Category: English

According to the rules of the wealthy Ashford family, the heir Lucas Ashford’s fiancée must be determined through a “blind selection” at the family gala. I was deeply in love with Lucas. I went to great lengths to get my name into his selection box. But for seven years in a row, he drew nothing but blank slips. Until just before the eighth-year gala began. I overheard his mother questioning him: “Lucas, don’t you really like Serena? Why have you been swapping out the slips with her name for blank ones for seven years straight?” “Doesn’t it hurt you to watch her cry in disappointment every year?” Lucas chuckled softly. “Of course it hurts. But Bianca just got back from abroad. She’s emotionally unstable. I promised to stay by her side through her treatment for seven years.” “Besides, that fool won’t marry anyone but me. Next year, I’ll definitely give her a grand proposal.” With that, he tossed the slip bearing my name into the shredder. And in that instant, I let go too. After all, my grandfather had said that if I wasn’t chosen again this year, he would arrange a different match for me.

“The sound of the shredder is definitely more pleasant than your crying.” Lucas adjusted his cuffs and casually pushed open the lounge door. Outside, the lights blazed and elegant guests mingled. This was the eighth bride-selection gala hosted by the wealthy Ashford family. And my last chance. He didn’t even glance at me standing in the shadowed corner. He walked straight toward Bianca, who was surrounded by a group of socialites. “Lucas!” Bianca crashed into his arms like a startled fawn, sobbing: “They’re saying I don’t belong here. They’re calling me a homewrecker who’s ruining your relationship with Serena…” Lucas frowned deeply. His sharp gaze swept across the room, finally landing on the gossiping socialites. “Who dares say she doesn’t belong? Bianca is my most important guest. Anyone who upsets her upsets me.” The room fell silent. Those socialites turned pale and looked to me for help as I stepped out. After all, for the past seven years, I had been Lucas Ashford’s girlfriend in name. Aside from that strange “blind selection” quirk of his. He gave me everything I asked for. Everyone expected me to march over and slap Bianca. Or to confront him with tears in my eyes like I had the past seven years, demanding to know why he was protecting another woman. But this time, I simply smoothed my dress calmly. I picked up a glass of champagne from a waiter’s tray and took a small sip. “Serena, aren’t you going to do something?” someone whispered. I smiled. “Mr. Ashford is playing hero. Why would I interfere? Besides, I’m curious to see if my name is actually in this year’s selection box.” Lucas stiffened. He instinctively turned to look at me. He clearly hadn’t expected this reaction. In the past, I would have been crying and demanding that Bianca leave. But today. I was calm. Like an outsider. Irritation flickered in his eyes. He released Bianca and strode toward me. “Serena, what kind of tantrum are you throwing now? Bianca just got back. She’s not well. She can’t handle being upset. Can’t you be more understanding?” Understanding? I looked at this man I had loved for over a decade. And suddenly felt like I didn’t know him at all. I had hidden my sharp edges to match his tastes. I learned to cook for him. To get my name into that damned box. I bribed the butler. I won over his mother. I schemed and plotted. And for what? For my heart to be shredded to pieces in that machine. “Lucas.” I set down my glass. “I’m not throwing a tantrum. I just think you’re right. Miss Whitmore is delicate. She really does need someone to take good care of her during her treatment.”

Lucas froze. He stared into my eyes, searching for any trace of jealousy or spite. But there was nothing. He reached for my wrist. “Good. After tonight, next year—” “There is no next year.” I cut him off and stepped aside to avoid his touch. “My grandfather said that if my name isn’t in the box again this time, we’re done.” “Done?” Lucas scoffed. “Serena, how many times are you going to play this hard-to-get game? Last year you said you were going to study abroad, but you called me crying at the airport. The year before, you said you wanted to break off the engagement, but you stood in the rain all night and got a fever. Can you really leave me?” His tone dripped with condescending pity. Because in his eyes. I was his shadow. And how could a shadow ever leave the light? Bianca covered her mouth and giggled, her eyes full of provocation. “Serena, I know you feel wronged. But if Lucas really breaks up with you, who would want you? You’d become a laughingstock.” She was right. For Lucas, I had turned myself into a joke. I looked at Bianca’s fake sympathetic face. And suddenly remembered what I had heard at the lounge door— “Besides, that fool won’t marry anyone but me.” So in their eyes. My devotion was stupidity. My persistence was pathetic. “You worry too much, Miss Whitmore.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and smiled graciously. “My family is wealthy too. The line of men who want to marry me stretches all the way to France. But you, Miss Whitmore…” My gaze dropped to her arm, tightly wrapped around Lucas’s. “I heard you spent seven years abroad getting treatment. But now that you’re back, you still seem so unsteady on your feet. Can’t even stand without support?” “Should I call an ambulance so you can get checked out at the hospital?” “You—!” Bianca’s face twisted. She trembled with rage. Tears came on command, streaming down her cheeks. “Lucas, look at her…” Lucas’s expression darkened. “Serena! That’s enough! Apologize to Bianca!” “Apologize?” I raised an eyebrow. “Lucas, have you forgotten? I’m your girlfriend. What’s wrong with me putting an outsider who doesn’t know her place back in line?” The guests began whispering among themselves. Lucas’s mother rushed over. Seeing the scene, she frowned deeply. “Stop making a scene! This is embarrassing!” She glared at Lucas, then looked at me. Her expression was complicated. “Serena, don’t let irrelevant people ruin what matters.” Mrs. Ashford genuinely cared for me. She truly wanted me to marry into the family. Too bad her precious son had destroyed everything with his own hands. Lucas took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. He wrapped his arm around Bianca’s shoulders and looked at me coldly. “Fine. If you want to play this game, let’s play. I want to see if you can still act so smug when I pull out a blank slip.” With that, he turned and walked toward the platform in the center of the hall. There, a beautifully crafted wooden box waited. I watched his retreating figure as my gaze turned cold.

The box contained one hundred slips of paper. Only one was supposed to bear Lucas Ashford’s name. If I drew it, we would be engaged on the spot. If not, I’d have to wait another year. Every time, I reached in full of hope. Every time, I pulled out a blank slip. I thought I was just unlucky. I thought fate was testing our love. It wasn’t until today that I learned the truth. There had never been a single slip with Lucas’s name on it. “Serena, go ahead.” Mrs. Ashford stood below the stage, watching me encouragingly. “This year, you’ll definitely draw it.” I lifted my dress and climbed the steps one by one. Lucas stood beside the box. The way he looked at me was like watching an unreasonable child. “Serena.” He lowered his voice. “If you apologize to Bianca right now, I guarantee you’ll draw my name next year. Or we don’t even have to wait that long. Just behave yourself and stop targeting Bianca. I might consider ending this game early.” Game?! In his eyes, seven years of torment, my youth, my dignity—all of it was just a game he could end whenever he pleased. I stopped walking and stood across from him. We were only inches apart, but our hearts were worlds away. “Lucas.” I looked into his eyes and asked softly. “Do you really think I can’t live without you?” Lucas paused, then let out a mocking laugh. “What else? Who else could put up with your temper? Who else is worthy of the Sinclair family besides the Ashfords? Serena, accept your fate. You were destined to be mine.” He was too confident. He thought he had my weakness in his grip, so he could trample over my boundaries however he wanted. I lowered my gaze. “Is that so? Then let’s see who really needs to accept their fate.” I took a deep breath and reached into that dark box. The room went silent. Bianca stood at the front of the crowd, a victor’s smile on her lips. She knew the box was full of blank slips. She was waiting to watch me humiliate myself and burst into tears. Lucas didn’t even bother watching. He looked elsewhere. As if he already knew how this would end. I closed my eyes. My fingers searched the bottom of the box. Finally, my fingertips touched a slip that felt slightly different. It was the one I’d had someone slip in during the chaos before the event. I pulled out that slip. “Lucas.” I held it up. “Looks like your guarantee just became worthless.” Lucas’s casual expression froze. He instinctively looked at the slip in my hand. Confusion flickered in his eyes. Impossible. He had personally replaced every slip with his name with a blank one. Just to be safe, he had even checked the box right before the gala began. There was no way any slip had writing on it. “Serena, who are you trying to fool with a blank piece of paper?” He reached out to snatch it from me. “We’ll know if it’s blank once I show everyone, won’t we?” I dodged his hand. I looked down at my grandfather below the stage. “Grandfather, could you come read this for me? Tell everyone whose name is on it.” Grandfather made his way up the stage with his cane, his steps unsteady. He took the slip from my hand. Then he burst into hearty laughter. “Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!” Lucas’s unease grew. He threw decorum aside and rushed forward to see. “Grandfather, let me see!” But Grandfather quickly tucked the slip away. He turned to face the hundreds of guests below. His voice boomed with authority: “According to the Sinclair-Ashford family rules! On her eighth attempt, Serena has successfully drawn her future husband’s name!” The crowd erupted. Mrs. Ashford was moved to tears. Bianca’s smile froze. Her nails dug into her palms. Lucas looked like he’d been struck by lightning. “Impossible!” he shouted. “The box was full of—” He caught himself before finishing. He couldn’t say it. To say it would be admitting he had cheated. Admitting he had been making a fool of Serena for years. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. “Grandfather, you must have made a mistake. How is this possible?” “How is it not possible?” I took the slip from Grandfather’s hand and held it up for everyone to see. The name written on it: **Ethan Carter.** The color drained from Lucas’s face. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head. “Ethan Carter?! Impossible! How could his name be in there?! My box should only have MY name!” I watched him lose control. It was almost laughable. “Lucas. The rules only say the blind selection determines the groom. They never said the box could only contain your name.” I turned to look at the corner of the room. At the man who had stood silent all this time, tall and straight as a pine. “Mr. Carter. Since fate has decided. Would you be willing to marry me?”

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After six months of medical leave, I finished treatment a week early and returned to campus, wanting to surprise my boyfriend Donald. But in the restroom, I accidentally overheard my best friend Moore bragging: “This bag is a limited edition. Not like Corinna, carrying that fake around all day. And she keeps bragging about how her mom specially brought it back from Paris.” Two other girls sneered: “I always thought Corinna wore designer clothes every day. Turns out this whole rich girl act is completely fake!” “She’s been on medical leave for half a year, right? She probably got knocked up by some old guy who’s keeping her!” “So gross! How does she still have the nerve to cling to Donald all the time? Moore, Donald choosing you as his girlfriend was the best decision ever.” So my best friend had not only been spreading rumors about me behind my back, but she’d also stolen my boyfriend! Six months ago, Moore had sworn to me: “Corinna, don’t worry! I’ll watch Donald 24/7 for you. I guarantee no woman will dare seduce him! If he cheats, I’ll break his legs!” During the hardest time in the hospital. Donald called me every day to comfort me. Moore also visited me every week with all sorts of weird little trinkets. “Corinna, doesn’t this ugly doll look like Donald?” “Corinna, you have to get better soon.” One was my boyfriend of many years, the other was my close best friend. We had even sworn to stick together for life, never abandoning each other. The memories were like nails, pinning me in place. The voices in the restroom gradually faded. They left one by one. The medication my doctor prescribed was still in a clear pill organizer. That was my supply for the past week. It rattled in my backpack as I moved to open the door. The doctor said I’d been getting angry much less lately. Both my manic episodes and bipolar disorder were developing in the right direction. I knew all of this was inseparable from Donald and Moore’s involvement. My phone suddenly vibrated. Donald had sent me a message. “Corinna, I dreamed about you last night. Just thinking that you’ll be discharged in a week makes me so happy!” He’d also sent a photo of the plant I’d given him on his windowsill. He said, “Look, without you here, it’s stopped growing.” The sycamore leaves outside were already yellow, though it had been spring when I was admitted. Six months ago, Donald said he marked off a square on the calendar I’d given him every day, counting down to my discharge. Counting the days until we’d meet again was its own kind of romance. So I deliberately ended my treatment a week early. Just to rush back to campus to celebrate Donald’s birthday. To give him a birthday surprise. I hadn’t told anyone. I knew his family had run into some problems recently. His dad’s construction project had been suspended. He couldn’t help but sigh when he called me. But he’d quickly catch himself and laugh, telling me about his daily life: “Corinna, you don’t need to hear about all this depressing stuff. Getting better is what’s most important.” I’d bought him the latest gaming console he’d always wanted but couldn’t bring himself to buy. I’d wrapped it in beautiful starry paper and tied it with a ribbon. I’d even imagined his expression when he received it. He’d be stunned at first. Then those eyes that were always full of tenderness would crinkle as he ruffled my hair and said: “Corinna, why waste money on this? You know I’ll love anything you give me.” But the corners of his mouth would turn up. He’d be happy inside. I knew it all. I tried hard not to recall the conversation I’d just overheard. But the restroom lights were so bright. The marble countertop reflected a pale, ghastly light. I walked to the mirror and looked at myself. Pale face, dark eyes, hair cut short. I looked… fragile, like a carefully maintained specimen. I took out my lipstick, wanting to make myself look healthier. But even my hands began to tremble. Right or wrong, I had to get answers. I took out my phone to distract myself. Until I scrolled to an Ins post from a mutual friend. The location was a restaurant off campus. They were celebrating Donald’s birthday together.

On my way from campus to the restaurant, Moore sent me a message. 【Corinna! Donald said he’s going to hang out with some friends alone for a bit】 【But he told me he’ll definitely come see you alone this weekend and celebrate with you again. He said his birthday isn’t complete without you】 【I’m really the security guard for your relationship. Don’t worry, I’ll be there the whole time. I guarantee no other girls will get within three feet of him】 She immediately sent a photo of Donald’s back. He was wearing the gray sweater I’d given him, standing by the private room window on the phone. His fingers were long, clean, with distinct knuckles. In a trance, I suddenly remembered. When I was little, I fell from a tree. Those hands had steadily carried me on his back to the nurse’s office. When I had episodes and smashed things in a frenzy. Those hands had held me tight from the darkness. “Corinna, don’t be afraid. I’m here. I’ll always be here…” Those hands had also accepted the project introduction letter my dad gave him. Received the specialist appointment slip my mom got for his mom. And cupped my face in my most twisted and broken moments, saying I love you. I scrolled through our past chat records, looking at all those considerate and responsible updates. 【What classes Donald had today】 【What Donald ate today】 【Whether Donald was at the library or playing basketball tonight】 Back then, I’d thought having a friend like this was incredible luck. But thinking about it now. If they weren’t constantly stuck together, how could Moore know every little detail so thoroughly? I stared at the photo for a few seconds. “Where are you guys now?” Moore replied almost instantly: “The restaurant! The one across from campus. The atmosphere’s pretty good, mainly because it’s quiet.” Then she sent another message: “The private room today has a minimum spend of $2,800. The cake was custom-made too, cost several hundred more.” “And Donald insisted on opening that bottle of red wine. So expensive!” “But it’s fine! It’s worth it to celebrate my best friend’s boyfriend’s birthday!” In the past, receiving this kind of message, I would’ve transferred money immediately. Moore’s family wasn’t well-off. I’d always been afraid she’d be under financial pressure because of me. Every time we ate out or went on trips, I’d voluntarily cover most of the expenses. Or afterwards I’d send her red packets under various pretexts, or give her equivalent gifts. She’d always decline a few times before accepting, then hug me emotionally. “Corinna, you’re so good.” My finger hovered over the transfer button. This time, I didn’t press it. “Thanks for the hard work, Moore. Next time I’ll take you skiing in Switzerland. You’ve always wanted to go, right?” The moment I sent the message. I happened to stop in front of the restaurant. The door was ajar, leaving a narrow crack. My phone stayed quiet for about half a minute before Moore replied with a cute emoji. At the same time, a sharp, piercing female voice rang out from the private room. “I’ve had enough!” It was Moore, completely different from before. “She’s stuck in the hospital with her illness and can’t get out, and now she’s being impatient with me?!” “Donald, how much longer do I have to put up with this?!” “When she comes back, what does that make me? Huh? You tell me, what does that make me?!” After an awkward silence. A male voice spoke up. “Donald, you can’t keep hiding this forever. Corinna will find out sooner or later.” “Everyone in the department already thinks you and Moore are a couple, don’t they?” “At the basketball game last time when Moore brought water, everyone teased you, and you didn’t deny it either.” Someone else continued: “Exactly. Moore and you these past six months… we’ve all seen it.” “Corinna being sick isn’t easy, but you can’t keep dragging both of them along like this, right? It’s not fair to Moore either.” My heartbeat seemed to stop in that instant. So… they all knew.

Everyone was in on the act. Only I was a complete and utter joke. “Enough! I know what I’m doing.” Donald’s voice went cold, with a hardness I rarely heard from him. The hallway and private room suddenly fell silent. His next words, each one crystal clear, pierced through my eardrums and stabbed into my heart. “Now’s not the time yet. Corinna’s dad hasn’t fully handed over power. Her dad is smart.” “From her, I still can’t get anything more substantial for now.” “Next quarter’s collaboration—my family’s company is still counting on her family to help us out. Just wait a bit longer.” Moore interrupted him with a sob in her voice. “Wait, wait, wait! Always waiting!” “What about me? What am I? Your underground lover? Or the backup you can’t acknowledge?” “Donald, I didn’t get together with you to suffer this kind of humiliation!” Donald’s voice immediately softened. Using that gentle, coaxing tone I loved most. “Alright, baby, don’t cry. You know I love you most.” “Corinna—she’s just a psycho. Once I get what I want, I’ll come clean with her immediately.” “Then I’ll introduce you to everyone properly, with full fanfare. Okay?” Moore’s voice was muffled, but her anger had clearly subsided considerably. “You just say nice things.” “Then you’re not allowed to go see her this week. Not allowed to be so gentle with her!” But Donald said: “Not this week. I’ve worked so hard to keep this up. If I don’t commit fully to the act, how can I fool her father?” “Baby, you don’t know—every time she has an episode, I feel so disgusted I want to throw up, but I still have to hold her and comfort her.” “Only with you do I feel like a human being.” Moore immediately broke into laughter, that laugh coquettish and smug. “You’re terrible. Fine, I forgive you. So when are you breaking up with her?” “I can’t stand her for another day. Especially today—she used to transfer money so quickly, but this time she’s talking about taking me skiing in Switzerland.” “As if I can’t go without her. Who’s she insulting?!” Donald immediately replied: “Soon, soon. Once the project funds come through, I’ll come clean right away…” The voices in the private room gradually blurred. The hallway wall lamps cast warm yellow light that fell on me, yet I felt even colder. The bag in my hand was clenched so tight, my nails digging deep into my palm. Every word, every sentence they spoke. Was like a red-hot branding iron, searing my heart with a sizzling sound. So all that tenderness I’d treated as my lifeline was a performance that disgusted him so much he wanted to vomit but had to endure. So that friendship I’d carefully treasured was also an utterly false scam. The laughter and cheerful voices inside the door seemed to tell me again and again. This world doesn’t welcome you. Thoughts of destroying everything began screaming wildly in my mind. The watch monitoring my physical data in real-time began sending alerts. My body temperature and heart rate were both rapidly spiking. The hospital had apparently already received the signal. Just as I was about to lose control, a special phone ringtone suddenly rang. My emotions were like a balloon with a sudden leak—before they could explode, they came pouring out. The doctor’s voice was urgent, no longer as gentle as usual. “Corinna, where are you right now?! Promise me, no matter what happens, don’t hurt yourself, okay?!” I paused, said okay. Then directly pushed open the door in front of me.

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My three college roommates tricked me into sending them my photos under the pretense of editing them for me. I never imagined they’d use my pictures to catfish three rich guys online and scam them out of money. A month later, those wealthy guys filed fraud charges against me, claiming damages of up to a million dollars. I tried to explain, but none of them believed me. My three roommates even stepped forward to accuse me, calling me a gold digger and falsely claiming I had seduced at least thirty men. In their rage, the rich guys hired some gang thugs who tortured me to death. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the first day of school. “Margaret, send us your selfies from today. We’ll edit them for you.” My roommate Mira leaned over, her finger tapping my screen. “The angle’s good, just a bit dark.” Mary immediately chimed in, “Your skin is already flawless. These photos don’t show your beauty at all. Send them to us, please.” She reached for my phone, but I took a step back. Sara laughed beside them. “Don’t be so stingy. We’re roommates—we’re not going to steal your photos or anything.” I stared at all three of them. In my past life, they’d said the same thing. Then they turned around and sent my photos to different rich guys, which ended with me being labeled a scammer. To pay back that ridiculous million-dollar debt, I worked three jobs every day. But the rich guys weren’t satisfied. They hired gang thugs who tortured me to death. “No need. I can edit them myself.” I kept my head down, scrolling through the photos on my phone. Mira got anxious. “Margaret, why are you being like this? We’re just trying to help you!” Mary quickly agreed. “Exactly! We’re offering to edit your photos for free. Isn’t that great?” Sara directly grabbed my arm. “Just post them in our group chat. We promise not to share them anywhere else!” I looked at their fake smiles, remembering how they’d grabbed me the same way in my past life, only to identify me to the police as a gold digger who specialized in scamming men. “Fine.” I opened Instagram and sent the original photos to our dorm group chat. The three of them immediately huddled together, their fingers rapidly swiping through the pictures. “Margaret, you’re so gorgeous! After I finish editing, I’ll send them back for you to see the results!” They were as excited as if they’d found treasure. I kept my head down and quietly opened Instagram, quickly registering a new account. I found their three accounts and blocked them with one click. “Margaret, how does my edit look?” Mary handed me her phone. In the photo, I’d been AI-edited to look like a Barbie doll. “Pretty good.” I smiled perfunctorily. Mira suddenly looked up. “What are you doing? You keep staring at your phone.” “Just replying to a message.” I didn’t look up as I uploaded both the original photos and their heavily edited versions, typing a caption: [Reject appearance anxiety]. Sara leaned over. “Who are you chatting with? A boyfriend? Let me tell you, if you’re looking for a boyfriend, you need to be careful. Better let us vet him for you.” She was probably worried that if I got a boyfriend, all my photos would be couple shots, making it harder for her to use my pictures to scam people.

After all, in my past life, they used my photos to scam a full million dollars. “Just chatting with family.” I smiled and put away my phone. “Tony sent me an Instagram friend request! He says he wants me to be his girlfriend.” Mira suddenly squealed with excitement. Mary immediately crowded over. “Really? He’s that rich guy from the finance department!” Sara also excitedly leaned in. “Accept it quick! Chat with him!” “Shit! This Tony is so generous—he just transferred you twenty thousand dollars right off the bat.” I watched the three of them huddle together, fingers flying across their screens, and smirked inwardly. In my past life, Mira had been the first to use my photos to hook Tony. To pursue her, Tony kept transferring money. I stood up and walked toward the door. Before leaving the dorm, I glanced back. They didn’t even lift their heads, completely absorbed in the “rich guy’s” sweet nothings. In the hallway, I opened my newly registered Instagram. The post already had likes and comments. I took a screenshot and saved it to my album. This time, they won’t get away with harming me. Over the following days, they found reasons to ask for my photos almost every day. “Margaret, today’s outfit looks so good. Can you send me the original for reference?” “Your side profile from yesterday was gorgeous. Can you send me the original? I want to learn the photography angle.” “Margaret, could you wear this new dress I bought and take some photos? The seller wants some nice return photos for a discount. You have the best figure in our dorm.” Their eyes constantly fixed on my phone screen. I casually asked, “Why do you need so many photos?” Mira immediately hid her phone against her chest. “You’re pretty, we want to learn from you.” Mary interjected, “Right, you photograph the best in our dorm.” I nodded, sent the photos to the group chat, then immediately uploaded them to my new Instagram account. Mira’s phone immediately started buzzing. She couldn’t control the corners of her mouth lifting upward. “Tony transferred me money again!” She suddenly screamed. “Fifty thousand! He says he’s buying me a bag! I haven’t even spent the money he transferred yesterday, I told him not to transfer more but he insists.” Sara immediately pounced over. “Let me see! Oh my god, he’s so generous! My boyfriend also transferred me fifty thousand yesterday as spending money.” Mary pouted sourly. “My boyfriend only transferred thirty thousand…” I quietly recorded these conversations and continued organizing photos. Three days later, Mira got the latest phone model and showed it off in the dorm. “Tony insisted on buying it for me. He said it matches my temperament.” She deliberately waved it in front of me. “Margaret, want to touch it?” I didn’t look up. “No need. My phone still works.” Sara suddenly leaned over. “Margaret, why are you always on your phone lately?” “Doing social media. Maybe I’ll become a social media star someday.” I flashed the screen. “So I’m posting some daily photos.” Mira’s expression changed. “Have you posted your photos on all social media platforms?” “No. Most of the time I just share study materials.” I answered calmly. “Want to see?” I had indeed registered another account where I shared study materials. The three of them visibly relaxed. Mira resumed her arrogant manner. “By the way, Tony’s treating the whole dorm to dinner this weekend. You have to come.”

Mary immediately followed up. “Right, we’re all going. You can’t be a buzzkill.” My finger paused on the screen. “Why are you specifically emphasizing that I come?” Mira’s eyes shifted. “Tony wants to meet my roommates. You know how guys are, they get curious.” Sara suddenly interrupted. “Margaret, dress nicely that day. Don’t embarrass our dorm.” I looked at their nervous expressions and suddenly understood—Tony was getting suspicious. After all, for the past week, Mira had been receiving gifts and transfers from Tony every day, but had never met him in person. Plus, Tony went to our school. If they didn’t meet soon, Mira’s cover would be blown. In my past life, they used the same excuse to trick me into attending a dinner. At the table, they inexplicably seated me next to Tony. No wonder Tony kept staring at me. “Sure.” I smiled. “I’ll definitely be there on time.” Mira breathed a sigh of relief and immediately started typing rapidly on her phone. Her phone screen reflected in the glass. I clearly saw the last sentence: [Honey, my roommates all agreed to come.] Right after, John sent a fifty-thousand-dollar transfer with a message: [Then make sure to wear the dress I bought you. Can’t wait to meet you.] On the day we were supposed to meet Tony, Mira waved a pink dress in front of me first thing in the morning. “Margaret, you’d look amazing in this dress. This is my new dress—I haven’t even worn it myself yet.” She forcefully held the dress up to me. Mary immediately agreed. “Right, this color complements your skin tone.” Sara directly grabbed me. “Try it on quick, don’t spoil the mood. Look, we’re all ready, you’re the only one who hasn’t gotten ready. Don’t embarrass us.” I stepped back. “I have my own clothes.” Mira’s face darkened. “Tony’s specially treating us. If you just wear jeans, that’s so disrespectful!” “Exactly,” Mary scoffed. “He’s a rich guy, very worldly.” I stared at their eager expressions and suddenly smiled. “Fine, I’ll wear it.” Mira immediately beamed. “That’s more like it! With your looks, you’ll charm so many people tonight.” “Tony has lots of rich friends. We’ll introduce you to one.” I took the dress into the bathroom and heard them whispering outside. “She won’t back out, will she?” “Don’t worry, I’m watching her.” I slowly changed into the dress. When I walked out, their eyes lit up. “So beautiful!” Mira circled around me. “This dress fits you perfectly! Hold on, let me take a couple of photos.” Before I could refuse, she grabbed her phone and snapped several pictures, quickly operating on her phone while muttering: “Sent you the photos.” I knew she’d sent them to Tony. I lowered my head to adjust the hem. “I have a club activity this afternoon. You guys go first, I’ll join you later.” Mira immediately got nervous. “You have to come.” “I know.” I smiled. “I won’t back out on what I promised.” After they left, I immediately changed back into my jeans, stuffed the dress in my bag, then posted the photos Mira took to my account with the caption: [Tried on my roommate’s dress today.] At seven that evening, I stood outside the private dining room, hearing Mira’s sweet voice from inside: “Tony, Margaret has a really introverted personality. When she gets here, you absolutely can’t be too forward or you’ll scare her.”

Mary quickly helped. “Right, she really hates guys who are too pushy on the first meeting.” “Last time a guy accidentally bumped into her and she just stormed out.” Sara embellished the story. Looked like they were afraid of being exposed, so they specifically told Tony to talk less. I pushed open the door. The private room instantly went quiet. Tony looked up at me. His expression changed from confusion to shock. Disregarding what the three had just advised, he blurted out: “Why aren’t you wearing the dress I bought?” The three roommates panicked. Mira quickly stood up and pulled me outside, while the other two stayed inside to calm Tony down. “Why didn’t you wear that dress? Why did you change back into those ratty jeans?” Mira lowered her voice to question me, her face pale. I feigned confusion. “I couldn’t wear a dress for the club activity, so I changed back. Then the activity ran too late and I was afraid you’d be waiting, so I didn’t change the dress. Why are you so nervous?” “And why did Tony ask that?” Mira bit her lip and said nothing. “If you won’t tell me, I’m going in. I’m hungry.” I moved to push the door. “Wait!” She grabbed me. “I used your photos to have an online relationship with Tony. That dress was actually bought by Tony for you. He wanted you to wear it when you came to meet him today.” “What?” I deliberately raised my voice. “How could you do something like that? Aren’t you afraid of being exposed?” “Please, Margaret,” she was nearly in tears. “Just help me this once. I don’t want to lose face in front of them. I promise I’ll come clean to Tony later!” I shook off her hand. “You used my photos to scam people, and you want me to cooperate?” “Please!” Mira was about to cry. “Just this once!” I fell silent for a moment, then showed a reluctant expression. “Fine, I’ll help this one time. But you must tell him the truth soon.” “I will, I will!” She nodded repeatedly. I secretly paused the recording. Back in the private room, Tony was still asking about the dress. I smiled. “That dress was being washed and wasn’t dry yet. Sorry about that.” Only then did Tony relax. Throughout the meal, he kept attentively serving me food, completely ignoring Mira’s darkening expression. “This limited edition bag is for you.” He suddenly pulled out a gift box. “It’s too expensive, I can’t accept it.” I declined. “Take it, consider it a meeting gift.” He insisted. Mira stared at the bag, her eyes wide. “Tony, this…” “What?” Tony looked at her, confused. “Nothing.” She forced a smile. In the end, I returned the bag to Tony. I didn’t want any financial entanglement with him. Over the next few days, Tony started pursuing me obsessively. On the third day at noon, I cornered Mira in the cafeteria. “When are you coming clean to Tony?” I asked directly. Her eyes shifted. “Give it a bit more time…” “Time for what?” “He likes you so much right now. If I tell him, he’ll be even angrier.” She stammered. I sneered. “So you’re just going to let me continue being your stand-in?” She couldn’t bear to give up the gifts and transfers Tony sent. “It’s not that!” She quickly defended herself. “Just… wait until his enthusiasm dies down a bit…” Her phone suddenly chimed with a notification from Tony. She glanced at it, and her face grew even more ashen. “He transferred you money again.” I glimpsed at it. “Fifty thousand. You can’t accept it. If you do, accept it under your own name.”

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My mother-in-law had passed away. As we escorted her casket to the funeral home, we encountered dozens of luxury wedding cars on a narrow bridge. The window of the leading Mercedes rolled down, and the groom stuck his head out, shouting angrily. “Move the damn corpse out of the way!” “Don’t delay my wedding!” I stood rooted to the spot, quickly fumbling a pack of cigarettes from my pocket and offering it to the groom, saying earnestly. “Bro, sorry. The funeral home is just across the bridge. You’ve got a lot of cars—how about letting us go first?” “The dead deserve respect. Please understand!” The groom sat in the driver’s seat, raised his hand, and slapped the cigarettes out of my hand. “It’s my wedding day. Who’s more important than me?” “You know who my bride is? Christiana, the super-rich CEO from New York!” “Can you afford to delay her?! Get lost!” My body stiffened. I asked instinctively, “Who did you say the bride is?” The groom’s lips curled up. “The beautiful CEO, Christiana!” “Scared now? If you’re scared, get out of the way!” Scared? I slowly straightened my bent back, my face darkening as I spoke. “If what you’re saying is true, then you’d better call Christiana right now.” “Ask her why she disappeared for days during her own mother’s funeral to go have a wedding with another man.” “Did she ask for my opinion—her fiancé’s opinion?”

“You’re Anthony?” The groom got out of the driver’s seat, walked up to me, and looked me straight in the eye with a mocking expression. “Anthony?!” Hearing my name, he acted as if he’d heard something hilarious. One by one, the drivers’ doors of the wedding cars opened. Drivers jumped out and gathered around, sizing me up with contemptuous remarks. “So that’s Christiana’s real fiancé? He reeks of poverty!” “He’s a wildlife expert though. Internationally famous.” “Lol, I bet he’ll be famous after this—after all, Christiana’s marrying Paul behind Anthony’s back. How could he not be famous?” My brows furrowed tightly. I asked in confusion, “What do you mean by that?” The groom tilted his head and laughed. “Anthony, didn’t Christiana tell you? She’s just a substitute bride. She’s marrying me in place of my deceased fiancée to fulfill my wish. It’s not a real marriage.” “You should’ve talked to us if you had a problem. Instead, you pulled this stunt—staging a fake funeral to block my wedding convoy. What kind of behavior is that?” “Get those actors of yours out of the way. Don’t delay our wedding.” The groom patted my shoulder, turned, opened the car door, and got back into the driver’s seat to start the engine. I stood there, my brows knitted tightly. I didn’t know this groom. As for my fiancée and Christiana being a substitute bride—I’d never heard a word about any of that from her. But the funeral behind me was real! A week ago, Christiana and I had agreed to drive back to her hometown to see my mother-in-law. Our wedding was also scheduled to be held at an outdoor prairie venue in this suburb. But halfway through the drive, she suddenly got a phone call. She told me her company urgently needed her for something and she had to rush back to handle it. She asked me to wait for her at her hometown first. She said she’d come later that evening, but after she left, she went completely silent for a week. My mother-in-law’s condition worsened. Christiana had the life-saving medicine in her bag but hadn’t given it to me. This was a rural area with inadequate medical facilities, unable to treat my mother-in-law. The entire village and I frantically made over ninety phone calls trying to notify her, urging her to come home quickly with the medicine. But the messages sank like stones into the sea. There was no response at all. My mother-in-law passed away full of regret. I waited four days for Christiana so she could at least see her own mother off one last time, but she never replied. Now, finally hearing news of her, I’m told she’s getting married? And the “groom” showed up too. It seemed Christiana wanted to marry this man first at the wedding venue she and I had chosen together. My fury shot through the roof! My mother-in-law had just died, and Christiana was going too far! “Anthony, what are you standing there for? Get your fake funeral procession to move back.” The groom jabbed his index finger at my nose and continued impatiently. “I’m giving you face because of Christiana. Don’t push your luck.” I stepped forward and said coldly to the groom in the driver’s seat, “In Christiana’s family tradition, when someone dies, they can only move forward, never backward. Otherwise, the deceased won’t rest in peace and will become a vengeful ghost.” “The casket holds Christiana’s own mother. Call her now. If she says we should move, I’ll move!” The groom sat in the driver’s seat, raised his hand, and pounded the steering wheel, roaring at me. “Anthony, I’m being nice to you. You’re not listening, are you?” “Today’s my wedding day. You want me to tell the bride her mother’s dead?” The wedding car drivers, who’d been leaning against their car hoods smoking, straightened up, tossed their cigarettes, and started walking toward me. I stood my ground, gave them a cold glance, then turned to the groom in the car. “Are you deaf? I told you to call Christiana.” “Screw you!”

The groom pushed open the door, got out, raised his hand, and swung it toward my left cheek! The men from the village, holding farming tools, moved closer and stood beside me, pointing at the groom threateningly. “Anthony, what’s going on? Is he refusing to let us through?” “Blocking the road and bullying people—let’s smash his wedding cars.” Sharp farming tools, gleaming coldly, made the groom’s whole body stiffen. His hand froze mid-air, never daring to actually slap me. The crowd parted to make way. Berman, the village chief and a good friend of my late mother-in-law, walked toward me step by step, leaning on his cane. I explained what had happened. Berman was so angry he slammed his cane on the ground. “What is Christiana trying to do?!” “Her mother scrimped and saved when she was young to send her to school. She never came to show filial piety even once before her mother died.” “How could she choose to get married on the very day her own mother is being buried? Does she think today is something to celebrate?” Berman pointed at the groom and said. “Call Christiana right now. Tell her to come here and give us an explanation!” The groom quietly stepped back, trying to get in the car and slip away. The village men stepped forward and surrounded him. The groom looked around, his face ugly, and said to me, “Anthony, I’m extremely important to Christiana. If you ruin my wedding now, can you handle Christiana’s wrath?” I said, “Make the call.” The groom roared unwillingly, “Fine! I’ll call!” The groom stood there, took out his phone, and dialed. I watched the familiar string of numbers flashing on his phone screen, my heart clogged with distress. Seven years together—I’d never imagined the bright, gentle, beautiful girl in my memory could be cheating with another man behind my back! The call to Christiana that I could never get through connected on another man’s phone. The groom turned on speakerphone. A sweet, soft voice came through. “Paul, why aren’t you here yet? Why are you calling?” The groom stood there, looked up at me, and sneered. “Christiana, I don’t think I can pick you up.” “Your real fiancé found out about you helping me fulfill my wish. He staged a fake funeral and blocked our wedding convoy!” Silence fell on the other end of the line. After a long pause, a cold voice came through. “Put him on the phone.” The groom extended his hand, holding the phone in front of me, even raising his eyebrows provocatively. I stood there and took the phone. Christiana’s icy voice came through. “Anthony?” “It’s me.” “Clear the road. I’ll explain everything later.” I laughed bitterly, my chest tight with discomfort. I asked back, “You’re that eager to marry someone else?” “Christiana, tell me. Where are you exactly? How can you say such shameless things to me!” Christiana on the phone fell silent. After a while, she spoke again. “Feel better after yelling at me? If you do, move aside.” The anger in my chest exploded like a volcano! Seven years of love, and I meant this little to Christiana? To fulfill some wild man’s dream, she dismissed me with one sentence? I said furiously, “Christiana, your mother has passed away. Did you just ignore all the messages I sent you these past few days?” Christiana’s voice remained calm on the phone. “Anthony, I can understand your anger after learning about my substitute marriage.” “But you need to understand me too. I love you in my heart. I have my reasons for doing this.” “You faked the news about my mother being seriously ill before. I didn’t hold it against you. Be generous today. Clear the road and let Paul pick me up.” My mother-in-law’s health had actually always been precarious. She just didn’t want Christiana to worry. She only told her daughter she was slightly unwell, nothing serious. But I never expected Christiana wouldn’t care at all about her own mother’s safety. She clearly saw all the messages I sent and knew her mother wasn’t well, yet she kept hiding to avoid coming out—all for the man before me! Would she only feel regret if she saw her mother’s body with her own eyes? I stood there, took out my phone, aimed it at the portrait of my mother-in-law in front of the casket behind me, took a photo, and sent it over. “Look carefully whose funeral this is. Did I lie to you or not!”

“Anthony! You’ve gone too far!” Christiana’s voice on the phone carried a hint of anger. “Lying about my mother being seriously ill already crossed my line. How could you actually hold a funeral for my mother!” “Her health is already poor. Are you trying to curse her to death? Stop the funeral right now and clear the road!” Village chief Berman stood nearby, suppressing his anger. “Christiana, open your eyes and look carefully. Don’t you even recognize your own mother anymore?” “Your mother is crossing the bridge right now. The dead cannot go backward. If we make way for your wedding, your mother won’t rest in peace!” “Berman?!” Christiana’s voice suddenly rose, sharp and piercing. “Are you joining Anthony in this nonsense too?” Christiana’s voice dropped, and she turned to warn me. “Anthony! I’m asking you one last time. Are you absolutely refusing to let us pass?” I said, “My mother-in-law saved my father. If we move aside, she won’t have peace after death!” “Besides, you owe me an explanation for this substitute bride business. You owe your mother-in-law an apology!” On the phone, Christiana’s reply was chillingly cold. “Fine! Very well! I’ll come over right now and give you an explanation!” The call ended. Less than ten minutes later. At the end of the street, a black SUV roared toward us, drifted to a stop, and parked behind the crowd. The car door opened. Christiana stepped out, wearing pristine white bridal heels. Her face was made up with beautiful bridal makeup. Spotting me in the crowd, she pushed people aside and walked darkly toward me. Under everyone’s gaze, Christiana raised her hand without warning and slapped my face! “Smack!” The sound rang out. Instantly, everything fell silent. I stood there covering my burning cheek. She stood beside the groom, glaring at me furiously. “This is my explanation. Listen carefully!” “Paul is my good friend. All these years, he’s been helping me look after my mother back home!” “My mother’s condition is much more serious than you know. He’s been tirelessly going abroad to buy expensive medicines to extend my mother’s life. His fiancée even died abroad because of this, and he contracted an illness himself. He could die at any moment.” “He told me his dying wish was simply to complete the wedding he and his fiancée never had. And I just happen to look a lot like his fiancée.” “Paul sacrificed so much for me. Shouldn’t I help him with this?” I stood frozen. Christiana looked at me with utter disappointment and continued. “I was afraid you wouldn’t understand. I was afraid you’d make a scene like you are today. That’s why I kept avoiding telling you.” “But it turns out I was right not to tell you. You got jealous enough to joke about my mother’s life and death!” But I don’t understand! All these years, the only person taking care of my mother-in-law was me! When did a friend of hers appear? Years ago, my father traveled alone to this small mountain village for inspiration but accidentally fell off a cliff. My father was trapped at the bottom of the cliff for a day and a night without food or water. In his despair, my young mother-in-law risked her life to save him. To repay this debt of gratitude, knowing that the medicine to treat my mother-in-law could only be purchased from abroad under research permits, I chose to become a wildlife expert right after graduation. Using scientific research as cover, I’d been secretly buying medicine from abroad to treat her illness. My mother-in-law wouldn’t let me tell Christiana about her true condition. For all these years, I’d been carrying this out quietly, never mentioning it. Was I being petty? Clearly, Paul exploited my secrecy and took credit for my work! I looked toward Paul. His eyes flickered slightly, and he turned his head away, refusing to meet my gaze.

“Christiana, has someone deceived you? Anthony’s the one who’s been taking care of your mother all along!” A woman standing beside me, who knew the truth, couldn’t help but speak up. “If this man had been caring for your mother, how could we, your mother’s good friends, not know him?” “Your mother’s body is right there. If you don’t believe it, go see for yourself…” “Enough!” Christiana stood there, cutting her off with a rebuke. She pulled out her phone from her pocket, opened a video, and held it up in front of us. “Stop helping Anthony deceive me.” “Look carefully. My mother is abroad. Paul just signed her up for a tour group—she’s traveling and receiving treatment overseas. Here’s video proof!” The woman in the video did look somewhat like my mother-in-law, but with careful observation, you could tell it absolutely wasn’t her! The people who’d gathered around exchanged strange looks, glancing at each other. The words to expose the truth remained unspoken. I asked through clenched teeth, “Christiana, don’t you doubt him at all?!” “Even if Paul really did you some great favor, doing this—did you consider my feelings as your fiancé?” “You say you’re substituting for Paul’s deceased fiancée to marry him.” “But once you bow to heaven and earth, hold the banquet, and all of Paul’s relatives show up—after everything’s done, will you have married him as yourself, or as a substitute for his dead wife?” Christiana’s brows furrowed. She muttered, “Anthony, you’re overthinking this. It’s not that complicated. I’m just repaying a debt.” I pointed at Paul and asked, “Overthinking? What if Paul asks you to sleep with him tonight, substituting for his dead wife? Will you do that too?” Christiana stood there, pressed her lips together, then suddenly raised her head to look directly at me. “Paul sacrificed too much for me. If he asks, I’ll agree.” My body trembled slightly. My heart filled with unbearable bitterness. “If he asks… you’ll agree?” “But have you considered that Paul is lying to you? I’m the one who’s been silently caring for your mother all along!” “How can you treat me like this?” “Anthony, that joke isn’t funny!” Christiana stood there, her eyes filled with deep disgust toward me. Paul stepped forward, smiling. “Anthony, I do owe you an apology for this.” “Actually, six months ago, I couldn’t hold back. Christiana and I crossed a line.” I felt struck by lightning, my body rigid. “You… what did you say?” Christiana’s cheeks flushed slightly. She said reluctantly, “Anthony, you have to understand my situation.” “Paul contracted a serious illness because of me. He could die at any moment. So at that time, I was…” “In a difficult position!” Those four words exploded in my heart like a bomb! I clenched my jaw tightly. Paul smiled at me shamelessly. “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. It’s all my fault. I couldn’t control my lower half. I took Christiana’s first time for you. Please don’t blame Christiana for not saving it for you.” My ears rang. Blood rushed upward. Anger drowned my reason. I raised my fist and punched Paul’s nose, breaking it. “Paul!” Paul collapsed to the ground, his face covered in blood. I climbed on top of him, punching his face again and again. The scene instantly descended into chaos. Both sides rushed forward, fists and feet flying. Paul struggled to raise his hand, barely resisting my punches while shouting to Christiana. “Christiana, save me! Anthony’s going to kill me!” I heard the roar of an engine. The next moment, an unstoppable force slammed into me, sending me flying. I collapsed by the bridge edge, my internal organs screaming with piercing pain. My vision turned blood red. Before me, Christiana sat in the driver’s seat, panic all over her face. After hitting me with the car, she didn’t brake in time. The vehicle accelerated and roared toward the people carrying the casket. Everyone scattered, but the casket remained in place. “Bang!” A tremendous crash. Christiana’s car hit the casket. The excessive speed caused the car’s front end to push the casket forward, smashing a hole through the bridge railing. Instantly, both the car and the casket plunged off the bridge, falling from a great height! Then came a “crash” as the casket landed on a boulder by the riverbank. The casket board shattered from the impact. My mother-in-law’s body tumbled out of the casket, rolling to rest beside Christiana’s car. Christiana crawled out groggily through the overturned driver’s side window, her face covered in blood. Before she could catch her breath, she turned her head. A face she knew all too well stared back at her with wide-open eyes.

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Robert thought I had some strange disease. Called me a burden. A monster who couldn’t survive without a man. To accompany the perfect “queen” in his heart, when I was convulsing during an episode, he locked me in an empty sports equipment room. “Isabella, just bear with it. I’m not your painkiller-I don’t have to come running every time you call.” On the verge of death, I stumbled into a scorching embrace that smelled of rust and motor oil. That bad boy Daniel, the one everyone treated as an outcast, the one no one dared to mess with, was trembling as he clumsily unbuttoned his leather jacket and pressed me firmly against his chest. “Don’t be afraid.” His voice was hoarse, carrying years of suppressed obsession. “Stay close to me. I’ll be your medicine. I’m enough.” Later, Robert went crazy. Kneeling in the rain all night, begging me to look at him just once more. I curled up in Daniel’s arms, not even bothering to turn my head. “Sorry, I’ve got better medicine now. Your body temperature’s too low. Not interested.”

The phone rang for a long time before someone picked up. The background was noisy with cheers as a birthday cake was being cut, and a girl’s sweet laughter. It sounded like a typical house party. “Isabella? Why are you calling now?” Robert’s voice carried a casual indifference, even a hint of impatience at being disturbed. I curled up on a bench by the roadside, my fingers desperately gripping the gaps between the wooden slats. My fingernails had turned up from the excessive force, blood seeping out. But I couldn’t feel the pain. Because another, more terrifying suffocating sensation was consuming me. The skin hunger was kicking in. At that moment, my senses were infinitely magnified. Every inch of skin was screaming, as if I’d been thrown into an ice cellar, or as if countless ants were gnawing at the gaps between my bones. If I didn’t immediately make contact with human body heat, I would go into shock. “Robert… I’m at the bus stop behind the school.” I struggled to control my trembling vocal cords, each word squeezed from my lungs. “I feel terrible. Could you come over? Just for ten minutes.” Two seconds of silence on the other end. Then came a mocking, cold laugh. “Isabella, are you timing your episodes?” Robert’s voice turned cold. “Today is Alice’s birthday. Everyone’s here. If I leave, the party’s ruined. You’re being so inconsiderate.” Alice. The school’s cheer captain, the most popular girl. My head buzzed. “I really can’t take it anymore…” I was practically begging. “If you don’t come, I might die.” “Stop the act.” He cut me off impatiently. “Last time you said you were dying, I rushed back, and it turned out your hands and feet were just a little cold. Isabella, I’m a person, not your sedative. Don’t try to emotionally manipulate me with these cheap tactics.” From the other end came Alice’s sweet voice: “Robert, come make a wish!” Robert’s tone changed instantly, responding warmly, “Coming!” When he turned back to me, he reverted to that superior, charitable tone: “Take a cab to the hospital. If that doesn’t work, find a random dog on the street to hug. That should help. After all, isn’t your disease just about being starved for affection?” Click. The call ended. The phone slipped from my hand and hit the cement ground, the screen shattering into a spiderweb. But I couldn’t care about that. My heart began to spasm violently. My vision blurred. The world around me was spinning, warping. I needed warmth. I needed someone alive. A real person. A stray dog. Anyone, as long as they were warm, I wanted them. This utterly undignified physiological instinct made me feel disgusting. Just as my consciousness was about to fade, heavy footsteps approached. It was the sound of thick work boots scraping against the ground. Someone stopped in front of me. A faint smell of motor oil, mixed with rust and rain, invaded my nostrils. Without caring about anything else, I reached out and grabbed the person’s jeans. The fabric was rough, rubbing painfully against my skin, but I clung to it like a final lifeline. “Help… help me…” I looked up. My vision was blurred-I couldn’t see the person’s face clearly-but I could feel a wave of heat washing over me. This person’s body temperature was high. Much higher than Robert’s perpetually cool temperature. The person froze. That foot shifted, as if trying to kick me away. “Let go.” The voice was cold, carrying the hostility of someone who’d spent years on the streets. “Get lost if you don’t want to die.” Normally, I would have been scared off by that tone. But now, this voice sounded like divine intervention. “Please…” Not only did I not let go, I crawled up using both hands and feet, throwing myself into his arms without a second thought. In that instant, scorching body heat transmitted through the thin T-shirt. I sighed in comfort, tears instantly streaming down my face. This was my lifesaving medicine. The person was clearly shocked by my actions. His muscles tensed all over, like a hard piece of granite. A large hand suddenly gripped the back of my neck, the force almost enough to crush me. “Isabella, look at who I am.” He gritted through his teeth near my ear. “You’re trying to scam the wrong person. You got a death wish?” The voice sounded familiar. I forced my eyes open wide and, by the dim yellow light of the streetlamp, made out the face inches from mine. A scar across one eyebrow, eyes as fierce as a wolf’s, and a trace of blood that hadn’t been wiped from the corner of his mouth. Daniel. The legendary bad boy who got into fights, whose attendance and grades were both rock bottom. Everyone at school said he’d end up in prison. Under normal circumstances, a straight-A student like me would walk the other way when seeing him. But at that moment, all I could feel was his palm’s astonishing heat flowing through the back of my neck into my bloodstream. It was so warm. A million times better than the little bit of embrace Robert would spare me. “I don’t care who you are…” I buried my face in his motor oil-scented jacket, holding tight to his waist and greedily absorbing that heat source. “Let me lean on you, just for a moment… please.” Daniel’s hand gripping my neck froze. He seemed like he wanted to curse, but in the end only a muffled “damn it” rolled from his throat. The next second, he didn’t push me away. That calloused hand actually loosened its grip, then clumsily, tentatively, pressed against my back. Then suddenly tightened. He hid me completely and securely in his embrace.

I woke up on a hard plank bed. There were water stains on the ceiling, abandoned tires and wrenches piled in the corners, and the air was thick with motor oil. This was probably the back room of an auto repair shop-Daniel’s territory. The moment consciousness returned, last night’s memories flooded back like a tide. I had actually hugged Daniel, the scariest guy in school, and pressed against him all night. My cheeks instantly burned. But I quickly realized that the ever-present anxiety was gone. My hands and feet were warm, my breathing was smooth, my heart was beating strongly and steadily. This feeling of being fully alive was something Robert had never given me in ten years. “Awake?” A cool voice came from the doorway. Daniel leaned against the doorframe, an unlit cigarette between his fingers. He wore only a black tank top, revealing smoothly defined arms marked with old and new scars and tattoos. The way he looked at me suggested I was trouble. I sat up and noticed his leather jacket covering me. “Last night… thank you.” I was somewhat uncomfortable, reaching down to find my wallet. Daniel scoffed, tossed the cigarette into a nearby trash can, and walked over to look down at me. “Isabella, where’d that wild energy from last night go? When you were holding onto me and wouldn’t let go, you weren’t this polite.” My face reddened further. But reason told me I had to seize this opportunity. Robert was unreliable. Not only couldn’t he relieve my symptoms, he’d become the source of my pain. And Daniel-he was the cure. I took a deep breath, pulled out all the cash from my wallet-probably a few hundred dollars-and placed it on the shabby table. “I want to make a deal with you.” Daniel raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the stack of bills, a hint of mockery in his eyes. “You want to buy me?” “No.” I looked him in the eye, trying to appear calm. “I have a condition-skin hunger syndrome. Your body temperature can save me. When I have episodes in the future, could you let me hug you? I won’t do anything else, just hug.” “This is the deposit. I’ll give you two thousand every month after this.” Two thousand dollars. For someone like me living on scholarships, it was a fortune. But for Daniel, who rumor had it was so poor he had to fight in underground matches for money, it should be even more tempting. Daniel didn’t speak. He just stared at me, those eyes so deep they made my heart race. After a long while, he suddenly reached out and grabbed the money. I breathed a sigh of relief. The next second, the money was thrown back at me. The bills scattered on the bed like green snow. “Take your stinking money and get lost.” Daniel’s face was terrifyingly dark, the veins at his temples throbbing. “Isabella, I may be trash, but I don’t sell my body. What do you take me for? Robert’s replacement?” At the mention of Robert, my heart stung. “You’re more useful than him.” I told him the truth. “His body temperature’s too low. Hugging him is like holding a block of ice. You’re warm, a hundred times better than him.” Daniel froze. He seemed surprised I would compare them so bluntly. The anger in his eyes dissipated somewhat, replaced by a strange expression. “That’s all I’m good for?” “That’s enough.” I climbed off the bed and crouched down to pick up the money, one bill at a time, very carefully. “Since you’re not willing, forget it. Thank you for last night. I’ll leave the money here as payment for letting me stay the night.” I knew that with people who had strong pride, you couldn’t push too hard. I organized the money, placed it on the bedside, and turned to leave. “Wait.” Daniel’s voice came from behind me. Then came the sound of a phone vibrating. He pulled out a phone with a cracked screen, looked at it, and his expression changed. It was an automated voice from a debt collection company. I’d heard similar ones at my part-time job before. Daniel bit his lip, as if making a difficult decision. “Two thousand.” He stopped me, his voice hoarse. “Two thousand a month. Besides hugging, nothing else?” I turned to look at him. He looked away, not daring to meet my eyes, but his ears were turning a suspicious shade of red. “Yes, I’m not interested in anything else.” Daniel took a deep breath, picked up the broken phone from the table, and swiped across the screen. I caught a glimpse of his phone wallpaper flashing by. It was a blurry photo. The background was the school’s awards podium, and the subject of the photo seemed to be me. Before I could see clearly, he locked the phone and shoved it into his pocket. “Deal.” He said roughly, “Don’t leave after school tonight. Wait for me at the back gate.” A weight lifted from my heart. “Okay.” At the door, I looked back at him again. “Daniel, give me your account number for transfers.” He clicked his tongue impatiently: “Such a pain.” But still obediently pulled out his phone.

When I got back to first period, class was already half over. Robert was sitting in the front row, that quintessential honor student position. He wore a perfectly tailored uniform blazer, his hair groomed to perfection, twirling a pen in his hand, laughing and chatting with Alice beside him. That elite demeanor was completely different from the cold, cutting person on the phone last night. Seeing me enter, the classroom chatter instantly died down. Robert looked up at me, his gaze pausing on my unchanged clothes for a second, then showing a half-smile. “Our straight-A student returns? Out all night-where were you partying?” He deliberately raised his voice. The whole class looked at me, their gazes full of scrutiny and malice. Before, in situations like this, I would explain, panic, worry about making him unhappy. But now, I just found it noisy. I ignored his provocation and walked straight to my seat. It was in the last row by the window. And Daniel was right next to me in the corner, sleeping on his desk without even taking out his textbook. “Isabella, I’m asking you a question.” Robert, feeling he’d lost face when I ignored him, walked over. He looked down at me. “Where were you fooling around last night? Do you know Alice delayed cutting the cake for half an hour waiting for you?” What a terrible crime. I looked up, calmly meeting his gaze: “Did I ask her to wait?” Robert froze. He probably hadn’t expected his perpetually obedient pet to suddenly learn how to fight back. “What’s your attitude?” He frowned, lowering his voice. “Still sulking about last night? I told you I couldn’t get away. Can you stop being so dramatic? Fine, I’ll take you to dinner after school tonight. Consider it making up to you.” In the past, I would have been thrilled to hear that. But now, I just felt nauseous. “No need.” I stepped around him. “I have plans.” Robert grabbed my wrist. His hand was very cold, like a snake coiling around me. I instinctively shuddered-not from cold, but from physiological revulsion. “Let go.” I said coldly. “You have plans? What plans could you possibly have?” Robert sneered. “Besides me, who else would bother with a freak like you? Isabella, enough. My patience has limits.” “Didn’t you hear her say let go?” A lazy, hoarse voice suddenly cut in. Daniel had woken up at some point. He still looked half-asleep, eyes half-open, hair messy, but radiating a chilling menace. Sitting in his chair, he stretched out his long leg and kicked Robert’s chair leg hard. “You’re blocking the light.” Robert winced, loosening his grip. I immediately pulled my hand back, wiping it on my clothes with disgust. Robert’s face turned iron-blue as he glared at Daniel: “Daniel, this is a classroom, not your slum playground.” Daniel yawned and slowly stood up. He was half a head taller than Robert, and the intimidation he’d developed from street fights instantly crushed Robert’s honor student arrogance. “What about the classroom?” Daniel leaned closer to Robert, a malicious smile on his lips. “Does being in a classroom mean you can grab people however you want? Believe me, I’ll break that paw of yours.” Robert backed off. He was fine porcelain. No way he’d clash head-on with Daniel’s cracked tile. “Crazy bastard.” Robert muttered under his breath and went back to his seat. I looked at Daniel. He didn’t even give me a proper glance, just flopped back onto his desk, pulled his hood over his head, and went back to sleep. Just as the hood covered his head, I heard him let out a very soft hum. Pretending like nothing happened. I mentally rolled my eyes, but couldn’t help the smile tugging at my lips. Robert sat in the front row, his gaze sweeping darkly over our area. I met it fearlessly and mouthed a sentence to him. “Your body temperature is too low. I’m feeling a bit cold now.” Robert understood. The pencil in his hand snapped in two.

During afternoon history class, a violent rainstorm started outside. Rumbling thunder shook the windows. I was most afraid of thunder. Ten years ago, that fire had also happened on a stormy night. That old warehouse struck by lightning, the burning beams, and the teenager who carried me on his back, step by step, climbing out of the inferno. I’d always thought it was Robert. Because when I woke up, Robert was lying on the emergency stretcher next to me, clutching one of my sneakers. So I’d spent ten years repaying that debt, living as his appendage. Crack. The classroom lights suddenly flickered a few times, then went out completely. Power outage. The previously quiet classroom instantly erupted. People shrieked, others made noise, and some threw paper balls in the darkness. Alice screamed. “Robert, I’m scared!” “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.” Robert’s voice rang out nearby, followed by the sound of tables and chairs colliding. He’d probably rushed over to protect Alice immediately. And me-I sat frozen in the darkness, ice cold all over. Memories of that fire revived in the dark. Smoke, suffocation, burning sensations… My breathing became rapid, my hands and feet convulsed uncontrollably, my throat making a rattling sound. Help. Someone help me. Around me was a jostling crowd. Someone bumped into my desk, knocking my water cup to the floor with a crisp shattering sound. Fear washed over me like a tide. Just as I thought I would suffocate to death. A hand reached through the chaotic crowd and gripped my wrist with unerring accuracy. That hand was large, the palm rough, with thin calluses, and most importantly- Scorching hot. Like a mobile little furnace, instantly dispelling the chill surrounding me. “Stop shaking.” A familiar voice sounded by my ear, kept very low so only I could hear. Daniel had squeezed to my side at some point. He didn’t hug me-there were too many people around, and the teacher was maintaining order. He just used that almost forceful stance to block me in the corner, using his body to shield me from all the pushing and shoving outside. That hand slid down my wrist and tightly interlaced with my fingers. Fingers intertwined. His thumb gently rubbed the back of my hand, over and over, with a clumsy, comforting intent. “Breathe in… breathe out…” He guided my breathing rhythm in the darkness. The motor oil smell had been replaced by a very faint scent of mint tobacco. That was his scent. Like a drowning person grabbing driftwood, I squeezed his hand back tightly, my nails almost digging into his flesh. He didn’t dodge, didn’t even make a sound. I don’t know how long it lasted-maybe just a few minutes, maybe a century. “Power’s back!” Someone cheered. The second before the lights came on. Daniel quickly released my hand. By the time I’d adjusted to the harsh light and turned to look. He’d already returned to his corner seat, supporting his head with one hand, looking out the window at the rain with annoyance, as if everything that just happened was my hallucination. Only that hand hanging at his side was still slightly clenched in a fist, with several deep nail marks on the back, blood seeping out. My heart trembled. In the front row, Robert was draping his jacket over Alice, asking after her with concern. He glanced back at me, seemingly wanting to confirm whether I’d had an embarrassing episode. Seeing me sitting there safely, even twirling a pen, a flash of confusion and disappointment crossed his eyes. “Tough to kill.” I understood his look.

During the break between classes. I saw Daniel get up and leave the classroom, heading toward the men’s restroom at the end of the hallway. I hesitated, then grabbed the disinfectant and band-aids I always kept in my bag and followed. There was no one at the restroom entrance. I took a deep breath and charged right in. Only Daniel was inside, standing at the sink washing his hands. Water flowed over the bloody marks on the back of his hand, red-tinted water running down his pale fingertips into the drain. Seeing me burst in, Daniel jumped. “Isabella? Are you crazy?” He quickly turned off the faucet, trying to hide his hand behind his back. “This is the men’s room!” “Show me.” I walked up to him, holding out my palm. “Your hand.” Daniel frowned: “It’s just a scratch. Won’t kill me.” “I said show me.” I don’t know where I found the courage, but I reached out and grabbed his wrist. Daniel, afraid of hurting me, didn’t dare struggle too hard, and could only let me pull his injured hand under the faucet. Just now it had been blanched by the cold water; now the wound looked even more vicious. All from my grip earlier. My heart felt sour. I opened the disinfectant bottle and carefully cleaned it for him. Daniel sucked in a cold breath. “Does it hurt?” My hand trembled. “Itchy.” He looked down at me, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Isabella, are you this boundary-less with everyone?” “Are you just anyone?” I kept my head down as I applied the band-aids. “You’re my medicine.” Daniel’s body stiffened. “Medicine?” He laughed self-deprecatingly. “Fine, as long as the money’s right, I can be medicine.” “Does this count toward the two thousand?” he asked. I finished applying the band-aid and looked up at him. He leaned against the sink, the corners of his eyes slightly red-from being forcibly pulled over by me just now. “This is a tip.” I stood on my tiptoes and, on impulse, kissed the back of his uninjured hand. Daniel jerked his hand back as if burned. “You…” Just then, a shocked exclamation came from the doorway. “Oh my god! Robert, come quick! Isabella’s fooling around in the men’s room!” It was Jack, Robert’s lackey. He was holding his phone, excitedly snapping photos of us. Daniel reacted instantly, pulling me behind him and grabbing a nearby cleaning tool to throw at him. “What are you taking pictures of! Get lost!” Jack got hit square on, dropping his phone on the ground. But he’d already run out, shouting as he went: “Everyone come see! Isabella and Daniel are hooking up in the bathroom!” This was bad. My face went pale. Daniel looked back at me, his expression complex. “Scared now?” “No.” I gritted my teeth. “I haven’t done anything wrong.” Daniel scoffed, reaching out to fix my collar that had gotten messed up earlier. “You dare to barge into the men’s room. That desperate?” His words were harsh, but his movements were gentle. “Stay behind me in a bit. Don’t say anything.”

Daniel and I had just stepped out of the restroom when we were blocked. Robert stood in the hallway with a group of people, looking aggressive. Students crowded around, eager for a show. Jack held up his cracked-screen phone. “Robert, I saw it with my own eyes! Those two were all over each other in there. Isabella even kissed Daniel’s hand! It was disgusting!” Robert’s face turned ugly. He stared at me intensely, his eyes showing not just anger, but the humiliation of being betrayed by a possession. “Isabella, do you have any shame left?” Robert pointed at Daniel, his voice loud enough for the entire floor to hear. “Are you this cheap? You’d stoop to this kind of trash? Are you in heat or something, biting anyone you see?” Laughter erupted around us. All kinds of crude comments drilled into my ears. “So the honor student plays this dirty in private.” “Skin hunger syndrome? I’d say she’s just promiscuous.” “She’d go for trash like Daniel-must be really desperate.” Daniel stood in front of me, his spine straight. Even with everyone pointing fingers and cursing at him, he didn’t defend himself once. His fists were clenched so tight they crackled, clearly on the verge of exploding. But I knew that if he threw a punch, even if he was in the right, it would turn wrong. He’d be reprimanded, expelled immediately. That was the difference between elite students and “bad students.” I stepped out from behind Daniel and stood in front of him. Daniel froze, reaching out to pull me back. “Don’t move.” I pressed his hand down. Then I raised my head and looked Robert straight in the eye. “Trash? You think you’re qualified to call him trash?” My voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear. “When the power went out just now, what were you doing? You were comforting Alice. And this person you call trash was protecting me.” “You call me cheap. But what about you?” I sneered, my gaze sweeping over Alice standing behind Robert. “You have a girlfriend but still string along your ex, soaking up attention from two women. You’re not cheap? You’re rotten.” Robert looked at me in disbelief: “You’re cursing me out for some mechanic?” “What’s wrong with being a mechanic?” I grabbed Daniel’s hand with the band-aid and held it up high. “These hands earn money through honest work. They’re clean. A million times cleaner than yours-hands that only know how to spend your parents’ money while putting on airs!” Complete silence. Everyone was shocked by my words. Even Daniel looked at me dumbfounded, as if seeing me for the first time. “Robert.” I took a deep breath and said what I’d been holding back for ten years. “Your body temperature is too low. Even your heart is cold. Now this medicine has stopped working. In my eyes, you’re worthless.” With that, I ignored Robert’s face alternating between green and white, and directly grabbed Daniel’s hand. “Let’s go.” Holding hands in public. Fingers interlaced. Daniel’s palm was covered in sweat, burning hot. He let me pull him along, like a tamed beast, obediently following me through the crowd. We walked far, to the deserted back of the school building, before I let go. My legs gave out. I’d been running on adrenaline. Daniel leaned against the wall, lit a cigarette, his hand shaking slightly.He stared at me for a while, then suddenly asked, “Why did you help me?” “Not the bathroom thing,” he added. “Just now.” People had called him trash before when I was around, but I’d never said a word. I’d even joined Robert in looking at him with that condescending pity. I looked up at him, at that careful, tentative look in his eyes. “Because you’re warm.” I said, “And I want to live.” Daniel froze, then laughed. A self-deprecating laugh, but also one of relief. “Fine.” He exhaled a smoke ring, his eyes unreadable. “As long as you pay me, I’ll keep you alive and well.”

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“Lila, you have to take the fall for her.” My fiancé, Gabriel, wanted me to take the blame for his beloved mistress. The counterfeit beauty cream had killed someone. He wanted me to admit to product selection errors and retire from the internet for good. I agreed. And asked for five hundred million as a breakup fee. He thought I’d accepted my fate and praised me for being so understanding. He didn’t know that money was meant to destroy them. He had no idea that the necklace I was wearing was recording Bella admitting to the fraud herself. Until the night of the livestream, when hundreds of millions of viewers heard the truth. He fell apart. And I was already thirty thousand feet in the air. Goodbye, Gabriel. Everything you owe me, I’ll take back myself. One piece at a time. Lila POV The air conditioning in the conference room was turned up too high. I felt the cold seeping through my bare ankles, drilling into my bones bit by bit. Across from me on the leather sofa sat Gabriel. He was my fiancé and the CEO of Starshine Media. This top MCN agency in the country was something I had built with my own hands. His handsome face was now etched with exhaustion and irritation. “Lila, you know how serious this situation is.” Gabriel’s knuckles tapped against the mahogany table, a dull thud with each knock. “The Chris beauty cream Bella sold killed someone. The entire internet is watching us right now.” I said nothing. I just looked at him quietly. Those eyes that once made me lose myself now held only cold calculation. “Bella can’t be implicated.” Gabriel’s voice was low, carrying the weight of a command. “She’s the company’s future. Her image is clean, and she has the most followers.” “This matter needs someone to take the fall.” My nails dug into my palms. Bella was Gabriel’s so-called “little sister.” She was a resource hog who barely squeezed into the top tier thanks to Gabriel’s endless support. That girl who said in her livestream with a sickeningly sweet voice, “This beauty cream was personally selected for me by Lila, it’s absolutely safe,” was now the one who needed protection. And I, Lila, the number one shopping livestream host, co-founder of StarShine Media, the woman who spent six years of her youth building this company from zero to a hundred billion in market value, had become the one who “needed to take responsibility.” “So what?” I finally spoke, my voice very calm. Gabriel was satisfied with my composure. He leaned forward, his tone softening slightly. “Lila, I know this is unfair to you.” “But only you have the weight to put this matter to rest.” “Tomorrow night at eight, go live.” “Admit that you made an error in product selection, that you didn’t vet the products properly, which led to this tragedy.” “Then announce that you’re permanently retiring from the livestreaming world.” Permanently retiring from the internet. Those words were like four needles piercing my heart. For a top livestream host, this was the death sentence of a career. I looked at Gabriel, trying to find a trace of reluctance or guilt on his face. There was none. Only an urgency to solve the problem. “Why should I?” My voice was still light, but carried weight. “For the sake of our relationship all these years.” Gabriel stood up, walked around the table to my side, crouched down, and tried to hold my hand. “Lila, we’re going to get married.” “If the company collapses, how does that benefit us?” “This is just temporary. When things blow over, I’ll definitely…” The moment his hand touched my skin, I felt a wave of nausea. I withdrew my hand imperceptibly, but forced an ugly smile onto my face. “Alright.” I heard myself say. “I agree.” Gabriel visibly relaxed, unable to hide the joy in his eyes. He reached out to hug me, but I gently blocked him. “I’m really tired. I want to be alone for a while.” “Okay, okay.” Gabriel nodded quickly. “Get some rest. Don’t overthink it. I’ve got everything under control.” He walked out of the conference room, considerately closing the door for me. The moment the door closed, the smile vanished from my face. I walked to the massive floor-to-ceiling window. This was the second floor of the company building. I could clearly see the scene at the main entrance below. Next to a van, a figure in a white dress was pacing anxiously. It was Bella. Gabriel rushed downstairs and pulled Bella into his arms. I could see it all clearly. Bella was trembling in his embrace, tears streaming down her face like a broken string of pearls. And Gabriel, the man who had just told me “I’ve got everything under control,” was lowering his head to gently kiss the top of Bella’s head, his lips moving. Even from this distance, I could almost hear what he was saying. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here.” I laughed silently, but tears slid down my face. One got “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.” The other got “You need to be understanding.” Six years of a relationship turned out to be a joke. I wiped away my tears and turned back to the conference table. A few minutes later, Gabriel pushed the door open and came in, looking relaxed. “Lila, I’ve already had the PR department start writing the livestream script. They’ll give it to you tomorrow morning. You…” “Gabriel,” I interrupted him, lifting my head to look directly at him. “I’ll agree to retire from the internet, but I have one condition.” “Name it.” Gabriel was in a good mood now and seemed magnanimous. “I’m destroying my entire career for you, for the company.” I said each word clearly. “Your compensation can’t just be verbal.” Gabriel’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. “What do you want?” “StarShine Media currently has a market value of twelve billion. I own thirty percent. I won’t ask for that anymore.” I said calmly. Gabriel’s eyes lit up instantly. “Lila, you…” “But,” I changed my tone, “over these years, what I’ve earned for you is far more than that.” “Using the title of fiancée, you made me sign countless unfair contracts. Most of my personal income went into your pocket.” My gaze fell on the million-dollar Richard Mille on his wrist. “I want a sum of money.” “How much?” “Five hundred million.” Gabriel’s expression changed instantly. “Lila, have you lost your mind?” “I’ve lost my mind?” I laughed, the sound desolate. “Gabriel, I’ve helped you earn more than five billion, haven’t I?” “I want five hundred million as my breakup fee and hush money. Is that too much?” Breakup fee. Hush money. These two terms made Gabriel’s face darken completely. He stared at me, his eyes sharp, as if trying to see through me. I looked back at him calmly, without a trace of fear. I was gambling. Betting that he would pay this price to protect Bella and the company. Also betting on his pitiful “confidence.” He would think I was just an abandoned woman trying to get some compensation. He would never imagine that I wanted their lives. After a long standoff, Gabriel finally squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth. “Fine. I’ll give it to you.” He walked behind the desk, took out a checkbook from the drawer, signed his name, then tore it out and threw it on the table. “After tomorrow’s live ends, the money will be transferred.” I walked over and picked up that thin piece of paper. The string of zeros on it stung my eyes. I carefully folded the check and put it in my inside pocket. “Thank you, Mr. Sterling.” I lifted my head and gave him a brilliant smile. “Pleasure doing business.” Seeing me apparently satisfied with just getting the money, Gabriel seemed to completely let down his guard. “Lila, I know you resent me.” He stepped forward, wanting to play the role of a devoted lover one last time. “But remember, I did have feelings for you.” The smile on my face deepened. I nodded, turned around, and walked decisively out of the conference room. The door closed behind me. At the end of the corridor, my best friend and manager Annie was waiting anxiously for me. Seeing me come out, Annie immediately rushed over, her eyes rimmed with red. “Lila, you…” I made a “shh” gesture to her. I pulled Annie into the empty fire escape. After confirming no one was around, I took out the check from my pocket and unfolded it in front of Annie. Annie gasped. “He… he really gave it to you?” “He did.” My eyes were as cold as ice. “He thinks this is my breakup fee.” I paused, a curve forming at the corner of my mouth. “He doesn’t know this money is meant to destroy them.”

Lila POV On the way out of the company, Annie drove while reporting on the final preparations. “Your new overseas identity is ready. The name is Anna, British nationality.” “The flight is tomorrow night at ten, first class from New York to London.” “Your secret account at the Swiss bank. Once that five hundred million arrives, I’ll immediately transfer it through several overseas shell companies to ensure the source can’t be traced.” “The new team in London has also been contacted and is ready to start work at any time.” Annie’s voice carried a mix of nervousness and excitement. This was a huge gamble. The stakes were everything I had. I leaned back in my seat, watching the neon lights rapidly retreating outside the window, my eyes calm. Escape? No, I wasn’t escaping. I was going to build a new empire of my own on the ruins. And Gabriel and Bella would be the first foundation stones of my new empire. My phone vibrated. It was a message from Gabriel on SnapChat. “Lila, are you asleep?” “Don’t forget, there’s an annual influencer gala tomorrow afternoon. You must attend.” A cold smile crossed my lips. There it was. Just as expected. “This is your last appearance as StarShine’s top star. The company applied for a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for you. Consider it recognition for all your years of contribution.” Recognition? What a laughable word. An empty title in exchange for the destruction of my entire career. Gabriel’s plan was brilliantly calculated. Making me attend was to create an illusion in front of the media that the company hadn’t mistreated its merit-holder. More importantly, it was to have me personally preview tomorrow night’s apology livestream in front of everyone, pushing the hype to its peak. He wanted to squeeze out every last drop of use from me. “I understand.” I replied with just a few words, then tossed my phone aside. Annie saw my expression in the rearview mirror and asked worriedly, “Are you really going?” “It’s a trap.” “Go? Why wouldn’t I go?” I said lightly. “I deserve that award, don’t I?” That trophy was earned through countless all-night livestreams, a voice hoarse from shouting, a body exhausted to collapse. Even if it’s a last meal, I’ll eat it with dignity. The next afternoon, the gala venue was dazzling with stars. I wore a simple black evening gown, my arm linked with Annie’s as I walked the red carpet. No excessive accessories, no exaggerated makeup, yet I was still the center of attention. I was a born queen. Even about to exit the stage, my presence was unmatched. Camera flashes surged like a tide. Reporters swarmed, microphones almost jabbing into my face. “Lila, regarding the Chris beauty cream incident, do you have anything to say?” “Lila, there are rumors you’ll livestream an apology tomorrow night. Is that true?” “Lila, will you take responsibility and leave the industry?” I maintained a proper smile throughout, saying nothing. Under the escort of staff, I made my way into the venue with difficulty. My seat was in the center of the first row, next to Gabriel. However, when I approached, I discovered that the seat beside Gabriel was already occupied. Bella. She wore a dazzling white haute couture gown, the skirt covered in crystals that sparkled brilliantly under the lights. My pupils constricted sharply. I recognized that dress. It was Dior’s only haute couture piece in the world. Three months ago, I fell in love with it at first sight and reserved it to wear at today’s gala. Gabriel had personally promised it to me as a gift. And now, that gift was on another woman’s body. Seeing me approach, Bella not only didn’t stand up, but deliberately leaned closer to Gabriel, her face showing an innocent yet provocative smile. “Lila, you’re here?” “Sorry, Gabriel said I looked better in this, so I wore it first. You don’t mind, do you?” Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for everyone around to hear. In an instant, countless eyes eager for drama turned toward me. Gabriel frowned slightly, seeming to think Bella was being tactless, but still tried to smooth things over. “Lila, you look great in black too. Very elegant.” He pointed to the empty seat nearby. “Sit.” That seat was next to Bella, at the very edge of the first row. From center stage to a forgotten corner. I looked at that empty chair and suddenly laughed. I didn’t walk over. Instead, I turned and found a random seat in the second row. I didn’t want to be too close to those two people. It would dirty my eyes. Gabriel’s face looked unpleasant, but with so many people around, he couldn’t make a scene. Bella triumphantly lifted her chin like a peacock that had won a fight. The gala’s program was long and tedious. Like an outsider, I coldly watched people come and go on stage, smiling falsely, delivering identical acceptance speeches. Finally, it came to the last award. “Lifetime Achievement Award.” The host announced my name with a passionate voice. “The winner is our undisputed queen of livestreaming, Lila!” The spotlight suddenly hit me. The entire venue erupted in thunderous applause. Annie excitedly gripped my hand. “Lila, quick, go accept the award.” I took a deep breath, stood up, and smoothed my skirt. I deserved this. This was the last trace I would leave in this industry. I walked toward the stage step by step, each step steady and firm. However, just as I was about to step onto the stairs, Gabriel suddenly stood up from his seat. He took the host’s microphone, a gentle smile on his face. “Thank you so much to the organizing committee for recognizing StarShine Media and Lila.” “But today, I want to make a small change.” Everyone froze. Gabriel’s gaze tenderly fell on Bella in the audience. “As a senior in the company, Lila has always hoped to mentor new talent.” “And Bella is our company’s most hardworking and promising new star this year.” “So, Lila voluntarily proposed to give this award to Bella as encouragement.” The venue erupted in commotion. My footsteps froze on the stairs. I looked at Gabriel in disbelief. How dare he? How dare he, in front of everyone, strip away the last shred of dignity I had and hand it to that thief? Bella covered her mouth in feigned surprise, her eyes instantly turning red, looking overwhelmed with honor. “Gabriel… this, how can this be? This is Lila’s award…” “Take it. You deserve it.” Gabriel’s voice was full of affection. He personally walked off stage, took the heavy crystal trophy from the presenter, and placed it into Bella’s arms without question. Then he turned to look at me, still frozen in place. His eyes carried a barely perceptible warning and command. “Lila, what are you standing there for?” “Hurry up and applaud for Bella.” At that moment, the world seemed to fall silent. I looked at the two people embracing on stage, at the trophy that should have been mine in Bella’s hands, at Gabriel’s matter-of-fact face. The last trace of warmth in my heart, the last trace of attachment, shattered completely. Slowly, very slowly, I raised my hands. Under the gaze of the entire audience, I clapped hard. Clap. Clap. Clap. Each clap felt like slapping my own face. Like offering a tribute to this shameless couple. My face even wore a smile. But that smile held no warmth. Only a deathly, icy coldness.

Lila POV The gala continued. On stage was the hypocritical scene of Bella tearfully delivering her acceptance speech. I couldn’t stay any longer. Expressionless, I turned and walked alone toward the backstage lounge amid the clamor. Annie followed worriedly. “Lila, are you okay?” I shook my head and pushed open the door to my private lounge. I needed a quiet place to digest the humiliation I’d just endured. However, the moment I stepped through the door, a huge force struck from the side! “Lila! You murderer! Give me back my daughter’s face!” A middle-aged woman lunged at me like a madwoman, holding a heavy thermos high, using all her strength to smash it toward my head! It happened so suddenly, I had no time to dodge. BANG. A dull thud. The thermos struck solidly against my temple. Intense pain exploded instantly. My vision went black, and warm liquid flowed down my forehead, blurring my sight. Blood. Annie let out a scream and rushed forward to restrain the woman. “What are you doing! Are you insane! Security! Security!” The woman kept struggling, cursing viciously. “My daughter is only nineteen!” “Because of the fake beauty cream you sold, her face is ruined!” “Her whole life is destroyed! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you, you witch!” I leaned against the wall and slowly slid to the floor. The wound on my forehead burned painfully. Blood stained half my face, dripping down my chin onto my black gown, blooming into dark flowers. My head was ringing. The victim’s family… how did they find this place? The gala’s security was the best. Without a guest pass, not even a fly could get in. In the chaos, the lounge door was suddenly pushed open. Gabriel and Bella rushed in. “What’s going on!” Gabriel shouted. When he saw me covered in blood, his pupils contracted. And Bella beside him screamed exaggeratedly, immediately covering her eyes and hiding in Gabriel’s arms. “Ah! Blood! So scary! Gabriel, I’m so scared!” Gabriel’s first reaction wasn’t to rush over and check my injuries. Instead, he immediately turned and held the frightened Bella tightly, covering her eyes with his hand, soothing her gently. “Don’t look. It’s dirty.” Dirty. I sat on the cold floor, hearing that word, my heart feeling like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, the pain suffocating. My blood was dirty to him. Only after several security guards rushed in and dragged the crazed woman away did Gabriel finally spare me some attention. He walked over, looking down at me from above, his brow furrowed, his eyes showing no sympathy, only blame and impatience. “Lila, didn’t I tell you to handle public opinion properly?” “How could you let someone come here and cause trouble!” “Do you know how much negative impact this will have on the company?” “Bella is scared to death because of you!” I looked up. Blood was blocking my vision, yet I could clearly see the cold lines on Gabriel’s face. I wanted to laugh, but it pulled at my wound, making me gasp in pain. Right. How could I forget? He never cared whether I was in pain or injured. He only cared whether his company and his beloved Bella would be affected. Annie helped me up, her voice trembling. “Mr. Sterling! Lila is bleeding heavily! We need to get her to a hospital!” Gabriel glanced at the wound on my forehead. It did look frightening. He irritably pulled out his phone. “I’ll call my private doctor.” “No! The wound is too deep! She needs to go to the hospital for stitches! Otherwise it’ll scar!” Annie was almost crying. “What hospital!” Gabriel’s temper flared immediately. “There are reporters everywhere outside!” “You want her to be photographed looking like this and make tomorrow’s headlines?” “The fake product issue isn’t even resolved yet, and now we’ll have another scandal about ‘top host attacked backstage, blood everywhere’?” He looked at me, still bleeding, his tone flat. “Bear with it. The doctor will patch you up when he gets here.” “Tomorrow night’s apology livestream must go on as planned.” “No problems allowed.” This was an order. A woman with a bleeding forehead, one wrong move from being scarred for life, was being forced to livestream an apology. To take the fall for someone else. My heart completely died in that moment. I closed my eyes, no longer looking at him. Fine. This was fine. The more cold-blooded he was, the less I would hesitate when striking back. The private doctor arrived quickly and cleaned my wound in the lounge. “The wound is very deep, needs at least five stitches.” “And the location is tricky, right on the brow bone. Very easy to scar.” The doctor said seriously. “I recommend going to the hospital immediately for the most precise suturing.” “No.” Gabriel refused flatly. He glanced at the shocking wound on my face, a flash of complexity in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by ruthlessness. “Stitch her up. Use the best thread. Just don’t let it scar.” He paused, then added in a voice only he and the doctor could hear. “Even if it does scar, that’s fine.” “A disfigured host would garner more public sympathy, wouldn’t it?” That sentence was like an ice-cold knife, stabbing precisely into my ears. I opened my eyes suddenly. So he had already calculated the use of even this scar. How vicious! The doctor didn’t dare disobey and could only perform the suturing under crude conditions. No anesthetic. The sound of needle and thread piercing flesh was clearly audible. I clenched my teeth and didn’t make a sound, letting cold sweat slide down from my temple. This pain was nothing compared to the pain in my heart. After treating the wound, Gabriel dispersed everyone under the pretext of “needing rest,” including Annie. Only the three of us remained in the lounge. Bella nestled in Gabriel’s arms, timidly looking at the bandage on my forehead, saying softly, “Gabriel, Lila is hurt so badly. Tomorrow’s livestream… can she still do it?” Gabriel patted her back comfortingly. “Don’t worry, she can.” “She’s always been so understanding.” Then he took Bella and walked to the door of the lounge. The door wasn’t closed completely. A crack remained. Gabriel’s voice came through clearly. He thought I was resting and couldn’t hear. “Baby, were you scared today?” “Mm…that woman was so mean. I was afraid she’d hurt you.” Bella’s voice trembled with tears. “Silly girl, how would I let you get hurt?” “It’s all Lila’s fault. Can’t even handle something so simple.” “Don’t worry. After she goes live with her retirement tomorrow, no one will be in your way anymore.” “Really? Gabriel, you won’t lie to me, will you?” “When have I ever lied to you? Hmm?” Then came the sound of intimate kissing that made one blush. I lay on the sofa, unable to move my body, but my hand quietly reached into my pocket. I pressed the record button on my backup phone. This conversation was clearly recorded. Gabriel. Bella. This was the sharpest knife you handed to me yourselves.

Lila POV I was sent directly from the gala backstage to my apartment, ostensibly to “recover,” but actually under house arrest. Gabriel posted two bodyguards at the door, calling it “protecting my safety.” The wound on my forehead became inflamed in the middle of the night, the pain keeping me awake all night. But more tormenting than physical pain was the mental torture. At five in the morning, before dawn. The internet had exploded. A carefully edited video was released simultaneously by dozens of marketing accounts. The video’s title was shocking. “Exclusive! Lila Acts Like a Diva Backstage, Arrogantly Insults Victim’s Family, Causing Emotional Breakdown and Assault!” The video footage was blurry and shaky. It only showed me sitting on the ground covered in blood, while a middle-aged woman was being dragged by security, crying hysterically. But the audio accompanying the video was terrifyingly clear. “My daughter’s face is ruined! You owe me my daughter!” Immediately after came a voice similar to mine, yet sharp and harsh. “Ruined is ruined. What’s that got to do with me?” “Who told her to be cheap and buy fake products? She deserved it!” “Let me tell you, if you want to cause trouble, you’re not qualified!” “Believe it or not, I’ll make sure you can’t survive in this industry?” This audio was completely fabricated. But in the current inflamed public opinion, no one would bother to verify the truth. The video spread like wildfire. In just one hour, it shot to number one on Twitter trends. #LilaGetOutOfLivestreaming #LilaBlackheartedHost Countless hate hashtags instantly flooded the screen The comment section was drowning in abuse. “Oh my God! I used to like her, but I never knew she was this evil!!” “Selling fake products that ruined someone’s face, and she still acts so arrogant? Is she even human? She’s a monster!” “The blood on her face is what she deserves! Why didn’t they beat her to death!” “Cancel Lila! Boycott StarShine Media! Lock her up!” I looked at those unbearable words on my phone screen, my heart clenching in pain. I knew this was Gabriel and Bella’s doing. To nail me to the pillar of shame once and for all, to make tomorrow night’s “apology” more convincing, they didn’t hesitate to fabricate evidence and stir up online hate. I tried to log into my Instagram and TikTok accounts to clear things up. But the password was wrong. My accounts had already been taken over by Gabriel. I had lost every channel to speak out. Right after, my official account, silent all night, posted its first update. It was an official statement, issued jointly in the name of StarShine Media and myself. The statement admitted that the Chris beauty cream had quality issues and expressed “deep apology” to the victims. At the bottom was a line of bold black text. “Tomorrow night at 8 PM, Ms. Lila will personally open a livestream to explain the full details of the incident to the public and announce an important decision. Please stay tuned.”The notice completely ignited everyone’s fury. “Explain what? What’s there to explain? Waiting to watch her cry and beg on her knees?” “Just another PR stunt. I’d like to see what performance she can put on!” “Eight o’clock, right? I’ve set my alarm. The whole family will watch this fraud die!” I looked at the hundreds of thousands of comments under that post, each one like a poisoned blade. I had become the internet’s public enemy. A prisoner sentenced to death by public opinion, just waiting for eight o’clock tomorrow night to be publicly executed. The doorbell rang. The bodyguard opened the door. Outside stood several men claiming to be reporters, carrying cameras. “Is Lila in there? Please have her come out and respond!” “Lila, did you know the beauty cream was fake all along?” The bodyguard blocked them expressionlessly. “Ms. Lila is unwell and is not accepting any interviews.” Bang. The door slammed shut. But outside, more and more people gathered. Reporters, radical netizens holding signs, even some who brought rotten eggs and paint. Like sharks smelling blood, they surrounded the apartment building until it was impenetrable. I was trapped in this gilded cage, unable to move an inch. I drew the curtains, shutting out all the noise outside. My phone vibrated again. It was a message from Annie via encrypted software. “Lila, are you okay?” “I saw the news. Those bastards are inhuman!” “Gabriel’s car just left the company through the VIP passage. Bella was in the car with him.” “They went to attend a private celebration party.” “I also can’t reach you at the hospital. They said you’ve already been discharged.” “Where are you now? Are you safe?” I looked at Annie’s string of anxious messages. A trace of warmth surged through my cold heart. She was my only light left in this cold world. I took a deep breath and felt under the bed’s hidden compartment for the backup phone I’d hidden long ago. This was my last trump card. I called Annie back. “Annie, I’m fine.” My voice was terrifyingly calm. “I’m under house arrest by Gabriel now.” “He’s confiscated all my communication devices and social media accounts.” Annie gasped on the other end. “That bastard! What’s he trying to do!” “He wants to isolate me, to make me accept his manipulation in despair.” I laughed coldly. “But he miscalculated one thing.” “What?” “He doesn’t know I still have you.” My gaze fell on the gray sky outside the window. “Annie, the plan needs a small adjustment.” “Tell me!” “Tomorrow night’s livestream, he’ll definitely use the company’s backend to push the stream and monitor me the entire time.” “I won’t have a chance to play the recordings and evidence.” “Then what do we do?” Annie’s voice immediately became tense. “So I need you to help me set up a backup livestream connection.” My speech was rapid, my thoughts clear. “I need you to hack into StarShine’s backend and create a mirror link.” “When he cuts the main connection, your backup line needs to seamlessly take over the stream signal within 0.1 seconds.” “This… the technical difficulty is too high! I…” “You can do it.” My tone was firm. “I remember your husband works in Silicon Valley doing exactly this. He’s a top-tier hacker.” “Money is no object. Have him find the best team, use the best servers.” “I need to ensure that tomorrow night’s livestream, besides me, no one else can shut it down.” Silence on the other end for a few seconds. Then came Annie’s resolute voice. “Okay! I understand!” “Lila, don’t worry. Even if I have to sell everything, I’ll pave this road for you!” “One more thing,” I said. “Help me prepare a video. At the café downstairs from my building, find a body double similar to my build. Have her wear a trench coat, sunglasses, and a hat, and film a shot of her walking into the airport from behind.” “This is…” “A diversion.” A calculating curve formed at the corner of my mouth. “Gabriel thinks he can control everything. I’ll let him watch with his own eyes how I leave right under his nose.” After hanging up, I hid the phone again. I walked to the mirror and looked at myself, forehead wrapped in gauze, face pale, but eyes shining with unusual brightness. The entire internet smearing me? No one helping me? Perfect. Ruins are the best place to rebuild. From hell, we rise. Gabriel, Bella, this grand internet funeral you’ve prepared for me. I love it. I just wonder, when you become the main characters, will you still be able to smile?

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “365275”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance #擦边Steamy #狼人Werewolf

Seven months pregnant, I was hit by a car right at my own front door. But instead of stopping immediately, the driver dragged me for dozens of meters. I endured the pain and called my husband, only to hear the line was busy. After the driver finally stopped, she was sobbing on the phone: “Xavier, I think I messed up bad. I… I hit a pregnant woman… What do I do? I’m so scared!” Clutching my belly, I looked at her pleadingly, my voice desperate: “Help me… Please save my baby…” She cautiously approached me, but through her phone I heard my husband’s voice: “Is she dead? Half-dead is more trouble than just dead.” “Don’t worry, I’ll cover the compensation.” Pain blurred my vision. I forced my eyes open, trying to see the driver’s face clearly. My voice trembled: “Xavier… is that you?” My husband Xavier’s voice came through the phone: “Mia, who did you hit?” Mia clamped her hand over my mouth, panic flooding her eyes, her voice shaking: “I told you—I hit a pregnant woman on Riverside Drive.” “Xavier, I’m so scared. Please come find me, okay?” I made muffled sounds, finally suffocating and passing out under her palm. Only then did Xavier relax. He rubbed his temples, grabbed his car keys, and headed out. I was seven months pregnant. Xavier remembered that when he left this morning, he’d told me to stay home and rest. I always listened to him. Riverside Drive and our villa were on opposite ends of the city—north and south. The pregnant woman Mia hit couldn’t possibly be me. It must have been the shock making him hear things. Half-conscious, I was taken to the hospital. I heard Xavier’s friend Adrian teasing him: “Xavier, couldn’t control yourself again? Went too far with the sex?” “How many times this month? Look, I’m just saying—Mia’s only three months along, still in the danger zone. You two need to take it easy. Stop having sex all the time.” “If you really can’t help it, Natalie’s due soon anyway. Just wait another month or two.” Xavier frowned in displeasure: “Stop talking nonsense. When Natalie comes for her next checkup, don’t you dare say anything in front of her! If she finds out about Mia’s existence, I’ll tear down your whole hospital!” Adrian immediately backed down, apologizing: “Yes, yes, yes, I’m sorry. I’ll keep my mouth shut tight around Natalie!” “Everyone in New York knows how much you dote on Natalie. You won’t even touch her during pregnancy. You’re keeping another bird in a cage just to satisfy your needs—how would I dare upset her!” “You’re here today to accompany Mia for a checkup?” Hearing her name, my foggy consciousness slowly returned. But Adrian’s words made my heart sink to the bottom. Tears leaked from my closed eyes. So my marriage—the one everyone in the city envied—was glamorous on the surface but rotting underneath, crawling with maggots! Xavier cheated during my pregnancy. His mistress was already three months pregnant too. How could he act so well! Making me believe he loved me to the bone! Xavier pointed to me in the back seat and said with disgust: “Mia hit a pregnant woman. Handle it.” Adrian leaned over and glanced at me casually, telling his staff to carry me out. Just then, a nurse suddenly exclaimed: “Wait! This pregnant woman is wearing a blood type tag around her neck!” Xavier’s pupils contracted. He turned and stared at me intently. My fingers twitched. A glimmer of hope rose in my heart. I wanted to tell Xavier to save me, save our baby. But I couldn’t open my eyes no matter how hard I tried. “Her husband must be pretty thoughtful—made her a blood type tag to show she has a rare blood type. Let me see… he even left a phone number…” “139-867…” Mia nervously clutched Xavier’s sleeve, saying excitedly: “Xavier! She has the same blood type as me!” Xavier smiled, his voice filled with undisguised delight: “Since her blood type is rare, Adrian, make sure you save her.” “I was worried that with Mia pregnant too, if something happened to Natalie there’d be no one to give her blood. Perfect—a walking blood bank just appeared. From now on, she can replace Mia.” I belatedly realized who Mia was… The person who hit me was Mia—a woman who once gave me a blood transfusion because we shared the same rare blood type. At the time, I was so grateful. Not only did I give her money for nutrition, but when I learned she’d just graduated and couldn’t find work, I had Xavier make an exception and hire her at his company. I never imagined that one blood transfusion would cost me my entire marriage.

A flash of resentment crossed Mia’s eyes, but when she looked up, her face was full of happiness: “Xavier, you’re so good to me.” “If something happens to Natalie, I’ll give her blood too. After all… I only got into the company because of my blood type. I don’t want people saying behind my back that I graduated from a trash college, that I’m not good enough for you, or that I seduced you. I’m afraid Natalie will kick me out.” Xavier pulled her into his embrace, his voice indulgent: “Everyone in the company knows you’re my baby. If anyone insults you, fire them on the spot! Elite university graduates aren’t as important as you!” “As for Natalie, she considers you her lifesaver. She won’t kick you out. Last time she even asked if you were settling in well at the company.” I finally struggled out of the dark chaos and opened my eyes to see them embracing. A bitter smile tugged at my lips. Three months ago, Xavier always worked late and never came home. Worried about him and concerned he wasn’t eating properly, I made dinner myself and brought it to his office. When he saw me, he inexplicably flew into a rage, smashing the soup in front of me and scolding me for not staying home to rest during pregnancy. After that, I never went to the company again. So everyone at the company already knew. Mia had replaced me, becoming someone no one dared offend. As I passed Xavier, I reached out with all my strength and grabbed his sleeve. My trembling fingertips were covered in blood. Each word seemed squeezed from deep in my chest, shaking with emotional collapse: “Xavier… I want a divorce.” A trace of coldness flashed across Xavier’s brow. His eyes turned sinister. He violently shook off my hand and said with disgust: “Who told you to touch me!” “Filthy thing!” I looked at him in shock, unable to believe this was the same Xavier who always looked at me with such loving eyes. His disgusted gaze became iron nails, driving one by one into my heart, making me wish for death. Mia immediately explained: “Xavier, she must have heard about her rare blood type and is trying to manipulate us on purpose!” Xavier’s eyes filled with revulsion. He said viciously to the doctor: “When you treat her, don’t use anesthesia!” “Let her hurt. Let her learn her place. Does she really think someone like us rich people can be manipulated by the likes of her?” The doctors and nurses nodded, showing reluctant expressions. They immediately carried me away, afraid of angering him further. Cold instruments worked on my body. Alcohol stung my cheeks. I screamed in pain again and again, then fell unconscious once more. Xavier heard the screams coming from the emergency room. His footsteps paused. He said hesitantly: “Why do I keep hearing Natalie’s voice?” Mia threw herself into his arms: “Xavier, thank god you’re here. I was so scared!” Xavier pushed down the doubt that had just surfaced and held her, coaxing: “Mia, it’s okay. I won’t let you get hurt.” “If that pregnant woman tries to make trouble over this…” A flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes: “I’ll make sure she never leaves here alive!” When I woke again, my face was covered in bandages. Xavier stood at the hospital room door, face full of anger, eyes darkened with rage, staring at me intently. He was holding something. He walked to the bedside and looked down at me from above, as if I were an ant beneath his notice! Meeting his gaze, I curled up in fear. Before I could speak, he forced a bottle of hard liquor down my throat without a word. Then Xavier threw a piece of paper at me, his tone ice-cold: “Today you were drunk, confused, and stumbled into the path of Mia’s car.” “This is a settlement agreement. Sign it.” “Take the five hundred thousand and you can go.”

I looked at him in disbelief, my voice hoarse with rage: “Xavier! Are you insane! This is illegal!” His face darkened. He leaned down, grabbed my throat, his eyes sinister: “What are you? Just because your voice sounds a bit like my wife’s you think you can scold me?” Suffocation set in. Tears burst forth like a broken dam, falling in streams onto Xavier’s hand. Through my blurred vision I stared at him intently. Xavier froze for a moment, then suddenly released his grip, staring at my eyes with hesitation: “Natalie?” I clutched my throat, gasping for air. I pulled the ring off my ring finger and threw it at him, saying angrily: “Xavier, I want a divorce!” The ring bounced off his chest and fell to the floor. Xavier stared at the ring, frozen in place. He suddenly looked up, staring at me in disbelief. Just then, Mia opened the door and came in, slapping me hard across the face. “Thief!” The slap froze the air. Mia picked up the ring from the floor, threw herself into Xavier’s arms, pointed at me and cried: “Xavier, she’s a thief! I kindly helped her into the car to take her to the hospital, but she stole my ring!” Xavier’s eyes flickered with hesitation. He looked down at Mia’s hand. The ring fit perfectly on her finger, the huge pink diamond gleaming brilliantly—it even looked better on her than on me. Xavier’s expression turned cold instantly. He stepped forward and viciously broke my fingers, his low voice filled with displeasure: “This is a ring I had custom-made for my wife. Someone like you doesn’t deserve to covet something you could never have!” The pain in my fingers shot straight to my heart. Cold sweat ran down my temples. Looking at Mia’s smug face, tears filled my eyes and wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t understand. When Xavier proposed with this ring, he clearly said he designed it himself. Using the most beautiful pink diamond in the world. One of a kind. But why did Mia have one too! Why couldn’t he recognize me! Just then, sharp pain shot through my belly. A warm flow gushed from between my legs. I took a deep breath and weakly grabbed his hand with my broken fingers, screaming in despair: “The baby’s coming! Xavier, the baby’s coming! Call a doctor!” “Call a doctor!” Xavier looked down. The sight of blood and amniotic fluid mixed together caught him off guard. His face went pale. He instinctively ran out of the room to call a doctor. I held my belly, enduring the pain. Mia sneered and raised her hand to show off the ring, saying smugly: “You must be wondering why Xavier didn’t recognize you even when he saw this ring, right?” I gritted my teeth and stared at her. She shoved me from the bed to the floor and kicked my belly hard. Cold intent flashed in her eyes as she said viciously: “Because everything you have, I have a copy too!” “The ring, the man, the status, the baby, the house—everything you have, I have too! Monday, Wednesday, Friday he’s at the villa with you. The rest of the days he’s at the apartment with me!” “Did you really think you were the only one? Don’t be naive.” She condescendingly patted my face and continued: “You got hit by me, and he still protected me.” “As long as your baby doesn’t survive, the baby in my belly will be the only heir. Just die already!” Her words shattered the world I thought was happy. Sharp pain stabbed through my heart. Tears silently streamed down my face. My nails dug deep into my palms. I clenched my fists. The pain in my belly grew more and more intense. The sound of doctors running came from outside. I was pushed back into the operating room. The baby came out of my body with a cry. I breathed a sigh of relief, tears of joy streaming down. But before I could even look at her, Xavier had someone take the baby away, while I was pushed to another room. The doctor stood still, making no move. He suggested: “Mr. Hale, this patient just gave birth and was in a car accident. She doesn’t have the strength to give blood to someone else.” “If you force her to donate blood, her life could be in danger. I know you’re anxious because your wife suddenly fainted, but we can expedite getting blood from the blood bank…” “Enough!” Xavier cut off the doctor, saying impatiently: “Mia’s life is worth more than hers. I’ll give her plenty of money—enough to buy her life!” “The most important thing right now is giving Mia a transfusion!”

The doctor tried to persuade him again, but I looked at Xavier weakly and asked: “After the transfusion… I can leave, right? I can see the baby?” His brow furrowed slightly. He avoided my eyes: “As long as you complete the transfusion and sign the settlement, I’ll let you and the baby leave.” I nodded. My parched throat told the doctor: “Do it.” Having achieved his goal, Xavier turned to leave and check on Mia. Behind him, my eyes reddened as I called out: “Xavier, you still don’t believe I’m Natalie?” His footsteps paused. “I don’t know what you’re scheming, pretending to be my wife again and again. But my Natalie—I’d recognize her even as ashes. You’re definitely not her. You could never compare to her!” The greatest sorrow is when the heart dies. I smiled bitterly and mocked myself: “Forget it. It doesn’t matter anymore.” “I don’t want to argue with you anymore. I just hope you won’t regret this.” After experiencing everything today, I no longer loved Xavier. I just wanted to take my baby home, divorce him, and never see him again! But I never imagined my fate would collapse like dominoes—one disaster after another. After the transfusion, I returned to the room and saw a bundle on the bed. I excitedly walked over and picked it up. “Baby, Mommy’s back.” But as I held the child, my body froze. It felt like a stone hammer hanging over my head had slammed into my heart. The pain made my eyes sting. The baby’s face was blue. Her eyes were closed. She wasn’t moving at all. My breathing became unsteady. My voice was so hoarse it was about to break, like a candle flame flickering in the wind: “Baby… what’s wrong?” “Don’t scare Mommy. I can take you home soon. Wake up and look at Mommy, okay?” Holding the baby, I wanted to call a doctor, but I heard a heavy door slam behind me. The door was locked. I desperately shouted, pounding on the door: “Open the door! My baby is sick! Let me out!” “Please, I need to see a doctor! The baby isn’t breathing! She’s dying!” A man’s cold, merciless voice came from outside: “Stop struggling. Mr. Hale said your blood is still useful. He can’t let you leave.” “Mrs. Hale said you and the baby can’t leave this room until she wakes up.” My heart sank. Looking at the baby’s blue face, I knelt on the floor and kowtowed. I begged, my voice breaking: “Please! Save my baby!” “I won’t fight Mia’s baby for inheritance! It’s my fault, please!” But no one answered. My desperate wails penetrated the hospital room and echoed through the corridor. My eyes caught sight of the call button. I stumbled to my feet and pressed it. But no matter how many times I pressed it, it was immediately disconnected. I looked at the door in despair, letting out a heart-wrenching scream: “Xavier!” “I hate you!” Xavier held Mia. Her complexion gradually became more rosy. Hearing the noise outside, she frowned in displeasure: “What’s that pregnant woman screaming about? Did she sign the settlement?” His secretary handed him a folder, saying as if asking for credit: “Mr. Hale, not only did she sign the settlement, she also agreed to be a blood donor for Mrs. Hale. This is the signed contract.” Xavier casually took the document and opened it. His face instantly went pale. He immediately pushed Mia away and stood up. He asked in disbelief: “Why is Natalie’s name on the settlement?”

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At the bachelor party before the wedding, Vivian, Adrian’s female friend, suddenly raised her glass and draped her arm around his shoulders. “Bro, I can’t believe you’re actually willing to abandon us friends to marry a woman so early. Drink up as punishment!” “The first glass—I toast to your loyalty. Because I said I wanted to see the northern lights, and you ditched your fiancée without a word to accompany me to the Arctic.” “The second glass—I toast to your years of devoted care, like when you stripped off my clothes to wipe me down when I had a fever.” Thunderous applause erupted in the private room. My mind went blank. My ears rang. So on our fifth anniversary, Adrian’s “urgent matter” was accompanying Vivian to see the northern lights in the Arctic. And when I nearly died from amniotic fluid embolism during childbirth, lying in the ICU for three days—ultimately delivering a stillborn baby—he was wiping down Vivian’s naked body! Amid the crowd’s cheering, Vivian acted coquettishly, wanting to share another drink with Adrian. Before raising her glass, she looked at me and smiled: “The last glass—I toast to Emma’s generosity.” “Thank you for lending me Adrian to register our marriage, so I could win the war against my ex-boyfriend.”

The wine glass slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor. “Explain yourself clearly. What do you mean you and Adrian registered your marriage…?” My voice trembled. My fingers gripped the glass shards tightly, sharp pain radiating from my fingertips. In the five years I’d been dating Adrian, I’d proposed to him ninety-nine times. But each time, just when he was about to agree, his female friend would swoop in at the last moment and kick me back to square one. Just recently, Adrian had accepted my hundredth proposal. When I thought we were finally getting married— He’d already registered his marriage with his female friend! The atmosphere grew heavy. Someone quickly stepped forward to smooth things over. “Don’t take it personally. Vivian’s personality is just carefree like that. Besides, we’re all friends—helping each other out is normal.” “Exactly. Adrian just helped me with a small favor as a friend. You’re not going to make a big deal out of such a trivial matter, are you?” Before she finished speaking, Adrian smiled and lightly tapped Vivian’s head. “Stop talking. Even food can’t shut you up.” She playfully punched his chest in response. “A banana couldn’t fill my mouth like your cock does~” The room erupted. Raucous laughter followed. “Vivian, you’ve seen Adrian’s dick? Want to check if mine’s big too?” “Me too, me too! Satisfaction guaranteed, hahaha!” “Fuck off. Adrian’s different from you guys. He and I are like childhood friends who wore the same pants growing up.” “Is there any part of his body I haven’t seen?” “Besides, I used to have sex with him all the time. Big dick feels so good~” As soon as she finished, the previously lively room fell silent. My mind went blank. I didn’t even notice the blood dripping from my fingertips. Seeing me freeze, she laughed carelessly and explained: “Speaking of which, Emma, you should thank me. If I hadn’t trained Adrian for you—” “Would Adrian have such great skills in bed to satisfy you?” Blood rushed to my head. I couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed a wine glass and hurled it viciously at Vivian. Before she could scream, Adrian stepped forward and pulled her protectively into his arms. “Emma Chase, are you insane? What’s with this spoiled princess tantrum!” I stared at Adrian’s reddened hand, my nails digging into my palms. After a long pause, I heard my own voice: “You two really are good friends—so close you don’t care about gender boundaries, sleeping together!” My face was full of mockery. “If you’re that close, why not just marry her and make her your wife? Let’s be honest—you’re just a slut and a scumbag, a perfect pair of cheating bastards…!” Adrian exploded in rage, raising his hand and slapping me. “Emma, that’s enough! When did you become so vicious!” “Apologize to Vivian now!” Vivian hid in Adrian’s embrace, smiling provocatively from an angle no one else could see. I suddenly felt it was all so meaningless. I grabbed my phone and turned to leave. But Adrian immediately grabbed my wrist. “You humiliated Vivian in front of all these people today and embarrassed me.” “If you don’t apologize, the wedding in three days is cancelled.”

As he spoke, Adrian’s expression unconsciously took on an air of confidence and arrogance. He looked down at me condescendingly. As if certain I wouldn’t leave, waiting for me to lower my head and admit fault like the previous ninety-nine times. “Emma, you’d better think carefully. Walk out that door, and who else besides me would dare marry you?” My heart sank. The Adrian before me had become utterly unfamiliar. I couldn’t reconcile him with the passionate young man from eight years ago. Bitter tears flowed silently in my heart as the sincere youth slowly appeared before my eyes. At thirteen, when I was being bullied, Adrian stood up for me, suffering serious injuries to pull me out of the abyss. “You’re Emma, right? I fell for you at first sight. From now on, you’re under my protection.” “If you’re in danger, just drop my name. Anyone who dares bully you—I’ll make them pay!” At fifteen, facing high school applications, Adrian—whose grades were at the bottom—picked up textbooks for the first time to get into the same school as me, waking before dawn to study. At sixteen, my family went bankrupt. My parents died. My tuition was in jeopardy, and I was forced to take a leave of absence. Sixteen-year-old Adrian skipped classes to work part-time—as a waiter, doing manual labor, suffering from stomach bleeding and hospitalization from exhaustion. With the money he earned, he paid seven years of tuition for me, supporting me through high school and college. At eighteen, just past midnight on his birthday, Adrian couldn’t wait to kiss my lips, insisting on promising me his life. “Emma, I’ll be here from now on. Don’t be afraid. I’ll treat you well for the rest of my life.” At twenty, after experiencing that horrific, nightmarish incident, on the day I was rescued, Adrian held me and sobbed, vowing to make those who violated me pay a terrible price. At twenty-two, after college graduation, I started planning our future. But after he succeeded in his business and met Vivian, everything between us turned to bubbles. Adrian began unconsciously mentioning Vivian in our daily conversations. I don’t know when it started, but he mentioned her more and more frequently, and came home less and less often. He began distancing himself from me, despising me, letting others humiliate me at will. The cold wind outside rushed into my chest, jolting me back to reality. My blood gradually cooled. The phantom of that young man slowly blurred. I looked Adrian straight in the eye, word by word: “Then let’s cancel it. I wish you two the best together.” Seeing me turn to leave, a flash of barely perceptible panic crossed Adrian’s eyes, and his voice carried urgency. “Emma, stop right there!” “You were violated. You’re not pure anymore. Who else besides me would want you!” Adrian’s voice wasn’t loud, but it struck everyone’s ears like thunder. Blood rushed to my heart, then drained completely the next second. I turned around, trembling, my eyes full of disbelief. My most painful, most unspeakable past had been torn open by Adrian and displayed before everyone. A flicker of panic crossed Adrian’s face, then he composed himself. “Emma, be good. Come apologize to Vivian. I can pretend what just happened never occurred, and we’ll have our wedding as scheduled.” Adrian’s voice floated lightly through the crowd. Suppressed gasps rippled through the room. Everyone’s gaze swept over me like X-rays. “Holy shit, this is explosive!” “Oh my god, I can’t believe it. Emma always dresses so elegantly—you’d never guess she’d experienced something like that.” “Right? Man, poor Adrian. The wife he pampered for so many years turns out to be damaged goods.” “Yeah, thank god they didn’t get married yet. At least he cut his losses in time.” The pointing and whispers pressed on my chest. Cold suffocation gripped my throat. “Adrian, you bastard!” “You don’t know anything—” I shot to my feet, anger and grief making my whole body tremble. Unable to control myself, I rushed forward and slapped Adrian hard across the face. Smack! The entire room fell silent. Vivian stepped forward, draping her arm over Adrian’s shoulder and pulling him to her chest. “Emma, women like you are so troublesome. Adrian and I are just good friends. Do you really need to be so uptight?” “Everyone else thinks it’s fine. Don’t project your own dirty mind onto everything!” One sentence made everyone look at me with even more dissatisfaction and contempt. The murmuring grew louder than before. Adrian stood rigid, refusing to look at me. Something in my chest shattered completely with a crack. Vivian’s provocation, everyone’s humiliation, Adrian’s silence—all the grievances I’d endured over the years slapped me back in the face like a vicious blow. “Adrian, I’ve put up with you two for so long. Every time, it’s ‘just good friends!’” “When I need you, you’re never there. I said I wanted to go see the northern lights with you—you said it was boring. But the moment Vivian mentions it, you eagerly rush off with her.” “When I nearly died from amniotic fluid embolism, fighting for my life in the ICU for three days—that couldn’t compare to Vivian having a simple fever. Last time, the time before that, the time before that… Every time you promised to register our marriage, the next day you’d abandon me because of Vivian’s various little problems, right up to today!” “She humiliates me constantly, provokes me endlessly, and you still stand there like an idiot on her side, casually revealing my most painful, most unbearable past to let these people insult me at will!” “Adrian, am I really that worthless in your eyes?!” I gasped for breath, tears blurring my face. In my peripheral vision, Adrian seemed to reach toward me, but the surrounding comments rose like waves threatening to drown me. I couldn’t bear this shocking pain anymore. Like a coward, I fled in defeat.

Before the door closed, the last thing I heard was Vivian’s playful mockery. “Looks like I didn’t love you in vain. You’re really loyal—willing to abandon your wife for me.” “But if you just want to pretend you don’t care so you can go chase after her, we won’t look down on you.” Adrian’s firm reply rang out: “Without me, no one will want her.” They bet five hundred thousand dollars that within three days, I’d come crawling back to apologize. In that moment, the last ember of hope in my heart was completely extinguished. I pulled out my phone and called a number I hadn’t contacted in ages. In less than three seconds, the call was answered. “In three days, I’m getting married. Come—as the groom.” The other end sounded excited and was about to ask something when a text from my grandmother suddenly came through. “My dear granddaughter, how’s the wedding planning going with Adrian? Do you want to come home for dinner tonight? I made all your favorite dishes.” Following was a photo of the food. Grandma had made every dish that Adrian and I loved, filling the entire table. I could only swallow the bitterness in my throat, not daring to tell the truth and worry the grandmother who’d worked her whole life raising me. I could only reply with a voice message, trying to sound natural: “Got it, I’ll come keep you company right away. But Adrian has a business dinner tonight, so he won’t be joining us!” Before getting in the car, I instinctively looked up toward Adrian’s villa. He and Vivian were surrounded in the center of the crowd. Amid everyone’s cheering— His ears turned red. My cheek burned with stinging pain. Before I knew it, my dried-up eyes filled with tears again. I raised my hand to cover my face, unwilling to let anyone see my embarrassment. … I don’t remember how I got home. When I came to my senses, the rice in my bowl had been poked beyond recognition. Seeing my mood was off, Grandma quickly put down her utensils and pulled me into her embrace. She carefully spoke: “Tell Grandma—did that Adrian boy bully you?” Meeting Grandma’s loving, concerned gaze, the truth rose repeatedly in my throat, only to be swallowed back down. “Grandma, how about I take you somewhere else?” After a long while with no response, I looked up questioningly. Grandma’s warm tears dropped right into my eye sockets. “Grandma promises you—wherever Emma goes, I’ll follow and take care of you.” “Marriage isn’t the destination of happiness. If you don’t like it, if you’re hurt—you don’t have to go through with it. Grandma only wants you to be happy forever.” My closest person’s comfort was like warmth rising from spring tides after winter recedes. I could no longer hold back the flood in my heart. I buried myself in Grandma’s arms, sobbing, releasing years of grievances. The next day, as I was packing clothes for our trip, my alternate phone buzzed with a notification. The content showed Vivian in ski gear, nestled in Adrian’s arms. The two looked as intimate as lovers in passionate romance. The caption read: “Someone came to make up for my regret of never seeing snow. Today he’s transformed into strict Coach Adrian~” I froze. The snowman toy Adrian had given me fell from my pocket. It was his gift to compensate for me never having seen snow. He’d promised to take me to see snow as soon as work quieted down. But one busy period led to another. That promise was tossed into the farthest corner of his heart, long covered in thick dust. I snapped out of my numbness and threw the toy forcefully into the trash. Just then, a scream came from Grandma’s room. When I pushed the door open, Grandma was collapsed on the floor in pain. From her shattered phone came Adrian’s voice: “You were violated…” “Emma… is what he said true… when did you suffer such grievance…” “It’s all my fault… cough cough… all my fault for not protecting you…” Grandma cried while clutching her chest. The pain on her face made me react immediately. Grandma’s heart condition was acting up!

I frantically called for emergency services, but when we arrived at the hospital, I was told the cardiology doctor had been dispatched by Adrian to treat Vivian’s external injuries! Hearing this, I couldn’t care about dignity anymore. I stumbled toward the consultation room. “Adrian! Adrian! I’m begging you—please save Grandma!” “For the sake of how she always treated you like her own grandson, how she gave you her burial savings to start your business—please have the doctor save her!” The next second, Vivian appeared before me, clinging to Adrian’s arm. She clutched her chest affectedly, her voice syrupy as she whined about how much it hurt. But it was clearly just a minor bruise! Adrian was about to speak when Vivian pulled him back. “Adrian, my chest hurts so much~” “She was acting all high and mighty, even slapping you last night. Today’s little show is probably just another trick to fool you into coming back.” His gaze shifted from concern to cold indifference as he looked at me. “Emma, even if you’re going to lie, make it believable.” “How dare you use Grandma’s life to fabricate a story!” “You like putting on shows, don’t you? Fine. I’ll remove the ventilator right now and see what you’ll use to perform!” The moment the ventilator was removed, the heart monitor stopped beeping. Grandma’s chest stopped rising. The person who loved me most in this world had her life cruelly taken by the man I once loved most deeply. “No—!” I screamed in anguish, only to receive a vicious slap in return that sent my head snapping to the side. I was completely engulfed in Adrian’s towering shadow, seeing clearly the disgust and fury in his eyes. My vision darkened. Warm liquid flowed from my nose and mouth simultaneously, the metallic taste of blood filling my entire mouth. Vivian stood right beside him, lips curving slightly, her triumphant gaze piercing my heart like madness. “Emma, kneel here and reflect on what you’ve done!” Time passed—I don’t know how long. Long enough that I felt my soul had left with Grandma too. My knees ached terribly. My face hurt. The cold wind cutting across my skin made it sting even more. I crawled with difficulty toward the hospital bed, my trembling hand touching that kind face. Grandma, living is so exhausting. I want to leave with you… As if possessed, I moved to the window, closed my eyes, and my hand gripping the windowsill was about to let go. The next second, I fell into a familiar, warm embrace. “I’m sorry. I came too late.”

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On Christmas when I was 6 years old, my brother and I were molested while delivering gingerbread to the neighbors in our village. My brother died protecting me that day. His life stopped forever. After that, Mom would tell everyone I was a “slut” who seduced men all the time. She even dressed me up prettily and sent me to stay with the old bachelors in the community, taking turns for a few days each. Mom said it was to train me, to prevent accidents from happening again. Until this Christmas, on the anniversary of my brother’s death, I wore my thorn-covered clothes to pay my respects to him as usual. But I accidentally spilled the ice cubes I was holding, tearing my clothes and exposing my arm. Mom flew into a rage when she saw this and slapped me across the face. “Even on your brother’s death anniversary, you can’t help being a slut, seducing everyone you see, even your own mother!” “If you hadn’t insisted on delivering that gingerbread back then, your brother wouldn’t have died!” “I make you wear these clothes and eat ice cubes to atone for what you did to your brother. How can you be so shameless!” “Tonight you’ll kneel right here and apologize properly to your brother. Come back on your own tomorrow!” Mom left without looking back. Because of my hearing damage, I couldn’t hear any sounds. I didn’t know why Mom was angry, but I obediently stayed by my brother’s gravestone. But as I ate the ice cubes, my body got colder and colder, until I floated up into the air…

Shortly after Mom left, I emerged from my body and flew back home. Dad had just gotten home from work and only saw Mom. “Where’s Hannah? Why are you alone?” Mom threw the Christmas gift I’d given her into the trash, saying angrily: “Don’t mention that jinx to me!” “The little slut couldn’t even dress properly in front of her brother’s grave. Let her reflect on herself.” “If you weren’t so busy all the time and actually raised her properly, she wouldn’t have turned out like this!” Hearing this, I panicked and cried out. “Mom, no, it wasn’t like that. I didn’t mean to.” “The thorns tore my clothes. I didn’t deliberately rip them to upset you…” “Mom…” But no one responded to me. Dad fell silent, then soon turned and went to the living room to read the newspaper. I could only swallow my grievance, wipe my tears, and follow Mom to the kitchen. She took out several packages of wrapped gingerbread, then came to my bedroom and turned on the light. “Hannah Sweetwater, why are you sleeping so early? Get up and help me deliver gingerbread!” I waved my little hand from the side, trying to remind Mom. “Mom, I’m right here!” I tried to grab Mom’s hand, but couldn’t hold on no matter what. That’s when I realized. I seemed to no longer exist. Adults say that after people die, their souls follow their closest person. So had I died? Mom didn’t respond to me. She had forgotten I was still at the grave. But the next second she realized it and stormed out, slamming the door. “What a jinx. Now I have to deal with this alone.” Every Christmas, Mom would dress me up prettily and accompany me to deliver homemade gingerbread to our neighbors in the village. I followed Mom to the house next door. Mrs. Peterson, our neighbor, was surprised to see only my mom. “How come Hannah didn’t come?” “You really don’t need to do this. You come every year. It feels awkward.” I was about to greet Mrs. Peterson when Mom frowned deeply. She looked like she didn’t want to mention me at all. “That little slut misbehaved. I’m punishing her by making her kneel at her brother’s grave.” Mrs. Peterson looked shocked. “She’s just a child. How can you call her that every day?” “And Hannah has always been well-behaved. Even if she did something wrong, you can’t punish her like this…” “The temperature keeps dropping. It’s ten degrees below zero today. Her body can’t handle it. How can you make a child kneel in a place like that?” “What do you mean ‘a place like that’? That’s my son’s grave!” Mom snatched the gingerbread from Mrs. Peterson’s hands and turned to leave. “Making that little slut kneel there to keep vigil for her brother is already going easy on her!” “I survived the cold when I was little. How could anything happen to her from a little cold like this?” Mrs. Peterson watched Mom’s determined back and sighed deeply. Worried, she grabbed some clothes and headed up the mountain to the grave. Mrs. Peterson was usually very kind to me. She must be going to find me. But I was already dead. She wouldn’t be able to find me.

Mom went to several houses delivering gingerbread, but each visit ended badly. But when Mom was about to return from another village, an accident happened. I saw a woman with disheveled hair rush out and splash paint all over Mom. She kept muttering: “Bitch, give me back my son! Give me back my son!” Seeing Mom in such a miserable state, I felt terrible. I raised my hand to help wipe her off, but I was already dead. I couldn’t touch Mom. Mom wiped her eyes and threw the undelivered gingerbread on the ground. “You crazy woman, looking for your son and blaming me? What kind of tantrum are you throwing on Christmas!” “It’s you! It’s your little slut who harmed my son!” The woman collapsed on the ground crying: “Your little slut seduced my son with her shameless behavior. He drank poison and died on Christmas.” “Hannah, it’s you again! You slut!” Mom was furious. I saw her eyes turn red, angry at me. “Killing your brother wasn’t enough? You had to harm someone else’s family too! I might as well have raised a dog instead of you!” People around started gossiping. “Oh my, this Hannah got her brother killed three years ago, and now this year again…” “You don’t know, back then there wasn’t even proof that the bachelor molested her. Maybe she just got horny and seduced him herself.” “Tsk tsk tsk, acting so slutty at such a young age. Her mother doesn’t look like anything good either!” “Exactly. Just get out of our village. Don’t come ruin Christmas for us.” No, it wasn’t like that. I remembered who that little boy was. I felt so wronged and ran to everyone trying desperately to explain. “Mom, his dad beat him every day, that man…” “That man would touch me inappropriately too. We were just comforting each other.” “Everyone, I didn’t seduce that boy, I didn’t…” “Please believe me, don’t curse Mom…” No matter how I cried and explained, no one could hear me. The Christmas night wind was so cold. Even though I was dead, my heart and tears felt as cold as the ice cube meals Mom always made me eat.

Mom got up very early the morning after Christmas. She heard the door creak and thought I had gotten up. “Hannah, you slut, you finally got up!” Mom turned around but didn’t see me. She walked to my bedroom door but couldn’t open it. “You dare throw a tantrum with me now? Do you know you got another person killed?” “Did I raise you all these years just so you could seduce people!” “If you’re going to ignore me, then don’t expect to eat today. Better yet, just die in your room!” But Mom, I’m not in my room. I died at my brother’s gravestone. Will you be a little happier when you find out? While Mom ate, I crouched beside her hugging myself. The cemetery floor was too cold. I had been kneeling for so long that my knees were swollen. Even though it didn’t hurt now, I still wanted Mom to kiss them better. But she was on the phone, ignoring me. “Why do you care about her? She’s been sleeping in her bedroom.” “Care about her? Do you know your precious daughter got that crazy woman’s son from the next village killed!” “Marrying you and giving birth to this slut was truly a sin!” Ever since my brother died, Mom and Dad fought often. But Dad was always quiet. It was basically Mom fighting with herself. Every time they fought, she would call me a “slut.” At first I would cry and say I wasn’t, but over time I got used to it. But I really wasn’t a slut. I was very good. I didn’t seduce people, and I certainly didn’t harm people. But Mom would never hear my explanations again. Angry at me, Mom took all the birthday gifts she’d given me over the years and burned them. That’s when I finally saw the gifts Mom had given my brother. Mom had preserved all those clothes and toys of various sizes very carefully. They were all stored in individual boxes. Mine were just in plastic bags. I watched Mom take out photos of my brother from when he was alive and personally burn my toys and New Year clothes. Among them was my favorite Barbie doll. I reached my little hand into the fire to grab it, but couldn’t touch anything. “Mom, please, don’t burn my doll…” “I know I was wrong. Hannah will listen to you from now on. I won’t rip my clothes anymore. Mom, please…” Mom threw item after item into the fire pit. As the sparks burned, a loving expression appeared on Mom’s face. It was a tenderness I had never seen or experienced. “Starlight, so many years have passed, and I miss you so much.” “If only you hadn’t saved Hannah back then. If only she had died instead. Then you could have grown up healthy…” My little hand hung helplessly in mid-air. So Mom had hated me all along. So she had always wished I had died that year instead. Every time she called me a slut in front of others, cursed me as trash, it was from her heart, not to train me, correct me, or protect me.

Mom bought a lot of strawberries from the market. After washing them, she came to my brother’s grave. My brother and I both loved strawberries. But our family’s circumstances weren’t easy. We could only have them once or twice a year. Each time, my brother would give me his share, only tasting one himself. Mom would praise my brother for being thoughtful, but never said anything about me. But ever since my brother died, Mom would buy strawberries from time to time to visit him. When I followed behind wanting to taste one, it made Mom angry and she left me halfway. After that, I grew to hate strawberries. I haven’t eaten one once in all these years. Mom knelt by my brother’s gravestone, greedily hugging it. Tears soon covered her face. I was so envious of my brother. Envious that Mom could keep loving him. Mom loved me too. But these past few years, she never hugged me, never praised me. I really, really wanted to hug Mom. Mom suddenly remembered something and stopped crying. She went a short distance away to get a basin of water and poured it where I had knelt. Then she took a broom and swept. “Starlight, from now on Mom won’t bring that jinx here anymore, so she won’t offend your eyes.” “Don’t worry, I’ll make her atone for you for the rest of her life. What she owes you, she can never repay.” I stood to the side, tears all dried up. I had cried them all out. Why? Mom, why do you hate me so much? I didn’t deliberately seduce that terrifying man back then. He tried to tear my clothes. My brother was accidentally killed trying to protect me. I explained it to Mom many times. Mom kept insisting I was a slut. But I really wasn’t a slut. Why doesn’t anyone believe me? I couldn’t leave Mom, so I could only follow her alone. On the way down the mountain, Mom ran into a bachelor from the village. I remembered him—his name was Rick Newman, and I was most afraid of him. In previous years, after Mom visited the neighbors with me on Christmas night, she would leave me at his house. He forced me to wash his clothes and cook. But I was only eight years old then. I couldn’t wash clothes properly or reach the table. He would take out a leather strap to whip my bottom and body, threatening me not to tell Mom. I knew Mom wouldn’t believe me, so I never told her about my injuries. Mom never cared about me either, so she never noticed the scars on my body. “Susan, why didn’t you bring your daughter last night? I still have a lot of dirty clothes waiting for her to wash.” Mom pushed him away impatiently. “That damn girl is throwing a tantrum at me. I’ll send her over in a couple days to work on her attitude. Just mentioning her makes me sick!” I was shocked to hear this. So Mom knew he made me wash clothes and cook. So she also knew I was beaten. Rick Newman didn’t plan to let Mom go so easily. He blocked her path. “If your daughter won’t come, then you come.” “Your husband’s never home. How about…” Mom stepped on Rick Newman’s face and went straight down the mountain. I watched Mom return home looking lost, feeling terrible inside. I wanted to hug her, comfort her. Facing threats from such a vicious person, Mom must have been scared too, right? Mom had barely sat down when Dad called. “Susan, you said Hannah was home, so why would Mrs. Peterson tell me she’s at the hospital and has no vital signs!” I felt a little happy. Was Mom finally going to discover I was dead? I wondered if she would be sad for me when she found out. But Mom’s first reaction was to think Mrs. Peterson was lying. “She’s talking nonsense!” “She must be cursing my daughter because I scolded her yesterday and she’s upset. Don’t let her fool you!” Dad thought about it and agreed it was impossible. After all, Mom had made me keep vigil at my brother’s grave for a year before. There was a small house there with everything we needed. Nothing could happen to me. “Alright, don’t go cause trouble for her. As long as Hannah is fine. Just don’t leave the child alone outside anymore.” After hanging up, Mom angrily rushed to my door, frantically pounding on it. “Hannah, you’re nothing but trouble!” “You’ve been in there all day and still won’t come out. You’ve really got some nerve!” “Being this willful, how can you face your brother?” Instead of my response, Mom heard an even more violent pounding at the front door. Mom cursed as she went to open it. It was Mrs. Peterson and two police officers. Mom swallowed the curses she wanted to say to Mrs. Peterson and smiled gently at the officers. “Officers, what brings you here so suddenly?” One of the officers unfolded a white document and said to Mom: “Hello, are you a family member of Hannah Sweetwater? Hannah died at 2 AM last night after failed resuscitation attempts. This is the death certificate. We need to ask you some questions.”

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My husband wouldn’t let me see the apartment we bought for our marriage. He said the construction had stalled and it would just upset me. For three years, every time I brought it up, his face clouded with worry. We’d moved to a neighboring city with higher-paying jobs to keep up with the mortgage, renting a place while working ourselves to the bone. Then last week, I passed through our hometown on a business trip and happened to swing by that development. What I saw wasn’t an abandoned construction site at all—it was a lush, upscale community lined with trees. The buildings were pristine, with children playing outside. I found our building and took the elevator up to the fifteenth floor. The door to unit 1502 opened. A woman in loungewear stood there, looking every bit like the lady of the house. I’d seen her before. My husband said she was a friend’s sister. He’d posted photos of them on social media. I froze in the doorway. She froze too. I double-checked the number—1502. This was it. The exact floor and unit we’d agonized over before finally deciding. “Can I help you?” she asked, her tone guarded. I opened my mouth but couldn’t figure out how to answer. This was my place. Who was I supposed to be looking for? “Is this your house?” I blurted out. She looked me up and down, her expression dripping with confusion, then rolled her eyes and slammed the door in my face. I stood there staring at the closed door, my head buzzing. I don’t really remember how I got back to the hotel. I just remember sitting on the edge of the bed for a long time, staring at nothing, then booking the next train back to our rental. When I pushed open the door, my husband Derek was busy in the kitchen. He heard me come in and poked his head out. “You’re back? Hungry? Dinner’s almost ready.” “How was work today?” He handed me a fork. “Business trip wear you out?” I shook my head. Said it was fine. He sat down across from me and put a piece of steak on my plate. “Eat up. You’ve been looking thin lately.” I lowered my head and mechanically shoveled food into my mouth, but my mind was stuck on what I’d seen earlier. The upscale community. The fully finished condo. The woman in loungewear. And the three hundred thousand dollars we still owed on the mortgage. “Hey,” I looked up, “I still want to see that place.” Derek paused for a second but quickly recovered. “Why are you bringing this up again?” “I just feel like… we’ve been paying this mortgage for so long. I should at least see it once.” “How many times do I have to tell you? It’s nothing but a construction site right now—steel beams and concrete. What’s there to see?” He sighed, his voice tinged with resignation. “Once they restart construction and it’s safe to go in, I promise I’ll take you. You’ll be the first.” I watched him. His face showed nothing unusual. He even smiled at me. “Is the mortgage stressing you out again? If it’s too much, I can cover more this month. Don’t overthink it. If you’re tired, take a few days off.” I lowered my head and kept eating. He kept talking—something about a project at work, a possible year-end bonus, telling me not to pinch pennies so much, to spend money when I needed to. I listened, murmuring agreement, but inside I felt cold. Three years. For three years he’d been like this every day. Gentle. Caring. Always looking out for me. But that community this afternoon. That door. That woman. And just now—that brief pause in his hand. Suddenly, the man who’d slept beside me for three years felt like a stranger.

The next day I called in sick and went back to that development. This time I went straight to the property management office. “Hi, I’d like to look up information on unit 1502.” The manager looked up, his eyes professionally wary. “And you are?” I handed him my phone, showing our marriage certificate and a screenshot of the purchase contract. “I’m the owner of that unit.” He studied it for a while, asked for my ID, cross-checked everything several times, then finally spoke. “What would you like to know?” “When was this unit delivered?” “End of 2019,” he said matter-of-factly. “Over three years ago now.” My head started buzzing. Derek had told me it stalled exactly three and a half years ago. “Who’s living there now?” He hesitated, probably noticing my expression, and lowered his voice. “A young woman, early twenties, quite pretty. She said…” “Said what?” “That it’s her boyfriend’s place.” He paused. “Your husband.” I gripped the counter, my nails digging into the surface. “I have security footage,” he said quietly. “Would you like to see it?” I nodded. He pulled up the past six months of recordings and fast-forwarded through them. On screen, Derek appeared at the building entrance again and again—sometimes carrying grocery bags, sometimes holding that woman’s hand. They stood downstairs. She rose on her tiptoes and kissed him. He smiled, wrapped his arm around her waist, and they walked into the building together. Every single one of those days matched when he’d told me he was on a business trip. I stared at the screen, my stomach churning. I covered my mouth, spun around, and rushed to the bathroom. I hunched over the sink, dry heaving for what felt like forever, but nothing came up. The property manager knocked on the door. “Are you okay?” I splashed water on my face, walked out, nodded at him, and said nothing. After barely pulling myself together, I went home. When I opened the door, Derek was sitting on the couch watching TV. He stood up immediately when he saw me. “You’re home early today.” “You look terrible.” He walked over and reached to feel my forehead. “Are you sick?” I instinctively stepped back. His hand hung in midair. He looked confused for a moment, then smiled. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing,” I said. “Just tired.” “Then lie down and rest. I’ll get you some hot water.” He turned toward the kitchen, his voice full of concern. “What do you want for dinner? I’ll make it.” I sat on the couch, watching his back. He was bustling around in the kitchen, just like yesterday, just like every day for the past three years. But all I could see was the footage playing in my head. His arm around her. Her rising on her toes to kiss him. Him smiling and pulling her close. I covered my mouth. My stomach lurched again.

Friday night, Derek said he had a business trip over the weekend. “There’s a project we need to discuss. The client can’t travel, so we’re going to them.” He packed his suitcase as he talked. “I’ll be back Monday night.” I leaned against the bedroom doorway, watching him. I made a small sound of acknowledgment. He zipped up the suitcase, walked over, and hugged me. “Make sure you eat properly while I’m gone. Don’t skip meals.” I nodded. Early the next morning, I took a cab to his company. The receptionist didn’t recognize me. She asked who I was looking for. “Is Derek on a business trip?” I stood at the front desk without moving. “And you are?” “His wife,” I said. She froze, didn’t respond. Just then, a middle-aged man walked by. He looked like one of Derek’s coworkers. He’d overheard our exchange and gave me a once-over. “You’re Derek’s wife?” “Yes.” He frowned. His expression was strange—like he didn’t believe me, but also like he was working something out. “Derek took time off. He’s taking his girlfriend to her prenatal checkup.” He spoke slowly, deliberately, as if making sure I heard every word. “If you’re going to make up a story, at least make it believable.” My mind went blank. “I am his wife.” “We’ve been married almost five years.” He looked at me. His expression shifted from doubt to pity to something else entirely. He pulled his files closer to his chest and took a step back. “Is something wrong with you?” He tapped his temple, looking at me like I was crazy. “Call security!” I don’t know how I ended up being pushed out the door. As security grabbed my arm and walked me out, I didn’t even struggle. I crouched on the sidewalk, buried my face in my knees, and cried until I was shaking, until there were no tears left. Monday. The day Derek said his business trip ended. Seven p.m. He came home right on time. “The house,” I said. “I want to talk about it.” He paused, his face still wearing that gentle expression. “What about it? Thinking about that stalled project again?” “It’s not stalled.” I locked eyes with him. “I went there today.” His expression didn’t change, but his hand holding the remote paused for a second. “Why would you go there?” He shook his head with a smile, his tone like he was coaxing a child. “Didn’t I tell you? It’s just a construction site. Waste of a trip.” “Construction site?” My voice came out so quiet it didn’t sound like mine. “I saw the building today. Fifteenth floor. Fully finished.” He stopped talking. “I also saw the person living in 1502.” I said, “She asked who I was looking for, then shut the door.” The remote clattered to the floor. He didn’t pick it up. The air went still. So still I could hear the refrigerator humming. “Derek.” I said his name. “Tell me right now. Is that building stalled or not?” He opened his mouth, then closed it. A few seconds passed. He lowered his head, his voice dropping. “The developer did have problems back then. But later a new company took over and they restarted construction. I didn’t mean to hide it from you, it’s just…” Just what—he didn’t finish. “Just what?” I finished for him. “Just that you happened to move another woman in?” He jerked his head up. “It’s not what you think!” “Then what is it?” I pulled out my phone, found the security footage from the property office, and held it up to his face. On screen, he had his arm around that woman, standing at the building entrance. She rose on her toes and kissed him. He glanced at it. His face changed. “What is this?” I asked. He didn’t answer. “Last week you said you were on a business trip. Was that a business trip?” He lowered his eyes. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “There’s one more thing.” I put my phone away. “I went to your office that day.”

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