Author: Momo Chan

I downed a drink and my body started burning up. Someone must have drugged me. I stumbled around looking for my boyfriend Ethan Smith, but at the bar I overheard his conversation with someone else. “I don’t believe in ‘well-matched families’—I only believe in myself. Yara, I swear I’ll make you the future Mrs. Smith.” “As for Lila, after tonight, videos of her acting like a slut will spread all over the internet. From then on, I’ll have her wrapped around my finger.” Everything went black. This was the man I’d loved for three years. With nowhere else to turn, I shakily dialed my uncle Lucas Brown’s number. “Lucas, I’ve been drugged. I feel terrible…” There was a moment of silence on the other end, then his deep, magnetic voice came through. “Send me your location… Stay where you are. I’m coming to get you.” Under the dizzying lights, I was roughly shoved onto a soft couch. My head was spinning, my mouth was dry. It felt like a wildfire burning inside my body. Without thinking, I started tearing at the neckline of my dress, desperate for a breeze to cool my burning skin. I longed to press against someone’s cool skin to ease this unbearable heat. “Well, well, little slut, can’t wait anymore?” “I’ll take care of you right now…” A stranger’s voice exploded in my ear, instantly shocking me back to my senses. Something was wrong. I’d been drugged! Today was my twentieth birthday—who would want to destroy me like this?! A strange man pressed down on me, shamelessly tearing at my dress. I bit my lip hard until I tasted blood, which brought me a moment of clarity. Grabbing a bottle opener from the table, I used all my strength to smash it against his forehead! A muffled groan. The man clutched his head as blood seeped through his fingers. I shoved him away and fled, clutching my torn dress. Call the police? No—in my current state, they’d just think I was some girl whose hookup got out of hand. I’d never be able to explain. Go home? Even worse. It would only make my parents worry and break down. The drug’s effects were getting stronger. I steadied myself against the wall and staggered out of the bar. The cold air made me shiver, but the fire inside me burned even fiercer. Right now, I had only one option. My uncle Lucas, who’d just returned from a mission. Lucas’s place wasn’t far from here. He was Dad’s closest comrade-in-arms, ten years older than me. But… he’d just returned from an overseas mission. We hadn’t seen each other in almost a year. And he was such a disciplined man, filled with that steely military bearing. If he saw me like this… Behind me, Ethan’s cursing and footsteps faintly approached. He’d figured out my intentions from the private room. “Think you can run? Yara, quick, don’t let her get away! The phone’s still recording!” Yara—the girl I’d always thought was my best friend—sounded thrilled. I couldn’t worry about anything else. Gritting my teeth, I plunged into the night. With trembling hands, I pressed the doorbell. Almost instantly, the door opened. His unique scent hit me—clean and crisp like a pine forest after snow. I stood at the door, nervously watching the tall, imposing figure before me. After a year, Lucas’s features were even sharper than I remembered, devastatingly handsome with an aggressive edge. High nose bridge, thin lips pressed tight. The moment our eyes met, I couldn’t help but shudder. My blood ignited like gasoline, exploding with a rush. A tingling itch seeped through my entire body. Every inch of me felt like it was being gnawed by ants. I clutched at my damaged dress in agony. When I spoke, my voice was so soft it could drip water: “Lucas, I feel terrible, so hot…” Lucas, usually cold as an iceberg, stared at me intently. His dark pupils reflected my current disheveled state. Flushed face, misty eyes, clothes in disarray. Utterly… debauched. The door slammed shut. He pulled me into the room with one motion. The instant our skin touched, the cool sensation of his arm made me release a satisfied sigh. My strength drained away as I hung onto him. Instinctively, I nuzzled against him, desperately seeking that precious coolness. Outside the door, I heard Ethan’s pursuit: “Strange, where is she? I just saw her run into this building!” Lucas held me with one arm while picking up his phone with the other, his voice cold as ice: “Hello, police? Someone’s causing a disturbance in the military family residential area.” Up close, I could hear the suppressed tremor in his throat. After a few sentences, he hung up. Soon, sirens sounded below, and Ethan’s voice disappeared. The danger had passed. But I was still in Lucas’s arms, clutching the front of his combat uniform, burrowing into his embrace. Greedily absorbing his coolness. His toned waist from years of training held a fatal attraction. And lower… A suppressed groan. My hand was firmly pressed down by his burning palm.

My heart was racing. In an instant, everything spun. My dress fluttered. Lucas carried me to the bed with gentle, controlled movements, though his eyes looked like they wanted to devour me alive. He extended his slender hand, checking my forehead. His Adam’s apple bobbed violently: “Lila, you’re burning up…” “Don’t move, I’ll get a thermometer!” I shook my head in discomfort. The drug’s effects left me unbearably restless. I could only plead with him tearfully: “Lucas…” “I… want… I need…” Lucas looked at me, his throat tight. His fingertips, calloused from years of handling weapons, touched my wrist. That rough texture made my heart itch. A moment later he released my hand, his breathing unstable as he leaned in close. His unique masculine scent flooded my nostrils, his tall frame casting a shadow over me. And I melted like spring water under his presence. “Lila, you’ve been drugged.” “What a massive dose!” “Don’t be afraid, I’ll buy medicine… otherwise it’ll cause permanent damage to your nervous system.” His hoarse voice entered my ears, stirring my desires. I had no mind for his words. All my attention was on his thin lips moving up and down. Pale in color, yet utterly tempting. Just a slight lift of my head, and I could kiss them. I swallowed, reaching my arms around Lucas’s neck. From his suddenly constricting pupils, I saw myself with hair cascading like a waterfall across the white pillow. Looking exactly like a little temptress. Completely different from my usual quiet, obedient self. When I spoke, my voice carried a seductive tone. “Lucas, I… want…” Lucas held my waist with one hand. His other hand caressed my face. Every movement made my heart tremble. His eyes were filled with desire too. “Lila, do you know who I am?” “I know, you’re Lucas.” “Good girl. Whatever you want, I’ll give you.” Morning light pierced through the curtain gaps, falling on my face. A hangover-like headache. Last night’s memories flooded back like a tide—fragmented yet crystal clear. Lucas’s burning body temperature, his suppressed gasps, and my shameless demands. My cheeks instantly burned. I sat up abruptly from the bed, nearly drowning in shame. The room was empty. The air still held traces of his crisp pine scent and the tobacco he’d smoked. He was gone. My heart felt inexplicably hollow. On the nightstand sat a glass of warm water and a packet of pills. A note was tucked underneath. Sharp handwriting with forceful strokes—his military bearing showed through. “Take the medicine when you wake up. Rest well.” On the chair back hung a brand-new dress and underwear, tags still attached. My face burned even hotter. I fled from Lucas’s place and returned to school. The moment I stepped through the campus gates, I sensed something was wrong. The surrounding gazes were like poisoned needles, densely piercing my body. Those whispers were like countless buzzing flies, drilling into my ears. “Look, that’s her. Lila.” “I heard she went wild at the bar last night, with several guys…” “Ethan really got unlucky—his girlfriend’s so shameless.”

My blood turned ice-cold, inch by inch. Ethan had moved faster and more ruthlessly than I’d imagined. I clenched my fists and quickened my pace, just wanting to get back to my dorm—my only refuge. But as soon as I reached the building, a crowd blocked my path. Leading them was Ethan. He had dark circles under his eyes, a conspicuous bandage on his forehead, looking haggard. Beside him, Yara was supporting him with a face full of concern. When she saw me, triumph flashed through her eyes. Ethan looked at me like I was something filthy, his eyes full of disgust and anguish. He pointed at me, his voice trembling with emotion, as if he were the victim. “Lila! How dare you show your face here?” The crowd exploded, all eyes focused on me. I watched his pathetic performance coldly. But he seemed wounded by my gaze. He stepped forward abruptly, screaming hysterically: “You spent last night screwing around with some random guy, and you have nothing to say?” “I loved you so much—is this how you treat me?” “I’ve already told the teacher. The school must severely punish a morally corrupt student like you!” Every sentence was like a poisoned dagger, precisely stabbing into my heart. The pointing and gossiping around me became a suffocating net. I felt cold all over, trembling with rage. This was the man I’d loved for three years—twisting facts, utterly shameless. Under everyone’s gaze, I actually calmed down. Facing his hypocritical expression, I curved my lips into an icy smile. “Oh? Really?” “Then let’s call the police.” The moment I spoke, the air seemed to freeze. Ethan’s face turned the color of liver, clearly not expecting this from me. The crowd’s whispers exploded like salt thrown into hot oil. “Call the police? She dares call the police?” “She’s guilty—trying to scare people with threats.” Just then, a middle-aged woman with glasses pushed through the crowd. It was our advisor. She looked at me with angry disappointment, her gaze severe. “Lila! Come with me to the office!” The teacher’s appearance was like a shot of adrenaline for Ethan. He immediately put on a heartbroken expression, pointing at me with a tearful voice. “Professor, you came just in time! I never imagined Lila was this kind of person. I’m… I’m so disappointed in her!” Yara beside him immediately chimed in, saying quietly to those around: “Ethan’s just too kind—that’s why she could deceive him so badly.” Working together, they nailed me to the pillar of shame. The teacher’s expression grew worse. She looked at me like I was hopeless trash. My heart sank inch by inch into an icy abyss. So this was what it felt like to be unable to defend yourself. Just as the invisible pressure was about to crush me, a voice as cold as ice cut through all the noise. “Who’s taking her away?” The crowd automatically parted. A tall figure walked toward us against the light, military boots making steady, powerful sounds on the ground. Each step seemed to land on everyone’s heart. It was Lucas. He wore a crisp military uniform, his shoulder insignia gleaming gold in the sunlight. That handsome, sharp face was covered with frost, his gaze like a blade sweeping across everyone present. The noisy crowd fell instantly silent. The smugness on Ethan’s face froze.

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The moment I stepped through the door, I heard vicious cursing echoing from the living room. “Eat! Hurry up and eat! This dog food costs more than anything you’ve eaten in your entire life. Don’t be ungrateful!” My heart tightened. I rushed into the living room and the scene before me made my blood boil. My father-in-law, who had just undergone heart bypass surgery, was curled up on the cold floor, his face deathly pale. The butler my wife Isabelle had hired at great expense, Marcus Snow, was wearing my clothes, one foot pressing down on my father-in-law’s shoulder, holding a reeking dog bowl and forcefully shoving it at the old man’s mouth. “Marcus! Are you insane!” I immediately rushed over and knocked the dog bowl out of his hands. The foul-smelling dog food splattered all over him. Marcus jumped up in rage, pointing at my nose and cursing. “What’s your problem? How dare you splash me?” He brushed at the stains on his clothes with disgust, then glanced contemptuously at my father-in-law collapsed on the floor. “I was just teaching this old country bumpkin some manners! Your wife said I’m in charge of this house! These crude country folk are full of bad habits. Letting him eat dog food is already doing him a huge favor!” His face was full of contempt, without a shred of guilt. In fact, he seemed to think his actions were perfectly justified. I trembled with rage, my nails digging into my palms. My father-in-law was Victor Sterling, one of the top financial powers in the capital, and Isabelle’s biological father! Normally, Isabelle didn’t even dare breathe loudly in front of him. Now he was being stepped on and force-fed dog food by a butler!

I was about to explain my father-in-law’s identity when Marcus sneered and kicked him hard in the chest. “Stop pretending! You haven’t finished mopping the floor!” The kick was brutal. My father-in-law grunted, clutching his chest. His face instantly turned from white to purple. His throat made wheezing sounds like a broken bellows as he curled into a ball in agony, unable to form a complete sentence. “Victor!” I threw myself forward and grabbed hold of my father-in-law. His heart couldn’t handle this kind of shock. His whole body was convulsing violently. I frantically searched his pockets for his emergency heart pills. But Marcus grabbed my hair and yanked me backward: “Stop putting on this sob story for me! You country people love drama. Trying to scam us, are you?” He pulled out his phone and started recording me and my father-in-law: “Hey everyone, you won’t believe what I’m dealing with today. This is the poor husband who married up to Miss Sterling. Not only is he covered in germs, but now he’s learned to fake illness to extort money.” When Isabelle married me years ago, a penniless country boy, her whole family objected. After the wedding, my status in this mansion was lower than a servant’s. Even the butler dared to lord over me. I endured the tearing pain in my scalp and slapped Marcus hard across the face. “Smack!” The crisp sound echoed through the living room. “Shut up! If something happens to him, even Isabelle can’t save you!” Marcus held his rapidly swelling cheek, his eyes turning venomous: “How dare you, you worthless freeloader! Guards! Throw these two beggars out!” Two burly bodyguards immediately rushed in from outside. These were men Isabelle had specifically assigned to Marcus, supposedly to protect her lifesaver. Isabelle trusted this butler to her core, even giving him authority over the household security. “Let go of me! Are you blind! Look carefully at who he is!” I struggled desperately, but the bodyguards pinned me to the ground on both sides. The head bodyguard sneered without even glancing at my father-in-law: “Mr. Mitchell, Miss Sterling instructed us that all household rules follow Mr. Snow’s orders.” They roughly hauled up my ailing father-in-law. His head lolled limply, his lips already turning dark blue. “You’ll regret this! When Isabelle comes back and sees how you treated him, she’ll make you wish you were dead!” I screamed in despair. Marcus walked up to me and ground the pointed toe of his leather shoe into the back of my hand. The piercing pain made me gasp. ” Mitchell, do you really think you’re some kind of wealthy son-in-law? Isabelle already told me—you’re just a useless waste taking up space. Once I fully gain Isabelle’s trust, you and your poor old man will both be sent back to the countryside to farm.” He kicked my hand away contemptuously and waved at the bodyguards: “Drag this old bastard to the outdoor pool! Today I’ll teach you both a lesson on behalf of Miss Sterling!”

“Touch him and see what happens! I’ll fight you all today!” Like a crazed beast, I broke free from the bodyguards’ grip and bit down hard on the head bodyguard’s wrist. The taste of blood instantly filled my mouth. The bodyguard cried out in pain and backhanded me with a punch, knocking me to the ground. My mouth hit the edge of the coffee table, blood seeping from the corner of my lips. “What are you waiting for? Lock these two paupers in the backyard. No one opens that door without my permission!” Marcus shrieked furiously. The two bodyguards stopped being polite. They dragged and hauled me and my father-in-law to the outdoor pool in the backyard. With a heavy thud, the thick double glass door was locked tight. It was December in the capital. Outside, heavy snow was falling, and the temperature was near ten degrees below zero. My father-in-law was only wearing thin house clothes. Now he was curled into a ball, shaking like a leaf in autumn wind. “Nathan, my… my chest hurts so much…” My father-in-law weakly extended his bony hand and gripped my clothes tightly. His voice was so faint it was barely audible, his breathing growing more rapid. I hurriedly stripped off my down jacket and wrapped it tightly around my father-in-law. “Victor, hang on. I’ll call an ambulance right away!” I fumbled with trembling hands for the phone in my pocket. It was empty. I jerked my head up. Through the transparent glass door, Marcus was smugly waving my phone. Inside, the heat was set to seventy-nine degrees. He wore designer house clothes stolen from my closet, lounging comfortably on the sofa. “Want your phone? Beg me.” He pressed the intercom button. His mocking voice rang out over the backyard: “Nathan, where’s that backbone you had when you hit me? Didn’t you say Isabelle would kill me when she got back? I’d like to see who freezes to death tonight.” I rushed to the glass door and pounded on the frame: “Marcus! Please, I’m begging you! Give me the phone! My father-in-law really has heart disease. He’ll die!” I pounded until my hands were red. Marcus leisurely peeled an imported cherry and popped it in his mouth: “Heart disease? Pretty convincing act. You old bastards from the sticks are tougher than cockroaches. One night in the cold won’t kill you.” My father-in-law’s face had turned from dark blue to deathly pale. His eyes were rolling back. His hand clutching his chest gradually loosened, his body sliding down limply. “Victor! Victor, wake up!” I completely broke down. I turned to the intercom and screamed: “Marcus! The medicine is in the black bag on the living room sofa! Give me the medicine! Whatever you want, I’ll agree to it!” Marcus paused for a moment. He walked to the sofa, pulled out the black bag, and took out a white medicine bottle. “Well, well. There really is medicine.” He shook the bottle through the glass, his lips curling into a malicious smile: “If you want the medicine, it’s not impossible. Kneel down now. and shout ‘I’m a country bumpkin’ three times. Then I’ll slide the medicine through the door crack.” I looked at my dying father-in-law. Without any hesitation, I dropped to my knees on the freezing tiles. My knees hit the hard ice, the pain piercing. But I couldn’t care about that. Bang! Bang! Bang! “I’m a country bumpkin! I’m a country bumpkin! I’m a country bumpkin!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, my voice especially desolate in the wind and snow. “Can you give me the medicine now?” I stared hopefully at the medicine bottle in Marcus’s hand. But Marcus suddenly clutched his stomach and burst out laughing. He laughed so hard he was nearly in tears: “Nathan, you really are an obedient dog. Too bad—I suddenly changed my mind.” Right in front of me, he unscrewed the cap of the medicine bottle. Under my confused and horrified gaze, he poured the entire bottle of life-saving emergency heart pills into the nearby trash can. “Oops, my hand slipped.” Marcus covered his mouth affectedly. “You country people are tough. You can survive a night in the cold, right?”

“Isabelle, you’re finally back! Nathan’s poor father brought an infectious disease and even hit me!” The door suddenly burst open. Isabelle walked in, bringing a blast of cold air with her. Marcus immediately dropped his arrogant expression. Covering his swollen cheek, he hurried forward, “I just asked his father to take a bath, and his father…” He stopped mid-sentence deliberately, looked down at the barely visible red mark on his hand, and forced a bitter smile: “Forget it. I shouldn’t have meddled. After all, I’m just a butler. Getting hit is my own fault.” Isabelle was the only daughter of the Sterling family. Years ago, she rejected all the wealthy young men in the capital to marry me, a penniless nobody. After moving into the Sterling family mansion, my status plummeted while her need to control the household grew daily. My already desperate heart suddenly sparked with a glimmer of hope at the sight of Isabelle. I frantically pounded on the glass door, making dull thuds. “Isabelle! Open the door! Save Victor! He’s having a heart attack!” I dragged my father-in-law, numb from the cold, to the door, trying to let Isabelle see his face clearly. But the glass was covered with thick frost. She couldn’t see the figure outside at all. She didn’t even turn her head, looking at Marcus with distress in her eyes. “What happened? Who hit you?” Marcus lowered his eyes, his voice hoarse: “It’s nothing, Isabelle. Really nothing. Just broke the skin a little. Not worth getting upset over.” My eyes widened as I stared at the barely visible red mark on Marcus’s finger. It was clearly from when he’d accidentally scratched himself on a cherry pit earlier. Isabelle’s expression instantly darkened, her eyes filled with murderous intent. She turned toward the backyard, her gaze as cold as a poisoned blade: “Nathan, I usually tolerate you out of marital consideration, but you actually brought your poor father here to cause trouble? And you dared to hurt Marcus?” I shook my head frantically, my voice already hoarse from shouting: “Isabelle, are you blind! That’s not my father—that’s your real father, Victor Sterling! He just had heart surgery. He’s dying. Please open the door!” Isabelle laughed mockingly, as if she’d heard the joke of the century. She pressed the intercom, her voice dripping with disdain: “Nathan, if you’re going to lie, at least make it believable. My father is recuperating in Switzerland. How could he possibly appear here dressed like a beggar? To protect your poor father, you’d tell such a lie. You disgust me.” She turned to the bodyguards behind her, her tone ice-cold: “Open the door.” I thought she was finally going to let us in. I was about to breathe a sigh of relief. But Isabelle’s next words plunged me into hell. “Throw these two paupers into the snow outside. Don’t let their poverty stink up my carpet.” The bodyguards immediately opened the door. A bone-chilling wind mixed with snowflakes rushed into the living room. They roughly grabbed my arms and dragged me and my father-in-law toward the front door. “No! Isabelle, you can’t do this!” I clung desperately to the doorframe, my nails leaving bloody scratches on the wood. “If you throw him out today, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!” Isabelle held Marcus close, looking down at me without a trace of warmth in her eyes: “The biggest regret of my life was marrying you, this disgraceful country man. Marcus is my lifesaver. Anyone who dares touch a hair on his head—I’ll take their life.” The bodyguard gave a hard shove and kicked me into the snow. My father-in-law was thrown down beside me. The iron gate slammed shut in front of us. I crawled over and held my father-in-law. His body was already stiff, his breathing barely perceptible. The snow fell harder and harder, quickly piling thick layers on us. Through the mansion’s enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, I could see Isabelle carefully putting a band-aid on Marcus’s finger. Marcus let her fuss over him. His gaze passed through the glass and landed on me, his lips curling into a malicious, cold smile. I held my father-in-law tightly, my heart feeling as though an invisible hand had crushed it. “Isabelle, you threw him in the snow today. Tomorrow you’ll be begging on your knees for him to live.”

“Still howling like ghosts out there? Pour cold water on him! Wake him up!” Isabelle’s cruel voice came through the yard’s loudspeaker. Immediately after, two bodyguards appeared on the second-floor balcony. A basin of dirty water mixed with ice chunks poured down from above, landing precisely on me and my father-in-law. With a tremendous splash, the ice water instantly stole what little body heat we had left. My father-in-law’s body convulsed violently, then his head lolled to one side. He went completely still. “Victor! Victor!” I shook my father-in-law frantically, but he kept his eyes closed. Even his faint breathing had disappeared. His heartbeat had stopped. In that moment, something in my brain snapped completely. I suddenly stood up, grabbed a decorative brick from the snow, and smashed it frantically at the smart lock by the front door. Sparks flew. The alarm shrieked through the night. The bodyguards inside were startled. They instinctively opened the door to stop me. I seized the opportunity and rammed my head into a bodyguard’s chest, snatching his walkie-talkie and backup phone. With trembling hands, I dialed emergency services and hoarsely screamed out the address. “Come save someone! The patient has no heartbeat! Hurry!” Ten minutes later, an ambulance screeched to a stop in front of the mansion. A paramedic grabbed a defibrillator and rushed out. “Where’s the patient?” I crawled and stumbled toward them, pointing at my father-in-law in the snow: “Over here! Please save him!” The doctor was about to crouch down to examine him when the mansion door opened again. Isabelle walked out with Marcus, her face dark. “Who gave you permission to come in?” Isabelle strode forward and blocked the paramedic: “Doctor, check Marcus’s hand first. He just had a shock and his finger is bleeding. It needs immediate treatment.” The doctor glanced at Marcus’s finger with its cartoon band-aid, completely speechless: “Ma’am, that elderly gentleman is in cardiac arrest! This is a life-or-death situation!” Isabelle snorted coldly, glancing dismissively at my father-in-law in the snow: “Some country old man. If he dies, he dies. How precious can he be? I’m the young mistress of Sterling Group. I order you to examine Marcus immediately!” Just as the doctor hesitated and I prepared to fight Isabelle, a deafening roar suddenly came from the night sky. Three black helicopters bearing the Sterling family crest tore through the wind and snow, circling above the mansion. The powerful airflow made the surrounding tree branches sway wildly. Isabelle paused, then her face filled with smugness. She thought this was the high-end private medical service she’d specially booked to please Marcus. “Marcus, look. The helicopter I called for you is here.” Isabelle took Marcus’s hand and walked proudly toward where the helicopter was landing. Marcus was even more excited, his face flushed. He glanced at me arrogantly: “Nathan, see that? This is what wealth looks like. A poor man like you will never experience it in your lifetime.” The helicopter landed steadily. The cabin door opened. A team of fully armed black-clad bodyguards and top medical experts in white coats filed out. Isabelle eagerly stepped forward, pointing at Marcus: “Thank you all for coming. The patient is—” She didn’t finish her sentence. From my father-in-law’s inner pocket, I pulled out the dark jade thumb ring that represented absolute power in the Sterling family. I stood up. Facing the helicopter’s blinding searchlight, I held the ring up before Isabelle’s eyes. “Isabelle, open your eyes and look carefully at who you just threw out!”

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Ethan and I had been together for five years, and he’d always been devoted. But right before our wedding, he suddenly cheated. The woman was named Mandy Smith, a pretty college student who looked like I did when I was younger. Afterward, his buddy asked him how it was. He smacked his lips and said: “Way more tender than Mira.” He sighed. “If I’d known young girls these days were this sexy, I wouldn’t have been so loyal. What a waste of those five years.” I accepted it all calmly. Then privately contacted that Mandy. On the wedding day, Mandy replaced me, putting on the wedding dress and walking onto the stage. The instant Ethan turned around, he lost his mind on the spot. After we set our wedding date, Ethan and I both got busy. I was busy planning the wedding, while he had to handle work matters in advance so he could take half a month off for our honeymoon. That day, I’d chosen two venue decoration proposals and went to his company to show him. Before knocking, I heard his disdainful voice. “Women really do lose their appeal when they get old.” “Someone like Mandy, now that’s just right.” I was confused, but vaguely felt that the old woman he mentioned was me. I pressed against the door crack to keep listening, and things gradually became clearer. “I stayed faithful to Mira for a whole five years. Now the wedding’s all set, but she still won’t let me touch her. I’m starting to regret marrying her.” His buddy laughed mockingly, using an extremely sleazy voice to ask him. “Since you think old women are boring, how was your little girlfriend?” Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly, his index finger rubbing the tip of his pen, savoring it for a moment. “Very tender. Way more tender than Mira. Can’t get enough every night.” He sighed. “If I’d known girls out there were this fun, I wouldn’t have been so loyal. What a waste of those five years.” Through the door crack, I saw his eyes filled with messy, unsatisfied desire. Completely different from his usual restrained appearance. Right now, he was like a pool of water—toss in a pebble and it would ripple endlessly. I clenched my fists, feeling my heart slowly drowning. Just as I gathered the courage to burst in and confront him. Mandy appeared. Mandy came out of Ethan’s private rest room. She wore a white shirt and pleated skirt, her face still carrying the lazy look of someone who’d just woken from a nap. Looking closely, she actually resembled how I looked back in my college days. “Ethan, you guys are still talking about the project?” The girl’s voice was sweet. Ethan didn’t answer, but his sticky gaze remained on her the whole time. “I need to get back to class, otherwise I’ll fail my finals and have trouble graduating.” “Mm, I’ll have the driver take you.” Ethan wrapped his arm around her waist, naturally dropping a kiss on her cheek. “Not like this, your friend is still here.” Though Mandy was shy, their waists and legs pressed close together. They say online that this kind of body language often represents physical attraction. Besides that, there were their reluctant gazes, hands that couldn’t separate, the goodbye with three backward glances. So sweet. If only I weren’t Ethan’s fiancée.

When Mandy came out, I was sitting at Ethan’s assistant’s desk. She saw me, wary and confused. “Didn’t Ethan say no one could come up without his permission?” I smiled and said: “The driver’s out on an errand. Ethan asked me to take you back to school.” She relaxed and followed behind me, getting into my car. “Wow, you drive such a nice car for an assistant?” The girl probably hadn’t seen much of the world. Though this car had a Mercedes logo, it was only worth about three hundred thousand. But I didn’t call her out on it. I said, “Ethan’s generous. Work for him long enough, and everyone gets good benefits.” “You’ve been with Ethan for a long time?” “Five or six years. We used to be classmates. He thought I was capable, so he kept me on.” I looked at the girl’s curious eyes through the rearview mirror. The next second, she leaned forward as expected, asking me more private questions. “Then you must have met his wife.” I answered flatly, “Ethan doesn’t have a wife yet. That person is his fiancée at most.” The corners of the girl’s mouth curved up in delight, and she asked again, “So what’s his fiancée like?” “Which aspect do you mean?” “Age, education, family, job.” “She’s twenty-eight, bachelor’s degree, single-parent family, teacher.” “Sounds pretty ordinary.” She pouted. “Plus she’s almost thirty, already past the optimal childbearing age. How’s she supposed to give Ethan children later?” My hands on the steering wheel suddenly tightened. I hadn’t expected such words to come from a college student’s mouth. Apparently reproductive education still needed further promotion. After a few seconds of silence, I continued the conversation. “She probably won’t have children for Ethan.” Mandy’s full, plump lips opened and closed, letting out an exclamation. “Why not!” “Because of you. Knowing Ethan as I do, he likes you so much, he might not marry that fiancée after all.” “Really! Can you keep me updated on this?” “Sure.” I said. When Mandy got out of the car, she deliberately took off her jacket. Only then did I see the red marks all over her neck and arms. Perhaps my gaze was too intense, because Mandy embarrassedly put her jacket back on. “Mira, stop looking. It’s embarrassing.” I withdrew my gaze and asked gently: “Does it hurt?” She looked aggrieved, pursing her lips. “It hurts a lot. He’s always so rough, and I don’t dare refuse him.” “Next time Ethan does this, bite his shoulder and tell him you’re uncomfortable. That way he won’t force you.” “How do you know all this?” I leaned close to her ear and smiled. “His fiancée told us when we were gossiping.” Mandy covered her mouth and giggled. “Mira’s so nice~ I’ll try that at home next time.”

After dropping off Mandy, I sent Ethan a message telling him to have dinner on his own tonight. Then I switched back to my Bentley and headed straight to the wedding house Ethan and I shared. I wanted to see if the “home” Mandy mentioned was this place. Ethan had decorated the wedding house a year ago. He kept refusing to tell me the password, saying he wanted to surprise me on our wedding night. 970613, my birthday. “Beep, incorrect password.” 950831, Ethan’s birthday. “Beep, incorrect password.” 200225, our dating anniversary. “Beep, incorrect password.” … For the last attempt, I tried the birthday I’d just gotten from Mandy. 051113. “Beep, door unlocked.” Even though I’d already guessed the outcome, when it was confirmed, I still felt pain so intense I could barely breathe. When I lifted my foot, my steps were messy, and I collapsed beside the entrance cabinet. Two pairs of slippers were neatly arranged there. By the looks of it, they came here often. I wandered around the house for a long time. Matching toothbrushes, matching pajamas, matching toys—everything you could want, warm and romantic. Entering the master bedroom, I discovered the bedroom actually had a mirrored ceiling. I remembered once watching a foreign romance film with Ethan. The male lead’s bedroom had a similar design. At the time, he’d leaned on my shoulder, breathing in my ear, begging me to try it with him someday. “Doing it in bed while looking in the mirror, wouldn’t that be interesting?” I’d always been cautious about these things, but thinking that Ethan and I would become husband and wife, this kind of activity could add some spice. That time, I’d rarely given in. I just never expected he’d still remember, and actually made it into a surprise for me. The mirror overhead reflected the devastation in my eyes. It was strange—it should have been the most pleasant autumn weather, but staying in this room, I felt damp and sticky. I could even smell the salty, fishy scent lingering in the air. I almost threw up. My brain warned me I needed to leave immediately. But just then, the door suddenly opened. Heavy panting flooded the entire house as the door opened. In my panic, I could only hide in the study off the master bedroom. The study only had a desk. Ethan was highly sexual; he’d never waste time in here. “Ethan, isn’t today a bit too much~” “Don’t talk.” Mandy immediately went silent, even her moans sounding suppressed. After just a few moments, she cried out in pain. “I’m sorry Ethan, it hurts too much.” Ethan didn’t stop. He kept going. One minute, two minutes. My stomach churned even worse, and my head felt dizzy. I bit down hard on my own arm, keeping myself conscious, also punishing myself for being so pathetic. I couldn’t understand what made me choose to trap myself here. From the moment they walked through the door, I should have caught them in the act. One slap each to vent my fury. But that seemed too easy on them. Or perhaps my feelings for Ethan made me afraid to face his betrayal directly. After all, because I insisted on refusing premarital sex, he’d willingly stayed faithful for five years. Amid the intense sounds of collision, Ethan suddenly hissed. “Who told you to bite me!” “Ethan, I’m uncomfortable. Can you be gentler~” Mandy’s voice was soft and tender, the kind that would make anyone’s heart soften. Ethan was no exception. He paused, then said gently, “Whatever you want.” That familiar tone, that familiar inflection. Ethan hadn’t said those words to me in a long time. I vaguely remembered the last time he said this to me was half a year ago. That time, Ethan had been drugged during a business negotiation. To prevent himself from doing something wrong, he called me to his side to watch over him. He soaked in the bathtub’s cold water, his body trembling constantly, yet his complexion was flushed unnaturally. I went to the bar to get him water. When I turned around, Ethan pounced on me like a wild beast out of control. I knew he couldn’t control himself, but I didn’t want to compromise either. In my panic, I bit down directly on his collarbone. Blood mixed with water dripped down, spreading across the white carpet. Ethan’s eyes were bloodshot, his pupils suddenly contracting. “I’m sorry Mira, I wasn’t thinking straight.” I got dressed and pushed him back into the bathtub. Seeing me remain silent, he apologized to me over and over. “I’m sorry, Mira, I didn’t mean to.” “Mira, don’t ignore me. I can’t control myself.” Like a killjoy parent, I once again emphasized my aversion to premarital sex. He looked like a drowned dog, lightly hooking my hand and saying those words. “Whatever you say.” “I’ll do whatever you want.” … I didn’t know when the sounds in the bedroom stopped. I heard the front door open and close twice, one after the other. Following that was Ethan’s message. “Mira, where are you? I miss you.” Mandy also gave me feedback. “Mira, what you said really worked! The way Ethan looked at me was completely different.” I replied to her, “Really? Guess the rumors are true.” “What rumors? That Ethan wants to call off the wedding to marry you.”

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To give my son a complete family, I endured Gideon’s three affairs. After the school’s Children’s Day family performance ended, he finally came clean with me. “While you were jumping around on stage in that mascot costume, I had her pinned against the curtain backstage.” “She’s shy, so she held back her voice. Then you tripped and fell, and she finally let out a moan.” Following his reminiscent gaze, I looked across at the woman handing out candy to the children. Her name was Lily, a student from a poor family I’d sponsored for four years until she became a preschool teacher. Just moments ago, she’d said to me with tears in her eyes: “Sutton, if Gideon ever treats you badly, I’ll be the first to stand up for you.” Gideon blocked my line of sight, his tone contemptuous. “Now it’s your turn to choose. Keep celebrating with our son… or like before, get a divorce?” I looked at my son throwing himself into Lily’s arms, and suddenly felt utterly disgusted. This rotten husband and son — I didn’t want either of them anymore.

“Why her of all people?” My hands trembled as I fought to keep my voice steady. Gideon just laughed lightly. “Sutton, don’t play dumb.” “Lily is young and vibrant. She understands me… All the women around you know how to act sweet better than you…” “Not like you, spending every day obsessing over the kid and nagging about trivial nonsense.” This self-righteous arrogance disgusted me more than the affair itself. “Mommy!” Seven-year-old Mason rushed over, clutching a handful of colorful candies. He stuffed the candy into his pocket and pointed at the lunch box I was carrying, complaining. “Mom, the lunch you made tastes awful. It’s all vegetables with no flavor at all.” Mason pouted and held up his candy like a treasure. “Lily’s candy is so sweet! She said she’ll bring me some every day from now on.” I looked at the cheap, dye-filled candy in his hand and reached to take it away. “Mason, your cough hasn’t healed yet. You can’t eat anything this sweet…” Mason pushed my hand away, his little face scrunched up as he hid behind Gideon, muttering under his breath. “Mom, are you going to make a scene about divorce again…” “Today is my special day. Can’t you just let me enjoy it?” Even my son had grown accustomed to calling my pain “making a scene.” I stood frozen in place, my whole body cold. Just then, Lily walked over with tears in her eyes. “Sutton, I’m sorry…” She bit her lower lip, her voice timid. “Gideon and I just got confused for a moment. Don’t blame him — it’s all my fault.” While crying, she naturally crouched down and pulled Mason into her arms, gently patting his back. “Don’t be scared, Mason. The adults will handle adult problems. Lily will always be on your side.” Mason hugged her neck tightly, nodding repeatedly. Right in front of several other parents, Gideon reached out and put his arm around Lily’s shoulders, half-sheltering her in his embrace. “Sutton Reed, today is Children’s Day. If you want to fight, do it at home.” I held back from making a scene until the crowd gradually dispersed. I reached out to take Mason’s hand and bring him home. But he forcefully shook me off and ran straight to Lily. He looked up at her, his eyes full of anticipation. “Lily, can you come to our house for dinner tonight?”

That evening, Gideon actually brought Lily home. Lily changed into a pair of pink bunny slippers — the ones Gideon had bought just a few days ago. When I’d asked him why he bought women’s size small slippers, he’d said the supermarket was having a sale and he’d grabbed them randomly. She walked into the kitchen like she owned the place and pulled fried chicken and sweet sauce from a bag. “Mason, come wash your hands! Your favorite fried chicken is here!” She smiled sweetly, but her eyes held a hint of provocation. “Gideon specifically told me Mason’s been craving this, so he asked me to bring some over.” I stood in the entryway, watching her naturally open the dish cabinet and take out plates and utensils. I suddenly realized Gideon had already given another woman a rehearsal of this home. At the dinner table, Mason ate with grease all over his mouth, not even glancing at the vegetables I’d made. “Mom’s food has no flavor at all. Lily’s food is so much better.” As he gnawed on a chicken leg, he proclaimed loudly. I frowned, looking at the dipping sauce. “Mason is allergic to peanuts. Does that sauce have peanut pieces in it?” Lily immediately put down her fork and knife and looked at Gideon with an aggrieved expression. “Sutton, I checked the ingredient list. There are absolutely no peanuts.” “Are you being too sensitive, or do you think I’d deliberately harm Mason?” Gideon reached out and ruffled Mason’s hair, his tone clearly dissatisfied. “Sutton Reed, stop being so paranoid all the time.” “It’s because you’re constantly on edge that you’ve raised the kid to be so fragile.” “Lily is a professional preschool teacher. Don’t you think she knows these things? Stop making mountains out of molehills.” Watching Gideon’s self-righteous attitude, watching their “happy family of three”… I found this meal impossible to swallow. After dinner, Lily voluntarily took over dishwashing duties. When I walked into the kitchen to get water, she was rolling up her sleeves, deliberately exposing an old silver bracelet on her wrist. The bracelet had a distinctive design with a small star charm dangling from it. It was my wedding anniversary gift from Gideon three years ago. I’d really liked it at the time and wore it for a long time, only putting it away after the clasp broke. “That bracelet…” I walked to the kitchen doorway, my voice tight. Lily continued washing dishes while saying softly: “Gideon said you don’t like these feminine things, that it was just gathering dust in a drawer, so he gave it to me.” Every sentence sounded like an apology, but every word was declaring her claim over this man. “That’s fine. You can wear it…” I walked out of the kitchen with my water glass. Gideon grabbed my arm and pulled me onto the balcony. He closed the sliding door, lit a cigarette, and looked at me coldly through the smoke. “Sutton Reed, I’m warning you — stop throwing divorce around so casually.” “Do you think divorce is some kind of fun game?” He exhaled a smoke ring and began recounting our three previous remarriages. “The first time, Mason had a high fever in the middle of the night. You couldn’t handle it alone and called me crying, begging me to come back.” “The second time, your mom’s high blood pressure sent her to the hospital. She needed someone to run around paying bills. Who did all that?” “And the third time… You can’t leave this home, and you can’t leave me.” “Lily is understanding and obedient. She won’t threaten your position. You’d better be smart and not make things worse.” Every time I’d softened, every compromise I’d made for the sake of our child and family, had become his ammunition to humiliate me today. Back in the bedroom, I opened the bottom drawer. Inside lay three divorce certificates, neatly arranged, along with three remarriage registration photos. In each photo, Gideon smiled with deep affection. And I, each time, had foolishly believed he’d truly changed. But it turned out he’d just grown more certain that I would never leave. Late that night, I got up for water and passed by the children’s room. The door was slightly ajar. Lily’s hushed voice came from inside: “Mason, if Mommy and Daddy really separate, who would you want to stay with?” I stopped in my tracks and held my breath. The room fell silent for a long time. Then I heard the son I’d risked my life to bring into this world say: “I want to stay with Daddy and Lily.”

Early the next morning, I took a shift-change request to the kindergarten principal’s office. I didn’t want Mason to continue staying in Lily’s class. I was afraid she would corrupt him. But the principal looked at my request with difficulty. “Sutton, actually Lily is quite attentive to Mason normally.” “Besides, I’ve heard from other parents that you manage the child too strictly. The kid is under a lot of pressure.” I froze. “Other parents?” Walking out of the office, several parents who were usually active in the group chat immediately surrounded me. “Sutton, it’s actually normal for young teachers to be close with children. Don’t be too sensitive.” “Exactly. Every mom struggles with childcare these days. If a teacher is willing to pay extra attention, you should count yourself lucky.” Only then did I understand — Lily had long ago painted me as a controlling woman in everyone’s eyes. Walking to the end of the hallway, Lily suddenly emerged from the storage room and cornered me. “Sutton, do you know why Gideon likes me?” I looked at her coldly. “Because you’re cheap enough.” She didn’t get angry. She said softly, “Gideon says I’m like you when you were young. But he also says you’ve become too boring.” She took a step forward. “Actually, Gideon has talked to me a lot about you.” “Like that college roommate of yours, and the postpartum caregiver when you were in confinement, and your former dance partner.” “Gideon said every one of them understood him better in bed than you do, knew better how to make him happy.” Lily laughed brightly. “Sutton Reed, you really are a failure as a person.” My brain exploded with a roar. All those years of what I’d thought were misunderstandings and coincidences had actually been humiliations Gideon left for me. At noon when I got home, I threw my bag hard onto the sofa and confronted Gideon, who’d just gotten off work. “Is what Lily said true?” “My college best friend suddenly going abroad, the postpartum caregiver bringing you soup in the middle of the night, my dance partner leaving the group chat — was it all because of you?” Gideon’s hand paused as he loosened his tie. He frowned impatiently. “Sutton Reed, what are you freaking out about? Those are all things from the past. Is it necessary to dig up old accounts?” He stepped closer to me. “Didn’t you always know what kind of person I am?” “All these years, haven’t you been the one clinging shamelessly to this family, insisting on giving the child a complete home?” Those years of what I’d thought were misunderstandings, what I’d thought were broken friendships — they’d all been Gideon’s chronic humiliation of me. That evening, Mason came home from school. He was carefully cradling a handmade award medal made from colored cardstock. As soon as he walked in, he shouted excitedly. “Daddy, look! Isn’t the medal I made pretty? On Friday, the class is having a family activity for me!” I walked over to look at his work. But he took a big step backward, clutching the medal protectively to his chest. “Don’t touch it! Don’t mess up the little flowers on top — Lily helped me paste them on.” My hand, frozen in midair, slowly withdrew. On the back of the medal, written crookedly in marker, was a line: Daddy, Me, Lily. Mason hugged the medal to his chest, glanced up at me, and added softly: “Mom, can you not come to Friday’s activity?” “I’m afraid if you come, you’ll get upset again and make Lily angry.”

I went to Friday’s family activity anyway. The classroom was decorated warmly and festively. Each child went onstage to display their drawing of “My Family.” When it was Mason’s turn, he proudly held up his drawing. I wasn’t in the picture. Only him, Gideon, and Lily. All the parents politely applauded. Lily, sitting in the front row, had tears in her eyes and covered her mouth, moved. The teacher hosting the activity looked somewhat awkward and asked gently, “Mason, who did you draw? Why didn’t you draw Mommy?” Mason clutched his shirt hem, his voice loud. “Mommy always controls me. She won’t let me eat candy or watch TV.” “Lily plays with me and buys me good food. I want Lily to be my mommy.” Children’s words cut the deepest. The classroom immediately filled with a few awkward laughs, with some parents making excuses that children don’t understand. I stood up and strode toward the stage, wanting to take Mason home. But Gideon suddenly grabbed my wrist from the side. “Sutton Reed, what are you doing?” In his eyes, even my heartbreak and grief had to happen at a time that wouldn’t embarrass him. I forcefully shook off his hand and rushed out of the classroom. Just as I reached the stairwell, Lily pretended to chase after me. “Sutton, don’t be angry with Mason…” While apologizing with her mouth, she forcibly stuffed a photo from the family activity into my hand. In the photo, Mason stood on his tiptoes kissing Lily’s cheek while Gideon stood beside them, smiling tenderly and indulgently. Lily leaned close to my ear. “Sutton, actually children are more honest than men. He knows who’s more suitable to be his mother.” “Forcing yourself to stay in this family will only make everyone miserable.” I crumpled the photo into a ball, threw it in a nearby trash can, and left the kindergarten without looking back. Shortly after I got home, Gideon returned with Mason. He walked straight to the coffee table, pulled a document from his briefcase, and pushed it heavily in front of me. It was a divorce agreement. “Sutton Reed, since everyone’s unhappy, let’s just divorce.” He leaned back on the sofa, his tone as calm as if discussing the weather. “You can keep living in this house temporarily, but custody of the child must go to me.” “You saw it yourself — Mason is very emotionally unstable right now. He can’t be separated from Lily’s care.” Looking at that neatly printed agreement, I suddenly found it absurdly ridiculous. I found it utterly absurd. “Gideon, you’re asking me to hand over both my husband and son to a mistress?” He frowned, his tone full of impatience. “Don’t make it sound so ugly!” “We’ve reached this point because you don’t know how to manage a family. Even the child rejects you — you can’t blame anyone else.” “Just sign it. Let’s part on good terms.” Mason hid behind Gideon’s legs, tightly hugging the teddy bear Lily had given him. I crouched down and looked at the son I’d carried for ten months, my voice trembling. “Mason, are you willing to come with Mommy? I promise from now on…” “I don’t want to!” Mason hugged the teddy bear even tighter, tears welling up in his eyes. He kept backing away, shouting at me through his tears. “Mommy, can you stop forcing me!” “I don’t want to choose you! I want to be with Daddy and Lily!” In that moment, I suddenly didn’t want to cry at all. I stood up, walked to the bedroom, and took out the three divorce certificates. And one more thing — a school transfer application I’d already stamped I’d already stamped. I pushed all these items in front of Gideon. Gideon looked at the transfer application, his expression finally changing, his brow furrowing tightly. “Sutton Reed, what do you mean? What game are you playing now?” I picked up the pen on the table and signed my name decisively. “It means this time, I’m not coming back.”

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On Diana’s birthday, a woman who was my husband’s first love, I became the special guest without knowing what was in store. My husband Zachary Brown personally selected me to perform a high-altitude bungee jump. “I can’t do this…” Before I could finish, Zachary Brown pressed down on my shoulder and called two people over. “You don’t get a choice.” Just like that, I was forcibly dragged onto the high platform and strapped into crude bungee equipment. Looking at the crowd below, I trembled all over, my legs too weak to support me. I begged pitifully: “I’m afraid of heights. Please let me down.” But all I saw was Zachary Brown with his arm around Diana, laughing so hard they could barely stand. “Lily, you’re quite the actress. You used to climb trees to rescue cats. Now you’re playing the coward?” With that, he pressed the switch without hesitation. I screamed in terror. My heart raced faster and faster from the stimulation, then a sharp pain shot through me, and I plunged completely into darkness.

When I regained consciousness, I found myself floating in mid-air. I looked down wordlessly at everything below, including myself. Instantly, I realized I was dead. But Diana still wouldn’t let me go. She leaned against the railing, her face full of mockery. “Why’d you stop screaming? Did Xincheng call you out and now you’re too embarrassed?” Zachary Brown sneered: “She definitely feels humiliated. She’s playing dead.” “I want to see how long she can keep up this act. Turn up the intensity.” But I wasn’t pretending. I’d truly had a heart attack and died on that platform. The corpse on the bungee cord showed extreme terror—eyes wide open, face blue and purple. The mockery continued below. They laughed and joked, but no one was willing to come closer for a look. No one noticed that the person who’d been crying for help moments ago had already stopped breathing. Zachary Brown was right. I had climbed a tree before, just to rescue a cat stuck in its branches. But that was because the cat was a keepsake from my grandmother. Perhaps because I’d been silent for so long, Diana grew impatient and shouted at me: “Stop playing dead!” “If you ruin my birthday mood, can you afford to make it up to me?” Hearing this, my spirit form showed a sardonic smile. Whenever I didn’t do what they wanted, Diana would mock me like this about my poor background and lack of money. Zachary Brown quickly chimed in: “Stop this act. If you don’t move, you’ll spend the night up there!” As the machine operated, my corpse swayed with the rope, looking utterly pathetic, yet remaining completely silent. I floated beside everyone, shouting loudly that I was dead, but no one could hear me. Perhaps angered by my silence, Zachary Brown sneered and gave an order directly. “Set it to maximum power. Since you want to play, I’ll let you play to your heart’s content!” I wanted to stop Zachary Brown. I reached out, but my hand passed straight through his body. “This is such a buzzkill. I don’t want to watch her swing around on my birthday. Let’s find another place.” Hearing this, Zachary Brown put his arm around Diana’s waist and headed out. Seeing the main players leave, the others dispersed as well. Only a corpse remained, hanging from the high platform, mechanically swaying up and down under the machine’s operation. Watching Zachary Brown’s retreating back, my heart grew colder inch by inch. My eye sockets were empty—nothing could flow from them. That’s right. How could a soul have tears? Just as I thought I’d rot here until I scared the cleaning staff into screaming and the police would take over… An invisible force suddenly grabbed my soul. I couldn’t break free at all. I could only be forcibly dragged away from the terrace, floating in the direction Diana and Zachary Brown had gone. I was like a puppet on strings, involuntarily following their car through the streets and alleys, stopping outside the home Zachary Brown and I had lived in for five years. The house was Zachary Brown’s premarital purchase, but the decoration was all my work, done bit by bit with my own hands. Having lived here for five years, every corner held memories of him and me, and our son Ethan Brown. At this moment, I watched helplessly as Diana held Zachary Brown’s arm, chatting and laughing as they walked through the front door. Zachary Brown casually tossed aside his coat, rubbing his temples and complaining: “Today was fun, but Lily playing dead really killed the mood.” Diana naturally leaned against him. Her tone was gentle, but I could see the malice hidden in her eyes. “Don’t worry about her. If she’s in a bad mood, let her be. She’ll probably come back tomorrow. Don’t let her ruin yours.” Zachary Brown didn’t comment either way. He turned and went into the bathroom, not avoiding this childhood friend at all.

Diana, perhaps out of shame, didn’t follow him in after all. Instead, she walked over to my and Zachary Brown’s wedding photo. Back then, I believed Zachary Brown and I were truly in love. Holding his hand, I smiled so happily, my eyes full of hope for the future. Diana’s fingertips traced across my face, creating a grating sound as they rubbed against the glass protective cover. “Lily, you thought marrying him meant you won? Turns out I’ve been playing you like a dog.” From her resentful words, I learned everything. The “sister” was just Zachary Brown’s excuse. Diana was his first love. Unfortunately, after the SAT exams, the Brown family faced bankruptcy, so the two broke up and Diana went abroad. That’s when Zachary Brown and I met and got to know each other, going from rags to riches together. “You’re just a girl from the slums. What right did you have to marry him and bear Ethan Brown? But now that you’re dead, everything will return to its proper course.” Hearing this, I felt thunderstruck. So I’d been naive all along. Everything today was actually a carefully orchestrated murder plot by Diana! Everything today was never an accident—it was a kill scheme Diana had carefully set up! I knew Diana didn’t like me. From the moment she returned to the country six months ago, she’d been making things difficult for me at every turn. Because of my background, I was already unpopular in their circle. Her targeting made things even worse. Now everything was clear. She didn’t want Zachary Brown, but she couldn’t stand someone inferior to her taking him away. So she used the birthday party to set up the bungee jump, deliberately provoking me and driving me to my death. She had indeed succeeded. I was dead. “You thought Zachary Brown truly loved you?” Diana’s lips curled into mockery: “Back then, you were already his best option.” Learning that Zachary Brown had told Diana these things in bed as pillow talk, sadness swept over me like a violent wind. Over the years, countless people had told me he chose me because of my ordinary background—that I was obedient and easy to control. But I firmly believed Zachary Brown and I had love. Now with the fig leaf torn away, I thought of how Zachary Brown’s parents had shown disdain from the very beginning. They’d never accepted me. I couldn’t help but think of my son Ethan Brown. Did he also despise having my blood running through his veins? The bathroom door opened. Zachary Brown came out in a bathrobe. Seeing her staring at the wedding photo, he frowned. “Why are you staring at that photo?” Diana’s expression changed in a flash. She immediately hid the hatred on her face, took his hand, and said with a coquettish laugh that she wanted to take matching wedding photos. “If my parents hadn’t forced me onto that plane abroad, we’d be the ones in that photo.” At her words, Zachary Brown’s eyes flickered. He turned his head to avoid her gaze, his tone dismissive: “Don’t be ridiculous. I have a wife.” Then he pulled away from Diana’s hand and sat on the sofa to scroll through his phone. But he deliberately avoided looking at the wedding photo, making him appear both guilty and hypocritical. Watching this scene, I found it utterly ironic. I was already dead, and I now knew the vows before marriage and those five years of affection were all fake. Zachary Brown wanting to play the devoted, loyal husband now—this hypocrisy disgusted me even more than Diana’s malice.

Just then the door lock turned. Ethan Brown, awakened by the noise, walked in rubbing his eyes, calling out sweetly for Daddy and Aunt Diana. For the first time since becoming a soul, I felt this excited. I desperately floated toward him. I wanted to hold him. I was calling to him. But he couldn’t see me or hear me. He ran straight to Diana, hugged her legs, and asked: “Aunt Diana, where’s Mom? Why don’t I see her?” Diana, who usually had no patience for children, crouched down and coaxed him gently. “Mommy went to a friend’s house to play. She’ll be back in a few days.” Ethan Brown nodded like an obedient child. But I watched as he leaned close to Diana’s ear and asked softly: “Aunt Diana, now that the obstacle is removed, can you be my mom?” The obstacle he mentioned—was that me? No one knew how I felt at this moment. It was like a knife tip stabbing into my heart, then twisting back and forth. I never imagined my own son would wish for my death, see me as an obstacle between him and Diana. Diana smiled and nodded in response, then kissed his forehead. “Good boy. From now on, I’ll always be with you and Daddy.” Ethan Brown clapped happily: “That’s great! Mom always embarrasses me. I’ve wanted Auntie to be my mom for so long.” Zachary Brown heard everything clearly but remained unmoved, still looking down at his phone. I also recalled why I’d gone to Diana’s birthday party in the first place—thanks to my dear son. He’d begged and pleaded with me, saying I didn’t fit in with the other parents, which made his classmates ignore him too. If I didn’t go this time, his classmates would definitely laugh at him. It had all been a trap. He’d personally pushed me toward death. Hatred instantly engulfed me. My soul felt like it was being torn apart in pain. Perhaps my desire to leave had reached its peak. A powerful force suddenly erupted from within, and I actually broke free from the invisible control. The next second, my soul plummeted, returning to the area around my body. Inside the swaying garbage truck, I lay among piles of trash and discarded props that gave off a pungent stench. The driver’s conversation reached my ears: “This model prop looks so realistic, just like a real person. Let’s take it to the landfill and dump it.” So they’d mistaken my corpse for a discarded prop. No matter how much I screamed and shouted, no one could hear the sounds I made. I could only let the truck drive toward the garbage landfill. An hour later, the vehicle finally stopped. My corpse was roughly dragged out of the truck and thrown into the garbage pile. Flies swarmed around. Stray dogs prowled nearby. A huge garbage truck slowly approached. Trash poured down, completely burying the body. My consciousness fell into darkness once more. When I woke again, my soul was dragged by that force back home. In the living room, Zachary Brown and Diana were arguing, both looking terrible. “This is all your fault. Now Lily’s missing, and I won’t have a date for tomorrow’s banquet. Everyone will laugh at me!” Recently, he’d been busy with a new project. The client who could finalize the deal was a female CEO. Zachary Brown had told me this CEO always chose partners who were devoted family men. Not being able to attend this banquet would definitely leave a bad impression on her. No wonder Zachary Brown was so irritated. Diana retorted indignantly: “How was I supposed to know she’d get down from the platform herself and run away? How about I go with you?” “No way!” Zachary Brown flatly refused: “Not bringing anyone, I can still explain. But if I bring you…” He cut himself off, but I understood. He was afraid people would say he was having an affair.

Diana’s tears came instantly: “For you, I’ve become a mistress who can’t see the light of day. We even have to hide just to hold hands, and now you’re blaming me for venting my emotions…” Zachary Brown was always one to feel sorry for women. He didn’t last three seconds before surrendering. I floated nearby. For some reason, strong unease welled up in my heart. Time moved forward silently amid my anxiety. Until this day, when Zachary Brown’s phone rang. After taking the call, his expression changed dramatically. He grabbed his coat and rushed out. “Lily actually dared to kidnap Diana. I absolutely won’t let her get away with this!” He was certain I wasn’t dead. He was convinced the person the kidnappers on the phone called “Miss Li” was me. Zachary Brown frantically dialed my number, but it kept going to voicemail. “Since you’re so vicious, don’t blame me for punishing you.” He slammed the accelerator. The sports car had already sped far into the distance. I desperately chased after him, screaming at the top of my lungs for him not to go, but he couldn’t hear me. In the old residential complex, Zachary Brown kicked the door open and severely questioned my father who’d come at the noise. “Where’s Lily? Did she kidnap Diana? Hand her over!” My father looked completely confused, not understanding what he was talking about, but still tried to explain. “I was going to ask you where our Lily is. We haven’t seen her all day. Today’s my birthday. Every year she comes to spend it with me. How could she possibly have time to kidnap someone?” My mother looked worried, convinced I must have run into trouble. “That’s right. It’s this late and Lily still hasn’t come home. Something must have happened!” Unfortunately, Zachary Brown didn’t believe them. He shoved my father aside and rushed inside, ransacking the place, convinced my parents were harboring me. But he found nothing. In his frenzy, he grabbed my father by the collar and slammed him against the wall. My mother tried to stop him, but he pushed her away too. Her forehead hit the corner of a table, blood seeping out. “If you don’t hand her over today, I won’t be polite!” Zachary Brown, consumed by rage, had his bodyguards beat my elderly parents. Even as they were beaten black and blue, my parents refused to tell a single lie. They insisted bitterly that I could never do such a thing. “Don’t you know what kind of person our daughter is?” I floated nearby, watching them endure such torment while I could do nothing. My soul felt like it was about to shatter from the pain. I could only watch helplessly as my father, driven to desperation, pulled my mother to the window. “Zachary Brown, we’re not hiding Lily.” I screamed with all my soul not to, but they couldn’t hear me.

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My mother died unexpectedly during surgery. During my darkest time, my boyfriend Wright stayed by my side. Later, I discovered that my mother’s surgery was performed by Wright’s childhood friend Chris. Chris was just an intern with no surgical qualifications. Yet Wright helped Chris hide this from me. I broke up with him and studied hard, becoming the nation’s finest neurosurgeon. Twenty years later, I received a surgical case. When I opened the patient file, I discovered the patient was Wright’s father. I said to my assistant: “I’m not doing this surgery!” “Dr. Lester, what do you mean?” My assistant Carlos was still frozen in place while I had already started packing up. “Change my flight for me.” “But… there’s not a second person in the country who can perform brainstem tumor surgery. If you leave, the patient will…” “I know, but I can’t take this case.” I pulled open the door and walked out of the conference room. Neville from Central Hospital’s neurosurgery department hurried over, forcing a smile onto his face. “Dr. Lester, I’m Neville from neurosurgery.” He extended his hand. I didn’t shake it. He awkwardly withdrew it, rubbing his hands together. “We’ve been preparing for this surgery for three months. It wasn’t easy getting you here from New York, and the patient’s family…” “Neville,” I cut him off directly, “I’ll submit my recusal in writing.” He froze for a moment, then leaned in closer, lowering his voice. “Dr. Lester, you may not understand the situation. This patient’s son is our associate director Wright, and his daughter-in-law is the former director Anderson’s daughter. If you just walk away like this, I won’t be able to explain it.” “That’s your problem.” I walked around him and continued toward the exit. Behind me, Neville took two steps forward, his tone becoming urgent. “Dr. Lester, at least give me a reason so I can respond to the family. Is there a problem with the surgical plan? Are you dissatisfied with our surgical conditions? Equipment, team, post-operative care—name your requirements and we’ll fully cooperate!” “I’m not dissatisfied with anything. The surgery itself is possible, but someone else needs to do it.” “Is it a cost issue then? The family said cost isn’t a problem. Name your price!” “It’s not about the money.” Before he could continue, I cut him off. “Neville, my decision won’t change.” Just before the elevator doors closed, Neville finally snapped out of it and pulled out his phone to make a call. Carlos followed me downstairs, jogging all the way to the parking lot. “Dr. Lester, what’s going on?” He blocked the car door, his forehead covered in sweat. “This isn’t like you. What surgery haven’t you taken on? You’ve encountered far more dangerous situations before. Today, just one medical record and…” “Carlos.” I looked at him. He stopped talking. “You’ve been with me for four years. Have you ever seen my hands shake during surgery?” “No.” “What if I told you that for this surgery, I’m certain my hands would shake from nerves?” Carlos frowned, hesitating to speak. “Neurosurgery can’t tolerate half a millimeter of error.” Twenty years. I spent twenty years making my hands absolutely steady. Even after twelve hours of continuous surgery, my margin of error never exceeds three millimeters. My colleagues all think I’m a precision instrument, unnaturally calm in any situation. But today, when I saw that name and that face, my heart still couldn’t remain calm. Twenty years ago, because of a half-centimeter error, my mother was left there forever. My phone vibrated. It was an unknown number. “Hello, Dr. Lester. I’m the patient’s family member. I heard you refused the surgery. Could we meet in person?” I didn’t know who sent this message, but I knew Wright must be among the family members. I didn’t reply. Soon, a second text came in: [For a doctor, the worst thing isn’t surgical failure—it’s refusing to save a life.]

“Dr. Lester, please wait! The former director’s daughter insists on meeting you in person no matter what!” Neville was now blocking my car directly, looking like he’d fight to the death to stop me. “Chris?” “You know her?” Of course I did. Wright’s wife, Director Anderson’s only daughter. Twenty years ago she was still a student, throwing her weight around the hospital because of her father’s position. “No, I’ve just heard the name.” Neville sighed. “This patient’s son Wright is Chris’s husband. He’s also our state’s neurosurgery… well, associate chief physician.” He chose his words carefully, speaking to me with great caution. “Dr. Lester, I know you must have your reasons. But if this blows up, it won’t be good for either of us. How about you don’t leave yet, and let the family come meet you first?” “I don’t need to talk anymore.” “Dr. Lester!” Neville was getting desperate now, leaning right up to my car window. “Dr. Lester, please listen. Chris and Director Wright’s family has excellent background and resources. Whatever concerns or conditions you have, you can state them. I’m sure they’ll do their best to accommodate you. But if I let you leave without a word today, whether it’s you or me, we’ll both have considerable trouble.” “Just consider it helping me out. Even if you just meet with the Anderson family and Director Wright once!” “Neville, I won’t take the case. Just report it up the chain. The hospital will coordinate another expert. Wouldn’t that be faster?” He gave a bitter smile. “You’re the top-ranked expert. If you refuse, the people after you won’t dare take it either.” I was about to reassure him when my phone rang. “Hello, is this Lester?” An unfamiliar female voice, but I didn’t need an introduction to know who it was. “I’m the patient’s daughter-in-law, Chris. I heard you refused to perform surgery on my father-in-law. I’d like to speak with you in person. Are you available tomorrow morning?” I struggled to suppress my emotions. When I didn’t speak, she continued. “Whatever you’re thinking, you looked at the file and left without any explanation. That doesn’t exactly follow protocol. Let’s meet?” “I’ll submit written documentation in a timely manner.” “Isn’t meeting faster than you submitting documentation? What is it you don’t dare discuss in person?” Chris’s tone was starting to carry anger. She thought I was just putting on airs. “Fine. I’ll come to the hospital again tomorrow.” My tone returned to calm. Perhaps it was time to settle certain things. “Good. My husband Director Wright and I will both come tomorrow.” “No problem.” Neville finally breathed a sigh of relief when I agreed. “Dr. Lester, see you tomorrow then!” He bowed slightly, then turned and left. I sat back down and glanced at Carlos. “Cancel the flight. I’m not leaving.”

Early the next morning, I arrived at the conference room to wait. Before long, a woman in a coat strode in purposefully. A man followed behind her, still with that composed demeanor. Even after twenty years, I could recognize him at a glance. I’d imagined countless scenarios of seeing him again, yet I still felt the urge to rush forward and settle things with him. “You’re Dr. Lester?” The woman scanned the room, her gaze finally settling on me. Neville quickly stood up. “Ms. Chris, this is Dr. Lester. Dr. Lester, this is…” “You’re Dr. Lester?” Chris interrupted him, walking straight up to me. She didn’t recognize me. The girl who cried herself unconscious outside the morgue twenty years ago bore little resemblance to the doctor who had published six authoritative neurosurgery papers. “Dr. Lester, what’s the meaning of this? You just decide not to do it? We confirmed the schedule with your team three days ago. The equipment is calibrated, the care plan is ready, and now you’re backing out?” “Ms. Chris, I already told Neville I’d submit a report.” “Submit what report?” She laughed. “You can perform far more difficult surgeries flawlessly, but this one scares you?” Wright saw the atmosphere turning sour and immediately tried to smooth things over. “Dr. Lester, I’m the patient’s son, Wright. I understand you may have your own considerations, but my father’s condition is truly urgent. If it’s about the cost…” “It’s not about the cost.” “Then what is it?” Chris slammed her bag on the table. Neville quickly stepped forward. “Ms. Chris, calm down. Dr. Lester may really be…” “She may really be what? A top neurosurgeon turns and walks away from a patient waiting to be saved?” She turned to stare at me. “Let me tell you something, Lester. My father may be retired, but he’s still an advisory committee member for Health and Human Services. One phone call and I can make you…” “Chris.” Wright grabbed her arm and lowered his voice. “Calm down.” Then he looked at me with an apologetic smile. I knew that smile well. Twenty years ago at the morgue entrance, he’d comforted me with the same expression: “Lester, you have to be strong.” Then he turned around and got engaged to Chris, while my appeal materials were sent back rejected. “Dr. Lester, I don’t know your real reason for refusing. But as a colleague, I believe you’re a person with medical ethics. My father…” I couldn’t listen to his words, so I spoke directly. “Dr. Wright, my decision won’t change because of anyone’s persuasion.” Chris’s face darkened completely. “Fine. You’re quite something. You’re the expert, you’re impressive. Well, let me tell you—tomorrow the state expert committee is meeting to discuss this. I hope you maintain this attitude.” She picked up her bag and dropped one more line as she turned. “The people I despise most in my life are those who gain a little skill and start putting on airs. Doctors saving lives is a given. It’s not your place to pick and choose.” Her heels clicked against the floor, the sound fading away. Wright hesitated for a moment, then spoke to me. “Dr. Lester, I apologize. My wife has a quick temper. Please think it over carefully. My number is always available.” Neville didn’t dare breathe until Wright left. “Dr. Lester, why put yourself through this? Even if you have concerns, you could discuss them properly…” “Neville, I do have my reasons. There’s no way I can perform this surgery.” “Alright then… You’d better prepare well for tomorrow. I’m afraid she won’t let this go.” I nodded and called for Carlos to prepare to leave. Whether Chris would let it go, I didn’t know. But tomorrow, I wasn’t planning to let it go either.

“Dr. Lester, your reason for not performing this surgery is?” The speaker was Pearson, deputy director of Health and Human Services. The next morning, the expert committee meeting. In attendance besides the hospital’s department heads were two representatives sent by Health and Human Services. “I cannot guarantee absolute composure during the operation.” “What do you mean you can’t guarantee it?” Pearson flipped through the materials in front of him. “Dr. Lester, I’ve reviewed your record. In the past three years, you’ve performed forty-seven high-difficulty surgeries with a one hundred percent success rate. How can you not be confident?” “This one, I’m not.” “Why?” I didn’t answer immediately. The other representative interjected. “Dr. Lester, we understand every doctor has their own judgment. But this case is rather special. The patient’s surgical window is very short. If you don’t take it, the patient’s survival rate is essentially zero.” “My personal refusal doesn’t mean there are no other options. You can contact other teams.” Pearson cleared his throat. “We’ve contacted them all. Only you have both the capability and the time.” “I can’t do it.” “Can’t do it and don’t want to do it are two different things, Dr. Lester.” The door was pushed open. Chris walked in, followed by Wright and an elderly man with a cane. The old man appeared to be in his seventies, his face waxy yellow but his back ramrod straight. “Director Anderson, why did you come?” Neville stood up. Anderson was his former supervisor. “It’s about Carter. I can’t not be involved.” Anderson slowly walked to the table and sat down, glancing at me. “Dr. Lester,” Anderson coughed lightly. “I worked at this hospital for forty years. Mr. Carter is my old partner, my old friend. His illness can’t be delayed.” “Director Anderson, I understand your feelings. But—” “Let me finish first.” He raised his hand, stopping me. “I know you’re a top expert from New York. Your time is valuable, your skills remarkable. But in this profession, the most important thing isn’t just skill.” He stared at me, his eyes cloudy yet sharp. “The most important thing is conscience.” Chris stood behind her father, her expression still cold and haughty. Wright sat nearby, his expression pained and earnest. “I’m refusing the surgery precisely because of my conscience.” “How so?” “Brainstem surgery has extremely strict requirements for the chief surgeon’s psychological state. Any emotional fluctuation could lead to intraoperative errors. I’ve assessed my own condition. I cannot remain absolutely calm.” “Are you saying you have personal feelings toward my father?” Wright frowned, his tone somewhat surprised. “Dr. Lester, to my knowledge, we should have no prior connection.” I looked at him. He looked at me, his gaze frank and without guilt. No connection. He didn’t recognize me, yet I’d remembered him for twenty years. “Whether there’s a connection doesn’t matter.” I took a light sip of tea. “What matters is that once I’m in the operating room, I cannot ensure one hundred percent focus. On that point alone, I shouldn’t take this case.” Pearson impatiently tapped the table. “Dr. Lester, let’s speak plainly. There is no regulation that allows a doctor to refuse surgery without reason. If you can’t find a clear recusal basis, this is dereliction of duty.” “Director Pearson, the Medical Practitioners Law…” “Don’t quote regulations at me.” He slammed his pen on the table. “Let me lay out the situation. Tomorrow, every major medical media outlet will follow this story. The top expert flies over a thousand miles to perform surgery, looks at the medical record, and walks away. Do you think that’s appropriate?” I didn’t speak. Chris stepped forward. “Dr. Lester, maybe my words yesterday were too harsh. I apologize. But think about it—if this gets out, that you refused to save a life, how will you live with yourself going forward?” Wright also stood up and bowed to me. “Dr. Lester, if my father and I have done anything to make you uncomfortable, I apologize. I also understand your concerns. How about this—we’ll double the surgical fee. For your peace of mind, I personally…” “Dr. Wright,” I interrupted him, “can you answer one question for me?” He froze, then nodded. “Please, go ahead.” “Your father practiced medicine for forty years. How many surgeries did he perform?” “Over a thousand. He was the founder of our state’s neurosurgery department.” Wright straightened his chest as he said this. “Of those thousand-plus surgeries, were there many failures?” The conference room atmosphere froze. Wright’s gaze didn’t waver, but he hesitated for a moment. “All surgeries carry risk. None can be one hundred percent successful.” “What happened to the families of the patients who didn’t make it?” “Dr. Lester, that has nothing to do with the current matter.” “Is that so.” I stood up and picked up my bag. “Then my refusal also has nothing to do with the current matter. Everyone, excuse me.” Behind me came Chris’s shrill voice. “Go ahead and leave! Once you leave, don’t think about coming back. I’ll let the entire industry know that New York’s Dr. Lester is someone who refuses to save lives!” I pushed open the door. Carlos still couldn’t help leaning close to my ear. “Dr. Lester, how about… you tell me the truth. Why won’t you do this surgery?” I turned to look at her. Three years ago, fresh out of graduate school, she’d sent out over a hundred resumes with no offers. I was the one who recruited her to the team. She trusted me and understood me. But this matter—I’d never told her. “Carlos.” “Yes.” “Twenty years ago, this hospital’s neurosurgery department had a man-made medical accident. The patient was named Charlotte.” Her expression slowly changed. “Charlotte… was she your…?” “My mother.” She froze, not knowing what to say. “The chief surgeon was Carter—the man now lying in a hospital bed waiting for me to save him.” Carlos stood there, unable to speak for a long time. “Prepare a formal recusal application for me. Tomorrow at the ethics committee meeting, I’ll explain it myself.” When I reached the main entrance, Carlos called out softly behind me. “Dr. Lester, would your hands… really shake?” I clenched my fist and sighed. “As long as that face appears in front of me, I can’t control it.”

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In my past life, after being recognized and brought back to the Williams family, I chose to study medicine to care for Wilson, the frail and sickly adopted heir. But he pretended his condition was worsening, accused me of refusing to save him, and tried to steal everything that was mine. My fiancée Patterson believed him and joined forces with Wilson to throw me out. Not long after, I contracted tuberculosis and died on the streets. When I woke again, I had returned to the day I was brought back to the Williams family at age five. Patterson blocked my parents’ path, pointing at me and saying: “You’ve got the wrong person. This boy isn’t your biological son at all.” After my parents left in disappointment, she handed me a piece of candy. “One heir is enough for the Williams family. Don’t even think about taking Wilson’s place.” Looking at the disgust on her face, I knew she had been reborn too. I clenched the candy tightly, its hard edges almost piercing my palm. Yes, in her eyes from my past life, I was nothing but a malicious, jealous person—a useless failure who couldn’t cure Wilson. Since Wilson’s condition still deteriorated because of me in the past life. Then in this new life, someone as calculating as me naturally had no need to be brought back to the Williams family. I smiled and held back my tears. I wiped my eyes hard, telling myself that Howard was dead. The one alive now was just me. I turned and walked back to my corner of the orphanage. Before long, a black sedan stopped at the entrance. The director led in an elderly man with white hair. All the children in the orphanage erupted with excitement, chattering like a flock of sparrows as they crowded around him, eagerly trying to show off. “Hello, sir!” “Sir, let me sing for you!” “Sir, look at my drawing!” Only I remained quietly in my inconspicuous corner, like an outsider. Mr. Johnson noticed me. He parted the crowd and walked toward me step by step, leaning on his cane. “Little one, why are you here all alone? Don’t they like you?” I shook my head and lifted my small face, holding out the candy that had grown warm in my grip. “Sir, have some candy.” I tried to display a composure and maturity beyond my years. He paused, clearly surprised. He took the candy, unwrapped it, and put it in his mouth, a contented smile spreading across his face. “Mm, very sweet.” He looked at me deeply, then asked, “What’s your name?” “My name is Holmes.” “Holmes…” He repeated it, nodding. “Would you like to come home with me? To be my grandson.” The room instantly fell silent. All the children’s eyes focused on me, filled with envy. I didn’t hesitate for a moment and nodded firmly. “I would.” He burst into hearty laughter, his voice booming. “Good! Good! From today on, you’ll be called Holmes Johnson.” He took my hand, his palm warm and dry. “Holmes is a good name.” “Child, I hope you will become a priceless treasure.” I understood the value he placed on me and his expectations. In that moment, I gripped his hand tightly. I became the golden child of the Johnson family. Mr. Johnson treasured me like a precious jewel, personally teaching me to read and write and how to conduct myself in the world. Although his children were busy with work, they brought me various novel gifts every time they came home and genuinely cared about me. The one who doted on me most was my sister Jones, who was ten years older than me. When she first met me, her cool face broke into a gentle smile. “Nobody touches the Johnson family heir.” That was her constant refrain. Surrounded by such love, I almost forgot the pain of my past life. I studied diligently. From elementary school through high school, I was always first in my class. Competition trophies and certificates filled my room. In college, I chose medicine without hesitation. Because I knew Wilson’s illness was the eternal pain in the Williams family’s and Patterson’s hearts, and also a blade hanging over my head.

Twenty years later, I became one of the youngest and most renowned internal medicine doctors and medical researchers in the country. My days were peaceful and fulfilling. I thought the Williams family would disappear from my life forever. Until that day when my assistant knocked on my office door. “Dr. Holmes, there’s a woman named Patterson outside who specifically asked to see you.” “She says she wants you to examine her fiancé. She booked our most expensive specialist appointment.” Hearing that name, my heart seized uncontrollably for a moment. I took a deep breath, suppressing my emotions, my voice calm and level. “Let her in.” A woman with an aloof demeanor walked in. Her features had shed their youthful innocence, becoming more refined and sophisticated. The moment Patterson saw me, she froze. Those deep eyes filled with shock and disbelief. She never imagined that the medical expert she had searched so hard to find would be the very person she had abandoned twenty years ago. After a long pause, she finally found her voice, her tone full of doubt. “You… are Dr. Holmes?” I nodded. “Miss Patterson, please sit. Tell me about your fiancé’s condition.” But she acted as if she hadn’t heard me, scrutinizing me instead. “You’re really a doctor? How confident are you that you can cure my fiancé?” Her attitude made it seem like I was some charlatan. My assistant could barely stand listening and couldn’t help but speak up. “Ma’am, Dr. Holmes is the most authoritative expert in our hospital. His time is very valuable…” I looked at Patterson, a faint smile playing at the corners of my mouth. “It seems Miss Patterson doesn’t quite trust my professional abilities.” “In that case, let’s cancel this consultation.” “Paul, show her out.” Patterson’s face instantly turned ugly. She bit her lip, but in the end said nothing and turned to storm out. My assistant stomped his foot in frustration. “Dr. Holmes, that woman is so rude! Who does she think she is?” I smiled indifferently. “It’s fine, just an ordinary patient.” To me, this was indeed just an insignificant little episode. Because my life had long since ceased to have anything to do with them. After work, Patterson suddenly appeared at the entrance to the laboratory building, blocking my way. Her face wore a complex, grim expression. I immediately frowned. “Can I help you?” She stared at me intently, remaining silent for a long time before squeezing out words through gritted teeth. “Howard, I’m warning you.” “No matter what your status is now, don’t even think about hurting Wilson.” I almost laughed in anger. Twenty years ago, she had ruthlessly prevented my biological parents from bringing me back to the Williams family, and now she was calling me Howard again. Now she had sought me out herself, yet her first move was to warn me not to hurt Wilson? What made her think I would waste my time on someone like that? I looked at her like I was looking at an unreasonable lunatic. “Miss Patterson, my surname is Johnson. My name is Holmes Johnson. Please don’t get it wrong.” “Furthermore, I don’t know you, and I certainly don’t know your fiancé.” “As a doctor, my duty is to save people, not harm them.” “So why would I want to hurt a complete stranger I don’t even know?” Patterson froze, a flash of bewilderment crossing her face. “You don’t remember me?”

She seemed unable to accept this fact, her voice involuntarily rising. “Twenty years ago, at the orphanage entrance, I was the one who stopped your parents…” She stopped mid-sentence, suddenly cutting herself off, as if even she found that past behavior too shameful to mention. I watched her awkward expression, my heart utterly cold. Of course I remembered. I remembered every single look of disgust, every word of loathing. I remembered how she had personally pushed me away, severing all my illusions about love and family. But I would pretend not to remember. I pretended to think hard, then put on an expression of sudden realization. “Oh—” I deliberately drew out the sound. “So it was you.” I looked at her with an innocent smile. “I’m really sorry, but that was twenty years ago. It’s been too long—I forgot ages ago.” “After all, I have so much important research to do every day. How could I have time to remember such trivial matters?” Patterson’s face instantly turned ashen. Trivial matters? In her view, that had been the pivotal event that determined my fate. This hurt her more than outright insults would have. She gritted her teeth, saying unwillingly, “Stop playing dumb!” “Aren’t you harboring a grudge against me because I prevented the Williams family from adopting you back then?” “Now you want to find an opportunity to get revenge on me and Wilson?” I finally couldn’t hold back a scornful laugh. “Miss Patterson, aren’t you being a bit too full of yourself?” I dropped my smile, my eyes turning cold. “Revenge on you? Are you worth it?” “Come to think of it, I should actually thank you. If you hadn’t been so determined to stop them back then, how would I have had the chance to become Mr. Johnson’s grandson?” “How would I have my current achievements?” “So I should be thanking you—how could I possibly hate you?” Every word I spoke was light and breezy, yet each one stabbed into Patterson’s heart like a knife. She was left speechless, her face alternating between red and white. “Johnson? Stop spouting nonsense!” She immediately sneered. “You think just because your surname is Johnson, you’re related to the Johnson family?” “Stop dreaming. Someone like you could never step through the Johnson family’s door!” Just as she finished speaking, a black Bentley silently pulled up beside us. The door opened and an elegant, distinguished woman stepped out. She walked quickly to my side and naturally draped a coat over my shoulders. Without even glancing at Patterson, she gently ruffled my hair. “Holmes, why haven’t you left yet? Grandpa’s getting impatient.” Only then did her gaze fall on Patterson. “Holmes, who’s this?” I hooked my arm for Jones to take, smiling brightly. “Nothing, just a patient who came in today. We chatted for a bit.” Patterson completely froze in place. She looked at me and Jones’s intimate gestures in disbelief, then at the luxury car that proclaimed its owner’s status. She wasn’t stupid. She of course recognized Jones, the eldest princess of Johnson Corporation. She also of course knew that Jones had a younger brother who was treasured by the entire Johnson family. She just never dreamed that brother would be me. Images from her past life uncontrollably surfaced in her mind—that boy who always followed behind her, timidly calling her Patterson. And now, that boy was smiling radiantly as he offered his arm to another woman. While she stood there dazed, I had already gotten into Jones’s car.

The next day, my assistant told me Patterson had reapplied for a consultation appointment with me. While helping me organize files, my assistant complained. “Dr. Holmes, does this Patterson woman have some kind of problem?” “Two days ago she acted like she didn’t trust you, and today she’s eagerly coming back.” “I think she just saw you’re the Johnson family heir and wants to curry favor with you!” I just smiled and said nothing. I signed my name on the appointment application. I wanted to see what game she was playing now. At three in the afternoon, the Williams family arrived at my examination room with Wilson right on time. After twenty years, Wilson still looked as frail as he had in my past life. Patterson’s attitude was a hundred times better than last time. “Dr. Holmes, I was too impulsive last time. I’m sorry.” Wilson’s parents stood awkwardly to the side, looking at me with complicated expressions. I didn’t bother with them, my gaze falling directly on Wilson. “The patient stays. Family members, please wait outside.” The examination room door closed, blocking the view from outside. Only Wilson and I remained in the room. The frailty on his face instantly vanished without a trace. In its place was undisguised jealousy and malice. He looked me up and down, a mocking smile on his lips. “Howard—no, I should call you Holmes Johnson.” “Never expected this. You really do have nine lives.” “Kicked out by our family, yet you still managed to latch onto the Johnson family. What skills you have.” I looked at him calmly, like watching a clown. “Start the examination. Take off your shirt.” My indifference seemed to infuriate him. While slowly unbuttoning his shirt, he continued to provoke me with his sharp, venomous tone. “What? Think being a doctor makes you so great? Aren’t you still here to examine me?” “Let me tell you, so what if you’re the Johnson family heir now?” “In Patterson’s heart, you’ll never measure up to one of my fingers!” In my past life, he had been exactly like this—one face in public, another in private. In front of Patterson and the Williams parents, he was always the kind, sensible good younger brother. In private, he used the most vicious language to humiliate and trample me. He deliberately broke Mother’s favorite vase, then cried and said I had pushed him into it. He secretly tore up Father’s most important documents, then framed me for it. And I couldn’t defend myself. Every time, all I received was deeper disgust from Patterson and harsher punishment from my parents. But none of that mattered anymore. Living a second life, I had long since stopped caring about these ridiculous tricks. I gave him a thorough series of examinations—auscultation, palpation—every step meticulous. I suppressed my rising anger and glared fiercely at Wilson. He was startled by my expression and immediately became defensive. After completing all the examinations, I had him get dressed. With a dark expression, I walked out of the examination room without a word. Outside, the Williams family and Patterson were waiting anxiously. Seeing me emerge, Patterson was the first to rush over. “Dr. Holmes, Wilson… how is he?” Wilson’s mother, Brodie, even grabbed my arm, her eyes reddening. “Doctor, my son’s illness—is there any hope?” I looked impatient and said directly to Patterson in front of everyone: “Your fiancé’s illness is beyond what our hospital can treat!” The moment those words left my mouth, everyone’s breathing hitched. My assistant looked at me in disbelief. She had never seen me so decisively make such a pronouncement about any patient. This was completely unlike my usual way of doing things. Wilson’s father Yale and Brodie’s faces instantly lost all color. Brodie’s legs went weak and she nearly collapsed to the floor. “How can this be? How can it be untreatable? If even you can’t treat it, then Wilson…” Patterson’s face instantly filled with mockery. “Impossible! You’re the top expert. How could you not be able to treat it!” “You’re settling personal scores!” she shouted. Just then, Wilson also emerged from the examination room. Hearing my words, a flash of triumph crossed his eyes before he squeezed out a few tears. “Patterson, forget it. I knew my illness couldn’t be cured. I don’t blame Dr. Holmes…” I looked coldly at their family and dropped the other half of my statement. “Because Wilson—he’s not sick at all!”

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When I was five months pregnant, Thomas’s first love came to the house to provoke me and commit arson. I immediately called Thomas for help. In the end, my child was saved, but Mickey died in the fire that day. Thomas said he didn’t blame me and told me to rest easy in the hospital until I gave birth. But on the day I gave birth to our child, he burned me and the baby alive. In my final moment, through the raging flames, I saw his vicious, twisted face. “If you hadn’t deliberately set that fire, Mickey would never have died!” “You think you can fool me by pretending to be the victim? Dream on! You’re going to pay for her life with yours!” “You like setting fires, don’t you? I’ll let you experience it firsthand, feel every bit of Mickey’s pain before she died!” When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the fire scene. Thick smoke poured into my nostrils, choking me into violent coughs. The pain instantly jolted me awake from my memories of my past life. The first thing I did was pull out my phone, but this time I didn’t dial my firefighter captain husband—I called 911 instead. When the rescue team arrived, I spotted Thomas’s familiar figure from afar. Only after he carried Mickey out of the fire did I feel safe enough to call out for help from the other rescuers. Those crew members thought I was making a fuss and scolded me coldly for a long time. A wall decoration crashed down, slamming hard into my pregnant belly. I coughed up blood on the spot, but they still acted as if they hadn’t noticed. Gritting my teeth through the excruciating pain, I used every ounce of strength to crawl out of the fire scene. But all the cooling and emergency equipment was being used on Mickey. Thomas didn’t even bother to glance at me, only cursing that I got what I deserved. The pain made me break out in cold sweat, blood spilling from my mouth. I could even feel my child’s life rapidly slipping away. In my past life, when the fire first started, both Mickey and I had called Thomas for help at the same time. But for the sake of the child, he chose to rescue me first. By the time he returned to the fire scene, the blaze was out of control and he couldn’t go back in to save anyone. Mickey died in the flames on the spot, burned beyond recognition. Thomas said it was okay and told me not to blame myself. To comfort me, he even took time off to stay with me until I gave birth. But on the day I delivered our child, he dragged me and the baby to Mickey’s grave. Right in front of me, he slit our child’s throat with a knife. Blood splattered across his face, making his eyes look even more bloodshot. “Angel, do you know what it feels like to be burned alive? Mickey suffered through that pain, and I’m going to make you repay it ten times, a hundred times over!” Later, just as he wished, I died in the flames with our child. This time, reborn, I only wanted to escape far away. I never expected he still wouldn’t let me go—he wouldn’t even spare the cooling and first aid equipment for me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw blood gushing from below. I wailed, using my hoarse voice to make one final plea for help. “Save the baby… please…” The crew member closest to me finally noticed and turned to look at me. But his eyes were full of disdain and mockery. He kicked at me with his foot. “Angel, stop acting. Everyone on our team knows you can’t stand Mickey, right?” “I can’t believe you’d commit arson while pregnant. Thomas already went to save someone—no one’s watching your performance anymore.” “Honestly, I kind of admire you. To do this kind of thing for a man.” “But it’s a shame—Thomas only has eyes for Mickey. You better pray she’s okay, or Thomas will divorce you in a heartbeat!” I knew Thomas didn’t love me, but I never imagined even his crew members saw me this way. The violent contractions in my abdomen made it impossible for me to make another sound. My scalding skin was peeling off in the high temperature. All the crew members were busy putting out the fire. Not a single person asked about my condition. As my consciousness faded, I heard someone nearby exclaim: “Oh no! Why is there so much blood on the ground? This is bad—what if something really happened to Angel?” “What could possibly happen? She just wants Thomas to look at her. She’s been making a scene for ages. Whatever, just go call Thomas over and try.” But I didn’t get Thomas’s concern—only his ruthless interrogation. His gloved hand slapped me hard twice across the face. “Angel, wake up. Stop pretending. I’m here now.” “Is your brain broken? You set a fire and managed to burn yourself like this? Shooting yourself in the foot—is this fun for you?” Even at this point, he still thought I set the fire. He still thought I was acting out of jealousy. I wanted to explain, but my mouth was too dry to speak. My stomach hurt terribly. All I could do was reach out and grab his sleeve, hoping he would understand my plea for help. But after hesitating for two seconds, he pressed down hard on my abdomen. “Pretty convincing act. If Mickey hadn’t told me you hid yourself after setting the fire, I might have actually believed you.” After leaving those words, he turned and left without hesitation.

The next second, a crew member’s shocked voice rang out beside me. “Thomas! Blood! Angel is bleeding!” “Is she having a miscarriage?!” “Don’t worry about her. Mickey said it’s just chicken blood. The baby’s already five months along—it’s not that easy to lose. If she wants to act, let her act.” After the intense pain, my vision went black and I lost consciousness completely. In my dream, I seemed to return to when I first met Thomas. At a campus lecture, his face was cold as ice, but his impressive professional skills captured many girls’ hearts. I was no exception. After falling for him at first sight, I started asking around about him. Back then I was still a teaching assistant at the school. He didn’t think much of me. To get his attention, I worked harder and harder. After getting tenure, I invited him to dinner under the guise of gratitude. I keenly noticed that the way he looked at me had changed. I seized that opportunity and pursued him relentlessly. Flowers, basketballs, cakes, coffee—I never held back on gifts. Finally, I got what I wanted. He agreed to my confession. I thought this was the beginning of happiness, but it turned out to be the start of my nightmare. After we got together, he grew colder and colder toward me. Every time we had a date, either he was busy with work or had a sudden rescue mission. I never doubted him until our wedding day. An email from abroad completely shattered my dream. Mickey had documented in detail their ten years together. Every second of those memories felt like a knife to my heart. It turned out that all the time he stood me up, he was spending with another woman. What was even sadder was that I didn’t even have the courage to confront him. I was afraid he would leave. In my past life, when Mickey died, he was so calm that I once thought I was the winner in this relationship. For me and the child, he practically bought out every baby store in the city. This sudden surge of affection made my head spin and I completely lost my ability to think rationally. It wasn’t until the moment I gave birth and died at his hands that I understood. He wasn’t loving me with his life—he was relentlessly taking revenge. The love of his life, from beginning to end, had only ever been Mickey. When I woke up, I was already in a hospital room. The person beside me wasn’t Thomas, but an unfamiliar face. “You’re awake? I’m your downstairs neighbor. I originally went up to check on the fire.” “Who knew when I got there I’d see you lying on the ground alone, so I brought you to the hospital. Are you okay? How do you feel?” I struggled to move my limbs. When my hands touched my belly, my movements froze. “I’m sorry, but when you were brought in, the doctor said your baby couldn’t be saved…” I pulled at the corners of my mouth in a bitter smile. “It’s not your fault. I know.” “Thank you for bringing me to the hospital.” Even a stranger could tell at a glance that something was wrong with me, but my husband of five years couldn’t be bothered to look at me. Seeing my low spirits, he seemed even more upset than I was. “I don’t know what’s wrong with that rescue team. How could they not save someone lying there in plain sight?” “If I hadn’t gone up, you’d be dead by now! Where’s your family? Doesn’t the baby’s father care?” “If you have his number, I’ll contact him. You can’t be alone right now.” “I’ve already reported that rescue team. People like that are a blight on society if they keep working!” I nodded, but when I spoke, only a whisper came out. “The baby’s father is dead.”

His face was filled with sympathy, and he offered to take care of me until I was discharged. I declined his kindness. I transferred him the hospital fees and surgery costs, then urged him to leave. Though he left, the online uproar continued to ferment. The topic of the rescue captain’s house catching fire carried its own buzz. It had already shot to the top of trending topics across all major platforms. The neighbor kindly posted a photo of me collapsed on the ground in the comments section. It instantly sparked heated discussion across the internet. Everyone was condemning the rescue team, asking if they only cared about putting out fires while ignoring a pregnant woman and the life in her belly. If so, they should be called a fire department, not shamelessly claim to be a rescue team. I scrolled through all the online abuse in the comments and felt that such punishment was still too light for Thomas. I opened the chat window, about to send him a message about divorce. But Mickey’s gloating message popped up first. Turned out she was in this hospital too, right on the floor below mine. In the photo, Thomas was personally feeding her porridge, carefully blowing on it again and again to make sure she wouldn’t burn herself. I’d seen countless photos of them intimately intertwined. Such images could no longer stir my emotions. I quietly closed the chat window and called Thomas. On the fifth try, he finally answered, his voice extremely impatient. “You still have the nerve to call me? What do you want? Asking if Mickey’s dead yet?” “Sorry to disappoint you! I already saved Mickey! She’s alive and well, right here in the hospital!” “Angel, knowing you all this time, I never imagined you were this kind of person. Do you know what you did? You tried to kill someone! Are you insane?” “I’m giving you one hour. Get down to the hospital room right now and apologize to her! Or else we’re getting divorced!” Before I could speak, Mickey’s pitiful sobbing came through the line. “Thomas, don’t blame Angel. It’s all my fault. If she says I started the fire, just accept it. Don’t argue with her—pregnant women can’t handle emotional stress.” Thomas let out a long sigh, disappointed. “You’re just too kind. That’s why she keeps walking all over you. We knew each other first. Who does Angel think she is? What right does she have to hurt you?” “Don’t worry about it. This time I’m definitely going to teach her a lesson!” While the two of them were being sickeningly sweet, I said calmly: “Fine, let’s get divorced. I agree. I’ll send you the papers right away. Remember to sign them.” Thomas clearly hadn’t expected me to bring up divorce first. After a moment of shock, his anger exploded. Just as he was about to lash out, I abruptly hung up. Before I could block his number, a barrage of text messages came flooding in. “Where are you? Angel, have you lost your mind today? I’ve been holding back because you’re pregnant, and now you’re pushing your luck?” “You think just because you’re pregnant I won’t dare divorce you? I’m afraid on the day you give birth you’ll have no one to sign the papers and you’ll have to crawl out of bed and beg me on your knees!” “And the news online—take it down immediately! Don’t make me expose your true face to the public!” I didn’t keep reading. I deleted all the messages and blocked his number.

Even though I’d already gone through the bloody lesson of my past life. Being betrayed by him again still made my heart ache involuntarily for a moment. The nurses who came in to change my bandages didn’t notice my expression and started chatting among themselves. “That man downstairs is so handsome. It’s the first time I’ve seen a couple so well-matched! I heard they’re childhood sweethearts, a campus romance. I’m so jealous.” “Your news is old. Latest update—Mr. Thomas spent a fortune to rent out an entire cafeteria window just so he can personally cook for his beloved wife every day!” “Just now when I went to apply her medicine, Mr. Thomas wouldn’t even let me touch her. He insisted on doing it himself. True love is so sweet!” I stared numbly at the needle marks on the back of my hand. My arm, with a layer of skin peeled off, was both painful and itchy. When they left, I felt relieved and gasped for oxygen, but somehow couldn’t draw it into my chest. That evening, the doctor came to see me and said my abdomen had suffered severe trauma. It would be very difficult for me to have children in the future. Hearing this, my first reaction was actually relief. At least without a child, he wouldn’t have to suffer with me. An innocent life deserved a better future. After everyone left the room, I took out my phone to check the latest developments online. The cyberbullying had escalated beyond control, forcing the rescue unit’s leadership to issue a statement. However, his explanation was that the fire was entirely staged by me, that I deliberately hurt someone out of jealousy. Not only did I waste the unit’s rescue resources, but I also got their captain criticized. In the video, the leader kept saying he hoped netizens would let this matter go. But every word was directing the source of the conflict toward me. To increase the video’s credibility, Thomas registered an account under his real name and posted our marriage certificate. His action completely sealed my fate in the wave of online abuse. The criticism that had been aimed at the rescue team suddenly turned toward me. My homepage was overwhelmed and banned by the platform. My attempts to explain were drowned in the netizens’ curses. Over the next few days, I could feel the hospital staff looking at me with hostility. If not for their professional ethics barely holding up, I probably would have been kicked out already. Every day I received packages from different places, all without exception containing threats. Faced with all this, I never offered a single word of explanation. Only on the day the doctor said I could be discharged did I send Thomas a message. “Let’s go to City Hall tomorrow and finalize things.” He seized this opening to call me back. “What, finally can’t hide anymore? Finally have the nerve to show your face? I warned you. I gave you a chance. You’re the one who refused to take down the online controversy. Don’t blame me for being merciless now!” “If Mickey hadn’t pleaded for you, I would have reported you to the police long ago!” “Fine, let’s divorce. When the child has no father, don’t come crying to me! If he becomes an orphan, it’s your own doing!” Before I could speak, he’d already hung up. I quietly opened our home security camera app and downloaded the footage of Mickey committing arson that day. Early the next morning, after checking out of the hospital, I headed straight to City Hall with my documents. But when the time came, it was Mickey who showed up. “I told you long ago, you can’t beat me. Your husband is nothing but my lapdog.” Looking at my abdomen, she feigned surprise. “Oh my, where’s the baby? What a shame. In the past life, killed by his own father. In this life, killed by his own father again. Having you as a mother, what a short-lived ghost…” She was reborn too?

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The system urged me to abandon this mission and detach from my host body immediately. It said, “Go take one last look at him.” I went to Arthur’s bedchamber, only to see a woman who looked strikingly like me lying in his arms, the two of them tangled together in bed. I told the system, “He used to love me so much.” The system nodded. “Yeah. Who knew love turning to hate could be so terrifying?” 01 I took one last look at the place where I had been imprisoned for seven years. The layout of the room was exquisite, but without anyone to clean it for years, a thin layer of dust covered almost everything. I couldn’t leave. Every day, all I could do was stare at the small, square patch of sky visible through the window. The housekeeper who took care of me was mute. I had no one to talk to, and the entire courtyard was terrifyingly quiet. To ensure no one would ever find me, Arthur deliberately locked me in the most remote, abandoned manor on the edge of the estate, surrounded by heavy security. The housekeeper who brought my daily meals could only pass the tray through a small window onto a wall-mounted shelf. She didn’t even dare to look at me, let alone communicate. If I didn’t have the system keeping me company… I think… Seven years of isolation would have driven me completely insane. Actually, a long time ago, the housekeeper who brought my meals could speak. Her heart ached for me. Even though she didn’t know why I was locked up here, she always looked at me with deep pity. She would say that even if a young girl like me made a mistake, I didn’t deserve such a cruel punishment. She knew how much suffering and loneliness I endured locked in this place. So, even though she couldn’t come inside, she would often stand by the window to talk to me, praying that one day I would regain my freedom. But before I even had the chance to thank her… I got her killed. That was the first time I truly hated myself. Because Arthur had overheard her. He locked me up to keep me trapped here forever. The word “freedom” was never supposed to be associated with me again. But someone had spoken it, and he had heard it. So Arthur smiled, and he raged. Then, using the calmest tone imaginable, he handed down the most barbaric punishment to the housekeeper. She was tortured to death. Her eyes were gouged out, and her tongue was cut off. Because Arthur said, “I don’t want to hear her voice!” No matter how hard I begged, it was useless. That was the very first time I realized that, over the course of ten years, I had never truly understood who Arthur was. That night, the housekeeper’s agonizing screams echoed in my ears. The metallic stench of blood seeped into the room from outside, and I crouched on the floor, violently throwing up. Arthur stood right outside my locked door. His eyes were colder than ice. The way he looked at me no longer held the love it once did—instead, I saw a twisted, venomous hatred. He said, “Chloe, don’t you ever think about leaving me!” He kept his word. He ordered the manor completely sealed off. Over the next seven years, he turned this place into a ghost house. The housekeeper who brought my meals had to be a mute, and absolutely no one else dared to come near. 02 When I was first locked in the abandoned manor. Arthur would come see me every day. His eyes carried suppressed love, yet he forced himself to stay standing at the doorway, keeping a strict distance. The few dozen steps between us felt like an uncrossable chasm. When I smiled at him, he would avert his eyes, refusing to look. “Chloe, stop trying to use that trick to make me let you go!” Arthur practically ground his teeth when he said that. His eyes were a chaotic mix of love and hate. Yet, before I could even say a single word, he would turn and leave. His retreating silhouette looked almost pathetic, carrying a sense of panicked escape. Back then, the system would comfort me, saying, “You and Arthur have so much history. He will eventually realize he’s wrong.” I didn’t say anything. Because I knew Arthur too well. When he loves, he loves to the absolute extreme. And when he hates, he hates just as deeply. And the person who destroyed everything we had… Was me. It was the night of my birthday. Arthur and I had drank quite a bit of wine, but he had to step away to handle an urgent corporate crisis. I sat alone under the cherry blossom tree, continuing to drink. At that point, Arthur’s love for me was about to reach 100%, meaning I would soon complete my mission and leave. I had spent ten years watching an outcast, illegitimate son claw his way out of the mud to become the ruthless CEO of an empire. He trusted me, and he loved me. Fighting against the entire board of directors, he insisted on making me his wife, declaring I would be the only woman he ever loved. His unconditional, unreserved love for me slowly eroded my defenses over the years. Inevitably, I fell in love with Arthur—the man whose entire heart belonged to me. And because of that, I couldn’t bear to leave him. The system saw right through me. It warned me, “This is just a game. Do not let yourself get emotionally attached.” A game? But it felt so real. I could feel the warmth of Arthur’s skin. I could feel his frantic heartbeat and pure joy every single time he confessed his love to me. He was a living, breathing person. A man I had stayed beside since childhood, a man I poured all my love into. From the time Arthur was seven, I stayed by his side as a lowly servant in his oppressive family estate. Because he was an unrecognized, illegitimate child, his half-brothers constantly bullied him. Even the hired help dared to abuse him. His living conditions were worse than mine as a servant; he was shoved into an unheated, decaying attic. I did everything in my power to treat him well. I gave him the meat I scraped together my wages to buy, while I chewed on dry bread. I shielded him from the malicious schemes of his father’s other wives, protecting him as he grew up. The way he looked at me shifted from initial icy suspicion to an overwhelming, all-consuming love. Eventually, I became the only person in the entire world he could rely on. At first, yes, I only treated him well to complete my mission. My feelings weren’t pure. But over time, we survived so many life-or-death situations together. The boy grew into a man, and he started throwing himself in front of danger to protect me. He shielded me from corporate assassinations and family betrayals. Even when his own life was hanging by a thread, he never once considered abandoning me. Even when the ultimate prize—the CEO position of the entire empire—was dangled in front of him, if I was in danger, he would choose me. I asked him why. He smiled, gentle but absolutely resolute. “Because there is only one Chloe. We promised to be together forever.” He carved that promise so deeply into his soul that it eventually became the very reason for our downfall. There was a time when he took a bullet meant for me, nearly dying on the operating table. Watching Arthur lying unconscious in the ICU, my heart physically ached. It was only then that I realized I couldn’t live without him either. I fell in love with this boy who thought of nothing but me. He gave me the absolute best of everything he had, pouring every ounce of his love into me. So how could I treat this like a game? Pain and inner conflict consumed my mind, which was why I drank so heavily that night. And the greatest regret of my life… was getting drunk and blurting out that I was a system “player.” Rambling under the influence of alcohol, I spilled everything. I didn’t even remember exactly who I was anymore. Arthur found out I was a player. He found out that once I acquired 100% of his love, I would be forced to leave this world forever. He asked me, “Can you stay?” I shook my head. I couldn’t stay. From beginning to end, this was a dead end. He stayed silent, and then the rage took over. He pinned me against the bed, his hands gripping my shoulders, his eyes bloodshot as he screamed like a madman. He said, “Chloe, we swore our vows. We stood before the altar. You are never leaving me in this lifetime!” I didn’t want to leave either. For a player to fall in love with their target… It is the ultimate tragedy. Because the moment he fully surrendered his heart to me, it meant we would have to be torn apart. Arthur couldn’t accept it. He felt deeply betrayed. Because we had promised each other we would never leave. But my “forever” couldn’t be his “forever.” The moment the mission was completed, my life in this world would terminate. I would leave before him, abandoning him in an endless, lonely world. So that night, he violently tore off my clothes, kissing me with terrifying aggression, desperately trying to anchor me to him forever. He said, “Chloe, let’s have a baby. If we have a child, you wouldn’t be able to leave me, right?” But the brutal truth is, a player can never get pregnant. There could never be a biological tie between us. The moment the mission was completed, everything connecting me to this world would simply vanish. He couldn’t keep me. The candles in the bedroom burned all night. The next morning, I woke up to find him standing by the bed, fully dressed. He pressed a highly restrained kiss to my forehead. His eyes were filled with uncontrollable love, mixed with an insane, dark possessiveness. He said, “Chloe, I promise I will find a way to keep you.” That morning, I finally realized what I had confessed while drunk. I was consumed by regret, but it was too late. I originally thought he would be terrified, thinking I was some kind of monster, and distance himself or even try to kill me. I never expected that his only thought would be how to trap me here. I was just as agonizingly torn. I wanted to complete the mission and survive, but I also wanted to stay with the man I loved. But the system told me there was only one path: finish the mission. If I completed it, I could leave. But if I failed, I would face an unknown, terrifying punishment. From the very start, it was a dead end. Arthur and I were destined by fate to never be together. But Arthur refused to accept fate. He tried countless methods, but he couldn’t stop the love in his heart from growing. As long as I stood in front of him, his love for me would incrementally increase. And when it hit 100%, I would disappear before his very eyes. To love someone to the absolute extreme, only to be forced to watch them vanish into thin air. That love itself became a curse. So he made a decision— He locked me away. From the moment he decided to lock me in the abandoned manor, our relationship was permanently shattered. A heavy iron gate separated us. And it severed the decade of deep love we shared. “Chloe, I will fight God himself if I have to. I swear I will keep you.” At first, Arthur came to see me every day. But every time he got close, he couldn’t control the violent surge of love in his heart. So I don’t know exactly when, but Arthur stopped coming every day. Even when he did visit the manor, he would just stand in silence, staring at me for a few minutes, before ruthlessly turning and walking away. And then, his love for me stabilized. It froze at a specific threshold, and never moved again. At that point, he only came to see me once every six months. He always came in the dead of night, so I never actually saw him. The system told me, “When you fall asleep, he sits by your bed. He reaches out to touch you, but the second his fingers brush your face, his love meter starts to spike. Arthur’s face instantly turns cold, and he forces himself to leave.” What was my reaction when I heard that? I probably offered a bitter smile, stared at the hairpin he gave me years ago, and fell into silence. This bizarre, suffocating stalemate lasted for a long time. Until Harper arrived. This woman, who looked 70% like me, was instantly favored by Arthur the moment she entered his corporate orbit, becoming his most cherished companion. At first, the system tried to comfort me: “She’s just a cheap knockoff. Arthur isn’t blind; he won’t actually fall for her.” But then Harper got sick, and Arthur stayed up all night taking care of her. He personally fed her medicine and coaxed her to sleep. Those were things he used to do exclusively for me. He once said, “The only person in the world I would ever do this for is my Chloe.” But now, he was giving that special, exclusive treatment to another woman. Liar! The system chimed in again: “Maybe it’s just pity because she has your face.” A 70% resemblance is rare. Harper, who gained his favor purely because of that face, obviously knew exactly why she was chosen. So she tried even harder to mimic me. She wore the red dresses I used to love, applied her makeup exactly in my style, and perfected every single micro-expression and smile I had. Dressed as my flawless replica, she went to see Arthur. A 70% similar face, a 100% similar style. The ice in Arthur’s eyes was chipped away bit by bit. The way he looked at Harper slowly became tender and loving. He would gently stroke her face and say in the softest voice, “My Harper, you’re so beautiful.” And then, Harper would giggle and throw herself into his arms. Eventually, Harper moved into my old master suite in the penthouse. Arthur slowly drowned in her gentle affection. Fueled by his resentment toward me, he poured every ounce of his romantic feelings into another woman. It was as if only by doing this could he keep his love for me frozen at a specific number, ensuring it would never change. Because his love was being drained elsewhere, his heart regarding me could remain completely numb. Finally, late one night, a drunk Arthur looked at Harper—who now looked almost identical to me—and lost all restraint. He carried her to my old bed, and they spent the night tangled together. I asked the system if it had anything else to say. It stayed silent, then asked if I wanted to leave this world. “Can I even leave?” Arthur had spent all his time tangled up with Harper lately, completely forgetting to check on me. No one knew I had fallen severely ill. Sunlight poured through the window. I tried to reach out and touch it, but my illness had grown so severe I didn’t even have the strength to sit up. “Chloe. Let’s abandon this mission.” When the system spoke, its voice sounded like it was crying. The system that used to care about nothing but completing missions had finally given up hope, just like me. During these seven years of imprisonment, terrified of the unknown punishment for failure, neither of us was willing to be the first to say “abandon.” But dragging it out until now felt worse than death itself. “Abandon the mission. Even though we don’t know what the punishment is… whatever it is, it has to be better than being locked in a cage for the rest of my life.” Seeing my silence, the system added, “Let’s go see him in person. One last time.” The unknown punishment might completely annihilate my consciousness, erasing my existence across all three thousand dimensions. So seeing him one last time would serve as a final, tragic period to this romance. Using its core energy, the system extracted my soul and transported me out of the manor. I arrived at Arthur’s master suite. The layout hadn’t changed much in seven years. Except… the walls that used to be covered in paintings and photos of me had all been replaced by portraits of Harper. I felt a profound wave of sadness. The teenage boy who used to hug my waist, whining that he wanted to cover his entire room with my pictures, had truly vanished forever. Soft rustling sounds drifted through the room. Through the silk curtains, I could see two figures rolling in the bedsheets. Harper leaned against his chest like she had no bones, her eyes hazy with lust, adding a playful, teasing charm. Arthur held her, leaving devout, reverent kisses all over her face. “Harper, your face is so incredibly beautiful.” Harper smiled even brighter, her delicate hands tracing his chest. “Am I more beautiful, or is Chloe more beautiful?” Mentioning my name in Arthur’s presence used to be the ultimate taboo. But Harper was so favored she had already moved into my old room and usurped everything that used to belong to me. But human greed knows no bounds. She had his exclusive favor, but she wanted all of his love. Yet everyone in Arthur’s inner circle knew exactly how deeply he loved me. He loved me enough that, during a hostile corporate takeover, he was willing to surrender the entire empire just to ensure my safety. He loved me enough that when I was poisoned by a rival, he was the only one willing to test the untested antidotes on himself. He loved me enough that if I shed a single tear, he would hate himself for days, believing he had failed to protect me. How could a boy who loved me that much… fall in love with someone else? I couldn’t understand it. “Seven years can change a lot of things. I just didn’t expect that love turning to hate could be this terrifying.” The system’s voice was just as depressed as mine. I originally thought Arthur would be furious she mentioned me, but he wasn’t. He just paused for a second, then rolled over, pinning the beauty beneath him. Kissing her cheek, he whispered, “You’re more beautiful.” A single, uncontrollable tear slid down my ghostly cheek. “System… I didn’t know souls could cry.” I reached up, wiped the tear, and tasted it. It didn’t actually taste like anything, but I felt an overwhelming, agonizing bitterness in my heart. “Stop looking. Chloe, let’s abandon it. Who cares about the punishment? I’ll be with you forever.” The system was crying. It even tried to cover my eyes. But it was just a string of data existing in my mind; the most emotion it could muster was pity for me. I nodded slowly. “System. I give up. Declare the mission a failure.” All that bone-deep, unforgettable love could never outweigh the sheer agony of witnessing this with my own eyes. He imprisoned me in the name of love, and now he was stabbing me to death with it. Every single injury inflicted in the name of love only brutally grinded down the last remaining affection I had for him. Neither of us knew what punishment awaited a failed mission. It was the terror of that unknown that had forced me to endure seven years of torture. But now, I truly couldn’t endure it for another second. “The absolute worst-case scenario is deletion,” the system sobbed. “It’s okay. If we get deleted, I’ll go down with you.” That’s nice. At least I still have the system. 03 The price for failing the mission was being permanently trapped in this world as a wandering spirit. I would be ground down by the passage of time, slowly forgetting who I was, until I became a truly isolated, hollow ghost. And because of Arthur’s obsessive entanglement with me while I was alive, I was physically forced to remain tethered to his side. The system was furious on my behalf. “You suffered so much torture because of him while you were alive, and now that you’re dead you’re forced to watch him be all lovey-dovey with another woman?!” “Chloe, did you dig up someone’s ancestors in a past life? Why is your luck in this life so utterly tragic?” I had been feeling deeply depressed, but hearing that, I couldn’t help but laugh. Maybe I really did do a lot of terrible things in a past life. So this time, God was stepping in to punish me. I was forced to follow Arthur everywhere. The sun was bright outside by the time he finally got out of bed. Harper was still fast asleep, her face flushed red, covered in dark bruises and marks. Arthur glanced at her, his eyes overflowing with gentle love, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He used to do that exact same thing to me every morning. I had asked him why. He said, “Waking up every morning and seeing the person I love lying next to me… it’s the greatest happiness in the world.” What was my reaction back then? Like a lovestruck teenager, I pulled the blanket over my head to hide my blushing face. Then he would pull me into a tight hug, coaxing me softly. The maids who came in to serve us would blush and quietly leave the room, and he would kiss me again. And finally, he would whisper, “My Chloe, you’re the best.” Now, he was taking everything he used to do for me and doing it to another woman. How pathetic. My thoughts snapped back to the present. Even as a ghost, my chest ached agonizingly. Those endless nights of intimacy had become the dullest, rustiest blade, slowly sawing into my heart every single second. I couldn’t bleed, but the pain was constant. As Arthur got out of bed to dress, his personal assistant immediately stepped forward to hand him a meticulously crafted cologne sachet to tie to his belt. “Where is the old one?” He suddenly spoke. I couldn’t help but look at the newly swapped sachet on his waist. The stitching was flawless, the embroidery beautiful. It was thousands of times better than the one I had made. The assistant knelt on the floor, trembling. “Miss Harper said the old one was too worn out and the craftsmanship was terrible, so she ordered me to throw it away.” Terrible? I stayed up for three nights straight, pricking all ten of my fingers until they bled, just to finish that sachet. It held all my love, and it contained a protective charm I had walked miles to a remote temple to pray for. To get that charm, I knelt and bowed every single step up the mountain until my knees were swollen and bleeding. Arthur had promised me he would keep it on him for the rest of his life. People who break their promises get long noses like Pinocchio. The system defended me indignantly. “Exactly! The sachet our Chloe made is the absolute best!” I threw a punch straight at Arthur’s face. But since I was just a ghost, my fist just generated a weak gust of cold air. Suddenly, Arthur exploded in fury. He kicked the assistant violently in the chest. “Who gave you permission to decide that?! Go find it right now!” The assistant’s face turned deathly pale. Ignoring the pain, he scrambled to dig through the trash until he found the sachet I had embroidered, and frantically tied it back onto Arthur’s belt. “If he doesn’t love you anymore, why does he insist on wearing it? What the hell is going through his head?” The system couldn’t understand it. It decided it needed to read more romance novels to expand its database on human psychology. I didn’t understand it either, but I couldn’t say that out loud. Otherwise, the system would mock me, saying a string of data understood human emotions better than I did. Arthur stared at the sachet in his hand, looking strangely lost in thought. Despite his careful preservation, after seven years, the sachet was completely frayed and worn out. Just like our relationship. It could never be repaired. His grip on the sachet tightened, and his expression turned terrifyingly cold. “How is she doing in the abandoned manor?” Before the assistant could even open his mouth, the system sarcastically chimed in: “Not much, just rotting and smelling bad.” Me: … “I… I don’t know, sir.” The assistant knelt on the floor, knocking his head against the ground repeatedly, completely unable to hide the sheer terror in his eyes. If Arthur refused to visit me personally, how would any of his staff dare to sneak over there? Everyone knew exactly what happened to the last housekeeper. The staff were so traumatized that they would probably never step within a mile of that manor for the rest of their lives. No one dared to cross Arthur’s absolute boundaries. The ruthless CEO standing before me had long ago shed the gentle, warm facade of his youth. Bloodthirsty and brutal—that was who he truly was now. Arthur delivered another vicious kick to the assistant’s chest, cursed him for being an idiot, and stormed out. The assistant coughed up blood, but not a single person dared to step forward to help him. “I really don’t recognize him anymore.” The system agreed. “Me neither. I watched you two grow up together. Back then, even though Arthur was a loner, he would never slaughter innocent people. Now… he’s genuinely terrifying.” I floated behind him, watching the direction he was walking, and guessed where he was going. “When he walks into the manor and sees my corpse… what kind of face do you think he’ll make?” I was suddenly incredibly curious. Would it be the cold indifference of a stranger? The agonizing, heart-shattering grief of a deeply devoted lover? Or would he feel a sick, euphoric satisfaction, driven purely by hatred? I was dying to know. So I followed Arthur, drifting slowly toward the manor where I had been imprisoned for seven years. 04 The abandoned manor was heavily guarded. A single glance showed how terrifyingly desolate it still was. The occasional howling wind rattled the broken window panes, creating an eerie, ghostly creaking sound. Even the guards stationed outside looked incredibly uneasy. After all, this was widely rumored to be the most haunted place on the entire estate. The moment Arthur appeared, all the guards immediately dropped to their knees. Someone rushed forward to unlock the heavy iron gates. As the rusted hinges shrieked open, I floated beside Arthur, stepping back into the prison I had lived in for seven years. But the moment he crossed the threshold, Arthur stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to another assistant beside him and viciously kicked him in the chest. “I ordered you to maintain this place! Is this how you maintain it?!” I followed his gaze. Because no one had stepped foot inside for so long, the massive oak tree in the courtyard had dropped a thick layer of dead leaves that no one bothered to sweep. The layer was so thick that even stepping on it produced a loud crunch. Weeds grew wildly through the cracks in the stone pathways, and thick spider webs coated the corners of the building. The assistant knelt on the ground begging for mercy. Even though it was entirely Arthur’s fault. “What an absolute hypocrite! If he actually gave a damn about you, Chloe, he wouldn’t have let you rot in this shithole for seven years!” The system raged on my behalf. Lately, Arthur had spent all his time with Harper, never once coming to see me. These snobby, opportunistic assistants naturally assumed the boss had forgotten about me, so why would they waste their energy maintaining the place? In the end, it was all because Arthur had moved on to someone else. How hilarious. But before Arthur could push the front door open, a maid came sprinting frantically toward us. She dropped to her knees and gasped, “Sir! Miss Harper… she’s pregnant.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “440987”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When we were taking photos in the snow, my boyfriend suddenly gave me a shoulder throw just to make his high school crush smile. “Just a joke! Look at your silly face, haha!” That day, his crush gave her most beautiful smile, while I broke my right arm and could never hold a scalpel again. Later, he was diagnosed with a rare disease, and the only doctor in the country who could perform the necessary surgery was me. The moment he threw me over his shoulder to please his crush, he threw his own life away. 01 It rarely snowed heavily in Seattle. After lunch, a few colleagues and I were strolling around the hospital grounds when we bumped into Audrey Miller taking photos of the snow. Back in medical school, she was famously known as the “Ice Queen”—her personality even colder than the surgical scalpels she wielded. She had never smiled. She was the goddess of many underclassmen and upperclassmen alike. “Dr. Miller!” A male colleague called out to her, handing her a coffee to warm her hands. “It’s freezing out here. Why are you all by yourself?” “Thanks, I don’t like crowds.” Audrey turned away indifferently, her pale skin looking as if it had been dusted with a thin layer of frost in the sunlight. Everyone wanted to take a group photo under a tree, so I pulled out my phone to act as the photographer. Bending over to find the right angle and distance, I counted down with my fingers: “Three, two…” On the last second of the countdown, a rush of wind swept past my ear. My boyfriend, Noah Davis, appeared out of nowhere. Laughing loudly, he hoisted me up while I was bent over and brutally slammed me down with a shoulder throw, right shoulder first! Thud! “Look at your silly face, hahaha!” I sank deep into the snow. The impact against the tree trunk hidden beneath the snow caused the branches to tremble slightly, sending a flurry of snowflakes drifting down like a fairy tale. For the first time ever, Audrey broke into a radiant smile, stunning everyone. 02 Why did Noah do this to me? Did he deliberately humiliate me just to coax a smile out of Audrey? What did I do wrong? My brain was completely blank for a few seconds. By the time the feelings of grievance and anger surged up, I realized my entire right shoulder was numb. I had completely lost feeling in my right arm, and when I tried to speak, only a sob came out. “Help…” “Wow, Audrey, this photo of you is so beautiful! I’ve known you for seven years and this is the first time I’ve seen you smile!” Noah had snatched my phone and was enthusiastically showing the photo to everyone like he was presenting a treasure. “Yeah, Dr. Miller, you really should smile more. You’re so beautiful!” “Noah, hurry up and help your girlfriend up. How could you do that?” Noah laughed, saying it was fine, and crouched down to dig me out of the snow. “Chloe’s a prankster offline too. We’re always messing with each other like bros. She’s fine…” His words came to a screeching halt when he met my dull, lifeless eyes. Digging further, he saw my unnaturally twisted right arm and immediately panicked. 03 “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Chloe! I was just joking with you…” My right shoulder had been pierced by a tree root, bleeding profusely. I was rushed into the ER. The Chief of Surgery and the Vice President of the hospital, who had just gotten off a grueling shift, both turned pale when they saw me and hurried in one after another to assist in the emergency operation. Noah gripped my left hand tightly, the corners of his eyes red. He wiped the snowflakes off my face over and over again, trembling uncontrollably in a panic. He was stopped outside the operating room. In the last second before the doors closed, I looked at him calmly and said one word: “Get lost.” 04 When I woke up in my hospital room, Audrey was asking the nurse about my medication from the previous night. The room was filled with a cloying scent. The sickly sweet smell of her floral essential oil even overpowered the smell of disinfectant. Next to my pillow was Audrey’s phone, the screen still illuminated. She had posted that group snow photo on her Instagram. Noah was the first to like and comment: [You really should smile more. You look beautiful when you smile.] I stared blankly for a few seconds. My gaze then fell on the medical chart next to the phone. Whether out of carelessness or malice, my chart had been casually tossed there by Audrey. I’m a surgeon too; I understand what the chart says. My right hand would never be able to hold a scalpel again. 05 The sound of pages turning was exceptionally loud. Audrey glanced back at me, coldly snatched the chart away, and didn’t say a word. Even though we went to the same med school and now worked in the same hospital, we weren’t close. Audrey rarely talked to men, and she completely ignored women. We had nothing to say to each other. “Is Chloe awake? I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Noah’s voice shattered the silence of the hospital room. He had just come off an all-night surgery. His handsome face was covered in sweat. His tall frame cautiously approached the bed, and he grasped my hand through the blanket. “I really just wanted to joke around with you. I’m sorry, Chloe.” “I’ve already called your mom and dad. Don’t worry!” “…You just have a fracture. We’ll do a minor surgery in a few days. Our Chief of Surgery will operate personally, and I’ll be there too. Your right hand will definitely recover!” Noah’s voice trembled at the end. Like a lost, helpless child, he kept his head down, stroking my fingers over and over again. Seeing that I wasn’t speaking, he gave a stiff smile and tremblingly pulled a velvet box from his pocket. “Oh right, look at my memory! Actually, yesterday, I wanted to propose to you.” 06 I hadn’t noticed when Audrey slipped out of the room. Noah’s eyes were burning with intensity, looking at me with deep affection: “Seattle has never seen such beautiful snow. I wanted to take advantage of it to propose to you… I wanted to make you mad first and then surprise you. You know, like the videos online. I really was just joking! I’m an idiot, I’m so stupid, I promise there won’t be a next time!” But inside the box was a very ordinary ring, showing no signs of careful preparation. Did he expect me to believe him? Noah grabbed my numb right hand: “Marry me, Chloe.” The silence in the room was terrifying. It felt like I could hear every single drop of IV fluid falling into the chamber. Suddenly, I laughed. Noah visibly let out a sigh of relief. He eagerly pressed his cheek into my palm, nuzzling it like a puppy trying to act cute and seek forgiveness. “Look at your silly face.” I used my uninjured left hand to grab his hair, my eyes turning icy cold: “You’re still thinking about proposing at a time like this? Go to the police station and make a statement first. You’ve committed assault.” “You made me angry just to propose? Stop making excuses for your mistakes. At that moment, you only wanted to humiliate me to make your goddess smile. Do you think I’m stupid?” “Furthermore, the people you should be apologizing to the most are my patients. They waited so long for a chance to have surgery. The highly specialized procedure they need can only be performed by me and our 96-year-old retired professor in the entire country. Now that my hand is ruined, who’s going to help them?” 07 Noah opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, so overwhelmed by guilt after his lie was exposed that he couldn’t speak. The quiet room was left to me alone. The water stains on the ceiling, caused by the melting snow, were slowly spreading, much like my own future—lost and without direction. I closed my eyes, and the hopeful faces of my patients quickly flashed through my mind. How was I going to explain this to them? “Noah, honestly, this isn’t your fault. No one can predict accidents. Chloe is just a young girl, she needs a bit more coaxing. She’ll be fine once she thinks it through.” Hearing the voice, my eyes snapped open. Audrey was standing outside my room, consoling Noah. “I guess this is why I don’t like getting close to anyone. I could never take my anger out on innocent people. Should you unconditionally blame your boyfriend just because he’s your boyfriend? I really look down on women who throw unreasonable tantrums like that.” I thought I was hallucinating. What kind of nonsense was Audrey spouting? Noah sighed heavily, his voice hoarse: “You’re right, Audrey. I understand what you mean. Regardless, I’ll take all the blame. I love her, and I can’t be as clear-headed and rational as you.” “You care about Chloe a lot too, don’t you? Staying here in the room to keep an eye on her. I thank you on her behalf. You should go back and get some rest.” Through the gaps in the blinds, I could vaguely see Audrey standing in front of Noah. Noah helplessly rubbed his face, and finally, with a reverent and gentle motion, he leaned against Audrey— “Thank you, Audrey.” … Expressionless, I picked up the phone: “Hello, 911? I was maliciously assaulted by a male colleague, and I suspect attempted murder!” 08 Noah and I met in college. If there was anything about him that won my heart, it was probably his sincerity—his ultimate weapon. He held nothing back with me and always took my side unconditionally, like a silly, clumsy puppy that loved wagging its tail at its owner. I didn’t have to question his true feelings; I just needed to slowly teach him how to love, how to navigate a relationship… But now, I no longer wanted to accompany a boy as he grew up. He could give his heart to me, but his soul would always lean toward that sacred, pure goddess. He made me sick. My parents rushed to the police station. After learning what happened, they strongly supported my decision. What kind of joke involves executing a flawless shoulder throw on your girlfriend without hesitation? He destroyed my future. And he had the audacity to blatantly lie to my parents afterward: He claimed I accidentally slipped in the hospital and injured my arm. 09 Faced with all my accusations, Noah didn’t say a single word in his defense and accepted whatever punishment was coming. In the end, it was the Hospital President and the Chief of Surgery who stepped forward to mediate, hoping the situation wouldn’t blow up. Noah would face an indefinite suspension, and lawyers would negotiate a financial settlement out of court, all to avoid jail time and protect the hospital’s reputation. Moreover, my 96-year-old mentor was hospitalized and in a coma, and no one wanted to agitate the old man with a massive scandal. An out-of-court settlement was fine. Noah had better get his money ready. The hospital quickly arranged for my surgery, telling me to focus solely on recovering my right hand and not to worry about anything else. But on my very first day hospitalized, a huge argument erupted at the nurses’ station over mandatory overtime. With two surgeons out of commission, all schedules and surgeries had to be reshuffled, drastically increasing everyone’s workload. Audrey, passing by during her rounds, stopped in front of the nurses’ station and said coldly: “Complaining won’t solve anything. You nurses are tired, but aren’t the doctors tired too?” “It was clearly just an accident. It’s Dr. Williams throwing a tantrum and escalating the situation that caused her boyfriend to be suspended. You can’t blame anyone else.” “Don’t mind me being blunt; I’m just telling the truth.” 10 The staff at the nurses’ station were stunned. Not having been at the scene, not knowing the full story, and hearing this from Audrey—the usually aloof “goddess” who hated gossip—made her words naturally convincing. Audrey turned to leave, but I quickly rushed up and grabbed her wrist— “Dr. Miller, if you have something to say, say it directly instead of making passive-aggressive remarks. What do you mean I escalated the situation?” “Let’s get this straight: I am the victim here! If it were any of you, and your boyfriend threw you for no reason, fracturing your arm so badly you could never hold a scalpel again, and then tried to pass it off as ‘just a joke’ or ‘an accident,’ wouldn’t you be angry? Wouldn’t you demand accountability? If not, you must be actual saints!” The nurses’ expressions shifted. I pulled up the group photo and placed my phone on the desk: “Dr. Miller was there when it happened. When Noah threw me, you smiled more radiantly than ever! What were you thinking? Were you really that happy?” Audrey swayed slightly, her teeth biting hard into her lower lip, the color draining from her face. Just as she was about to speak, a strong force suddenly pushed me away from behind. Noah stepped between us, shielding Audrey behind him. “Chloe, Audrey doesn’t understand these petty squabbles between women! Just drop it. Everything that happened is my fault.”

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