Category: English

The $80,000 year-end bonus had just cleared my account. I was already mentally shopping for luxury gifts for my parents when my mother’s text arrived. “Sharon,” it read, “don’t you dare come home for New Year’s with your usual expensive-but-useless junk. We don’t want it.” “I’ve sent you a list. Stick to it. The items for Dustin’s family are the absolute priority—top-tier only.” Before I could even formulate a reply, the next message pinged. “P.S. Don’t forget to drive that new Mercedes E-Class back. Your father and I need something to brag about to the neighbors.” I almost typed out a refusal, but then I saw it: my brother, Dustin, had posted an Instagram Story. It was a screenshot of three first-class plane tickets. The caption: Big thanks to Mom! Finally upgrading that ride. See you soon, Atlanta! #MercedesLife #FamilyPerks … Below Dustin’s post, the likes from our mutual friends piled up, but the knot in my chest tightened instead of releasing. When Dustin got married, my parents drained their retirement—not just the $40,000 for the wedding, but the $120,000 down payment on his first house. He’d even “borrowed” the entire $30,000 I’d saved from my first few years working. Now they were buying him a car? Where was this money even coming from? Before I could puzzle it out, Mom’s call came, sharp as a drill. “Sharon Marie Reynolds, did you get my messages or are you choosing to ignore me?” I explained I’d been driving, but she cut me off, her tone heavy with accusation. “Since you couldn’t be bothered to look, I’ll tell you now. Your father and I need a full-body Shiatsu massage chair. Don’t skimp. Mrs. Reynolds next door got one for three thousand dollars, yours better be better. And your brother’s house needs a full smart home overhaul—Nest, Ring, all the top brands. That’s at least eight thousand. Oh, and Brielle’s La Mer regimen, and Cody’s full Apple suite. You will not forget a single item. I promised them.” I was listening, jaw clenched, but the five-year-old’s “Apple suite” (iPhone, iPad, Watch) made me crack. “Mom, Cody is five. Why does a kindergartener need a full Apple suite?” Her voice immediately scaled to a shout. “Because I told you to buy it, that’s why! Stop being difficult!” “Brielle says Cody is a ‘high-needs’ child and those things are ‘standard equipment’ for his social group. What kind of aunt are you? Arguing over a few gifts? You’re an embarrassment!” “Mom, that’s not what I—” She cut me off again. “I swear, I can never talk to you without getting angry. You’re going to give me a heart attack. Just follow the list, and you will drive that new car home. If you show up in anything else, you won’t be welcome inside this house.” Slam. The dial tone was a physical pain. My blood felt hot and thick, rushing to my head. I opened the list. Beyond the electronic and cosmetic demands, she’d specified I stop by the seafood market before arriving to buy Maine lobsters and Alaskan King Crab. Every detail was planned out, down to the brand of sparkling water. I immediately texted Dustin. “Hey, what did Mom tell you to bring home?” His reply was instantaneous: “Nothing, she said we just had to show up. Gotta go, boarding now.” A cold fire flared in my chest. I felt sick. From start to finish, I was the designated wallet, the fool. Just then, my cousin, Jessie, called. “Sharon? When you hit the market, grab me a couple pounds of those big shrimp, okay? Aunt Pat said to call you directly if we wanted anything, and you have to get it.” After I hung up, the family group chat exploded. All my aunts and uncles were @-ing me with their own last-minute requests. Finally, my mother summed it up: “Sharon, you got all that? Hurry home once you’ve bought everything. Everyone is excited to taste your cooking tonight.” Not only was I the designated buyer, I was the chef. “Fine,” I thought, the ice forming around my heart. “If they’re so hungry, I’ll make sure they get exactly what they deserve.” New Year’s Day. My phone was on silent. I didn’t get out of bed until noon. Checking my phone, I saw 99+ notifications, nearly all of them “Mom-heavy.” She was throwing every insult she knew. I dressed slowly and started the Mercedes. As I merged onto the freeway, I answered her latest call. “Sharon Marie Reynolds, you little bitch! Are you trying to ruin New Year’s for the whole family? We’re all here waiting for you!” I honked the horn twice near the phone. “Mom, I’m driving, remember? You were so insistent I bring the new car. Did you forget how bad the traffic is on the holiday weekend?” Her tone softened slightly. “Well, why didn’t you say so?” “Okay, listen. I need you to transfer me $3,000 right now for the groceries so dinner is ready when you get here. Then, I need you to hand out $500 cash to everyone as an apology for making them wait. It’s the holidays, don’t be a spoilsport.” Ha. You’re all having fun at my expense. I thought, but I spoke sweetly. “No problem, Mom. I can’t pull over right now, but I promise, the second I step through the door, I’ll Venmo it to you.” Before she could argue, I hung up. I finally arrived at 7:00 PM. The moment I walked through the door, the crowd descended. “Sharon’s here! Patty, you were just saying how successful she is!” “Heard you got another promotion! Gotta be pulling in six figures a month now, right?” I forced a tight smile. “Just a little cubicle job, nothing special.” Dustin’s family rushed over. “Sis, Mom said you’re getting me the smart house system? Just Venmo me the eight grand, it’s easier, and I can pick it out myself,” he said, already holding out his phone. Brielle, his wife, scanned my empty hands, her eyes narrowing. “Sharon? Where are the La Mer and Cody’s Apple box? Oh, they must be in the car! You didn’t even call to let us know you were here! Dustin, go help your sister with the bags! She bought so much, how could a little girl carry it all?” I ignored them, walking straight into the living room. I pulled off my expensive jacket and sank onto the nearest armchair. “Don’t bother,” I said, my voice cutting through the noise. “I didn’t buy anything.” The room went instantly silent. The card players froze. The sound of popcorn chewing stopped mid-crunch. Mom came rushing in from the kitchen. She took one look at my empty hands and her face flushed crimson. “What did you say? You came back empty-handed?” “You useless, ungrateful creature! Did you hear me? I told you three days ago what to buy! Are you trying to deliberately provoke me?” She grabbed my arm and yanked me up so violently I stumbled, my head hitting the heavy mahogany wardrobe. I felt a stinging pain and a thin line of blood started to trace down my temple. My father, Tony, shuffled forward, trying to be the peacemaker. “Patty, calm down! Sharon wouldn’t do this without a reason. Maybe she just wants to give us the cash directly?” “It’s the holidays, honey,” he continued, trying to placate me. “Tech and skincare prices are insane right now. Giving cash is much smarter.” The rage in my mother’s eyes dissipated slightly. She turned back to me. “Is that it? Are you going to give us the money?” Aunt Carol, sensing a shift, immediately pulled out her phone. “Sweetie, Aunt Carol isn’t greedy. Just Venmo us each $500, and this whole thing is over. We waited all day, we deserve compensation for the delay.” One by one, the other relatives held out their phones, their faces contorted by naked greed. I felt a wave of nausea. “I don’t have any money for you. If someone promised you a payment or a gift, you should go ask the person who made the promise.” The room was stunned. They were so used to the compliant, dutiful Sharon that my refusal registered slowly. My mother broke free of my father and slapped me across the face with full force. The inside of my mouth immediately tasted metallic. “How dare you talk to your elders that way? I paid for your college education and this is how you repay me? You think you’re better than everyone because you make a salary? Kneel! Apologize to every single person in this room!” Aunt Carol seized the opportunity. “She’s so rich she can’t look at her poor family anymore! The girl needs a lesson, Patty. You’re being too soft.” My mother raised her hand for another strike, but Dustin suddenly rushed forward and caught her arm. He whispered something in her ear, his eyes flicking to me and back to her. She slowly lowered her hand, glaring at me. “We’ll deal with you later. Get in the kitchen and help!” Dustin then turned to me, playing the concerned brother. “Mom’s just stressed, you know her temper. She loves you best, she always has. Come on, big holiday, let’s not let the others see us fighting.” The sheer hypocrisy of it made me sick. Mom always loved you best. That was the most hilarious lie I’d ever heard. Daughter’s must be spoiled, sons must be disciplined, was their silent mantra. Yet, Dustin always got the best cuts of steak, anything he asked for. I had to earn a new pencil eraser with a week of chores. When I got a perfect score on my SATs and got into NYU on a full ride, Mom said they couldn’t afford the ‘extras’ and tried to stop me from going. I needed the scholarship and two minimum-wage jobs just to survive. Mom, seeing me frozen, stomped over, grabbed my ear, and yanked me toward the kitchen. As she dragged me past Dustin, I saw her give him a subtle but unmistakable look. Because I, the fool, hadn’t bought anything, the kitchen was practically bare. Mom chopped vegetables furiously. “You have ruined this dinner party,” she hissed. “I must have been a sinner in my past life to birth such a worthless viper.” “I’m telling you, Sharon, you will apologize to everyone at dinner, and you will give every single person ten thousand dollars. Do you want me to lose face in front of the entire family?” I glanced at her, saying nothing. I had a feeling the night was about to get much worse. My mother gave me a hard shove with her elbow. “I’m talking to you! Stop playing mute!” I dropped the knife and stared directly into her eyes. “Mom, am I really your daughter?” She froze, staring at me blankly for a long moment before recovering. “What is that supposed to mean? I carried you for nine months! You owe me for this life! Now, stop bringing up useless stuff and talk about the compensation!” She threw a ladle at me. “Hurry up and cook these six dishes. Everyone is waiting.” Before she could leave, Cody, my nephew, stormed in. He saw me and started kicking my shins with all his tiny might. “You mean woman! Give me my Apple set!” he screamed. “My mom said if you don’t, she’ll go to your office and tell your boss what a bad person you are!” Brielle followed him in, all fake concern. “Cody, honey, stop! Sharon, he’s just saying silly things, don’t pay any attention.” But the look in her eyes was pure, cold malice. I laughed, a harsh sound. “Don’t worry, Brielle. What kind of grown-up raises a kid like that? I think I finally understand.” Brielle’s face twisted. She turned to my mother. “Patty! Is this how your daughter talks to me? If you insist on keeping her here, Dustin, Cody, and I are leaving!” She grabbed Cody and made a show of storming out. My mother panicked and chased after them, yelling at me over her shoulder, “You little home-wrecker! You’ll be the death of us all!” Of course, Brielle didn’t leave. Instead, Mom gave her cash to go shopping and told her to come back when dinner was ready. But when it was time to eat, the three of them were nowhere to be found. Their phones were off. Mom had no choice but to tell the twenty-plus relatives to start without them. The six pitiful dishes I’d cobbled together disappeared instantly. The complaints started immediately. Aunt Carol was the first. “Patty, you promised a feast! I haven’t eaten since yesterday, and this is it? If you can’t afford it, don’t promise it!” Mom’s face was crimson as she apologized, quickly deflecting the blame onto me. “It’s all Sharon’s fault! She came home late and didn’t buy anything!” Then, the final, desperate solution. “Don’t worry, everyone! We are all going to The Gilded Spoon! The best five-star restaurant in the city! Order anything you want! Sharon is picking up the entire tab!” The relatives cheered up instantly. “Fantastic! Let’s go right now!” Under the table, Mom’s hand clamped onto my thigh, her nails digging in. “You try to pull one more stunt, you little bitch, I swear I’ll call your CEO. You think your fancy ethics code would approve of an employee who disrespects her family?” I stared back at her, dumbfounded. My own mother was using my career, the one thing I valued most, as a weapon. I knew she was crazy enough to do it. It was just one dinner. I bit down hard on my inner cheek and nodded. Walking out, Mom immediately reached for a cab. “Mom, why are we hailing a cab? I drove the Mercedes, remember?” I said, walking toward my usual spot. When I got there, I froze. The space was empty. I checked my purse—the key fob was gone. “Mom. Where is my car?” Then I remembered the missing family of three. “Mom, did Dustin take my car?” Seeing my expression, she had no choice but to nod. “He’s never driven such a nice car. I just let him borrow it for a quick run.” I pulled out my phone and opened the vehicle’s tracking app. My car was over three hundred miles away, traveling at a steady 90 mph.

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In the sixth year of secretly loving my childhood friend, he fell for my roommate. I acted as his wingman, listening to him pour out his love for her. All I got in return was his casual remark: “Chloe, please don’t ever fall in love with me.” At a party, he publicly confessed his feelings. My roommate’s gaze swept over me with a hint of a smile: “I don’t date guys who are entangled with other girls.” Eyes from all around pricked me like needles. Ethan anxiously tried to explain: “Chloe and I are just…” I raised my hand, smiling as I showed off my promise ring. “I’ve had a boyfriend for a long time.” 1 Vanessa went clubbing with someone else tonight. I scrolled through the fresh Instagram story she posted three minutes ago. Under the dim, ambiguous lights, she was sandwiched between a group of young, beautiful people. Still strikingly beautiful. Ethan sat on a bench by the campus lake. Looking as depressed as a puppy with drooping ears. “…I asked her out, but she said no…” “Then I saw her post this story tonight…” It was a bit chilly by the artificial lake at night. Couples walked past in twos and threes. I gave Ethan an annoyed look. “So? Is this why you dragged me out of the library?” Ethan looked up. He was born with good looks—almond eyes, thin lips, naturally looking like a flirt, yet stubbornly devoted. For twenty years, he only ever stumbled over Vanessa. The corners of his eyes were slightly red as he pounced on me for a hug: “Chloe, Chloe…” “I know you’re the best to me… We’ve known each other for over ten years… You’ll help me, right?” I stiffened all over. Ethan didn’t notice, nuzzling like a big dog: “Please… Chloe.” “…” I pushed him away with one hand. “Stop getting so touchy-feely.” “Eh…” Ethan blinked, his almond eyes looking innocent: “We’re friends.” “Friends forever.” 2 Friends, my foot. I had ulterior motives. Even rabbits don’t eat the grass around their burrows. But I just had to fall for my childhood friend. Ethan and I have known each other since we were kids. Inseparable, childhood sweethearts. He clung to me, and I clung to him. As we grew up, the boy gradually stretched out and matured. Becoming more and more handsome, tall, and long-legged. Many girls in school chased him. Ethan had a flirtatious look, appearing like someone with a harem of girlfriends. In reality, except for me, he hadn’t even held hands with another girl. Every time someone confessed to him, he would reject them with a smile. Call him innocent. Yet occasionally, this guy would say some incredible romantic lines. For example, when I asked him why he didn’t accept girls’ confessions. Ethan took a sip of his milk, resting his hand directly on my shoulder. The refreshing scent of his body wash mixed with the sweet smell of strawberry milk lingered around my nose. He grinned and said: “They’re not as good as you, Chloe.” “If I have to like someone, I’ll just like you.” I only remember my ears turning red then. Pretending to be calm, I told him to shut up. Actually, my heart was like shaken soda. Bubbling with joy, ready to explode in that instant. —I thought time was on my side. Long enough for me to stay by his side until he realized his feelings. But I didn’t expect. He would fall in love at first sight with my roommate, Vanessa. 3 “Got it,” I said. “I’ll help you.” Ethan’s eyes immediately curved into crescents: “You’re the best, Chloe.” I pushed him away: “It’s getting late, I’m going back to the dorm.” “Okay!” Ethan obediently let go: “Get home safe.” He didn’t walk me back. The campus at night was much quieter than during the day. I walked slowly along the path, but was suddenly pulled into a corner. The cool, woody scent of the person invaded my senses, wrapping me in his jacket, his higher body temperature leaning over me in an instant. “Seeing my girlfriend hugging her roommate by the lake late at night.” “Chloe, do you think I should post this on the campus confession wall?” Liam’s voice was lazy, his warm breath brushing the top of my head. “Go ahead,” I buried my face in his chest. Liam chuckled lightly, planting a kiss on my forehead: “Can’t bear to.” “So even if you cheat on me, I’ll accept it.” “Crazy,” I pinched his waist. 4 Dating Liam was purely accidental. He was always a campus celebrity, and I had only met him a few times. Liam’s looks were on par with Ethan’s. But this guy felt too frivolous. Like a fox. His eyes seemed affectionate yet heartless. But somehow, even his heartlessness was charming. Acting as Ethan’s wingman, I organized a group outing with Vanessa. Young men and women, drinking and playing games, the atmosphere heated up quickly. I drank a few glasses and went to the restroom to sober up. When I came back, the private room was empty. My stomach felt terrible. Squatting at the bar entrance, I called Ethan. Called seven or eight times, he didn’t pick up. I messaged Vanessa. She replied quickly with a voice message: “Drank too much, craved BBQ from the south side, Ethan took me there.” “Sorry, forgot to tell you.” Her tone was casual, and in the background, I could hear Ethan’s happy voice: “Vanessa, I lined up and got…” I was so angry I almost threw my phone. Looking up, I saw Liam leaning against the door watching me. Tall and long-legged, looking down at me with smiling fox eyes. “I…” “You’re really pretty.” Liam’s eyes curved: “Want to date?” “…” I thought I must be drunk, otherwise I would have definitely gotten up to punch him. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe sadness, or maybe Liam was just too good-looking. “I have someone I like.” “Doesn’t matter.” The young man’s tone was smiling, his eyes captivating: “I don’t mind.” “…Fine then.” I thought at the time. Let’s just have some fun. 5 Then we “played” for three months. Existing in a weird but stable way. Kissing and hugging like a boyfriend and girlfriend, but neither seemed sincere. Liam liked my looks. I had someone else in my heart. The kind of situation where if posted on the confession wall, we’d be cursed as scumbags for two hundred comments. I admit I was cheap. The only thing in this world that can turn a person into a cheapskate, doing thankless tasks, is feelings. But if it were easy to let go. It wouldn’t be called feelings. Liam walked me to the dorm building. I was wearing his jacket and tried to take it off to return it. He held my shoulders, smiling: “Give it back later, the stairwell is cold too.” I didn’t refuse. Liam kissed my cheek: “Free tomorrow?” I shook my head: “Tomorrow I’m being Ethan’s wingman.” The curve of Liam’s lips deepened, his fingers pinching my cheek: “…Really not afraid I’ll get jealous.” He leaned down, using his height to impose a bit of pressure. Yet bit my cheek like a puppy: “Day after tomorrow, you’re mine.” “…Deal.” Sometimes I felt Liam and I were freaks. Clearly not in love. Yet truly no different from loving couples. Because we didn’t love. So we didn’t fight. Instead, we were more stable. 6 Vanessa hurried back just before lights out. Glancing at the clothes hanging by my bed, she smiled ambiguously: “Went on a date?” “Yeah.” I put my phone face down. On the screen was a pitiful emoji from Ethan. “With Ethan?” “No, with my boyfriend.” Vanessa scoffed lightly, clearly not believing it. “Free tomorrow?” I spoke up: “Ethan said he found a lounge bar, very beautiful, goes well with that dress you bought.” Vanessa put her bag on her desk, looked at me, eyes holding a bit of mockery and condescending pity: “You’re pathetic, Chloe.” I suppressed the irritation in my heart. “…Acting as a wingman for the guy you like, enduring my sarcasm.” “Even making up a boyfriend… Say, does Ethan know?” Vanessa’s eyes curved into crescents. Carrying a natural malice. But even so, she was damn beautiful. “Or maybe…” “Is this a tactic to get his attention?” “…Vanessa,” my tone was a bit cold. Vanessa smiled: “Just kidding, why the rush.” “I’ll go.”

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On the third day after I ran away from our wedding, my fiancé took his own life in our new home, leaving his entire estate to me. While cleaning up his belongings, I found a room covered wall-to-wall with photos of me, and the floor stained with dark, dried blood. His assistant told me, “Mr. Thorne loved you for many years. “His depression was severe, but seeing you, thinking of you, was the only thing that gave him peace…” Every revelation was shocking, suffocating, and inexplicably tragic. So, when I was reborn, facing my childhood friend’s plan to help me escape, I smiled and refused. “I’m not leaving.” I want to see just how foolish this man, who loved me more than his own life, really is. 1 Julian Thorne died on the third day after I fled our wedding. My father and brother had just apologized to him about my disappearance. Moments after they left the estate, news broke that Julian had slit his wrists. Resuscitation failed. He was gone. In his will, drafted long ago, he left everything to me. I received the call from my brother while hiding out in Europe. My expression froze. To me, Julian was a bastard who forced a marriage upon my family. We were strangers. But everything that followed suggested he had loved me for a very long time. 2 At the lawyer’s request, I rushed back to the States and stiffly accepted Julian’s ashes. His background was a mystery; he had no living relatives. His assistant looked at the square box with deep sorrow and whispered to me: “Mr. Thorne loved you for many years. “His depression was severe. Only seeing you, thinking of you, brought him any relief. “I thought… once he married you, he wouldn’t be so pessimistic. I never expected…” He stopped, not blaming me, but my heart clenched painfully. The assistant handed me a key. “This is the estate Mr. Thorne prepared for you. “It was the home he decorated himself.” The place where he died. 3 The estate was massive, with a lush green lawn and even a horse stable. The decor was in my favorite shade of sapphire blue. The furniture, the ornaments—everything was exactly to my taste. Inside, there was a room covered in photos of me. I looked closely. From my sophomore year of college until now, almost every moment of my life had been captured by this man’s camera. On the floor were the dark stains of his blood, still carrying a faint metallic scent. Every detail was shocking, suffocating, and inexplicably sad. I couldn’t help but feel angry. If he liked me, why didn’t he say so? Barging into my home like a bandit, demanding a marriage alliance—how could I possibly marry him willingly? And now, this tragic end… did he want me to feel guilty forever? Dream on. I donated his entire estate, including the villa. The cleaning crew tore down the photos, throwing them carelessly onto the floor to cover the bloodstains… Julian’s brief but legendary life was completely erased from this world. 4 It took me three days to accept the fact that I had been reborn. Three days ago, Julian had just come to my house, forcefully demanding a marriage alliance. His methods were practically extortion. My childhood friend, Liam, heard about it and immediately told me to run, suggesting I hide out in Europe for a while. In my last life, that’s exactly what I did. But in this life, remembering those photos and the terrifying bloodstains, I shook my head calmly. “I don’t want to go.” I said, “I’m going to ask him why he wants to marry me.” 5 Julian’s business empire was vast. When I went to find him, he was in a meeting. His assistant came down personally to escort me to his office to wait. “The boss will be down soon.” I nodded softly. “Okay.” Julian indeed came quickly. Before I could finish my tea, he walked in hurriedly, buttoning his cuffs as he moved. Seeing me, he stopped and called out calmly, “Miss Vance.” His expression was cold and distant, as if looking at a stranger. I was rendered speechless by his indifference. I thought for a moment and asked softly: “Mr. Thorne, my father says you want to marry me. Why?” “I wanted to, so I did. No reason needed.” Me: “…” How was I supposed to respond to that? I stood up slowly and picked up my bag. “Then I’ll be going.” Julian’s expression shifted slightly, showing a rare look of astonishment. “You’re leaving?” I looked at him blankly. He grew paler, a shadow of self-loathing falling over him. Yet, he stepped aside to let me pass. If I didn’t know for a fact that this man loved me, I’d think he was playing games with me… I sighed, stepped forward, and tugged on his sleeve. “How about we grab dinner together?” 6 My interaction with Julian had his assistant on edge. As I left, the assistant kept apologizing. “The boss isn’t good at talking to girls. Please don’t be mad at him, Miss Vance.” “I’m not mad.” I smiled and told him, “I actually like his… look. He’s my type.” The office door wasn’t fully closed. Through the crack, I saw Julian touch his face, looking stunned. I smiled slightly and told the assistant: “I invited your boss to dinner tonight. Remember to remind him not to stand me up.” The assistant nodded frantically, as if afraid I’d change my mind the next second. I walked out of the office building in my high heels. Just as I stepped out, I got a call from Liam. Looking at the contact name “Liam,” I hung up calmly and stared at the clouds in the sky. 7 Liam was good to me and genuinely cared about me. But childhood friends, best friends—they all eventually fade into the background of life. Just like in my last life. He found love, had kids, and learned to keep his distance from me. So when I was trapped in the mountains with an expedition team and called him for help, his wife mocked me, calling me a desperate old spinster. While his wife berated me, Liam stood by her side, silent. I died there, and I don’t even know how he reacted. 8 Julian arrived early for dinner. The atmosphere was cold. I tried hard to find topics, but he was a conversation killer. Nothing seemed to interest him. I felt tired and slammed my fork and knife on the table. “Mr. Thorne, you’re making me feel like you don’t actually want to build a life with me.” Julian’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He looked down. “I’m sorry.” “You know that’s not what I want to hear.” I was exasperated. “You’ve run a company for years, undefeated at the negotiating table. Your insight into people should be flawless. Yet acting like this… “It makes me think you’re not interested in me.” Julian’s face paled. His fingers dug into his palm, drawing blood. “Don’t overthink it.” He said, “I’m just… never been this close to you. I’m not used to it.” His sudden, confession-like words surprised me. His nervousness, his loneliness, and the blood on his palm didn’t seem fake. I suddenly remembered his assistant’s words from my past life: “The boss’s depression was severe. Only seeing you brought him relief…” “Mr. Thorne.” I was suddenly curious and asked him directly: “Did we know each other before?”

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Seven years into my father’s affair, my mother, Cecilia, was handed a death sentence. Terminal stomach cancer. Her first act was to plead with Dr. Serena, her long-time physician, not to tell my father, Victor. Dr. Serena was so angry she wept. “Cecilia, what is this performance? Do you really think playing the noble martyr will make that scumbag regret anything?” “You’re punishing him with your death, Cee. How pathetic!” But my mother just smiled, her gaze settling on me with a gentle, terrifying softness. “I don’t want his regret,” she whispered. “I want to secure a future for my Willa.” 1. When my mother and I finally left the hospital, my father was gone. He had only left her a text message: [My time is valuable. You were five minutes late. I left.] My mother gripped the phone, momentarily frozen. I remembered the past, too. I have hemophilia, so trips to the hospital were constant growing up. My father, Victor, would always drop everything and wait patiently. My mother would tease him, “Aren’t you bored?” He’d take me from her arms and kiss her cheek, his voice full of warmth. “Never. Every second I spend waiting for you both is happiness.” I would be held between them, warm and secure, and I was happy too. My mother’s fingers trembled as she deleted the text. Then, she opened a new message to Dr. Serena: [Did you send the fake clean bill of health report to Tess?] After receiving confirmation, she led me home. My mother used to walk with a light, quick step; I could never keep up. Now, I had to support her just to keep her moving. As soon as we arrived, she rushed to the bathroom and coughed up a terrifying mouthful of blood. When she looked up, she was staring at the mirror, where our two overlapping handprints rested. The blood in the toilet was a blackish red. Panicked, I immediately called my father. There was a woman’s laugh on the other end, but I was used to it; I pretended not to hear. Sobbing, I told him that my mother had terminal stomach cancer. My father arrived quickly. He saw the violent red in the toilet bowl and immediately scooped my mother up in his arms. “Don’t panic, Cee. We’ll get a second opinion from the best doctors in the country.” “I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He’d always told her that the women outside were just flings; she was the one he truly loved. I believed he was a man of his word. But just then, the sharp click-clack of high heels echoed in the hallway. Tess, in her crisp white dress, appeared. She held her head high and slapped a piece of paper onto my father’s chest. “Victor, you’re such an idiot! Your trophy wife has played you for a fool!” “‘Terminal cancer’? It’s just a scheme to get your attention! This came from my friend at the hospital. She is perfectly healthy!” I recognized the paper. It was the fake clean bill of health my mother had asked Dr. Serena to forge. I opened my mouth to explain, but my mother gripped my hand, stopping me. I could only watch as my father’s face darkened. “Faking an illness for sympathy, then dragging Willa into your lies.” He glared at my mother. “Cecilia, you have sunk to a new low.” My father ignored my protests and stormed out, his arm wrapped around Tess. My mother watched them leave, a thin smile on her pale face. I cried hysterically. “Mom, why did you pretend you were healthy?” She sighed softly. “Because Tess is too small-minded.” “She’s too stupid to ever believe that I would be ill, or that I could out-maneuver her. So I had to feed her the evidence.” “This is how we build moral currency,” she explained. “The more guilt he carries, the more Victor will owe you, Willa.” “Besides, once Victor realizes her report was fake, he will never believe anything she presents to him again.” I didn’t understand the strategy. I only knew that my mother was dying, and I cried harder. She wiped my tears away. As she did, she began to cry too. “Victor, you’re supposed to be so smart. How could you fall for a simpleton like Tess?” My mother had been a powerful man’s mistress. My father was a poor businessman, practically begging for investment. They met across a crowded banquet hall—a rose blooming unexpectedly in rotten soil. My mother flirted with her protector and secured a massive investment and countless contracts for Victor. Later, when her protector went to prison, my father was already a titan of industry. Ignoring the scorn of everyone, he tracked down my mother, who had been passed around. There were no grand speeches. They simply got married. In their marriage, my father treated her like the most delicate, cherished woman. He bought her a French chateau, gifted her company shares, and when she was pregnant with me, he spent a fortune to buy the naming rights to a minor planet. They could have been happy forever. Until I was born. 2. Because I have hemophilia and need frequent transfusions, my father hired a secretary with my rare blood type. Her name was Tess. She was a bit clumsy and seemed sweet. My father called her my “walking blood bank.” But slowly, when Tess came to give me blood, my father’s brow would furrow with concern for her. Once, when I was in critical condition, Tess claimed she was afraid of needles, and my father actually disconnected my IV line. I nearly died that day. We were saved only because the hospital was able to contact a blood bank out of state. When I woke up, I saw my father holding Tess’s hand. He was telling my mother: “I’m sorry, Cecilia. I’m in love with Tess.” “If you accept it, you can still be my wife, and Willa will always be my only daughter.” My mother accepted the reality calmly. She said that I was sick, and if they divorced, she wouldn’t be able to afford my care. And so, my mother became the most generous wife in the city. So generous that when my father’s photos with a club girl leaked, she personally handled the PR cleanup. Each time, my father would apologize and transfer a large sum of money into my account. My mother accepted it for me and pretended nothing happened. Until a few days ago, when Tess showed up with a visible baby bump. She was pregnant with my father’s son. “The moment he looked ecstatic, I knew,” my mother said. “That baby will eventually threaten your standing. It had to be eliminated.” “And I’m almost dead anyway… I’ve been a trophy wife all my life. Using my last breaths to set up my daughter? I’m content.” As she spoke, my mother took out a brand new, expensive leather journal. A kept woman who only finished elementary school certainly didn’t have a diary-writing habit. So she had to forge one. Her fingers were swollen, barely able to hold the pen, but she wrote every word, detailing her years with Victor. When she finished, she sent the journal off to be artificially aged, then locked it in her safe. She made me memorize the combination. “When I’m gone, the day your father misses me most, you will lead him to this diary.” It took several days to forge the journal. My mother would clutch her stomach, beads of sweat dripping down her face from the pain. She gave me an Amex Black Card and asked me to buy her some powerful painkillers. It was strange—it was only September, but perfect, heavy snow was falling outside. I didn’t think about it; I just ran, slipping and falling repeatedly on the unfamiliar ice until I reached the pharmacy. I picked up the medication and swiped the card. “Beep. This card has been frozen.” I froze. This was my father’s supplemental card, always unlimited. It couldn’t be frozen. I called my father immediately. But the one who answered, her voice languid and smug, was Tess. “That’s your father punishing your mother, sweetie.” “He told me to tell your mom to stop her pathetic schemes and stick to being the wife she is.” I screamed, “That’s impossible! You must have tricked him!” Tess chuckled softly, then lowered her voice. “I did. So what?” “After all, all I had to say was that my baby brother wanted to see snow, and your father spent millions on cloud-seeding to make it happen.” I looked at the bruises forming on my legs, sobbing uncontrollably. The snow that made me fall and scrape myself raw was my father’s gift to his mistress. By the time I scraped together the money from my piggy bank and bought the medicine, my mother had already passed out from the pain. I gave her the medication. She looked at my raw legs, her eyes filling with tears. I heard her call Dr. Serena. “He loves her more than I imagined,” she said, her voice strained. “I need to accumulate more moral currency for Willa. I need to die more violently.” I woke up sometime later in my mother’s bed. She was packing, breathing heavily. She tossed their wedding photo into the fireplace. Her clothes and jewelry were boxed up for sale. When she reached for the scarf she had knitted for my father with her own hands, I rushed forward to stop her. She gently kissed my cheek. “I know you love it, Willa.” “But I have to ensure you are the only thing left behind to remind him of me.” I couldn’t speak. Then, my father’s assistant called my mother. “Mrs. Victor, Mr. Victor took Ms. Tess for her checkup and the paparazzi got photos. He needs you to film an apology and clarification video immediately, to avoid impacting the company’s stock price.” 3. My mother answered flatly and skillfully set up the camera. I yelled in fury. “It’s Dad’s fault! Why does Mom have to take the blame?” “I don’t want Mom to be humiliated again!” I knocked the camera over, but my mother calmly set it back up. “Be good, Willa. The company will be yours one day.” “Protecting the stock now is protecting your future.” I still didn’t understand, but my mother’s eyes were filled with profound sorrow. On camera, she was gracious and poised: “This is all a misunderstanding. Ms. Tess is an employee… my husband, Victor, simply offered a professional courtesy to take her to the doctor.” When the video was posted, the internet mocked her relentlessly. They called my mother the most subservient wife in Manhattan. But my father was pleased. He finally came home. He first swept me up, twirled me, and put a tiny flame opal on my wrist. Then he kissed my mother and gave her a deep black pendant. “This is my generous Cecilia,” he said. “Don’t worry, the card is unfrozen now.” “I wasn’t angry because you faked an illness, Cee. I was angry because you cursed yourself. We’re going to grow old together. Don’t ever say something so unlucky again, okay?” My father was so gentle. I hoped, foolishly, that he still loved us. I watched him wistfully, and suddenly, the pain in my legs faded. After he left, I happily went to my mother to admire the pendant. She laughed—a cold, humorless sound—and took it off. She stroked my head and showed me a news article on her phone. [Gem Legend! Victor Spends Millions, Cuts Massive Flame Opal, Yields Priceless Bangle!] I stared at the photo of the enormous, perfect flame opal on Tess’s wrist. Then I realized it. My tiny bangle and my mother’s pendant—together, they made up the heart of a bangle. Oh. Our gifts were the scraps. The excess material from Tess’s main attraction. I was furious and wanted to confront my father. But my mother calmly called Dr. Serena, setting the date for her to take the lethal medication: their wedding anniversary. “That way, every time he celebrates his freedom, he will remember my death.” “He needs to remember me for a long, long time. Only that will benefit you, Willa.” I didn’t dare cry in front of my mother. I hid in my room and counted the days. I was going to lose her. Though she held me and said she would become a star in the sky, I was seven years old. I knew it was a lie. I couldn’t expose her; I didn’t want to cause her more pain before she died. The next few days, my mother was busy. She contacted Mr. Harrison, a key investor of my father’s, and they spoke in whispers for a long time. Then she carefully chose a gown. My father was taking her to a major charity gala. Just her. No disgusting mistress. She even helped my father placate Tess. But then, she taught me how to provoke the already-soothed Tess: “He-he, so what if he gave you snow? You’re still just my dad’s plaything.” “Only my mother can be on his arm at a proper event like the Metropolitan Gala!” Tess was so easy to manipulate. She immediately took the bait. On the night of the gala, our family of three had just sat down when Tess, disguised as a staff member, appeared. She didn’t say a word, just stared at my father with red-rimmed eyes. I clearly saw my father’s throat bob as he swallowed. “Victor,” my mother pleaded, “this is a major event. Give me this one night.” But under the gaze of the entire room, my father patted my mother’s hand. “There are too many people here. Tess is pregnant. I’m worried she’ll be jostled.” He went to sit with his mistress. The entire room erupted in hushed whispers. My mother lowered her head, feigning humiliation. In the shadows, she gave a subtle look to Mr. Harrison. 4. I knew Mr. Harrison. He was one of my father’s biggest investors. He had once suggested my mother leave Victor and go with him. I remembered him as a gentle man. But tonight, he was rough. He rudely grabbed Tess and ordered her to have a few drinks with him. Tess panicked and refused repeatedly. My father stepped in front of her, politely saying she was pregnant and shouldn’t drink. But Mr. Harrison seemed enraged. He dropped a threat: “If Victor can’t even give me this favor, then our partnership is over!” Seeing the terror in Tess’s eyes and the mortification on my father’s face, I felt a swell of triumph. I silently cheered Mr. Harrison, hoping he would give my mother more satisfaction. But the next second, I heard my father laugh. “How about this, Harrison? Let my wife keep you company for a few drinks.” “Tess may be pretty, but my Cecilia is the most beautiful woman in the city.” I was stunned. I couldn’t believe these words came from my mother’s husband. My mother didn’t move as my father grabbed her and pushed her toward Mr. Harrison. “It’s just a few drinks, Cee… You won’t refuse, will you?” I rushed forward to shield my mother. “My mother is sick! Dr. Serena said she can’t drink! It will kill her!” My father grabbed me by the collar and tossed me aside. He glared at my mother. “Look what you’ve taught Willa. The lies never end.” Mr. Harrison wrapped his arm around my mother and, along with several other men, started forcing drinks down her throat. My mother drank one glass after another, numbly. Mr. Harrison, however, seemed to have tears in his eyes. Finally, after an unknown number of drinks, my mother suddenly vomited blood. “Cecilia!” My father’s face changed instantly. He ran toward her. But Tess shrieked. “So much blood, Victor, I’m feeling faint…” My father hesitated for a fraction of a second. Then he turned, picked up Tess, and carried her out. “The penthouse isn’t far. I’ll take you there to rest.” The penthouse was my parents’ wedding gift. My mother cherished it and never let outsiders inside. She stared at my father, her voice weak but firm. “No! Take her anywhere, but don’t defile my home!” My father initially tried to reason with her, but my mother was immovable this time. As they wrestled their way to the apartment, Tess’s deliberate moans grew louder. In a fit of rage, my father slapped my mother. “Are you insane? It’s just a house!” “If you think it’s more important than my son, then you can rot inside it!” He shoved my mother into the penthouse, locked the door behind her, and sped away before she could chase him. Mr. Harrison, Dr. Serena, and Dr. Serena’s boyfriend, Detective Miller, waited patiently with me outside the villa. After my father’s car disappeared into the distance, we finally went inside. My mother was still coughing up huge amounts of blood. Her dress and the marble floor were stained red. Her forehead was slick with cold sweat from the pain. But she persisted, directing Mr. Harrison to set up a complicated mechanism. “It must… ensure that the moment… they make love in that bed, my body… drops down onto them.” “Don’t forget to lock the door when you leave… He has to believe I was forced to drink, then locked in and left to die with no way to call for help.” “All traces… must be eliminated with professional forensic skill.” “The infertility drug… Willa, you must find an opportunity to put it in your father’s drink once you get home.” “The report that Tess’s fetus isn’t his… is it convincing enough? Let me see it one last time.” “He must have only one heir—you, Willa. He must.” Her voice was ragged with pain. Finally, with everyone’s help, she used her last ounce of strength to climb onto the skylight mechanism. She placed a white pill in her mouth. A look of profound relief crossed her face. “No flaws,” she whispered. “Thank you, all of you.” “Willa, farewell. Mama loves you, forever loves you…” Her voice faded, until it was gone. The adults were sobbing. Mr. Harrison knelt on the floor, weeping. I was the only one who didn’t cry. I had watched my mother meticulously arrange her own death. My tears had run dry. I looked at the sunflowers in the villa’s courtyard. The manufactured snowstorm had made them wither prematurely. I sat there quietly, waiting for my father to return. The doorbell finally rang around midnight. 5. Hearing the movement, I flew to the kitchen, poured a glass of warm water, and dropped in the tasteless medication my mother had given me. When my father entered, I sweetly handed it to him. He drank it without suspicion, then finally noticed I was alone. A look of annoyance and resignation crossed his face. “Your mother hasn’t come home?” “She’s becoming impossible. To spite me, she’s abandoned her own daughter.” He pulled out his phone. My heart hammered in my chest. I thought he was going to call my mother. But the next words were: “Tess, Willa’s mother isn’t home. Come back here.” Willa’s mother… It was a mercy my mother was already dead. If she knew she no longer had a name in his mind, only a title, how much more heartbroken would she be? My eyes burned again, but I held back the tears. I slept downstairs that night. I could hear sounds from the master bedroom. “Mmm, don’t touch me. I’m carrying your son.” “It’s been three months. It should be safe.” “Nonsense. It’s two days shy of three months.” “Two days… What a coincidence. That’s an important date. I can’t be with you that day.” “What date?” My father chuckled softly and didn’t answer. I copied my mother’s cynical smile. You don’t need his compensation anymore, Dad. The next morning, Tess walked downstairs, her face sated. She shot a smug look at me as I quietly ate breakfast. “Enjoy your meal, darling. This house will have a new mistress soon.” I put a piece of bacon in my mouth. My voice was as gentle as my mother’s had been. “Do you know what that important date is?” The simpleton my mother had pegged him to be looked at me blankly. I smiled. “It’s my parents’ wedding anniversary.” “You see? You will never be able to replace my mother.” It was completely unsatisfying to mess with a fool. No wonder my mother never bothered with Tess before she got sick. Just that one sentence was enough to send Tess storming off to confront my father. After she left, my mother’s phone kept ringing. My father was calling her. I let the screen flash. Then he started texting. [Still angry, Cee? It’s been a night.] [Tess is just a girl, and she’s pregnant. Of course I have to take care of her more than you.] [Alright, alright. You were hurt this time. Tomorrow is our anniversary. I’ll compensate you. Deal?] He sent pictures of expensive jewelry. When there was no reply, he sent photos of luxury properties, promising she could pick one, and it would be placed in my name. I followed my mother’s instructions and sent no reply. My father seemed to grow enraged. [Cecilia, how long are you going to pout?] [Tess was just here, sweet and soft.] [If you keep this up, I’ll spend the anniversary with her!] My heart thumped. He had reached the critical point. The ‘typing’ indicator flashed for a long time. Then my father sent a voice message: “Fine, let’s see who can hold out longer!” “Forget the anniversary. I’m going to be with Tess.” “You didn’t want her in the penthouse? Good. I’m going to have a candlelight dinner with her there.” “You can figure out Willa’s medical bills yourself!” My mother had broken down his reactions step-by-step for me. But hearing it now, my heart ached with a dull, heavy pain. Did you ever love her, Dad? If you did, why would you use my health to threaten her? But it didn’t matter. I texted Dr. Serena and Detective Miller. Everything is ready. On the night of the anniversary, Dr. Serena picked me up, and we waited outside the penthouse. In the darkness, we watched my father enter, his arm around Tess. Candlelight warmed the windows. Tess leaned into his shoulder, giggling. Tess flirtatiously pulled at his tie, but my father hesitated, nervously twisting his wedding ring. Detective Miller clearly read Tess’s lips through the window: “Take off the ring, Victor. Don’t you want to meet your son sooner?” That one sentence sent my father’s blood rushing. He yanked the ring off and tossed it onto the sofa. He picked up Tess and carried her upstairs. Through the faint curtain, we watched their silhouettes as they moved, step by step, toward the bed. The moment he pressed Tess down, there was a deafening CRASH. A woman’s deformed body smashed directly between them.

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My husband, Julian Vance, had a secret romance when he was young. His first love died tragically, leaving behind only the dog they raised together to keep him company. We’ve been married for three years, and that dog has hated me from day one. It shreds my clothes and has sent me to the ER multiple times. When my friends tried to stand up for me, Julian’s voice was cold: “It’s just a nip. Why are you holding a grudge against a dog?” After I found out I was pregnant, I suggested boarding the dog somewhere else. Julian snapped: “Live with it or leave. Do you ever get tired of being so petty?” In the past, I would have felt ashamed and backed down. But this time, looking at the mess on the floor, I stayed silent for a long time. The bite mark on my shoulder was freshly scabbed and still throbbing. I said, “Then let’s divorce.” 1 On my third day in the hospital, Julian finally came to see me. I sat on the edge of the bed, eyes downcast, waiting for the doctor to change my dressing. Outside the door, my friends were arguing loudly on my behalf. “Julian, how many times has Snowball bitten Lydia? This time it was her shoulder—any higher and it would have been her throat!” Snowball was Julian’s Rottweiler. Fierce, loyal, and aggressive. This wasn’t the first time. I got bitten on the calf the week after our wedding. But this was the worst. Half my shoulder was a bloody mess, flesh torn open. It was gruesome. “If you ask me, a dog that dangerous should be put down or rehomed. Lydia treats it like gold, and it acts like a wolf.” “Exactly. Careful, Julian, next time it might turn on you. Some dogs just can’t be tamed.” The voices were a chorus of condemnation against the dog. When Julian pushed the door open, his face was dark. The doctor’s movements were gentle, but the pain still made me pale, a sheen of cold sweat breaking out on my forehead. Julian stood by the door, watching in silence. When the doctor left, his first words were: “It’s just a bite. Why are you holding a grudge against a dog?” He frowned, looking at me like I was being unreasonable. “Lydia, you’re twenty-five years old. Tattling to my mother? Have you no shame?” Someone had told his mother I was hospitalized. The Vance and Sterling families go back generations; Julian and I grew up together. His mother was furious and demanded he get rid of the dog. Julian thought I was the one pulling strings behind his back. I suddenly understood why he hadn’t come for three days. He was punishing me. I wanted to laugh, but the movement pulled at my wound. It hurt, a deep ache that settled in my bones. I remembered when we first got married. That was my first meeting with Snowball. I knew Julian had a dog, so I bought premium treats and toys. But Snowball growled the moment he saw me and sank his teeth into my leg. When my mom visited me in the hospital back then, I covered for him. “It’s fine, he’s just scared of strangers. Don’t blame the dog.” I was afraid my family would hurt the dog, and afraid they would think less of Julian. I was young and naive, full of hope for my marriage. I never imagined that lie would become my nightmare. When Snowball shredded my dresses, Julian told me to stop making a scene. When Snowball dragged mud all over our bed, Julian scolded me for being fussy. And now, with my shoulder chewed to pieces, Julian said the same thing. Don’t be petty. Don’t hold a grudge against a dog. I used to tell myself that Julian wasn’t a stone; he was just slow to warm up. He made me brown sugar tea when I had cramps. He drove ten hours overnight to see me on my birthday when I was away for work. But now, I couldn’t lie to myself anymore. In three years of marriage, I had never been his priority. 2 After I was discharged, I took a cab straight to my parents’ house. My mom was thrilled to see me, then horrified by my shoulder. I lied again. I said it was just a scratch. During my recovery, Julian didn’t call once. I don’t know how he convinced his mother, but he kept the dog. In the middle of our cold war, he posted a photo on Instagram: [She didn’t leave much behind. Just Snowball, and me.] “She” was Clara. Julian had a secret relationship when he was a teenager. She was his first love, the love of his life. She died in an accident two years later. The comments section was full of sympathy: “Clara was an angel. If she were still here, she and Julian would be married by now.” “Julian is so loyal. I heard he tried to follow her when she died.” Someone asked: “What about Lydia? Why did he marry her?” The replies came fast: “Lydia who? If Clara were alive, Julian wouldn’t even look at her.” “Exactly. He’s just trying to move on. Clara would want him to have a normal life.” Amidst the ridicule, I saw Julian’s reply. One word. [Settling.] A few days later, Julian started being seen with a girl. Her name was Sophie, an intern at his company. She looked terrifyingly like Clara. In the photos, Sophie was kneeling, hugging Snowball’s head. The vicious dog looked as gentle as a lamb. Julian stood watching them, a tenderness in his eyes that I had never seen. It rained on our wedding day. The sky turned black in an instant. Maybe that was the omen. My marriage was damp, cold, and forever in Clara’s shadow. But it turned out I couldn’t even compete with an intern who just looked like her. I was the only one who had been naive enough to think, “Clouds pass. The sun will come out.” I finally understood that the living can never compete with the dead. Because Clara wasn’t here, it didn’t matter who he married. I was stupid to think I could heal him. Julian never wanted my healing. And now, stripping away the fake warmth, Julian delivered his verdict. Three years of marriage. Just “settling.” Just my wishful thinking. 3 Two weeks later, Julian finally cracked. He called, his voice full of accusation: “Have you made your point? When are you coming home?” Maybe he remembered my injury, because his tone softened slightly. “Don’t be mad at Snowball. That breed is just loyal. When Clara brought him home, it took ages to train him…” He stopped abruptly, realizing he’d slipped. He changed the subject clumsily. “Anyway, I’ve trained him. Pack your things. I’ll pick you up this afternoon.” The ride back was suffocatingly silent. Julian handed me a bag, his voice stiff. “I bought you spicy rice cakes. Your favorite.” I didn’t take it. The doctor said no spicy food while the wound was healing. But Julian clearly didn’t care to remember. Seeing I didn’t take it, he assumed I was still sulking. He scoffed and threw the bag into the backseat trash bin. “Eat or don’t. I don’t care.” The air in the car dropped another ten degrees. No one spoke until we got home. 4 “I bought the new season from that brand you like. It’s all in the closet.” To be fair, Julian wasn’t a terrible husband on paper. He remembered birthdays and anniversaries. He wasn’t stingy with gifts, and I had unrestricted access to his cards. Whenever we fought, he would smooth things over with expensive presents. So I always thought he was just emotionally constipated, that deep down, he cared. I hated myself for still having a shred of hope. I clutched my stomach and opened the bedroom door. But instead of designer clothes, I was greeted by chaos. The bed, the sofa—everything was covered in shreds of fabric. Our wedding photo in the center of the room had been smashed. Red fabric scraps floated in the air like bloody feathers, mixing with the shattered glass on the floor. Snowball was lying in the middle of the bed, covered in mud from the garden. He had deliberately rolled in the dirt before jumping onto the sheets. Julian froze. He frowned and called the dog over. Turning to me, he looked uncomfortable. “I didn’t know he’d do this. It’s just clothes. I’ll buy you more. Don’t yell at him.” Snowball trotted over slowly, bumping his heavy head against my leg as a provocation. He dropped something from his mouth. It was a bracelet. Julian’s face went pale. He kicked the dog instinctively. “Why do you chew everything?! Do you know whose that is?!” Snowball didn’t know, but I did. It was the bracelet Clara gave Julian. He treated it like a holy relic. Unlike our wedding rings. Several pieces of the bracelet had rolled into the glass shards. Julian was on his knees, frantically picking them up. He didn’t even look at me. I walked over and picked up our wedding ring from the debris. “Snowball is too destructive. We need to board him.” I took a deep breath. “You want me to stop being mad? Send the dog away.” I could tolerate it when it was just me. But I was pregnant. I wouldn’t risk my child. Julian looked up, his eyes icy. “Lydia, there’s a limit to my patience. You’re being petty. It’s not like you…” I pressed my hand over my stomach, cutting him off. “Either I go, or the dog goes. Pick one.” My ultimatum snapped whatever patience he had left. He stood up and kicked the chair over. “Live with it or leave! Lydia, I’ve given you enough face. You target that dog every day. Are you annoying or what?” In the past, I would have apologized. But looking at the ruins of my bedroom, I stayed silent. My shoulder throbbed. I said, “Then let’s divorce.” I pressed my hand flat against my belly. He didn’t need to know about the baby. This child wasn’t wanted. Its father didn’t love its mother, so he wouldn’t love it either. 5 The divorce was quick. Julian looked furious until he realized I was serious. Then he signed the papers with a flourish. “I didn’t know you were such a shrew, fighting with a dog.” His voice was cold, laced with disappointment. “If I had known, I never would have married you.” Three years of devotion, repaid with the word “shrew.” I packed my bags that night. Before I left, Snowball blocked the door. Julian called him, but the dog wouldn’t move. Snowball was staring at the bag in my hand. I realized it was a toy I had bought to bribe him. He hated it, so I never even opened the package. Since I was leaving, I was taking everything I paid for. I’d donate it to a shelter. I was done trying to please ungrateful beasts. Julian dragged the dog away by its collar. As I walked out, I heard Snowball whine. I didn’t look back. I heard Julian scolding him: “She’s heartless. She dumped you. Stop begging. Have some dignity.” I was the heartless woman in his narrative. 6 Outside the operating room. When the doctor asked me one last time if I was sure, my hand twitched on my stomach. It felt like the little life inside was high-fiving me through my skin. My mother had health issues; I was an only child. My grandmother only had one daughter too. This baby might be the only family I would ever have. I wavered. I told the doctor I needed to think about it. I called my best friend, Mia, to pick me up. As I walked out of the clinic, I ran straight into them. Sophie was clinging to Julian’s arm, laughing. Julian saw me. He frowned and stepped forward. “What are you doing here? Are you sick?” I slapped his hand away. “None of your business.” His eyes darkened. Before he could speak, Sophie shimmied over. “Julian, the movie is starting. Let’s go.” She pretended to notice me for the first time. “Oh, hi! Do you know Julian? I’m Sophie, his girlfriend.” She emphasized the word girlfriend. She knew exactly who I was. Mia arrived just in time to hear that. She exploded. “Girlfriend? They were married! You’re a homewrecker, and you’re bragging to the ex-wife?” Sophie’s face fell. She looked at Julian with teary eyes. “Julian…” With that face so like Clara’s, Julian melted instantly. He looked at me coldly. “We’re divorced. I didn’t know what love was until I met Sophie. She is my partner now. Show some respect.” Mia gasped, staring at me. I hadn’t told her about the divorce yet. “Julian, are you crazy? You divorced her? Do you know Lydia is…” I tried to stop her, but it was too late. “…Lydia is pregnant! You divorced a pregnant woman to be with a mistress? Are you human?” Silence. Sophie froze. Julian’s head snapped up. He stared at my stomach. He grabbed my wrist, ignoring my struggle. “Lydia, is it true?” He touched my belly, his voice trembling. “Is our child in there?”

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On the wedding day, my sister ran away. As an illegitimate daughter, I was forced by my father to marry Pierce Sterling. Married for three years, he treated me with gentleness yet distance. I thought mutual respect was another form of happiness. Until I got into a car accident and was sent to the hospital, seeing around the corner. Pierce was wiping that delicate face clumsily. I finally recognized reality. When I handed him the yellowed divorce agreement. He said, why don’t you want my heart anymore? Chapter 1 Pierce, who never answered my calls… Is now not far from me, holding up a girl’s injured arm. Movements were unprecedentedly careful. Three years of marriage, I have never seen him like this. Vaguely remembered the wedding night. Pierce came out of the bathroom, black hair damp with moisture. He wore a silk robe, seeing my look of regarding death as returning home, smiled and propped his hands beside me. “Three years, you just need to keep this position for her.” He leaned over and whispered in my ear, “When the time comes, I will let you leave with dignity, compensation will only be more, not less.” At that time I thought, guard my own heart well. Don’t delusional about the moon in the sky. But really seeing this scene. Heart suddenly felt fine dense pain, like needle pricking. Lasting and uncontrollable. “Miss, blood backflow!” Until the kind reminder from the lady next to me. I realized belatedly and slowly raised the infusion tube that had flowed back halfway. Gaze unconsciously followed that dusty figure again. Pierce seemed to change posture again. Until the girl was tired of crying, quietly leaning on his abdomen. Two people seemed to have a natural barrier isolating surrounding noise. I took out my phone, unwilling to give up, dialed the number that was busy countless times again. He glanced at the caller ID on the screen. Finger hovered over the screen, brows slightly frowned. Suddenly, the girl in front moaned uncomfortably. Pierce subconsciously turned off the phone, stroking her head again. Large palm seemed able to wrap the girl’s entire head. Through the gap, the girl’s fair face imprinted into my eyes. I inappropriately remembered that night three months ago. Pierce seemed to come back very late, turning over disturbed half-asleep me. I smelled alcohol, moaned uncomfortably. That night he seemed to unload all restraint, usual calm and self-possessed appearance completely gone. I half squinted eyes, those hands with bulging veins relaxed and tightened, force heavy enough to embed into bone and blood. Pierce covered my mouth, calling in my ear voice after voice: “Violet.” Seeing this scene again today. I suddenly felt I was a joke. For nothing else. Only because this girl carefully cared for by Pierce. Is exactly the sister who ran away on the wedding day. Violet. Chapter 2 When four eyes met, there was a moment of silence. A moment later, she hooked her lips, raised hand to greet me: “Riley, why are you here?” I comically extended the other hand from pocket. Waved stiff hand, responding to her greeting. Movement in arms not small, finally alarmed Pierce who was focused on her. Pierce turned back, only then noticing me just a few steps away. He intended to walk towards me. But when moving steps, was pulled by Violet’s clothes. “Pierce, almost time for my injection.” Violet pouted unhappily, “Let Riley come over to talk.” Pierce glanced at me, “Infusion first.” I sighed, really didn’t know if meeting them was good luck or bad. Three years since Violet ran away from the wedding. Her sudden appearance, pain swept towards me like waves non-stop. I couldn’t ignore my heart. Hospital’s fluorescent lights too bright, making Pierce’s expression changes nowhere to hide. He put away the gentleness before Violet, put on that layer of distant shell again. “Why in hospital?” His words full of calmness, as if I was just an irrelevant passerby. No need to explain why appearing in hospital same time with wife’s sister. I thought about wording, about to answer. “Please number 18 patient Riley go to Gynecology Clinic waiting room.” Pager sound very loud. Not a rare thing for hospital. But two people in front cast gaze on me in unison. Violet recovered from stun first. She looked at Pierce, eye rims instantly red a big patch. Ignoring people around, raised volume. “Pierce, what meaning? You guys slept?” She broke free from Pierce’s arms excitedly, tears sliding down fair face. Pierce’s eyes instantly flashed a trace of heartache. He faced me, tone full of oppression. “That time I clearly let you take Plan B.” I turned head pressing nasal sourness dead, then said. “I had car accident, just doing…” Violet interrupted me, scolded Pierce recklessly. “When ran away I told you clearly, I didn’t want pure feelings between us destroyed by alliance, time will prove everything. What, just because I’m not by your side you can casually find someone?” Although Violet was trying to lower volume, intermittent crying sound still attracted crowd watching. “Violet, I can explain.” Pierce carefully held her hand, not letting her move randomly, just gaze looking at me carried displeasure. This look like a cold knife. Straight inserted into my chest. My soles seemed rooted, stunned on spot. I considered for a moment, carefully worded: “This is routine check, doctor required.” Just moment Pierce frowned. Originally quiet Violet walked straight towards me. Pierce didn’t stop. A slap, fell straight on my face. My face slapped askew. “You like your mother, just like snatching other people’s men right?” Chapter 3 Originally noisy hall became pin-drop silent because of this episode. When Violet’s second slap came. Pierce clamped her wrist in mid-air. Violet had a moment of stun. Unknown people gathered around watching fun. Even busybody mumbled to person beside: “Mistress taking over?” I glanced at Pierce, hoping he could say something. But moment touching gaze. He turned head away, letting surrounding gazes size me up non-stop. Pager sound came again in hall. Pierce patted my shoulder seemingly comforting, “You go first.” Violet bit lip dead, tears like broken beads. Then ran out. Pierce’s handsome brows transmitted vague irritability. Good upbringing made him walk to me, low voice: “Give me an explanation later.” Assistant saw two figures one after another leaving arrogantly, after long time said: “Madam, let’s go check first.” I hummed lightly. A tear quickly soaked along my lowered eyelashes. Until doctor’s few words, completely sobered me up, “You are pregnant, want it?” “If want need go Obstetric Department build file, if not can book surgery in two days.” “I see you married, fetal heart germ development quite good, if didn’t take any medicine, can keep.” When I came out. Xander outside door seemed heard few words, he asked: “Need I tell Mr. Sterling?” I pulled a bitter smile at corner of mouth, “No need, this child not expected by own father.” Just like me. Can’t live good days for three years then forget myself originally not phoenix. Chapter 4 Xander just went help me pay, Pierce came back. Somewhat unexpected. After all these three months I only received three messages from him. Two were asking me help handle company affairs. One more was: “You have bad stomach, eat meal then take emergency pill.” Look, yesterday still lived couple life seemingly intimately. Today can put on gentle mask handle rationally. I won’t be naive to think he cares why exactly I entered hospital. Pierce sat on empty seat aside, rubbing eyebrows lightly. “Why you came to hospital, is it…” He looked at my somewhat red swollen face, stopped words, subconsciously raised hand to touch. I turned slightly sideways, avoided tracelelessly, put report into bag. “Sister’s side, I will go explain. You don’t need worry.” He turned head looking at me, momentarily speechless. Then said: “Matter of me going abroad find Violet should told you earlier, just when back from airport she happened to have car accident, so anxious a bit, failed receive your call.” “Should be.” I looked up at drip bottle, sensibly took his words, “If I knew you guys would come to this hospital, I wouldn’t appear.” It was me having unrealistic delusion. Entering this marriage, Pierce told me all consequences. For father, I accepted this result. But in getting along process, his gentleness made me unclear of situation. Morning, temperature when hugging me from behind, made me want keep a place in his heart. Originally that night was an accident. Doctor’s sentence fetal heart germ development very good. Made me give birth to wishful thinking. I can adjust my emotions quickly. He should feel lucky. After all property divided very clearly, only feelings… Cut constantly reasoning still messy. “Violet wants everything back to original position,” Pierce didn’t know what hesitating, black eyes staring straight at me, “But you don’t need worry, I won’t…” “By the way help me book surgery time.” I picked up phone, pressed message not sent just now. Seeing Xander replied an OK gesture. I looked at him face as usual, carefully weighing tone, “That time was accident, I didn’t take it seriously.” Pierce’s brows tightened again. Two stared at each other half day speechless. But I seemed feel turbulent waves under sea level. Chapter 5 This terrifying atmosphere of surface calm reminded me of two years ago. Pierce unprecedentedly said bring me back to Family Estate visit in-laws. That was place I rarely set foot. Can go back together, I originally thought would be a recognition. After all I and Pierce only appear together in necessary public occasions. Privately, he always a gentle distant look to me. I suppressed joy in heart, even asked Pierce help reference. Floor mirror reflected his serious expression. He tilted head looked at dress on me, looked around, locked on a beige suit. Brought to me gesture. Strong chest across thin fabric, transmitted a ambiguous heat. Ear warm breath floating, “You white, this set more suitable.” After I changed clothes, took out a pearl necklace from jewelry cabinet. Looked up down, then pulled me to mirror. Clear voice came from overhead, “Very beautiful.” Almost moment voice landed, my heart skipped a beat for no reason. That time I thought. Did Pierce already forget Violet? Do I have some chance? At dinner table. Mother-in-law in front of father and Mrs. Shen (Violet’s mom), smiled asked me: “Riley, married in for a year why no good news yet?” I looked sideways at Pierce, found him elegantly eating small bites. Didn’t care about my chat with mother-in-law. Thinking of facing these words before, he always unhesitatingly blurted Violet is Mrs. Sterling. I instantly breathed sigh of relief, then said: “Recently Pierce discussing merger project bit busy, after busy these days we will…” A warmth covered thigh. I silenced. Just when I thought Pierce was signaling me not say these in front of Mrs. Shen. His words like basin of cold water poured on head. Pulled back me about to cross line. Pierce withdrew hand, gently wiped mouth with napkin, “Wait Violet back, everything will back to normal track, my child naturally born by her.” When he looked at me, tone extra light, “Am I right, Riley?” “I won’t cross line, you can rest assured.” Thoughts returned, I guaranteed repeatedly. Atmosphere stagnated again. “I have no other meaning.” Pierce irritably loosened tie, wanted open mouth explain. But interrupted by Xander coming over. “Madam, surgery time booked.” Pierce tilted head look me, black eyes sank, “What surgery?” Chapter 6 My hands unconsciously clenched tight. Back tight against chair, afraid reveal a trace flaw. “Doctor said I have uterine fibroids.” I looked back Xander, paused then said, “Small surgery, let Xander send me then is fine.” “You called Xander?” He frowned, “How long came company?” Xander somewhat uneasy, “It was you let me join in June, just when I joined you happened business trip.” “I just ask, don’t nervous.” Pierce restored usual gentle look again, he looked at me, “When I not here you helped me handle lot things.” “I thought you wouldn’t return company manage things.” His tone carried rare seriousness, “Didn’t expect doing things so orderly.” “Violet not necessarily as capable as you.” Although praise. But I heard few points ridicule. Heart like bitten by ants, dense pain wrapped me. “This Sunday is our third anniversary, have to go back Old Estate eat.” Pierce stood up, he patted my shoulder lightly, “You come yourself then, I wait you at door.” I stared at him silent for a while. His gentleman like this made me trance for a moment. But when Violet call came. I woke up. These three years, I relied ability gain a place in Sterling Group. Mother-in-law values me very much. Pierce needs my cooperation. Open way for Violet. I kept brainwashing myself. Divorce by agreement only bad not good for me. But I didn’t expect, accident still happened that eating day. Chapter 7 Waking up this morning, maid still only set breakfast for one. I knew Pierce slept at The Penthouse these days. That was his residence before marriage, very close to Sterling company. Sometimes work socialize late, he won’t come back. He busy, heart occupied very full. I put empty cup back on table, looked around. In empty house, only few months sweet memories. But more time, I and him more like polite distant strangers under same roof. I sat in car, replying work messages. Chat box suddenly popped a photo. Background is Penthouse top floor night view. Reason I familiar. Is because my and Pierce’s first time was there. That was second year after marriage. Pierce socialize drank too much, his then assistant called me, hope I pick him. Nearly minute silence, I said: “Inconvenient for me.” Until assistant voice again: “Madam, Pierce’s residence at Penthouse only you know password.” I froze moment. Only heard him say: “Mr. Sterling gave you a detailed profile of himself three months after marriage, didn’t you read?” I found that profile from study drawer, detailed wrote Pierce’s every aspect. Detailed matters. Things happened turn at that moment. My heart like wrapped by cotton, light. Supporting drunk Pierce to sofa was late night. He half squinted eyes, watched me busy front back. Just when I put honey water on table, ready leave. Pierce held my hand, scooped me into arms. Strong kiss, overwhelming fell. I couldn’t push him, barely said in interval of panting: “You drunk, I am Riley, not…” Pierce pressed me dead in arms. “I just drank too much, not unconscious.” “Taking care husband not should be?” His hand pinched soft flesh on my waist. “I and Violet already past tense.” “You are my legal wife.” Words finished, kiss fell again. This time, I didn’t hide. Hands hooked his neck. But such sweet days ended three months ago, in Violet’s one phone call. I suddenly felt nausea. Retched sound. Driver in front small voice remind: “Madam need stop a bit?” I shook head, opened window breathe. But on Old Estate lawn not far. Saw Pierce waiting there long ago. Behind stood large group reporters. I suddenly remembered. Today seems to be our third wedding anniversary.

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On our wedding day, Caleb said he would give me a night I would never forget. He carried me to the bed and tied me up with ropes. “Grace, I have a special kink.” “You love me so much, you’ll agree to it, right?” I nodded gently. Next second, the door was suddenly pushed open, a crowd swarmed in, holding phones aimed at me. And Caleb’s “black moonlight” Jade smiled coquettishly: “Audience, if you tip enough, you can unlock any way to treat her.” Bound by ropes, my struggles were futile. Blood soaked the sheets, pain almost suffocated me. “Caleb, don’t treat me like this.” But he hugged Jade gently, tone flat: “Endure a bit more, don’t affect Jade’s livestream heat.” “If you dare resist, I’ll divorce you.” Turns out the so-called “unforgettable”. Was just a livestream feast he dedicated to Jade. Then this time, I really won’t look back. Chapter 1 My heart sank to the bottom, waves of severe pain hit my body. Head shook helplessly according to the sound’s position. I can’t see, can only rely on ears and touch to distinguish the situation. Jeering sounds everywhere around: “This little blind girl is not bad, just a while, already hundred thousand viewers.” “Wow, this person sent a Castle, asking to carve a word on her, who’s coming?” Caleb’s voice sounded in the corner: “I’ll do it…” He’s there! I finally distinguished his position, turned my head to him. Big drops of tears flowed from eyes due to pain and anger. “Caleb, let me go okay, I can’t stand it, really can’t stand it…” Eyelids hot and wet. Caleb kissed my eyes lightly, but words spat out were cold as ice: “Grace, endure a bit more, this livestream is important to me, to Jade.” Accompanied by sharp pain, liquid flowed slowly from chest again. Don’t need to think, I know. The pure white wedding dress must be dyed red by blood. My body trembled more violently, throat emitting painful wails. Soon covered by laughter around. They excitedly read what gifts netizens sent again, turning a blind eye to my pain. In this, Jade’s laughter stood out: “Brother Caleb, thank you, if you weren’t willing to let Grace help me, I really didn’t know how to scrape enough for my mom’s medical fees.” “Don’t say that, Auntie always treated me like a son, me doing this, is should be.” So it’s like this. Listening to their conversation, my whole heart soaked in chill, frozen into stone. But their matter, why must be achieved by hurting me? Clearly… there could be better solutions… Clearly, Caleb promised, would take care of me for life. Thinking of this, my lower lip was bitten bleeding. Body already full of scars instantly added a new wound. I reached out to Caleb unwillingly: “Caleb, enough, forgot how you promised me?” He slapped my hand away coldly, wedding ring on hand scratched my skin: “Grace, forgot who saved you back then?” “Without Sterling family, you are just a homeless blind girl wandering outside!” “Didn’t you keep saying repay me, now is time for you to repay.” Repay… I silently recited this word, hand froze in mid-air, fell weakly. If it’s repay, then after this time, should be enough. I swallowed all unwillingness and humiliation, calmly asked one sentence: “Caleb, you said before helping me find my family, any progress now?” Chapter 2 I was originally a normal person. In an earthquake three years ago, I lost my family, trapped in one place with Caleb. When Sterling family came to rescue, they saved unconscious me out too. After waking up, I found myself blind. My family didn’t appear for a long time. Sterling family saw me pitiful, took me in. During time in Sterling family, Caleb was my eyes. Inconvenient eating, he would patiently pick out fish bones for me bit by bit, afraid I get pricked. Mocked as blind by outsiders, he would rush up angrily, fighting till head bleeding. Day proposed, I once retreated. Such a good person, shouldn’t have a burden like me. But Caleb firmly held my hand, swearing to take care of me for life. Sterling family didn’t mind my disability either, happy to see it happen. I thought fate finally favored me. But didn’t expect, only few months passed, it took favor back. Caleb who once couldn’t bear to hurt me a bit, now for Jade, left deepest wounds on me. Perhaps, he never loved me. Livestream continued. I endured various pains, gritting teeth without a sound. Finally lasted till time ended. Amidst cheers, Caleb stepped forward, untied my ropes. Only then discovered because tied too tight, ropes deeply embedded in flesh, surrounding skin almost necrotic. I closed eyes tight, breath weak as thread. Whole body couldn’t find a piece of intact place. Caleb hurriedly helped me up, patted my face: “Grace, are you okay? It’s over, I take you home.” Home? No, that’s not my home. Mustering one breath, I grabbed his sleeve dead tight. Hoarse voice squeezed from throat: “I want to return to my real home! I want to find my mom and dad!” Hand supporting me paused slightly. Before losing consciousness, I heard him promise me: “Okay, go back I’ll help you find your parents.” Waking up again, no one beside me. I thought I had a nightmare. But pain all over told me, that was real. In darkness, I reached out helplessly, crying silently. Guide dog beside sensed my emotion, lay beside me, carefully licking my hand. Across the door, is another world. “Jade, how is your mother’s illness? If money not enough, I’ll supplement.” “Auntie, don’t worry, today’s livestream very successful, money enough, just Grace’s side…” “Don’t worry about Grace, she is family, we will comfort her well.” I couldn’t help gripping quilt tight, heart completely broken into two halves. I always thought Mrs. Sterling knew nothing about this. Even fantasized she would stand on my side, scolding Caleb for me. Turns out, all this is just my ridiculous delusion. Compared to me, Jade is more like their family. Caleb’s voice came from outside door: “Mom, Grace always wanted to find her family, any progress on your side?” Hearing family, tears in my eyes stopped abruptly. No sound outside door. I held breath, endured pain climbing off bed. Crawled all way to door, pressed ear to listen. Long wait passed, Mrs. Sterling finally spoke: “I never helped her look, she has us taking care now, worry-free food and clothing, waste that energy for what.” “Besides, her family may not want to recognize her, a blind person, except us, who willing to raise.” Chapter 3 In an instant, my heart almost stopped beating. Brain buzzing, couldn’t listen to what they said anymore. Only one thought in heart. They are lying to me. Door suddenly opened. Caught off guard, I fell to ground. Caleb’s deep voice sounded overhead: “Grace, you heard all?” I couldn’t help trembling. Voice always felt gentle to extreme, now sounds like demon whispering. Without waiting my answer, Caleb started explaining himself: “Grace, I didn’t expect things like this either, but Mom makes sense, even if you find family, you will become their burden.” “I will take good care of you, just drop this thought, stay home peacefully.” Take care of me? I sneered coldly, tore open clothes. Showed him bloody wounds on body: “Caleb, is this the care you mentioned? Your good, to me is poison wrapped in deception and hurt.” “Knew this earlier, I’d rather be smashed to death in earthquake back then!” A sigh sounded in air. A coat draped on me, covering my wounds: “Grace, stop making trouble, I know sorry to you, also promised treat you well, but don’t get advantage and still act good.” Hearing this, anger in heart could no longer suppressed. I threw coat on ground, face calm without waves: “I am very grateful you saved me, but this grace, I paid off.” “Caleb, let’s divorce.” Said, I supported tattered body, swaying towards door. Just walked few steps, hand suddenly grabbed. Caleb’s voice finally had panic: “Grace, I didn’t mean that, calm down…” Before finishing, interrupted by Jade: “Brother Caleb, Grace is deliberately throwing tantrum with you, waiting for you to coax her, don’t be fooled. She helpless chicken power, and blind, where can she go alone?” “Ignore her, let her go, within ten minutes she has to come back obediently, can’t spoil people.” Caleb froze, let go hand, stood aside silent. Corner of my mouth hooked a mocking arc, holding my guide dog, passed through them. “Caleb, goodbye.” Caleb didn’t move. Most anxious instead Mrs. Sterling: “Grace, outside dangerous, you can’t see, how to live alone?!” “Don’t go, come back.” Hearing her concern, heart inevitably produced a trace of emotion. But steps didn’t stop. I still have bank card family gave me before, maintaining life outside is not problem. Seeing me so resolute, Mrs. Sterling gritted teeth. Chased me running out. Careless for a moment, hit straight by oncoming car. Braking sound behind, and Caleb’s angry roar: “Grace! If not for your nonsense, Mom wouldn’t be hit by car!” My steps paused. Hesitated again and again, still turned back, got on ambulance with them. Luckily, Mrs. Sterling only slight fracture, not big problem. Outside ward, I unconsciously stirred fingers, hesitating whether to go in. Caleb carrying full body low pressure, brushed past me. I was bumped aside. He slammed door shut, locked it. Through door, heard Mrs. Sterling caring about me: “How is Grace? She can’t see, don’t let her go alone.” “Relax, she’s fine, Mom, let her go if she wants, why you must care about her?” Warmth in heart hasn’t risen. Next second, I fell into ice cave. “Sigh, no way, our family owes Grace.” “Son, actually in that earthquake, the one who should be blind was you.” Chapter 4 What is going on? My heart clenched hard, ten thousand question marks appeared in brain. Over door, Caleb equally shocked: “Mom, are you hit silly, brain not clear yet?” Mrs. Sterling silent a while, told truth of that year fully. Turns out, after that earthquake, Caleb and I saved into hospital together. Really blinded by earthquake, actually was him. Mrs. Sterling couldn’t accept this fact, washing face with tears daily. Reminded by others, she moved gaze to equally unconscious me. Knowing I was unclaimed, used connections, secretly did transplant surgery for me and Caleb. Transplanted my Cornea to Caleb. This is also why, she actively took me in. Even didn’t mind my defect, agreed Caleb marrying me. Everything not out of kind concern, but guilt. Since so, she didn’t want help me find family. Is it also afraid my family find out truth, seek revenge on her? Figuring all this out, I couldn’t help stepping back. Body trembling constantly due to shock and fear. Those beautiful memories about Caleb and Mrs. Sterling in memory, all shattered into dregs. Replaced by demon faces one by one. In silence, doorknob suddenly turned. Caleb coming out. I startled in heart, ignored guide dog not by side. Running out in panic. Just ran few steps, foot empty. Whole person rolled down stairs gulu gulu. Running sound deng deng deng from upstairs, don’t know if Caleb chasing. With sound approaching, fear in heart rose to peak. In panic, I hugged person’s leg beside tightly. Emitted crying tone: “Beg you, can you save me?” Person beside paused slightly. Then followed by familiar laughter: “Grace, you also have times begging me.” Hearing her voice, I sucked in cold air. Blood all over body about to freeze. She is Jade! Before I move, Jade already grabbed my arm dead tight, not letting me escape. “You came just right, wanted find you, you delivered yourself.” “Didn’t you always want find family? Caleb useless, I helped you find, come meet with me.” She is lying. I shook head crazily, bit her hand hard. Jade hissed, grabbed my hair hitting railing directly. Blood flowed slowly down cheek. I dizzy, dragged into car by her. Car sped all way, driving to unknown darkness. Stopped at unknown place. “Arrived.” Jade coldly “Mm”, pushed me off car. “Grace, we say goodbye here, hope you won’t be played broken.” I clung to her arm dead tight, trying last struggle: “Jade, what you doing to me?” She pulled my arm away, smiling proudly: “Last livestream very successful, even someone willing pay high price, buy you one day.” “Don’t think Brother Caleb will come save you, he hates you too late now.” Hearing Caleb’s name, I laughed self-deprecatingly. How could he come save me? From beginning to end, I never counted on him. Jade took me seven turns eight turns, finally stopped at a place: “Person you wanted I brought, when money sent?” My heart raised high, nervously waiting final judgment. Only heard that person sneer: “You abused my daughter, still want me send money?”

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I had been married for twelve years, and for every one of those months, my paycheck had gone straight to my mother, Doris. Stella, my wife, had never once complained about it. I honestly believed she was the most high-minded, understanding spouse a man could ask for. That belief shattered the day I was rushed to the hospital with a sudden, severe illness, needing a hundred thousand dollars for emergency surgery. I called her, my voice strained. “Stella, honey, I need the money for the operation.” Her voice, when it came, was a cold, sharp blade. “Go ask your mother. If you’re broke, maybe it’s time to pay the piper.” I froze. It was only after she hung up that the awful realization dawned on me—for the last twelve years, she hadn’t been high-minded or generous at all. She had simply been waiting for this exact day. 1 The dial tone buzzed like a needle in my ear. The world went silent. Only the rhythmic drip-drip of the heart monitor echoed in the sterile room, each beat a chilling countdown to my life’s end. Stella’s words were still circling in my head. “Go ask your mother. If you’re broke, maybe it’s time to pay the piper.” The tone was infused with ice, devoid of all the warmth and affection she had so expertly manufactured over a decade. I held my phone in mid-air, my arm locked in place. The blood in my body felt instantly congealed. How? How could she say that? We were husband and wife. Twelve years. My mind was a blank slate, utterly unable to process the magnitude of this betrayal. The aggressive smell of disinfectant burned my nostrils. I flashed back twelve years, to the first time I handed my debit card over to my mother, Doris Sullivan. We had just been married. My mother, smiling benignly, took the card in front of Stella and said, “A family’s money should be in one place, dear. I’ll keep it safe for you, put it away in a high-interest account. It’ll all be yours one day.” At the time, I thought she was the model of a dutiful parent. I was her son; she would never shortchange me. I looked at Stella. She just looked down, silent. I took her silence for assent. I believed her to be the rare, rational woman who understood the importance of filial loyalty. From that day forward, for twelve years, one hundred and forty-four months, not one dollar of my salary passed through my own hands. Stella never raised her voice or gave me a dirty look about it. I had been patting myself on the back for years, convinced I had married a good, generous, unmaterialistic wife. But that single, brutal sentence—”maybe it’s time to pay the piper”—was a slap that brought me crashing back to reality. It wasn’t assent. It was twelve years of calculated resentment. A bone-deep chill crept from my soles to the crown of my head. No, this couldn’t be right. Stella must have been joking, angry, or stressed. Clutching at a sliver of hope, I dialed my mother, Doris. The phone rang for an agonizingly long time. “Hello? Grant, is that you? Are you feeling any better, sweetheart?” My mother’s voice was, as always, thick with performative concern. My tight nerves relaxed a fraction. “Mom, the doctor says I need immediate surgery. It’s a hundred thousand dollars.” My voice carried a tremor I couldn’t hide. “A hundred thousand? Why so much?” The pitch of her voice lifted slightly, then softened again. “It’s alright, son, don’t you worry. A mother always takes care of her child. I’ll make sure you get treated.” The enormous rock in my chest sank to the floor. “When can you bring the money, Mom? The nurse has been pressing me.” “Oh, don’t rush me, dear,” her tone grew hesitant. “The money is all saved up, but most of it is in long-term CDs—you know, to get the best interest. Pulling it out now would be a catastrophe, we’d lose so much on the penalty.” “But the doctor said—” “I know, I know,” she cut me off impatiently. “I’ll see what I can scrape together first. What about your wife? Didn’t you talk to her? She must have some liquid cash, surely?” She was pushing it back to Stella. The small sense of security I had just found evaporated, leaving me more anxious than before. “Mom, Stella… I told her.” I couldn’t bring myself to repeat what Stella had actually said. “Well, there you go. You’re married, she can’t just abandon you. I’m hanging up now. I’ll go check with the bank.” The line went dead with an abrupt click. I stared at the phone screen, the anxiety twisting around my heart like a poisonous vine. The door opened and the nurse walked in, her face impassive. “Mr. Sullivan, if your payment isn’t processed, your surgery will be postponed today. We have other patients waiting for the OR.” Her words were a cold, hard hammer blow to my fragile nerves. “I—I understand. I’ll… I’ll have it processed right away.” My lips trembled, unable to form a coherent sentence. The nurse gave me a look of vague pity and turned to leave. Like a cornered animal, I redialed Stella’s number. This time, the phone rang once, then clicked off. I tried again. Click. I called her again and again until the generic voice message informed me that “the user you are trying to reach is currently unavailable.” She had blocked me. Despair, like a tidal wave, instantly drowned me. My chest tightened, a crushing weight pressing the air from my lungs. Just then, my screen lit up. It was my younger brother, Ronan. I seized the phone like a drowning man grabbing a life preserver. “Ronan! Quick! How much cash do you have? I need to borrow some—I need surgery now!” I cried out desperately. There was a moment of silence on the other end. “Cash? Where would I get cash, Grant? You know I just bought the new SUV last month; I’m totally tapped out.” His voice held zero urgency, only a tone of mild complaint. “Speaking of which, there’s a new flagship smartphone that just dropped. The camera is insane. I was thinking of upgrading. Could you maybe talk to Mom…?” Slam! I lost it. With every ounce of my remaining strength, I hurled the phone against the far wall. The screen splintered like an ugly spiderweb. The world was finally, utterly silent. I lay back on the bed, my eyes fixed on the ceiling. There was an old, discolored water stain shaped like a grotesque, twisted face, silently mocking me. In their eyes, I was worth less than a new phone. 2 After what felt like an eternity, the door cracked open. My mother, Doris Sullivan, walked in, clutching an old thermos. The moment she saw me, the tears started, streaming down her face like a broken dam. “Oh, my poor baby, how did you get so sick? This is going to be the death of your old mother…” She collapsed against my bedside, sobbing and beating her chest dramatically. Anyone watching would have believed she was a loving, utterly heartbroken mother. But after Stella’s call and Ronan’s callousness, her wails were nothing but grating noise to me. When she finished her act, she pulled a crumpled wad of bills from her pocket and shoved it into my hand. “Grant, sweetheart, this is every penny of my emergency money. Take it.” I looked down at the pathetic bundle in my hand. At most, it was two hundred dollars. All the blood in my body rushed to my head. Twelve years of my five-figure monthly salary, and this was my return? Two hundred dollars? “Mom, where is my paycheck money?” My voice was hoarse, like sandpaper grating on wood. Doris’s sobbing stopped instantly. She wiped her eyes and immediately launched into an attack on Stella. “Don’t even get me started! I told you years ago that woman couldn’t be trusted, she’s sneaky! See? The minute you get sick, she’s nowhere to be found! She must have hidden all your money!” She pushed all the blame onto Stella. “Your money, the bulk of it, is tied up in a high-yield CD, like I told you. The penalty for early withdrawal is huge!” She slapped her thigh, her face contorted in an expression of pained self-righteousness. “Just go back to your wife! She must have cash! Spouses are supposed to protect each other, how can she just watch you die? That heartless woman!” I said nothing, just stared at her. My eyes fell on her wrist. There, glittering under the fluorescent hospital light, was a brand-new, thick gold bangle bracelet. I had seen that exact style in a jewelry store window just last week. The price tag had been north of three thousand dollars. My heart plummeted. My mother had always sworn off jewelry, calling it a waste of money. Where did this bracelet come from? I couldn’t stop the image of Stella from flashing in my mind. She hadn’t bought herself new clothes in years. She wore the same few outfits, washed until they were threadbare. Our son didn’t have a decent remote-control car; his toys were hand-me-downs from the neighbors’ kids. And my mother, wearing a three-thousand-dollar piece of jewelry, was telling me she only had two hundred dollars in emergency cash. An invisible hand squeezed my heart, the pain so sharp I could barely draw breath. “Mom, your bracelet… is that new?” I heard the tremor in my voice. Doris’s look of profound sadness instantly froze. She instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but it was too late. Her eyes darted around the room. “This? Oh… this old thing? I bought it last year… It was cheap…” “Last year?” I gave a cold, dry laugh. “I saw the exact one at the jeweler last week. Thirty-two hundred dollars.” The air thickened, a sudden, suffocating silence. Doris’s face cycled from red to white to a mottled gray-green. She instantly exploded, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “Grant! What is the meaning of this?” She shot to her feet, pointing a trembling finger at my face. “Are you questioning me? I worked my fingers to the bone to raise you, and now you take the side of an outsider and accuse your own mother?” “You married that vixen and lost your mind! You’re utterly poisoned by her!” Her voice was so shrill it seemed to pierce my eardrums. “I’m telling you, the money is not available! If you want to get well, go beg your darling wife! See if she gives you a cent!” With that, she snatched the two hundred dollars back and threw the crumpled bills on the floor. The scattered greenbacks looked like a spray of blood. She spun around, slammed the door, and was gone. The ward was dead quiet again. I looked at the money on the floor, then at my own empty hands. Vixen? Outsider? For twelve years, Stella managed our home, raised our son, and looked after my every need. Yet, in my mother’s eyes, she was still just an “outsider.” And I, her so-called “son,” when in desperate need of life-saving cash, was rewarded with a pathetic performance and a torrent of abuse. My heart chilled, inch by agonizing inch. The “filial loyalty” I had so proudly upheld was nothing more than a self-deceiving joke. 3 I had run out of options. The hospital’s notices for payment started arriving like snowflakes, each one a death warrant. I lay on the bed, feeling like a stranded fish, mouth agape, waiting for the end. In a haze of despair, I thought of my childhood friend, Connor. I used the nurse’s station phone to call him. “Hello, who is this?” “Connor, it’s me, Grant.” My voice was weak, barely a whisper. “Grant? What the hell happened? You sound half-dead.” “I… I’m in the hospital. Acute pancreatitis. I need surgery, man. Could you… could you lend me some money?” My face burned with shame as I asked for the loan. I had never asked anyone for money in my life. “How much?” Connor didn’t waste a single word. “A hundred thousand.” “Fine. Send me the account details. But let me say one thing, Grant. Are you out of your mind? What about your wife and kid? Where did the last two and a half million you’ve earned go?” Connor’s blunt question hit me like a sledgehammer. Two and a half million… Right. Where was my money? I had never actually run the numbers. I just knew my five-figure paycheck automatically transferred to my mother’s account every month. How much was that, over twelve years? “Connor, could you… could you help me figure that out? How much did I make over the last twelve years?” “Hold on.” Connor hung up. Less than ten minutes later, the cell phone (one the nurse had kindly lent me) buzzed with a text. From Connor: “Just ran the numbers. After tax and benefits, your take-home pay over 12 years is conservatively $2.5 MILLION.” Two and a half million! I stared at the number, my limbs going cold. It wasn’t twenty-five thousand, not two hundred fifty thousand, but a staggering two and a half million dollars! That sum was enough to buy a decent house in the Bay Area, enough to secure my wife and son a comfortable life. And yet, here I was, unable to afford a hundred thousand dollars for my own surgery. Where did my money go? The wrenching pain in my heart threatened to make me pass out. Just then, the door swung open again. My mother, Doris, returned, her face still flushed with anger. I looked at her and roared like a lunatic. “Where is my money! Where did the two and a half million dollars go!” Doris flinched, startled by my ferocity. Her eyes darted away. “What two and a half million? Where do you get that number? It’s… it’s all saved for you…” “Saved? If it was saved, why can’t I get a hundred thousand dollars for life-saving surgery?” I struggled to sit up, but the weakness in my body sent me crashing back down onto the bed. “What is wrong with your brother? Shouting at your mother, do you have no manners!” A lazy, entitled voice sounded from the doorway. My brother, Ronan, swaggered in, dressed head-to-toe in brand-new designer sportswear. On his wrist, a glittering luxury watch. In his hand, the very latest smartphone model he’d asked me about on the phone. My gaze was locked on him, pinned like an insect. His outfit alone was worth more than ten thousand dollars. And then there was me. Lying on a cold hospital bed, waiting for a hundred thousand dollars to save my life. My mother and my brother were living in absolute, pampered luxury, funded entirely by my sweat and blood. A metallic, sickly-sweet taste flooded my throat. I looked at their smug, self-satisfied faces, then at the scattered, pitiful two hundred dollars on the floor. My vision went scarlet. I wasn’t a son. I was merely an asset. A human ATM, bled dry to the last drop, bones scraped clean by my own family. “The money… did it all go to him?” My voice was a raw whisper, tasting of blood. Doris’s face changed completely. Ronan looked irritated. “What do you mean, ‘went to me’? Money Mom gives her son isn’t ‘giving,’ it’s family! Besides, your money is Mom’s money. And Mom’s money is mine!” This self-serving, entitled logic ignited the final, frayed wire in my brain. I felt something enormous and vital inside me collapse. Twelve years of faith, twelve years of self-imposed blindness—it was all annihilated in that instant. 4 The door to the hospital room opened a third time. This time, it was Stella. She wore a simple black dress, her face devoid of any emotion, her eyes as cold as a Siberian winter. She didn’t look at me. She walked straight to the bedside. In her hand was a thick, leather-bound notebook. Thwack! She dropped the book onto my bed. The sound was quiet, yet it exploded in my ears like a thunderclap. My gaze fell on the cover.

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1 On our ten – year anniversary, Alistair and I ended long – distance living and announced our engagement. At the party, his secretary Lina eyed me up and down with a sly grin. “So, you’re the fiancée. I think I know you from online. Aren’t you that adult star with a new co – star in every vid?” she said innocently. “First time meeting, but your body looks familiar.” I looked up, my voice icy. “Are you sure it was me?” Lina feigned a gasp and hid behind Alistair. “Oh, sorry. I forgot people in your job usually retire quietly. You don’t want to be known.” Alistair’s face darkened. He gave me a questioning frown. “She must have you mixed up.” Lina stuck out her tongue. “Yes, my bad! A classy fiancée like you couldn’t be one of those click – chasing girls.” We’d met before. She was in the hospital where I worked after an… injury while working at a foreign high – end brothel. I was the doctor who stitched her. I wondered if she was still on the HIV meds I prescribed. … Alistair and I were the main event. Every eye in the room was on us. After Lina’s little performance, a hush fell over the grand ballroom. Guests shot me amused, speculative glances, their whispers dying on their lips. A mutual friend of ours quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Don’t be ridiculous. Genevieve was studying medicine in Berlin. The academic pressure is insane. Where would she find the time for that kind of nonsense?” Lina, her face a carefully crafted mask of innocent allure, pouted. “But isn’t it true that intellectuals under a lot of pressure need… unique ways to unwind? Besides,” she added, her eyes glinting, “Mr. Finch is so successful now. And the fiancée’s family isn’t wealthy. It’s only natural she’d want to find an easy way to earn a dowry, lying on her back.” My champagne flute hit the table with a sharp crack. I rose, my face a cold mask, and advanced on her. “You’d better have proof for claims like that. Otherwise, my lawyer will be in touch.” Lina flinched, theatrically covering her mouth. “Girls help girls! Okay, okay, I’ll stop.” Alistair’s jaw was tight. He forcefully pulled me back, stepping between us to shield Lina behind him. “That’s enough. You’re a grown woman. Why are you picking on a young girl who’s just starting out in the world?” A nerve pulsed in my temple. I stared at the man I had loved for a decade, a chasm of disbelief opening within me. He seemed to realize what he’d just said, pressing his lips into a thin line and saying no more. But Lina, as if deeply wounded, let her eyes well up with tears. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, her voice thick with fake remorse. “It’s my fault for meddling. Anyway, Mr. Finch is so rich now, I’m sure his fiancée won’t have to go back to her old job. Just… pretend I was mistaken.” The tide in the room had turned. The guests who had come to offer blessings now stared at me with undisguised contempt. They whispered behind their hands, laughing. Some even pulled out their phones, no doubt searching for the “content” she’d mentioned. Alistair’s aunt, her hair a cloud of tight curls, grabbed his mother’s arm with a stage whisper that carried across the room. “My, my, your family is certainly open-minded, accepting a daughter-in-law with so much… experience. You were just telling me how proud you were of her, studying abroad all on her own, refusing your money. Turns out she just had to lie back and open her legs to make a fortune in foreign currency. No wonder she didn’t need your pocket change.” 2 Alistair’s mother trembled with rage, her face burning with a humiliation so intense it seemed to radiate heat. She was a woman who had carried herself with grace her entire life; I doubt she had ever been so publicly shamed. “Genevieve,” she began, her voice strained, “I know a long-distance relationship with Alistair was difficult, but you can’t have…” I knew words wouldn’t fix this. I pulled out my phone and started dialing 911. I’d only pressed the first two nines when Alistair snatched the phone from my hand. “Don’t make a scene. It’s supposed to be a happy day. I believe you, okay? Is that enough?” he hissed. “The ceremony is about to start. Calling the police over something so trivial is just bad luck.” Disappointment washed over me, a cold wave that left my head ringing. For the past year, ever since Lina had appeared, I’d felt a subtle distance growing between us. He’d barely shown any concern when I was in a minor car accident in Berlin. I’d told myself it was normal for passion to cool after so long. But now, seeing him shield her, I feared the person he wanted to protect was no longer me. “Are you worried the police will bring bad luck to our engagement,” I asked, my voice dangerously quiet, “or are you afraid they’ll arrest your little liar?” I fought to keep the tremor of betrayal out of my voice and shook off his hand as he tried to grab me again. “Genevieve, I…” Before he could finish, Lina burst into loud, theatrical sobs. “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault, boohoo… Fiancée, please don’t fight with Mr. Finch. All his business partners are here! If you cause a scene, how will he face his clients?” she wailed. “I was wrong, okay! I made it all up!” I almost laughed at the sheer audacity. She was a master of feigned retreat. With her carefully chosen, ambiguous words, she had convinced everyone in this room that I’d been a prostitute in a foreign country. If I didn’t clear my name now, would Alistair have any “face” left when he stepped out with a wife everyone believed was a whore? I clenched my jaw and forced a chilling smile. “I don’t care what your motives are for this little drama. You are going to tell everyone the truth, right now. Or I swear, you will regret it.” Lina’s face went white. She began to sob even harder, her body wracked with performative grief. “I already said I was mistaken! What more do you want from me? The account of that online performer has been deleted anyway. I won’t show anyone the videos I downloaded, I promise! Please, please don’t use your power as the future boss’s wife to get me fired…” she pleaded. “Do you want me to kneel? I’ll kneel and beg for your forgiveness!” And with that, she started to buckle at the knees, ready to prostrate herself on the floor. But before she could, a strong arm caught her. Alistair shoved me aside, sending me stumbling. His face was a thunderous mask of fury, and the look he gave me was laced with pure venom. “Genevieve, have you not had enough?” he snarled. “I have been patient, but this is too much. Even if you made a mistake and filmed those videos, I was willing to turn a blind eye and move past it! Why do you have to be so relentless? Why must you bully her like this?” The world tilted. My heart seized, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. This man, the man who had been a third of my life, the man who, just an hour ago, had sworn to love me until our hair turned gray, didn’t believe me. What, then, was the point of any of this? “If we can’t sort this out here, then we’ll sort it out at the police station,” I said, my voice flat. I reached past him to grab Lina. She shrieked like a frightened rabbit about to be slaughtered, thrashing wildly. “Alistair! Alistair, save me! I think she wants to kill me!” I ignored her hysterics, my grip tightening as I started to drag her toward the exit. Alistair pried at my fingers. When I wouldn’t let go, he swung his arm back. A sharp, ringing CRACK echoed through the room. The noisy ballroom fell instantly silent. 3 A searing, numbing pain exploded across my cheek. It felt like a thousand needles pricking my skin, and a loud ringing filled my right ear. Alistair seemed stunned by his own action. He stared at his hand, frozen. “Ha!” A bitter, hopeless laugh escaped my lips. I licked the coppery taste of blood from the corner of my mouth and took a step toward him. Like a mother hen protecting her chick, Lina threw herself in front of Alistair, her body a shield. She looked ready to die for him. “What do you think you’re doing? So what if he hit you? You’re the one who was unfaithful first, you filthy slut!” Watching her self-sacrificing act, a profound exhaustion washed over me. “You keep saying I made indecent videos for the internet,” I said, my voice level despite the storm inside me. “Where is your evidence? Or do you think you can just ruin a person’s life with nothing but lies?” Murmurs rippled through the crowd. “She has a point. You can’t just take one person’s word for it.” Lina bit her lip, looking like a delicate flower braving a storm. “Fine,” she declared. “You forced me to do this!” She took out her phone and connected it to the large screen behind the stage. The slideshow of my happy photos with Alistair was instantly replaced by a graphic, deeply disturbing video. On the screen, a woman was entwined with a large, muscular man. Her face, thrown back in a state of ecstasy, was a mask of pleasure and abandon. And that face, displayed in high definition for everyone to see, was mine. The ballroom erupted. Mothers covered their children’s eyes. Men stared, their jaws slack. Others scrambled to record the scene on their phones. “Holy hell! She’s wild!” “Tsk, tsk. Look at the way she moves her hips.” “Who would’ve thought? She looks so prim and proper, but she’s a total degenerate in private.” “Studying medicine abroad? More like studying how many men she could climb into bed with.” “The things she’s doing… Can she ever be satisfied with just one man after this?” The comments were a filthy, relentless tide, each one a fresh stab of humiliation. Alistair’s face had gone a sickly shade of green. His mother looked as if she were about to faint, but she found the strength to stumble toward me, beating at my dress with her fists. “I pitied you for being an orphan! I treated you like my own daughter! How could you be so shameless? How could you do this to my son!” Lina clung to Alistair’s arm, her body shaking with sobs. “Mr. Finch, I just couldn’t bear to see you deceived by this… this used-up trash that’s been passed around by other men! You’ve been so good to me. I don’t care if you fire me for this. I had to tell you!” I folded my arms, a cold, humorless smile touching my lips. “Passed around by other men? I don’t think anyone knows that feeling better than you do, Lina.” 4 A violent tremor ran through Lina. Her eyes darted away, unable to meet my gaze as she burrowed deeper into Alistair’s embrace. That was the final straw for Alistair. His control snapped. He pulled Lina into a protective hug, his eyes blazing with crimson fury. “Genevieve! When are you going to stop humiliating her? You are the one who is shameless! You’re filthy, disgusting! Do you think everyone is as dirty as you are?” His chest heaved, his voice cracking with a pain he couldn’t conceal. “Ten years! For ten years, I treated you like a precious, untouchable star. I wouldn’t even lay a hand on you because I thought you were so pure, so perfect! And what did you treat me as?” I looked at his contorted face and let out a desolate laugh. “An untouchable star? Alistair, if you ever truly valued me, why didn’t you believe a single word I said? You didn’t even bother to question if the video was real. You just decided I was dirty. Did it never once cross your mind that it could be an AI deepfake?” Lina’s shriek cut through the air. “He put you on a pedestal, and this is how you repay him? The proof is right there for everyone to see! Are you saying he should lie to himself and pretend it’s not real?” I was done talking to her. I strode forward and grabbed her wrist. “Lina, verbal slander might get you a lawsuit. But creating and distributing a deepfake pornographic video of someone? That’s a felony. You’ll be facing prison time.” My voice was low and menacing. “You want to play with fire? I’ll make sure you get burned.” Her face turned ashen. She clutched her stomach and screamed. “Ah! My stomach… Don’t push me!” She threw herself backward, crashing violently into the towering pyramid of champagne glasses behind her. CRASH! The elegant crystal tower imploded in a shower of glass and golden liquid. “Lina!” Alistair roared, his eyes wild with panic. He dove to protect her, then whirled around and shoved me with all his might. Caught off guard, I fell hard. Sharp shards of glass bit deep into my palm, and blood welled up instantly, staining my white dress. Alistair’s gaze flickered to my bleeding hand, a flash of pity in his eyes. But it vanished as quickly as it came. He turned his face away, his voice colder and harder than ever. “Stop the act! Genevieve, I was blind to ever love you. You make me sick,” he spat. “Don’t think for a second I can’t live without you. There are plenty of women who would cherish me! I’m done with you. Get out.” The voices of the crowd swirled around me, a chorus of scorn. “We always knew she was no good. Now her true colors are showing.” “Mr. Finch did the right thing. A whore like that would have shamed his family for generations.” “Serves her right for being such a slut!” Alistair’s mother closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they held nothing but exhaustion and bitter disappointment. She shook her head slowly, turned, and walked back to her seat, not even offering me a hand. A hotel manager approached Alistair cautiously. “Mr. Finch, shall I still have the officiant proceed with the engagement ceremony?” “Yes! Why wouldn’t we?” Alistair bellowed, a desperate, defiant edge to his voice. He grabbed Lina’s hand and pulled her to her feet, announcing to the entire room, “Today, Lina and I are getting engaged!” Lina’s eyes widened in disbelief, her shock quickly melting into delirious joy. She nestled against Alistair, her soft sobs just loud enough for those nearby to hear. “Mr. Finch… are you really willing to give me, and the baby in my belly, a proper place by your side?” My blood ran cold. I stared at him, stunned. “You… you slept with her? She’s pregnant?” Alistair’s jaw tightened. “Yes! So what? You were allowed to screw around in a foreign country, but I’m not allowed to find a clean woman?” He wrapped his arm tighter around Lina, right in front of me. “At least Lina is clean! She’s a thousand times more pure than you!” He pointed at two security guards by the door. “Get this filth out of here. I don’t want her tainting my engagement party with Lina!” The guards moved toward me. As they grabbed my arms, I lifted my head and looked directly at Alistair, a grim smile on my face. “Alistair, before you throw me out, I have one last question for you.” I gestured toward the smug, triumphant Lina. “Do you know she has HIV?” The words dropped into the room like a bomb. Absolute, deafening silence.

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Went on a blind date with my best friend. She fancied a Tech CEO, I fancied a Major General. After engagement, the Major General and I had a long-distance relationship for years. He always used “strict discipline” as an excuse, even holding hands was restrained and polite. On the wedding night, he was like a different person, tossing me all night without pity, changing sheets four times. As for my best friend, she finally walked down the aisle with the CEO after on-and-off relationships. At my best friend’s wedding, my Major General husband, who usually never touched alcohol, got drunk to the point of unconsciousness. He curled up in the corner resisting everyone’s approach, only my best friend’s gentle comfort could quiet him down. When sending us to the car, my best friend carefully sent the precautions for taking care of him to my phone, and whispered instructions in my ear repeatedly. Looking at him leaning on my shoulder drunkenly, an indescribable sourness rose in my heart. I struggled to help him to the sofa, he backhanded pressed me under him, with a broken crying voice: “Bella, I beg you… don’t marry him, okay?” The phone screen lit up, the wallpaper was originally a photo of the three of us, now cropped to only him and Bella. I froze on the spot, heart felt like being cut open knife by knife. Bella, is my best friend for over twenty years. Turns out Gavin Sterling got drunk not for blessing, but because the person hidden in his heart finally became someone else’s bride. Chapter 1 My eyes instantly reddened, even voice was trembling. “Gavin, look clearly who I am?!” No response, only the sound of his heavy breathing as he fell into deep sleep. And the unconscious murmur in his mouth: “Bella…” I took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the surging emotions. After breaking free from his embrace, I ghost-driven unlocked his phone. In the chat box, densely packed were their daily sharings. Even the mess hall added a dish today, wildflowers bloomed by the training ground, saw a poplar tree dyed with autumn colors on the road… Gavin would take pictures and send to her. Just like how we looked sweet and loving when we first got together. Now we’ve only been married for three years, but have long lost the desire to share. I desperately needed a sense of security, once tried to find evidence that he still loved me from his phone. But was snatched away by him, eyes filled with rage I had never seen before. “Are you done? Checking phone all day, don’t you feel cheap?” “Can you respect my privacy?” The ending of that quarrel was me apologizing again and again. Swore never to touch his phone again, he finally softened his face. Chat records slid down bit by bit, heart also sank bit by bit. Turns out, the phone contained their shameful feelings. Closing the screen, I turned to look at his familiar face, tears rolled down silently. Phone in bag buzzed. Bella considerately sent messages one after another, all care instructions. “Zoe, make honey water for him, wipe off his vomit, be careful not to let him choke…” She always appeared “just right” between us. Even in our most intimate moments, she would send messages, guiding me how to satisfy him more. I was so stupid, turns out all this had traces long ago. Tears smashed on the screen, I had no mind to deal with her, simply turned off the screen. Seeing no reply from me, she started calling my phone crazily. And I, just quietly looked at the heavy night color outside the window, eyes empty. Gavin’s phone rang with an exclusive ringtone, he was almost instantly awake. Seeing the phone in my hand, he grabbed it with a dark face. He walked quickly to the balcony, through the glass I saw the corners of his mouth uncontrollably rising. That call lasted a full half hour, when hung up his face still carried unfaded gentleness. Turning back to the living room, his sharp eyes swept over me, accusing without a word: “Who let you touch my phone? Didn’t you see Bella called you so many times? How worried she was about you!” “She just finished the wedding, tired like this still has to worry about you, can you be more sensible?” Gaze landed on his still lit phone screen, that cropped photo was exceptionally dazzling. I pulled the corners of my mouth coldly, “Since you heartache for her so much, why not file a report to apply for divorce, go be her husband.” He hurriedly locked the screen, hid the phone behind him, finally noticing my red and swollen eyes. He walked over to hug me, softened his tone: “Phone always glitches, wallpaper cropped automatically, if you are unhappy, I’ll change it.” He deleted that photo in front of me, changed to our wedding photo. Buried his face deep in my neck, softly comforted: “Sorry wifey, I shouldn’t be fierce to you, I was drunk and muddled.” “Tomorrow is mom and dad’s memorial day, I’ll go with you.” Chapter 2 Early winter wind was exceptionally biting, I stood in front of the tombstone, unconsciously wrapped tight my coat. Shoulder sank, Gavin intimately draped his coat over me. He lit the candle, gently swept away the dust on my parents’ tombstone. Familiar exclusive ringtone rang, Gavin turned immediately, walked quickly to a distance to answer. Moment the call ended, he rushed over grabbed my wrist wanting to leave. I froze, “What’s wrong?” Face full of anxiety, “Bella is in trouble!” “Her husband misunderstood her taking care of me at the wedding, beat Bella, I must go resolve it.” If before I would definitely be more anxious than him. But now I just frowned and pulled him. “Who doesn’t know Bella and I are closest best friends, how could he misunderstand you?” “If really domestic violence should call police, what are you meddling in other family’s affairs? Unless you really did something shameful?” He stiffened, then threw off my hand, eyes flickering. “Zoe, what nonsense are you talking about! Can you not get jealous randomly?!” “Since you are not going, I’ll go myself.” I met his gaze, “Going like this won’t make it clearer right? Gavin, you said you would accompany me today.” His face suddenly became gloomy. “Is your heart made of iron? She is your best friend! If something happens to Bella…” He glanced coldly at the tombstone, tone sarcastic: “Just dead people, staying here one more minute, can your parents come back to life? Bella is a living person!” I looked at him in disbelief, light in eyes extinguishing bit by bit, “You go.” “Apologize to mom and dad when I come back, okay?” He couldn’t see the disappointment in my eyes, just dropped a sentence, roughly pulled away the coat on my shoulder and turned to leave. His coat accidentally swept down the candle, I panicked used hand to put out fire. Burning pain instantly pierced into palm, tears uncontrollably smashed down. But a gust of cold wind swept past, flames still completely swallowed parents’ portrait. I slumped on the ground, leaning against the tombstone crying in breakdown. Back then, parents used every method to stop me from being with Gavin who just graduated from military academy. But dazzled by love, I still followed him without hesitation. Those three years following the army, we squeezed in the damp temporary family housing at the border outpost. Winter he led team patrol encountered blizzard, lost contact for three days. I braved minus twenty degrees cold, guarded outside communication station, hands and feet had frostbite, until seeing his figure returning with team, then fainted on ground. To support his advanced studies, I gave him all the Wedding Fund my parents gave me, lying it was bonus. Ate cheapest dishes in cafeteria for a whole year. Only then truly understood the meaning of “Military family, warmth and cold self-known” my parents said. But Gavin besides no money, gave me everything he could. So, I endured hardship gladly. Later mom and dad died in car accident, I didn’t even see their last face. That day, Gavin with red eyes tightly hugged collapsed me, used his one month salary saved to buy a small diamond ring. Knelt in front of me promised: “This life absolutely won’t fail you.” He promoted all the way, became one of the youngest Major Generals in the army. Our life improved day by day, but his feelings for me became indifferent day by day. I once naively thought, even if whole world abandoned me, at least he and Bella wouldn’t. But fact is, how thoroughly wrong I was. Phone vibrated, Bella sent an “all good” emoji. Clicked her avatar, found she updated Instagram Story. [Luckily he was there.] In the nine-grid photos, Gavin was focused on bandaging her wound. Moment clicking live photo, heartbreaking ambiguous sounds came from background. A burst of violent nausea surged up, I held the cold tombstone, couldn’t stop retching. Chapter 3 “Bella, I missed you so much…” “Brother Gavin, I’m going to divorce him, will you marry me? I don’t want to sneak around with you anymore.” Amidst confusion and passion, Gavin softly “En”ed. Under live of every photo, was Bella’s intermittent moans, and Gavin’s low panting. I endured nausea, silently saved all live photos. Turned around consulted a divorce lawyer. Hospital diagnosis popped up on phone, result showed pregnant. I looked down gently touched abdomen, eye rims unconsciously red. Maybe this child didn’t come at right time. Returned home, saw Bella wearing my exclusive slippers. Bella naturally took my arm, voice sweet: “I brought your favorite Red Velvet Cake, thanks to Brother Gavin saving me, thanks~” Sound of cooking came from kitchen, Gavin wearing apron leaned out, voice light: “Back? Wash hands ready to eat.” This scene warm enough to sting eyes, as if they are the owners of this house. Three years dating, five years marriage, first time I knew he could cook. Remember year living in basement, I had acute gastritis pain curled in bed, he only cooked me a bowl of Cup Noodles. Housework at home, he never touched. I laughed coldly, turns out love and not love is so obvious. I stared at slippers on Bella’s feet, cold voice: “Take them off!” Bella froze, “Zoe…” Under my cold gaze, she finally sheepishly changed to guest slippers, wrongly hid into kitchen. I bent down picked up slippers still carrying her body temperature, threw into trash can. At this time, Gavin rushed over angrily, ignoring I was barefoot, roughly dragged me into room. “What crazy fit are you throwing? She just experienced that kind of thing, don’t you know how fragile her emotion is?” “Just a pair of slippers, worth you making fuss like this? Tomorrow I buy you ten new pairs!” I stood barefoot on cold floor, chill rushed from soles to heart. “It’s different.” “Where different?” He frowned tight. My voice very light, “This was bought by you specially for me first day moved into new home.” “You said, this is our home’s new beginning… I usually bear not wear.” That time he held my face, eyes bright and serious. “Zoe, later I treat you like little princess, never let you eat a bit bitterness.” But now, he forgot all. His expression slightly relaxed, sighed, leaned down dropped a kiss on my forehead. “Alright, my fault, didn’t consider your feeling, pay attention next time.” “Don’t be angry, eat first, okay?” He reached out want rub my hair, I sideways avoided. He paused, took me back to living room, considerately pulled chair for me. At table, I chewed mechanically, every bite tasted like wax. “Bella wants divorce, afraid being pestered, stay at our home for this period.” Gavin tone plain, like saying an ordinary small matter. I froze, chopsticks in hand “Snap” heavily fell on table. Stomach suddenly overturned, I violently got up rushed into bathroom, holding toilet violently retched. Gavin gloomy face followed to door, coldly looked at my embarrassed appearance. “Zoe, what do you mean? Necessary to show disgust so obviously?” “I not, I just——” Morning sickness two words not said out, interrupted sternly by him. “So many empty rooms at home, what if let her stay few days?” “Weren’t you best with her before? Why become so narrow mean now?” “Friends helping each other, isn’t it should be?” I held sink looked up, red eyes straight looked at him. “Are you really just friends?” Chapter 4 Gavin’s body obviously stiffened. Bella walked close red eyes, fingers helplessly twisting hem of clothes: “Sorry, all my fault… caused you quarrel, I leave now.” Gavin turned without hesitation chased. Door pushed open again, my sight landed on their ten fingers interlocked hands. Gavin released hand like electric shock. He tone stiff, “So late, unsafe for her alone, find house tomorrow.” Bella playfully stuck out tongue, silent showing off, like thorn pricked into my heart. “Zoe, can I sleep with you tonight?” I suddenly felt a bone-piercing fatigue, turned back to room. Late night tossing and turning, Bella still came uninvited, lay beside me. “Zoe, Brother Gavin doesn’t love you long ago, why not obediently fulfill us?” I couldn’t bear anymore, pulled her off bed. “Can’t pretend anymore? A third party snatching best friend’s husband, also worthy talk fulfill?” “Bella, do you know destroying Military Marriage is illegal?!” She face sank, suddenly sneered: “So what! This play should end, you forced me!” Dim light shone on her twisted face. Next second, she grabbed bedside lamp, fiercely smashed on her own forehead! Blood instantly gushed out, she stuffed blood stained lamp base into my hand, eyes cold as knife. My brain blank, froze on spot. When Gavin rushed into room, just saw me holding bloody lamp. And Bella paralyzed on ground. He horrified hugged her, roared at me: “Zoe! You want to kill?!” I trembled scared by his shout, lamp fell with sound. “Apologize!” His eyes burning with raging fire. Bella breath weak, “Brother Gavin, don’t blame her… but I hurt so much…” Voice fell, she “coincidentally” fainted in his arms. “Go get car key!” He sternly shouted at me, picked her up rushed out. I panic clutched cold key chased up. In car, he anxiously stepped gas pedal to floor, bumpy all way. My stomach overturned, opened window uncontrollably retched. In rearview mirror, his eyes looking at me only disgust. Just stopped steady at hospital entrance, I worried bumpy road affect fetus, hurriedly picked up phone want book ultrasound check. “Still have mind play phone now!” “If Bella has any accident, I’m not finished with you!” “You just reflect well in car!” Gavin heavily knocked off my phone, smashed into roadside sewer. Before I react, Gavin immediately locked car door. I panic beat car door, “Let me out! I pregnant!” His hand holding Bella paused, looked up coldly glanced at me. “To delay Bella treatment actually lie, we took measures every time! How possible pregnant!” After that, left without looking back. Air in car thinner and thinner, after journey torture, abdomen bursts of falling pain. Blood overflowed from under body, face also became pale. Survival instinct made me fiercely beat car window, “Help, help!” Don’t know how long passed, dry hoarse mouth still calling help. “Quick save person!” More and more people gathered. “Bang” sound smashed one by one, I completely fainted. Until Bella condition stabilized, Gavin finally remembered me. [Bella safe, you come apologize, this matter passed.] [?] Message stone sinking sea, his heart fierce sank, “Bad, Zoe still in car!” He ran out hospital like crazy, constantly dialing phone, while phone quietly lay in sewer vibrating crazily. “Quick pick up phone!” He urgently opened car door, scene entered eyes made his pupils shrink instantly!

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