Author: Momo Chan

Everyone in the family could see the countdown above my sister Stella’s head. They all knew she would die on her sixteenth birthday. So Stella became the most precious person in this household. The delicious snacks were hers, the pretty dresses were hers, even the bedtime stories from Mom and Dad—those were hers too. I felt sorry for her, but I also envied all the favoritism she received. Until I finally made it to her sixteenth birthday. Mom and Dad, afraid I would cause trouble, locked me—burning with fever—in the storage room. I pounded on the door in fear. “Mom, let me out. I have a fever. My head hurts so much…” Mom gritted her teeth. “Enough! Your sister only has today left before she dies. Can’t you just bear with it?” “But I feel awful…” Gradually, the sounds outside the door disappeared, and my consciousness grew hazy… My body suddenly felt very light. Through the old wooden door, I could see the warm lights in the living room. Mom and Dad sat pressed close to Stella on the sofa. Mom’s hand gently patted Stella’s back while Dad kept his head down, his shoulders trembling slightly. Stella wore her only new dress—pale blue with tiny embroidered stars on the hem. Her face looked especially pale under the lamplight, her lips almost bloodless. “Mom, Dad, is Ivy really okay?” Stella’s voice was soft, heavy with congestion. “I heard her calling out that her head hurt…” “Don’t worry about her.” Mom echoed, reaching out to tenderly touch Stella’s cheek and brush the stray hair from her forehead. “Exactly. She’s not running a fever—she’s just faking illness for sympathy. You only have one more day before you…” Mom’s words caught in her throat. Her eyes reddened. “Just focus on your birthday tomorrow. Don’t let her ruin your mood.” Stella pressed her lips together and said nothing more, but her brow furrowed even tighter. I knew she always felt she owed me something. From the time I could remember, all the family’s favoritism piled onto her. I had to watch longingly as she got even a warm bowl of egg custard, let alone new clothes or new toys. But Stella would secretly slip me her snacks, alter the new dresses Mom and Dad gave her to fit me, and whenever Mom and Dad scolded me, she was always the first to shield me. She would always say, “Ivy, I’m sorry. It’s because of me that you suffer.” But Mom and Dad didn’t see it that way. Mom sighed, looking at Stella with eyes full of pity. “Don’t always defend her. That girl has been jealous of you since she was old enough to understand. She can’t stand to see you happy.” “Don’t you remember your fourteenth birthday?” Stella’s fourteenth birthday—that was the first time I truly understood the reality that Stella would die. That day, the family bought a cream cake for the first time, with fourteen thin candles stuck in it. Mom carefully lit the candles while Dad held up the old camera we’d had for years, wanting to capture one of Stella’s few remaining birthdays. I hid behind the door watching—watching the candlelight reflect on Stella’s face, watching her close her eyes to make a wish, watching the tears Mom and Dad struggled to hold back. I rushed out. I don’t know what I was thinking then. Maybe it was jealousy, maybe it was my inability to accept that the sister who was always so gentle with me was going to leave. I swept the cake to the floor. Cream smeared everywhere, candles rolled into corners and quickly went out. “I don’t want to watch you celebrate her birthday!” I shrieked like every annoying bratty child. I still remember the look in Mom and Dad’s eyes. When Dad’s hand came down, I didn’t dodge. Once, twice, three times… Mom cried but didn’t stop him. It was Stella who threw herself over me, using her thin body to shield me. “Don’t hit Ivy anymore, Dad, stop hitting her!” Her voice trembled, but she held me tightly. “It’s my fault, all my fault…” That night, Stella snuck into my room and pressed half a candy she’d hidden into my hand. She had a red mark on her wrist from where the chair had scratched her while protecting me during the day. “Ivy, I’m sorry.” She said softly, her fingers gently touching my swollen cheek. “I’ll be gone soon, and after that… after that, no one will compete with you for things anymore.” In the living room, Mom tenderly touched Stella’s face, her fingertips softly brushing the stray hair from her forehead. “Stella, don’t pay attention to her.” Mom said, exhaustion in her voice. “That child has been jealous of you since she was old enough to understand. You know that.” I froze. Yes, I was jealous of Stella. I was jealous that she had all the favoritism, jealous of her new dresses, jealous that when she had a fever Mom would watch over her all night, jealous that even with only one day left to live, she was still the apple of Mom and Dad’s eye. I drifted toward Stella, wanting to grab her hand, wanting to tell her I really did have a fever, that my head really hurt. But my hand passed straight through her body, like passing through a wisp of fog. I stopped mid-air, staring blankly at my transparent fingers. I looked back at the tightly shut storage room door. Dim light leaked from beneath the crack. I floated over and passed through the door panel, seeing myself curled up among the clutter. I was already dead. What came before Stella’s countdown hit zero was actually my death.

Memories rushed in like a tide, carrying the smell of old dust. When I was younger, maybe five or six years old, I really did hate Stella. If there was only one piece of candy in the house, it was Stella’s. The only apple got cut in half—the bigger piece for Stella, the smaller for me. New clothes always went to Stella first. I wore her hand-me-downs. Even bedtime stories were Stella’s. Mom’s voice was so gentle. She would read “The Little Prince”, read “Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales”, read those stories about stars and moons. But she only read those stories to Stella. I would secretly crouch by the door crack, listening to Mom say softly, “Stella, what would you like to hear today?” “I want to hear The Little Mermaid,” Stella said. So Mom would begin reading, her voice like a stream at night, flowing slowly. I squatted outside the door, hugging my knees, listening to those beautiful sentences, my heart feeling squeezed by something. Why couldn’t she read to me too? The summer I turned seven, Mom roasted a chicken. Two golden, glistening drumsticks sat on top. At dinner, Mom carefully placed both drumsticks in Stella’s bowl. “Stella, eat more. Build up your strength.” I looked at the few green vegetables in my own bowl. Tears suddenly fell. “Why does Stella get both drumsticks!” “I want to eat them too! I want chicken drumsticks too!” Dad’s chopsticks slammed heavily on the table. “Ivy! How can you be so inconsiderate!” He stood up, his face dark with anger. “Don’t you know Stella’s health is poor? Don’t you know that Stella…” He couldn’t continue. I didn’t know. I only knew that Stella’s complexion was always very pale, that she sometimes coughed, that Mom and Dad always looked at her with that sad expression. But I didn’t know what that meant. “Why, why does everything belong to Stella!” I cried out, jumping down from my chair and pointing at Stella sitting across from me. “Why don’t you just die! Give my things back to me!” Stella’s tears instantly fell, big drops splashing into her bowl. She opened her mouth but couldn’t make a sound. Mom shot up and slapped me across the face. That was the first time I’d been hit so hard. Stella lunged forward to protect me, but Mom held her back tightly. “Let her learn her lesson! Let her know what she can and can’t say!” The next day, I overheard Mom and Dad talking in the kitchen. “Nine more years left.” Mom’s voice was crying. “I know.” Dad’s voice was hoarse. “Nine years… just nine years…” That’s when I learned that Stella really would die. That the numbers above her head that no one else could see were her life countdown. In the living room, Mom and Dad, eyes red, carefully sent Stella back to her room. I watched, my heart suddenly aching. “Should we… let Ivy out?” Dad’s voice was soft. Mom was silent for a long time. “Let her endure it a bit longer.” Mom finally spoke, her voice so exhausted it seemed to take all her strength. “At least… let Stella spend this birthday peacefully. Just this one day. The last day.” I saw Mom raise her hand to wipe her eyes. “Ivy will understand.” She seemed to be convincing herself. “After Stella’s gone, we’ll… we’ll definitely make it up to her.” Dad said nothing more, just walked to the kitchen, took a small piece of bread from the cupboard, and walked toward me.

“Ivy.” He said softly to the door. “Dad brought you some bread. Eat something, don’t go hungry.” I floated in front of him and crouched down to look at him. His eyes were very red, the wrinkles at the corners deeper than last year, white hair already showing at his temples. He was only forty this year, but looked like he was fifty. “Dad, I’m right here. I died. Won’t you come in and look at me?” “Ivy?” He called again. I reached out to touch his face. My fingers passed through his body. “Sigh.” Dad sighed and stood up disappointedly. “This child… still sulking.” He pushed the bread further through the door crack. “Just stay in there and behave. Don’t make trouble. After your sister is gone… Dad will definitely make it up to you.” I didn’t wait for him to discover me. I looked at his retreating back and said softly: “You don’t need to, Dad. You don’t need to make it up to me.” You’ll never have the chance. After Dad left, the hallway fell silent again. Soft sounds came from the living room. Mom came out of Stella’s room, gently closed the door, and stood in the hallway in a daze. She looked at the storage room door, her lips pressed tightly together, as if struggling with something. Finally she walked over and crouched where Dad had just crouched. “Ivy.” Her voice was soft. “Don’t blame Mom, okay?” “Mom knows you feel wronged.” She continued, her fingers unconsciously picking at splinters on the door panel. “But Stella only has one day left. Just let her have this, let her leave happy, okay?” I floated in front of her, seeing moisture at the corners of her eyes. She raised her hand and wiped quickly, as if afraid someone would see. “After Stella’s gone, Mom will make your favorite burgers, a whole plate, all for you.” Her voice grew smaller and smaller, finally becoming almost a murmur. “I’ll buy you a new dress, the kind with bows—you’ve always wanted one, haven’t you? Mom will take you to the amusement park, ride the carousel, ride the roller coaster… didn’t you say all your classmates have been there except you?” Her tears finally fell, hitting the old hallway tiles and spreading into small dark spots. “I’ll give you everything, everything… so just today, just today, don’t make trouble, okay?” I reached out, wanting to wipe away her tears. She waited for a while. The storage room remained silent. The sadness on Mom’s face slowly faded, replaced by a kind of anger. She suddenly stood up, stumbling because the movement was too abrupt. “This child… so inconsiderate!” She muttered quietly, her voice thick with tears. “Doesn’t think about her parents at all. Raised you all these years for nothing!” She turned and walked away quickly, her back stiff. As evening came, the sky gradually darkened. Mom came out of the kitchen carrying a small basket with a red cloth inside, along with some colored paper and scissors— Birthday decorations prepared for Stella. She’d just reached the living room when the doorbell rang. It was Grandma. Grandma held a cloth bag, bulging and full. Seeing Mom, she forced a smile. “Mom, why are you here?” Mom was a bit surprised and quickly stepped aside to let Grandma in. “I came to see Stella.” Grandma’s voice was somewhat hoarse. She put the cloth bag on the table and took out several apples and some pastries. “Tomorrow is the child’s birthday. I… I came to see her.” “Stella’s resting in her room.” Mom said, taking the things from Grandma’s hands. “Please sit. I’ll call her.” “No, no need. Let her rest properly.” Grandma sat down on the sofa, her gaze sweeping around the living room, her brow furrowing slightly. “Where’s Ivy? Why don’t I see Ivy?”

Mom’s expression changed instantly. “She… she’s in her room doing homework.” Mom avoided Grandma’s gaze, lowering her head to arrange the red cloth in the basket. Grandma said nothing, just looked at her. “Homework?” “I’ll go check on her.” “Mom!” Mom quickly stood up. “Ivy is… throwing a tantrum. I have her reflecting in the storage room.” Grandma’s movements stopped. “What did you say?” She asked, one word at a time. “You locked Ivy in the storage room?” “Knowing tomorrow is Stella’s…” Mom’s voice grew smaller and smaller, finally almost inaudible. Grandma’s face slowly darkened. She stood up, swaying because the movement was too sudden. Mom tried to help her but was pushed away. “Susan!” Grandma’s voice trembled. “Ivy is your daughter too!” Mom opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but Grandma cut her off. “Yes, I know Stella had a hard fate, born with that cursed countdown. I know you love her, want to give her the best of everything, let her leave happy!” Grandma’s voice grew louder and louder, tears pooling in her eyes. “But what about Ivy? Isn’t Ivy suffering too? From childhood until now, what has she ever gotten? Stella’s old hand-me-down clothes, Stella’s leftover food, even your love—she has to share half with her sister!” “Mom, I didn’t…” Mom tried to defend herself, but her voice was weak and unconvincing. “Both children are good children, both are good children… but what about you two? As parents, don’t you owe Ivy? Doesn’t she deserve even a little love?” Mom collapsed into a chair, covering her face, her shoulders shaking violently. “And now you won’t even let the sisters see each other one last time?” Grandma’s voice was hoarse. “Stella is going to… going to leave tomorrow. Ivy is her only sister, the sister she’s protected since childhood! How can you let Stella leave? Let her leave with regrets?” “I… I didn’t…” Mom’s voice leaked through her fingers, broken and fragmented. “I just wanted Stella’s last day to be happy. I didn’t want Ivy to disturb her…” Night deepened. Stella’s bedroom door remained tightly shut. “Go to sleep.” Grandma finally spoke, her voice hoarse. “Tomorrow… we still need to get up early.” Mom shifted, as if wanting to say something, but finally just shook her head. “I can’t sleep.” Dad didn’t move either. Grandma sighed and didn’t press further. She stood up, walked to the storage room door, crouched down, and said softly through the crack: “Ivy, Grandma’s here with you. Don’t be afraid.” My tears fell again. Time passed second by second. The candles burned out and the living room fell into darkness. The sky outside the window gradually brightened, changing from deep blue to gray-blue, then to the pale color of fish bellies. The first rays of morning light passed through the glass window, falling on the old floorboards, illuminating the floating dust in the air. Grandma stood up, walked to Stella’s bedroom door, raised her hand to knock, but stopped in mid-air. She hesitated for a long time, finally only saying softly: “Stella, time to get up.” Slight sounds came from inside the room. The door opened. “Grandma, Mom, Dad.” She said softly, showing a faint smile. Mom suddenly stood up and rushed over to embrace her, holding so tightly as if trying to meld her into flesh and bone. Dad also walked over, his hand trembling as he gently touched Stella’s head. “Stella…” Mom’s voice was completely broken. “I’m fine, Mom.” Stella said softly, her hand gently patting Mom’s back. “I’m really fine.” Grandma stood to the side, quietly watching. She watched for a long time, then suddenly remembered something and whipped around to look at the storage room. “Ivy!” Her voice was especially clear in the quiet morning. “Quickly, let Ivy out!” Only then did Mom and Dad remember me locked in the storage room. They broke into smiles through their tears, saying repeatedly: “Yes, yes, yes, let Ivy out. Ivy’s still in the storage room!” “Her sister is fine. This is wonderful news!” Mom pulled Stella along while Dad walked ahead. The family of three ran toward the storage room, faces full of joy. But when they reached the storage room door and Dad’s hand just pushed it open, his expression suddenly changed drastically. He jerked his hand back, murmuring: “Wrong, it’s all wrong!”

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I went undercover to work at a company under my family’s corporation. I didn’t expect to run into Sophia Smith, a manager who worships men and despises women. I was trembling from menstrual cramps and went to ask her for leave. Sophia took a leisurely sip of her coffee and rolled her eyes at me: “Young women are so dramatic. It’s just period cramps—grit your teeth and get through it.” Just then, intern Kevin pushed the door open. “Miss Smith, I need to take the day off. Didn’t sleep well last night, want to go home and catch up on some sleep.” Behind me came Sophia’s saccharine voice: “Oh my goodness, you work so hard. You men need to take care of yourselves while building your careers.” I laughed. Him, hardworking? He writes sixty lines of code and twenty of them are wrong! Just as I was about to leave the office, Sophia called out to me. “Laura, the group leadership is coming for the KDD project presentation. Let Kevin present instead of you—men command more authority.” I froze mid-step. I turned to look at Sophia and spoke without hesitation: “I refuse!” The KDD project was a promise I made to Grandpa three years ago. If I succeeded with the KDD project, Grandpa would agree to let me start my own company. And this project presentation was my moment to deliver! Seeing my refusal, Sophia’s face instantly darkened. “Don’t be so selfish. You’re a veteran at the company—give the younger people some opportunities. Kevin’s about to be converted to full-time, he needs some decent achievements to show.” I turned around. The persistent cramping pain in my lower abdomen made it impossible to stand straight, forcing me to lean against the door frame. I suppressed my discomfort and explained: “This presentation is very important to me.” I hoped she would back down after hearing this. Instead, what I heard was her raised voice scolding me: “Important? What isn’t important? Don’t think I don’t know you want to show off in front of the group leadership! You’re just a woman—what are you trying to prove!” She raised her chin arrogantly, her gaze scanning over me like an X-ray. She sneered: “Why are you so competitive as a woman? I think you look decent enough—just dress yourself up pretty every day and find a rich man to marry. Wouldn’t that be better?” Then she looked at intern Kevin, her tone suddenly turning coquettish. “My husband says women should be like me, a pretty little princess~” I really didn’t have the mood or energy to watch her affectation. I just replied flatly: “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back to my desk.” Sophia seemed to feel her dignity was challenged. She slammed her coffee cup down on the desk with a harsh clatter. “Don’t you dare brush me off!” “I’m advising you to be smart! The group leadership is coming personally this time. If you screw it up, you can’t handle the consequences!” She stood up, clicking toward me in her four-inch heels. Looking down at me: “Look at you, you can barely stand. Letting you present—wouldn’t that embarrass our company image?” She beckoned to Kevin: “Look at Kevin, handsome young man with good presence and a strong voice. The leadership will be impressed! Go organize the data and send it to Kevin so he can familiarize himself with it.” Before I could speak, Kevin quickly chimed in: “Thank you, Laura! I really appreciate it. Don’t worry, I’ll memorize all the data in advance and won’t let you down.”

He spoke quickly, as if afraid I would refuse first. Another sharp pain twisted through my abdomen, cold sweat forming on my forehead. But I still lifted my head to look at the two people in front of me. “This project, from planning to execution, every line of code, every piece of data, even every client meeting—I handled all of it myself! Kevin doesn’t even understand the project background. Are you sure you want him to present?” Sophia’s expression grew even uglier. “What do you mean? Questioning my decision?” Her tone became sharper: “Let me tell you! I’m in charge of this department. Whoever I say presents, presents. Do you think you own this company?” The commotion had drawn quite a bit of attention, with several colleagues poking their heads out from their desks. I frowned, unwilling to engage in meaningless arguments with her. “You can fight over anything else, but this KDD project presentation must be mine.” My tone was calm but carried unwavering determination. But Sophia suddenly laughed. “I understand now.” She covered her mouth exaggeratedly, her eyes filled with unconcealed contempt and disgust. “You’re so insistent on presenting because you want to show off in front of the group leadership, looking for a chance to sleep your way up, right?” Her words were cutting, her voice shrill and piercing. As soon as she said this, I clearly felt more and more colleagues casting hostile glances my way. Before I could say anything, Sophia continued in her raised voice: “You young girls nowadays are so shameless, always trying to take shortcuts with your bodies. No wonder you always dress up so flashily at work—turns out you’re just fishing for men.” “Watch your mouth!” The soreness in my lower back combined with the cramping pain already had me irritated. Hearing this made anger surge in my chest. “You need evidence when you speak. Making baseless accusations and slander like this—I can sue you!” Sophia snorted and took two steps closer to me. She crossed her arms, shrugging her shoulders dismissively. “Am I wrong? Why are you pretending to be innocent? Don’t think I don’t know what you do in private. Seducing men—you’re a professional, aren’t you?” She reached out, rubbing the fabric of my clothes between her fingers, pursing her lips: “This brand, costs at least a hundred thousand dollars, right? You’re a fresh graduate—where’d you get that kind of money!” “What, got hooked on servicing old men, now planning to seduce our group CEO?” As soon as she said this, a commotion rippled through the office. Several colleagues huddled together and started whispering. “No way, Laura’s actually that kind of person? She always seemed like such a good kid.” “That’s what you don’t understand. These women are the best at playing innocent. Those rich old men love that type.” “I knew it—wondered where she got the money for all those clothes and bags at her age. So that’s how she earns it. It’s easier for women to make money.” Listening to the vulgar gossip around me, my fists clenched involuntarily. “Dirty-minded people see everything as dirty!” The outfit Sophia mentioned was a gift I bought myself when I earned my first pot of gold from entrepreneurship in my sophomore year. It was the first thing in my life I bought without using a cent of my family’s money. This outfit held extraordinary meaning for me. But in others’ mouths, it became “spoils of war” I’d earned by selling my body. As if a woman’s value could only be defined by the men beside her.

I had no interest in arguing with these idiots. Right now I just wanted to finish the presentation and leave this place reeking of old-world misogyny. But my patience and retreat, in Sophia’s eyes, became a signal for her to continue her attack. She extended her hands with their long artificial nails and dug them viciously into my chin. Her tone contemptuous: “Women like you, I’ve seen plenty! Pretty enough to flaunt yourself and seduce men—you’re cheap trash. Sharing the same space with you disgusts me!” “Still want to show off in front of the group leadership? Kill that dream! Don’t go up there and embarrass the company!” “Be smart and get lost now, before I have to do it myself.” She shoved me away violently, her nails scratching a red mark across my chin. I was already unsteady on my feet. This push made me stumble and crash hard into the door frame. I clutched my arm in pain and turned to glare at Sophia. “Malicious slander! Workplace bullying! Your days as department manager are numbered! You better wait—I hope you won’t be begging me on your knees later!” With that, I ignored these people and turned toward my desk. Behind me came Sophia’s mocking laughter: “Ooh, I’m so scared. I’d like to see who ends up kneeling to whom!” The manager’s office door slammed shut. I walked to my desk under everyone’s judgmental stares and opened my computer. A message popped up in the bottom right corner. It was from HR director Rachel Norton. “Laura, come to my office.” Looking at those words, my heart sank. I walked into Rachel’s office. She was organizing files in her hands. Seeing me, she spoke without looking up: “You’ve been fired. This is the termination agreement. Take a look, and if there’s no problem, sign it.” She handed me the document. I skimmed through it, my fingers gripping the papers so hard they turned white. “What’s the reason?” I slapped the agreement on the desk. Rachel raised an eyebrow at me, then after a long moment, sighed: “Laura, we’re all civilized people. Some things are better left unsaid for everyone’s sake. Listen to me, sign it and leave early. Don’t make it ugly for everyone in the end.” She spoke with apparent concern, but I couldn’t help laughing. “Let’s be direct then. I’m asking you—what grounds do you have to fire me? I haven’t been late, left early, or been absent. My work ability speaks for itself. I haven’t violated any company rules or regulations!” Rachel looked at me, her tone calm: “Your personal morals are questionable and would tarnish the company’s image. Is that reason enough?” She spoke as calmly as if stating the most ordinary fact. I was shaking with anger. I leaned on the desk, speaking word by word: “What evidence do you have? You want to condemn me based on slander?” Seeing my agitation, Rachel patted my hand. “I know you’re unwilling, but this is a directive from above. I have no choice either. We’re all just workers—don’t make this hard for me…” Still that calm tone, calm to the point of numbness. At that moment I deeply understood the phrase “those who wrong you know your grievance better than anyone.” She wasn’t unaware that I was being slandered, but she chose cold indifference. I took a deep breath, suppressing my anger. “I won’t make it hard for you. Just tell me the truth—this is Sophia’s doing, isn’t it?” Rachel glanced carefully at the door. She nodded slightly and spoke quietly: “Mr. Miller sent the email personally…”

Mr. Miller, Marcus Miller, Sophia’s husband and the general manager of this subsidiary. “Fine!” I straightened up: “I’m not signing this termination agreement!” With that, I walked straight out of the office. But when I returned to my desk, I was completely dumbfounded. My once fully-stocked workspace was now completely empty! Even my computer monitor and tower had been removed! “Who moved my stuff?” I asked my nearby colleagues. They exchanged glances, but no one spoke. “What’s all the noise? The company is reclaiming office resources. Is there a problem?” Sophia’s voice came from behind me. She clicked over in her heels, head held high. Intern Kevin followed right behind her. “You’ve already been fired. Why are you still shamelessly hanging around the company?” I ignored her mockery and asked directly. “Where are my things?” She snorted coldly: “That pile of junk? Thrown away, of course.” “Who gave you the right to touch my things without my permission?” Being maliciously targeted again and again, I had no patience left for tolerance. Seeing I was standing my ground, Sophia lost her temper too. “Who do you think you are? Company property is mine to handle! Including you!” I laughed coldly and pointed at my desk. “The pen is a Faber-Castell Count series annual limited edition. The mouse pad is Bottega Veneta. The cup is Baccarat. Plus all the other items, they add up to about half a million dollars.” I looked at Sophia and smiled. “Miss Smith, you’d better explain this to the police.” With that, I picked up my phone, preparing to call the police. But before I could unlock it, Sophia rushed forward and snatched my phone from my hand, smashing it hard on the ground. “Who the hell are you trying to scare?” She grabbed my hair and her palm came down. The change happened too fast for me to react. And as if deliberately, she raised her knee and rammed it hard into my lower abdomen. My already cramping abdomen now felt like it had been run over by a truck. The stabbing pain shot through to my lower back. My face turned deathly pale instantly, cold sweat pouring out. As if still not satisfied, she shoved me hard, and I crashed to the floor. I curled up on the ground in pain, clutching my stomach and unable to stop groaning. Sophia crouched down and grabbed my hair again. The tearing pain in my scalp forced me to lift my head. She gripped my chin, her tone vicious: “I knew you were a slut! Who are you moaning for?” I forced myself to look up at Sophia, speaking word by word: “You just wait!” “Hah, cheap bones are always tough. Let’s see how long you can keep that up!” She snorted through her nose, grabbed my hair, and slammed my head against the floor. The intense pain blanked my mind instantly. Ringing filled my ears and my vision blurred. I bit down hard on my tongue, trying to stay conscious. “Miss Smith, forget it. No need to get angry over this kind of trash.” Kevin laughed as he tried to calm Sophia down. I looked up at him. He was watching me with amusement, his words sounding like advice, but his eyes were full of satisfaction and excitement. Sophia seemed afraid things would escalate. Hearing this, she released my hair. She stood up, looking down at me: “Get the hell out now and stop looking for trouble!” Kevin stepped forward pretending to help me, but at an angle no one could see, he leaned close to my ear and spoke in a frivolous tone: “Laura, why bother? If you’d agreed to be my girlfriend back then, none of this would have happened. I definitely wouldn’t have competed with you for these meaningless titles.”

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I’d been with Ethan Pierce for five years, thinking I was the person he trusted most. Five years of obedience, humiliation, and sacrifice. In his eyes, I was nothing but a shadow, a stand in for Claire Sullivan, the one he truly loved. The day Claire came back, he made me kneel on the floor to wipe her shoes. My dignity was crushed again and again. Even when I left, my freedom was restricted by his power and influence. Then came the day when he deliberately made out with Claire right in front of me, repeating over and over that she was the woman he truly loved. I dialed a phone number I’d kept buried for so long. “Come pick me up and take me home. Also, I want the Pierce family bankrupt.” Sophia Bennett POV I’d been with Ethan Pierce for five years. Everyone in our circle knew I was the most obedient pet Ethan kept by his side. If he told me to go east, I’d never go west. He didn’t let me wear dresses, so for five years I only wore pants. Everyone thought I was madly in love with Ethan, and Ethan himself thought so too. Late night. Pouring rain. I’d just finished cleaning up the company’s mess and came back to the villa soaking wet. The living room lights were off. The smell of smoke was suffocating. A crimson glow flickered in the darkness. Ethan sat on the sofa, his expression cold and hard. “You’re back?” His voice was hoarse. I set down my bag and went to change into slippers out of habit. “Why didn’t you turn on the lights? Is your stomach bothering you again? I’ll go make you some-” “Claire’s back in the country.” My movements froze. The air seemed to freeze. Claire. The one woman Ethan had always wanted but could never have. Because my face looked like Claire’s, especially my eyes. After a long moment, I straightened up, my fingertips curling slightly. “So?” Ethan stubbed out his cigarette, not even glancing at me. “She’s settling down here and hasn’t found a suitable place yet. This villa is close to her company. She likes it.” I lowered my eyes. “You’re telling me to move out?” “Move to that apartment in Regent Bay.” Ethan’s tone was casual. “Don’t bring too much stuff. Claire is obsessive about cleanliness. I don’t want any sign that someone else was living here.” Traces of other people. Five years. Over eighteen hundred days and nights. Turns out in his eyes, I was just an “other person” leaving my mark on his space. I smiled. “Okay.” I didn’t cry or make a scene. He finally looked up at me, frowning slightly. “What kind of compensation do you want? A check, or resources?” “No need.” I turned and headed upstairs. “I’ll go pack now.” “Sophia.” He called after me. I paused. “Don’t blame me.” Ethan’s voice was cold. “When we got together, I made it clear there were rules. Now that the real one is back, the stand in should naturally step aside.” I didn’t turn around. “Don’t worry, Mr. Pierce. I understand the rules very well.” That night, I packed quickly. Actually, I never had much that belonged to me anyway. The expensive jewelry, clothes, and bags-Ethan had bought them all based on Claire’s preferences. I only took a few old clothes and a photo album. Before leaving, I placed a spare key on the entry table. It made a crisp sound. Like something breaking. The day after I moved into Regent Bay, I was called back to the company. I was Ethan’s executive assistant. Even after breaking up, business still had to be handled. These five years, I’d kept work and personal life completely separate. Even if he left me so exhausted the night before that I could barely get out of bed, I still showed up the next day in heels to go over his schedule with precision. “Mr. Pierce, here’s today’s meeting agenda.” I placed the documents on the desk, my expression calm. Ethan glanced at me. “There’s an auction tonight.” Ethan finished signing and tapped his pen on the marble desktop. “Come with me.” I gave a professional smile. “Sure, I’ll arrange for a stylist.” “No need.” Ethan tossed me a gift box. “Wear this.” I opened the box. It was a white mermaid gown with a daring cut, the back almost completely bare. This not only didn’t fit my usual style, but more importantly, I had a scar on my back. From three years ago when Ethan was targeted by a rival. During the car accident, I threw myself over him to protect him and got cut by glass shards. Back then, Ethan held my bloodied body with red-rimmed eyes, saying he’d protect me for life. Now, as soon as that woman came back, he’d forgotten. “What? Don’t like it?” Ethan raised an eyebrow. I closed the box, my fingers gripping the edge tightly. “Mr. Pierce, this dress is backless. I have a scar. It might not look appropriate.” “A scar?” Ethan seemed to pause for a moment, then smiled carelessly. “That old scar must have faded by now, right? Besides, Claire likes this style. I want to see how it looks when worn.” I see. Another fitting model. I felt like my heart was being squeezed by a giant hand, the pain suffocating. I took a deep breath, maintaining my polite smile. “Understood.” That evening, at the auction, I entered on Ethan’s arm, turning heads. The dress was beautiful, but it was also revealing. I’d covered the scar on my back with concealer, but under the lights it was still faintly visible. People around whispered, their gazes filled with amusement. But Ethan seemed oblivious, only focused on exchanging pleasantries. Until the auction began. The finale was a set of pink diamond jewelry with a starting bid of eighty million dollars. Ethan bid without hesitation. I sat beside him and heard him say in a low voice: “Claire has fair skin. Pink looks good on her.” The price soared to two hundred million dollars. Eventually, Ethan won. After the event ended, staff brought over the jewelry box. Ethan took out the necklace and turned to look at me. “Try it on.” I froze. “It’s for Miss Sullivan. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to try it, would it?” “Just try it when I tell you to.” Ethan’s tone was impatient. “Your neck is slender, about the same as hers.” In front of everyone. I was forced to lower my head as cold diamonds touched warm skin. Ethan examined it for a moment and nodded with satisfaction. “Not bad.” The next second, he reached out and removed the necklace, putting it back in the box. His movements were efficient, not giving me even one extra second of warmth. “Alright, send this to Claire.” He shoved the box into my arms and strode away. I held that priceless box, standing in the cold wind, feeling like a joke.

Sophia Bennett POV Claire’s birthday party was set on a yacht. I didn’t want to go, but as secretary, I had to be there to coordinate. Top deck of the yacht. Lights and glamour everywhere. Ethan stayed by Claire’s side the whole time. The two of them standing together drew envious looks. I hid in a corner checking the guest list, trying to minimize my presence. “Isn’t this Ethan Pierce’s secretary?” A few rich kids came over with wine glasses, teasing. “I heard Mr. Pierce cleared out his villa for the goddess Claire to live in. So where are you living now?” “Miss Bennett, you used to seem so proud. How are you like a dog now?” One of them reached out to touch my face. “After five years with him, it must’ve been quite an experience, huh?” I turned my head to avoid him, saying coldly. “Show some respect.” “Stop acting so high and mighty!” The man flew into a rage and splashed red wine on me. My white shirt instantly soaked through, clinging to my skin. I looked completely disheveled. The man, emboldened by alcohol, reached to pull at my collar. “Stop!” Ethan’s voice rang out. The group immediately scattered, apologizing with nervous smiles. “Just joking around…” Ethan walked over, his gaze falling on my soaked clothes, a flash of disgust in his eyes. He took off his suit jacket, but not to give to me. Instead, he draped it over Claire’s bare shoulders next to him. “It’s windy. Don’t catch cold.” Claire held onto his arm, looking at me with surprise. “Oh my, Miss Bennett, what happened to you? Go change quickly, don’t catch a cold.” I bit my lip hard, saying nothing. “What are you standing there for?” Ethan frowned. “Get out of here. Don’t embarrass yourself.” I turned to leave. Suddenly, the boat lurched violently. Someone screamed. “Someone fell overboard!” In the chaos, I was shoved by panicking people, lost my footing, and toppled over the railing. At the same moment, Claire was also knocked off balance, hanging precariously on the edge of the railing. “Ethan! Save me!” Claire screamed. I gripped the outer edge of the railing. Below my feet was dark, churning seawater. I couldn’t swim. Ethan knew this. Five years ago, I nearly drowned trying to retrieve documents that fell into a pool for him. He was the one who pulled me out. At this moment, Ethan was only six feet away. He glanced at Claire, then at me. Just one second of hesitation. He rushed toward Claire and grabbed her wrist. “Save her! Pull Claire up first!” Ethan yelled at the arriving security guards. My fingers slipped on the railing, bit by bit. My nails broke. Blood dripped. I watched that man who once said he’d protect me for life hold another woman tightly, soothing her gently. While I was like a withered leaf, unnoticed by anyone. “Ethan…” My voice was barely audible, scattered in the sea breeze. Before my last bit of strength ran out, I let go. Cold seawater instantly engulfed me. As suffocation set in, I actually felt relieved. If this was the end, then so be it. But I was lucky. I was pulled up by a police rescue boat. Water in my lungs. High fever that wouldn’t break. I was unconscious in the hospital for three days. During those three days, Ethan never came once. When I woke up, only a nurse was changing my bandages. “Your boyfriend is so heartless.” The young nurse felt indignant for me. “I heard that woman just scraped her skin a bit, and he stayed by her side for three days and nights. You almost died, and not a single person came to see you.” I stared at the ceiling and laughed. “He’s not my boyfriend.” Right. He never was. Just a sugar daddy and his plaything. My phone vibrated on the bedside table. It was Ethan calling. I watched that name flash for a long time before answering.

Sophia Bennett POV “You’re awake?” The background noise on the phone was chaotic, like he was still at the hospital. “Once you’re awake, come back to the office and do the handover. These past few days without you, the schedule’s been a complete mess.” No concern. No guilt. The first thing he said was about work. My throat was painfully dry. “I’m in the hospital.” “Stop being dramatic.” Ethan said impatiently. “The doctor said you just swallowed some water. You’re not dying. Claire’s been traumatized and is still getting psychological counseling. Hurry over and handle the PR. The media got photos of the incident that day.” I closed my eyes. Tears slid down from the corners into my pillow. “Ethan.” “What now?” “Let’s end this.” Silence on the other end for a few seconds, then came a scoff. “Sophia Bennett, playing this trick once was enough. Want a raise or want a bag? Just say it.” In his eyes, all my pain and struggle were nothing but tactics to gain benefits. My hand holding the phone trembled slightly. “I’m serious. I’m resigning, and I’m… leaving you.” “You dare?” Ethan’s voice turned icy. “Sophia Bennett, did you forget who pulled you out of the gutter? Without me, what are you?” “You’re right. I’m nothing.” I pulled out the IV needle from the back of my hand. Blood immediately welled up, but I couldn’t feel the pain. “So I’m done serving you.” With that, I hung up and blocked that number I knew by heart. I climbed out of the hospital bed, ignoring the nurse’s attempts to stop me, insisting on checking out. Back at Regent Bay, I packed up everything Ethan had given me and called a courier to send it all back to the villa. Then I booked the earliest flight to San Diego. That was my grandmother’s hometown, and where I’d originally wanted to go. Before leaving, I went to the company one more time. The HR director looked shocked to see me. “Miss Bennett, Mr. Pierce said without his signature, we can’t process your resignation.” I slapped my resignation letter on the desk, along with a bank card containing five hundred thousand dollars. “I’ll pay the penalty. There’s five hundred thousand dollars on this card. That’s enough compensation, right?” “Tell Ethan Pierce that these five years, consider it me paying for his services. Transaction complete. We’re even.” The moment I walked out of Pierce Corporation’s building, the sunlight was blinding. I looked back at that towering skyscraper. That was the cage that had trapped me for five years. Now, I was finally free. But I couldn’t leave. At the airport security checkpoint, red lights flashed piercingly. The ground staff handed back my passport, their eyes carrying both sympathy and the look of watching a show. “I’m sorry, Miss Bennett. Your identification has been restricted from leaving the country. If you have questions, please contact the police or… the relevant restricting party.” The relevant restricting party. Besides Ethan Pierce, who else could it be? My fingers holding the passport turned cold. I walked out of the airport terminal and called that number I’d just blocked. The phone was answered after just one ring. A man’s casual voice came through, accompanied by the crisp sound of a lighter. “Finally willing to call?” “Why did you restrict my travel?” I stood in the wind, my voice trembling. “Sophia Bennett, you think five hundred thousand can buy out five years? You think the company’s a flea market where you can come and go as you please?” Ethan exhaled a smoke ring, his tone mocking. “The company’s been dealing with a leak case recently. You’re the executive assistant, so you’re the top suspect. Until we get to the bottom of it, you’re not going anywhere.” I closed my eyes. “Ethan Pierce, what exactly do you want?” “Nothing much.” He chuckled, cruel and arrogant. “I don’t like it when a dog I’ve trained well starts barking at its master. When you learn to wag your tail again, then we can talk about resignation.” The call ended. I looked up at the gray sky, feeling a bone-deep chill. I didn’t go back to Regent Bay, and I didn’t beg him. I found a cheap motel in the old district for a few dozen dollars a night. The room was damp, with the smell of mold mixed with cheap disinfectant. I curled up on the hard bed, stomach cramping painfully. I thought once I left, I’d be free. Turns out in his eyes, I didn’t even have the right to escape.

Sophia Bennett POV Over the next three days, I deeply understood what “absolute power” meant. I submitted dozens of resumes online, even lowering my standards to apply for administrative assistant and receptionist positions. At first, the conversations went well, but as soon as they verified my social security number, attitudes would do a complete one-eighty. “Sorry, Miss Bennett, we’ve filled the position.” “Miss Bennett, we don’t dare hire someone from Pierce Corporation. Please don’t make this difficult for us.” Some even threw my resume in the trash right in front of me. “You offended Mr. Pierce and still want to work in New York? Naive.” My last bit of savings was almost gone. I stood on the street, looking at the exquisite, expensive cakes in the display window. I touched my empty stomach, turned around, and bought two nearly expired loaves of bread. I used to dine at high-end restaurants with Ethan. Now I had to carefully budget just to get a full meal. This was the price of leaving him. Evening. Pouring rain. I returned to the motel soaking wet, but the owner threw my luggage out. “Get out! Someone called and said anyone who lets you stay is going against the Pierce family! I run a small business. I can’t afford that kind of trouble!” The suitcase tumbled in the muddy water. The zipper burst open. A few old clothes scattered everywhere. That was all the dignity I had left. I crouched in the rain, picking up each piece of clothing one by one. Rainwater mixed with tears ran into my mouth, so bitter it nearly made me gag. A black luxury car slowly stopped in front of me. The window rolled down, revealing Ethan’s cold face without a trace of warmth. He looked down at me from above, like looking at a stray dog. “Hungry?” I clutched the mud-stained clothes in my arms, biting down hard and saying nothing. “Get in.” Ethan’s voice was indifferent. “Claire wants cake from that shop in the south district. You used to buy it all the time. You know which flavors she likes. Go get some, and I’ll let you move back to Regent Bay.” I got in the car. Not because I wanted to move back to Regent Bay, but because I had nowhere else to go, and the pain in my stomach was so sharp I felt like I was about to pass out. The car’s heater was on full blast. Claire sat in the passenger seat, wearing Ethan’s coat, holding a hot water bottle. Seeing my bedraggled state in the back seat, Claire covered her nose and frowned. “What a strong musty smell… Ethan, I feel a bit carsick.” Ethan glanced at me in the rearview mirror, saying coldly. “Open the window.” Outside was heavy rain. Cold wind mixed with raindrops poured in, hitting me directly. I shivered from the cold. Ethan acted as if he didn’t see, even reaching over to turn up Claire’s seat warmer. “Bear with it. We’ll be there soon.” His tone when speaking to Claire was impossibly gentle. We arrived at the cake shop. Ethan didn’t get out. He didn’t even have the driver go. “Go ahead.” He gestured to me. “Get the strawberry one. She loves that.” I pushed open the car door and stumbled out into the rain. There was a long line at the cake shop entrance. I was soaking wet, my hair plastered to my face, my clothes covered in mud. People around me gave me strange looks and kept their distance. Half an hour later, I returned to the car with the bakery box. Just as I was about to open the door, Claire suddenly rolled down the window and said in an apologetic tone. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Ethan just said he suddenly doesn’t want cake anymore. He wants Japanese food. This cake… you can keep it for yourself.” With that, the window rolled up. The luxury car spewed exhaust and sped away. All it left me was a body splattered with muddy water. I stood there, holding that box of fresh cake. I looked down at it. This was what I’d waited half an hour in line to buy. I let go. With a “splat,” the cake spilled all over the ground, cream mixing with muddy water in a mess. Just like my five years of genuine feelings.

Sophia Bennett POV I collapsed on the roadside from a high fever and was taken to the hospital by a kind stranger. I had no money for hospital admission fees. The nurse, helpless, searched through my contacts and found only one number without a name saved. Half an hour later, Ethan’s special assistant arrived. Not to pay the fees, but to take me away. “Miss Bennett, Mr. Pierce said if you go to one place, he’ll count this medical expense as a work injury.” I was delirious with fever and was taken to “Nightshade.” New York’s largest club. In the private room, the lighting was dim, the air thick with alcohol. Ethan sat in the main seat with Claire in his arms. A circle of rich kids sat around, ready to watch the show. Seeing me enter, someone whistled. “Well, well, if it isn’t the once untouchable Miss Bennett? How’d you end up looking like this?” Ethan played with a lighter in his hand, his gaze lingering on me for two seconds, full of disgust. “I heard you need money?” He threw a card on the coffee table. “There’s a hundred thousand dollars here.” I stared at the card, my nails digging into my palms. “What do you want me to do?” “Claire’s shoes got dirty.” Ethan raised his chin slightly, pointing to Claire’s high heels that had a bit of dust on them. “Clean them.” The room instantly fell silent. Claire pulled her feet back in surprise. “Ethan, this isn’t right… She did follow you for five years.” “Precisely because she followed me for five years, she should know the rules better.” Ethan’s voice was hard. “When you do something wrong, you get punished. Sophia Bennett, you chose to run away. Can’t handle this little bit of suffering?” The high fever made my vision blurry, but Ethan’s cold face was seared into my mind. Clean shoes. In front of all these people, I was supposed to clean his woman’s shoes. This was his “punishment” for my “betrayal.” “Don’t want to?” Ethan picked up the card. “Then get lost. Figure out the medical expenses yourself, or go to jail. Leaking trade secrets? That charge alone carries ten years.” A threat. A naked threat. I slowly bent down. My knees hit the carpet with a dull thud. I knelt in front of Claire, my trembling hands using the tissue that kind stranger had given me to wipe the dust off Claire’s shoes, bit by bit. Mocking laughter surrounded me. Phone camera shutters clicked. Claire looked down at me from above, undisguised triumph in her eyes. Ethan took a sip of wine, watching me. After wiping away the last bit of dust, I braced myself on the floor to stand up, but swayed from exhaustion. “Enough.” Ethan kicked the card toward my feet, somewhat irritated. “Take the money and get lost.” I picked up the card. This time, I didn’t refuse, and I didn’t throw it back. Because I understood one thing: in front of this man, dignity was worthless. Only by staying alive would I have a chance to escape completely. I clutched that card tightly and turned to walk out of the room. My back was resolute. I didn’t look back once. I took that hundred thousand dollars. I paid the medical expenses, bought fever medicine. The rest of the money, I donated entirely to an anonymous charity. Ethan’s money burned my hands. I didn’t want to keep a single cent. The day I was discharged, New York had rare clear weather. I didn’t go back to the motel or Regent Bay. I went straight to the top floor of Pierce Corporation. That was where I’d worked for five years. The receptionist tried to stop me. I looked at her. “I’m here to get my personal belongings and to deliver a big gift to Mr. Pierce.” In the office, Ethan was frowning at a report full of errors. Seeing me enter, his tone was mocking. “What, spent all hundred thousand already? Back to wag your tail?” I didn’t speak. I slammed a thick envelope on the desk. “What’s this?” Ethan raised an eyebrow. “You said I leaked trade secrets?” My voice was flat. “This is all the evidence from the past five years of you using the Bennett family’s offshore accounts for money laundering and tax evasion. The originals are with a lawyer. If anything happens to me, these documents will be in the tip line within half an hour.” Ethan’s face changed drastically. He shot up, staring at me. “Sophia, you’re threatening me?” “It’s a transaction.” I met his eyes without fear. “Lift the travel restriction. Cancel the resignation obstacles. From now on, there’s no Sophia Bennett in New York, and no secretary by your side.” Ethan laughed in fury, his long fingers pressing down hard on the envelope, knuckles white. “To leave me, you’d even use this kind of tactic?” The corner of my mouth twitched. “Learned it from you, Mr. Pierce.” The air was deathly silent. “Good. Very good.” He spat out these words through gritted teeth. “Get lost. Get lost right now!” I turned and walked away without looking back. I went to the downstairs restroom, cut up that access card, and flushed it down the toilet. Walking out of Pierce Corporation, I dialed a number I had buried long ago. “Come get me. I’m done playing.”

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I once willingly became his mistress to save my mother, even carrying his child that he had so desperately wanted. I thought it was love, until I was forced to kneel before his wedding and lost my child. He passed me off to others in public, crushing whatever dignity I had left. I left with a broken heart, but he came chasing after me like a madman, saying he only loved me. But by then, I was already in a wedding dress, holding another man’s hand. I watched him break down, and I merely smiled faintly. “You? You dare talk about love?” Aria’s POV In my third year with Julian Ashford, I ran into him and his newly married wife at the hospital. In the obstetrics corridor, Julian wore a haute couture suit that clashed with his surroundings, his arms protectively wrapped around a woman. I heard him say to her. “I can bring any doctor you want to the house. Why must you come to the hospital?” The woman replied coolly. “Isn’t there a top-tier private doctor stashed away in your house? I wouldn’t dare ask you to bring her home.” I knew the private doctor she was talking about was me. Three years ago, I went to Julian’s mother, Helena, and asked to be with Julian without any title or status. To the public, my identity was his private physician. But in truth, I was his mistress. I watched Julian’s lips press into a tight line. “Ours is just a business marriage. Don’t interfere in my business with Aria. We’re already married. I’ll handle her appropriately. She won’t be a problem for you.” The woman’s lips curved upward. “You have one month before the wedding ceremony. You’d better clean up all your loose ends. Otherwise, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” The doctor called the woman’s name, and they walked into the examination room. I stood frozen in place, my entire body feeling as if it had been plunged into ice water. Julian had once sworn to me that he would make Helena accept me into the family, that being his mistress was only a temporary measure. But now, without me knowing, he had not only married someone else but also had a child with her. Helena was right. Julian would love many people. I would never be the special one. Five years ago, Julian was stabbed and collapsed on the roadside. I was still a university student then, and I gave him basic first aid before sending him to the hospital. When he woke up, he began pursuing me with great effort. A wealthy man falling for an innocent medical student became the latest gossip in high society circles. I couldn’t withstand such an offensive and quickly fell for him, accepting his confession. But Helena didn’t accept our relationship. And Julian wasn’t the devoted, infatuated prince I thought he was. Long hairs in his pockets, lipstick marks on his shirts, long periods of being unreachable. Combined with increasingly vicious rumors at school, I eventually chose to break up with him. But no one expected that after the breakup, Julian would become frantic about getting back together with me. He swore he would never be ambiguous with any other woman again, even tattooing my name on his body. Though I was moved and couldn’t let go of our relationship, I knew clearly the gap between us. The biggest obstacle was Helena’s opposition. Until my mother was diagnosed with acute leukemia. With no other options, I went to Helena and offered to become Julian’s mistress, nothing more. This way, I could stabilize him while keeping everything under Helena’s control. Helena agreed to this transaction, giving me a one-time payment of thirty million dollars and promising to send me to a top research institute to continue my studies when I left. Helena’s words still echoed in my ears: “Julian won’t have only you. He’ll love many people. You won’t be the special one. But you’re doing me a favor. Rather than letting him get involved with questionable women, having only you is more reassuring.” “If you can get pregnant with Julian’s child, letting you into the family isn’t impossible.” During these three years with Julian, he gave me promises and favoritism. We were no different from an ordinary married couple. Hope had secretly grown in my heart. Now it seemed I had been overthinking. I raised my phone, took a photo of them walking out of the examination room, and sent it to Helena. “Julian Ashford is already married to another woman and has a child with her. There’s no reason for me to stay. Please fulfill your promise and send me to Dr. Shaw’s research institute.” My mother’s illness had been under control for a year now. My savings could completely support both of us. I had only stayed because I couldn’t let go of my feelings for Julian. The phone screen lit up with Helena’s reply. “Even if you hadn’t discovered this, I would have told you eventually. The family business needs the South family’s support. This is an obligation Julian must fulfill.” “Julian still has feelings for you. You have three days. Find a way to make Julian completely let you go, and you’ll get everything you want.” Just as I finished reading the message, someone tapped my shoulder. “Aria? It really is you. What are you doing at the hospital?” Only then did I remember I had come to pick up my ultrasound report. I was pregnant with Julian’s child. Two months along.

Aria’s POV Hearing my name, Julian’s gaze turned toward me. The instant our eyes met, he quickly withdrew his hand from around Vanessa South’s waist, his brow furrowing. “Aria, she and I aren’t-” Vanessa smiled and stepped forward, cutting off his words. “I’m Julian Ashford’s wife. If I’m not mistaken, you must be the private doctor Julian’s been hiding at home, keeping from me, right?” I didn’t want to engage with her. I knew my position was disgraceful, and I didn’t want to humiliate myself. I turned to leave. But Vanessa grabbed my hand first. “Don’t rush off. I’m quite curious about you. Dr. Aria, coming to obstetrics-you’re not pregnant too, are you? Who’s the baby’s father? I hope you’re not one of those classless girls who becomes someone’s mistress.” She could say anything about me, but she couldn’t insult my mother! My mother raised me alone from childhood. She was my bottom line. I turned back. “I don’t know how old this lady is, but why do you gossip about other people’s business like a nosy neighbor? I’m a doctor. Coming to the hospital is normal work. If you have time, you should manage your own husband better instead-stop letting him drop your hand the moment he sees someone else.” Vanessa’s face darkened, her expression so fierce it looked like a storm was brewing. “You’re just a mistress. How dare you speak to me like this?” I smiled coldly. “Get your timeline straight. Julian Ashford’s obsessive love for me was common knowledge five years ago.” I wouldn’t swallow my anger when someone bullied me. Vanessa glared coldly at Julian. “Julian Ashford, I’m the South family’s pampered daughter. In the business world, my word is law. No one dares speak to me like this. Your mistress has quite the nerve. If she hadn’t made a scene in front of me, I could have turned a blind eye. Today, you must give me an explanation.” Julian stepped forward, his eyes as deep and affectionate as always, but his tone brooked no argument. “Aria, Vanessa’s status is different from yours. Apologize to her.” “I should apologize to her?” I laughed coldly. “First, she provoked me. Second, the person who should apologize most in this whole situation is you, isn’t it? Julian, have you forgotten all the promises you made me these three years?” “Whatever I promised you, Vanessa is now my legally registered wife. You should respect her.” His gaze turned cold and severe, scanning me up and down. “You need to know your place. Apologize to Vanessa.” Know my place? What place is that? His lover? His mistress? Or someone completely insignificant? I bit my lips tightly. “What if I refuse?” Julian raised his hand in a signal, and two bodyguards immediately stood behind him. He pinched my chin, his fingers caressing my face. “Aria, weren’t you always so obedient before? Be good, and I’ll compensate you.” I used to be obedient because I still dreamed of becoming his wife. Now he wants me to be obedient? Vanessa had insulted my mother, crossing my bottom line. I would never bow my head to her. “Then don’t blame me.” Julian’s expression turned cold as he waved at the bodyguards. “Go easy. Don’t hurt her.” The next second, two bodyguards twisted my arms behind my back, kicked hard at my knees, forcing me to kneel on the ground, and pressed my head toward the floor. Sharp pain shot through my knees. I couldn’t help but groan. I saw Vanessa leaning against Julian. “Looks like you still know what’s important. I’m satisfied. The family won’t hear about this. Let’s leave it at that. I hope next time Miss Aria sees me, she’ll remember her place.” After they left, the bodyguards finally released me. I moved my neck, dusted off my knees, and limped toward the examination room to get my ultrasound report. My phone vibrated. It was a message from Julian. “Aria, the family needs the South family’s support right now. I’m sorry you were wronged. I’ll compensate you.” I swiped left and deleted it. I had already decided to leave. From now on, Julian’s affairs had nothing to do with me.

Aria’s POV Outside the examination room, my emotions were too agitated. I slipped and tumbled down the stairs. The baby was gone too. For this child, I’d endured countless injections and treatments, willing to hurt myself just to hold on. But now it seemed some things simply couldn’t be forced. Two hours later, I was supporting myself against the wall, slowly walking through the hospital corridor. The stabbing pain in my lower abdomen kept reminding me of what I’d just been through. When I got home, under the influence of medication, I slept straight through until the next afternoon. Looking at the time, anxiety rose in my heart. Helena had given me little time. I took two painkillers, caught a cab to Nightfall, the club Julian frequented. Watching the men and women dancing wildly on stage, I removed my coat, revealing the sexy outfit I’d deliberately chosen underneath, and walked onto the stage with cash I’d prepared in advance. I snatched the DJ’s microphone and threw the money into the air. “Whoever makes me happy tonight gets all this money.” The venue exploded. Men of all types surrounded me, using every trick they had. I wasn’t sure if Julian was here today, but it didn’t matter. Someone would tell him. Because our relationship was common knowledge in this city. Sure enough, twenty minutes later, Julian appeared, fury blazing in his eyes, and yanked me out. “Aria, are you really this cheap? You can’t live without a man?” I smiled. “Of course. You’re already married-are you really going to control who I find?” My fingers traced circles on his chest restlessly. “Though if Mr. Ashford still wants to sleep with me, I won’t refuse. After all, who would refuse the richest man in the city?” Julian’s eyes turned bloodshot, his grip suddenly tightening. I felt like my hand would be crushed. “Aria, you’ll sleep with anyone who has money? Do you have any shame at all? Being my mistress isn’t enough for you? With your status, being able to be with me is incredible luck. How dare you look for other men behind my back?” His words were like a sharp blade stabbing my heart. He finally stopped pretending and said what was really in his heart. He had always looked down on me. He could give me money, coax me, but he would never respect me. Then Vanessa emerged from behind him, removing his hand from mine. “The butler said you were here, so I came to check.” Vanessa looked at me with arrogant eyes. “People of low birth are like this. Even if they glimpse a higher level of life, they can’t change their inherent inferiority.” Julian was silent for a few seconds, then spoke. “I was wrong about her.” Watching the two of them sing in harmony, I could only find it laughable. Julian had power and wealth, so being with me while marrying someone else was “unavoidable”? Vanessa getting pregnant before marriage and inserting herself into our relationship somehow became “noble”? Julian looked at me holding my head high, refusing to admit fault, seemingly remembering something. Finally, his tone softened. “Aria, I know you’re unhappy that I married someone else, but don’t stimulate me this way, okay? I know you’re not this kind of person. I admit I broke my promise. I can’t marry you. I have responsibilities I can’t escape.” Looking at the hypocritical expression on the man before me, I laughed. “How do you know I can’t live without you? Don’t be so confident. You’re pretty average in bed.” Julian’s face darkened. He took Vanessa’s hand and turned to leave. But then Vanessa suddenly collapsed on the ground in pain. “Julian, the baby…” Julian panicked, holding Vanessa with bloodshot eyes as he looked at me. “You’re a doctor-check on her quickly!” He added another line. “Don’t try anything. If something happens to her, I guarantee every hospital in the city will refuse to treat your mother!” I was angry too. “If you want her well, shut up.” I was a doctor. I would absolutely never do anything harmful to a patient. I quickly assessed the situation. After a simple massage, Vanessa’s breathing became steady. Julian immediately picked her up and rushed toward the hospital. This scene was exactly like two years ago when I had an acute appendicitis attack and Julian sent me to the hospital with bloodshot eyes. “Aria, nothing will happen to you. I won’t allow it.” But now, another woman was in his arms. I left the bar and took a cab to the Ashford residence. I still had some things there. In the car, I received a message from Helena. “You did well, but it’s not enough. You have one more day.” Helena always had people around Julian, monitoring his every move. I put away my phone and got out of the car. As soon as I entered, I could feel the servants looking at me strangely. I walked straight toward my room. Passing Julian’s room, I saw Vanessa half-lying on the bed with Julian pressed against her stomach-the picture of a happy family. “Vanessa, it’s so amazing. I’m going to be a father.” Vanessa stroked his hair, showing a blissful smile. “With a father who loves him so much, the baby will definitely be very happy.” I didn’t disturb them, just silently walked to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and calmed my emotions. Soon this would all be over. My mother’s illness was under control, and I could continue my studies. But the next second. Julian suddenly appeared outside the door, looking at me with confusion. “What are you doing here?” I didn’t answer, but asked instead. “Is Miss South asleep?”

Aria’s POV Julian nodded, then spoke with slight apology. “I’m sorry, I went too far earlier. The doctor told me that without your treatment, Vanessa might have lost the baby.” I shook my head. “Your affairs have nothing to do with me. I just came to pack my things.” “You’re not angry?” He asked. You have to understand-before, I had resolutely broken up with him over his ambiguous behavior with other women. “It’s fine. I respect your choice.” I looked up at him and suddenly asked. “Julian, when did you get together with her? When you were with her, did you feel guilty toward me at all?” Julian suddenly stepped forward and pulled me into his embrace. “Aria, I only love you. My feelings for Vanessa, for that child-they’re just out of responsibility. This is something I must bear being born into this family. You can understand, right?” “But I promise you, besides Vanessa, you’ll be my only woman. I won’t be like those men who have affairs everywhere. Aria, you can accept this, can’t you?” His tone was too matter-of-fact, as if he were stating some universal truth. But he was wrong. I was still the same Aria who wanted one person for one lifetime. I took a deep breath and stepped out of his embrace. The instant I left his arms, I seemed to see Vanessa’s figure by the door, but she disappeared the next second. “I need some time.” Whoever wants to accept this can accept it. I’ll be completely gone the day after tomorrow. “Then will you stay tonight?” He asked. I thought for a moment and agreed. Helena said I hadn’t done enough. I could use this opportunity to talk clearly with Vanessa and get her to control Julian. At 2 AM, I was woken by knocking on my door. Getting out of bed to answer it, I found Vanessa. Before I could actively seek her out, she came to me first. Perfect-it saved me the trouble. “Miss South, if you’re here to talk about Julian, you can rest assured. I’ll be leaving here the day after tomorrow, completely leaving him. In this matter, you and I are both victims. Everything stems from Julian Ashford’s irresponsibility.” I had no issue with Vanessa. From a certain perspective, we were both victims. But Vanessa laughed disdainfully. “What are you to be mentioned in the same breath as me?” Seeing my goodwill trampled, I changed my tone. “Miss South got pregnant before marriage. Quite the scandal. Is this how wealthy families raise their daughters? Well, I’ve learned something new.” “You!” Vanessa flew into a rage and slapped me. I wasn’t one to be bullied-I slapped her right back. “Miss South, instead of arguing with me here, you’d be better off controlling Julian Ashford. Otherwise, without me, there will be others.” With that, I shut the door and returned to bed. I tossed and turned in bed. I don’t know how long it took before I finally fell into a deep sleep. The next morning, before I was fully awake, I was startled by the sound of Julian kicking down the door. The next second, he kicked the door open, strode in, and grabbed my throat. He used such force that I could barely breathe. “What did you say to Vanessa? She already told me she’s willing to accept you, so why would you do this?” Julian’s eyes were bloodshot, the force on his hand gradually increasing. I used all my strength to push against his hand and finally broke free. “I didn’t do anything.” He cut me off. “I thought you really were willing to coexist with her. Turns out you were lying to me all along! You really think I’d still be with you after you’ve done these things? Still won’t admit it? Look at this!” He threw a card at me. On it was Vanessa’s “suicide note.” “Julia, I originally thought my sincerity and this child in my belly could make you love me. But Miss Aria is right. You love her. You caused such a scene over her for the whole city to see. Even if I have the title of Mrs. Ashford, I’ll never have your heart. If that’s the case, our fate has ended. Let’s meet again in the next life. Vanessa.” I never said any of this to her. “I didn’t-” “Still making excuses! If anything happens to Vanessa or the baby today, I’ll make you pay with your life!” Julian wouldn’t listen to my defense. He roughly dragged me down the stairs. My knees were scraped raw and bloody. “My people sent word that Vanessa is on the TV station rooftop right now. You’re going to kneel and apologize to her! If she doesn’t forgive you, you’ll kneel on that rooftop until you die!” He tied my hands and shoved me into the trunk, racing all the way to the TV station rooftop. The bodyguards carried me up with him to the rooftop. There were also TV station staff on the rooftop doing a live broadcast. I was thrown to the ground. Cameras and flashing lights immediately focused on me. I knew no one would come to save me.

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In the restaurant, my wife Alice’s boss poured a glass of red wine over my face and humiliated me: “Who the hell do you think you are? Do you know who I am? I’m giving Alice a chance for promotion. As her husband, you should be grateful to me, thanking me for giving Alice the opportunity to earn money, instead of coming here to stage some cheating drama.” All the guests in the restaurant turned to look at us. Alice’s boss rolled his eyes and continued: “I’ll give you a chance. Ask Alice whether she wants to stay or leave with you.” I ignored what he said and just pulled out a napkin to slowly wipe the red wine off my face. Then I looked at Alice, who was wearing a deep V-neck dress that exposed most of her chest. She looked at me and frowned: “Miles, go home.” “You’re not coming with me?” “We’ll talk at home tomorrow.” “Can’t you come back now? Do we have to wait until tomorrow?” “I’m not coming home tonight.” Hearing this, I smiled. If you’re not coming home tonight, you won’t be able to come home ever again.

A few days ago, I discovered a problem. Alice’s boss kept calling her frequently. After I pressed her about it. Alice finally told me the truth, saying her boss appreciated her and was preparing to put her in charge of a major project alone. If she could successfully complete this project, the performance bonus would be at least two hundred thousand dollars. At first, I didn’t suspect anything. I simply thought Alice was excellent and it was normal for her boss to appreciate her. But things got increasingly wrong after that. Alice started leaving early and coming home late every day, always drunk when she got home. After several days, we were like strangers. Apart from sleeping in the same bed at night, we had almost no communication during the day. Last night was even worse—Alice didn’t come home at all! I gradually realized things might not be as simple as I thought. Alice had the weekend off. Usually, she would stay home with me to cook, watch shows, and chat. But this time she dressed up carefully and deliberately wore a newly bought dress. And when she was looking at her phone replying to messages, her lips kept curling up in a smile she couldn’t suppress. All the signs indicated that Alice might be in love with someone! “Miles, I won’t be home for dinner tonight. Just order takeout for yourself.” After getting dressed up, Alice looked several years younger. Since she usually took good care of herself, she looked like a woman in her twenties. I saw Alice picking up her bag to leave, so I called out to her. “Alice.” “What is it?” Alice stopped and looked at me questioningly. “Who asked you out?” “I just told you, didn’t I? Mira broke up with her boyfriend. Since it’s the weekend, I’m going to keep her company. Mira and I might drink, so if it gets too late, I won’t come back. I’ll stay at Mira’s place. I’m afraid she might do something foolish if she’s alone. Don’t wait up for me tonight—go to sleep when you’re tired.” “Oh, okay.” “I’m leaving.” “Be safe.” “Okay.” Hearing the door close, my heart ached. I knew Alice had a close friend named Mira. Unfortunately, Alice didn’t know that I had heard her entire conversation with Mira in the bathroom. Alice told Mira. If I called to ask, Mira should tell me that she had broken up with her boyfriend. Without a doubt, Alice was making such thorough preparations in advance. Who she was going to see was self-evident. Thinking of this, I got up and left the house. I wanted to see who Alice’s new boyfriend was!

I followed Alice to an upscale Western restaurant. I watched Alice smiling and drinking with an old man. This old man’s perverted hands kept taking advantage of Alice. Seeing this, I was instantly furious. I rushed over and broke up their intimate atmosphere. I didn’t say a word, just glared angrily at the old man beside Alice. The old man was Alice’s boss. His name was Jamal. Jamal put down his wine glass, his other hand still wrapped around Alice’s slender waist. Alice’s expression became slightly unnatural. She frowned and asked me: “Did you follow me?” “I just wanted to confirm my suspicions.” I explained. “And is the result what you expected?” Jamal picked up his napkin and elegantly wiped the corner of his mouth, asking with a smile on his face. “Who is he?” I looked at Alice, asking a question I already knew the answer to. “My boss.” “So this is the old, perverted boss you mentioned.” My words made Jamal’s face change dramatically. Before he could speak. I sneered mockingly again: “You’re already so old, and you still have the nerve to seduce someone else’s wife? To put it bluntly, can you even still perform?” “Miles, I never said anything like that.” Alice hastily explained. At this point, unable to bear it any longer, Jamal suddenly stood up, furious, and grabbed his wine glass. In an instant, the entire glass of red wine was splashed on my face. “Who the hell do you think you are? Do you know who I am? I’m giving Alice a chance for promotion. As her husband, you should be grateful to me, thanking me for giving Alice the opportunity to earn money, instead of coming here to stage some cheating drama.” “Miles, can you stop acting like a child? So many people are watching. Aren’t you embarrassed?” Alice blinked at me, signaling me to leave. Of course, I wasn’t going to leave in disgrace like that. Alice was the one who wronged me. This old man was the third party. I glanced around. Many guests were watching us curiously. I pulled out a chair and sat down, demanding loudly: “How much money did he give you? You’re willing to give up our home and me?” “Miles!” Alice’s face changed dramatically, glaring at me with her whole body trembling. “How much money did he give you?” I pointed at Jamal and asked. “He didn’t give me money.” Alice said through gritted teeth. “Not for money? Then he promised to promote you?” After I asked this question, Alice fell silent. I immediately laughed. “He promoted you, giving you a few thousand dollars more per month, and you’re willing to drink and eat with him, and even sleep with him?” “Miles, stop talking!” Alice bit her lip, trembling with anger. “Why can’t I talk about it?” “If you had money, would I need to sell myself?” Hearing Alice’s question, I suddenly understood. “So after all this, you think I’m poor.” “That’s right, I do think you’re poor. I think you’re incompetent. I think you’re worthless. Compare yourself with any random man—who isn’t better than you?” “Then why did you willingly marry me in the first place?” “I was young and naive. I was blind. I thought all I wanted was love, but after getting married I realized that love is bullshit. Marriage without money and material things, this life worse than a dog’s—I’ve had enough!” “Is this what you really think?” “Yes!” “Fine, I understand.” I got up to leave, heartbroken. But Jamal suddenly called out to stop me: “Wait a minute.”

My gaze shifted to Jamal. “Young man, don’t say I didn’t give you a chance. If you’re capable, call Alice back home. Let’s see whether she wants to stay or go with you.” Looking at the somewhat smug Jamal, I suppressed the urge to punch him. My gaze moved to Alice, watching her lean tipsily against Jamal after carefully dressing up. My heart ached faintly. From dating to marriage, everything had been moving in a beautiful direction. But I never dreamed she would sell her body for money. Originally, I was going to leave directly. But I wanted to see if Alice would suddenly change her mind. “Miles, stop embarrassing yourself. Go home.” Before I could ask, Alice told me to leave. “If you leave with me now, there might still be a chance to salvage things.” I reminded her. “We can talk about anything tomorrow when I get home.” “Tomorrow?” “As you wish.” I said nothing more and turned to leave. “Young man.” Jamal suddenly spoke. “Spit it out if you have something to say.” I frowned impatiently. “Are you interested in watching a livestream tonight?” Jamal paused. “Didn’t you say I’m too old to perform? Then I’ll let you appreciate my prowess.” I didn’t answer. Jamal’s lips curled up, continuing smugly: “Letting you watch your own wife become another man’s plaything with your own eyes—just thinking about it feels especially thrilling.” Hearing this, Alice’s pretty face became somewhat unpleasant, but she said nothing. “Can’t help it. Who told me to have money and power?” Jamal shrugged, looking completely fearless. “Are you very rich?” I raised an eyebrow and asked. “Not much, just tens of millions. Nothing worth mentioning.” Jamal said. Then he changed the subject, becoming even more smug: “Of course, what I have now, you couldn’t earn in a lifetime. If I were you, I’d just accept this, or pretend it never happened. After Alice satisfies me and gets her promotion and raise, you two can still continue living your good life together.” “A mere few tens of millions and you dare to be arrogant in front of me? In a few days, I’ll make you go bankrupt.” I said calmly. “What did you say? Did I hear wrong? You’re going to make me go bankrupt?” Jamal looked at me in astonishment, as if he’d heard the biggest joke ever. “Just wait and see.” I didn’t want to waste words and turned to leave. After I left, Jamal turned to Alice and asked: “Alice, did his head get caught in a door?” “Boss, ignore him. He just likes to brag.” Alice wrapped her arms around Jamal’s neck. “What an interesting young man, too bad his brain doesn’t work well.” Jamal laughed triumphantly, his hand tightly holding Alice’s waist. I stood outside the restaurant, taking in Jamal’s brilliant smile. The next second, I calmly took out my phone and made a call. “Mom, I want to come home and eat your cooking.”

That night, I scrolled through photos of Alice and me, unable to sleep. And Alice didn’t come home all night either. Although I already knew the answer, it would be a lie to say it didn’t hurt. To marry Alice, I had sacrificed so much. It’s just that no one knew about the sacrifices I made except myself, including Alice. After dawn, I simply packed my personal belongings and sat in the living room waiting for Alice to come home. I waited until around ten o’clock before Alice finally came home. After she entered, we made eye contact. She had gone out wearing black stockings last night, but when she returned, the stockings were gone. Thinking about how she had been intimate with that old man in bed last night, I clearly felt what it meant to have your heart ache to the point of suffocation. “You’re back?” I asked calmly on the surface. “Yeah.” Alice just responded faintly, then was about to go to the bedroom. “Sit down. Let’s talk.” “Talk about what?” Alice frowned. “I want a divorce.” I once thought Alice and I would be happy together forever. I never thought the word “divorce” would come out of my mouth. “Miles, are you crazy? You want to divorce me?” Alice looked at me in disbelief. “Yes, divorce.” I said. Alice walked up to me in a few steps, anger appearing on her tired face, asking: “Can you be more mature? Just because of this trivial matter, you want to divorce me?” Hearing this, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I suddenly stood up, my face livid: “You slept with your boss for a promotion. You betrayed me right in front of me, and you still think this is a trivial matter?” “I don’t think it’s a big deal.” Alice retorted. Then she defended her actions: “Jamal and I just made a transaction. He promised to promote me and said he would never touch me again after this. It was just one night. From now on, my salary will increase by six thousand dollars every month, and there’s a big project. If I do well, I could get a bonus of hundreds of thousands of dollars at any time. Such a good opportunity is right in front of me—do you want me to give it up?” I looked at Alice in shock as she spoke so righteously. I always thought I understood her well, but it turned out all that so-called understanding was just my own wishful thinking. “You win.” I gave Alice a thumbs up in despair. “You really want a divorce?” “Yes.” “Think it through. As long as you accept this, our life together will only get better and better from now on.” “Sorry, I can’t accept my woman cheating on me and showing no remorse.” “Fine. You want a divorce, right? I agree. Don’t come crying to me to remarry later.” After Alice finished speaking, she turned to leave. I took the divorce agreement out of the drawer and placed it on the table. Alice didn’t hesitate either, decisively signing her name on the divorce agreement. “As you wish. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other.” After Alice finished speaking, she viciously threw the agreement in my face. At this moment, I suddenly had an illusion that the person who made the mistake wasn’t her, but me. “The house is mine. Pack your things and get as far away as possible. Don’t ever let me see you again.” After dropping these words, Alice turned and left.

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My son got a girlfriend who’s ten years older than him, divorced, and has a five-year-old son. Of course I didn’t approve. I strongly opposed it, but my son went on a hunger strike for a week, threatening to die. Watching my son grow so weak he could barely speak, I gave in. On the day we met the parents, she said arrogantly, “Ethan said he’ll treat my son as his own, and to put my mind at ease, he’s already gotten a vasectomy.” “Of course, if your family treats my son well, I might consider letting Ethan get a reversal surgery.” My son also rushed to declare his loyalty, “Until Jessica agrees, I absolutely won’t have children of my own.” I completely gave up hope. I said calmly, “Whatever you two decide is fine. I have no objections.” When my son brought Jessica home for dinner, I didn’t make things difficult for her or show her a cold face. I received her with a calm heart. She wore elaborate makeup and dressed young, but standing next to my twenty-three-year-old son, you could see the age difference, though it wasn’t too dramatic. I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and smiled as I made small talk with her. After chatting for about half an hour, I took out an envelope I’d prepared beforehand and handed it to her. Inside was eleven thousand dollars, which by our local standards was already quite generous. When Jessica took it, she thought she was being subtle, but her fingers obviously pinched to gauge the thickness. The corners of her mouth turned down. Clearly she thought it was too little. I’d originally thought that since my son loved her so much, she must have some redeeming qualities I hadn’t discovered yet, and I wanted to talk with her more. Now I’d completely lost interest. I made an excuse about having work at the company, preparing to end this meeting. That’s when Jessica spoke up. “Since Ethan and I are planning to get married, we’ll be family from now on. There’s something I don’t want to hide from you.” “Ethan always says you’re an open-minded mother. I believe you’ll understand.” Hearing this, I had a bad feeling. Sure enough, Jessica’s attitude seemed respectful, but her eyes were full of provocation as she said, “Ethan said he’d treat my child as his own, but words are just words. So to put my mind at ease, he voluntarily got a vasectomy.” I could hardly believe what I was hearing. A vasectomy? Suppressing my anger, I looked sharply at my son. “Ethan, is what she’s saying true?” My son’s eyes flashed with guilt as he explained, “Mom, Andy is still young, at a sensitive age. He often has nightmares at night because he’s scared.” “Not only is Jessica worried, I’m worried too, so I went and… got the vasectomy.” Jessica pretended to comfort me. “This is all temporary. As long as I’m sure your family truly treats my son well, I’ll agree to let Ethan get a reversal surgery.” A surge of anger shot up, burning so hot my whole body trembled. What did she mean by “she’s sure”? “She’ll agree”? But before I could demand an explanation, my son was already rushing to show his loyalty to Jessica. “Don’t worry, I’ll never go back on what I promised you!” “Until you agree, I absolutely won’t have children of my own.” My son’s words were like a bucket of cold water poured over me, chilling me to the bone. In that moment, I completely gave up hope. I said calmly, “Whatever you two decide is fine. I have no objections.”

Ethan took Jessica home, and I collapsed on the sofa, lost in thought. My son Ethan had been obedient and sensible since childhood, did well in school, got into a prestigious university, and after graduation used his own abilities to get into a major tech company. I could say he’d never given me any trouble. But I never expected I’d stumble so badly on his marriage. Jessica was his coworker. Ethan fell for her at first sight. “She’s extremely capable, she’s been involved in so many major projects.” “She has a great personality, everyone at the company likes her.” “There are a lot of factions at the company. If she hadn’t warned me, I would have offended people.” “When we work overtime, she always orders takeout for me.” … This was Ethan’s first relationship. Of course I wanted to bless it, but Jessica was not only ten years older than him, she was also divorced, and even had a five-year-old son! What I didn’t expect even more was that Ethan would go on a hunger strike and threaten to die for her sake. A mother can probably never win against her son, so I gave in and tried hard to convince myself to accept them. But I never imagined that this woman Jessica would encourage Ethan to get a vasectomy! I run beauty salons—my job is dealing with women. I knew her little schemes crystal clear. Ethan’s hunger strike for her gave her confidence. She just wanted to use Ethan to control me. As long as I still wanted grandchildren, I’d have to listen to her. But what made me even angrier was Ethan. I didn’t believe he didn’t know how important the vasectomy was, how angry and upset I’d be when I found out, but he still did it. He was just relying on being my only son, convinced I couldn’t do anything about it. Instantly, a thought I couldn’t control popped up. I was forty-seven this year, healthy—I was completely in time to have another one! When Ethan came home, I was still wildly tempted by that thought. He sat down across from me, somewhat unhappy as he asked, “Mom, today when Jessica mentioned my vasectomy, if I hadn’t interrupted, were you going to get angry?” I stared at him sharply and asked, “You got a vasectomy without saying a word. Shouldn’t I be angry?” Ethan froze and said, “That’s not what I meant.” “Mom, you’ve always opposed us being together. Jessica doesn’t feel secure, so that’s why I came up with the vasectomy idea. Don’t blame her.” I didn’t believe a word of this! But the deed was already done. Arguing now about whose idea it was had no meaning. I looked at him steadily and asked with utmost seriousness, “Ethan, I’m asking you one last time. If I still don’t agree, will you still insist on marrying Jessica?” Ethan suddenly stood up and said emotionally, “Mom, didn’t we already agree? Why are you going back on your word?” “Anyway, she’s the only person I’ll love in this life!” “If I can’t marry her, I’d rather die!” “Mom, don’t make me hate you!” Hearing Ethan say “don’t make me hate you,” I laughed coldly inside and completely let go of that last shred of hope. Have another one. I made the decision instantly. I said calmly, “Ethan, you’re not young anymore, and you’re about to get married and start a family with someone else. From now on, I won’t interfere in your affairs. You make your own decisions.” After a pause, I said meaningfully, “You chose this partner yourself. I hope you won’t regret it.” Ethan’s obsession with Jessica was obvious to the naked eye, but the way Jessica looked at Ethan wasn’t as passionate as how she looked at my Hermès Birkin bag. Unfortunately, Ethan didn’t notice and kept singing Jessica’s praises to me. On the surface I listened attentively, but inside I was already screening candidates to father my child. Over ten years ago, when Ethan’s dad was secretly meeting his mistress, he died in a car accident. After that, I never remarried for Ethan’s sake, but I also had needs, so I dated a few boyfriends. My current one was a company employee. His family had difficulties and I helped them out, then later he got into my bed under the guise of repaying me. He was young and handsome, so I just went along with it. He’d been my underground lover for several years without any official status, never actively asked for anything, never used my influence to suppress anyone, and instead worked hard for the company. Almost instantly, I made my decision. Him it was. I took out my phone and sent him a message. I’m coming to your place tonight to stay over.

After that, in my effort to get pregnant, I was trying almost every day, always getting home in the middle of the night. And Ethan was right in the thick of his infatuation with Jessica, also frequently staying out all night. We clearly lived under the same roof, but we managed not to run into each other, and Ethan didn’t notice at all that I was coming home late. After more than two months of this, Ethan called me, saying he wanted to discuss the wedding. That day, we both rarely came home from work on time. He talked for a bit about his and Jessica’s recent situation, emphasizing how good Jessica was to him, how her son was starting to accept him, and how happy that made him. After going on about this for over half an hour, he asked me, “Mom, what style of wedding do you prefer?” After listening to him talk nonsense for so long, honestly, I was quite annoyed. I said bluntly, “This is your and Jessica’s wedding. Shouldn’t you be asking what she likes?” “I told you, I respect all your decisions.” Ethan was very happy. “I said there’d be no problem, but Jessica insisted I ask you.” He asked again, “Mom, Jessica says the wedding needs eighty thousand dollars. That’s okay, right?” Ethan said with both heartache and emotion, “I think eighty thousand is too little, but she insisted, saying as long as she can marry me, she’d be willing even without a wedding ceremony. Mom, Jessica is so good, I don’t want her to feel wronged.” As he spoke, Ethan’s eyes even reddened. I raised an eyebrow. Looks like Jessica’s ambitions weren’t small. Sure enough, Ethan immediately continued, “Mom, that luxury penthouse you bought me for my marriage—I want to add Jessica’s name to the deed, and then do a prenuptial agreement.” I put my water glass down on the coffee table, a bit heavily—bang. I looked at Ethan and said calmly, “If you bought the house yourself, you could even put only her name on it if you wanted.” “But I paid for that penthouse. Understand?” Ethan was stunned and after a long pause could only squeeze out, “Isn’t it all family money?” I laughed coldly. He knew it was family money! I was too lazy to beat around the bush with him and decided to speak plainly. “I don’t like Jessica, but if you insist on marrying her, I won’t oppose it. I respect you.” “But my things—tell Jessica to stop coveting them!” “And you stop coveting them too!” Ethan’s face turned from red to white. “Mom, I’m your son. Why do you have to be so clear about everything?” He said righteously, “Your things will eventually be left to us anyway!” Though I already knew he thought this way, thinking it and hearing it firsthand were two different things. I said mockingly, “Don’t speak in such absolutes. I don’t necessarily have to leave it to you.” Ethan said impatiently, “Mom, I know you’re angry about the vasectomy, but I’ve already explained. Can you stop being so passive-aggressive!” “Also, don’t think I can’t tell—you’re just trying to use money to control me, to make me break up with Jessica. Let me tell you, I absolutely won’t compromise!” “Just you wait and see—even without your money, we can live well!” After delivering his speech, Ethan slammed the door and left. After that, he started preparing for the wedding. It was very grand—custom wedding dress and diamond ring, five-star hotel, tables at sixty-eight hundred dollars each, the venue decorated entirely with imported fresh flowers. He really kept his word—he never asked me for a cent. But I only had this one son. I’d always been generous with money when it came to him. For holidays I’d give him envelopes with fifty or a hundred thousand dollars. During his university years, his monthly allowance was ten thousand. That only stopped when he started working. His savings must be at least close to a million. At the end of the day, wasn’t that also my money? So when Ethan stood on stage saying something about how no matter how many people opposed him, he had the ability to give Jessica happiness, I only found it laughable. My best friend sitting next to me rolled her eyes and said bluntly, “Your son was raised for nothing.” Thinking of the pregnancy test result from this morning, my smile deepened. “Yeah, so I’m hoping this time I can have a daughter.” My friend froze. “You mean you’re…” Before she could finish her sentence, Jessica’s mother’s shrill voice interrupted, “You’re pregnant?”

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My best friend was a professional “relationship tester.” She said she was afraid I would get hurt by scumbags, so every time I dated someone, she would disguise herself as their ideal type and seduce them into bed. Every single time, she would send me photos from the bedroom. “Jade! If I was not protecting you, you would have been fooled by another scumbag! I am such a good friend to you!” I was tormented to the point of breaking down. I cut ties with her completely and moved to another city. Later, I met the love of my life, Ethan Rivers. On our wedding day, I saw my best friend disguised as a makeup artist. “Jade, let me test him before you get married!” She drugged me unconscious, put on my wedding dress, and got into Ethan’s bed. I woke up just in time, brought people to burst into the bridal suite, and had her sent to prison. Later, I got pregnant. During delivery, I hemorrhaged severely. Ethan watched me struggle in agony but refused to sign the consent form to save me. “Miranda just wanted to give herself to me before the wedding to fulfill her wish!” “But you sent her to prison and caused her suicide! When she died, she was carrying my child!” “You and that bastard in your belly both deserve to die for her!” Only then did I realize the man I thought was my true love had fallen for my best friend long ago. I died with grievances. He even threw my ashes into a sewer. When I opened my eyes again, I was reborn to the day my best friend disguised herself as a makeup artist and appeared at my wedding.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Miranda Cole’s familiar yet stunning face again. Her foot slipped. She let out a soft cry and fell into Ethan’s arms, her face flushed as she looked at him. “Sorry.” This was her favorite seduction trick. I had witnessed it countless times. In my previous life, when I opened my eyes and saw Miranda like a nightmare before me, when I saw the wedding makeup I had looked forward to ruined by her, when I watched her flirt and use the same old tricks to seduce my husband again, my fear and rage poured out like a flood. I screamed and rushed forward, yanking her away and slapping her across the face. “Get out! You’re trying to seduce my boyfriend again, aren’t you? I won’t let you ! I will not let you succeed!” Ethan quickly called the bridesmaids to hold me down. Miranda cowered in the corner, her face red and pitiful. “I did not. Mrs. Rivers, you misunderstood. This is just a pre-wedding prank.” No matter how I explained that she was a relationship tester, that she had seduced several of my boyfriends and destroyed countless relationships of mine, Miranda just cried in panic. “I really did not. I do not even know you. I am just a makeup artist. Please stop slandering me…” Everyone whispered. “A relationship tester? Has she been reading too many novels? Who does that?” “She thinks everyone is trying to steal her husband. How embarrassing…”

My defenses grew pale under everyone’s mockery and Ethan’s weary gaze. Ethan sighed helplessly and came over to hug me gently. “It is okay. If you do not like her, we will fire her, alright?” “But you should have told me directly instead of misunderstanding her and slandering her…” I thought he, like the other guests, had been deceived by Miranda’s lies and disguise. But it was not until I died that I learned the truth. His heart had already turned toward Miranda. This time, I watched Miranda throw herself into Ethan’s arms with no expression on my face. I did not miss the flash of emotion in his eyes. But the next second, he glanced at me quickly. He pushed the person in his arms away and said coldly, “This joke is not funny. Apologize to my wife right now and remove that makeup properly so you can redo it.” “No need.” I spoke calmly, picking up a makeup remover wipe to clean the marks on my face. Ethan breathed a sigh of relief and patted her head gently. “Are not you going to thank my wife? If she was not so kind and forgiving…” I cut him off. “Ethan, no need to redo the makeup. Let us just cancel the wedding.” Ethan looked at me in disbelief, then laughed after a moment. “That joke is not funny.” “This is not a joke.” I simply took off the wedding dress Ethan had imported and threw it aside like garbage. “The wedding is canceled. We are breaking up.” I quickly put on my coat and walked toward the door. “Jade!” Only then did Ethan realize I was serious. He grabbed my wrist, veins bulging on his forehead as he suppressed his emotions. “You are canceling the wedding just because of a makeup artist’s prank?” He looked at me, his eyes full of grievance and confusion. “Jade! Stop making a scene!” “This wedding we put so much effort into. All our friends and family are here. You cannot…” I shook off his hand, ignoring the pointing and whispering around us, and looked at him with cold mockery. “Ethan, you know perfectly well why we are not getting married.” “I am giving you a chance to be with the person you truly love. Is not that good?” I thought I would see panic on Ethan’s face. But he looked perfectly calm, confused and aggrieved. “Jade, what are you talking about? Everyone knows you are the one I love most.” He pointed at Miranda. “Is it because of her?” He said helplessly, “I did not know she would pull that prank.” “Besides, did not I already say I would make her apologize? If you are still not satisfied, I will fire her.” Miranda ran out crying. Ethan did not even look at her. His eyes were fixed deeply on me. “Is that enough now?” I looked at him with calm eyes, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Ethan’s parents walked in, their tone reproachful as they tried to persuade me. “Ethan has already apologized. Do not push it.” “Jade, you know how good Ethan has been to you. Have you forgotten who arranged your mother’s surgery and follow-up treatment? Do not be ungrateful.”

My heart ached sharply. My mother’s stroke was caused by Miranda. She deliberately displayed photos of herself in bed with my ex at his and my wedding, then publicly eloped with my ex, leaving me as the laughingstock. My mother collapsed in anger and fell into a coma. To get her treatment, I transferred hospitals to Portland and met Ethan Rivers, a neurosurgery expert. Ethan and I gradually fell in love during the treatment process. I understood the threat in his mother’s words. Their family was prominent. If I ruined the wedding today and made them lose face, my mother would be kicked out of the Rivers Medical Center. “Mom!” Ethan cut off his mother’s words with measured firmness. “Jade is my wife. Her mother is my mother-in-law. This is what I should do.” He looked at me, his tone pleading. “Honey, for the sake of me saving your mother, please do not make a scene at the wedding today, okay?” I dug my nails into my palms and showed a wronged expression. “Ethan, do you really not know that makeup artist? But she whispered to me that you deliberately had her make me look ugly to get back at me. That is why I got angry.” As soon as I spoke, the guests who had been displeased with me all showed sympathetic expressions. Ethan’s mouth twitched, then he showed a reassuring smile. “She was talking nonsense, just jealous of your good marriage.” Seeing I remained silent, he promised helplessly, “I will file a complaint against her right now, okay?” Only then did I show a smile and say, “Then you have to make a vow.” “If you really have something going on with her and betrayed me, then we will get divorced.” Ethan coaxed me and raised his hand to make a vow. The guests laughed good-naturedly. “You are worrying too much. Ethan only has eyes for you.” Outside the door, Miranda’s face flashed by, filled with vicious resentment at her failed scheme. I ignored it. After the wedding ceremony ended, just as I was about to go back to the room to change out of my wedding dress, someone covered my mouth and nose. I stopped breathing and closed my eyes, going along with it. Just like in my previous life. Miranda and Ethan were entangled, stumbling through the door of the adjacent guest room. The two fell onto the bed, making intimate sounds. I suddenly opened my eyes, quickly went downstairs, and found my in-laws who were chatting with guests. This time, I did not do what I did in my previous life. I did not mention that Miranda had drugged me and climbed into bed with him. I just appeared worried and said, “Mom, Dad, Ethan seems to have drunk too much and is not feeling well.” The doting Mr. and Mrs. Rivers, along with the Rivers family relatives eager to watch drama unfold, immediately followed me upstairs in a massive group. As soon as we reached the guest room door, we heard intimate sounds from inside. Immediately, their faces turned ugly. They hurried to cover it up, but I pushed the door open directly. “Ethan, are you not feeling well?” The door opened. The two entangled figures on the bed immediately sprang apart, hurriedly pulling up the blanket. Miranda flashed me a triumphant smile through the crowd. In an instant, the people outside the door erupted. “Oh my God, that woman is not that the makeup artist from this morning?” “Looks like what Jade said was all true…” Mr. Rivers’ face flushed red with shame and anger. “Ethan! Look at what you have done!” Mrs. Rivers rushed forward, dragging Miranda from the bed. “It is all you! You must have drugged my son and made him think you were Jade!”

“Son, that is what happened, right? We will call the police! Send this bitch to prison!” At these words, Miranda, who had been so arrogant moments ago, was frightened into tears, shrinking into Ethan’s arms. “Enough!” Ethan roared, fiercely protecting Miranda. He raised his head and looked at me through the crowd. His eyes were dark but showed not a trace of panic or guilt. “Jade, let us talk.” Mr. and Mrs. Rivers cleared everyone out. Only the three of us remained in the room. I did not think there was anything left to discuss between him and me. I was just thinking about why, in this life, when I had not sent Miranda to prison or caused her death there, he could still face me without any guilt. For a moment, I could not tell if my heart felt bitter or resentful. I took off my wedding ring and threw it in the trash. I said flatly, “You made a vow. If you lied to me, we would get divorced.” “Ethan, I will draft divorce papers as soon as possible.” “Jade!” Ethan behind me called out. “I will not divorce you.” I whipped around, looking at him with hatred for the first time. “Then I will file for divorce!” “You can try!” Ethan’s face was obscured in the dim room. “If you dare file for divorce, I will immediately stop your mother’s treatment.” “I guarantee that in all of Portland no, the entire country no hospital will take your mother.” “Ethan!” I clenched my teeth, trembling uncontrollably. I must have looked utterly pathetic and powerless right now because I saw Miranda flash that gleeful smile again. “Why are you doing this to me?” “If you like her, just divorce me! You two can be together openly! Why do you have to drag me into this!” I looked at Ethan through tears. “I have already made way for you. I have never done anything wrong to you! Why will not you let me go!” Ethan said coldly, “You have not wronged me, but you have wronged Miranda.” I widened my eyes in shock. “When did I…” Ethan sneered. “Every boyfriend Miranda ever had were not they all stolen by you?” “It was you who, under the guise of being a ‘relationship tester,’ stole all of Miranda’s boyfriends, slept with them, and stimulated Miranda until she became depressed and nearly committed suicide!” “You stole so many of her lovers. You should feel what it is like to have your man stolen.” “And your mother! Dare you say why your mother had a stroke?” “It is because your mother went to Miranda’s wedding to make a scene, trying to help you steal her man, and got yelled at until she fainted. Your mother is half-dead that is what she deserves.” My head exploded with a roar. Almost instinctively, I rushed to them. I slapped Ethan hard across the face. But when I raised my hand to slap Miranda, Ethan shoved me away. “Enough! Even now you are still bullying Miranda!” I wiped my tears and said through gritted teeth. “I did not do it! I never did any of those things! Ethan! It was Miranda who stole my boyfriends! It was she who eloped with my ex at the wedding and made my mother collapse!” “So many people witnessed these things. So many chat records are still on my phone. You can go check…”

“Enough!” Ethan slapped me across the face, cutting off my words. His face was ugly. “At this point, you still will not admit it! Still will not repent!” “Jade, I never knew you were such a shameless, conscienceless person!” “Will not admit it, huh? Still lying, huh? Then let me see just how stubborn you can be!” He stood up directly and dragged me downstairs. “Ethan! Let me go!” He ignored my struggles and threw me directly into the basement freezer, locking the door. “Let me out! Ethan!” I frantically pounded on the freezer door. His only response was cold and merciless. “You will not admit it, right? Then let us see if your life is tougher or your mouth!” “When you admit it and kneel down to apologize to Miranda, that is when I will let you out!” I desperately pounded on the freezer door, but no one paid attention. The temperature dropped rapidly. I collapsed helplessly on the floor, beginning to lose body heat. I do not know how long passed before the freezer door opened. I looked up to see Miranda coming over with concern to help me. “Bestie, are you okay? Come out quickly! Let us go to the hospital!” Looking at the genuine concern on her face, I only felt torn apart. “Miranda, why are you doing this to me? What did I ever do to wrong you that you would hurt me like this!” My voice choked with sobs. If I hated anyone, I hated Miranda more than Ethan. We grew up together. We were best friends. I took slaps for her when blocking the seniors who bullied her. She once hugged my arm and said she wanted to be with me forever. But this same person kept stabbing me in the heart. Miranda looked hurt and wronged. “I am just afraid you will be deceived by scumbags. I just want to find you a husband who truly loves and trusts you!” “Look! If I had not tested him this time, you would have married a bad man. What if there is a mistress later who makes up lies like I did? Then you would…” I shook off her hand, sobbing. “You are not doing this for my good! You are hurting me again and again!” Miranda blinked her innocent eyes and said to me, “Okay, okay, it is my fault. Let us go to the hospital first.” She forcibly helped up the already unsteady me and pushed me into a car. The car drove all the way to a hotel. I looked at her warily. “What are you trying to do! Where are you taking me!” She just smiled mysteriously, grabbed my weakened body, and led me into a room. The door opened to reveal a group of sleazy-looking burly men inside. She suddenly screamed, tore her clothes, smashed her own head, and ran outside. “I was wrong! I am sorry, Miss White! I will not compete with you for him! I will not compete with you for anything! Do not hit me anymore!” My instincts screamed danger. I barely managed to stand, trying to grab her. Before I could steady myself, the door was kicked open. After Ethan saw me and the sleazy men behind me, his eyes turned red instantly. He slapped me across the face. “Jade! Do you have a death wish?!” “Not only do you refuse to repent for your mistakes, you want to keep retaliating against Miranda?! You even wanted to ruin her! How can you be so vicious!” “I did not!” I bit my lip and shouted. “It was Miranda who opened the freezer and brought me here!” “Enough! Only my parents and I know the freezer password! How could Miranda open it! You clearly sneaked out of the freezer and kidnapped Miranda here!” Ethan said through gritted teeth. “Fine! Threatening your life did not make you yield, so let us see if your mother’s life will!”

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On my wedding day, Ethan Cross bombed the hotel to stop the ceremony. He dug me out of the rubble with his bare hands. Looking at me with my lost memories, he hid the wild joy in his eyes and said in a trembling voice that he was my lover. But Ethan’s devotion to me only lasted five years. That day, he smoothly removed his wedding ring and gently cradled his assistant’s pregnant belly. “Have my child. I’ll give you whatever you want. Just don’t let Aria find out.” But he didn’t know the assistant secretly recorded this and flaunted it to me. “You old hag! Ethan loves me. It’s time for you to step aside!” What he knew even less was that I had recovered my memory. Before him, my true love was named Nathan Kane. That man was gorgeous, but also a crazy mafia boss who never forgot a grudge. And I was just like him. Ethan Cross was finished. Ethan hid his mistress extremely well. Too bad the girl’s courage and ambition were both enormous. This girl named Summer Collins came straight to my door, belly protruding, to provoke me. “Aria, I’m carrying twins. The doctor said they’re boys.” “Their father feels bad that pregnancy is so hard on me. He’s been giving me massages every night lately, and only goes home to his wife after I fall asleep. He can’t wait to meet the babies!” I lifted my eyes with a smile, coldness flashing through them. “Has the father of your children never told you what kind of person I am?” If Ethan was so eager to see the children, shouldn’t I help him out? Half an hour later, an express delivery package was sent to Ethan’s company. While I enjoyed afternoon tea, I watched the company surveillance footage. When Ethan received my package, his cold, stern features instantly melted into gentle spring water. But the moment he opened it, his expression changed dramatically. Inside was a medical certificate for a miscarriage. Along with his and Summer’s children. An hour later, Ethan came home. Summer was lying on a temporary hospital bed. The moment she saw him, she burst into heartbroken sobs. “Ethan, she killed our children! Those were the babies you’ve been dreaming about!” “I want her dead!” Pain flashed through Ethan’s eyes. He grabbed my wrist, his cold, hard voice clearly suppressing tremendous rage. “Aria, she’s just a young girl fresh out of college! Did you really need to be this ruthless?” In five years of marriage, this was the first time he’d been harsh with me. And it was for another woman. I threw my phone in front of him. The chat history was full of intimate videos between Ethan and Summer. Along with messages insulting me and demanding I step aside. “Your mistress sent these to provoke me. As your wife, I was very hurt watching them. Isn’t it okay for me to retaliate?” Ethan froze. He glanced coldly at Summer. Then his eyes softened as he half-knelt before me, holding my hands. “Aria, you misunderstood.” “I just didn’t want you to suffer through childbirth. I planned to bring the baby home for you to raise after she gave birth.” “I swear on my life, the only person I’ll ever love is you, Aria.” I believed what he said was true. Back when we were considering having children, he directly signed up for a childbirth simulation experience. That was the first time I’d seen Ethan cry. He held me tight with heartache. “Aria, how can childbirth be this painful? Let’s not have children, okay? I can’t bear to see you suffer.” But because he couldn’t bear to see me suffer… He had another woman carry twins for me instead? I turned my head with a mocking look, just in time to see Summer’s eyes widen in disbelief, turning bloodshot. I laughed softly. “Ethan Cross, you’re the truly ruthless one, stabbing both of us with a single sentence.” “So now, what do you plan to do?” “In the past, when someone made me angry, you’d ruin them without a second thought and drive them out of the city.”

Ethan’s eyes swept over Summer with cold indifference. But his trembling hands betrayed him. After a long moment, he said: “Aria, I apologize on her behalf.” “What will it take for you to calm down and let me take her away?” A violent energy suddenly surged in my chest. No matter how prettily he spoke or how cold his eyes looked, he was still protecting her! Expressionless, I swept the porcelain in the house to the floor, shattering it everywhere. Without hesitation, Ethan took off his shoes. Barefoot, he stepped on the broken shards. He picked up Summer and walked away step by step. The bright red blood mixed with porcelain white, making my eyes tremble. Though Ethan was crazy, he was an extreme egoist. Since I’d known him, he’d only been hurt for me, only suffered losses because of me. My expression grew colder inch by inch. Ethan still didn’t know I had recovered my memory. What he knew even less was that I might have actually developed some feelings for him. For a few moments, I’d even wondered if I should continue pretending to have amnesia and stay with him forever. But now… A ruined man and a woman who stole my man. I would make them both pay dearly! After that day, Ethan sent me gifts in different ways every day. But he ran to Summer’s place daily. Tonight’s excuse was that he had a last-minute business dinner and would be home a few hours late. The moment Ethan finished lying, Summer’s message arrived. “Ha ha, are you regretting it now, old hag?” “So what if you killed my child? He just feels more sorry for me now. He makes me healthy meals every day.” In the video, a tall man wearing an apron was busy in the kitchen. Ethan never used to cook. For me, he learned from chefs everywhere. Now the dishes he made for Summer were all my favorites. Staring at the food in the video, I could even recall the familiar aromas. My mouth filled with nausea. Damn Ethan! He ruined all my favorite dishes! Summer’s laugh was full of malice and showing off. “He also said he’ll give me another child tonight, while you…” “Old hag, you’re finished.” The moment the voice message finished playing, my car was violently struck. I looked up to see a dozen tattooed, bald muscle men with clubs surrounding me. “So you’re the one who bullied my little sister Summer?” I raised an eyebrow and calmly called Ethan. As usual, he answered after just one ring. “Ethan, Summer called her gang friends. They’ve surrounded me with their men.” His voice on the other end sounded somewhat helpless. “Aria, stop making things up, okay? She’s just a college graduate. How could she…” I smiled and cut him off directly. “I won’t resist whatever they do. Whether you come or not is up to you.” With that, I hung up. The night wind was cool. I counted the traffic lights in a daze. Ethan appeared quickly. He’d encountered traffic on the way and abandoned his car to sprint here. The man was gasping, his chest heaving violently, his shirt vaguely outlining his muscular chest. I stared for a moment, then smiled slightly. Actually, I’d lied to him. The muscle men who’d tried to do something to me were now sprawled all over the ground. Ethan stared at me through clenched teeth. Finally, his gaze fell on my scratched leg. With heartache and defeat, he crouched in front of me. With extreme gentleness, he held my calf and applied medicine. “You’re only acting this way because you know I love you!” He had a thousand complaints in his heart, but this was all he dared to express. In that instant, my heart stirred again slightly. For once, I felt the urge to explain. “This wasn’t staged by me. Summer really did call them here.” But Ethan said without hesitation: “I asked Summer. She swore it wasn’t her. She’s a very innocent girl, not like…” His words cut off abruptly. But I understood. Not like me—vicious and cunning. My expression darkened. I grabbed my phone and called my lawyer right in front of Ethan. “Please prepare divorce papers for me. I’ll come pick them up right now.” I kicked Ethan out of the car and turned it around. He actually stood directly in front of my car. The night wind lifted his hair. His eyes were defiant yet crazed. He gritted his teeth, his voice practically squeezing through his throat. “Aria, if you want a divorce, run me over first!” The bright headlights illuminated his insane expression. I met his gaze and stepped on the gas.

The piercing sound of brakes rang out. I stopped just a few centimeters away. But Ethan didn’t retreat at all, staring at me with hot, crazy eyes. This time it was my turn to grit my teeth. “This lunatic!” I fled in panic, turning to leave in another direction. A few days later, I received another message from Summer. Unexpectedly, her attitude this time was surprisingly humble. “Aria, I’m here to apologize. I really know I was wrong.” “I know I made you angry. Give me a chance to make it up to you, okay?” She sent an address, saying she wanted to invite me to relax. And apologize in person. I went. An enormous rose garden appeared before my eyes. Summer stood in a white dress in front of intensely red rose bushes, waiting for me with a smile. Like a hostess, she used a key to open the estate’s gate. When I glimpsed the huge photograph by the flower bushes, my body stiffened. In the photo, Summer and Ethan held hands, lying in the flowers kissing. The scene was beautiful and warm. And the date it was taken was five years ago. Before I lost my memory. Summer’s pretentiously proud laughter came from beside me. “Aria, actually I knew about you long ago. I even helped Ethan come up with ideas to pursue you.” Only then did I learn that Summer had known Ethan much longer than I had. She was a poor student he sponsored. Ethan brought her out of the mountains. When she had nowhere to live, she stayed at his place. The corridor was filled with photos, every single one of Summer and Ethan together. This rose garden was built by him for her. Listening to Summer introduce their past photo by photo. My palms actually went a bit numb. She smiled as she looked at my wedding ring. “Every gift Ethan gave you, I helped him choose.” “Including this wedding ring—he only bought it because I liked this style.” I knew she wasn’t telling the whole truth, or rather not telling it completely. The wedding ring was something Ethan first selected from dozens of styles. He brought them to me and let me choose personally. But that didn’t stop me from being disgusted. Expressionless, I pulled off the ring and casually tossed it into the rose bushes. Seeing this, Summer’s eyes curved with satisfaction. “Mr. Cross really likes you. I’m so unwilling to accept it.” “But it’s okay. People always get tired, right! I acted understanding in front of him, saying I didn’t want anything, just that when he thought of me, he could spare me a little of the love you didn’t want.” “Guess what?” Summer laughed exaggeratedly, as if remembering something happy. “He took the initiative to sleep with me!” “You, the white moonlight, became a mosquito blood stain after he caught you. He’s tired of you!” “So I advise you to be smart and get lost. Mr. Cross will be mine sooner or later!” I stared at her for a while, then suddenly smiled sweetly. “If you’re this cheap, then I feel relieved.” Summer froze, looking at me suspiciously. I raised an eyebrow and smiled. “This way I won’t feel any guilt.” Under her confused gaze, I kicked over the shelving. Collectible wine shattered all over the floor. I pulled out a lighter. The flickering flame illuminated Summer’s terrified face. The next second, fire engulfed the entire estate. Ethan arrived quickly. Seeing me and Summer in the flames, his eyes nearly split with rage. Summer screamed at the top of her lungs: “Ethan, save me! The fire’s about to reach me!” “I just lost two children for you!” I watched Ethan with interest and mouthed words to him. “Between the two of us, who will you save first?”

The wild, unrestrained fire dragon licked at the sky. Illuminating the man’s struggling expression. He soaked himself thoroughly and rushed toward Summer. At the same time, I heard his anxious voice. “Aria, I know what you’re capable of. You can escape on your own, but Summer can’t!” He scooped Summer up in his arms. Through the rolling flames, I saw Summer turn her head and flash me a triumphant smile. I smiled back at her. Arms crossed, standing still without moving. The flames burned more and more fiercely. Ethan glanced at me not moving and hesitated for half a second before gritting his teeth. In the end, he put Summer down and rushed over to cover me with his wet jacket, pulling me to escape the fire. I stared at him with half disappointment. What a shame. If he’d just chosen to leave me behind, I could have used that as grounds for divorce. As for what the other half of my emotions were, I didn’t want to think about it. After rescuing me, Ethan went back for Summer. After we got out, the corridor’s flower stands collapsed. They fell right on Summer’s leg. When Ethan carried her out, she was crying her heart out. I knew Ethan was angry. As he passed me, he slammed heavily into my shoulder. He ordered coldly: “Take the lady to the hospital with us!” On the hospital bed. Summer’s leg was wrapped in thick bandages. She obediently held Ethan’s hand. “Ethan, don’t be angry. I’m fine.” “I don’t blame Aria for making trouble at the estate, and I don’t blame you for not saving me first. It’s my own fault…” As she spoke, her eyes reddened, but she stubbornly refused to let tears fall. She looked like she’d suffered a great injustice no matter how you looked at her. Ethan’s eyes filled with heartache and guilt. He even ignored my presence and directly cupped her face, kissing and comforting her tenderly. Then he frowned at me. “Aria, you trespassed on Summer’s estate, set fires, and hurt people. Don’t you think you should apologize?!” I smiled provocatively, resolute. “I won’t.” Ethan’s frown deepened. Summer said with false sincerity: “Ethan, don’t force Aria. Don’t fight because of me!” She suddenly smiled at me quickly and operated something on her phone. The next second, media reporters flooded into the hospital room. “Are you Mrs. Cross?” “We heard you won’t let any woman near Mr. Cross. This assistant was just doing her daily work, and you directly set a fire to hurt her. Is this true?” Dense microphones and cameras pointed at me. Ethan’s expression became panicked. Five years ago, to hide me after I lost my memory, he’d gone to great lengths. He spent hundreds of millions creating false leads to lure my lover, who was desperately searching for me, out of the country. He blocked the media, forbidding any reports or public photos showing my face for five years. He took big strides toward me. But at that moment, Summer pretended to be pushed down by the media and cried out in pain. “Ethan, my stomach hurts so much. Did my wound open again?” “Forget it, forget it. You should go check on Aria first. I can find a doctor myself.” “After all… this isn’t the first time you’ve abandoned me for her.” As she spoke, she shed bitter tears. Ethan’s eyes froze. Across the crowded cameras and heads of the media, he looked straight into my eyes. “Again? You arranged these media yourself, didn’t you?” “Aria, I won’t fall for your tricks this time.” “Summer is right. I’ve spoiled you too much these five years. It’s time you learned a lesson!” With that, he picked up Summer and turned to leave. “Summer, I’m sorry. I’ll never let you get hurt because of her again!” Over his shoulder, Summer gave me a flaunting look. This time, she’d finally won. I held my sides laughing until tears came. Ethan desperately hid me for five years. Turns out all it took was one Summer to make him let his guard down. The hospital room door slammed shut. I looked at the camera and smiled as I tucked my hair behind my ear. I knew he would definitely see me. As long as I gave him the slightest clue, he would spare no effort to find me. My former beloved, mafia boss Nathan Kane.

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The morning after my high school reunion, I woke up, eyes still glued shut, and immediately brushed my hand against a long, incredibly hairy leg. Driven by sheer, sleepy curiosity, I couldn’t resist running my hand up and down it a few times… The very next second—BANG! The hotel room door burst open, and a crowd of people flooded inside. Terrified, I snatched my hand back, snapped my eyes open, and clutched the duvet tightly to my chest. “Dr. Carter, the Chief of Surgery needs you in…” The group of men who had just barged in suddenly stopped dead in their tracks, letting out a collective gasp of shock. Me: ??? What Dr. Carter? I followed their wide-eyed stares and glanced to my side. There was a man lying right next to me. Two long, straight legs, covered in enough masculine leg hair to scream raw testosterone. And further up… My eyes practically burned out of their sockets. “We… we didn’t mean to…” The group of guys frantically covered their eyes, stammering apologies. I didn’t recognize a single person in that group, and I definitely didn’t recognize the man currently occupying my bed. Just as I was sitting there, completely paralyzed with panic— The man next to me reached out, gave the duvet a slight tug, cracked one eye open to look at me, and rasped, “Mind sharing a little?” It took my brain a full second to process that sentence before I let go of the blanket like it was on fire. The duvet slipped down, barely covering his essential anatomy. He closed his eye again and drawled lazily at the crowd by the door, “Are you guys leaving or what?” Whoa… I was so spooked by his casual attitude that I started to scramble out of bed. He let out a heavy sigh, sounding incredibly exhausted. “Not you.” Upon hearing that, the group of men finally stopped gawking. One of them threw out a hasty, “The Chief is waiting to start the M&M conference, hurry up and get downstairs!” Then, they all practically tripped over each other running out of the room. The world suddenly went dead quiet. I sat there, clutching a corner of the duvet, shivering uncontrollably. The Playful Doctor vs. The Good Girl “What are you so scared of?” My trembling seemed to have finally killed his desire to sleep. He sighed, opened his eyes to look at me, but clearly couldn’t keep them open and let them fall shut again. “I… I think… I’m a little sore,” I blabbered, my brain completely short-circuiting from the shock. The second the words left my mouth, I wanted to slap myself. This time, his eyes snapped open and stayed open. He stared at me for a few long seconds, reached up to massage his temples, and then slung a long arm around my waist, pulling me haphazardly against him. “The first time is always like that. It’ll fade in a bit.” I think he was trying to comfort me. But I felt absolutely zero comfort. Instead, a cold sweat broke out all over my body. Then, I looked down and saw a small patch of blood on the pristine white hotel sheets… My scalp went numb. He noticed the bloodstain too. He froze for a moment, then reached out, ruffled my hair, and let out a dry, self-deprecating laugh. “Sorry. I guess I lost control.” Lost control?! Another wave of cold sweat washed over me. “Who are you?” I asked, my voice cracking with pure misery. My question actually made him laugh, a sound born of sheer disbelief. “You don’t even know who I am, and you still broke in here and slept with me?” “I… I can’t remember anything…” I had never been in a situation like this in my entire life. I was covered in goosebumps. “I’m not going to get pregnant from this, am I?” Okay, I really had to hand it to myself. In the midst of all this existential panic and utter confusion, I still managed to prioritize the most critical question. Classic me. “…” He cracked an eye open to look at me again. He looked incredibly, profoundly exhausted. He looked so weak that I felt like if I poked him too hard, he might actually stop breathing. Just how wild was I last night to exhaust a grown man to this point? I was dying of shame. “No,” he stated simply, getting straight to the point. I had zero experience, and I couldn’t even remember the mechanics of what happened last night, so I didn’t dare press for details. If he said I wouldn’t get pregnant, I chose to believe him. After all, those guys called him a doctor. Maybe he used protection? That was the only thing I could tell myself. “So, um, bye?” Desperate to avoid the agonizing awkwardness of both of us being fully awake and sober, I chose the coward’s way out. Flight. “…” He glanced at me, then suddenly chuckled. “Sure.” I truly believed I would never see him again. Yet, two weeks later, clutching a positive pregnancy test, I found myself sitting outside his office at the hospital, shivering like a leaf. “Hey, future Mrs. Carter!” A young male doctor bounded up to me. I jumped out of my skin, almost having a heart attack right there in the waiting room. “Are you waiting for Dr. Carter?” He was grinning at me with the aggressive enthusiasm of a close friend. But in reality, the only time I had ever seen him was during that chaotic, mortifying morning in the hotel room. The morning I wanted to scrub from my brain forever. Two weeks ago, I attended my high school reunion, drank way too much, and stumbled into the wrong hotel room. I only found out later that Dr. Carter and a team of surgeons were at that hotel for a medical conference. In a twist of terrible fate, his room was right next to mine. He had come down with a severe fever, and the colleague who was checking on him had forgotten to pull the door shut when he left… and I just wandered right in. And then his colleagues came to wake him up for their morning meeting… Leading to the apocalyptic scene I woke up to. “Uh, yeah,” I mumbled, my face burning so hot it felt like it was going to melt off. “Come wait inside.” Without waiting for an answer, he practically dragged me into the doctors’ private lounge. As we walked past Dr. Carter’s desk, he glanced up at me. His expression was completely blank. It was like he had never seen me before in his life. To be fair, I was having a hard time recognizing him too. I had never seen him out of bed, fully dressed in his crisp, professional white coat. I waited in agonizing suspense for two hours. Staring at the nameplate on his desk, I finally learned his full name: Dr. Liam Carter, Cardiothoracic Surgeon. I discreetly googled him on my phone. And discovered he was already… 29 years old? I mentally calculated the massive generational gap between us. Finally, Liam walked into the office to change out of his scrubs. He shot me a suspicious look. “Are you waiting for Dr. Weeks?” Me: ??? “Dr. Carter, I’m waiting for you.” I stood up, gripping my purse so tightly my knuckles were white. My voice was as quiet as a mouse. “And you are?” Me: ??? Did he seriously have amnesia the second he got out of bed? “Two weeks ago. At the Marriott. We…” I forced myself to explain, my voice losing confidence with every syllable. Finally, I gave up, pulled the pregnancy test out of my purse, and carefully held it out to him. “I think… I’m pregnant.” “Liam, it’s time for lunch.” Right at that exact second, a female doctor barged into the office. I panicked, trying to hide the pregnancy test, but fumbled it. It clattered directly into the trash can next to his desk. I stared at the trash can, terrified he hadn’t seen it clearly, agonizing over whether I should dig it out. “…” Liam didn’t say a word. He just stared at me, a highly amused, calculated look in his eyes. “Is this your patient?” The female doctor clearly had no intention of leaving. She turned her scrutinizing gaze onto me. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. The awkwardness was suffocating. “I have something to take care of. You guys go ahead.” He didn’t introduce me. I felt like I had been caught stealing. The female doctor looked incredibly displeased about leaving. Before she walked out, she intentionally tugged on Liam’s sleeve—a blatant territorial claim. He has a girlfriend. The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning. Yet Liam acted like absolutely nothing had happened. He sat back down in his rolling chair, pulled a patient chart toward him, and started writing. Then, in a half-joking tone, he asked, “Feeling better?” Whoa. My heart did a violent flip at his words. “I’m fine,” I replied automatically. He shot me a fleeting, breezy glance and smiled again. “Want me to take responsibility?” I was honestly in awe of him. How could he calmly write medical charts at a time like this? He was acting like I was just here for a routine checkup. “I just don’t know what to do.” I had never expected him to take responsibility. I was just completely lost and overwhelmed by the result, hoping he might have some medical or practical advice. I tested the waters. “I should probably schedule an abortion, right?” I was trying to play it cool, but my palms were dripping with sweat. He kept writing in the chart, acting like I was discussing the weather and not our potential unborn child. What a jerk. His absolute calm was driving me insane. “Up to you.” He suddenly looked up, his gaze locking directly onto mine. His face was entirely devoid of emotion. “If you’ve decided you don’t want it, then don’t have it.” “Okay.” Could I even have it? Given the absolute trainwreck of a situation… “Scared?” There was a distinct teasing lilt in his voice. “Yeah.” I didn’t know what else to say. “So now you know how to be scared…” He shot me a highly unreadable look, flipped to a fresh page in the chart, and smirked. “That’s definitely not the girl I met that night.” Me: ??? Thinking back to how half-dead he looked that morning, I desperately wanted to know what the hell I had actually done to him. But his comment made it sound like this entire disaster was 100% my fault, and that pissed me off. “It wasn’t entirely my fault either,” I mumbled, my voice so quiet I could barely hear myself. He suddenly stopped writing. He raised a single, perfectly sculpted eyebrow at me, and a sudden, disarming smile broke across his usually stern face. “I was running a 103-degree fever that night. Did you really expect me to have the strength to fight you off?” Well… I was completely boxed in. If you didn’t have the strength to fight me off, where did you find the strength to absolutely wreck me? I thought bitterly. A player is a player. He could casually bring up the most mortifying, unmentionable details without batting an eye. He was clearly a seasoned pro at handling ‘situations’ like this. I was completely out of my league. “If you’ve made up your mind…” He fell silent for a moment, finishing his notes. Once he signed the bottom of the page, he let out a sigh and looked up. “Let’s do it next week.” “Next week?” “Next week is the only time I have an opening in my schedule,” he explained. “Okay.” Adults have to pay the price for their actions. I didn’t argue, I was just incredibly anxious. A week later, I was back in his office. My resolve to go through with the surgery was crumbling. It started because my mom had invited me over for family dinner this week. Sitting at the table with my stepdad, my younger half-brother, and my mom, the atmosphere was so warm and loud. When I got back to my tiny, silent apartment, I looked around the empty walls. The contrast of the warm family dinner flashed in my mind, and I let out a heavy sigh. I felt a wave of profound, crushing loneliness. My parents divorced when I was very young. After the split, I stayed with my mom. From middle school onward, I had been living in dorms. Because when I was in middle school, my mom met my stepdad and they built a new life together. She was so happy. I knew I should be happy for her. But coming back to this empty apartment, I just felt physically and emotionally drained. I suddenly really, really wanted to keep this baby. I was just so incredibly lonely. I knew Liam would never agree to it. No sane man in his position would. And he probably had a girlfriend. So, even as I sat in his office again, I was still agonizing over whether to keep it. “Future Mrs. Carter! Back to see our Dr. Carter again?” It was Dr. Weeks, the guy from last time. “Yeah.” I sat there, feeling stiff and awkward. “Please don’t call me that!” I whispered frantically. “Don’t be shy,” Dr. Weeks instantly slid into the chair next to me, looking around conspiratorially before dropping his voice. “We’ve all been taking bets for months on who would finally manage to tame the Ice King… We never saw you coming. We have mad respect for you, seriously.” “Huh?” I was totally lost. “You guys have the wrong idea… He and I aren’t…” Finally, I just threw my hands up and blurted out, “Doesn’t he have a girlfriend? Please stop saying things like that.” “Who?” Dr. Weeks suddenly looked deadly serious. “How do I not know about this?” “…” Now I was even more confused. Liam didn’t have a girlfriend? Did I misread the situation with that female doctor? “Are you saying Dr. Carter is seeing another woman behind your back?!” “?” I had no idea how to explain that I was the “other woman.” “Do you have a lot of free time on your hands, Dr. Weeks?” A voice suddenly floated down from above us, and a tall shadow fell over the desk. Liam! I jumped to my feet so fast I almost knocked the chair over. I felt exactly like a middle schooler caught gossiping in the back of the class. “I…” I tried to formulate a sentence. Dr. Weeks was equally terrified. He grabbed a random stack of charts and practically sprinted out of the room, pretending to be incredibly busy. “I wasn’t talking to you.” Once Dr. Weeks was gone, Liam’s tone softened significantly. He reached out, gently ruffled my hair, and gestured for me to sit back down. He then took his seat behind his desk. I felt my face heat up. Why did he always insist on petting my head? Didn’t he know it felt way too intimate and totally embarrassing? “Why do you always look so terrified of me?” he asked, studying me intently. “Do I look like a monster?” I sat down nervously. “No, it’s just… you’re a lot older than me… you feel like a…” “Like a what?” He looked highly amused. “An authority figure. An elder.” I answered honestly. “An elder?” He let out a sharp bark of laughter. “How old are you?” “I’ll be 22 next month.” His laughter made me feel incredibly insecure. When a guy who is usually dead serious starts laughing, it is absolutely lethal. Especially since he possessed an objectively devastating face. “Yeah, you are pretty young.” He stopped laughing, his expression turning thoughtful. “Wait here for a second.” He suddenly stood up and walked into the adjoining locker room to change. Those few minutes of waiting were pure agony. I was agonizing over how to say what I needed to say. Because of what Dr. Weeks had just said—that Liam didn’t have a girlfriend—my resolve had wavered even more. I was almost 22, and I had never had a real boyfriend. And Liam… well, whether it was his looks, his demeanor, or his career… he pretty much checked every single box I had ever imagined for a partner. Except for the fact that he was a massive player, obviously. I started thinking, maybe… maybe I could try dating him? Finally, I gathered every ounce of courage I had, stood up, walked to the locker room door, and knocked lightly. “Dr. Carter, I have a question.” My fists were clenched tight. I honestly didn’t have the guts to look him in the eye when I said this, so talking through the closed door was much easier. He didn’t answer. I hesitated, but pushed forward anyway. “Do you have a girlfriend? Because if you don’t… could we maybe… give this a try? I really want to keep the baby.” Saying that sentence felt like it drained my entire life force. I stood outside the door, bracing myself for the verdict. Then, the door swung open. But instead of hearing his verdict, I was blasted by a voice coming from his phone on speaker…

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Everyone in the military base housing envied me. I was the “slow” girl, yet I was going to be the wife of Captain Liam Hayes. But they didn’t know that when I was eight years old, I took a hit meant for him. That incident nearly cost me my life, and it permanently froze my mental development at that age. Knowing he owed me an unpayable debt, Liam promised to marry me. He promised to treat me well for the rest of his life. And for a long time, he actually did. While the other officers’ wives were elegant, sophisticated, and perfectly poised, Liam never found me embarrassing. He never minded how slow or clumsy I was. Once, during a devastating flash flood, he even gave up his spot on the rescue chopper for me. Until… Mia showed up. Her arrival made Liam’s trips home fewer and farther between. Even the little boy we had adopted together started saying: “I wish Auntie Mia was my mom. I don’t want a stupid girl for a mother!” Before I even had time to process the heartbreak, I was sent away to a rundown cabin in the country, where I died alone in the freezing drafts. When I opened my eyes again, I was unexpectedly back on the exact day Liam was supposed to fulfill his childhood promise. But this time, I didn’t want his guilt. And I didn’t want to marry him anymore. I didn’t understand why, but I should have been dead. Dead in that dilapidated, freezing cabin. But when I opened my eyes, I saw Liam, standing tall and handsome in his crisp military uniform. He asked me gently, “Ellie, let me take care of you forever, okay?” I lowered my eyes, knowing this meant we would spend the rest of our lives together. Because the last time he asked, I agreed, and not long after, I put on a white wedding dress. Honestly, marrying Liam was something I used to be thrilled about. It had been my birthday wish every single year since I was eight. But my head was spinning. It felt like I had just woken up from a vivid, identical dream. In that dream, Liam said the exact same thing. Then he married me, but shortly after our wedding, he regretted it. The very last time I saw him in that dream, I was crying, clutching his hand, begging him not to throw me away. He coldly shook me off. His voice was so tired, so utterly exhausted. “Ellie, please, just let me go.” “You took that hit for me when we were kids. I owe you, I know. But I’ve poured my heart and soul into taking care of you for all these years. Isn’t the debt paid by now?” “Just have some mercy. Sign the divorce papers. Let Mia and me be together.” Mia was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. In my memories, Liam was always by her side. I heard the other wives on the base whispering about her. They said Mia was incredible. She was a brilliant, highly educated researcher who had just returned from studying in Europe. The kind of person I could never compare to in a million lifetimes. They also said she and Liam were a match made in heaven, unlike him and me—a slow girl who could barely even read. I had pouted. I felt so wronged. Actually… I wasn’t born slow. I grew up with Liam. We went to elementary school together, and teachers used to call me bright. But when I was eight, I drank a glass of poisoned cider that was meant for him. When I woke up, a crowd was gathered around my hospital bed. A doctor with a white beard shook his head and sighed. “There’s no cure. Severe neurological damage. She’ll be like this for the rest of her life.” Back then, I didn’t understand what “the rest of her life” meant. But I remember Liam holding me tight, crying endlessly. He shed so many tears. Finally, the little boy made a promise: “Ellie, I’m so sorry.” “When you grow up, we’ll get married. I’ll take care of you forever.” I didn’t know what marriage really meant, but Liam said marriage meant two people getting to stay together forever. My eyes instantly lit up. I smiled so wide my cheeks hurt. That sounded wonderful. I loved Liam more than anything. I wanted us to be together forever. But for some reason, after that day, the kids on the base stopped playing with me. They walked around me. They would huddle in groups far away and secretly point and laugh. I ran to Liam and asked him why. He comforted me so patiently: “It’s okay. Our Ellie is just a little sick right now. When you get better, your friends will come back.” “Besides, you have me, right? I’ll play with you.” “I’ll always stay with you, Ellie.” And he kept his word. He took care of my every need. When I turned nineteen, Liam kept his promise and married me. But shortly after, he met Mia. And he regretted it. The very first time I heard the phrase “love of my life” come out of Liam’s mouth… It was when he was describing Mia. Liam didn’t know that on the day he asked for a divorce, I wasn’t plotting anything. I had no intention of clinging to him. I just wanted to ask if he could please not send me back to that empty cabin in the country, because it was too lonely there. But the more anxious I got, the harder it was to form a complete sentence. Huge tears just kept rolling down my cheeks. That was when little Noah stepped forward. He was the son of Liam’s fallen squadmate. Liam and I had adopted him together. I knew the little guy never liked me. He thought I was an embarrassment. So when Liam brought up the divorce, Noah quickly shoved me away. He glared at me viciously. “You burden! You’re just dead weight! How much longer are you going to drag my dad down?” “Get out! Get out of our house! Auntie Mia is coming over soon, and she’s going to be my real mom! I don’t want a stupid girl for a mother!” Liam was also disgusted by my crying. In the end, I was sent away to the country, where I died in that broken-down cabin. A cold sweat broke out across my back. The dream felt too real. So real that it chilled me to the bone. I didn’t want to die. So I gently pushed Liam away and waved my hands frantically. “Let’s not do that, Liam.” For the first time, a look of utter confusion crossed his face. Before he could ask why, two soldiers in uniform walked in and saluted him. They told him there was a new mission. Liam hastily said goodbye, telling me to take good care of myself before he left. I watched his back as he walked away. If I remembered correctly, this was the exact rescue mission where he was going to meet Mia. I really didn’t expect Mia and I to cross paths so soon. A week later, she showed up at my door with gifts. She said she wanted to thank Liam for saving her life. She covered my table with beautiful, delicate pastries. Mrs. Higgins, the sweet older lady who lived next door, pulled me aside to warn me. “Ellie, honey, you need to keep your eyes open. You aren’t officially married yet, and you have no idea how many women are gunning for your Captain.” When she said that, her eyes were locked onto Mia. Seeing that I still didn’t react, Mrs. Higgins patted my head and sighed. “Oh, you poor, sweet girl.” Then, she turned her head and quietly spat in Mia’s direction, muttering, “Homewrecker.” Mrs. Higgins told me that after Liam saved Mia, she had used “gratitude” as an excuse to invite him out to dinner multiple times. People had spotted them alone at the local diner more than once. Mrs. Higgins knew I had saved Liam’s life, and she knew about our arrangement, so she was trying to help me guard against Mia. But I just shook my head. After that vivid dream, I was more certain than ever that I couldn’t use a childhood debt to hold Liam hostage. He deserved to choose his own life. And I wanted my freedom, too. I didn’t want to stay in the Hayes household anymore. After all, besides Liam, no one there actually liked me. In stark contrast to me, Mia was incredibly popular. Liam’s grandmother absolutely adored her. How much? She would constantly hold Mia’s hand, pushing her toward Liam, saying the family was just missing a granddaughter-in-law exactly like her. During their very first meeting, Grandma Hayes even gave Mia the antique diamond bracelet that had been passed down through the family for generations. I remembered Liam telling me that bracelet was meant for his future wife. Liam happened to be walking downstairs when it happened. Hearing his grandmother’s words, he frowned, clearly displeased. He stopped her. “Grandma, stop talking nonsense. I’m marrying Ellie.” But even though Liam said he was marrying me, he and Mia were becoming increasingly inseparable. Coincidentally, Liam’s newest assignment was to act as the protective detail for this brilliant researcher. As a result, they were glued to each other. The people on the base laughed at me constantly. They would walk right up to my face and joke: “Ellie, your man took Mia to the movies again.” “Hey there, slowpoke, the Captain took someone to the mall today.” “Does the Captain even want you anymore? We all saw him buy Mia a gorgeous dress. Did he buy you one?” Whenever they started talking like that, I would run out and sit under the old oak tree by the gate. I wouldn’t say I was heartbroken. I really was fine with not marrying Liam. But could he please not abandon me? I didn’t want to be completely alone. I… needed family. Liam treated me well, and he was all I had left. If we couldn’t be husband and wife, could I just be his little sister? I picked up a twig and drew circles in the dirt. The answer was no. A couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, Grandma Hayes took Noah and me to the department store downtown. She wanted to buy some holiday treats and toys. And right there, we bumped into Liam. And Mia. At that exact moment, he was looking at her with absolute tenderness, gently helping her tie a silk scarf around her neck. From the back, they looked like a perfect, beautiful match. Little Noah immediately squeezed next to me, gloating proudly. “See that? That’s the kind of person who actually deserves my dad.” “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll pack your bags and leave, you dead weight.” Mhm… Noah loved calling me that. Dead weight. A burden. I bit my lip, just about to pinch his cheek and tell him: Listen here, kid. I can be really mean. I’m not someone you want to mess with. But when I looked up, I locked eyes with Liam. Seeing me, he completely panicked, instantly putting a massive distance between himself and Mia. He rushed over to explain, “Look, Ellie, it’s not what you think. Mia and I are just…” I didn’t wait for him to finish. I just nodded. I didn’t blame him. Truly. Ever since that dream, I knew that the Liam who met Mia was no longer just my Liam. I just didn’t expect Mia to take him away so absolutely, so completely. Because that night, I came down with a terrifyingly high fever. Maybe I hadn’t worn enough clothes at the mall. Usually, when I got sick, Liam would make me hot tea, stay right by my bed, and tell me stories until I fell asleep. But this time, a single phone call from Mia changed everything. I heard her crying through the receiver. “Liam, I sprained my ankle. It hurts so badly. Can you take me to the ER?” Liam didn’t hesitate for a second. As he headed for the door, I made one last, desperate attempt. “Liam, can you not go? I feel really sick too.” Liam grabbed his truck keys, not even turning around. He brushed me off. “Be a good girl, Ellie. I need to get Mia to the hospital, it’s an emergency.” “I’ll bring you your favorite caramel apples when I get back.” And then he was gone. The house he left behind was suffocatingly quiet. Not a single sound. I rolled over in bed, tears streaming down my face. I cried because, once again, I had no family. It was true. Liam… my Liam, was no longer my family. I knew I wasn’t smart. But when my mom was still alive, she told me: No matter what happens, family will never abandon you when you need them most. Liam’s excuse—it’s an emergency—translated to one simple truth: Mia was more important than me. I curled into a tight ball under the covers. I waited, and waited. By the time the middle of the night rolled around, Liam still hadn’t returned. I was dizzy with fever, my throat parched and burning. I had to get out of bed to boil some water myself. I guess I really am just clumsy and stupid. So stupid that I tripped over my own feet just trying to get a glass of water. I hit my head hard against the edge of the cabinet. I saw stars. I finally understood why, in my dream, Liam had slowly grown to resent me. Just like Noah said, I really was a burden. I was dead weight. I couldn’t do anything right. I bit down hard on my lip to stop myself from crying out loud. It hurt… It hurt so much. My forehead was throbbing. I mimicked the way my mom used to comfort me when I was little, whispering to myself: Don’t cry, Ellie. Be a good girl. Ellie is the bravest. Ellie is… is very strong. But the more I whispered, the faster the tears fell. Mom, I miss you so much. I miss you and Dad. You were the only ones who never thought I was stupid. I crouched on the floor, sobbing quietly. That night, the moon and stars were completely hidden behind dark storm clouds. I dug through my closet and pulled out a floral dress my mom had made for me years ago. I used it as a pillow, and finally cried myself into a heavy sleep. My fever raged on and off for days. It wasn’t until Thanksgiving arrived that I finally started feeling better. During that entire time, Liam stayed by Mia’s side. He didn’t forget I was sick, though. But every time he showed even the slightest inclination to come check on me, Mia conveniently found a reason to call him away. I got used to it. In my dream, this exact scenario had played out countless times. Perhaps out of guilt for abandoning me while I was sick, Liam went out of his way to buy me a bunch of my favorite pastries. And peanut butter cups. I had a massive sweet tooth. Ever since my parents passed away, candy was the only thing that could reach the bitter depths of my heart. Sitting on the sofa, Noah rolled his eyes at me. “Are you a baby? I stopped eating that childish junk years ago.” I pressed my lips together, clutching a crumpled candy wrapper in my hand, saying nothing. Of course Noah didn’t need candy. Even though he didn’t have his biological parents, he had Liam to dote on him. He had Grandma Hayes to spoil him. I was different. I only had candy. It was the only sweetness I could actually hold onto. Later that evening, the Thanksgiving family dinner began. Liam finally came home. He wasn’t alone. He brought Mia with him. Liam explained that it was Mia’s first holiday back in the States, her family was still in Europe, and she didn’t have many friends around here yet. So, he just brought her home. Mia walked up to me with a brilliant smile, handing me a beautifully wrapped gift box. “Ellie, I heard you love sweets. This is my Thanksgiving gift to you.” She winked at me. “I had a friend specifically send these from a boutique down south. You have to try them.” I didn’t want them. But after glancing at the warning look on Liam’s face, I took the box. Pecan pralines. All the color drained from my face. There was absolutely no way Liam didn’t know that I had a severe, life-threatening allergy to pecans. I realized then that I truly despised Mia. Especially when she tried to force me to eat something that could kill me. When it was just the two of us left in the living room, she aggressively pushed her gift on me. “Ellie, just take one bite. Don’t you love candy?” I ignored her, shifting my seat further away. She followed me. “Ellie, it was so hard to get these imported. Why are you being so disrespectful?” Mia aggressively tried to shove one of the pralines toward my mouth. I slapped her hand away. During the scuffle, a glass cup on the side table was knocked to the floor. It shattered into a dozen pieces. It was a custom, matching couple’s cup I had hand-painted for Liam and me. Now it was shattered, just like the far-from-perfect ending Liam and I had in my dream. Mia reached down to pick up the pieces, and a shard of glass sliced her finger. It was a long, bleeding cut. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears of pain. Liam walked into the room at that exact moment. Mia stood pitifully next to the broken glass. She pointed a trembling finger at me. “Liam, I just wanted Ellie to try the candy I brought her, and she aggressively refused. Does your family really hate me being here that much?” Before Liam could even speak, Noah rushed over. “Auntie Mia, it’s not your fault! Evelyn is just a weirdo, none of us like her anyway!” “She’s stupid. Don’t let her get to you.” “Does your finger hurt?” Seeing Mia bleeding, Liam’s face turned terrifyingly dark. “Ellie, apologize.” I didn’t understand. I just didn’t want to eat the candy that would make me deathly ill. Why did I have to apologize? I refused. But the price of not apologizing was that I had to eat the pecan pralines. Liam said that eating them was the only way to prove I wasn’t intentionally disrespecting Mia’s kindness. I stood frozen in the middle of the room. My throat bobbed. I wanted to scream, Why? Why are you treating me like this? Didn’t you say you’d treat me well for the rest of your life? Didn’t you say Ellie was the most important thing to you? But Liam was unyielding. Either I apologized, or I ate the candy. Noah stood protectively in front of Mia. The two of them, father and son, stood like a united front, guarding a woman they had only known for a few months.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “400817”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel