Category: English

My husband texted me that he had to work late. Bored and alone, I was scrolling through TikTok when I stumbled upon a video posted ten minutes ago by a girl I went to college with. “My dream guy wants to take me to Hawaii, but he’s afraid his wife and family will get suspicious.” “Any ideas, guys?” I opened the comments. The internet was full of helpful souls. The top comment suggested: “Have him fake cancer, file for divorce so he ‘doesn’t drag her down,’ and then claim he’s going abroad for treatment. The wife stays home to take care of his parents, and he can come back whenever he’s done having fun.” I chuckled at the absurdity and scrolled past. At 3 AM, my husband came home, looking exhausted and devastated. He slumped onto the sofa and whispered, “Honey, we had mandatory health screenings at work today. They found liver cancer. Stage 4.” “I don’t want to be a burden to you. Let’s get a divorce.” I stared at Ethan for a long time. His words… why did they sound exactly like that top comment on TikTok? Could it be…? Was he the “dream guy” that college girl, Chloe, was talking about? I immediately dismissed the thought. Since we got married, Ethan had been the perfect husband—handsome, responsible, and kind. How could he cheat on me? I must be overthinking it. I took a deep breath and walked into his arms. “Ethan, we’re husband and wife. We took vows. For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. I’m not going anywhere.” “I don’t care what you have. I will never leave you!” Ethan suddenly pushed me away. “Ava, please accept reality!” “I have cancer! It’s terminal!” “I only have days to live.” “Just… consider this my dying wish.” “Please?” Tears streamed down his face. My heart broke seeing him like this. In this situation, I obviously wasn’t going to argue. I hugged him tight again and choked out, “Ethan, tell me. What do you want me to do?” “Whatever you want, I’ll do it.” Ethan wiped his tears, looked up, cupped my face, and said softly with red eyes, “Honey, I wasn’t actually working late tonight.” “Then why are you back so late?” “I went to see a friend’s sister. She went to the same college as us, remember Chloe? She told me there’s a new experimental laser therapy in Switzerland that can clear 99.99% of cancer cells.” “I didn’t know if it was true, so I went to ask her in person.” Hearing the name “Chloe” made my heart skip a beat. It was getting harder to deny my suspicion. It was almost certainly him. But I didn’t expose him. I didn’t question him. Instead, I played along. “And? What did she say?” “She said it’s real. But it’s expensive. I want to use our savings for the treatment. Even if there’s only a tiny hope, I don’t want to give up.” “Honey, you support me, right?” “Of course I support you!” I nodded and kissed his lips gently. “I can drop everything and go with you.” “If it’s about money, I’ll sell the house, I’ll sell my kidney if I have to!” Ethan immediately took two steps back. “You don’t know the language there. Besides, Chloe is going with me to help translate. You should stay here and take care of my parents.” “This therapy has risks. I might die on the table. So, I need you to lie to my parents for me.” “Tell them I died of cancer. If I’m cured, I’ll come back and surprise them.” I frowned. “You think they’ll believe that?” “Don’t worry, my parents are gullible. If they ask to see the body, just say I didn’t want them to be sad seeing me like that, so you had me cremated and scattered the ashes in the ocean.” “You’ve really thought this through.” “Tomorrow, we’ll go to the courthouse and divorce. Then I’ll fly out.” “You’re just going for treatment. Why do we have to divorce?” “Chloe said there’s a policy there. Single men get a huge discount on the therapy.” “Honey, I’m trying to save money for you. Can you understand? It’s a fake divorce anyway. When I’m cured, we’ll remarry immediately.” “As long as it’s for your good, I have no objections.” “Thank you, honey. I love you so much.” Ethan kissed me again, relieved. The next morning, we signed the divorce papers. He said he had to go meet Chloe to finalize the travel plans. Then he left. Less than thirty minutes later. Chloe posted a new TikTok. “Thanks for the advice, guys! My dream guy successfully played the sick card and escaped his controlling wife! We bought tickets to Hawaii!” “I’ve waited so long for this day. Once we land, I’ll update you guys on our happiness!” “Witness our love!” The video included a few photos. No faces, but interlocked hands. I clearly saw the watch on the man’s wrist. I bought that for Ethan’s birthday last month. If yesterday was suspicion, today was confirmation. The “dream guy” was my husband, Ethan. I felt like a boulder was crushing my chest. I couldn’t breathe. We had been so happy for years. I never thought he would betray me for a younger woman. That night, Ethan didn’t come home. He texted me saying he was prepping for the trip and they were flying out early. I asked if he wanted me to see him off. He said no. I sent another message, but it went unanswered. I put down my phone and took a deep breath. He was probably wrapped up in Chloe right now. Texting him would just be rude. I tossed and turned all night. The next day, I went to the airport. I saw Ethan and Chloe. They were intimate, laughing, sharing a cookie. They looked more like a married couple than we ever did. Ethan walked right past me without even noticing. I calmly recorded everything on my phone. Only after they boarded did I go home. Meanwhile, Chloe updated again. A photo of their boarding passes. “Hawaii, here we come!” “I think I’m the happiest woman in the world right now.” The comments were full of envy and blessings. Chloe replied to them one by one. Someone asked: “What about his wife?” Chloe replied: “Who cares about her? She’s a middle-aged hag, sloppy and smells bad.” “My guy suffered every day lying next to her.” “Now he’s free. He belongs only to me.” Because Chloe posted videos of herself, everyone knew she was young and hot. No one called her a homewrecker. They all cheered for her “true love.” I seethed with anger. I created a burner account and commented: “Don’t you care that he abandoned his wife and unborn children?” Two minutes later, she replied. “Haha, that just proves my guy is amazing. Those women were desperate to trap him. They deserved it!” “Aren’t you afraid he has kids?” “I don’t care. Kids or not, he’s mine. Besides, his wife got pregnant before, but I made him convince her to abort it.” My blood boiled. Years ago, I was pregnant. Ethan gave me a million reasons to abort it, saying we weren’t ready financially. Turns out, someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes. I never dreamed Ethan was this kind of monster. He killed our child. I suppressed the urge to murder someone and typed: “Aren’t you afraid of karma for killing a baby?” Chloe replied: “Karma? Haha, don’t be funny. There’s no such thing.” “As long as he belongs to me forever, I’d take a lightning strike.” “Gotta go, honeymoon time! Byeee!” She didn’t reply again. And I made a decision. A few days later. At dinner, my in-laws asked where Ethan was. I hesitated. “Mom, Dad, Ethan is busy with work.” They were suspicious but accepted it. A week later. They got into a car accident. My mother-in-law died on the spot. My father-in-law was critically injured but survived. When he woke up and learned his wife was gone, he broke down. I took care of him in the hospital for two weeks. His most frequent question was: “Where is my son?” I avoided answering. Until one day. I was emptying his bedpan. He suddenly grabbed my hand, tears in his eyes. “Ava, you’ve been like a daughter to us.” “Please, tell me the truth. What happened to Ethan?” “Why can’t I reach him? His office said he quit weeks ago.” I helped him sit up. I couldn’t hide it anymore. I sighed deeply. “Dad… Ethan… he died of cancer. His body was cremated, and his ashes scattered in the sea, just like he wanted.” “W-what?” My father-in-law’s eyes widened in horror. I wiped my tears and explained the lie Ethan concocted. Stage 4 liver cancer. Didn’t want to burden the family. Suffered alone. “Why didn’t he tell us?!” “He wanted to protect you.” “My son… my wife…” Overwhelmed by the double tragedy, he fainted. When he woke up, he wailed until his voice gave out. Later, I got a text from Ethan from a strange number. “How are my parents? You didn’t tell them the truth, right?” I smiled and replied: “I did exactly as you said.” “Good girl. Keep covering for me.” “Something happened at home. Are you coming back?” “I’m busy. Don’t bother me unless the house is burning down.” “Handle it yourself.” I didn’t reply. Ethan. You enjoy your time with Chloe. I sneered at the screen. After that, Ethan cut off all contact. I only saw him in the background of Chloe’s TikToks. Back home, my father-in-law fell into a deep depression. He started talking to himself. One day, he called me into his room. He handed me a sealed document bag, his eyes red. “Ava, I can’t hold on much longer. Before I lose my mind completely, take this. It’s the entire family fortune.” I was stunned. “Besides this house, there are two office buildings and a portfolio of stocks.” “Two… office buildings?” I stood up in shock. He nodded. He explained that the buildings were actually from Ethan’s grandfather. But since his wife’s side of the family died out, the grandfather left everything to Ethan. They planned to give it to Ethan once he matured. But now, Ethan was “dead.” Hearing this, I almost laughed out loud. God was helping me. Ethan wasn’t dead. He was sipping Mai Tais in Hawaii. But looking at my father-in-law’s broken face, my conscience pricked me. The son was the monster, not the father. I couldn’t do it. After a few days of agonizing, I told him the truth. I told him Ethan wasn’t dead. I told him about the fake cancer, the mistress, the Hawaii trip. He listened, then tried to call Ethan like a madman. No answer. He smashed his phone on the floor. “Ava, does Ethan know about the accident?” “I told him.” “What did he say?” “He said he was busy and couldn’t come back.” “Animal!” “I have no son!” He roared in rage. The next day, he took me to see the buildings. I thought they were small commercial lots. They were two 20-story skyscrapers in the business district. My jaw dropped. He told me the total assets were worth over $150 million. I stared at him. Ethan and I scraped by on salaries, saving a few hundred thousand after years of work. And my in-laws were sitting on $150 million? “Ava, that animal doesn’t care if we live or die. He’s dead to me.” “Even if he’s alive, I’m giving this to you.” “He doesn’t deserve a cent!”

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My husband is a total tech novice. Or so I thought. Me? I’m a legend on the AI hackathon circuit. In our three years of marriage, he has been the perfect partner. He remembers my cycle, rubs my sore ankles after a long day, and makes sure I have three healthy meals when I’m too buried in Python scripts to remember to eat. But every time I finish a brilliant piece of code and try to show him? He always looks at me with a pained smile: “Honey, it’s all Greek to me. Don’t waste your breath explaining it.” I’d always back off, feeling a bit of a lonely genius. Last week, I was tearing my hair out over a parameter bug for an upcoming AI hackathon. My husband, Caleb Sterling, quietly took off his gold-rimmed glasses and clipped them to his shirt collar. Caleb, the man who supposedly couldn’t tell Java from JavaScript, suddenly reached out and took my laptop. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing the lean, firm lines of his forearms. The cold glow of the screen reflected off his focused profile. The keyboard began to click—a crisp, rhythmic mechanical sound. In less than a minute, the parameter issue that had haunted me for a month was solved with a few elegant lines of code. “Did you… just learn that?” I asked, breathless, thinking he had secretly studied for my sake. He just smiled and didn’t say a word. He looked devastatingly handsome when he was focused. I couldn’t resist sneaking a photo of his profile and posting it to my social media. My account, which usually gets maybe twenty likes, exploded overnight. “It’s 2026 and I’m still seeing those hands on a keyboard? This is the peak Hot Nerd aesthetic. My sapiosexuality is screaming!” “‘Just learned it?’ LOL, OP, do you even know your own husband?” “The ghost of the legendary ‘Sterling-Vance’ duo has returned! I’ve watched the old videos of Goddess Vance teaching Caleb to code a thousand times. They were the ultimate Power Couple.” “Wait… is OP actually Caleb’s wife? Then my ‘Sterling-Vance’ ship really is a relic of the past… 😭” 01 The comments kept refreshing like a runaway script. “Caleb once stayed up five nights straight for Lydia Vance’s AI competition. He collapsed in the lab right after the finals. Their chemistry was insane!” “You think that’s tragic? Think about how Caleb never touched another AI project after Lydia left the country…” A stranger was being pieced together through 3,700 comments. This wasn’t the Caleb I knew. My Caleb was steady, predictable, and careful. He was the man I had to propose to because he was too composed to do it himself. The man in the comments was a reckless, impulsive boy who once ran through a thunderstorm to Lydia’s house just to explain a rumor. On New Year’s Eve, the night before Lydia moved abroad, Caleb resigned from the AI lab. He spent the night alone in the server room and eventually ran a model that produced a hauntingly beautiful AI melody titled “The Moon is Beautiful Tonight”—a classic Japanese idiom for “I love you.” Lydia was his muse. Every parameter he tuned was for her. I scrolled through the stories, the white light of the screen stinging my eyes until tears blurred the text. The melody Caleb had just run on my laptop… was that same melody. New Year’s Eve was approaching. Was he thinking of her again? “Why are you crying, babe?” Caleb chuckled softly, his thumb brushing my eyelid. I leaned away, forcing a smile. “Did you ever do AI competitions before? Your understanding of models is… deep.” “Our team’s algorithm engineer is out sick. Why don’t you come sub for me, Caleb?” Everyone has a past. I knew that. But his kindness to me over these years was real. Plus, I had just found out I was pregnant. We were about to become the family of three we always wanted. If he said yes, it would mean he had moved on. I could pretend I never saw the comments. But Caleb froze. After a long silence, he muttered, “I’ve never formally competed.” The lie felt like a slap. His winning records with Lydia were still indexed on Google. Caleb, a man who measured every word, was telling a blatant, clumsy lie. “Is that so?” I whispered. “Then what are all these comments about?” 02 The veil was torn. I demanded to know why. Caleb remained silent for a long time. “There is no ‘why.’ I loved her. Sometimes I still think of her. It’s that simple.” He watched me fall apart with a calm that felt like ice. “沈溪 (Xandra), we’re married now. You don’t need to obsess over my past.” “Obsess?” I laughed bitterly. “What if she came back right now? What if she asked you to join her lab? Would you go?” He didn’t answer. He tried to pull me into a hug, but I slapped his hand away. I wanted a real answer. Caleb sighed. “Go to sleep. Stop overthinking.” He was so calm it made me feel like a hysterical child. The comments said Lydia had just returned to the States to start her own AI firm. They were all rooting for a reunion, completely ignoring the fact that I was his legal wife. “I wouldn’t go. Happy?” Caleb said, his jaw tight. Right then, his phone buzzed. The caller ID was just one letter: “L.” Caleb grabbed the phone to leave the room. I lunged forward and grabbed his shirt. My tears soaked the fabric. “Answer it here!” We stood in a stalemate. As the ringing began to fade, Caleb finally picked up, perhaps afraid of missing her. “Lydia,” he rasped. The way he said her name was full of a tenderness I had never heard. “It’s me,” a soft, melodic voice replied. I felt Caleb go rigid. He forgot I was even there. Lydia sounded weary. “I’m sorry to call so late. But I didn’t know who else to turn to. My lead engineer is throwing a fit and won’t finish the demo for the launch. The investors are coming in tomorrow, and I can’t push the date.” “I know it’s a lot to ask… but can you come save me? Please, Caleb. I need my best coder.” 03 “But what about your finals for the International AI Hackathon?” Caleb’s question made us both freeze. He was thinking of her career before he even thought of his own life. I couldn’t help but raise my voice. “You’re going to help her? Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve! We have a family dinner planned with both our parents!” I had planned to announce the pregnancy then. My mother-in-law had been hinting at grandkids for years. Caleb had always said he wanted a child. When we were intimate, he’d whisper in my ear, “Let’s have a little girl just as sweet as you, okay?” Lydia’s voice wavered on the phone. “Caleb… is that your friend?” “We are married,” I cut in. Silence followed. Caleb frowned, his resolve hardening. “It’s just technical support.” Just technical support. When I asked, he had “never competed.” When she called, he was ready to catch the first flight out. “Never mind,” Lydia said softly. “Wait,” Caleb said urgently. He covered the receiver and pried my hand off his shirt. His voice was cold. “Stop making a scene, Xandra.” “She’s alone in a tough spot. Is it so wrong to help a friend?” I stared at him, my voice trembling. “I’m in a tough spot too, Caleb.” This was my year to be promoted to Team Lead. But because of my pregnancy fatigue and morning sickness, the partners were worried about the project timeline. They were talking about moving me to a support role. The Open House demo next month was my only chance to prove I still had it, but my algorithm partner was a jerk who refused to work with me because he said my code gave him “anxiety.” I wasn’t a natural genius. I had worked until my wrists ached to get where I am. I poured my heart out, crying as I spoke. Caleb started packing his bag. When he saw me crying, he paused. I thought he would hold me, or at least comfort me. Instead, he said, “Drink some water when you’re done crying. I’m leaving.” I dug my nails into my palms. “Are you really going? You won’t regret this?” Caleb looked at me, lowered his eyes, and said, “Get some sleep.” The front door clicked shut. The house felt cavernous. I touched my stomach, my tears flowing unchecked. I picked up my phone and dialed a clinic. “Hi, I’d like to schedule an appointment for a termination.” 04 The girl on the other end of the line was startled by my voice. “Are you okay, ma’am? Please breathe. Don’t do anything impulsive.” I broke down. A complete stranger on a helpline cared more about my emotional state than the man who shared my bed. I spent the night masochistically watching old interviews of the two of them. In the videos, Caleb would blush if Lydia looked at him during a demo. He’d look devastated if a model didn’t run perfectly for her. He’d tell the world she was the most important person in his life. With me, he was always “stable.” I thought it was just his personality. It wasn’t. He had just given all his passion, all his fire, to someone else. At 8:00 AM, I drove to the hospital. The OB-GYN waiting room was full of couples. I saw a husband rubbing his wife’s back while she leaned on him, complaining of nausea. He kissed her forehead and said, “You’re doing great, babe.” I watched them with a hollow envy. My morning sickness had been brutal, and Caleb had never even noticed. He didn’t even know I was pregnant. “Xandra? The doctor is ready for you.” The doctor looked at my chart and sighed. “You have a difficult constitution for pregnancy. If you terminate this, it might be very hard to conceive again. Are you sure you don’t want to talk to your husband?” My phone lit up. A text from my mom: “Hey sweetie, what do you and Caleb want for dinner tonight? We’re so excited for the ‘surprise’ you mentioned!” I stared at the screen, my hand shaking. I was about to say I needed to think, when Caleb called.

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1 When Julian found me, I was picking out a burial plot for my deceased husband, Ashton. The one I truly liked was too expensive, but the cheaper options felt like I’d be shortchanging him. Lost in thought, Julian asked if I would remarry him. The refusal died on my lips, turning into a cautious whisper: “If we remarry, will the allowance still be half a million a month?” Julian looked at me, surprised. After all, the old me used to scorn money. He nodded, a perplexing pang of tenderness in his eyes: “Yes, as long as you’re a faithful and obedient wife.” I agreed without hesitation and began to learn how to be a good wife. I stopped checking up on him, stopped demanding he remember anniversaries, and stopped asking him to keep his distance from his female friends. But then he screamed, “I just want you to listen to me, not to stop loving me!” … Julian found me while I was selecting a burial plot for my late husband, Ashton. I still wore a camellia, a symbol of mourning, in my hair. The thought of him spending all his savings to cure my illness, and then sacrificing his life to save me in the earthquake, brought tears to my eyes. We should have been on our honeymoon… Just as I succumbed to grief, Julian sat across from me. He critically scrutinized my outfit. Once adorned in designer wear, I now wore a faded hoodie with a stretched collar and worn-out jeans. I was a far cry from my former opulent self. He frowned. “You look like a ghost after leaving me.” It took me a moment to recognize him. My ex-husband, divorced for five years. Seeing my silence, Julian assumed I was overcome with joy. He said indifferently: “If you just admit your mistake, I’ll remarry you. How about it?” I was about to refuse, but then I remembered the burial plot I’d just seen – a seven-figure price tag. I could deliver takeout my entire life and still not afford it. With that thought, I cautiously asked him, “If we remarry, will the allowance still be half a million a month?” Julian gazed at me in silence, his eyes holding a tenderness I didn’t quite understand. He said, “As long as you’re well-behaved, I’ll give you a million. But if you act up and get suspicious like before, I’ll…” Before he could finish, I quickly raised my hand and promised, “I understand, I’ll be good.” Julian seemed surprised. He asked, “Are you sure you’ve thought it through? You used to… you weren’t so agreeable before.” I smiled wryly. “Mr. Caldwell, you said it yourself. That was before.” Before, I was cherished by him, the envy of everyone in New York, Mrs. Caldwell, the most acclaimed genius designer. Whether relying on him or on myself, I could live very well. But now, my reputation was ruined, and his childhood friend had issued a “blacklist” against me, making it impossible to find a decent job in New York. Had I not met Ashton, I would probably be a forgotten mess at the bottom of a cliff. Where was my former dignity? Julian’s expression shifted slightly. He frowned and asked, “What did you call me? Mr. Caldwell?” Looking at me, seemingly compliant but always distant, Julian felt like his heart was soaking in water. Wet, heavy… Afraid of angering him, afraid of losing the million, I quickly explained, “Did you forget? You were the one who told me not to call you ‘husband.’” Julian’s face instantly paled. He remembered, remembered our secret marriage. I worked as the chief designer at his company. Publicly, everyone thought I was just an employee he highly valued. And to keep up appearances, he never let me call him “husband.” So, all along, I had called him “Mr. Caldwell.” Julian looked annoyed. He rubbed his temples and said, “Back then, you were at the company, and we needed to be discreet. Now, we don’t.” A myriad of aches pulsed in my heart. Yes, there was no need now. My proud career had been utterly destroyed by him. I no longer had to pretend to be his employee. Julian couldn’t stand my silence. He got up and said irritably, “Come home with me.” I obediently rose and followed him into his Cadillac Escalade. As soon as I stepped inside, I froze. The interior was pink, and there were selfies of Julian and Audrey plastered everywhere. Audrey was his childhood friend, and the catalyst for our divorce back then. Julian saw me staring at the photos in a daze and quickly explained, a hint of panic in his voice, “Audrey recently got hurt, and my mom insisted she stay at my place so I could drive her to and from work.” “You know how innocent and whimsical she is, she likes these childish things, so…” Before he could finish, I interrupted him with a smile, “They’re actually quite cute.” Julian looked at my calm, unruffled face and asked, “You don’t mind?” I shook my head, smiling. “What’s there to mind? You two are childhood friends, practically siblings.” “If anything were going to happen between you, it would have happened ages ago. I wouldn’t even be in the picture, would I?” 2 I thought Julian would be pleased by my words, but his face darkened a shade. I didn’t understand why he was angry. These were the very words he used to say to me when I was jealous. Sadly, back then, I never believed in pure male-female friendships, so even when he said that, I still demanded he keep his distance from Audrey. He outwardly agreed but secretly continued to be inseparable from Audrey, until I caught them at a party. I went mad, hitting and yelling at him, only to suffer terribly myself. Had he forgotten all that? But I had no time for him. I lowered my head and played with my phone, calculating when I could save enough money to buy the burial plot. Julian felt a strange absurdity. He hadn’t expected that in just five years, I would so calmly accept his relationship with Audrey. But… it shouldn’t be like this. Shouldn’t I be reprimanding him for crossing the line? Gazing at my serene profile, Julian reassured himself, “It must be because she doesn’t want to leave me again, so she doesn’t dare to get angry.” At this point, I remembered Ashton’s photos were still in the apartment, so I suggested Julian take me there first. Julian flatly refused, his face full of disdain: “Do you think our villa has room for your junk?” “Just call the landlord, have him terminate the lease, and clear out your things.” I opened my mouth, intending to say it wasn’t a rented apartment, but then I thought better of it and simply nodded. That twenty-square-meter apartment was Ashton’s legacy to me. No need for others to know. The rest of the drive was silent. Half an hour later, I stood before what used to be our marital home. In the yard, the sycamore tree I had planted with my own hands, after five years of wind and rain, looked even more vibrant. I was a little surprised because I remembered Julian saying he would uproot it when I left. It was unexpected that after five years, the tree was still thriving. Julian came to my side, explaining self-consciously, “I consulted a feng shui master who said this sycamore tree brings me luck, so I didn’t dig it up.” I nodded, finding it a bit strange why he felt the need to explain. I wasn’t so conceited as to think he kept the tree because he still had feelings for me. I was still waiting, even now, for him to tell me the real reason for our remarriage. Soon, I would know the reason – it turned out he wanted to remarry, still for his little childhood friend. The front door opened from the inside, and I saw Audrey, pale-faced, being supported by a maid. She smiled and asked, “Julian, you’re back?” I already knew she was living here from the drive over, so I naturally nodded at Audrey. “Ms. Rosenstock, long time no see.” Audrey seemed surprised by my composure. She wore her usual fake smile and said affectionately, “Sister-in-law, long time no see.” “I told Julian my birthday wish was for him to get back with you, and I can’t believe he actually brought you back.” “It seems Julian is still my Santa Claus, granting all my wishes.” If it were the past, hearing those words would have deeply hurt me. My return, it seemed, was due to another woman’s birthday wish. But now, far from being upset, I said with genuine gratitude, “Thank you, Ms. Rosenstock. Mr. Caldwell mentioned you were injured? Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you.” This time, Audrey completely lost her composure, staring at me in shock, forgetting to respond. Julian also looked at me, stunned, trying to detect any pretense in my eyes, but found only sincerity. That strange feeling in his heart grew stronger. He quickly explained, “Audrey’s just joking with you. You’re my wife, and my decision to remarry you was naturally well-considered.” I smiled and flattered him, “You’re the CEO of Caldwell Group. Any decision you make is naturally well-thought-out.” “Ms. Rosenstock’s words are just a suggestion. I understand, I completely understand.” Even after I said that, Julian still wasn’t satisfied. He scowled at me, his eyes holding an intensity I couldn’t decipher. I gazed back at him, bewildered. He finally crumbled under my clear gaze, turning away and walking into the living room in a huff. I followed closely, but Audrey stopped me at the door. Audrey whispered in my ear, “Five years apart, your manipulative tactics have certainly improved.” “Too bad, in the face of absolute favoritism, your feigned indifference is useless.” “To be frank, Julian brought you back because I can’t have children. He wants you to have a child for me, so I can smoothly marry into the Caldwell family.” My heart jolted. Have a child? I unconsciously touched my lower abdomen. There, once, was a child too, but sadly, his father had personally caused his demise. 3 I still vividly remember the look of disgust in Julian’s eyes back then. He said, “A malicious woman like you doesn’t deserve to bear my child.” Now, five years later, he wanted me to have his child. But I couldn’t have children anymore. If Julian found out, would he kick me out? And that burial plot… With that thought, I secretly resolved that Julian must never know this. Just then, Audrey suddenly shrieked and recoiled, her eyes red as she asked, “Sister-in-law, if you don’t like me, you can just say so… why did you step on my foot?” Beside her, the maid also indignantly accused me, “Madam, Ms. Rosenstock already has a foot injury. With that step, she’ll probably be in pain for a while again.” “You really are…” Facing these two drama queens, I raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, then immediately apologized, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” I was long accustomed to Audrey’s two-faced antics. In the past, I’d often complained to Julian about her being a scheming woman. Unfortunately, Julian never believed me, saying I was mad with jealousy and maliciously misinterpreting an innocent young girl. Even though this “young girl” was a month older than me. So, I didn’t plan to explain to Julian but immediately offered a frank apology. Not far away, Julian’s face darkened. Seeing him look over, I assumed he would scold me as he used to, and volunteered, “I know it wasn’t intentional, but I did hurt Ms. Rosenstock.” “I accept the punishment. I’ll go to the attic now.” With that, I headed towards the attic. The attic housed a solitary room, a confinement space Julian had specially prepared for me. Every time I “hurt” Audrey or defied him, he would make me go in there to reflect. For twenty-four hours, no food or water. Initially, I resisted and struggled, but eventually, after losing my child in there, I developed claustrophobia. From then on, I would only cry uncontrollably and beg for mercy. Fortunately, I was no longer afraid of the dark. During that earthquake, I was trapped in the small world Ashton had created for me, pitch black and bloodied. Yet, from his rapidly fading life, I felt the most passionate love. He led me out of that last psychological shadow. It’s just that, this time, the price was too high. Unconsciously, my eyes reddened. When Julian grabbed my wrist, he saw this very scene – my head bowed submissively, no resentment in my eyes, only a trace of hurt. Like a fawn abandoned in the wilderness by its mother. Julian’s heart ached. The surge of nameless anger that had just flared up was instantly extinguished. He asked helplessly, “When did I say I was sending you to the confinement room?” I asked, flattered, “Oh? I really don’t have to go?” My reaction instantly stung Julian’s eyes. He even felt some regret for how he had treated me in the past. He awkwardly explained, “I confined you back then because you were too disobedient, you made a mistake and were stubborn, so I wanted to teach you a lesson.” “Now, you didn’t do it on purpose, and your apology was sincere, so you don’t need to be punished.” He said, looking at Audrey who stood not far away, and smiled gently, “Besides, Audrey is so kind, how could she let you be punished for such a small thing?” Audrey’s facade almost crumbled. She looked at me with a hint of unfamiliarity. A stiff smile played on her lips, and she nodded, “Yes, sister-in-law, you make me seem overbearing.” I shook my head, quickly explaining, “I didn’t mean that, I just got used to it…” Audrey immediately said, feigning hurt, “I knew it, sister-in-law is still blaming me. It was my thoughtlessness back then, my lack of boundaries, that caused a rift between you two.” “Sister-in-law, I’m sorry, I formally apologize to you.” Julian looked at me suspiciously. I knew he was doubting me, thinking I was up to my old tricks again. I had just avoided punishment, and I certainly didn’t want Audrey to manipulate me back into trouble. I said with genuine sincerity, “How could I? I stopped caring about all that a long time ago.” “Oh, right, don’t you like my steamed sea bass?” “I’ll go to the market right now, buy one, and make it for you.” “Once you’ve had my fish, you can’t bring up old grievances, okay?” My words stopped Audrey’s act. She looked at me awkwardly as I rushed out the door. Before she could even speak, she saw Julian walk past her, straight out the door, chasing after me.

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In this life, I have been close to marriage twice. The first was a passionate whirlwind, set to marry the head of the Sterling Group, a man standing at the very pinnacle of wealth. The second was calm and natural, leading to my current marriage with my gentle and considerate husband, Dr. Caleb Reid. Back then, I was young and stubborn, believing love should be pure. I refused to share a man with another woman. I cried and fought over it, finally leaving London in a fit of pique. I followed Caleb to the Scottish Highlands, settling in a desolate forest research station. For three years of marriage, Ethan Sterling’s people never lost contact. Every month, a private jet delivered rare orchids. The attached card always bore the same sentence: “When you’ve had enough, come back.” I never responded. Until last night, when Caleb confessed that he wanted to move his ex, Lydia, and her daughter into our home. I stared at the gloomy Scottish sky outside the window, silent for a long time. Finally, I picked up my phone and messaged the number I hadn’t contacted in three years. “Come pick me up. I’m ready to go home.” 1 My assistant, Mia, spoke with a trembling voice: “Miss Ava, are we really going back to London?” I stood up and walked to the window, pushing it open. Outside was the eternally gray sky of the Scottish Highlands. “I lost the bet. What else can I do but go back?” Mia was silent for a moment, then sighed: “If only Professor Reid hadn’t met Lydia. He used to seem so devoted!” The “Professor Reid” she mentioned is my current husband, Caleb Reid. Three years ago, Caleb was just a young scholar who had recently received his tenure, but he dared to fly to London to propose to me. At that time, I set two conditions. First, no one mentions the past. We never ask about it. Second, I am possessive and cannot tolerate a third party. He can only have me as his woman for the rest of his life. Caleb held my hand and swore on his mentor’s photo: “I pledge on my honor to always put you first in my heart.” I looked at the sincerity in his eyes, but Ethan’s words echoed in my mind: “Ava Lane, do you think changing the man means he’ll love only you forever?” I was too young and stubborn back then, not even giving the Sterling family face. Just because there was always a childhood sweetheart around him, I gave Ethan the cold shoulder for a whole year. He said he wouldn’t marry anyone but me; I said I’d rather die than marry him. The Sterling engagement party was postponed again and again, dates changed seven or eight times. People in our circle gossiped, but no one guessed the reason. Ethan protected me and never explained to the public. After our last fight, he must have been truly exhausted, so he compromised. “Fine. Marry whoever you want.” But he made a bet with me. If one day, the husband I carefully chose also had a woman he couldn’t let go of, that would be the time I returned to him. Outside, a fine drizzle blurred the view through the glass. Standing outside the studio door was a woman in her early thirties wearing a beige trench coat, holding a six or seven-year-old boy’s hand, looking pitiful. That was Lydia. Caleb’s doctoral student, and his “white moonlight”—the one who got away. Years ago, Lydia dumped Caleb to marry an investor so she could go abroad for further studies. Now divorced, she returned with her child to do research, isolated and helpless in these highlands. I’ve always been soft-hearted. At first, I pitied her situation and asked Caleb to help arrange accommodation. Until last month, when Caleb went to Edinburgh for an academic conference, Mia casually mentioned: “Professor Reid changed his desktop wallpaper. It looks like a photo of Lydia and her son.” That’s when I suddenly woke up. Who would have thought Caleb had already rented an apartment for Lydia in town behind my back and prepaid six months of rent? These past few days, Lydia has been coming to my studio every day, crying tears like pear blossoms in the rain, saying she had nowhere to go, begging me to take them in. I wouldn’t relent, so she wouldn’t stop crying. “Of course she’s persistent. She knows in her heart that as long as she moves into this house, I have to leave. Then the position of Mrs. Reid will be hers.” Mia realized suddenly: “Right, she knows about the bet you made with Mr. Sterling.” Lydia looked up at that moment, meeting my gaze through the glass door. I looked away expressionlessly. “Let her stand there. It’s the last day anyway.” “Why?” “Because…” Before I could finish, hurried footsteps came from the end of the corridor. Caleb, carrying his laptop bag, strode to the door in a few steps. He pulled Lydia and the child behind him. “Lydia! Why are you here?” Because today was the day he returned from his field expedition. Lydia went limp, slowly collapsing into Caleb’s arms, starting her old tricks again. She had used this move more than once. Caleb panicked, quickly supporting her, then turned and glared at me through the door. “Ava! While I was gone, is this how you treated her? No matter what you say this time, I must bring Lydia and the child home!” With that, he supported her and turned to leave. Mia stomped her foot in anger, shouting at the door: “It’s not like Miss Ava asked her to come! She stood here herself every day!” My heart was calm water. I reached out and closed the studio door, shutting out the wind and rain. “Forget it. We’re leaving soon anyway.” “Let him do what he wants for these few days. Consider it a period for this marriage.” 2 In the Scottish Highlands, the climate is cold and damp. Even ordinary plants struggle to survive. Delicate flowers from London would wither here in days. So on the 15th of every month, a private jet would land at the nearest airport, delivering rare plants that could only survive in a greenhouse. Orchids, phalaenopsis, never the same kind twice. They were sent by Ethan. He knew I didn’t like to be disturbed, so he never appeared in person. He only sent flowers with a brief card. Considering Caleb’s feelings, I never responded. Until yesterday, when I broke the rule. It was the 15th again. A black business van stopped punctually at the studio entrance. “Miss Ava, these are lilies of the valley Mr. Sterling just ordered from France.” I reached out, gently touching the white petals. “They’re beautiful. Please thank him for me.” The butler delivering the flowers was clearly stunned, then smiled. “This is the first time Miss Ava has replied in three years. Mr. Sterling will be very happy to know.” I curled my lips and said nothing more. If Ethan was truly as devoted as they said, he wouldn’t have watched me leave back then. Caleb stayed in Lydia’s rented apartment all night. The next morning, he came to settle accounts with me, looking exhausted. “I specifically asked you to take care of her before I left. Is this how you take care of people?” I didn’t look up, continuing to organize the design sketches on the shelf. “She has legs. She came here herself.” Caleb exploded, sweeping the sketches off the table. “Ava! Do you know she cried all night last night? She even had an asthma attack!” Papers scattered everywhere, a mess. I stopped moving and was silent for a moment. Even if Lydia had an asthma attack, she brought it on herself. What did it have to do with me? “I told you many times, she’s only staying for a few months until she finds a suitable apartment! She asks for nothing, didn’t even want you to know!” Caleb’s voice gradually lowered. He turned around, his tone turning cold: “You went too far, worsening her condition. I must bring her back to take care of her.” I said nothing, squatting down to pick up the drawings, holding a few in my arms. Suddenly, I laughed. “What about me?” “You are still my wife, still Mrs. Reid.” I looked up at him, my eyes moist. “No, I mean, I gave up a lot for you too. Why did you never think of compensating me? Or is your compensation bringing your ‘white moonlight’ into our home?” Caleb froze, looking down at me, a flash of guilt in his eyes. He reached out to help me up. “Ava, don’t be like this. It’s just temporary. Besides, you know Lydia, she’s not a stranger.” “Whether she’s a stranger or not isn’t important.” I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye, my voice terrifyingly calm. “What’s important is what you promised me back then.” Caleb met my gaze, his eyes darting away, finally gritting his teeth: “But before I came back, I also promised her I’d give her a place to stay.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Then bring her.” I heard my voice floating lightly, as if from far away. Caleb stood there, seemingly not expecting me to agree so readily. I turned to look at the two pots of lilies of the valley on the windowsill, somewhat distracted. It was only September. I shouldn’t have ordered custom winter coats so early. I wouldn’t be wearing them anyway. “The weather is getting cold. I ordered some clothes a while ago. You can give them to her as my welcome gift.” I pointed to the unopened new clothes in the closet. Caleb paused: “Give them all to her? What about you?” With my back to him, my fingertips tightened slightly: “I can buy new ones.” Caleb finally relaxed, his tone lighter. “Right, you have good taste. I’ll accompany you to Edinburgh another day to buy some jewelry as compensation.” Before leaving, he finally noticed the two pots of flowers on the windowsill. “Lilies of the valley? I didn’t know you could grow these in the Highlands.” “I heard Mr. Sterling has been acquiring this flower globally recently. Seems like he’s planning a wedding.” 3 I froze. “Ethan is getting married?” A string in my heart that I thought was secure. Snapped instantly. Caleb replied casually: “I heard it from a friend in London.” I was in a daze. He was getting married? I didn’t notice when Caleb left. Sitting at the workbench, I clenched my fists, whispering to myself. I didn’t know if I was asking Mia or myself. “Do you think he’ll still come?” Mia wasn’t sure either. After all, the last time I saw Ethan, he personally put the plane ticket in my hand. That day, his eyes were red, stubble on his chin, clearly hadn’t slept all night. When handing over the ticket, he gripped it so tight his knuckles turned white. His voice was terribly hoarse. “Ava Lane, if he treats you badly in the future, you must give me a chance to bring you back.” I never thought he would really let me go. After a long silence, I took the ticket and said nothing. Only when heading to the boarding gate did I look back at him and nod gently. But now, three years had passed. I waited for three whole days and didn’t get a reply from Ethan. Three days later, while I was organizing and packing in the studio, my phone suddenly rang. Mia glanced at the caller ID, her face changing. She whispered: “Miss Ava, it’s the private number from Sterling Group.” My heart constricted violently. I picked up the phone, and a deep voice came from the other end. “Ava.” Just one word, and I almost cried. “Mmh.” “I got the message.” He paused, no emotion in his voice. “The day Caleb brings her in, I’m coming to take you back to London.” My hand holding the phone trembled slightly. It took a while to find my voice: “Okay.” 4 The night before Lydia moved in, she came to me with a fruit basket. I let her in. Her eyes were swollen from crying, looking desperate. “Miss Ava, without Caleb, you still have family, better options. But without Caleb, I really have nothing.” I didn’t touch her fruit, just looked at her calmly. “You’ve been smart since you were little, good at calculating, never showing weakness easily. You didn’t wrong me, nor Caleb. You only wronged yourself.” Lydia froze, her crying stopping abruptly. I signaled Mia with my eyes. Mia reluctantly handed her a jewelry box. “This is a gift I prepared for you before. I intended to give it to you when you actually got married. Now…” I paused and stood up. “Take it now. From now on, we don’t owe each other anything. Take care.” Lydia stared blankly as she took the box, bowed deeply three times to me, and left holding the item. The night Caleb brought Lydia in, because Lydia was a single mother with no relatives, he had to invite colleagues from the research station and university to scrape together a few tables. Originally, Mia and I planned to hide upstairs and not show our faces. We closed the door to pack. Halfway through, Caleb sent someone up. He said some guests from London arrived suddenly and insisted on seeing the hostess, asking me to go down and deal with them. Mia looked disdainful: “Someone came all this way just for a move-in? These people are too much.” My hands paused, suddenly realizing something. Hurriedly changing into a decent dress, I pushed the door open and walked out. The house was decked out with colorful lights tonight, brightly lit, shadows moving. I walked quickly downstairs. Turning the corner of the stairs, I stopped abruptly. The living room was noisy with chatter and clinking glasses. And Ethan stood in the middle of the living room, in a perfectly tailored dark suit, cufflinks shimmering under the lights. The light hit his face; his features were sharper than three years ago. He was talking to someone but seemed to sense something. His gaze suddenly crossed the noisy crowd and locked onto me accurately. Then, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. Very lightly, very slowly, he mouthed words to me. I saw those five words clearly. “I. Came. For. You.”

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I kidnapped Chloe Vance, the wife of the new tech mogul, Caleb Vance. And I expected a hefty ransom from him. “You might be disappointed,” Chloe said. “Caleb doesn’t love me anymore.” Her tone was too calm. So calm that I didn’t believe a word she said. After all, Chloe lived in a basement with Caleb for five years. She worked three jobs a day to support his startup. When Caleb finally made it big, the first thing he did was give her the wedding of the century. They were in love. Everyone thought so. I used her phone to call Caleb. On the thirteenth attempt, he finally picked up. Hearing my demand, Caleb laughed. “Chloe’s getting creative, hiring actors now? Tell her to behave. As long as she doesn’t cross my bottom line, she’ll always be the envy of everyone as Mrs. Vance.” He hung up. Chloe looked resigned. “You won’t get any ransom from him.” Then, her tone shifted: “But I can give you twenty million dollars.” Her request was simple: Help her fake her death. … Three days later, Chloe’s “body” was finally found. I stared at the pale-faced man on the TV screen, curious. Didn’t he say he didn’t love her? Then why is he crying? 1 After calling Caleb nine times with no answer, frustration bubbled up inside me. My stomach chose this moment to protest. I opened Uber Eats, planning to order something first. Scrolling for a while, I was about to place an order when Chloe, who had been silent behind me, spoke up. “Don’t order from that place. It’s not sanitary.” I turned to look at her, frowning. Bound to a chair, Chloe didn’t seem scared. Seeing me look at her, she twitched her lips: “Try the clay pot rice on the bottom left. I used to deliver for them. It’s clean and tastes good.” I paused. I didn’t reply, but I hesitated. A minute later, I backed out and ordered the clay pot rice she recommended. While waiting for the food, maybe out of boredom, or maybe because this woman in expensive clothes but with a down-to-earth vibe intrigued me, I asked casually: “You used to be a delivery driver?” “Yeah,” Chloe said. “I covered this area and the East Side.” I was surprised. Then I remembered. I had read about this in a finance magazine. As the wife of Caleb Vance, the new tech darling, the public was always curious about Chloe. They envied her investment skills, envied her luck. A media outlet even did an exclusive interview with her. After that interview, fewer people said Chloe was just lucky. Because what Chloe did for Caleb, few girls could do. They met in college, fell in love. After graduation, Caleb didn’t look for a job. He holed up in his room writing code that seemed to have no future at the time. Chloe bore all the living expenses. She lived in a basement with Caleb for five years. She worked three jobs a day just to earn a little more to support Caleb’s dream. Facing the reporter, she smiled shyly: “Because I love him, I don’t feel tired.” “Caleb is amazing. See? He didn’t let me down.” The camera panned to the audience. Caleb sat in the corner, eyes red. Staff said Mr. Vance pushed back an important meeting just to be there because he was afraid his wife would be nervous. Caleb seemed worthy of Chloe’s love. After achieving success, he gave Chloe the wedding of the century. At the wedding, he rubbed Chloe’s rough hands and promised with a trembling voice: “One thing will never change in this life.” “That is Caleb Vance loves Chloe Vance.” Everyone knew how much they loved each other. Including me. So, I planned a kidnapping. I kidnapped Chloe, expecting a high ransom from Caleb. 2 Chloe tried to lie to me at first. She said: “Sorry, you might be disappointed.” “Caleb doesn’t love me anymore.” I didn’t believe her clumsy lie. Because she was too calm. Calm like she was talking about what she had for lunch. This calmness made me certain she was lying. … The clay pot rice Chloe recommended was indeed good. I ate every last grain. After finishing, I looked at Chloe hesitantly. Her voice was soft: “Don’t worry about me, I’m not hungry.” Chloe was definitely the most cooperative, gentlest hostage… Since she said she wasn’t hungry, I didn’t push it. I picked up her phone and dialed Caleb again. No answer… No answer… Still no answer. suppressing my annoyance, I dialed the thirteenth time. Still a long busy tone, but just as it was about to disconnect automatically, someone picked up. “Hello?” It was a woman. I looked at the call screen in confusion. Confirmed I didn’t dial the wrong number. “Where is Caleb?” “You are… Chloe?” The woman didn’t seem familiar with Chloe, barely recognizing her voice. Sound of light footsteps. She seemed to have moved to a more open area with the phone. “Mr. Vance is asleep.” She said: “What do you need?” I asked her: “Who are you?” “Me?” The woman laughed as if hearing a great joke. “Do you even need to ask? Chloe, we just met this morning. We didn’t speak, but you should remember me.” “I’m Vivian, Mr. Vance’s… mistress.” My eyes widened. Three seconds later, I slammed the phone down. For a moment, I thought I was being played. Did they team up to trap me? But thinking about it, I dismissed the idea. I’m just an ordinary woman; they wouldn’t notice me. … Caleb has a mistress. This twist disrupted my plan! I started to re-evaluate what Chloe said earlier. Caleb doesn’t love her anymore. If it’s true… Caleb might not care about her safety and call the police the moment I ask for ransom. Once the police are involved, I’m in trouble. But, how is this possible? How could Caleb stop loving Chloe? After the confusion passed, I turned to look at Chloe. The room was quiet. Chloe wasn’t far from me. She heard everything the woman said on the phone. Her expression didn’t change much, but sadness floated in her eyes. “You might not know,” she said. “I was kidnapped by you on my way to handle a scandal for Caleb.” 3 Sitting in front of Chloe, I asked my question: “Why doesn’t he love you anymore?” Chloe paused. After a long time, she said: “Maybe because he loved me too much.” What kind of answer is that? Chloe explained in the next second. “Back when we were struggling, I delivered food, handed out flyers, set up street stalls.” “I fell off my bike countless times, got harassed by drunks. But the worst was when city management flipped my stall, and scalding oil splashed on my arm.” She moved her arm, revealing a glimpse of a狰狞 (hideous) scar on her wrist. “I lay in the hospital for three days. Caleb guarded me for three days.” “Later, when life got better, he never let me in the kitchen.” “Every time he saw the scars on my body, his eyes would turn red.” “He would feel guilty, hate himself for succeeding too late, for making me suffer so much.” “But…” Chloe’s tone shifted, her voice turning bitter. “Successful people generally hate these negative emotions.” “They enjoy flowers, applause, admiration. Looking back at the past wretchedness… it feels unbearable.” “Equally unbearable is the suffering I endured as his wife. Caleb gradually stopped touching my scars. Seeing them made him frown, subconsciously avoid them. Even during intimacy, he would turn off the lights…” “One afternoon, he suggested I get scar removal surgery.” “He used to hate himself. Now, he started hating these scars.” I frowned listening. I thought Chloe was delusional. “Is this called loving you too much?” I sneered. “This is called loving the new and loathing the old. It’s the inherent bad nature of men.” “Once they have money, they like young, pretty, smooth skin.” “Disgusting.” My merciless ridicule stunned Chloe. She didn’t get angry; instead, she laughed. “You’re right.” “I was deceiving myself.” 4 While I was thinking of a plan, Chloe suddenly seemed full of desire to talk. She told me about her first meeting with Caleb. “I got really good at riding an e-bike for deliveries later, but when I started college, I couldn’t even ride a bicycle.” “I bought a bike in a second-hand group. The seller was Caleb. He brought the bike to my dorm and taught me hand-in-hand.” “I wasn’t a fast learner, but he was very patient.” “The summer afternoon was hot but quiet. That afternoon made us familiar, and we became friends.” … Chloe rambled on, looking nostalgic. She talked about how they got to know each other and fell in love. I wasn’t interested. So I tuned most of it out. Chloe’s tone changed: “So the first time I found out he cheated, I went crazy.” My hand scrolling through the phone paused. I looked up at her. Chloe: “I questioned him like a madwoman, blamed him. Even went to find that woman.” “Compared to her, I was indeed old and faded. Looking at her young, pretty face, I felt like a clown…” “Caleb comforted me, said it was just an accident. He said he was set up while drunk, it wasn’t his intention.” “He asked me to forgive him.” “But such forgiveness… within a year, I forgave him four times.” “By the fifth time, I was very calm.” “Or you could say, I got used to it.” “I paid to buy the photos from the paparazzi, diligently cleaned up his mess. I also negotiated with greedy women, paying them to shut up.” “Three years after Caleb’s success, we went from a loving couple to business partners.” “He was very satisfied with my ‘sensibility.’ He thought I compromised for the position of Mrs. Vance.” She paused. I looked up at her: “And in reality?” Chloe blinked, a bitter smile on her lips: “It was just… unwillingness to let go.” Buzz—Buzz— While speaking, the phone vibrated. Someone was calling. I glanced at Chloe’s phone. It was Caleb calling back. I glared at Chloe, signaling her not to speak. Walking to the window, I pressed answer. “What do you want?” Caleb’s voice was tired, cold. I hesitated for two seconds. Remembering his past with Chloe, I decided to gamble. I got straight to the point: “Chloe is in my hands.” “If you don’t want her dead, have five million in cash ready at the location I specify by 7 PM, otherwise…” “Oh, then kill her.” Caleb interrupted me. I froze for two seconds, looking back at Chloe in shock. Her face was expressionless, but I could feel her sadness. I closed my eyes, steadying myself. “What did you say?!” Caleb sounded amused: “Don’t take me for a fool.” “Is Chloe right next to you? Tell her for me, stop playing these boring games. As long as she behaves, she will always be the envy of everyone as Mrs. Vance.” “I’m in a meeting. Whatever it is, we’ll talk when I get back.” I snapped out of it, hurriedly shouting: “Wait!” But Caleb had already hung up. I gripped the phone, body stiff. Chloe suddenly apologized to me. “Sorry, I… once faked an illness to get him to come back for my birthday.” “He was very angry then. Now he’s convinced I’m a liar.”

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After my boyfriend died, I was bullied, and I went to his grave in the middle of the night to cry and complain. I blamed him for leaving so suddenly and letting me get bullied. I also told him before I left that I was going to find someone new to replace him. Who knew that after I went back… The people who bullied me went crazy. The people who coveted me avoided me like the plague. The people who looked down on me became respectful. And when I went to meet the blind date my friend introduced to me. I discovered… “You look exactly like my dead boyfriend.” “That’s great, welcome to treat me as his replacement.” Only, as we got deeper into the relationship, his habits highly overlapped with my ex-boyfriend’s. Including that aspect. “Is he better, or am I better?” I, who had long discovered the clues, bit his hand. “You two are clearly the same person!” 1 “Liam, you’re not here, and they’re all bullying me.” At 1 AM, I sat in front of Liam’s grave. Rambling on about what had happened during this period. “He’s married, has kids, yet he’s still touchy-feely with pretty young boys. Tell me, how can someone like that live till now?” After speaking. I laughed self-deprecatingly again. How can they still be considered young boys? But being pretty is true. When Liam hadn’t passed away yet. He always liked to praise me. Praising me for being pretty, praising me for good looking. Every day, he wished he could take me with him wherever he went. In his words. “Babe is so pretty, if I don’t keep a close eye on you, someone might steal you away from me.” And the result now? “Liam, someone really came to steal me away from you, how can you just not care at all?” Actually, in the beginning, that sleazy boss of mine didn’t dare to treat me like this. 2 After all, Liam used to pick me up from work every day. He was tall and big. The muscles on his body were also obvious. One punch could embed someone into a wall. So even if that sleazy boss had any ideas about me. He didn’t dare to make a move at all. But now it’s different. Everyone in the company knows. Liam passed away. I was at work when I received the news of his accidental death. The overly obvious emotional fluctuations made everyone notice. So much so that this secret couldn’t be hidden. And it resulted in the current situation. “Liam, you big liar, didn’t we agree to be together forever?” Now he went back on his word and left first. “You made me become alone again.” Although it was summer, the wind at 1 AM still felt a bit cold. I wrapped my coat tighter around myself. But I didn’t want to leave. After all, this was a meeting opportunity Liam had urged me many times in my dreams to exchange for. If I just said two sentences and left, who knows how angry he would be in my dream tonight. Since Liam was buried, I haven’t visited him. He, on the other hand, often came into my dreams. At first, he just thought I was sad and didn’t want to go. Later, he discovered that I seemed to be deliberately not going. So he started making a fuss in my dreams. “Chloe, you’re too cruel. It’s been so long, and you haven’t even visited me. I just died, you know!” Liam in the dream was no different from when he was alive. Just as unreasonable. Just as clingy and loves to act spoiled. Just as loves to shift the blame onto me. “Liam, you’re already dead. Even if I visit you, you can’t see me. Might as well meet in dreams.” 3 At least we can still talk. If I went to the cemetery. It would just be me rambling alone. If I did it too often, I was afraid I’d become neurotic. So I resolutely refused to go. And Liam’s nightly visits in my dreams were only for one thing. That was to urge me to visit him at the cemetery. I don’t know if it was the messy stuff at the company giving me a headache. Or if I was getting a headache from Liam’s urging. So I came. I picked the most unlikely time for anyone to be here. “Liam, do you know why I didn’t come to see you? Because I didn’t know what I should say to you.” “I know you definitely want to hear that without you, I’m still living a very good life.” I wiped Liam’s photo. Tsk. How can someone be so handsome? “But unfortunately, I can’t make your wish come true, because I’m living a very bad life, so I didn’t dare to come see you, because I know I can’t lie.” As if not relieving my anger enough. I repeated it again. “Liam, did you hear that? Me! Chloe! I’m living a very bad life without you!” After shouting this sentence. I laughed self-deprecatingly again. Why get angry with a dead person? It’s not like he can crawl out of the grave to coax me. Besides, Liam, I watched him burn into a pile of ashes. I told Liam that many places we used to go to had changed. It hasn’t been half a year since he passed away. It’s as if everything in this world vanished and reorganized with his departure. I wanted to find a bit of memory between him and me. It seems I can’t start anywhere. Originally I just wanted to briefly talk about recent events. In the end, it turned into a complaints session about Liam. 4 Talking and talking. Complaining and complaining. It’s nothing more than complaining that he left suddenly, without giving me any chance to say goodbye. “Liam, tell me, shouldn’t I also start my new life?” “If I had known you would only accompany me for these few years, I would rather we had never met. That would be better than letting me suffer like this.” People who have seen happiness and lost it. Are far more painful than those who have never obtained happiness. Checked the time. It’s about time to go back and get ready for work. I intended to leave directly. But after moving a bit, I remembered something again. Standing in front of Liam’s grave, looking at the beautiful eyes in his photo. “Liam, tell me, I’m still so young, shouldn’t I go find a new person?” I can’t possibly stay a widow for Liam my whole life, right? “I know, there will definitely be no one better to me than you, and no one can surpass you in various aspects, but I thought about it, actually these are not very important, just being able to stay by my side healthily is enough.” I watched the candle flame fluttering slightly in the wind. “Liam, if I find a new person, you should also be happy for me and bless me, right?” The voice fell. I didn’t leave or speak. Just silently watching the burning candle. Suddenly. The candle went out. But there was no wind or rain at this moment. It could only be a certain jealous person. But I pretended not to understand what he meant. Talking to myself. “Looks like you really bless me, then that’s fine, I’ll ask someone to help me keep an eye out later, I know you definitely can’t bear to see me live alone.” After speaking, I packed up my things and left. Just as I turned around, a gust of wind suddenly blew. Such a big temper even after death? 5 When I went to work the next day, what I thought was, if that old sleazebag still wanted to do something to me today. I would just resign directly. Anyway, Liam didn’t leave me much else. But he did leave me quite a lot of money. We are both orphans, especially Liam, he didn’t even have relatives. At least I still have some relatives I can call by name. So after he passed away, I wasn’t worried at all. Someone would come to me for Liam’s inheritance. Since there is a guarantee. Then there is no need to suffer anger. But what I didn’t expect was that the old sleazebag didn’t come today. “Seems like he got sick.” My colleague, Sam, is the company’s know-it-all. No matter what happens, he is always the first to know. This time was no exception. “Sick? Is it serious? He actually didn’t come to work.” I didn’t need to speak, someone nearby was already asking. “Don’t know, seems like he encountered something unclean, heard he almost went crazy, then missed a step and fell from upstairs.” My heart skipped a beat. Thinking of what I did in the middle of the night yesterday. Could it be? But I quickly dismissed this idea. How could it be Liam who did it. If he really had such ability, he would have come back to find me long ago. Instead of doing other bad things. It must be me overthinking it. “I think it’s because he did too many bad things himself, has no ability himself, yet oppresses us every day, he will get his retribution sooner or later, isn’t this it coming.” Sam curled his lips. He also usually couldn’t stand this old sleazebag. But helplessly, the old sleazebag had backing behind him. Simply couldn’t do anything about him. Now that he’s in trouble, naturally everyone is happy. 6 “I think so too, it’s best to break a leg, best never to come again.” I silently agreed in my heart. It’s best never to see him again, so at least I can still stay here and work for a while. If he recovers from his injury and comes back. Then I’m quitting. Might as well take this opportunity to go out and play. “Eh, Chloe, what did you go do last night? How come your dark circles are so heavy?” Sam leaned over. Pointing under his own eyes. I blinked. “Nothing, just didn’t sleep well, going back tonight to rest well will be fine.” Sam probably thought of Liam’s matter, but in the end, said nothing. The best comfort is not to mention anything. Actually, I think they are too cautious. The current me has accepted the matter of Liam’s passing very well. Even if this matter is mentioned, I won’t feel anything. Probably. I will really miss him for my whole life. The old sleazebag really isn’t coming. Heard the fall injury isn’t very serious, but the person seems to have gone crazy. Yelling and shouting in the hospital every day. When colleagues who went to visit the sick mentioned this matter. The whole process was smooth. “Anyway, couldn’t see the person, just heard barking, the whole person’s state was also very bad, estimate there’s no way to come to work normally.” As expected. A few days later. A person was air-dropped into the leadership position. Took over our department. The new leader is very strict, but won’t do other things, on the contrary, treats us quite well. Everyone works more energetically under such a leader. And I, who originally wanted to resign. Finally gave up this idea. It’s quite good to stay. 7 “Liam, it really couldn’t be you who did it, right?” I burned incense for Liam, then stared at his portrait for a long while. Finally popped out such a sentence. Actually I know. It couldn’t be Liam. Where in the world are there so many ghosts and gods things. Even if there are. It couldn’t happen to me. Thinking about it, I smiled and shook my head. “It’s me being too tired recently, really dare to think anything, if you really could do such things, how could you not come find me, probably met someone better? Think us humans are different so won’t want me anymore, right?” Finished speaking. I also carefully considered this possibility. Finally shook my head very firmly. How is it possible. Liam only had feelings for me alone, and it was him who actively pursued me. Before the accident, I felt like he wished he could merge with me. Wishing he could stay by my side twenty-four hours a day. Shouldn’t be him. But what happened later, seemed a bit strange. The person in the same neighborhood who pursued me before, but wouldn’t give up after I rejected him, seems to have suddenly figured it out. When seeing me, it’s like seeing some enemy. Turns and runs away before getting close. Thought about it, recently we don’t seem to have said anything harsh. But fewer people harassing me, I am happy to be at ease. It’s just that overnight, all my suitors seemed to have disappeared. No matter if it’s serious pursuit of me. Or purely just want to develop some irresponsible relationships with me. All disappeared. If these are all coincidences. Then the next thing, really cannot be explained by coincidence. Every year I return to my hometown to visit my parents’ graves. 8 When I went back before, those relatives would point fingers at me. Saying I cursed my parents to death. Later Liam went back with me. They didn’t dare to say it in front of us. But there was no less discussion behind our backs. For example, how we two men got together. And some other stuff. I can imagine what they said this time back. Nothing more than, I really am a jinx. Not only cursed my own parents to death, now even my own boyfriend didn’t escape. But what should be gone back still must go back. Things that should be done still must be done. Only. They didn’t say anything. Instead, the way they looked at me was fawning. As if they suddenly wanted to have a good relationship with me. No one asked about Liam’s matter either. Everyone kept quiet about his passing. Too strange. Could it be that someone really is silently helping me behind my back? Which good-hearted person can do to such an extent? “Liam, if it’s really you doing it, come find me in my dream tonight to claim credit, if it’s really not you, then I might be targeted by someone, I’ll go to the police tomorrow.” Before going to bed, I said this sentence to Liam’s portrait. But he didn’t come at night. Of course I didn’t choose to call the police either. After all, can’t find the person, and the other party didn’t do anything to me. Going to say like this. Estimate people would think I’m crazy. What makes me unbearable is. I suddenly found several of my underwear missing. One of them is even my favorite! I searched every corner of the house. Don’t have pets, so impossible to be taken away by small animals. But I searched every nook and cranny of the house. None.

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The System assigned me to redeem the villain. But when I time-traveled, I became a sixty-year-old woman. Looking at my gray hair and aged body, the System fell into deep thought. “Host, how about… we use points to exchange for a young, beautiful body first?” I said confidently, “Think bigger. Redemption doesn’t always mean romance.” Later, I opened a small eatery by the roadside. In the snowstorm, I called out to the battered boy and gave him a bowl of hot soup. Ten years later, he became the Prime Minister, personally requesting a title of nobility for me from the Emperor. 1 “Beat him to death!” A thin boy in ragged clothes suddenly fell in front of my shop. A group of people surrounded him, kicking and punching. The boy’s face was pressed into the ice shards, his expression twisted in pain. “What are you doing!” I walked out with a rolling pin and scolded, “If you want to fight, go somewhere else! Don’t do it in front of my shop!” The man who started it said, “This kid stole my buns! I’m going to beat him to death today!” I was speechless. “He stole a bun, not your wife. Is it worth beating him to death?” “Hey—you old hag—” “Alright, alright.” I waved my hand. “How much is it? I’ll pay for him. Don’t let him die at my door; it’s bad luck.” The men looked at each other and thought for a moment. “Two coppers.” I took two coins from my purse and threw them over. “Catch.” After the crowd dispersed, I looked at the boy lying in the snow like a dead dog. “Can you get up?” He struggled hard a few times but eventually collapsed weakly, his voice faint: “I… I’ll pay you back.” I looked helpless and stuck the rolling pin back into my waist. “Forget it. Let me help you up first.” The fifteen-year-old boy looked only twelve, thin as a chicken. I lifted him up and dragged him into the house. The hot aroma of bone broth drifted from the large pot, isolating us from the biting wind and snow outside. I asked him, “Are you a thief?” He didn’t speak. I continued asking, “A beggar? An orphan?” “I’m not! I have a family!” He pursed his lips stubbornly, his eyes full of anger and grievance. “Alright.” I smiled. “Then why do you look like this, without even a decent jacket?” He glared at me for a long time but ultimately didn’t curse the old hag. The System inside me was anxious: “Host, why are you provoking him? Give him food and clothes quickly!” I said slowly, “What’s the rush? I’m not related to him. Suddenly being nice to him, does that make sense?” The boy propped himself up and limped away. I shouted from behind, “Drink some soup before you go.” His ears twitched, but he didn’t look back. 2 In the original world, the villain Caleb remembered the female lead Elena for half a lifetime because of a bowl of rice. After becoming the third-place scholar, Caleb rose step by step to become the Prime Minister, holding immense power. Elena was the white moonlight he loved but couldn’t have. Caleb persecuted loyal officials and drove the Grand Tutor to death. Just to get rid of the Crown Prince and snatch the female lead from him. So I opened an eatery, offering food and drink. I counted the days in the shop. It had been two days since I last saw Caleb. I deliberately opened the shop near his home to monitor him. But I hadn’t even seen Caleb’s shadow. Thinking of Caleb’s gray face, bony body, and scarred skin. I couldn’t help but pace back and forth. He wouldn’t really be dead, right? Bang— The door was violently crashed open. Caleb stumbled in. He was hurt even worse this time, blood on his nose and mouth. “Granny,” he murmured. “Does the offer for soup still count?” As soon as he finished speaking, he fell heavily and fainted. “What a sin.” I sighed softly. Caleb’s tragic youth was now vividly displayed before my eyes. I suddenly understood his obsession with Elena’s bowl of rice. That wasn’t just a bowl of rice; it was the only light and redemption in the boy’s darkness. I tore open his inner clothes to check. New wounds layered over old ones, not a single patch of good skin. I patiently applied medicine for him and poured soup into his mouth. Caleb choked and coughed with his eyes closed. He seemed to be dreaming. After a moment, he cried out, “Mom.” I watched him quietly, suddenly feeling a bit sour. Even if he would hold monstrous power in the future, unspeakably noble. Right now, he was just a pitiful little cub. When Caleb woke up and met my gaze, he instantly avoided it like a frightened animal. Feeling the warm bedding and touching the ointment on his collarbone. The whole person was very uneasy. He lowered his head, even stuttering a bit: “Th… thank you, Granny.” Then he immediately promised: “I will definitely pay you back for the medicine and soup.” I couldn’t help but want to laugh, asking him back: “Am I a bank to you?” Caleb’s face turned scarlet instantly. “Sorry, but I really don’t have money.” He was very ashamed. “I’ll go to the docks to carry cargo right now and earn money to pay you back.” Saying this, he actually propped himself up, wanting to get out of bed. I pushed him back down: “Forget it. With your body, you’ll die before you earn any money. Who will I ask for the debt then?” Caleb had no choice, looking at me with red eyes filled with tears. What a pity-inducing beauty. I didn’t expect the big villain to have such a delicate side when he was young. I hooked my lips: “My shop is short of a helper. You stay and work to pay off the debt.” Light suddenly ignited in his eyes. 3 A moment later, the light in his eyes went out again. Caleb shook his head and promised me: “Three days. I’ll pay you back in three days.” After saying that, the boy scrambled up, not even bothering to say goodbye, and fled in panic. Looking at his desolate back, I fell into deep thought. “System, what is the situation with Caleb’s family now?” “I don’t know.” The System said honestly, “The original book glossed over his tragic youth.” I looked up at the sky speechlessly: “What use are you!” Helpless, I had to ask around myself. When neighbors mentioned Caleb, everyone had something different to say. “He was originally a good kid, but unfortunately dragged down by his crazy mother.” “That brat, I kindly took him in to work before, but he ran away after working for less than two hours. What a piece of trash!” “That’s nothing. He stole my chicken the other day. I’ll drag him to the magistrate sooner or later.” “…” I keenly grasped a key point. Maybe this was why Caleb was unwilling to stay and help. Something was dragging him down, preventing him from focusing on work. A fifteen-year-old boy with sound limbs forced into this state. I didn’t rashly go to Caleb’s house but waited quietly for the third day. I believed that the future Prime Minister who could cover the sky with one hand would not disappoint me. Sure enough, Caleb arrived as promised. The boy had changed into a clean shirt. Although patched, it was much neater. He put a small piece of silver into my palm and bowed solemnly. “Paid back in full.” I asked him: “Did you really go to the docks to carry bags?” He didn’t look like it. Caleb seemed to have been spoken to about an embarrassing secret. His lips moved slightly, but he didn’t respond for a long time. I gave the silver back to him: “I don’t want money from improper sources.” “No!” Afraid I would misunderstand, he immediately retorted loudly: “This is what I got from copying books for the squire’s son.” “Why didn’t you do such a good job before?” My eyes glanced at his slender fingers. Although rough and chapped, I could vaguely see thick calluses on the pads of his index fingers. He had been secretly studying. Without paper and pen, he carved on the ground with stones. I suddenly probed: “It seems you are quite talented. How about I send you to study? If you pass the exams in the future, just provide for me in my old age.” “Are you willing to make this deal?” Caleb looked up suddenly, his eyes full of disbelief. But he quickly shook his head again. “No, I don’t like studying at all.” 4 If I hadn’t known the original plot, I would have really believed his nonsense. I was still planning how to go to Caleb’s house to investigate. Who knew something would happen that night. Not long after Caleb returned from my place, his mother held a knife, wanting to die with him. The woman’s shrill screams echoed in the late night, drawing everyone out with lanterns. I hurried over too and saw the emaciated woman holding a rusty kitchen knife in the ice and snow. Her hair was disheveled, eyes sunken, but burning with terrifying madness. She slapped Caleb hard while cursing heartbreakingly. “You went to copy books for others again! I said no, don’t you understand!” “Righteousness is often found in dog butchers; scholars are the most heartless!” “If you want to be like your heartless father, why don’t you die with me right now!” The boy knelt straight in the snow, neither blocking nor dodging, letting her slaps fall on him. As if even if that knife fell, he would willingly accept it. I always thought he was physically weak and couldn’t fight back, so he submitted. Now I finally knew, it wasn’t that he couldn’t, but that he wouldn’t. I could see that this woman was terminally ill. She wouldn’t live long. After she died, Caleb would still take the path of the imperial examination. But he was not as heartless as his biological father. Instead, his infatuation with the female lead was frightening. Perhaps his paranoia was also due to his mother. I suddenly took a deep breath of cold air, pushed through the crowd, and stepped forward. Under everyone’s astonished gaze, I raised my hand and gave this crazy woman a solid slap. “That’s enough. If you want to die, die yourself. Don’t drag your son.” “The grace of birth is not as great as the grace of raising. Caleb didn’t beg you to give birth to him, and you have no right to control his life and death.” Caleb’s mother was even frailer than Caleb. I slapped her, and she staggered two steps. The kitchen knife in her hand also fell with a clang. It was Caleb who seemed to be struck by lightning, instantly coming to his senses. He lunged forward to hug his mother, looking up at me pleadingly, his eyes full of tears. “Granny, don’t hit my mom.” “She’s not a bad person. She’s just sick; her mind isn’t clear.” “It’s all my fault. I made her angry, that’s why she’s like this.” I looked calmly at the mother and son in the snow, and my previous doubts were answered. I suddenly let out an untimely laugh. “Caleb, oh Caleb, there should be a place for you in the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars.” He didn’t understand what I meant, looking blank, just hugging his mother tightly. Small, pitiful, and helpless. Neighbors pointed at them, with pity and ridicule. I picked up the mother and son, one in each hand. Surprisingly light, as if lifting two shells hollowed out by suffering. “Let’s talk inside. No need to let others see the joke.” Then I said to the crowd: “Everyone go back. I’ll watch over these two tonight. I guarantee no one will die, and we won’t disturb you.” 5 Caleb’s house leaked wind from all sides, with only a broken bed and a rotten thin mattress. There wasn’t even a place to sit. I took both of them directly back to the shop. Caleb’s mother seemed to regain her sanity at this moment, her eyes becoming clear. Looking closely at her, she was actually extremely beautiful. Even though she was sallow and emaciated, looking like a madwoman. But quiet now, one could vaguely see the peerless elegance of the past. I don’t know who Caleb’s father was to drive a great beauty and a prodigy to this state. I stood up, planning to stir-fry two dishes for them. Who knew Caleb’s mother would plop down and kneel in front of me. I was startled instantly. Heavens. Then I rejoiced that I was currently in an old woman’s body. I could accept this bow. “I am Susan. Thank you, Auntie, for helping us today.” Such a formal bow was definitely not just a simple thank you. I watched her quietly, waiting for her to continue. “I know my time is limited. Seeing that you are kind and reliable, and treat Caleb sincerely, I want to entrust him to you.” “Although Caleb has no possessions, the boy will be older in two years. Chopping wood, carrying water, waiting tables, and guarding the door for you won’t be a problem.” After speaking, she looked at me expectantly. It seemed she wanted to do one last thing for Caleb in this short and precious moment of clarity. But I sneered and rejected her directly. “You wish.” Susan was a bit surprised, lips slightly parted, seeming unbelievable. Caleb, having interacted with me a few times, was used to my virtue. Wooden-faced, he met my gaze indifferently. I reached out and pulled him in front of Susan. She was puzzled, but the next second, I ruthlessly tore open Caleb’s shirt. Scars and bruises densely packed, bloodily thrust into Susan’s face. All this was because of her! “Look at what you’ve done.” I pointed at Susan mercilessly. “You got sick, and Caleb had to take care of you day and night, unable to leave, causing him to be unable to find even a decent job. He could only steal, rob, and beg.” “Let me ask you, you didn’t let him study and learn etiquette, cutting off his path, because you were afraid he would become like his scumbag father who abandoned his wife and son.” “But did you prevent these things? Instead, because of you, he has truly become a lowly creature that everyone shouts to beat, willing to risk his life for a bite of food!” “Is this what you wanted? If so, there’s no need to pretend. Better to cut off the mother-son relationship here and now. From now on, you two have nothing to do with each other!” Caleb was manipulated by me like a rag, always keeping his eyes lowered and submitting. Only when I said “lowly creature” did his body tremble slightly, and a flash of hard-to-detect embarrassment passed through his eyes. How could someone who read the classics not know shame? He could disregard his own life. But to buy food and medicine for his mother, he had no choice. Stimulated by me, Susan covered her head in pain, seeming about to lose it again. But I grabbed her collar, staring straight at her, voice loud as a bell. “Susan! The bad debts in this world can’t be muddled through by going crazy. You hide in madness, leaving the sober pain to Caleb. Is this fair?” “Don’t think about leaving the mess to me. If you’ve gone crazy enough, get up. Avoiding won’t solve the problem. If you have guts, face it uprightly.” Caleb stared at me blankly, the dead silence on his face gradually cracking. A different light flickered in his eyes, like a bright lamp suddenly lit in the long dark night. I don’t know if Susan understood this sentence. But I knew Caleb did.

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For ten years, I’d been working to win over the devoted second male lead, and on our tenth anniversary, he threw me a grand wedding. After we married, Alex doted on me relentlessly, yet a persistent unease gnawed at me. The system’s progress bar for his affection remained stubbornly at zero. It wasn’t until our wedding anniversary that I found a hidden journal in the drawer of his study. It turned out Alex had awakened. He knew this world was a novel, knew I was the villainess, and knew I would harm the heroine, Olivia. To protect his beloved, he had only been pretending to love me. The moment I grasped this horrifying truth, the system’s notification chimed in my mind: “Mission failed. Host will be erased in 48 hours.” 1 I stared at the journal, my hands trembling as I closed it, my mind reeling. All these years, Alex’s gentle care and affection had merely been a charade, a means to keep me under constant surveillance, to prevent me from hurting the woman he truly loved. No wonder, despite his boundless indulgence, the affection progress remained at zero. It had all been an act. My fingertips brushed against Alex’s phone on the desk. After a moment of hesitation, I picked it up to check. Sure enough, I found his secret social media account. Inside were chat logs between him and Owen, the novel’s male lead. From their conversation, it was clear Owen had also awakened, aware that this world was a work of fiction. Owen: “I remember the book saying Amy liked me, always fought with Olivia out of jealousy, and even hired people to bully Olivia, driving her into depression.” “It must be tough, marrying such a wicked woman and pretending to be deeply in love with her.” “But Amy doesn’t seem so bad now, and she’s growing to love you more and more. If she ever finds out the truth about why you married her, she’ll be heartbroken. Are you sure you won’t regret it?” Alex’s reply was calm: “No regrets. As long as Olivia is happy, anything I sacrifice is worth it.” My head spun, a sudden chill spreading through my entire body. I put down the phone and rushed out of the house. Outside, a heavy snow was falling. I walked aimlessly through the streets, unsure how long I wandered until, exhausted, I found a park bench and sank onto it. My mind replayed countless moments with Alex, uncontrollably, and with each memory, the pain in my heart intensified. After an indefinite time, an umbrella suddenly appeared above my head, and a low, familiar voice spoke from above. “I finally found you. Why are you sitting here in the snow, not wearing more? You’ll catch a cold.” I looked up. Alex stood there in a crisp trench coat, his deep eyes filled with concern. His acting was so flawless, I couldn’t tell if it was all a performance or if some genuine worry was mixed in. Seeing my silence, Alex’s brows furrowed deeper. He reached out and touched my cheek and forehead. “You have a fever. Are you feeling awful? Come on, let’s go home.” He forcefully put the umbrella in my hand, then scooped me up into his arms and hurried back home. Once inside, he helped me change into pajamas. “I’ll call the doctor.” I instinctively grabbed his hand. “I’m fine, just a bit chilled. Some ginger tea will do the trick.” Alex’s frown eased slightly when I spoke. “Alright, then I’ll go make you some ginger tea.” Seeing him turn to leave, I tugged at his sleeve again. I looked at him steadily and suddenly asked, “Alex, are you happy being with me?” In the original novel, Alex loved Olivia but couldn’t have her. He would be heartbroken whenever he saw Olivia and Owen together. To protect Olivia, he remained unmarried his entire life. Now that he had awakened, even if he married me only to protect Olivia, I still desperately wanted to know if he had ever been happy, even for a moment, during our four years together. Alex paused, then averted my intense gaze, letting out a small laugh. “Marrying you was my heart’s desire, of course I’m happy. Why the sudden question?” Seeing the evasiveness in his eyes, my heart tightened painfully. He was lying. Yes, how could the devoted second male lead, willing to bind himself to me for life for the sake of the heroine, ever fall for someone else? I released his sleeve and forced a smile. “Just curious, that’s all. Regardless, I hope you can find happiness.” Alex looked puzzled, then smiled and pinched my cheek. “As long as you’re by my side, I’ll be happy. Why are you so strange today? I’ll stop talking and make you ginger tea now, or you’ll truly get sick.” Watching him walk away, the smile on my face slowly vanished, and I lowered my head, feeling utterly forlorn. Even after suddenly learning the truth, I couldn’t bring myself to hate Alex. He didn’t love me, that was true, but he had genuinely been good to me. When the system brought me into this world, this body was only eight years old. Alex and I, in essence, grew up together, like childhood sweethearts. When I was sixteen, I was cornered by bullies in an alley, and he bravely protected me, injuring his arm in the process. At eighteen, my parents divorced and both started new families. No one wanted me. It was Alex who took me home, gently telling me that he could be my new pillar of support. I was an orphan in my real life, unloved by my parents in this world, living a life of pain and suppression. He was the rare warmth I found in my life. Even if the love was fake, his help was real, and for that, I was eternally grateful. A sudden, fierce pang in my chest dragged me back from my painful thoughts. I pressed my hand against my heart, knowing it was the system draining my life force. I murmured to myself, my voice surprisingly calm. “The villainess is dying. For this world, it’s probably a happy ending.” Alex no longer had to live in fear that I would turn evil and hurt his beloved. He also wouldn’t have to sacrifice his life, living a false existence with a woman he didn’t love. The next day, I was woken by agonizing cramps. I struggled to push myself up from the table but nearly fell. Thankfully, Alex, who had just entered the room, caught me in his arms. He saw my pale face and couldn’t help but frown. “You seem quite unwell. This might not just be a cold. I’m taking you to the hospital.” I shook my head. This was the system draining my life. Even at the hospital, they wouldn’t find a cause. Alex held my waist tightly, uncharacteristically firm. “You have to go.” He carried me to the hospital, his brow furrowed with worry the entire way, making me momentarily feel, yet again, that he truly cared for me. While waiting for the doctor, I saw Owen carrying Olivia into the hospital. Olivia’s forehead was covered in cold sweat, and she looked to be in great pain. Alex saw them too. His face immediately changed, and he pulled a nurse aside to ask: “What’s wrong with that young lady?” “Oh, she has sudden gastroenteritis. Her boyfriend is discussing the treatment plan with the doctor.” Alex’s gaze shifted to me. My heart clenched, but I spoke softly. “I’m much better. Go ask about Olivia. She’s my friend too.” Alex looked torn, but finally said: “Alright, her condition seems more serious. I’ll go check. If you need anything, call me, and I’ll come right back.” With that, he hurried toward Olivia. I quietly watched him and Owen fussing over Olivia, their distressed expressions filling me with envy. So this was the heroine’s charm, to captivate both the male lead and the second male lead, making them willing to give her everything. The doctor’s call number pulled me back to reality. I turned and entered the examination room. The result: multiple organ failure. Not long to live. I had anticipated it, but hearing the diagnosis firsthand still brought a wave of sadness. I sat there for a while, lost in thought, then suddenly remembered I had little time left and no one to handle my final arrangements. Alex was so busy, and he didn’t genuinely love me. I wouldn’t bother him with my passing. I hailed a taxi to the crematorium. After choosing a headstone, a staff member approached with a notebook for registration. “What’s the deceased’s name? And what’s your relationship to them?” “Amy. The headstone is for myself.” The staff member looked up, surprised, and gave me an odd look. “You’re so young, and you’re here alone? Where’s your family?” I thought of my parents, who had long disowned me, and my husband, whose heart belonged to another. After a long silence, I softly said, “I’m sorry, I don’t have any family.” The staff member said no more, processing all the paperwork for me with eyes full of sympathy. Just as I walked out of the crematorium, Alex’s call came through. He explained, “Olivia was getting an IV earlier, and I stayed with her for a bit, so I got delayed. I just went to the department looking for you and didn’t see you. Where are you? I’ll pick you up.” I said softly, “I came out to buy some fruit for Olivia. I’ll be right back.” Olivia’s voice was faintly audible on the other end. Alex quickly told me, “Okay, then hurry back and be careful.” Before I could reply, the call disconnected. I stood there for two minutes, then turned and went to a nearby print shop to get divorce papers, bought a bag of fruit, and walked towards Olivia’s hospital room. Olivia’s face lit up with surprise when she saw me. “Amy, long time no see! Oh? You brought me something? Thank you so much!” I set down the fruit, and seeing her radiant, sun-like smile, I couldn’t help but smile back. “Yes, long time no see. Are you feeling better now?” “I’m much better! All thanks to Owen and Alex taking care of me.” Olivia was so happy she tried to stand up to hug me, but she accidentally strained her still-sore stomach, cried out in pain, and bent over. Alex quickly held her. “You’re still on an IV, don’t move around.” Olivia gave an embarrassed laugh, and Alex looked utterly helpless. I lowered my eyes, a pang of bitterness in my heart. Olivia pulled me down to sit beside her, wanting to chat. The moment I sat down, a sudden sharp pain shot through my chest. I lost my balance, and my body swayed, accidentally pulling out Olivia’s IV tube. Blood immediately welled up on Olivia’s hand. Alex’s face changed drastically, and he violently shoved me away. I was caught off guard and fell to the floor, my arm hitting hard, causing cold sweat to break out on my forehead from the pain. He immediately grabbed Olivia’s hand, and seeing the blood on her hand, his eyes turned cold when he looked at me. “Amy, what do you think you’re doing?” My heart twisted as I met his accusatory gaze, but I quickly explained, “I just accidentally…” “Accidentally? How could you be so careless?” Alex cut me off, pulling Olivia outside to find a nurse to treat her hand. I endured the pain and stood up, wanting to go apologize to Olivia. I overheard Olivia mumbling, “Don’t always be so fierce. That look just now was like you wanted to eat someone. Amy clearly did it by accident.” “And she looks really unwell, maybe she’s sick. You should take good care of her. When we get back, you should apologize to her.” Alex pursed his lips, a flicker of irritation in his heart, but still said: “I know exactly what kind of person she is, Olivia. Don’t always be so kind. Otherwise, if someone bad tries to harm you, you won’t even be able to tell.” Through the thin wall, their conversation reached my ears, and my steps slowly halted. I had forgotten, I was the villainess, and everyone was already worried I would harm Olivia. My pulling out Olivia’s IV tube just now only confirmed my wicked persona. My eyes dimmed. I silently returned to the room, placed the divorce papers on the table, and wrote a sentence on a piece of paper beside it. When Alex and Olivia returned, I was no longer in the room. Olivia asked, surprised, “Where did Amy go?” Alex frowned, his gaze falling on the two extra pieces of paper on the table. In an instant, an inexplicable panic surged through him. On the table lay a divorce agreement and a blank sheet of paper, on which was written: “I’ve signed the divorce papers. I wish you a life of peace, joy, and no more loneliness.” Alex’s fingers clenched tightly, completely losing his composure. Without a word, he rushed out of the hospital room to search for me. A crowd had gathered at the hospital entrance. He pushed through, hearing hushed voices. “How tragic, she died suddenly right after leaving the hospital. So many doctors tried to save her, but they couldn’t. I heard it was multiple organ failure, nothing they could do.” “I know about this. That girl had an exam with me this morning. So young and pretty, I think her name was… Amy?” Alex’s mind exploded, everything before his eyes turning white. Faintly, he heard Olivia and Owen’s anxious shouts behind him, but he seemed not to hear them, his feet uncontrollably racing towards the emergency room. The emergency room door was ajar. Alex lunged forward, pushing the door open with a “clatter.” “Mr. Shen, please wait! You can’t go in yet!” Several nurses rushed over to stop him. But Alex was consumed by anxiety, paying them no mind. He waved his hands, pushing them aside. He stumbled to the bedside, his hands trembling as he slowly pulled back the white sheet covering the person’s face. In that instant, his body froze. “This… this isn’t Amy?” At that moment, Olivia, panting heavily, caught up from behind, speaking breathlessly: “Alex, we kept calling you because we wanted to tell you, the person who died suddenly isn’t Amy at all, it’s just someone with a similar-sounding name!” Hearing this, Alex paused slightly, then with a deep sense of guilt, he carefully covered the body with the sheet again, his voice hoarse. “I’m so sorry. I was too rash just now. I’ve caused you all so much trouble.” After being led out of the room, Alex secretly let out a long breath, subtly wiping away the cold sweat that had broken out on his palms. Thank goodness, it was just a false alarm. Amy was alright. Outside the hospital room, Olivia stood with her arms crossed, her brows tightly furrowed, observing him with a scrutinizing gaze. “So, what exactly is going on with you two? Why did Amy suddenly leave?” “I…” Alex’s lips moved, but for a moment, he didn’t know how to answer. Olivia’s frown deepened, her tone laced with a hint of reproach: “While I don’t know what happened between you two, or why you have such deep misunderstandings about Amy, you can’t judge a book by its cover.” “At least in front of you, she was an impeccable wife. In front of me, she was a trustworthy friend. That should be enough.” Alex’s heart felt as if it had been harshly squeezed by an invisible hand, suddenly tightening. Olivia was right. Even though Amy was the villainess in the novel, all these years, Amy had never harmed anyone. In fact, she had become friends with the heroine. As for himself, he had lived in constant fear, constantly suspecting her at the slightest hint of trouble. Alex slowly lowered his gaze. At that moment, Owen, a slight, knowing smile playing on his lips, reached out and clapped Alex on the shoulder. “Alex, you’re just tough on the outside, but soft on the inside. You’re not as heartless as you think. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have lost your composure so completely just now.” “I can’t be sure about other things, but Amy’s love for you, we onlookers could all see it clearly.” “Stop overthinking everything. Olivia has me to take care of her, so you don’t need to worry. You, my friend, need to realize your own feelings, stop being a coward, and just do what you need to do.” Owen’s smile remained, but a deeper, more profound meaning flickered in his eyes. Alex looked at Owen with a complex expression, remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. Owen said no more, slung an arm around Olivia’s waist, and the two turned and left. Alex stood rooted to the spot, watching their backs gradually disappear. He slowly raised his hand, looking at the crumpled piece of paper he held. When he saw the elegant handwriting on it, his heart involuntarily gave a sharp pang. She knew. She had known all along. His mind involuntarily replayed every moment he had shared with Amy. When he was sixteen, to make Amy fall for him, he had deliberately orchestrated a “hero saves the damsel in distress” scenario, rescuing her from a group of thugs. But he had accidentally broken his arm. When the doctor brought him his arm fracture report, Amy cried even harder than he did, her tears flowing endlessly. She cried apologies again and again, blaming herself for being a jinx, for bringing him bad luck. He looked at her tear-streaked face, and somehow, he felt no blame for her at all. He said, half-jokingly, “Then you’ll have to take care of me from now on.” To his surprise, Amy took him seriously, nodding earnestly. For several months after, she worked three part-time jobs every day. When she finally handed him the savings she had accumulated over months, he was both shocked and amused, laughing at her innocence, at her adorable foolishness. When she was eighteen, Amy sent him a long text message, every line filled with her love for him. When he saw the message, his heart pounded, but repeated calls to her went unanswered. A faint unease welled up in Alex’s heart. When he finally found her, Amy was curled up in a corner, crying heartbrokenly. He immediately panicked, rushing forward to pull her tightly into his embrace. She nestled in his arms, babbling about her grievances. As he listened, his heart ached as if being sliced by a knife. At that moment, he swore he would become her strongest support, giving her a warm home. Perhaps too much time had passed, so much that he had almost forgotten that at the very beginning of their story, he too had loved her with ardent passion. But how had things changed? It was probably the day he reunited with Olivia, when those long-dormant feelings of love surged forth like a tide. He could no longer control himself, unable to stop paying attention to Olivia’s every move. On one side was Amy’s fiery love, and on the other, the rekindled stirrings he felt for Olivia after so long apart. He was caught in the middle, tormented, yet he repeatedly reassured himself that he was only safeguarding Olivia’s happiness. But only now, at this moment, did he awaken as if from a dream, realizing how ridiculous he had been. His self-proclaimed deep affection was, in truth, disloyalty to two people. No wonder Amy’s eyes had held a trace of melancholy and loss these past few days, even as she forced a smile and wished him happiness. She must have been terribly sad, saddened that the only person she trusted had also deceived her. Alex felt a thousand-pound stone pressing on his heart, suffocating him. His hands trembling, he pulled out his phone and dialed his secretary. “Find out my wife’s whereabouts immediately. I need to go to her at once.”

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My husband’s young secretary destroyed a painting I’d worked on for two years. As punishment, she became my personal maid for three days, cleaning my entire gallery. Anson, my husband, said nothing at first, acting like nothing happened. Three months later, his company went bankrupt and he was jailed. To pay off millions in debt, I took three jobs a day, working nonstop. For three years, I lived in constant fear, even being attacked by debt collectors. I even took a job spending a night in a haunted house for $100. One night, while waitressing, I overheard Anson—supposedly in prison—throwing a lavish birthday party for his secretary. A friend asked, “Aren’t you worried? You’re spending millions on Jenny, while your wife risks her life in a haunted house for $100?” Anson smirked. “This is payback for Seraphina making Jenny a maid. These three years are her punishment. Once it’s over, I’ll make a comeback, and she’ll still be my wife, Mrs. Blackwood.” I froze in the cold wind, numb. So, this hell… it was all a game, a punishment you planned. Fine. If that’s how you want to play… I’ll return the favor, double. 1 A bone-deep chill consumed me, but I was frozen in place, forced to listen to the voice of Anson’s friend, Mark. “Anson, she’s still your wife. She was an heiress, raised with a silver spoon. Isn’t this a bit too harsh?” “I saw Seraphina the other day,” Mark continued. “She looked like a ghost. Skin and bones. I think she’s at her breaking point.” Anson’s voice was flat, devoid of emotion. “We agreed on three years. Not a day less.” “Besides, there’s only a month left. She’s made it this far, what’s a few more weeks?” Mark hesitated. “But she came to me a while back, begging to borrow just a few hundred dollars.” “The proud Seraphina Frost, heiress to the Frost fortune… I’ve never seen her so broken.” Anson’s tone sharpened. “You didn’t give her anything, did you?” “Of course not! You made it clear, anyone who helps her is no friend of yours. I wouldn’t dare.” Through another puff of smoke, Anson let out a self-satisfied laugh. “Smart man.” “Seraphina has always been a spoiled, arrogant brat. Jenny just accidentally smudged her painting, and she reacted like a tyrant, forcing her into servitude for three days.” “A personality flaw like that needed to be corrected. And you see? Three years of hardship did the trick, didn’t it?” His voice was thick with pride, as if he were a master sculptor who had chiseled me into a perfect, submissive wife. Mark sighed, letting the rest of his words die on his tongue. He didn’t tell Anson the whole story. He didn’t mention that I had knelt before him that day. That I had even begun to unbutton my blouse. “Just five hundred dollars,” I had pleaded, my voice cracking. “Please.” “Anson is sick in prison. He needs money for medical care. I’m just five hundred short.” The men in the room had exchanged glances, then burst into roaring laughter. “Is this the same Seraphina Frost we knew?” “The high and mighty heiress who wouldn’t touch a pair of shoes under a thousand dollars, now selling her body for five hundred?” I absorbed their ridicule in silence, my face a blank mask. What expression was I supposed to wear? Pride? Dignity? Reality had trampled those things into dust long ago. “Just name your price,” I whispered, choking back a sob. “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it.” Their laughter grew louder, more vicious. Finally, a man who had been quiet the whole time, sitting on the sofa wreathed in smoke, spoke up. “Just go.” “You could kneel here and bang your head on the floor a hundred times, and we still wouldn’t help you.” Because Anson had given them explicit instructions beforehand. A punishment was a punishment. For three years, they were to show no mercy, offer no help. That was the only way to properly avenge his precious secretary, Jenny. So how did I get that five hundred dollars in the end? I went to a clinic and sold my plasma. When I took the money to the prison, they told me Anson had already been released for medical treatment. I frantically found one of his friends, pressing the cash into his hands. “Please, you have to get this to Anson,” I begged, nearly falling to my knees. “He can’t get any sicker.” At that very moment, Anson was at Disneyland with Jenny, snapping photos and laughing. He took the five hundred dollars I’d bled for, crumpled it like a receipt, and tossed it at a park employee. “Don’t know where this came from,” he’d said with a sneer. “That dirty money is bad luck.” Just like my heart. Trampled under his feet without a second thought. 2 Now, here he was, using a priceless antique vase worth millions as a mere decoration for Jenny’s birthday party. Every detail was meticulously planned, extravagantly perfect. But I couldn’t watch anymore. A primal urge to storm in, to claw at his face, surged through me. I wanted to scream in his face, to demand why he had lied to me for three years. Was it all because I made Jenny play maid for three days? I wanted to rip open my clothes and show him every scar, every bruise, every mark of the suffering I’d endured for him. But in the end, I did nothing. I simply watched Anson, the man who was supposed to be released from prison in three days, standing there in a bespoke suit that cost more than I’d earned in three years. He looked like a king, pulling his little princess, Jenny, into his arms and whispering “Happy Birthday” with a doting smile. Then, my face devoid of all emotion, I turned and walked back to my basement apartment. It was a damp, lightless hole, my home for the past three years. The bathroom was right by the door, and the walls were a creeping canvas of black mold that pulsed with the sour stench of decay. I remember when I first moved in, the smell alone made me vomit daily. For the first twenty-five years of my life, I was Seraphina Frost, the pampered heiress who had never known a day of hardship. I was also an internationally acclaimed artist, my shelves heavy with awards. At the peak of my fame, Anson Blackwood, the heir to the Blackwood empire, proposed. After we married, he treated me like a queen. Effortlessly, I had become the woman every other woman envied. The media called me “The Woman Who Has It All.” Until Anson hired a timid, sweet-looking secretary named Jenny. She was the daughter of our housekeeper, yet she seemed determined to compete with me in every way. If her clothes weren’t as luxurious as mine, she’d sneer that I was just a spoiled trophy wife. If her accomplishments paled in comparison to mine, she’d whisper behind my back that I owed everything to my father or my husband. She even schemed her way into becoming Anson’s secretary, filling his head with lies about me—how I bullied her mother, how I destroyed her clothes, how I forced her to kneel and act like a servant. I believed the truth would speak for itself, so I never paid her any mind. But then came the day I finally completed the painting I had poured two years of my life into. I stepped out for just a moment to get it framed, and when I returned, the canvas was drenched in black ink. Jenny stood there, holding the empty ink bottle, a triumphant smirk on her face. “Took you two whole years, didn’t it?” she gloated. “Let’s see you show off in front of Anson now that this is gone.” Rage, white-hot and absolute, consumed me. I slapped her across the face, the sound echoing in the studio. “You love spreading rumors about me making you a maid, don’t you?” I seethed. “Fine. For the next three days, you’ll be a real maid. You’re going to scrub my entire gallery until it shines.” At that exact moment, the door flew open. Anson stormed in, his brow furrowed, and immediately pulled Jenny behind him. “Seraphina, can’t you for once control your damn temper?” “Jenny has been trying so hard. So she doesn’t come from money, is that any reason for you to constantly pick on her?” My chest heaved, struggling for air. “Anson, you don’t understand, she’s the one who—” Before I could finish, Jenny buried her face in Anson’s chest, her voice a pathetic whimper. “It’s all my fault, Anson! I was just trying to help Sera tidy her studio, and I accidentally spilled the ink. She got so mad… she said she’d sell me to the streets, that my mother was trash who gave birth to trash!” “I can’t take it anymore,” she sobbed. “I can take the insults, but why did she have to attack my mother?” Her performance was flawless, a heartbreaking picture of victimhood. Anson didn’t ask a single question, didn’t bother to investigate. He just believed her. His gaze on me turned to ice. “Seraphina, what have you become? I’m so disappointed in you.” I was beyond furious. Even with Anson pleading on her behalf, I stood my ground. Jenny served her three days as a maid. When it was over, Anson acted like nothing had happened. He just sighed softly. “Sera, your temper… when are you going to learn to control it? It was just a painting.” “Alright, you’ve let off your steam. Let’s just put this behind us.” I was naive enough to believe him. I thought it was really over. A few days later, news broke that Anson’s company had collapsed. Soon after, he was imprisoned, leaving me to deal with the mountain of debt. At first, I wasn’t scared. If the Blackwoods were bankrupt, I still had my parents. I called them immediately, but their numbers were disconnected. Panic set in. I rushed back to my family home, only to be told by our butler that upon hearing about Anson’s troubles, my parents had rushed to return home, but were caught in a landslide on the way. Both were presumed dead. Overnight, my world fell apart. With no husband or parents to rely on, I sold off my properties and moved into the damp basement. I lived in constant terror of the debt collectors. They found me, of course. A group of them stormed my apartment, armed with bats and pipes. They broke two of my ribs. They shattered my right wrist. I could never hold a paintbrush again. It took me three years to accept my fate. To give up on everything I was, just to survive. But now, I find out it was all a lie. With his “punishment,” Anson had peeled away every layer of my being, remolding me into someone else entirely. Just then, my phone buzzed. A message from Anson. “Sera, I’m getting out in three days. Don’t forget to pick me up.” 3 My fingers tightened around the phone, a dull ache spreading through my chest. Even now, Anson was still playing his part. He was at that very moment standing at Jenny’s birthday party, holding her, celebrating with a huge cake and lavish decorations, yet he was still feeding me lies, treating me like a fool. I stared at the words until they blurred, then blinked away the tears until they came back into focus. I typed back a simple reply: “Okay. I’ll be there in three days.” Three days later, I didn’t expose his charade. I went to the prison gates to pick him up. From a distance, I saw him shuffling out, dressed in ragged clothes. He was faking the look of a man who’d been broken by poverty, even sporting a fake, gruesome scar on his cheek, courtesy of some clever makeup. When he saw me, he limped forward, his face a mask of overwrought emotion. “Sera!” He threw his arms around me, his voice thick with fake tears. “I spent my time in there repenting, Sera. They said my behavior was excellent, so they let me out early.” “I’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through.” He sounded so sincere, so deeply remorseful, as if he had truly suffered behind bars for three years. But I gently pushed him away. “It’s good that you’re out.” Anson froze, sensing my detachment. Then, his eyes fell on my hand, and he grabbed my wrist. “Sera, what happened to your wrist?” His alarm seemed genuine, which I found almost comical. What are you pretending for, Anson? It was your men, the ones you sent disguised as debt collectors, who did this to me. Why act innocent now? A wave of exhaustion washed over me. Perhaps I was just too tired to confront the mountain of lies. “It’s nothing. I fell.” I pulled my hand back. “The doctor said it’ll heal with time.” Anson let out a visible sigh of relief. “Oh, thank God.” He took my hand again, his expression softening as he laced his fingers through mine. “It’s your right wrist, too. If it were serious, it would affect your painting. You’d be crying your eyes out.” His tone was deliberately gentle, a mockery of the way he used to dote on me. Each word was a needle in my heart. I once had a gift. My art was my life. International awards, critical acclaim… everyone said I had a brilliant future. But for him, to get him out of that prison he was never in, I took on risky medical trials for cash. I let his thugs beat me. I let them shatter the bones in my wrist. Now, I couldn’t even hold a brush. And it was all for a game. A “punishment” he had designed. How utterly laughable. The entire ride home, I was silent. Anson, sensing my mood, chattered nervously, feeding me a long, rambling story. It was obvious he’d rehearsed it, lines pulled from the internet about prison life, all to make his three-year vacation sound believable. I listened with half an ear. When he finally paused for breath, I asked quietly, “Anson.” “Have I ever done anything wrong?” He flinched, his eyes instantly turning red-rimmed as he looked at me. “Sera, what’s wrong? Why would you ask that?” I suddenly remembered my last “visit” to the prison. I had saved up for weeks to buy meat, a luxury for me, and cooked his favorite dish to bring to him. I remembered how he’d wrinkled his nose and refused to eat it. Of course he did. He probably thought the meat was cheap and disgusting. I thought he was suffering, wasting away in a cell. In reality, he was globe-trotting with his little secretary, dining on gourmet food and imported delicacies. How could he possibly eat the scraps I brought him? That prison visit was just another scene in his play, a performance that cost him a hundred and twenty dollars to stage. I felt like the world’s biggest fool, a plaything they had been amusing themselves with for three years. Seeing my tears, Anson panicked, fumbling to wipe them away. “Sera, why are you crying? Did someone hurt you?” I looked him straight in the eye. “If someone hurt me, what would you do?” “Would you still keep your promise? The one where you swore you’d protect me with your life?” He grabbed a tissue, dabbing clumsily at my cheeks, his movements frantic. He answered without a moment’s hesitation. “Anything, Sera. I’d do anything for you. Just say the word.” I held his gaze, searching those sincere-looking eyes. “Really?” “I want you to kill Jenny.” Anson’s head snapped up, his face a mask of shock. “What did you say?” A flicker of panic crossed his features. “Are you misunderstanding something?” He was so terrified I’d discovered his secret that his whole body tensed. “After the company went bankrupt, Jenny resigned and moved abroad. I haven’t had any contact with her.” “Did she come back and bother you while I was away? If she did, I swear I’ll make her pay!” I reached out and touched his arm, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. “I’m just kidding.” “Killing someone is illegal.” “You just got out of prison. I wouldn’t want you to go back in, would I?” I added softly. “I was just teasing.” I turned away, busying myself with something in my purse so he wouldn’t see the expression on my face. He thought it was just a joke. He relaxed, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Sera, I’m so sorry.” “You’ve suffered so much these past three years.” I didn’t look back at him, but a cold thought echoed in my mind. Don’t worry. Your real punishment is just beginning.

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It was my mother-in-law’s fiftieth birthday, and my husband’s assistant suddenly sent me a photo. In the picture, my mother-in-law was locked in a dog cage, her teeth pulled out, her mouth bloody. I immediately called Amelia. “Amelia Henley, what in the world are you doing?!” Amelia laughed coldly. “You have the nerve to ask? Mr. Davies just opened a new restaurant, and you let that old hag freeload there. Are your family starving?” “Let me tell you, Mr. Davies already gave me that restaurant. Trying to take advantage of me? This is what you get!” I gasped in disbelief. “Are you insane? That’s Mike Davies’ mother!” Amelia replied nonchalantly, “Mr. Davies said your mother is your mother, and his mother is his mother. He never considered your mother as family.” Mike was famously devoted to his mother. I couldn’t believe Amelia would dare treat Mike’s mother like that, but then I realized: she thought it was my mother! 1 Amelia hung up immediately after speaking. Without hesitation, I called Mike. “Mike, Mom’s been hurt by Amelia. You need to go to—” “Alright, I know what you’re going to say.” Mike cut me off, his voice cold. “I think Amelia’s taught her a good lesson.” I froze. “What did you say?” Mike sighed, sounding somewhat impatient. “Scarlett Miller, even though we’re married, your mother needs to have some basic boundaries. She can’t constantly try to freeload and take advantage of me.” I grew agitated. “You’re mistaken, she’s your—” “Enough!” Mike snapped, annoyed. “What if she is my mother-in-law? I have no obligation to tolerate her greed.” “Today she dares to freeload at the restaurant, tomorrow she’ll dare to come directly to my company to ask for money.” “Amelia teaching her a lesson, helping her remember her place, it’s for her own good.” Mike’s words instantly chilled my anxious heart. My mother, though from a rural background, had always been kind and honest, never taking advantage of anyone, and she treated Mike with boundless generosity. When Mike was struggling financially in the early days of his startup, my mother didn’t hesitate to give him her life savings. Knowing he had a sensitive stomach, my mother, no matter how busy, would make various stomach-friendly foods and send them to the city from hundreds of miles away. Yet, this simple, kind elderly woman, who treated him like her own son, was now, in Mike’s words, a greedy leech who deserved to be taught a lesson and had no boundaries. A profound sadness swept through me, and my voice softened. “Mike, I really suggest you go to the restaurant and check on your mother. After all, it wasn’t easy for her to raise you.” Mike immediately grew furious. “Scarlett Miller, are you insane? When has your mother ever raised me?” “No wonder Amelia couldn’t help but teach your mother a lesson. With a daughter like you, she deserves to be beaten!” “Today is my mother’s fiftieth birthday. I still have to prepare her banquet; I don’t have time for your messy nonsense.” “If you had any sense, you’d stay out of this and let your mother learn her lesson.” With that, Mike hung up. A few seconds later, he sent me a text message: “My mother’s birthday banquet will be held at the Marriott Hotel in an hour. Dress up and come. Don’t be as embarrassing as your mother.” I didn’t say anything more, just quietly replied: “Okay.” Since you, the son, are telling me to mind my own business. Then why should I worry? 2 An hour later, I changed and arrived at the Marriott Hotel. The entire banquet hall had been exquisitely decorated, filled with flowers, balloons, and gifts. It was clear Mike genuinely valued his mother and had put a lot of thought into her birthday celebration. Mike’s family and friends, along with all the partners of Davies Group, were present. Mike was entertaining them, occasionally checking his watch and glancing towards the entrance, seemingly awaiting his mother’s arrival. Amelia, dressed in a stylish dress, was laughing and chatting with Mike’s sister, Samantha. Seeing me enter the ballroom, they exchanged glances and walked towards me together. Amelia spoke with a sneer, “Well, well, isn’t it the dutiful daughter who encourages her mother to freeload everywhere?” “What fine things are you planning to pack up today for your greedy mother to sample?” Samantha looked at me with a disgusted expression. “Scarlett Miller, you’re married to my brother now. Can you please drop your family’s cheap habits and stop embarrassing the Davies name?” “Anyone who didn’t know would think our family was raising a bunch of beggars!” Hearing the commotion, the guests at the venue began to whisper contemptuously. “When I arrived, I heard someone was freeloading at the Cloud Perch restaurant today. I wondered how anyone could be so shameless these days, turns out it’s Scarlett Miller’s mother!” “I heard Amelia taught her a good lesson, locked her in a dog cage and pulled out her teeth!” “Such people deserve it! It’s bad enough she’s a low-class embarrassment, but she also shames the Davies family. Having her teeth pulled is getting off easy.” “Exactly, if she’s not taught a harsh lesson, what if she goes out and makes a scene again?” Hearing the guests’ taunts, Mike’s face turned grim. He walked towards me, looking down at me condescendingly. His voice was cold. “Scarlett Miller, today is my mother’s fiftieth birthday. If her mood is ruined because of your mother’s pathetic behavior, I will never forgive you, or your utterly clueless mother!” His words were incredibly harsh, and I found them simply laughable. “Mike, if you’re truly so concerned about your mother, you should go to the restaurant and see for yourself.” Mike frowned. “What would I see at the restaurant?” “Watch your mother throw a tantrum?” “Or watch her make a spectacle of herself?” “Scarlett Miller, stop bringing your mother’s misfortune to my attention!” Samantha raised her chin, sneering in agreement. “Exactly! Today is my mother’s birthday. Is your mother’s petty drama really worth my brother’s time?” “If you ask me, she should be locked in that restaurant and starved for a few days, so she knows her place.” “Lest she truly believes that just because you married into our family, your whole family gets to ride our coattails to glory.” Amelia looked at me triumphantly. “Sister Scarlett, I know you feel for your mother. Don’t worry, I just taught her a small lesson to help her remember the rules. I wouldn’t actually do anything serious to her.” Just as she finished speaking, Mr. Kim, the manager of the Cloud Perch restaurant, rushed into the banquet hall, out of breath. “Ms. Henley, it’s terrible!” “The old lady in the dog cage… she’s dead!” 3 Mr. Kim’s words caused the entire banquet hall to erupt. Amelia, utterly flustered, demanded, “What happened?!” Mr. Kim gasped, “We followed your instructions. We pulled out her teeth and locked her in the dog cage, and we left her there.” “Who knew the old lady had a heart condition? Not long after you left, she started clutching her chest, gasping for air, and she died within moments.” Hearing this, Amelia’s body went limp, and she nearly collapsed. Mike quickly steadied her, comforting her. “Amelia, don’t be afraid.” “This is all Scarlett Miller’s mother’s own poor health. It has nothing to do with you.” Samantha also reacted, immediately nodding in agreement. “Exactly, Amelia, you can’t be blamed for this. Blame that old woman herself for being in poor health and still making a scene.” “If you ask me, she deserved to die. It saves her from further embarrassing our family.” Seeing Mike and Samantha both siding with Amelia, the previously stunned guests also quickly chose their sides. “That’s right, people who love to take advantage like that are just parasites on society even when they’re alive.” “Amelia is acting on behalf of heaven; there’s nothing to be afraid of.” “Exactly, who told her to freeload first? Her heart was bad, and she still went out looking for trouble. Isn’t that just asking for death?” In an instant, everyone was comforting Amelia. It was as if she, the perpetrator, was the one who had been wronged, not the pitiful deceased. Seeing everyone on her side, a flicker of triumph crossed Amelia’s eyes. But the next moment, she timidly glanced at me and spoke weakly to Mike. “But Mr. Davies, it is, after all, Sister Scarlett’s mother who died. What if she causes trouble for me?” Mike looked at her with tenderness. “Don’t worry, with me here, no one can harm you.” Then, Mike immediately had a letter of understanding drafted and handed it to me. “Scarlett Miller, your mother was in the wrong first. Her death can only be blamed on her own bad luck, not Amelia.” “For the sake of our marriage, I will arrange a dignified funeral for your mother.” “But you must sign this letter of understanding, promising to let this matter rest and not make trouble for Amelia.” Samantha, with her arms crossed, spoke imperiously. “Scarlett Miller, your mother brought this on herself. Don’t even think about trying to extort Amelia. Be smart and sign the letter of understanding.” The two siblings commanded me imperiously, waiting for me to sign the letter of understanding. But I pushed the letter back to them, stating calmly, “If anyone is to sign, it’s you two. I have no right to.” 4 Mike thought I was refusing, and his voice immediately darkened. “Scarlett Miller, don’t be ungrateful.” “Your mother was an unemployed drifter, completely worthless in this world. The fact that I’m giving her a decent burial means your family’s ancestral graves are smoking with good fortune. Don’t push your luck.” Samantha frowned and chimed in, “Exactly. If it weren’t for my brother’s kindness, no one would even bother to bury your mother after all the disgraceful things she did.” “We’re giving you an out right now; why aren’t you taking it?” I calmly explained, “You’re mistaken. What I mean is, the person who died is your mother. This letter of understanding, only you can sign.” Samantha, hearing my words, immediately panicked. “Scarlett Miller, are you insane? How dare you say such inauspicious things and curse my mother at her birthday banquet?” Mike also flew into a rage. “Scarlett Miller, it seems I’ve spoiled you too much over the years, allowing you to be so arrogant and lacking even the most basic respect for elders.” “My mother is the most important person in my life. I will not allow anyone to disrespect her, even if you are my wife!” With that, he abruptly turned to Mr. Kim, the manager, and barked, “Go back to the restaurant immediately and throw that old hag’s body into the septic tank!” Mr. Kim glanced at me hesitantly. “Mr. Davies, this… this isn’t right, is it?” Mike roared, “She won’t sign the letter of understanding, will she? She likes to curse my mother, does she? Today I’m going to make sure she knows the consequences of disrespecting my mother!” “Go now, deal with it immediately! Any problems, I’ll take responsibility!” Seeing Mike’s outburst, Mr. Kim dared not disobey and stumbled away to carry out the order. The guests pointed at me, shaking their heads and murmuring amongst themselves. “Scarlett Miller has really touched Mr. Davies’ raw nerve this time.” “Exactly. Mr. Davies’ father passed away young. It was the elder Mrs. Davies who raised him and his sister alone. Who doesn’t know that Mr. Davies cares about her the most? Scarlett Miller must be crazy to curse the elder Mrs. Davies at her own birthday banquet!” “No wonder her mother died. With such an ungrateful daughter, what parent would live long?” The guests’ whispers were piercing, but they didn’t affect me in the slightest. I ignored everyone, looked at Mike, and said, word for word, “Mike, are you sure you want to go this far?” Mike looked down at me condescendingly, his voice cold and sharp. “Scarlett Miller, you brought all this on yourself.” “Your mother died entirely because she was shameless and greedy.” “You shouldn’t, because of this incident, repeatedly bring bad luck and curses to my mother at her birthday banquet.” “If you ask me, your mother, having an ungrateful woman like you who doesn’t understand respect for elders, deserved to die young!” No sooner had he finished speaking than my mother suddenly walked into the banquet hall, looking at Mike with confusion. “Who died?” 5 Seeing my mother standing alive and well before him, Mike froze. He stared with wide eyes, as if seeing a ghost, his gaze fixed on my mother in disbelief, unable to utter a single word for a long moment. The other guests didn’t notice Mike’s expression, instead they simply looked at my mother, their faces showing expressions of disdain and confusion. “Where did this hillbilly come from? Dressed like she picked her clothes from a dumpster.” “Today is the elder Mrs. Davies’ birthday banquet. What’s wrong with the security guards at the entrance? Why are they letting in any Tom, Dick, or Harry?” “Looking at her, she probably smelled the banquet food and wants to come in for a free meal, right?” “How unlucky, today we keep running into these low-class people.” Amelia also quickly stepped forward and snapped at my mother, “Where did this stinking beggar come from?” “Get out of here, now!” “This isn’t a place for you to beg for food!” As she spoke, she looked my mother up and down with disgusted eyes, as if she were looking at something foul. My mother was startled by her sudden hostility and looked at me somewhat helplessly. “Scarlett, what’s going on? Why are they saying such things to me?” I was about to explain, but Amelia suddenly shrieked as if she had discovered something new. “I knew why some blind hillbilly would dare to barge in! It’s another one of your poor relatives!” “Scarlett Miller, do you have any shame?” “It wasn’t enough to let your greedy mother freeload at our restaurant, and now you’re even calling your poor relatives to come and freeload at the elder Mrs. Davies’ birthday banquet?” “Are your Miller family starving?” “Dragging a bunch of poor relatives to squeeze every last penny out of the Davies family?” Her words immediately ignited the emotions of the surrounding guests: “How awful, it’s another one of Scarlett Miller’s poor relatives!” “Disgusting, like a dog, running wherever there’s food.” “Exactly, one just died, and another one comes!” “Mr. Davies, today is the elder Mrs. Davies’ birthday banquet. Letting such a cheap, poor scrounger in, isn’t that embarrassing your family? Get rid of her now!” “Exactly, how can such a person be allowed to spoil the elder Mrs. Davies’ birthday banquet?” Listening to the piercing whispers around her, my mother frowned, perplexed. “Everyone, have you made a mistake?” “I am not Scarlett’s relative; I am her mother!” 6 My mother’s words instantly silenced the previously noisy room. Amelia was the first to exclaim in disbelief, “You, what are you talking about?!” “How can you be Scarlett Miller’s mother?” My mother looked utterly bewildered. “Why can’t I be Scarlett’s mother?” “Today is my in-law’s birthday. I specifically traveled from my hometown to celebrate her birthday. My in-law and Mike both know me.” “Young lady, why would you think I’m not Scarlett’s mother?” My mother was used to country life. For so many years, other than attending my wedding in the city, she rarely came to town. Even when she came to bring Mike her homemade goods, she would travel there and back on the same day, not even stopping for a meal. So most of the people present didn’t recognize my mother. Hearing my mother’s words, everyone was stunned. Each person stared at my mother as if they’d seen a ghost, their eyes wide with suspicion. Just then, Mike snapped out of his shock. He stared intently at my mother, and after confirming she was a living person, he asked in a shaky voice, “Mom, you… you’re not dead?” My mother was taken aback by Mike’s inexplicable question. She frowned slightly, looking at Mike with confusion. “Silly child, what are you saying?” “I’m perfectly fine; why would I be dead?” “I just spent several hours on the bus to get here. Although I’m tired, I’m perfectly healthy.” Seeing my mother indeed unharmed, Samantha also froze. She looked at my mother and asked curiously, “Did you go to Cloud Perch restaurant this afternoon?” My mother looked bewildered. “Cloud Perch restaurant? No, I didn’t.” “I was on the long-distance bus to the city all afternoon. I just arrived a short while ago and came straight to the hotel by taxi.” As she spoke, she pulled out a crumpled long-distance bus ticket from her old cloth bag, showing the departure and arrival times. Seeing that my mother had indeed only just gotten off the bus, everyone present was stunned. “What’s going on? Didn’t Amelia say Scarlett Miller’s mother went to Cloud Perch restaurant to freeload this afternoon?” “Yeah, at that time, her mother hadn’t even gotten off the bus yet, how could she have gone to the restaurant?” “Did Amelia mistake someone else for her?” Mike frowned at the bus ticket in my mother’s hand, then looked at Amelia, perplexed. “Amelia, didn’t you say Scarlett’s mother went to Cloud Perch restaurant to freeload this afternoon?” “If the person who died in your restaurant isn’t her mother, then who is it?” 7 Faced with Mike’s question, Amelia’s face paled. “I, I don’t know either.” “I just saw that person kept muttering Scarlett Miller’s name, so I naturally assumed she was Scarlett Miller’s mother.” As she spoke, Amelia’s eyes suddenly filled with tears, and she said mournfully, “Now it seems Sister Scarlett must have been unhappy that you gave me the Cloud Perch restaurant, so she deliberately invited someone to cause trouble at the restaurant.” Hearing this, Mike’s brow immediately furrowed, his face as dark as if it could wring out water. Samantha nodded thoughtfully. “Brother, I think Amelia’s explanation makes sense.” “This must all be Scarlett Miller’s doing.” “Otherwise, she clearly knew the person who died wasn’t her mother, so why didn’t she speak up? Instead, she let us misunderstand?” “She must have a guilty conscience and didn’t dare to say anything!” I almost laughed at Samantha’s words. “I’ve been saying it all along, you just never listened.” Hearing this, Mike frowned. “What did you say?” “That the person who died in the restaurant was my mother?” “How could we possibly believe something so ridiculous?” The guests all nodded in agreement. “Exactly! How could the elder Mrs. Davies go to Cloud Perch restaurant to freeload? I think she’s just deliberately trying to annoy people!” “Most likely she’s jealous of Amelia’s competence, it’s her green-eyed monster acting up, so she came here to deliberately make a scene.” “Mr. Davies gave Amelia the Cloud Perch restaurant specifically because he admires her management abilities. What’s wrong with that?” “If not given to a talented person like Amelia, should it have been given to a housewife who only knows how to embarrass people?” Listening to the guests’ comments, Mike’s gaze at me grew even colder. “Scarlett Miller, I originally thought you were just lacking common sense. I never expected you to be so petty and malicious.” “Marrying a woman like you is truly the greatest shame of my life, Mike Davies!”

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