kindness at all. Instead, she grabbed my hair angrily and said, “Brian is my man. I can wander around everywhere in his territory. You’re planning to drive me away. After all, You’re afraid that I, the rightful owner, will ruin your scheme and leave you with no chance to be a mistress, right?” “Today, I will make you know the consequences of stealing my man!” After saying that, Ariel kicked me to the ground. I stumbled onto the rocks. My forehead instantly cracked open. I touched the blood on my forehead and looked at the imposing Ariel. I said indifferently, “Aren’t you afraid that Brian will find out about your reckless behavior?” Ariel sneered disdainfully. “I am the destined love that Brian has been searching for for a long time. Even if I have a little scratch on my face, he will be so worried about me and make himself restless for a few days. Even if he knows about what I did, so what? Will he blame me because of you, an insignificant person?” Several of Ariel’s friends sneered and echoed. “Exactly. Everyone knows that Mr. Hawk fell in love with Ariel at first sight. How can you, her imitator, who did plastic surgery, compare to her?” “Ariel, with Mr. Hawk’s distinguished identity, there must be many seductive women like this bitch trying to seduce him. Today, we happen to make her an example and scare them off. Then we can cut off the crooked thoughts of those seductive bitches!” “Yes, we will let those despicable women, who want to climb the social ladder, know who the real Mrs. Hawk is!” All of them each spoke sharp words and looked fierce. They were eager to tear me apart.

I looked serious and indifferently said, “You’d better ask Brian to find out who I am.” Ariel raised her chin and looked disdainful. “Do you, a plastic surgery woman, who sneaked into the villa, deserve me to inquire about your identity?” “I am Brian’s favorite. The Berg family is the biggest partner of the Hawk family. Who the hell are you? Are you qualified to show off your status against mine?” As she said, she looked fierce and ordered several of her best friends behind her. “Strip this bitch naked. I want to see if she can make her body look exactly like mine.” Hearing this, her best friends immediately rushed over and violently tore off my clothes. While I was desperately preventing them from stripping my clothes, I shouted, “Stop it. I am Brian’s wife!” …   Hearing what I said, they immediately stopped what they were doing. Ariel stood aside, squinting at me. “You said you were Brian’s wife?” I said seriously, “Yes, you are a substitute he found. If he knows that you hurt me like this, he will not let you go.” I thought that Ariel would thus retreat after I revealed the truth. Unexpectedly, they burst into laughter almost at the same time. “This bitch! Is she that eager to take my place?” “Relying on the fact that she looks somewhat similar to Ariel, she dares to say that Ariel is her substitute?” “Everyone knows that Mr. Hawk always takes Ariel with him wherever he goes. You, a sneaky plastic surgery woman, dare to call yourself Mr. Hawk’s wife?” On the other hand, Ariel smiled viciously. “I thought you would be something. After all, you disguise yourself as me to seduce Brian. I didn’t expect you to be a brainless idiot.” “I’ve been with Brian for so long. I didn’t even know he had a wife. Are you that bold? How dare you tell such an outrageous lie?” “If you were the real Mrs. Hawk, how could you live alone in this desolate villa without anyone knowing it?” After saying that, Ariel snorted and ordered her several girlfriends. “Continue to strip her clothes. Leave nothing behind!” Upon hearing this, her best friends did not hesitate as they violently tore off my clothes. None of them knew the reason why no one was around this villa. “Brian bought all this large piece of land. No one can come here without his permission.” “Originally, bodyguards and maids were living here. Because of Brian’s jealousy, he dismissed everyone.” “He doesn’t announce my identity to the public so that others won’t take an extra glance at me.” “Even if they are discussing things related to me, he will feel it’s blasphemy against me.” I never expected that all Brian had done to me would become the reason why they had doubts about my identity. Seeing my clothes being torn to pieces, I panicked and shouted. “I am Brian’s wife. If you don’t believe me, call him!” After hearing what I said, they became even more fierce. They didn’t stop what they were doing. While tearing off my clothes frantically, they slapped me in the face. “You damn bitch. Do you dare to lie? Let’s see how we will wake you up today!” Soon, my face turned red and swollen. I was disheveled. With my clothes barely covering me, a lot of skin on my body was exposed. Seeing this, Ariel narrowed her eyes and said gently, “This bitch’s hair is too annoying. It’s hindering her from showing off her body.” … As she said that, she revealed an evil smile and took out a lighter. She set my hair on fire. The fire quickly spread on my head. An intense burning sensation engulfed me. For a moment, my cheeks, ears, and entire scalp felt a burst of strong burning pain. The pain was unbearable. I instinctively tried to pat out the fire with my hands, but they firmly held me down. In the blink of an eye, my hair was all burned. My scalp was covered in burn marks. At my look, Ariel laughed with satisfaction. “It’s funny. With your bald and ugly face, how are you going to seduce men in the future?” Her several close friends laughed and applauded. I stared at them, trembling all over. Then I shouted, “You will regret this!” Brian threatened me with the lives of my entire family. I had been imprisoned for many years. I stayed at the empty villa in a daze day after day. It made me even more frustrated. Now, I had to endure Ariel’s torment. The anger in my heart instantly turned into intense hatred. Ariel walked up to me and stepped heavily on my face with her foot. “How dare you challenge me? Since what you say will always displease me, you shouldn’t speak anymore.” “Cut off this bitch’s tongue!”

With her command, one of Ariel’s bodyguards behind her walked towards me with a dagger in his hands. Seeing this, one of Ariel’s best friends, who was timid, said fumblingly, “Ariel, this is Mr. Hawk’s territory after all. Is it appropriate for us to make such a big scene?” … Ariel said without hesitation, “What’s wrong? Brian is my man. His house is my house. I’m just educating a shameless bitch in my home. Who dares to say anything to me?” … “Besides, Brian loves me so much. Even if I kill this bitch, he won’t frown at me.” Her other girlfriends echoed. “That’s right. Ariel is Mr. Hawk’s most beloved woman. There’s nothing she can’t do.” “When the time comes, Mr. Hawk will only feel sorry for Ariel for exhausting herself from dealing with the bitch.” Hearing their words, the timid girl no longer had any concerns. She watched the show with peace of mind. I lay on the ground, watching the dagger in the bodyguard’s hands. He was getting closer and closer to me. I was extremely frightened, shouting in panic, “I am indeed Brian’s wife! If you do this, Brian will never let you go!” … However, my threats had no effect. The bodyguard came to me and extended a dagger towards me. I wanted to escape, but several of Ariel’s best friends firmly held me down. I wanted to hide, but the dagger, shining with cold light, had deeply cut into my mouth. The bodyguard lifted his hand and stabbed at me with the dagger. In a daze, I saw a large amount of blood and my severed tongue falling from my mouth. … The pain was extreme. I felt like all the nerves in my body were severed. I was about to faint. I was like a pile of mud, lying in a pool of blood. I couldn’t move, and my breath was weak. Ariel stood with her arms crossed, looking down at me. She said, “Even though you had plastic surgery to make yourself look like me, with your appearance, Brian would never take you seriously. He loves me as a person. Got it?” “Not everyone can live such a good life as me. Brian won’t fall in love with any woman.” “Since you, a bitch, are so desperate for a man, I’ll reward you with a few men.” After saying that, she looked at the several bodyguards behind her. She said indifferently, “I’ll give this bitch to you to play with. Whoever works the hardest on her, I’ll reward them with 2 million dollars!” At Ariel’s words, the bodyguards’ eyes instantly lit up. They rubbed their hands eagerly and fiercely, planning to pounce on me. I collapsed on the ground without any strength to resist. I wanted to shout, but I had no tongue. My mouth was full of blood. I couldn’t make a sound. I could only let them ravage me. Brian imprisoned me here obsessively. But he had never hurt me or touched me. Even if I didn’t want to get close to him, he never forced himself on me. He said he would wait for the day when I was willing to give myself to him. He said I was destined to be his in this lifetime. But now, I was overwhelmed by a group of bodyguards. I was helpless. Helplessness and despair engulfed me. I couldn’t speak, crying uncontrollably. “Brian, is this the result you want?” A few of Ariel’s best friends watched the show and praised Ariel. They said, “Ariel is destined to be Mrs. Hawk. She is good at teaching others a lesson.” “Yes. See? This despicable woman was stubborn at first, but now she is made to cry. It’s funny. She probably won’t dare to seduce men anymore in the future.” “Congratulations to Ariel for successfully getting rid of a despicable bitch. Let’s see who dares to compete with you for the position of Mrs. Hawk in the future!” Ariel smiled victoriously and proudly as they praised her. The excited bodyguards suddenly looked strange. The next moment, a bodyguard stood up and pointed at me. He reported, saying, “Miss Berg, this woman is dead!” Hearing this, Ariel frowned and looked disgusted. “How unlucky! Bury her somewhere quickly in case she will stink Brian’s eyes!” As soon as she finished speaking, Brian walked into the courtyard. “What are you doing?”

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After years of helping the company prepare for its IPO, my girlfriend—finally ready to go public about our relationship—was about to make the announcement. But before she could, her ever-smug assistant, who’s never liked me, beat her to it. Stepping onto the stage, he wrapped his arm around her waist, a triumphant smirk on his face. “Didn’t you say we’d wait a few more years? Couldn’t hold out even for that long, huh?” he said, his tone thick with mockery. My girlfriend didn’t bother explaining. Instead, she handed him a document—the transfer of shares agreement—and announced to the room that he was the company’s newest shareholder. The crowd erupted in shock, with murmurs and whispers spreading like wildfire. The assistant, clearly basking in the attention, turned his smugness toward me, throwing out thinly veiled jabs. And my girlfriend? She didn’t stop him. In fact, her tone was cold as ice when she added: “You’ve done a lot for the company, but his talent is what we need to ensure a brighter future.” I didn’t flinch. I didn’t argue. Instead, I smiled, nodded, and graciously handed over my remaining shares to the assistant as well. “Let’s see,” I thought to myself, “how far they can take this company without its biggest investor.” And with that, I walked away. ***** When Emily announced on stage that Ryan had become the company’s newest shareholder, the room erupted in thunderous applause. I stood there frozen, my mind foggy from too many late nights of overtime. For a moment, I thought I had misheard her. “Look at Jake’s face—it’s priceless!””He’s been with the CEO for years and only got 2% of the shares. Ryan’s barely been here and snagged 20% just like that.””Jake’s always nitpicking Ryan’s work, but now? He looks like a total clown.” The crowd wasn’t even trying to be subtle with their laughter, making sure I could hear every word. They weren’t mocking me for fun—they were trying to curry favor with Ryan. And Emily? She didn’t even bother stopping them. Ryan shot me a smug grin, his voice dripping with fake innocence as he said, “Jake, no applause from you? Don’t tell me you’re upset about me getting shares.” He paused, a theatrical pout forming on his lips. “I mean, if we’re talking seniority, I guess you should’ve gotten them instead.” With that, he lazily extended the contract toward me, like he was handing me a consolation prize. But before I could react, Emily snatched the papers away and pushed them back into his hands with a playful yet firm gesture. “Ryan, you’re too kind,” she said with a soft laugh. “But the company values talent, not tenure.” Then, her gaze turned cold as it landed on me. “And you, Jake, don’t you dare make a scene. Let’s not forget the massive mistake you made last quarter, costing the company millions. The fact that I didn’t fire you outright was already generous. What right do you have to expect shares?” The two of them were perfectly in sync, like actors in a well-rehearsed play. I couldn’t help but find it amusing. That “mistake” she mentioned? It was Ryan’s fault. He panicked when things went south and pinned the blame on me. I’d tried to present evidence and explain the truth to Emily, but she didn’t believe me. She never did. I’d grown used to it by now. Over the years, Ryan had shown little talent but had poured all his energy into undermining me. Fresh out of college, he knew how to charm people with his words. He’d won over most of our colleagues, and even Emily thought he was harmless and honest. So, every time Ryan and I clashed, Emily always assumed I was at fault. And because of that, my coworkers had grown increasingly disrespectful toward me. Ryan’s voice interrupted my thoughts, still dripping with mock humility. “But I’m just worried Jake might feel bad.” As he spoke, he leaned closer to Emily, his head almost resting on her shoulder in an uncomfortably intimate gesture. Emily didn’t push him away. Instead, she shot me a sharp look. “Jake, wipe that sour look off your face!” she snapped. “I thought long and hard about this decision. Stop sulking and ruining everyone’s mood. If you can’t handle it, maybe you should just leave!” The room erupted in agreement, voices chiming in to back her up. I knew Emily was just venting her frustration, but I couldn’t help but laugh. The investors? I had brought them in after countless sleepless nights. The proposals? I had rewritten them over and over again. The IPO? It had only succeeded because of my efforts. And now, with the company finally going public, they wanted to cut me out entirely? They thought a few harsh words could erase all my hard work? I grabbed my bag and strode toward the stage. Ryan, clearly nervous, shrank behind Emily, his eyes wide with fear. Emily immediately stepped in front of him, shielding him like a mother bear protecting her cub. “Jake, what do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, her voice sharp with warning. I pulled a document from my bag and held it out to her. “I just think,” I said calmly, “that Ryan’s worked so hard, the shares you’ve given him aren’t enough.” I smiled faintly. “Take mine too. Let’s hope he can keep up the momentum.” Ryan’s eyes lit up as he stared at the document, practically salivating at the thought of owning more shares. Emily, however, looked at me with suspicion, her expression unreadable. The room fell silent as everyone tried to process what I had just done. They all knew how much I had sacrificed for the company. I’d been there since day one, building it from the ground up. I’d handled everything—from securing investments to juggling the smallest of tasks. Now that the IPO was a success, my shares were worth millions. Everyone had assumed I’d use this opportunity to negotiate for more. No one could have imagined I’d simply give them away. What they didn’t know was that Emily wasn’t just my boss—she was my fiancée. For years, she had insisted we keep our relationship a secret to avoid workplace gossip. But when Ryan showed up, I started to worry. I begged her to acknowledge our relationship, and after much pleading, she finally agreed to announce it on the day of the IPO. Last night, I was so excited I couldn’t even sleep. But when the moment came, Ryan stepped onto the stage first, wrapping his arm around her waist. And Emily… she didn’t stop him. She didn’t even seem uncomfortable. Everyone assumed they were a couple, and Emily didn’t bother correcting them. It wasn’t that she didn’t want our relationship to go public. She just didn’t want this relationship to go public. She remained silent, and I didn’t say another word. I turned and walked away. I had barely made it a few steps when I felt a warm hand grab my wrist. I turned, surprised to see that it was Emily. She had never stopped me before. She always let me leave, knowing I’d inevitably come back to apologize. But this time was different. She pressed her lips together and said, “Jake, you’re too impulsive. Ryan is calm and collected—everything you’re not.” “I didn’t want to cut you out, but after today, I don’t have a choice. These shares need to go to someone who can handle them responsibly.” I couldn’t help but laugh. This wasn’t about my “impulsiveness.” She was just trying to justify giving my shares to Ryan. In the past, I might’ve argued with her. But now, I just felt… nothing. “Okay,” I said simply. Emily blinked, clearly expecting me to put up more of a fight. Before she could say anything else, one of our coworkers called for a champagne toast. Emily shot me one last glance before turning away, the contract in her hand. I watched her walk toward Ryan, then turned and left the banquet hall. Outside, I pulled out my phone and made a call. “Dad,” I said, my voice steady. “You were right. I’m ready to come back and take over the family business.”

My dad owns over a hundred companies and regularly ranks in the top twenty on Forbes. I’m the textbook definition of a trust fund kid. But when I first met Emily, I vividly remember her telling me about how, as a child, her father had been killed in a hit-and-run by some spoiled rich kid. The driver, protected by his family’s wealth and influence, avoided any real punishment and was out of jail within days. Ever since then, Emily has harbored a deep hatred for the wealthy. So, to be with her, I hid my background. I turned down every opportunity my family offered me, moved to a small city with her, and poured my entire savings into helping her start her business. Until yesterday, I naively believed that Emily and I had finally made it, that all our sacrifices had been worth it. But now, I realize just how badly I’ve lost. After hanging up the phone, I returned to the small apartment Emily and I shared. The room was decorated beautifully—warm and romantic. Heart-shaped candles lined the floor, and in the center was a bouquet of vibrant blue roses. Nestled within the roses was an elegant diamond ring. Beside it, there was the deed to a luxury house—the one I’d planned to surprise Emily with. I had imagined her reaction so many times, picturing the joy and love in her eyes. But now, none of that mattered. Emily would never even see it. I grabbed everything—the ring, the flowers, the deed—and tossed it all into the trash. Then, I booked a flight for the next evening. I needed one day to wrap up my work and hand everything over. “Ding.” My phone buzzed with a notification. It was a video from Ryan. In the clip, Ryan was carrying Emily bridal-style, her face flushed as she clung tightly to his neck, burying her face in his chest. They looked every bit the perfect couple. Around them, coworkers cheered and clapped, shouting for them to kiss. The video disappeared seconds later, deleted. Then, a message popped up. “Oops, sorry, sent that by mistake.” Of course, I didn’t believe him. Ryan had always been deliberate with his moves. This was just another one of his games. Over the past few years, he’d pulled stunts like this countless times. Normally, I’d lose my temper, confront Emily, and end up being scolded by her. “Can you stop being so sensitive? Maybe focus more on work instead of this nonsense?” At first, I thought I was overthinking it. But one time, when Emily was sick and half-delirious, she called out Ryan’s name. That’s when I realized her heart was no longer with me. This time, I didn’t feel anything. I simply blocked Ryan without hesitation and deleted his contact. Not long after, my phone rang. It was Emily. “Jake, did you block Ryan?” she demanded the moment I picked up, her tone icy and accusatory. She didn’t care what Ryan had done—only that I had blocked him. “I did,” I replied flatly. “What’s wrong with you? He’s your coworker! How is he supposed to do his job now? He thinks he must have done something wrong and has been blaming himself, crying nonstop. Add him back and apologize!” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Do you even know what he sent me?” There was silence on the other end, probably as she checked with Ryan. A few seconds later, she replied dismissively, “So what if he sent the wrong picture? It’s not a big deal.” Of course. When it came to Ryan, nothing was ever a big deal. I let out a cold laugh. “You’re right, it’s no big deal. Just like when he ‘accidentally’ sent the wrong pricing sheet to a client, and we lost millions because of it.” That incident had been catastrophic. Ryan had sent our bottom-line pricing to a partner, leading to multiple contract cancellations and negotiations. A week’s worth of hard work—and over a million dollars—went up in flames. Emily hadn’t cared then, either. The line went quiet for a moment. Clearly, she remembered the incident. Then I heard Ryan’s voice in the background, soft and hoarse. “Emily, Jake’s probably just upset about the shares you gave me today. I should apologize to him.” Emily’s tone immediately softened. “No need, Ryan. It wasn’t your fault. Let him cool off on his own.” And with that, she hung up. It was always like this. Whenever we argued, Emily would use the excuse that I needed to “calm down” to spend more time with Ryan instead. But this time, I didn’t feel angry. I calmly drafted my resignation letter and sent it to HR. 3The moment I hit send on the resignation email, I felt a wave of relief wash over me, as if a heavy weight had been lifted. Around 2 a.m., I was deep asleep when my phone buzzed with another call from Emily. “Pick me up. I’m still at the hotel from earlier,” she said. I could hear the lively background noise on her end—probably another one of her work events. Normally, I’d have jumped out of bed, thrown on some clothes, and rushed over to get her. But this time, I simply yawned, my voice calm and lazy. “Call a rideshare,” I said. “There are plenty around that area.” Emily paused, her tone shifting to suspicion. “Are you asleep?” “Yeah,” I replied, nonchalant. In the past, whenever Emily went out for work or networking, I’d stay up worrying about her safety, unable to sleep until she was home. But tonight, I slept like a baby. Even her call felt like an unwelcome disruption to my rest. She didn’t argue further. About half an hour later, she came home. I had just stepped out of the bathroom when we locked eyes in the hallway. “You’re up,” she said softly. “Make me some noodles. I’m starving.” Her tone was gentle, almost coaxing. I knew this was her way of extending an olive branch, trying to smooth things over. Whenever we fought, she’d lean into her vulnerability to reopen communication and bridge the gap. But that only worked because I loved her. Now that love was gone, ground down to nothing, and all I felt was irritation. “Cook for yourself,” I said flatly. “Or order something if you don’t know how.” I turned and headed toward the bedroom, but Emily stepped in front of me, blocking the door. That’s when I caught the faint scent of Ryan’s cologne lingering on her. “Jake, are you seriously still upset?” she asked, her tone a mix of exasperation and disbelief. “I’ve already explained this to you—everything I’m doing is for the company. Just because we’ve gone public doesn’t mean we can relax. If anything, now’s the time to focus even harder.” “Ryan may not be the most capable,” she continued, “but he’s got connections, he’s great at networking, and his family owns businesses we might collaborate with in the future. Giving him shares wasn’t about favoritism—it was about what’s best for the company.” I hadn’t expected her to justify herself like this. But it didn’t matter. Whether she believed her own excuses or not, I didn’t. “Mm-hmm,” I replied dismissively and walked into the bedroom, shutting the door behind me. Emily must’ve been stunned because she stood outside for a moment before angrily kicking the door. “Fine! Act like this all you want, Jake! But don’t come crying to me later when you regret it!”

  The next morning, I came out of the bedroom to find Emily sitting on the couch, meticulously ironing a brand-new suit. When she saw me, she immediately jumped up, holding the suit out toward me. “Here, try this on,” she said cheerfully, practically shoving it into my hands. I recognized it instantly—it was a limited-edition Chanel suit. Not only was it outrageously expensive, but it was also notoriously hard to get. Social media was full of posts about how it was the perfect gift for a boyfriend. I’d even hinted to Emily once that I thought it looked amazing. After changing into the suit, I stepped out of the bedroom, feeling an unexpected tightness in my throat. I was about to say something, but Emily spoke first, her tone light and teasing. “You and Ryan are about the same size. It fits you perfectly, so it should look just as good on him.” She smiled as she reached out to carefully take the jacket off me. “Be careful not to wrinkle it,” she added. “I spent so much time getting it just right.” Then, she folded the suit back into its gift box, looking pleased with herself, and headed out the door with it. I knew she was doing this on purpose, punishing me for yesterday. But instead of feeling angry, all I felt was a sense of detachment. It was childish, after all. Later that morning, I got a call and made my way to the office to finalize my resignation. The moment I stepped into the building, I spotted Ryan sitting on my desk, surrounded by coworkers fawning over him like he was the star of the show. One of them walked up to me with a smug grin. “Jake, go grab some coffee for everyone.” “Why?” I asked, checking my watch. I wasn’t late. The coworker grinned wider. “Emily said whoever gets to the office last has to buy everyone coffee. And guess what? You’re the last one here.” “Don’t worry about it,” Ryan cut in, standing up and adjusting the suit jacket he was wearing—the same one Emily had taken that morning. “I wouldn’t want Jake running errands for everyone,” he said, his voice loud enough for the whole room to hear. “I’ll go instead.” Of course, he made no move to leave. Right on cue, Emily walked out of her office. Her eyes flicked to Ryan’s suit, and for a split second, her expression faltered before she quickly recovered. She stepped forward, straightening his collar with a smile. “I knew it would look great on you,” she said warmly. The others erupted into cheers and laughter. Emily’s face flushed slightly as she glanced at me, clearly checking to see if I’d react with jealousy or anger. But I didn’t. My heart was like a still lake—calm, empty, and unaffected. Emily didn’t seem satisfied with my lack of response. Her tone turned cold as she said, “I already told everyone—whoever got here last needs to buy coffee. If you’re not going to cooperate, why are you even here?” A coworker pointed at me. “Jake was the last one in.” Emily smirked. “Go on, then. And if you don’t, I’ll fire you.” Apparently, she hadn’t seen my resignation email yet. I didn’t bother hiding it anymore. “I’m not here to work,” I said calmly. “I’m here to resign.”   The room fell silent. Some of my coworkers, the ones who still got along with me, couldn’t help but lean in and whisper. “Jake, are you sure about this? The boss just announced raises for everyone. Quitting now would be a terrible move.” “Yeah, didn’t you hear her tone? She was just joking earlier.” I stayed calm, my voice steady. “I’m not joking. I already submitted my resignation to HR yesterday.” Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flicker of excitement in Ryan’s expression. He opened his mouth, ready to say something, but when he saw Emily’s unreadable gaze, he swallowed his words and stayed quiet. Emily frowned, her eyes narrowing as she looked at me. “Do you even realize what you’re doing? Do you understand how much you’re giving up by walking away from this company right now?” Of course, I knew. I was giving up stress, manipulation, and the invisible chains that had kept me tied here for far too long. Ryan, ever the opportunist, put on his usual wounded act. “Jake, I get it. You’re still upset with me, right?” He sighed dramatically. “Maybe I should just leave instead. After all, you and Emily have worked together for so many years. It’d be a shame for you to go now.” As he spoke, he started heading for the door, glancing at Emily out of the corner of his eye, clearly waiting for her to stop him. I almost laughed out loud at how obvious he was. Sure enough, Emily fell for it—or pretended to. She grabbed his arm, her voice soft and affectionate. “This has nothing to do with you, Ryan. No one’s asking you to leave.” Ryan’s face lit up with smug satisfaction. Still, he wasn’t done with his performance. He sighed again, shaking his head as though he were making a huge sacrifice. “But Jake’s been with the company for so long. I’ll try to talk some sense into him.” He walked up to me, putting on a show for the audience. “Jake, come on,” he said, his voice dripping with fake sincerity. “Think it over. We’d all hate to see you go. Honestly, we’ve always thought of you as a good friend.” As he spoke, he patted my shoulder—harder than necessary. And then, when no one else was watching, he pinched me. Hard. The sharp pain shot through my shoulder. Without thinking, I kicked him square in the chest. Ryan fell to the ground, clutching his chest and gasping for air. Emily rushed over, kneeling beside him, her face full of concern and panic. I couldn’t help but think back to the time I’d worked so hard to close a deal that I drank myself into the hospital with stomach bleeding. She hadn’t cared half as much then. Emily shot to her feet, her face twisted with anger. She slapped me across the face. “Are you insane, Jake?” she yelled. “Ryan was just trying to help you, and you attacked him? What kind of person bullies their coworker like this?” At that moment, HR walked into the room, clearly on their way to discuss my resignation. Before they could even speak, Emily snapped, “Process his paperwork and get him out of here. Now.” She signed off on my resignation without hesitation, but she wasn’t done. As if to rub salt in the wound, she added, “This company is making hundreds of thousands in profits every day. Only an idiot would leave now.” Then she turned to Ryan, her tone softening again. “Don’t worry, Ryan. In a few months, you’ll have everything you’ve ever wanted—houses, cars, anything. I’ll make sure of it.” The other coworkers chimed in, their excitement palpable. “Emily’s the best!” “Next month, whoever hits the top sales goals, I’ll buy them a house,” Emily declared confidently. Ryan’s eyes sparkled with greed, and the others cheered louder. Emily’s arrogance grew as she basked in their praise. “And as for certain people,” she said, casting a cold glance my way, “who think they can bully their coworkers and refuse to follow orders—I’ll make sure no company ever hires them again.” The room erupted into laughter and insults aimed at me, their voices growing more frenzied by the second. For a moment, I hesitated. Should I say something? Should I tell them what I knew? That morning, my dad had called to let me know something interesting. Turns out, the biggest investor in Emily’s company for the past two years was… him. When he heard I was planning to quit and return home to take over the family business, he decided to run a full background check on her company. The results weren’t good. He’d already decided to pull the investment, citing breach of contract. Not only that, but he was planning to sue for triple damages. I knew exactly how much weight my dad’s company carried in her investment portfolio. Once he pulled out, forget about buying houses and cars—keeping the company afloat for another month would be a miracle. I opened my mouth to say something but stopped. Emily mistook my silence for regret. She rolled her eyes and sneered. “Well? If you apologize to Ryan now, there’s still time to fix this.” “Otherwise—” Before she could finish, someone burst into the room. It was the head of finance, their face pale and anxious. “Emily, we’ve got a problem,” they said quickly. “Our biggest investor just sent a notice. They found serious discrepancies in our financial records and suspect fraud. Not only are they pulling out, but they’re also suing us for triple damages!”

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During my post-abortion checkup, Adrian once again made an excuse to suddenly leave. This had become a familiar occurrence, so I was used to it. I had to admit that I was stung with a sense of abandonment at first, but slowly, I no longer cared. I took the medicine after the checkup and went back by myself. As I made my way home, I could not shake the feeling of loneliness that seemed to echo within me. I opened Twitter once I arrived, and saw someone named Lovely One tagged Adrian in a post. It read, [Just had a sore throat, but he insisted on dragging me to the hospital and has been accompanying me since. After all this time, you’re still the best!] I did not bother to ask Adrian why he kept lying to me, nor did I lose my temper like I used to. Looking back, I should have felt betrayed and confronted him, but it just felt like another exhausting chore, another hurdle in a race I no longer cared to win. Later, he took this Lovely One to the company’s team building event, and I received intimate photos of them. Was I angry? No. On a different occasion, I ran into him holding Lovely One’s child on the street, looking like a family of three. I had to admit that I was surprised to find myself smiling calmly and said, “The child needs a father figure. You should spend more time with them, Adrian.” Adrian, however, grabbed me in a panic and asked anxiously, “Madeline, why don’t you care at all?” ***** I had a miscarriage because someone accidentally collided with me on my way home from work. Today was the second month after my abortion surgery, so Adrian accompanied me for a checkup. I did not stop him as he left in a hurry after making an excuse. No longer did I cling to him, pleading for his company as I once did. Watching Adrian’s back as he slowly walked away, an unexpected wave of detachment washed over me. I suddenly realized that his presence or absence held little effect over my emotions. I did not seem to be that sad anymore when he was not around. A nurse called my name, and I quietly accepted the test results before gathering my things and heading home. Not long after, I received a message from Adrian, which read, [Madeline, you can go home on your own, can’t you? I still have things to do.] In the past, I would have refused desperately and replied with something like, [But I need you to come get me.] Now, it just felt pointless to do so. With a resigned acceptance, I simply typed, [Ok.] I put away my phone and hailed a cab. As I settled into the backseat, a familiar sight caught my eyes. It was Adrian’s car. Well, that was odd. Why would he return to the hospital? Did he not he say he could not pick me up? As soon as I got home, I saw Lovely One tagged Adrian in a post on Twitter, which read, [Just had a sore throat, but he insisted on dragging me to the hospital and has been accompanying me since. After all this time, you’re still the best!] Unsurprisingly, Sophie posted a photo in her WhatsApp status with the same exact words. A corner of Adrian’s shirt was visible in the picture. It was the one I had picked out for him on his birthday. Yes, the Lovely One was Sophie Davis, Adrian’s childhood sweetheart. A few years back, Sophie had moved with her wealthy husband out of town. However, fate had taken a harsh turn last year when her husband went bankrupt. Following their divorce, she returned with a four-year-old child. In Adrian’s eyes, I was nothing more than a replacement for Sophie after she left. However, I had been deeply in love with him at the time, foolishly choosing to marry him. At one time, I had even wanted to get pregnant and bear his child. The following miscarriage was probably a sign, having a child with Adrian would not be good for me or the baby. After taking the prescribed medication, I drifted off to sleep. The creak of the door woke me up in the middle of night. “What did the doctor say today?” Adrian came to my bedside and gently stroked my head I caught a foreign scent on him, a woman’s perfume. My head shook in a silent refusal as I avoided his hand. “Nothing important.” I forced a smile and continued, “Everything’s fine.” Adrian nodded and offered a hurried explanation, “Work just got hectic and I’ve been kept very busy lately.” Instead of calling him out on his lie, I rolled over and went back to sleep. “Well, maybe you should take a shower before going to bed.” He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but he said nothing. I then heard the bathroom’s door being opened and the trickles of the shower.   The next day was a pre-dawn shift, so I went to the hospital early. After the morning meeting ended, I received a call from Adrian. His voice was dripped with a subtle annoyance when he said, “Madeline, why didn’t you wake me up? You left early without telling me and I overslept.” I used to take care of him in every possible way and even more so after we got married. Clothes laid out, breakfast prepared with love and a gentle morning call, a routine I meticulously followed. His tone now suggested that he took those things for granted. It was as if my acts of love were mere obligations, a chore I was simply expected to perform. However, I was never his caretaker, I was his wife. I had the right to refuse. “Well, since you’re going to be late, you’d better get up soon.” He asked again, “What am I going to wear today?” “Just choose whatever you want to wear. It’s all in the closet,” I replied. “But I can’t find it….” Adrian tried to say. My colleague called me over for some help, so I hurriedly said, “I have something else to attend to, I need to go. Just find your clothes yourself.” Barely a moment later, Adrian’s message pinged on the screen. It read, [The shirts are wrinkled! You haven’t ironed them yet? I can’t show up in the office wearing them.] It did not stop there. Another one came, saying, [You haven’t prepared breakfast either?] Just then, the department head happened to call me over, so I did not have time to reply to Adrian. “Madeline, good news!” he boomed, “After assessing your performance, it looks like the hospital wants to discuss your further training. Oh, look, you’re fully recovered now, too.” I had initially planned to marry Adrian and have children, so I declined the hospital’s offer before I was pregnant. But now I figured it out. Marrying him, building a family, those naïve aspirations had lost their charms. Staying with Adrian felt not just pointless, but foolish. “I’ve thought about it, sir. I’ll go,” I replied with a newfound conviction. “Excellent choice!” The department head was practically beamed. He then asked me to prepare everything and said he would notify me when the date was set. His enthusiasm was infectious. I agreed that the time was indeed right. This was my ticket to a future I could finally design on my own terms.

Time seemed to melt away as I dove into work. Before I knew it, the world outside the window had turned to dark. However, just as I settled in with another stack of documents, Adrian called me. “Why aren’t you home yet? Where’s dinner?” I found the very thought of returning to Adrian was somehow revolting. That was why I stayed in the office preparing documents until late. “My colleague had something urgent coming up and had to switch shifts with me. Takeout’s probably your best bet tonight,” I said, casually found an excuse. “Takeout?” Adrian sounded surprised. Back then, eating out was not even an option for us. I practically catered to every meal, three times a day. “Is there anything wrong?” I asked him. “No.” Adrian hesitated before continuing, “Just take care of yourself and don’t get too tired.” “Thank you,” I replied flatly. Adrian was silent for a while, then asked again, “Madeline, are you angry?” The question, so slow to come, sparked a flicker of something akin to anger. But mostly, it was a disappointment. Was he truly this oblivious, or simply did not care about my feelings? However, it did not matter. I would not be angry anymore.   In an apologetic tone, Adrian took the initiative to explain, “Madeline, it’s not easy for Sophie to raise a child alone. She doesn’t know anyone else here. She only has me.” His words felt like a slap. He conveniently forgot sometimes that, I too, only had him. “Of course, I understand. She must’ve been through a lot,” I answered calmly. “Madeline, what’s that supposed to mean? What’s your attitude?” He lost his temper all of a sudden. “I said I understand,” I repeated, my voice losing its lightness, “Is that a problem?” “Do you have to talk to me like that?” he snapped. “Then what do you want me to say?” I countered, frustration creeping in. Silence fell between us, heavy and suffocating. Finally, he mumbled a defeated, “Do as you wish,” before hanging up. Wasn’t it ironic? He once said I was annoying when I questioned him visiting Sophie. And when I called him to ask when he would be back from Sophies’s, I was also the annoying one. Now, even trying to understand him earned me his frustration. With a sigh, I tossed my phone aside. Dwelling on it would not change anything. There was more important thing to do, like a stack of documents in front of me. The night shift ended and I deliberately lingered after cleaning up my desk. The thought of returning home, held no appeal. When I arrived, Adrian had already left for work. I took a shower and went off to sleep, but just as I began to drift off, had the tranquility was shattered by the insistent ringing of my phone. It was Adrian. “Madeline,” he sounded like he was holding back pain, “my… my stomach hurts.” I mumbled a response, but I was too tired and fell back asleep. In a dream, I seemed to hear Adrian calling my name, but the sound felt distant, so I pushed the dream away. After some time, I was completely awakened by the sound of the door opening. Adrian stood by the bed, his face a mask of hurt. “Madeline, why don’t you care anymore? You used to be worried when I was sick and you would even make porridge and give me medicine.” That was indeed the old me. I remembered it only too clearly. Once, Adrian had a stomachache, so I asked for leave to bring him medicine at his office. As luck had it, I got caught in the rain on my way there, leaving my hair soaked and me looking quite a mess. However, things just got better when his colleagues laughed at my appearance and Adrian did not even try to stop them. To top it off, he told me never to come to his office again because, in his words, I was an embarrassment. “Are you feeling better now?” I rubbed my eyes. “We might be out of medicine, though. Maybe you can grab some yourself.” Adrian was speechless, then frustration boiled over. He grabbed my arm and shouted, “Madeline, how long are you going to keep fighting with me about Sophie? I told you, there’s nothing between her and me!” “Oh, okay,” I said, my calm a stark contrast to his anger. In a fit of rage, Adrian slammed the door and left. The silence that followed was liberating.   Days bled into each other. After leaving, Adrian did not go home for several days and I did not bother to ask where he went. On the third day, my phone screen flickered with a message from him. He said that he was on a business trip and shared his location. [Okay, stay safe,] I typed. A sardonic chuckle escaped my lips. Just after sending the reply, a picture Sophie posted on Twitter taunted me from my feed. The caption read, [First holiday in what seems like forever. I never thought I’d miss cotton candy! Someone insisted on buying it for me.] The accompanying picture showed Adrian’s hand, with our wedding ring still on his finger. Moreover, the location on Sophie’s tweet matched the one Adrian had sent me. The ring on my own finger felt like a searing ember, so I took it off and threw it into the drawer. Since then, work became my refuge. I busied myself to push aside the churning emotion within. When Adrian would return became a question lost in the whirlwind of activity, a question I no longer cared to answer. Unexpectedly, he came to the hospital one day to pick me up after my shift. A wave of surprise washed over me as I saw a familiar car parked across the street. “Why are you here?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. That day was particularly exhausting. “Did you forget that today is our wedding anniversary?” he answered after opening the door for me. “Oh,” I mumbled, “sorry. I’ve been really busy and it slipped my mind.” “Madeline, you used to care about this the most, didn’t you? How could you forget?” Adrian was stunned for a moment before replying.

In the past, whether it was a wedding anniversary or his birthday, I never forgot. Dinners meticulously planned, decorations painstakingly chosen, all fueled by a need to celebrate and enjoy our time together, to show him how much he meant to me. But, those efforts, once met with smiles and anticipation, were later dismissed as “over the top” and “embarrassing.” I still remembered his words when I decided to throw a surprise party in a restaurant. He said, “Madeline, you’re making such a big deal out of this. Everyone’s looking at us. It’s very uncomfortable, you know?” I thought he would be happy, but instead, he dragged me away in front of colleagues and friends. So, now, there was really nothing to celebrate. The spark had died out. “Come on, let’s go have dinner and celebrate,” he said, ushering me into the car. As Adrian drove, the silence stretched between us. He stole glances at me, searching my face for a flicker of the old enthusiasm. “Madeline, what’s wrong? Are you upset?” he finally blurted out. “No.” I shook my head. “No?” he echoed, his voice rising in frustration. “Then why the attitude? Here I am, putting in the effort, picking you up for dinner. Can’t you at least pretend to appreciate it?” “I’m not angry, Adrian.” “Fine!” He let out a long sigh. “I promise, no more contact with Sophie again, Okay?” I stared at him. Did he really think a simple gesture could erase months of lies and betrayal? “Are you happy now?” he asked again. I did not answer and remain silent for the rest of trip. The car drove all the way to a fancy restaurant. Apparently, Adrian had gone all out, reserving a table and even arranging for flowers and a gift. The scene was a picture of romantic bliss, complete with envious glances from other diners. However, before I opened the gift, Adrian’s phone rang. “Fever? Do you have any medicine?” he asked, answering the call. “I can’t take you to the hospital today, I have something to do. What? That high? Okay, wait for me. I’ll be right over.” Hanging up, Adrian turned to me, his eyes filled with a mixture of awkwardness and something I could not quite decipher. “Madeline, it’s Sophie. Her child has a fever. I need to….” I forced myself to swallow the lump in my throat. “It’s fine,” I managed, my voice a monotone that surprised even me. “You should go. The child’s important.” He stood up and hesitated for a moment before looking at me again. “Wait for me to come back and pick you up. I’ll be back soon.” With that, he hurriedly grabbed his coat and left. I was left alone, staring at the half-eaten cake. Rain lashed against the windowpanes, mimicking the tears I refused to shed. After a sigh, I finished the cake, then got up and left. A cab passed by and I hailed it to go home. However, I did not bring an umbrella, and there was still a bit of a walk from the entrance to our apartment building. The drizzle hit my face, making it very cold. After I got in and took a shower, I saw Sophie’s tweet with a picture. It was Adrian accompanying her and her child. The warm yellow light in their room was a stark contrast to the coldness of the rain outside.   Adrian did not come home until the next morning. As soon as he came back, he started explaining, “Jesse had a high fever all night. It wouldn’t go down.” Jesse was Sophie’s child. To my ears, the name felt like a foreign word. “Is everything okay now? Why didn’t you stay longer? It must be hard for Sophie to handle a sick child alone,” I asked after offering a curt nod. Adrian paused mid-motion when taking his coat off, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. “Are you being sarcastic again?” He sighed, the sound heavy with weariness, real or feigned, I could not tell. “Look, I didn’t sleep all night. I’m very tired.” “Then you should get some rest. I’m going to work.” I turned around and reached for my bag. “Madeline….” He pulled me and spoke. “What is it?” “We’ll make it up for the anniversary celebration next time, okay?” A ghost of a smile played on my lips, devoid of any feeling. “I’m not mad.” He looked at me inquiringly and hugged me, a gesture that felt as empty as his promises. “There’s a company team-building event this weekend,” he mumbled into my hair. “Let’s go together.” Adrian’s family background was much better than mine. He was a local, and I stayed here after graduation because I married him. His colleagues and friends did not think much of me. Despite their loathing to interact with me, however, they often asked Adrian to have me help them with simple sniffles or coughs because I worked at a hospital. In the past, I would frequently bring Adrian meals or medicine whenever he had stomachache at his office, but he never introduced me to his colleagues. I snapped back to reality and replied, “No, I might have to work overtime next weekend.” “Well, suit yourself.” Adrian gritted his teeth and hissed. I did not go, but I did not expect him to take Sophie instead. My phone buzzed incessantly when I was writing medical records in the office. I had to open it and found out that someone had added me to the group chat for Adrian’s company’s team building event. The pictures from different activities in the event streamed in, and a lot of them featured Sophie. She was having a great time with Adrian’s colleagues, blending right in. During one of the activities, Adrian carried Sophie in his arms like a princess, lifting her from one end of the lawn to the other. Meanwhile, Sophie held onto Adrian’s neck, pressing her cheek against his chest. If she lifted her head just a bit more, she could have kissed his chin. Everyone in the group chat was cheering them on, tagging the two and saying they were a perfect match. Given Adrian’s high position in the company, people were eager to flatter him. One after another, they lined up to comment on how well-matched they were. Since I had been added to the group, it would not look good if I pretended not to see it. So, I followed the crowd and typed two words in the chat, [Perfect match.] I also added a clapping emoji. With a click, I exited the digital charade and put my phone on silent mode. By the time I finished writing the medical records, it was already dark. I took out my phone and found that Adrian had called me dozens of times. One WhatsApp message after another popped up.

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I, Calvin Gibson, started an online romance with our company’s Vice President, Miriam Wilson. There’s no way I could meet her in real life. She doesn’t know yet that the guy she’s dating online is actually a company employee. ***** Miriam’s been in a terrible mood lately. Everyone who’s picked up on this has become extra cautious, not daring to slack off at work. Miriam’s been working crazy overtime, and we don’t dare leave before she does, so we end up working until eleven or twelve every night. I’m so exhausted I’ve got dark circles under my eyes, and my skin’s looking pretty rough. Honestly, I’m probably the only person in the entire company who knows the real reason behind Miriam’s foul mood, but I can’t say anything. Because Miriam just went through a breakup. And her “ex” is me. She just doesn’t know it yet. It all started when my online girlfriend and I decided to meet in person. We met online.

On the fourth anniversary of my secret relationship with my brother Noah Geller, I, Bailey White, had carefully prepared a surprise and was waiting at home for his return when I received his phone call. The background was noisy, but I could still hear every word clearly. “If it weren’t for my fight with Evelyn, how could I possibly be with Bailey? “Just thinking about being with her makes me sick. How could someone be so despicable, actually liking her own brother? Absolutely shameless! “But Evelyn’s back now, and I’ll marry her right away. Even if we don’t get married, I don’t care. I can keep playing around with her since she truly loves me.” The call ended amid a burst of laughter, and I couldn’t stop trembling. So our four years together had been nothing more than the product of his momentary spite. Heartbroken, I finally agreed to marry another man. On my wedding day, I calmly addressed Evelyn James as “Mrs. Geller.” Noah, who was always composed, completely lost his composure in that moment. ***** On our fourth anniversary, I cooked a whole table of Noah’s favorite dishes at home. I kept imagining his surprised expression when he walked through the door, but I waited for a very long time. I called him over and over, but no one answered. Just when I was getting anxious, the phone rang. It was Noah calling. I excitedly answered, asking urgently, “Where are you?” However, his cold and disgusted voice came through the phone. “If it weren’t for my fight with Evelyn, how could I possibly be with Bailey? “She actually likes her own brother—how disgusting!” In that instant, I felt like I’d fallen into an ice cave. I had imagined countless possibilities for his call. Maybe he’d be sweet-talking me, or saying he was almost home, or at least explaining why he was late. But I never expected to hear those words. After he hung up, it suddenly started pouring outside. I threw away all the food and stood by the window in a daze. Noah saw me standing by the window looking lost as soon as he got out of his car. The rain outside had soaked half of my clothes, but I seemed completely unaware. He immediately ran over to close the window and draped his coat over my shoulders. He said with concern, “Why are you standing by the window? Go take a hot shower and change into dry clothes.” He skillfully prepared my bath water and laid out my pajamas. “I’ve got the hot water ready at just the right temperature. Go wash up quickly so you don’t catch cold.” After my shower, Noah naturally took the hair dryer from my hands and dried my hair. Looking at that gentle man in the mirror, I couldn’t connect him with the voice on the phone. “Do you find me disgusting?” I asked softly. His hair-drying motion paused. “Why would you ask that? What happened? Did someone say something to you? Don’t listen to their nonsense…” Seeing his anxious and caring expression, I forced a smile. “It’s nothing, I was just asking.” Noah put down the hair dryer and gently hugged me from behind. He nuzzled his head against my neck, half apologetic and half playful. “Bailey, I was wrong today. I was too busy. I’ll definitely spend quality time with you tomorrow, okay?” If this had been before, I would have softened and patted his head, saying, “I forgive you.” But now, I just gently pushed him away and said quietly, “Noah, don’t do this.” Noah chuckled softly and held me tighter. That night, he wrapped his arms around me from behind, his warm breath falling on my neck. “Bailey, I want you…” I suppressed the emotions rising in my heart and interrupted him, “I’m not feeling well today.” Noah’s restless hand paused, then he sighed. “Alright, then rest well tonight.” I quietly closed my eyes in the silence.

I had once been the sole heir of the White family, but an accident took my parents’ lives, and I became an orphan overnight, sent to an orphanage. It was Noah who took me out and brought me away from there. I was eleven then, and he was eighteen. He was also an orphan, but he gave me a home. From then on, I became Noah’s little shadow. He took me everywhere, saying I was his only family. Young as I was, I didn’t understand emotions and mistook my dependence and gratitude toward him for love. On my eighteenth birthday, emboldened by alcohol, I confessed to Noah. “Noah, I like you.” He froze for a moment and tried to push me away, but I held him tightly. Taking advantage of his surprise, I planted a kiss on his face. Noah turned his face away and said quietly, “Bailey, you’re drunk.” I clung to him. “I’m not. I just like you, Noah.” That night, he rarely lost control, pulling me into his arms and kissing me for the first time. From that day on, we secretly became a couple. He took even better care of me, handling every aspect of my life, big and small. Back then, I was intoxicated by the sweetness of love, thinking that as long as we liked each other, it could last forever.   The next day, Noah surprisingly didn’t go to the office. He took me to an amusement park, watched a movie with me, and brought me to my favorite restaurant. Everything seemed so perfect—well, it would have been if not for that phone call. Halfway through dinner, Noah excused himself to the restroom. That’s when I saw the message from someone labeled “Babe”: [Noah, I’m not feeling well. Could you come keep me company?] Such a cheap trick, yet Noah fell for it completely. When he returned from the restroom, he glanced at his phone and hurriedly prepared to leave. “Bailey, something urgent came up at the office. Go ahead and finish eating, don’t wait for me. I’ll make it up to you next time, okay?” he said. Before I could even respond, Noah had already walked out of the restaurant. I looked down at the friend request that popped up on my phone and accepted it. The person using the same couple’s profile picture as me sent a message: [Like the profile pic? I picked it out.] Then came a photo—two people kissing in what looked like a nightclub setting. Though I couldn’t see the face clearly, I recognized Noah instantly. The bracelet on his wrist was one I had personally braided and put on him. I’d never seen him take it off. Yet here he was, holding another woman. Tears splattered onto my phone screen as I stared at that photo in shock, the last shred of hope in my heart completely shattered. I wiped the tears from my eyes and dialed a number I’d never called before. “Ivan Stewart, I agree to marry you.” There was a long silence on the other end before he responded excitedly, “Really?” I nodded. “Really.” Ivan was the heir to the Stewart family fortune and had been my classmate from elementary school through college. I knew he’d always liked me, which was why he’d specifically asked his father, Jared Stewart, to propose an arranged marriage between us. At the time, I was completely devoted to Noah, so I firmly refused. But Ivan didn’t give up. Instead, he chose to wait patiently. He once told me, “Bailey, I know you don’t like me, but I can wait—wait for you to turn around, wait for you to like me. If you ever change your mind, I promise to marry you with all the grandeur you deserve.” I always thought I’d never agree to marry Ivan, but reality hit me like a freight train. After hanging up, I took a cab back to the villa alone.

  During the ride, I couldn’t help but check Evelyn’s social media. The moment I saw her profile, I felt like I’d fallen into an ice-cold abyss. I used to think everything I had was because Noah loved me. But reality slapped me hard across the face. Evelyn’s social media was filled with photos of various gifts Noah had given her. Some she kept, while others she didn’t want—and those unwanted gifts had somehow ended up with me. In that moment, I felt nothing but bitter irony. The things I had treasured were actually someone else’s leftovers, things she couldn’t be bothered with. Through Evelyn’s posts, I pieced together their entire love story. She and Noah had fallen in love at first sight, quickly becoming inseparable. Noah would pause important meetings for her, and when she said she “wanted something,” he’d spend millions at auctions to buy priceless collectibles for her. When she was sick, he’d cancel everything to stay by her side, personally cooking for her. Their love was like something out of a movie—the domineering CEO and his precious little wife. And me? I guess I was the evil supporting character. Every time Noah went to take care of her, he’d lie to me about working overtime at the office. Ridiculously, I believed him every single time. I’d even feel sorry for him working so hard and would rack my brains to make him delicious meals. And all of that food ended up in Evelyn’s stomach. She bragged on social media that it was made by Noah’s house cook. [Noah’s house cook makes pretty good food, though I prefer it spicy.] Reading this, I suddenly understood why Noah’s taste had changed. Someone who used to hate spicy food had suddenly developed a taste for it. When I asked him about it, he said, “Because you like spicy food, I want to feel closer to you, so I thought I’d try to appreciate spicy flavors too.” I was so moved by those words at the time, thinking Noah truly cared about me. After all, he was willing to change for me. It was all lies! All that talk about wanting to understand me—complete bullsh*t! He used my love for him as an excuse to trample all over my feelings! He used the food I made to please another woman! I was shaking with rage and couldn’t help but send Evelyn a message: [Do you know who actually makes Noah’s food?] She replied instantly: [Of course I know. What other housekeeper would make love-filled lunch boxes for her employer? But since Noah calls you the housekeeper, I naturally won’t blow his cover.] I was trembling with fury. So in Noah’s eyes, I was nothing more than a free housekeeper. How utterly ridiculous!

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“Ms. Newman, are you certain you want to change your name? Once changed, your diplomas, various certificates, and passport will all need to be updated accordingly.” Anne nodded. “I’m certain.” The clerk continued trying to dissuade her. “Changing your name as an adult is actually quite troublesome, and your original name sounds lovely. Why don’t you reconsider?” “No need.” Anne signed the name change consent form. “Please go ahead and change it.” The clerk said, “Alright, the name you want to change to is Marina Bennet, correct?” Anne nodded. “Yes.” She would use her new name to fly far away. This was the direction she had set for her future. She was going to leave this place completely. Anne asked, “Can I go change the name on my passport now?” The clerk replied, “Yes, this is your name change receipt. Take this downstairs to process your passport name change.” Anne completed the passport information update as quickly as possible. As for other documents like her diploma, she left everything untouched. After all, she would be leaving with her new passport in a week. Her past identity could stay here—she no longer needed it. Walking out of the administrative building with her new passport, she faced New York’s iconic skyline. On the large screen covering the building’s exterior wall, an interview with Jonathan Graham, CEO of Graham Group, was playing. The interviewer keenly noticed his subtle gesture and asked with a smile, “Mr. Graham, I notice you keep touching your ring. It’s just an ordinary silver ring, isn’t it? Does it have special meaning?” Jonathan smiled warmly and raised his hand to show her. “This is my wedding ring.” The interviewer said, “Oh? I’m sorry, I assumed someone in your position would have at least a diamond wedding ring, and a substantial one at that.” Jonathan replied, “I crafted this wedding ring myself, polishing it bit by bit, and even engraved my name and my wife’s name inside the band.” The interviewer exclaimed, “Wow, there really are two sets of letters—JG and…” Jonathan said, “And AN. My wife is Anne Newman.” The interviewer gushed, “Wow, I really envy your wife. How lucky must she be to marry you?” But Jonathan said, “Actually, I’m the lucky one for being able to marry her.” The surrounding crowd was making envious sounds. Only Anne, the person in question, smiled sarcastically. She and Jonathan had truly loved each other deeply once, from their school days until now—they had walked together for fifteen years. In the eyes of classmates and teachers, they were the most enviable couple on campus. Until two months ago, when she received photos from a strange woman. The girl in the photos looked barely twenty, wearing sexy stockings and a nightgown, with purple and blue marks covering her from neck to chest. Without much thought, it was obvious she had just experienced intense sexual activity. She made a provocative gesture at the camera. On her index finger was a silver ring, slightly oversized—clearly a men’s style. Inside the ring band was engraved a line of English letters: JG&AN. Later, she saw that girl in Jonathan’s office. Her name was Maeve Hicks, a recent college graduate, twenty-one years old, Jonathan’s newly hired personal assistant. At that moment, Anne’s mind went blank. She desperately wanted to storm into the office and ask, “Personal assistant—does that include your sex life?” But she never asked. The marks all over Maeve’s body in that photo had already explained everything. Amid the surrounding gasps of amazement and envy, Anne quietly left and walked into a jewelry processing shop. When she removed the ring from her left ring finger, her heart ached so much she could barely breathe. The shop owner asked, “Miss, what jewelry would you like to have processed?” She said, “This ring—please melt it down.” The shop owner looked puzzled. “This ring has engraving on it. It must have special meaning, right? Are you sure you want it melted down?” She nodded. “Yes, please do it as soon as possible.” Half an hour later, Anne returned home with an elegantly packaged jewelry box. When Jonathan came home, it was already past ten at night. He held a bouquet of flowers. “Sorry, Anne, I’ve been too busy with work lately and haven’t had time to spend with you. I brought your favorite freesias—do you like them?” As he leaned closer, Anne caught a whiff of perfume on him that wasn’t hers. Glancing sideways, she spotted a faint bite mark below his Adam’s apple. At his shirt collar, there was an obvious lipstick stain, glaringly red. Anne let out a cold laugh. Were you busy with work, or busy getting carried away with Maeve? Jonathan looked puzzled. “Why aren’t you saying anything?” Anne pushed him away. “I’m a bit tired.” He said, “Should I carry you to bed?” With that, he bent down, preparing to sweep her up in his arms. Anne pushed him away again. “You’re tired too. Take a shower and get some rest.” Jonathan reached out to take her hand but suddenly noticed something. “Anne, where’s your wedding ring?” Anne said, “I took it off.” Jonathan frowned and asked, “But I made that with my own hands. It’s proof of our love. Why did you take it off?” Anne replied dismissively, “I’ve gained some weight recently. It doesn’t fit properly anymore.” Only then did Jonathan’s expression soften, and he smiled again. “Then I’ll take it to the jewelry store to resize it sometime.” Anne said, “We’ll talk about it later.” “By the way, what’s that on the table?” Jonathan pointed to the exquisite jewelry box on the table and asked with some surprise, “Is this a gift for me?” Anne nodded. “Yes.” Inside it was a small silver piece. She had melted down their wedding rings and placed them inside. But Jonathan looked delighted. “What’s the occasion? You actually prepared a gift for me?” Anne’s heart grew cold again. “Today is our wedding anniversary.” Jonathan’s expression instantly turned panicked. He coaxed her almost pleadingly, “I’m sorry, Anne. I’ve been really busy with work lately. How about we go out for dinner tonight? I’ll make a reservation right now…” Anne said coldly, “No need. I already ate.” Jonathan suggested, “Then let me take you out to see the night view? We could take a walk by the river?” Anne said, “I’m tired. I want to sleep.” Jonathan wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, his tone coaxing, “Come on, Anne. We haven’t taken a walk together in so long. I feel like you’ve been a bit cold toward me lately. If this continues, I’ll start wondering if you’ve fallen for someone else.” Have I fallen for someone else? Your heart left me first. And this time, I’m going to take back my heart completely, along with myself. Everything. On the way out, Jonathan drove while enthusiastically sharing recent happenings. Anne sat in the passenger seat, turning her head to look out the window, ignoring everything he said. Because when she was fastening her seatbelt, she had felt a woman’s stocking in the seat crack—clearly worn. She quietly pushed it back and pretended nothing had happened. Since she had already decided to leave, she didn’t want to argue about anything anymore. Besides those useless lies, she would get nothing. Since she couldn’t have it, she wouldn’t want it anymore. When they reached the river, Jonathan got out first and walked around to open her door. “Anne, we’re here.” Anne didn’t really want to come, but this used to be their favorite place when they were dating. If it started here, then let it end here too. “Wow, isn’t that Mr. Graham from TV today? The one who made the wedding ring himself!” “I remember—what a perfect husband!” “He’s even shielding Mrs. Graham from the car roof so she won’t hit her head getting out. He’s so thoughtful!” Suddenly, Jonathan’s phone rang. He said somewhat apologetically, “Sorry, Anne. Wait here for a moment. It’s work-related. I’ll take this call and be right back.” Anne said, “Go ahead.” Jonathan instructed, “Just wait here for me. Don’t wander off.” The people around them exclaimed again. “Mr. Graham loves his wife so much—he’s even worried she’ll get lost.” “He spoils her so much!” Only Anne remained expressionless throughout, standing by the river, gazing at the shimmering water in the night. When Jonathan saw the caller ID earlier, he couldn’t suppress the smile at the corner of his mouth. That smile carried affection, sweetness, and a hint of intimacy. So how could that call possibly be about work? But she was too lazy to expose Jonathan’s lie. The wind from the river was a bit cold, so she simply returned to the car to wait. On the car’s display screen, Jonathan’s social media account was still logged in, synced with his phone. Chat messages were appearing one by one. The other person’s nickname was “Greedy Cat.” Jonathan: Missing me? Greedy Cat: I’m a bit lonely on nights when you’re not here. Jonathan: Greedy Cat, wasn’t seven times with you today enough? Greedy Cat: Not enough. I want more. Jonathan: Alright, tomorrow at work, in the office, I’ll satisfy you. Greedy Cat: Then I’ll wear black stockings to work tomorrow. The content that followed became increasingly explicit, full of crude flirtation and vulgar language. Anne felt cold all over and turned off the screen. Her whole body was trembling—whether from cold or anger, she didn’t know. Her nails dug into her palms. Jonathan returned quickly, about fifteen minutes later. He got back in the car and patted his chest with relief. “When I finished the call and turned around, I didn’t see you. You scared me to death. Thank goodness you’re okay.” Anne no longer wanted to look at that hypocritical face and kept her head down, looking at her hands. She said, “It was cold outside, so I came back to the car.” Jonathan said, “Good. You can be wherever you like.” Anne suddenly looked up. After seeing their chat records, this statement took on another meaning for her. Wherever you like. The stocking in the passenger seat crack… Could it be that they had done it in the passenger seat too? Anne suddenly felt nauseous and pushed open the car door to vomit.

Jonathan panicked and rushed forward to check on her. “Anne, what’s wrong?” Anne was violently sick, and it took her a long time to recover. She couldn’t understand why Jonathan, who loved her so much, would cheat on her. Wasn’t he afraid she’d find out? Or did he think he was being discreet enough to keep it hidden from her forever? The evening breeze cleared Anne’s mind considerably. Jonathan asked with concern, “Anne, are you okay? If you’re not feeling well, I’ll take you to the hospital right now.” Anne said, “No, I probably just had something bad at dinner.” Jonathan said, “Then come to the office tomorrow and find me. We’ll have lunch together.” Anne let out a cold laugh, thinking to herself, “Go to the office to watch you and Maeve having sex in your office?” She suddenly felt mischievous: “Sure, I’ll go to the office with you tomorrow morning, keep you company while you work, then we’ll have lunch together, and come home together in the evening.” Jonathan hadn’t expected her to agree at all, and his expression immediately became somewhat strained: “But I’ve been pretty busy with work lately. I might not be able to stay with you the whole time.” Anne said, “You do your work. I’ll just wait for you in your office.” Jonathan had no choice but to say, “Alright then.” After returning home, Jonathan offered to run a bath for Anne and went into the bathroom, but unusually closed the door behind him. Anne went downstairs alone and got back in the car. After starting the engine, the latest chat messages immediately popped up on the screen. Jonathan: [Plans have changed. We can’t use the office tomorrow.] Greedy Cat: [So disappointed.] Jonathan: [Don’t be disappointed. I’ll take you to the rooftop. It’ll be more thrilling.] Greedy Cat: [Wow, you’re the best.] When Anne returned to the bedroom, Jonathan had just come out of the bathroom: “Anne, your bath is ready. Go soak for a while.” Anne said, “No thanks, I want to rest.” Jonathan nodded: “Alright, sleep if you’re tired. By the way, that gift you left on the table—can I open it now?” Anne said, “Wait another week.” Jonathan asked, “Why wait another week? I want to see what you got me right now.” Anne said, “Because…” She thought to herself, “Because in a week, I’ll be gone from your life forever.” She said, “Because the gift will only be meaningful in a week.” Jonathan kissed her gently on the forehead: “Okay, I’ll do whatever you say.” Early the next morning, Jonathan’s phone started ringing after six. He turned it off and pulled Anne closer: “Ignore it. Let’s sleep a little longer.” But the phone rang persistently again. Jonathan frowned, getting annoyed: “It’s not even work hours yet, and they’re calling non-stop this early. I’m going to fire all these useless executives sooner or later.” He turned off the phone again. When the phone rang for the third time, Jonathan finally got up impatiently: “Anne, sleep a little longer. I’ll go see what’s so urgent.” Anne softly hummed in acknowledgment and turned away from him. Jonathan took his phone and left the bedroom. Soon after, his figure appeared outside the front door downstairs. A delivery person in a yellow uniform was standing outside, handing him a package. Jonathan took it, but when he returned inside, his hands were empty. Anne asked him, “Is the company situation serious?” Jonathan said, “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Rest well, and I’ll make you breakfast.” Whether from guilt or genuine concern about her stomach upset, Jonathan made an exceptionally lavish breakfast. Milk, eggs, bread, jam, and her favorite oatmeal. He said, “You can’t eat just anything anymore. I’ll find you a housekeeper to come cook for you every day.” Anne said, “That’s not necessary.” Jonathan said, “Be good and listen to me, or I won’t have peace of mind at work.” Anne said, “Jonathan, can I ask you something?” Jonathan said, “Go ahead.” Anne put down her knife and fork, her tone calm: “The seven-year itch—do you think there’s truth to it?” Jonathan immediately showed a look of disgust: “That’s just an excuse other men use when they fall out of love. I’m different. I’ll only love you for the rest of my life.” Anne frowned: “Only love me for the rest of your life?” Jonathan nodded: “Yes.” Anne asked, “What if you fell in love with another woman?” Jonathan said, “Then may I die a horrible death.” Anne smiled sarcastically: “Such a heavy oath—aren’t you afraid it might actually come true?” Jonathan said, “I’m telling the truth. Why should I be afraid?” Anne picked up her knife and fork again and spread jam on her bread. Jonathan said earnestly, “Anne, you have to trust me.” Anne simply said, “Let’s eat.” Jonathan said, “You still don’t believe me? Do I have to cut out my heart and show it to you before you’ll believe me?” Anne said, “People at the company are waiting for you. Don’t be late.” Jonathan finally relaxed and sat down across from her: “Let them wait. They’re a bunch of useless people anyway. I’m going to fire them all sooner or later.” Anne asked, “Fire her? Could you bear to do that?” Anne said “her,” not “them.” She didn’t know if Jonathan caught it, but she heard him say, “Besides you, there’s nothing I can’t bear to part with.” After breakfast, the two headed to the company together. Anne really didn’t want to sit in the passenger seat and insisted on sitting in the back. “I get carsick. The back seat’s more comfortable, and I can get some fresh air,” she explained. Jonathan didn’t push her. “Alright then, I’ll try to drive as smoothly as possible.” When they arrived at the company entrance, Jonathan quickly got out and walked around to open the rear door for her. As Anne stepped out, she was once again surrounded by employees during the morning rush hour. Several executives even jogged over with beaming smiles. “Mrs. Graham, you’re here! Mr. Graham always says you love coffee—I’ll go buy some for you right away.” Another chimed in eagerly, “I’ll get the snacks! Mrs. Graham, you like little cakes, right?” Jonathan laughed and teased, “You guys better stop buying her food. She’s put on a little weight lately—can’t even get her wedding ring on anymore.” “Mr. Graham, that’s not right to say,” one executive quickly interjected. “Mrs. Graham looks perfectly slim to me. If the wedding ring doesn’t fit, the ring must have shrunk!” “That’s some pretty obvious flattery, don’t you think? How could silver shrink?” “You don’t understand, Mr. Graham. You care so much about Mrs. Graham—as long as she’s happy, you’re happy, and we all get to live the good life too!” Jonathan shook his head with a smile. “Alright, you’ve figured out exactly what I like to hear.” Everyone burst into laughter. Anne was practically escorted into his office by the crowd. Fruits, snacks, coffee—everything was there. Jonathan even used his computer to find her a TV series. “Anne, I need to get to work. Just watch your show here, and if you need anything, have Zac outside help you out.” Anne deliberately asked, “What about your personal assistant Maeve? I haven’t seen her today.” Jonathan frowned slightly. “I’m not sure either. I’ll have HR call and check later.” Before leaving, he affectionately ruffled her hair and said softly, “Wait for me to come back, and we’ll have lunch together.” After Jonathan left, the executives gradually dispersed as well. Anne noticed his phone was still on the desk and was about to chase after him when she accidentally overheard a conversation between several executives. “The rooftop? Mr. Graham and Maeve are getting bolder and bolder.” “Who knew Mrs. Graham would suddenly show up at the company today? They had to change locations at the last minute.” “Should we still send condoms up there today?” “No need. When Mr. Graham went up just now, I saw he had several boxes stuffed in his pocket.” “Haha, Mr. Graham’s really something—managed to get condoms right under Mrs. Graham’s nose.” “Delivery apps, obviously. So convenient these days—you can buy anything.” Anne suddenly understood. Those phone calls this morning were from delivery drivers. Jonathan had placed an order early in the morning for condoms, clearly preparing well in advance for today’s “rooftop rendezvous.” “Wonder if a few boxes will be enough. Last time Mr. Graham and Maeve went at it in the car for a whole day and night—Maeve was walking funny the next day.” “If it’s not enough, we’ll just send more! As his subordinates, we’ve got to take good care of Mr. Graham.” “Didn’t you just say we should take good care of Mrs. Graham too?” “Ha! What does she know? A few snacks and she’s completely fooled. With Mr. Graham’s status, how could he possibly have just one woman? Anyway, he’s got money and power—playing around with women is totally normal, as long as we keep it from Mrs. Graham.” “True. She seems pretty naive—shouldn’t be hard to keep her in the dark.” Just then, Jonathan appeared. “Don’t talk nonsense in front of Anne, got it?” The executives nodded repeatedly. “Understood, Mr. Graham.” One couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you bring Mrs. Graham today? Now you and Maeve have to hide on the rooftop, and we have to watch every word we say.” Jonathan shot him a cold glare. “Anne is my wife. If she wants to come, she comes. Who are you to question that?” The man laughed awkwardly. “You’re absolutely right…” Jonathan issued another stern warning: “Take good care of Anne. She had an upset stomach yesterday, so don’t give her anything cold. And if anyone dares to mention what’s going on between Maeve and me, they’re out immediately. Clear?” The executives nodded and voiced their agreement with smiles. Anne didn’t listen to the rest of the conversation. She hurried back to the office and quietly placed his phone among the pile of snacks. After a while, Jonathan returned. He maintained that same gentle, caring demeanor. “Greedy Cat, what are you eating?” The nickname “Greedy Cat” made Anne feel nauseous. Fighting back her discomfort, she asked, “Didn’t you go to a meeting? Why are you back already?” Jonathan said, “I left my phone here. Did you see it?” Anne shook her head. “No.” Jonathan rummaged through the pile of snacks and pulled out his phone. “Found it mixed in with the snacks. Take your time eating—I’ll head out now.” This time it was Anne’s phone that rang. She answered it. The voice on the other end asked, “Hello, is this Marina Bennet?” Anne replied, “Yes, that’s me.” The person continued, “Ms. Bennet, your flight to Norway scheduled for next week has been successfully ticketed. Please bring your passport for boarding.” Anne asked, “Do I need to bring any other documents besides my passport?” The person answered, “No, just your passport will be sufficient.” Anne said, “Alright.” After hanging up, Jonathan asked with slight confusion, “Passport? Anne, what do you need a passport for?”

Anne said, “It’s a friend of mine. She lost her passport and asked me how to get it replaced.” Jonathan hurried toward her and pulled her into a tight embrace. “You scared me to death. I thought you were going abroad without me.” Anne turned her head away and threw up again. He carried a heavy, sickly sweet scent mixed with some woman’s perfume. Jonathan gently patted her back with concern. “What did they feed you? I specifically told them you’ve been having stomach issues these past few days and to take good care of you. Just wait—I’m firing all of them right now!” This time Anne pushed him away with all her strength. “Fire whoever you want, but stop using me as an excuse, okay?” Jonathan was caught off guard by her sudden outburst. “Are you mad at me? Is it because I was busy with work today and didn’t spend time with you?” He said, “How about this—tomorrow I’ll cancel all my meetings and spend the entire day with you. Sound good?” Anne laughed bitterly. “Spend the entire day with me?” Jonathan said, “Yes, I’ll be with you all day.” Anne took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “I hope you can keep your word.” That night, it suddenly began to pour. From the moment Anne got home, she couldn’t stop throwing up. Jonathan tried to get close to her, but she firmly refused. “Don’t come near me. The smell on you just makes me throw up even more.” Jonathan sniffed his sleeve and said, “Maybe you don’t like this cologne. I’ll switch to a different one next time.” Anne said, “You know damn well the problem isn’t the cologne!” Jonathan said, “Okay, don’t be angry. I won’t wear any cologne from now on. That should work, right?” Anne splashed cold water on her face and looked up at her pale reflection in the mirror, and at Jonathan standing outside the bathroom door, anxiously holding a cup of hot water. She just couldn’t understand why, even today, he still carried that sickly sweet scent of intimacy with Maeve and her perfume, yet could so naturally pretend to love her. She couldn’t understand why Jonathan seemed to care about her, yet still betrayed their relationship without any regard. Maybe that executive was right: “Men fooling around outside is no big deal, as long as they keep it from the woman at home.” She had misjudged him. She wasn’t that naive or easily fooled, and she wouldn’t compromise herself or abandon her principles anymore. If love was no longer pure, she’d rather have none of it at all. The next morning, Jonathan took her to the hospital. After a series of tests, the doctor gave his diagnosis. “She appears to have stress-induced gastritis.” Jonathan asked, “What’s stress-induced gastritis?” The doctor explained, “It’s when a patient experiences severe emotional trauma recently. The impact is so significant that it disrupts gastrointestinal function, causing vomiting.” Jonathan turned to Anne. “Have you encountered something upsetting lately? Tell me about it—maybe I can help you solve it.” Anne turned her face away, avoiding his approach. “You can’t solve it.” He said, “Just tell me. There are very few things in this world I can’t solve.” Yes, this was indeed something only he could solve. For a moment, Anne wanted to ask him: if she and Maeve were both drowning, who would he save first? But then she thought better of it. She shouldn’t place her fate in someone else’s hands. She could swim. She could save herself. She no longer needed Jonathan. She had applied to art school in Norway under the name Marina Bennet. She had given up her dream of painting to marry Jonathan, but from now on, she would live for herself. Jonathan suggested, “Anne, let me take you to see a movie this afternoon. There’s a new comedy out that you’d probably enjoy.” Anne asked, “This afternoon? Don’t you have to work?” He said, “We agreed that I’d spend the entire day with you today. I keep my word—I don’t go back on my promises.” The next second, his phone rang. He was about to decline the call, but after staring at the caller ID for a few seconds, his expression grew hesitant. Anne watched his face transform from initial irritation to resignation. She smiled coldly. “Go ahead and answer it. Company business is more important.” Jonathan said, “I’ll make it quick. Give me five minutes.” Anne nodded. “Okay.” Jonathan was about to leave with his phone when Anne suddenly called out to him. “Just take it here. I don’t understand your company business anyway, so there’s no risk of leaking secrets.” Jonathan stopped awkwardly. After hesitating for two seconds, he answered the call, his voice tinged with anger. “Didn’t we agree you wouldn’t call today? What’s going on?” Anne could vaguely hear a woman crying on the other end. In front of her, Jonathan’s tone became cautious. “Fine, I got it. Hold on.” After hanging up, Jonathan said to Anne with slight embarrassment, “The company has an important document that needs my signature. The manager is already here at the hospital, downstairs. I’ll sign it and come right back—thirty minutes tops.” Anne nodded. Jonathan practically ran out of the examination room. The doctor smiled at her. “Mrs. Graham, Mr. Graham really loves you. He’s even willing to put aside work for you.” “Yes.” Anne forced a smile. “Excuse me, doctor, I need to use the restroom.” The doctor smiled back. “Of course.” As soon as she stepped out of the examination room, Anne saw Jonathan, too impatient to wait for the elevator, running down the stairs. He did go downstairs. But that floor was the maternity ward. Her phone buzzed. Maeve: [Ms. Newman, I’m so sorry, but he probably won’t be able to spend time with you today. One call from me, and he comes running to my side immediately.] Maeve’s messages kept flooding in. Maeve: [Oh, and check this out. This is my ultrasound report—I’m pregnant.] Anne enlarged the image and finally made out the line at the top of the report: [8-week embryo, threatened miscarriage.] Maeve: [Yesterday we did it several times on the rooftop, tried all kinds of positions. Maybe we got too rough—the baby’s showing signs of threatened miscarriage. Ugh, it’s all his fault. He said he was like a dead fish with no energy around your pasta, but with me he wanted to try something exciting.] Maeve: [The doctor said that whether we keep the baby or terminate, the father needs to sign the papers, so I had to call him down here. After all, compared to his stomach bug, his child is more important, don’t you think?] Anne took a cab home from the hospital alone. She went to Dave Jacobs’ law firm. She said, “Hello, I’d like to retain your services to draft a divorce agreement.” She asked for nothing, and Dave was reliable. Half an hour later, she had the complete divorce agreement in hand. Dave told her, “No signature from the husband required. As long as you two live separately for two years, this agreement will automatically take effect.” As Anne walked out of the law firm with the agreement, Jonathan called. He said, “Anne, where are you? I’ve searched the entire hospital and couldn’t find you.” Anne said, “I waited for you for a long time and you didn’t show up, so I went home.” Jonathan said, “Good, I’m glad you made it home safely. Sorry, there really was an emergency at the company that I had to handle personally. I might need to go on a business trip for a few days. Take good care of yourself at home. Next week, I’ll definitely clear my schedule to spend time with you.” Anne sighed softly. When a lie is told ten thousand times, no one will ever believe it again. Now, she felt no emotional turmoil whatsoever. She said flatly, “Okay, go ahead.” Jonathan said, “You’re so understanding. I’ll bring you some freesias when I get back tomorrow.” “Understanding?” Anne asked. “Jonathan, do you prefer women who act cute and clingy, who won’t let you go? Am I too understanding, so I’m boring?” Jonathan paused. “How could that be? Of course I love you most. Whatever you’re like, that’s what I love.” Anne asked, “Would you ever fall in love with another woman?” Jonathan assured her, “Of course not.” Anne said, “If you change your mind, I’ll leave you forever.” Jonathan chuckled. “Go ahead and run. I can shut down airports and train stations. As long as you’re still called Anne Newman, I’ll never let you leave me.” But my passport no longer says Anne Newman. I’m now Marina Bennet. Anne emphasized again, “I’m serious. I have ways to leave you, and ways to make sure you can’t find me.” Jonathan still laughed, as if coaxing a cat. “Fine, run first then. I’ll give you three days, then I’ll come find you. Like I said, as long as you’re still called Anne Newman, no matter where you run, I can find you. You can’t shake me off.” Can’t shake you off? Anne smiled. Well, we’ll see about that.

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On my birthday, my boyfriend set off the most dazzling fireworks for his childhood sweetheart. A passerby captured the moment on video and quickly uploaded it online, where it quickly went viral, garnering an endless stream of well-wishes. His friends joked about me, asking, “What do you think about this?” I replied indifferently, “I just watched it. What else could I do?” The video spread like wildfire online, with the comment section filled with praise for them as a perfect match. As I listened to the joyful laughter of the fireworks in the video, the feast in front of me only made my heart sink deeper. —— It was my birthday, and Alex had promised to come home early to celebrate with me, but he called in the afternoon to say he had an unexpected engagement and would be late. I believed him and was still looking forward to celebrating my birthday with him when he got back. Little did I know, his “engagement” was to accompany his childhood sweetheart, Vivian, in setting off fireworks. How ironic it was. In the video, Alex’s handsome face, usually aloof and cold, was filled with laughter, and his eyes were full of tenderness as he looked at Vivian. This was a smile I had never received. Before this, I thought he was just naturally not a smiling person, incapable of expressing affection. I laughed in self-mockery, unwrapped the cake, and ate it in silence. The greasy, sweet taste spread in my mouth, but suddenly, it felt pretty pointless. I took my phone and called Alex. He answered quickly, and his voice was as cold as ever. “What’s up?” As he spoke, I could clearly hear the sound of fireworks in the background. After a two-second silence, I swallowed the cake in my mouth and asked calmly, “Where are you?” “At the office. What’s the matter.” He seemed to have moved away from the riverside, and the sound of fireworks was gone. His voice was still calm, showing no signs of the panic one would expect when lying. I glanced at the video on my tablet and felt even more disinterested. “Let’s break up.” “You’re making a fuss again.” I sneered, “Browse the videos online more often, Mr. Internet Celebrity.” With that, I hung up the phone. Since I had proposed the breakup, I shouldn’t stay at his place any longer. I looked at the untouched dishes on the table, got up, and went to the kitchen to find some containers to pack them up. Then I packed my belongings and took a taxi back to my small apartment, which I hadn’t visited in a long time. Finishing all this, I took a taxi back to my small house that I hadn’t visited in a long time. After I graduated from university, my parents bought me a small apartment in this city. After getting together with Alex, he always said that our homes were too far apart, and it was troublesome for us to commute between them, so he asked me to move in with him. Actually, the distance between these two houses was just the distance between him and me. We looked close, but our hearts seemed to be separated by the Pacific Ocean. Back in the long-lost small house, I tidied up simply and went to bed after washing up. The next day, I found only a few messages on my phone. [What’s the matter with you now?] [Come back when you’ve calmed down. Don’t be too willful.] It seemed he came home last night and found out I had moved out. I didn’t reply to his messages and just went about my own business. This kind of thing wasn’t the first time it had happened. Vivian would call him whenever something was wrong. She would even ask him to accompany her when she was awakened by thunder at midnight and couldn’t sleep. I had questioned him and quarreled and argued with him. But he said, “People with a dirty heart see everything as dirty.” Every time he abandoned me to go to Vivian, he would send me roses afterward to appease me. And I would continue to be deeply immersed in this relationship as if nothing had happened. But I was tired this time.

As I stepped out of the company after work in the evening, I saw him standing outside. Dressed in a suit, he had a handsome face and a tall and strong figure with excellent body proportions, just like a model on the runway. Passersby couldn’t help but look at him. If it were any other day, I would have gone up to him and asked him to get in the car to keep others from looking at him. But this time, I just wanted to pretend I didn’t see him. I walked towards the station on my own, and Alex quickly caught up with me. He didn’t mention the incident and said calmly, “It’s Jason’s birthday today. He invited us to have dinner together.” I stopped and looked at him. “Sure.” We got in the car, and there was a silence inside. The wind blew in from outside the window, and I smelled a faint scent of jasmine. It was the scent of Vivian. The scent wasn’t unpleasant. On a whim, I asked, “Do you like the smell of jasmine?” Alex’s eyes flickered slightly. “It’s okay.” “Really?” I thought, “Then why have I always smelled this scent on you before?” I didn’t say anything more. We arrived at the agreed hotel, where they had been waiting for a while. Seeing us come together, Vivian was obviously surprised. “Good evening, Alex, Isabella. We’ve been waiting for you for a long time.” I smiled indifferently and looked at Jason. “I’m sorry. I came in a hurry and didn’t bring a gift.” Jason is Alex and Vivian’s childhood friend. Alex always took me with him to their gatherings, and gradually we became acquainted. “I’ve given him a gift. You don’t need to feel sorry.” Alex led me to the table. The remaining two seats were opposite each other. I didn’t know if they arranged it on purpose. I let go of his hand and walked straight to the seat opposite. Alex’s expression changed slightly, but he didn’t say anything and sat down next to the empty seat beside Vivian. I knew what his friends were thinking. They never approved of Alex and me being together and were always cold to me. Before, I wanted to get along with them, and I would give them gifts I carefully selected for every holiday. But I’ve never seen anyone really use the things I gave them. They probably didn’t want to accept me from the bottom of their hearts. I was too naive to see such an obvious thing until now. I didn’t say a word and ate quietly. Alex chatted with them with ease, peeling shrimp without stopping. He never eats seafood unless someone peels the shell for him, and he will reluctantly try a bit because he finds it troublesome to peel it himself. However, he didn’t mind the trouble now. He peeled a whole plate of shrimp, moved it in front of Vivian, and then slowly took a wet wipe and wiped his hands carefully. This was a treatment I had never had. Seeing this, I felt depressed. I decided to let him go, but I still felt sad when I really saw him like this. Jason also noticed his actions. He looked at my expression and nudged Alex, teasing, “Don’t favor one over the other. Peel some shrimp for your girlfriend too.” Alex seemed to realize it for the first time, looked at the empty plate on the table, and said, “Order another plate.” “No.” I took a sip of my drink and said calmly, “I don’t like shrimp.” “How about fish then?” “I don’t like it.” Alex looked at the table, his eyebrows slightly wrinkled. “What about chicken?” “I don’t like it either.” He looked surprised, seemingly not expecting me to say this without hesitation. Meeting his gaze, I took a napkin calmly, wiped my mouth, and added, “I don’t like anything you said.” “Isabella, are you angry?” Vivian said cautiously, “Why don’t you eat this plate of shrimp? Please don’t be angry with Alex.”

Her timid look made me look like the bad guy. “How could I be angry? Please enjoy your meal. I just remembered I have some unfinished work, so I’ll take my leave.” With a calm smile, I picked up my bag, ready to leave. “Come on, are you still upset about Alex setting off fireworks for Vivi?” Jason mentioned deliberately, his gaze filled with provocation. Hearing him bring up this, Vivian spoke up, “I’m sorry, Isabella. I was in a mood back then, and Alex just wanted to cheer me up with that. Alex, you should apologize to Isabella.” Alex frowned upon hearing this, “I just set off some fireworks. Why should I apologize?” His words caused the atmosphere to freeze. Vivian smiled subtly at me from where he couldn’t see, as if silently declaring her possession over Alex. It was laughable. The person who did wrong had no idea that he was in the wrong. Just like before, he never realized his own faults. He thought he could just casually appease me and move on from this. I smiled, “Yes, you’re right. The fireworks were quite a spectacle. Keep it up next time.” With that, I left without looking back. The moment I closed the door, I heard Vivian’s voice. “Alex, go apologize quickly. Isabella is obviously angry.” “Don’t mind her. She’ll be fine in a few days.” His words stabbed at me like a sharp sword. What on earth had I done before to make him so confident? I walked out of the hotel slowly. The cool breeze of the early autumn night was refreshing. I strolled along the bustling streets, with couples passing by, their affectionate displays genuinely enviable. Before Vivian came back, Alex and I were just like them. We held hands tightly, unwilling to let go for fear of losing each other. So, why did things turn out this way? I felt heavy breathing, a bit suffocated. Seeing an ice cream truck on the side of the road, I thought for a moment and bought an ice cream. The moment I got the ice cream, I suddenly remembered his words vaguely. “You know you get a stomachache from eating ice cream, but you still can’t resist it.” I took a bite in a daze, and it was salty. “Your ice cream tastes off,” I said to the ice cream truck owner, my voice trembling. The owner glanced at me and handed me a tissue. “Miss, maybe you need to wipe your tears first.” I looked up, my eyes blurred, and I realized that tears had fallen on the ice cream. No wonder it tasted salty. I sniffed, turned around, and went home. I received a message from Alex as soon as I got home [Have you arrived home?] I glanced at it and didn’t reply. Soon, he sent another message: [Everyone didn’t have a good meal because of you today. Let’s invite them to dinner another day.] I still didn’t reply to him. He seemed to have lost patience and called me directly. I put down my phone and turned a deaf ear. When I came back after washing up, the phone had already fallen silent. Before going to bed, I habitually browsed through the WhatsApp statuses and unexpectedly saw a photo Vivian posted five minutes ago. The driver was driving in front, and Alex and Vivian were sitting in the back seat of the car. In the photo, he was resting his eyes languidly, while Vivian was shyly looking at the camera in a posture that leaned against him. The caption of the photo was: [It turns out I am still your first choice after so many years.] I gave a self-mocking smile and replied to her: [Congratulations.]

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “398147”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G #regret #LoveAfterLoss #ChildhoodCrush #Independent