Category: English

Someone drugged Michael with a sex drug that night. We ended up in bed, bodies overheating and out of control. Right when I was about to climax, I saw Serena—the woman he actually loved—standing in the doorway, tears running down her face. Three days later, they dragged a woman in a wedding dress out of the river. Serena. Pregnant with Michael’s first child. And he still married me. On our wedding night, he looked me dead in the eyes and sneered, “Happy now?” For the next thirty years, he never touched me again. And before I died, he told me, “I wish I never met you.” Then I opened my eyes—back on the night he was drugged. This time, I gripped my collar tight… and shoved Serena straight into his room. “Stella, help me…”The plea was a hot breath against my ear. Michael’s burning palm locked around my waist, slamming me against the door.. “Stella…” His voice was ragged, his teeth grazing my earlobe. In my past life, this was my fatal mistake. Michael was my parents’ adopted son. He’d doted on me, loved me, since we were children. Seeing the man who had once cherished me above all else now writhing in agony, my mind had gone blank. My fingers had moved to my buttons. Then, I met Serena’s tear-filled eyes in the doorway. Three days later, she was dead, taking two lives with her. Michael’s hatred for me ran bone-deep from that day on. I shoved Michael away. He staggered back, stunned. “Michael, I’ll get you some water.” I pushed the door open. Serena was standing right there, just outside the door. In my past life, I was utterly clueless, believing she was some sweet, innocent girl. If she was truly innocent, how could her timing be so perfect? “You’re just in time.” “What do you mean?” A flicker of panic, quickly hidden, darted in Serena’s eyes. I had no patience for her games. I grabbed her arm and pushed her into the room. “Your precious Serena is here. You two figure it out.” I slammed the door shut. The next second, the door was kicked open from the inside! Michael hadn’t touched her. Instead, he whirled and smashed his fist into the wall mirror. Glass shards sliced his arm, blood welling instantly. He was using pain to claw back his sanity. His bloodshot eyes locked on me, burning with a raw, tearing hatred. “Stella Caldwell, you’re vicious!” He snarled. “Serena is pregnant with my child.” “Did you shove her in here hoping to hurt them both?” How could he possibly know? In my previous life, he clearly didn’t know at this point! The world tilted. My blood ran cold. An absurd and terrifying thought exploded in my mind. He was reborn, too?

“Stella Caldwell!” Michael growled, his voice gritted. “How did I never see how malicious you were?” Michael loomed over me. “I’m marrying Serena in a month. From now on, you will remember your place.” “My place?” I looked up at him. “My sister.” His words were cold and final. “We may not share blood, but you call me Michael. That makes you my sister, and that is all you will ever be.” He paused, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes. “And stop with the drugs.” A sudden, sharp laugh escaped me. So he’d always believed I was the one who drugged him. No wonder he hated me for thirty years in my past life. From the very beginning, he had cast me as the vicious woman who would sink to any depth to have him. “Okay.” I nodded, calmly. “I wish you both all the best.” A hint of surprise flashed in Michael’s eyes, as if he hadn’t expected me to agree so readily. But he didn’t know that my parents had left me a safeguard. Michael, if you truly marry anyone else, you’ll lose everything. The ones who loved me most were always Mom and Dad. For now, I’d patiently wait for their wedding. Michael made me personally attend to Serena’s every need, all in the name of “atonement.” “Stella, from today on, you’ll cook for Serena, do her laundry, and take care of everything.” Michael stood in the living room, looking down at me. “Until you’ve truly repented and purged the malice from your heart.” I didn’t resist, just nodded calmly. “Okay.” Michael seemed a little surprised by my compliance, but quickly regained his cold demeanor. Serena sat on the sofa, stroking her still shapeless belly, giving me a gentle smile. “Stella, I’m afraid I’ll be quite a burden these next few days.” Sure enough, she was really looking for trouble for me. She had morning sickness. She insisted I stand beside her with a basin, watching her bend over and dry heave. Vomit splattered on my hand, with a pungent, sour smell. She slumped against the sofa, a peculiar light gleaming in her eyes. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Stella. I’ve made you dirty.” I cleaned the filth from my hands, my heart completely calm. She’d complain her feet were swollen when she walked. I would kneel and massage them, each session lasting over an hour, until my own hands went numb. I endured it all. And eventually, she seemed to find it boring. She didn’t just make things difficult for me when Michael wasn’t around, but she also slandered me when he was. When I handed her the prenatal vitamins, she suddenly stumbled. No, it was a “fake fall.” The scalding liquid splashed all over my hands, instantly causing blisters. The searing pain made my hand tremble, the glass vial fell to the ground, scattering fragments. “Serena!” Michael rushed over like a madman, scooping up Serena, who’d supposedly just “twisted her ankle,” and bellowed at me: “You can’t even stand to see her happy?! You’re trying to hurt her even when she’s just walking carefully?!” I looked at my own hands, burned bright red, blisters rising layer after layer. But Michael didn’t even glance at me. “Michael,” Serena leaned weakly in his arms. “Don’t blame Stella. It was just my own clumsiness.” “Don’t you dare defend her!” Michael seethed. “She did that on purpose!” The pain was excruciating, but I just watched them, my heart a barren landscape of indifference. I already knew this would be the outcome. “Michael,” Serena whispered, her gaze drifting to my neck. “Is that… a ruby? I heard red isn’t good luck for a pregnant woman. It might… clash with the baby’s energy.” “Take that thing off your neck,” his voice was devoid of warmth. That was what Michael gave me for my 16th birthday. My most precious possession. Before I could speak, he reached out and grabbed the chain. The thin silver chain dug into my skin, a stinging pain. Snap! The chain broke. He didn’t even glance at it, casually tossing it into the burning fireplace nearby. The flames instantly swallowed the ruby pendant. It turns out everything I once cherished, in his eyes, was no different from trash. How ironic.

“You’re coming with us to the bridal shop later,” Michael commanded, his arm around Serena at the top of the stairs. On the way to the bridal shop, Serena suddenly clutched her stomach and complained she was hungry. “I’m craving those amazing grilled cheese sandwiches from that old deli on the other side of town,” she said, hooking her arm coquettishly around Michael’s. “But we have to go try on dresses…” Michael immediately understood her meaning and turned to me. “You go get them.” Serena smiled sweetly. “Stella, I’d love them fresh and hot, straight off the grill. Would you mind?” I frowned, looking at the pouring rain outside the car window. Michael looked at me coldly. “What, you don’t even want to do this little thing?” I shook my head, and Michael shoved me out of the car. It was hard to hail a taxi in a heavy rain. I waited in the downpour for half an hour before finally getting one. By the time I reached the deli, I was completely soaked. “I’m sorry, we just ran out of grilled cheese. We’re making a new batch, but it’ll be about an hour,” the staff member said apologetically. But I waited anyway. I didn’t want to get into a pointless argument over this again. An hour later, I was rushing back through the rain with the piping hot takeout container. The rain was even heavier now. Even though I used my jacket to shield the container, rainwater still seeped in. My lips were purple with cold, my teeth chattering uncontrollably. By the time I stumbled back to the bridal shop, Michael and Serena were waiting for me in the lounge area. Seeing my condition, Michael frowned. “What took you so long?” “It’s raining. Traffic was bad,” I explained simply, my hands trembling as I handed the takeout container to Serena. Serena’s foot subtly extended, tripping me. The container flew from my grasp. The hot contents of the sandwich, along with the melted cheese, splattered all over the wedding dress next to Serena. “Ah!” Serena shrieked. “My wedding dress!” The pure white lace was stained a mess. “Stella Caldwell!” Michael roared, kicking the takeout container, sending the remaining hot cheese and sauce splashing all over my legs. The scalding liquid burned my skin through my wet pants. I gasped in pain. “You did that on purpose!” Michael pointed at me, his eyes blazing with fury. “You just can’t stand to see us happy!” “I’m not!” “Are you still trying to argue?!” Michael’s gaze cut into me like a knife. “Get down on your knees!” “What?” “Kneel! Kneel until Serena is no longer upset!” Other customers in the bridal boutique stopped to gawk, their whispers reaching my ears. “What’s going on?” “That poor girl…” I stood there, drenched, the focus of everyone’s stares. In my past life, I would have found it unbearable with shame. But now, I just felt tired. So, so tired. I slowly knelt down. The cold floor instantly made my knees numb. “Michael,”Serena said softly, “It’s okay, Stella didn’t do it on purpose.” “No.” Michael said coldly. “She needs to know what she did wrong.” I knelt there, looking at the shattered pieces of the takeout container on the floor. The rain was still falling. Just like many years ago, that rainy night when I had a high fever and Michael sat by my bed all night. Back then, he would anxiously touch my forehead, tell me stories to coax me to sleep, and gently pat my back when I woke up in the middle of the night. “Don’t be scared, Stella. Michael’s here. I’ll always protect you.” But now, he felt disgusted even looking at me. The rain grew heavier. I knelt on the cold ground, feeling my body temperature slowly draining away. I don’t know how much time passed, but I felt dizzy and my vision blurred.

I lay in the hospital for three days, battling a fever. I nearly died. Michael never came. Not even a text or a call. I closed my eyes. Although I no longer held any hope, my heart still ached a little. Today was Michael’s wedding. I forced my weak body to appear at the Caldwell estate. When Michael saw me, a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes. “You should be recovering in the hospital.” “I don’t want to miss your big day, Michael,” I said calmly. Serena walked down from upstairs. When she saw me, a hint of smugness flashed in her eyes. “Stella, are you not well yet? Your face looks very bad.” “I’m fine,” I replied without a ripple of emotion. “That’s good.” She walked up to me and said in a low voice. “Oh, by the way, Michael mentioned you’d be helping to host today. He thought it would be more practical if you wore a staff uniform.” She pointed to the black uniform on the sofa. I looked at the ill-fitting staff uniform and suddenly smiled. So they didn’t even want to leave me the last shred of dignity. “Okay.” I picked up the uniform and changed into it right in front of them. Michael looked at me, with a complex emotion in his eyes, like reluctance, and also like relief. But quickly, he shifted his gaze. The banquet hall was full of guests. I stood in the corner in a staff uniform, enduring everyone’s pointing and whispering. “Isn’t that Stella Caldwell? Why is she dressed like that?” “Honestly, what a disgrace.” I listened to their comments with a blank expression, my heart completely calm. The emcee began to host the wedding. “Now, please welcome the bride and groom to exchange rings.” I watched Michael and Serena on stage. They smiled so sweetly, as if there was only each other in the world. The emcee announced with a smile, “I declare, you are officially husband and wife! The groom may now kiss the bride!” Just as Michael leaned in to kiss her, the banquet hall doors swung open. A middle-aged man in a suit walked in, holding a document. “Excuse me for the interruption, everyone.” He walked to the stage, his voice clearly reaching everyone in the banquet hall. “I’m Mr. Hayes, senior legal partner for Caldwell Industries. The late Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell entrusted me with their final wishes.” The entire hall fell silent. Michael frowned. “What is it?” Mr. Hayes unfolded the document. “A supplementary clause specifies that Michael Caldwell will forfeit his entire inheritance upon marrying any woman other than Stella Caldwell.” “What?!” Michael couldn’t believe it. “Effective immediately, all shares and assets of Caldwell Industries will be transferred to Ms. Stella Caldwell.” Mr. Hayes continued, his voice flat and final. “Mr. Michael Caldwell, you have been disinherited.”

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After my chemotherapy, my husband Daniel took me to a party. There, his childhood friend pointed at my bald head and sneered, “You look disgusting. Doesn’t he find you repulsive?” I waited for my husband’s defense. It never came. “Look at you,” he said, his voice dripping with disgust. “You’re an embarrassment.” Even my own son, Leo, screamed, “Ugly hag! Get out!” I had just finished chemotherapy. My hair was gone. I never imagined my husband and son would treat me with such contempt. But he forgot how he’d begged me to marry him on his knees. I filed for divorce. And adopted the son of his greatest rival. “You’re sure about this? You know who his father is.” “It’s fine. Daniel won’t care.” The director’s expression shifted from doubt to pure delight. Since she hadn’t seen Daniel with me recently, she asked no further questions. “Alright, I’ll process the paperwork immediately. You can expect him within days.” I walked out of the orphanage into a heavy downpour. The throbbing pain from my abdomen, a lingering reminder of the surgery, tried to pull me under, but I clung to consciousness, making my way back home. The living room was ablaze with light when I opened the door.  Daniel sat on the sofa, eyes closed, seemingly resting. At the sound of my entrance, his eyes opened and locked with mine. “Where were you?” Clutching my stomach, I barely had the strength to speak. I tried to walk past him and head upstairs. But he grabbed my wrist, and immediately, the potent smell of alcohol enveloped me. “What’s your problem now? Making a scene in front of everyone!” “Skylar was just joking.  Don’t be so petty.” Petty. He knew the chemo took my hair, yet he let her wield it as a weapon against me. He always took her side, making me an outsider in my own marriage. How dare he tell me not to be petty? “Yeah, Skylar’s just telling the truth.Why are you so sensitive, Mon? You embarrassed Dad in front of everyone.” Leo stood nearby, glaring at me with pure disapproval. In that moment, I felt like the entire world was pointing fingers at me, branding me the worst kind of villain. I clenched my fists until my knuckles turned white. I used to fight back, desperate for them to see me. Now, I finally understood. Their hearts belonged elsewhere. I was done. The fight left me. His grip left a throbbing, swollen bracelet of pain around my wrist. I went still after a brief, silent struggle. Daniel mistook it for surrender, a smug eyebrow lifting in triumph. “Go make me some hangover soup.”With that, he collapsed onto the sofa. A wave of nausea hit me, remembering him toasting with Skylar while I was humiliated. Why should he rest while I, just out of surgery, served him? My decision was final. I bypassed the kitchen and went upstairs. When I opened the bedroom door, Skylar was stepping from the bathroom, draped in Daniel’s shirt. Steam glistened on her skin, the fabric doing little to cover her My bed was buried under her clothes, a suitcase barring the entrance. She gasped and clutched her chest when she saw me. She asked, full of feigned shock and in a sickly sweet voice, “Eliza, what are you doing back?” I scoffed. “Am I interrupting?” I turned on Daniel as he mounted the stairs, his pace unbearably casual. “Daniel. An explanation. Now.” He met my stare, his tone deliberately reasonable.  “Skylar has no one else in the city. Letting her stay a few days is nothing. Are you seriously making a scene about this?” Leo puffed out his chest beside him. “She’s pregnant. She can’t stay in the cold guest room.” Skylar was just out of a divorce and pregnant. Offering help was one thing. But I was recovering from surgery and couldn’t risk a chill.  Why was she sleeping in my room? As if sensing my thoughts, Skylar feigned alarm. “Eliza, Daniel said the guest room was too cold for me, and it wouldn’t be good for the baby, so he let me stay in the master bedroom. You don’t mind, do you?” Her words twisted a knife to my heart. I was the one fresh from surgery, yet his concern was all for Skylar. To excuse her public humiliation of me was one betrayal. To install her in our home was another entirely. A hot, suffocating rage burned in my chest. My fists clenched. The disappointment was absolute, final. I packed a bag and moved toward the guest room. Daniel followed me inside before the door could close. His arm snaked around my waist, his face nuzzling into my neck. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask you first. Does your incision still hurt?” “You’re just so stubborn.Making a public scene like that… think of my image. I lost my temper, I admit it. Forgive me?” As he spoke, his hand groped for the light switch, leaning in to kiss me. And I understood. He couldn’t bear the sight of me. I wouldn’t let him. My hand shot out and flipped the switch, flooding the room with harsh, unforgiving light. Daniel recoiled, scrambling back from me on the bed. He was already stuttering an apology when a knock cut him off. “Daniel… I’m a little scared. Could you come out and be with me?” I yanked the door open without hesitation, glaring at Skylar, who stood there in a thin nightgown, crying dramatically. “If you’re scared, then get out!” Skylar immediately looked like she’d been grievously wronged. “I’m so sorry, Eliza, I didn’t mean to disturb you two, I… I… If you don’t like me, I’ll leave right now!” With that, she wiped her tears and started to walk downstairs. Daniel immediately panicked. He pushed me aside. The violent shove sent me crashing against the wall, making me gasp in pain. Daniel spun around, roaring at me, “What the hell is wrong with you?! Skylar’s pregnant, how can you be so vicious, trying to force her out?!” “If anything happens to her, you’ll regret it!” He then rushed after her. I struggled to my feet from the cold floor, feeling blood seeping from my incision. The pain made it impossible to stand straight. I hastily cleaned myself up in the bathroom, hoping that with him gone, I could finally get some rest. But in a hazy dream-like state, I was suddenly yanked from my bed. A chilling cold enveloped my entire body. Daniel snarled through gritted teeth, “How dare you sleep?! Don’t you know Skylar’s in the hospital?!” I was dragged to the hospital by Daniel, where Skylar lay in her room surrounded by an array of treats. Seeing us enter, she put on a pathetic, innocent act. “Eliza, I didn’t mean it, please don’t be angry…” I hadn’t even said a word, and Skylar was already offering tearful apologies. But this wasn’t an apology at all. It was clearly her trying to pull the same old trick, making Daniel feel sorry for her again. Her acting was so clumsy, anyone with eyes could see through it. But Daniel, once again, fell for it. He grabbed my arm, his voice sharp and severe. “Apologize to Skylar.” “If you hadn’t upset her and made her leave, how would she have tripped on the stairs?” I was so infuriated by his baseless accusations that I laughed. “What does that have to do with me? You yourself said she fell, didn’t you?” “Daniel, you know perfectly well that I’ve just had surgery and shouldn’t be running around, yet you’ve repeatedly humiliated me. Have you forgotten how I got this illness in the first place?” At my words, Daniel froze. Others might not know, but he knew the truth all too well. Back when he was starting his business, I accompanied him to client meetings. I drank so much every day that I’d vomit blood from my stomach. I was rushed to the emergency room multiple times. It was from that time that my kidneys started having problems. Until this year, when it escalated, and I was diagnosed with early-stage kidney cancer. “I…” Before Daniel could reply, Skylar sat up from her hospital bed. She knelt on the floor, bowing her head repeatedly. “I’m so sorry, Eliza, it’s all my fault, please don’t blame Daniel…” I didn’t understand what she was playing at. The slight regret in Daniel’s eyes flickered and then vanished. He then spoke to me in a cold tone. “Even so, you can’t bully Skylar. She’s innocent.” “You’re just jealous of her beauty, aren’t you? You’re acting like such a shrew…” I couldn’t bear to hear him berate me any longer. The pain in my abdomen started up again. I clutched my stomach and crouched down, sweat beading on my forehead. “Eliza, stop faking it. You see Skylar apologizing to you, so now you’re trying to act pitiful? Get up and apologize to her.” Daniel frowned, showing no concern for my distress. Then, my vision blurred, and I collapsed.

When I woke up again, I was in a hospital bed. “Stop pretending. The doctor said you just have low blood sugar. Why are you being so dramatic?” Daniel stood over me, looking down, a hint of impatience in his eyes. I didn’t reply. I didn’t want to talk to him. Daniel couldn’t stand it when I was like this. He snapped, “How long are you going to keep this up? Can’t you learn to be more sensible, like Skylar?” “Keep this up? Daniel, I’m already in this state, what do I have left to ‘keep up’ with you about?” For him, I had undergone chemotherapy at 25. I had become this ghost of my former self, and now he was tired of me. He was disgusted by me. The man who once loved me so deeply had become a cruel stranger, a puppet in her hands. “But you still can’t give Skylar the cold shoulder. She’s pregnant; what if her emotions get out of control and affect the baby?” Mid-sentence, Daniel paused, noticing my pale face. He used to be so concerned about me, but now, because of Skylar, he was yelling at me. Completely forgetting that we had been married for over ten years. He controlled himself. “I was too emotional… Eliza, you know, Skylar’s parents were very good to me. I can’t just stand by and watch her suffer.” I gave a cold laugh. “So I deserve to suffer instead?” “You!” Daniel was choked by my words. “You’re always so willful and defiant. Can’t you learn to be a little more sensible and gentle like Skylar?” He forgot that when we first got together, he used to say he loved my straightforward personality the most. Now that he was tired of it, he blamed me. But it didn’t matter anymore. If he couldn’t stand it. I wasn’t going to force it. “I can’t learn, and I won’t. If you want someone ‘sensible,’ go find her.” “What do you mean?” I looked at him coldly. “Let’s get a divorce.” Daniel’s face instantly darkened. “Divorce? Eliza, do you know what you’re saying?” “I’ll have the divorce papers prepared today. You can leave now.” I had given him his marching orders, but Daniel suddenly became agitated. “Just because I asked you to apologize to Skylar? You’re threatening me with divorce?” He wouldn’t believe it. Ten years into our marriage, I had never once talked about letting go, so Daniel naturally assumed I was just throwing a tantrum. But the truth was, I wasn’t. “Eliza, when did you become so petty?” I ignored him. Daniel gritted his teeth. “Fine, you’d better think this through. If we divorce, I won’t ever remarry you!” “Don’t come crawling back to me then!”

Bang! He slammed the door shut, and silence returned. Daniel didn’t visit me once during my three-day hospital stay. On Ins, Skylar’s updates kept coming. In the photos, Daniel held her hand, tucked into his pocket. Skylar smiled, radiating happiness, her other hand holding Leo’s. The three walked side-by-side under falling snow. The caption read: “With you two, this winter isn’t cold at all.” In the comments, Daniel’s friends were all teasing. “Skylar has him absolutely whipped.” “All that attention on her… how can you not be jealous?” … Those blessings felt like slaps across my face, making me feel ashamed. After all, Daniel and I had been together for so long, and he never allowed me to post pictures of us together on Ins. When I asked why, he’d always say, “What’s the point? It’s enough that we know.” Turns out, it was just because I wasn’t the right person. I put away my phone and checked myself out of the hospital alone. The doctor said my condition was quite good, and with a few more months of consistent care, I could be fully recovered. Before, during my treatment, because I was helping Daniel’s company, I hadn’t gone for physical therapy very often. The healing process had been slow, but now I had all the time in the world to recover. Back home, I started packing my things. The family photos on the wall, the matching family outfits we’d bought in the living room – I threw them all into the trash. When I finished packing, everything fit into a single suitcase. All these years, I had dedicated myself to this family, giving Daniel and Leo everything good, while I couldn’t even bring myself to buy a new dress. Looking back, it was truly laughable. I called my best friend, Chloe, asking her to pick me up.

Once in the car, Chloe asked curiously, “Why are you suddenly separating? Did you two have a fight?” “It wasn’t a fight,” I said, my voice deadpan. “We’re getting a divorce.” Chloe gasped. “Divorce?!” “Yes.” I told her the whole story, and Chloe exclaimed indignantly, “How could he do that to you?! Has he forgotten that if it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t be where he is today?!” Daniel and I met on a blind date. His family wasn’t wealthy; he had a critically ill mother. Our family, while not rich, was comfortable. The moment I saw him, his looks captivated me. After getting to know each other, we officially started dating. Back then, Daniel had just graduated from college and was working at a small factory. I would wait for him outside the factory gates every day, come rain or shine, nothing deterred me. And with my daily presence, Daniel gradually opened up his heart. He began to return my affection. That period was probably the most unforgettable time of my life. He said he wanted to start a business, so I took out all my savings to invest in him. To help him build connections, I reached out to every classmate, colleague, and even relative in my contact list. Later, when his studio was established, I accompanied him to client meetings to secure orders. I was put through difficult situations by clients, drinking until my stomach bled and I ended up in the emergency room. That night, Daniel was devastated. He said, “I’m so sorry, Eliza. I promise I’ll make it up to you, I’ll give you a good life.” After that day, he seemed to change. He became ruthless and incredibly driven, stopping at nothing to close deals. Within just one year, his company went public. We built the life we’d always dreamed of. Then Leo was born, and I was sure my long-awaited happiness was complete. Until Skylar appeared, and it all came crashing down. She was Daniel’s first love, his childhood friend. They had dated for five years, eventually breaking up because Daniel couldn’t offer her a future. They weren’t supposed to meet again. But when Skylar interviewed for Daniel’s assistant position, they rekindled their old flame. Yes, rekindled. Even though she knew Daniel was a married man.

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In my past life, after my dad Derek Jansen passed away, the wealthy Archer Smith took in my mom Luna Jansen and me, Vivian Jansen. Archer’s son, Jasper Smith, hated our presence from the start and repeatedly tried to drive us out of the house. To let Luna live peacefully in the Smith Manor, I started desperately trying to please Jasper. Over time, our relationship grew closer, so close that Archer thought I would eventually become Jasper’s wife. Until that day, Luna and Archer were in a car accident while out and died on the spot. Their only wish was for Jasper to marry me. Jasper agreed but never fulfilled it. At thirty, I was still unmarried. And twenty-six-year-old Jasper never mentioned marriage. He sneered and said, “Vivian, your mom seduced my dad, and now you’re trying to seduce me. Do you really think I’d genuinely respect you?” “You and your mom are the most despicable people I’ve ever met! Get out!” I was thrown out in the pouring rain and eventually married a divorced man who pursued me. A year into the marriage, I endured domestic violence and eventually chose to end my life by jumping. When I opened my eyes again, I returned to a time before Luna’s death. She was laying out several photos, asking me who I wanted to go on a blind date with this week. This time, I didn’t refuse and randomly picked one. Under the table, a hand touched my waist. I turned my head and saw 18-year-old Jasper sitting next to me, his face gloomy. Luna asked, “Are you sure it’s this one?” Archer said, “Pretty good, he’s about the same age as Vivian and has a gentle personality.” At the table, Luna and Archer smiled as they discussed, asking me when to meet. Under the table, Jasper’s fingers wandered around my waist. I jolted as if shocked and sprang up. “Tomorrow then! I can meet after work. I’m heading upstairs now.” After speaking, I quickly walked up the stairs and glanced down at the doorway as if sensing something. Jasper was still sitting at the table, staring straight at me. His face remained indifferent, but a dark storm swirled in his eyes. I knew he was angry. Jasper never hides his emotions. I still remember when Derek had just died, and Archer brought Luna and me into the Smith Manor for the first time. Jasper stood gloomily in the center of the living room. His face was pale as he picked up a cup and angrily threw it at us. I instinctively shielded Luna. The cup flew past my cheek, leaving a bruise on my skin. Jasper wore a mocking smile. “Where did this stray dog come from, barging into someone else’s house? So impatient, huh?” Archer was furious and stepped forward to slap him. Jasper’s face turned to the side from the slap, his eyes reddening heavily. He roared, “My mom just died a year ago, and you couldn’t wait to bring these two bitches into the house.” “Aren’t you afraid my mom will crawl out of her coffin to haunt you?” “Jasper!” Archer roared. I didn’t dare to speak. The first meeting was unpleasant. Even though Luna repeatedly emphasized that she and Archer were innocent and would never get married, Jasper still didn’t believe it. He was convinced we were outsiders vying for status and used every means to force us out. He covered our room with photos of his deceased mother, insisted on offering her food before meals, and the mix of burning candles and food smells made everyone at the table look uncomfortable. Luna stood stiffly on the side, at a loss. She stayed awake night after night, crying and blaming herself for staying here, while hesitating whether to stay for my future. Watching her wipe away tears alone in the middle of the night, I silently hugged her from behind. I said, “It’s okay, Mom, I will make Jasper accept us.” From that day on, I started to please him. He insulted me as a “bastard,” and I lowered my head and accepted it. He ordered me to be a servant, cleaning up all his messes, and I did it without complaint. But our relationship never improved. Until one stormy night, only he and I were left at home. The howling wind carried the heavy rain into the house. Startled by the sudden thunder, I hurried to the balcony to gather the drying clothes. When I finally returned with the clothes and shut the window tightly, I suddenly heard those heavy breaths drowned out by the sound of the rain. I froze, slowly walking toward the source of the sound. Before I got there, the figure on the sofa suddenly grabbed the corner of my clothes. Jasper was curled up in the darkest corner of the living room, his back tense, his body trembling uncontrollably. I looked down at his hand clutching my clothes tightly, and asked, “Are you okay?” He shouted, “Get out.” Getting a response, I nodded and turned to leave. At that moment, a lightning bolt suddenly struck, and Jasper screamed, instinctively gripping tighter. I was suddenly pulled down, falling onto him, and in the darkness, I clearly saw his pale face. Fear, terror, humiliation—various emotions intertwined in his eyes, with reddened rims faintly glistening with tears. Our breaths were so close that I could hear the sound of his heartbeat. The veins on his hand bulged as he gritted his teeth, reached out to tightly hold my waist, and whispered, “Don’t go, stay with me.” From that day on, our relationship completely changed.

At that moment, the door was suddenly knocked. I opened the door, it was Jasper. At eighteen, his sharp features still carried a hint of boyish innocence. His outstretched arm, lean yet strong, pressed against the door, stopping me from closing it. He said, “The weather forecast says there will be thunder tonight.” In his youth, he was used to treating me as a sedative. His eyes held little fear, but rather a sense of longing. He asked, “Can you keep me company today too?” I looked at him quietly for a long time, then finally sighed and said, “Jasper, you’re already eighteen. You shouldn’t be afraid of thunder anymore.” “Vivian!” he abruptly interrupted me, anger rising in his eyes as he barged into my room. “What do you mean? Why are you meeting another man? Don’t you want me anymore? You’re my sister.” As he spoke, he had already pinned me against the wall, burying his face skillfully in the crook of my neck. The word “sister” was bitten out heavily by him, filled with grievance and unwillingness. I suddenly found it laughable. I thought, “If he truly had any sincerity, he wouldn’t have made me wait so many years in my past life without ever hearing him mention marriage.” I broke free, my expression cold. “I will always see you as my younger brother. Even if I get married, you will still be my brother.” He looked at me in disbelief, then stormed out angrily and embarrassed. Early the next morning, as dawn broke, I got dressed and prepared to go on a blind date, only to suddenly see a dark figure curled up in front of my door. Jasper looked up at me like a stray dog, his eyes filled with gloom. He stood up and approached me, resting his chin tenderly on my shoulder, murmuring, “Please don’t go on the blind date, okay?” He dragged out the last syllable, as if he were whining. I said, “No.” I didn’t want to say more to him and turned to leave. He knocked over the vase at the door, the crisp sound echoing sharply in the empty villa. I instinctively turned back, only to see him standing amidst the shards as if he felt no pain, tightly clutching a broken piece of porcelain in his hand. Blood dripped from the back of his hand onto the ground, glaringly red. His eyes reddened, and he let out a painful groan, staring straight at me. “I’m hurt.” Maybe he was waiting for me, as usual, to feel sorry and anxiously tend to his wound, just to please him. But now, I had no desire to care about him anymore. I turned away coldly and said, “I’ll get the maid to help you with it.” “Stop!” He finally dropped the pretense, strode forward, grabbed my wrist tightly, and pulled me into his arms. His chest was scorching, pressed against my back. He said, “Vivian, are you trying to get rid of me now? Weren’t you the one chasing after me to please me before?” “What, have you found a new man? Don’t want me anymore?” I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to break free. “Jasper, stop it. I was good to you because I saw you as a brother!” He let out a cold laugh, his eyes dark and menacing. “What brother? Vivian, what kind of sister are you to me? Your mom will never marry my dad in this lifetime, so stop dreaming.” “You’re going on a blind date, right? Then I will too. There are plenty of women like your mom trying to climb into our family, one less won’t matter!” His voice grew louder and almost out of control. I suddenly laughed, forcefully shook off his hand, and said indifferently, “Suit yourself.” Then, I left without looking back. That night when I got home, I could hear fierce arguing coming from the living room from afar. Pushing the door open, I saw Jasper leaning lazily against the wall, watching Archer scold him, “Where did you bring that woman from? And you dare bring her home? Who gave you the nerve!” Jasper caught sight of me from the corner of his eye and casually curled his lips. “Vivian has started going on blind dates, how can I not be anxious? I need to find a girlfriend too.” Archer’s face turned red with anger. Luna quietly approached me and whispered, “Jasper brought several strange women home, and Archer kicked them all out. Archer almost beat Jasper up.” I walked past expressionlessly, pretending I saw nothing. Archer saw me, his expression softened a bit, and he asked, “Vivian, you’re back? How was the blind date today?” I smiled slightly, “Not bad, we get along quite well. This weekend, we planned to go to an art exhibition together; we have similar interests.” Hearing this, Jasper’s face instantly darkened.

Late at night, as I finished washing up and returned to my room, a hand suddenly reached out from the darkness and yanked me into the stairwell. “Vivian.” Jasper’s voice was hoarse, a faint, unreadable smile on his lips as he pressed me against the cold wall with his body. In the cramped space, our breaths intertwined, warm air brushing against my neck. He asked, “Why did you suddenly start ignoring me?” He had probably been drinking, his cheeks flushed unnaturally red. His already captivating eyes were now glistening. He said, “Aren’t I your favorite? Stop going on blind dates with other men, okay?” He slowly leaned in, his lips gently brushing against my cheek. I instinctively tried to dodge, but his large hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer. “Jasper, you’re crazy!” I frantically raised my hand to hit his back. Not far away, Luna and Archer had finished packing up and were ready to say goodnight. Hearing their footsteps getting closer, I grew more anxious. “Let go of me, they’ll see us!” “Then admit our relationship.” He suddenly looked up, his gaze a bit clearer but filled with mockery and amusement. “Weren’t you looking forward to letting my dad and the others know before?” “Isn’t this good for us? Anyway, your mom will never marry my dad in this lifetime. Marrying me would fulfill your goal, isn’t that what you want?” He spoke word by word, his tone clearly smiling, yet I saw a trace of instinctive disgust in his struggling eyes. Yeah, he has always thought of me this way and never looked up to me. The stairwell was eerily silent, suffocating me. Not until I heard Luna and Archer enter their rooms did I raise my hand and slap him sharply across the face. I said, “Jasper, I was foolish before. But from now on, I am your sister, and you should show me some respect.” “Don’t worry, I’ll get married right away. My mom and I won’t be in your way anymore.” I pushed him away and walked off without hesitation. I thought I made myself clear this time. No matter how unwilling Jasper was, he should let go. But no one expected that during a family dinner, he actually said in front of everyone, “Dad, I like Vivian, and I want to marry her. You’ll agree, right?” As soon as he said that, everyone was stunned. I quickly looked at Archer. His face darkened, and he sternly shouted, “Jasper, there’s a limit to your nonsense!” Jasper’s face also darkened, no longer casual like before. “I’m not joking.” I suddenly stood up and said, “Jasper! I was just advising you not to get too close to women of unknown background, and this is how you retaliate against me?” I urgently and angrily accused Jasper, successfully making everyone stop believing his words. Archer believed me, thinking Jasper was being reckless and vengeful, and angrily slapped him. Jasper’s head turned from the slap, but he said nothing, his eyes fixed on me, never looking away. My heart was pounding as if it would burst out of my chest, and I turned and fled upstairs. In this life, I want to stay far away from Jasper and never have anything to do with him again. But that night, he barged into my room again. I woke up startled from my sleep, my mind still in a haze. He softly called my name, leaving me dazed, unable to tell if it was the past life or this one. “Sorry, Vivian, don’t marry him.” He suddenly lunged forward, holding me tightly, his voice trembling, his face streaked with tears. His eyes were tightly shut, as if trapped in an inescapable nightmare. One moment he said he wanted to marry me, the next he begged me not to marry someone else, and then he pleaded not to jump. His tears flowed endlessly, soaking the front of my nightgown. I frowned, my tone icy, and grabbed a pillow to throw at him. “Get out!” Jasper suddenly seemed to snap back to reality. He stared at me blankly, confusion in his eyes, followed by a look of struggle and pain. “Vivian?” Seeing him step forward again, I didn’t hesitate and slapped him once more. The moonlight revealed his pale, lifeless face and the cold sweat on his forehead. Tears streaked his face as he stood there dazed, staring at me, unable to snap out of it. After a long while, he murmured, “Are you alive?”

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I, Violet Brown, have been with Albert Paterson for ten years. I said to him, “Albert, I’m pregnant.” The files in his hand dropped, and he frowned unhappily. Albert said, “Stop joking. You should know this is a critical moment for my company’s IPO. I don’t plan to have kids.” I said, “It’s okay. Your career is important.” Then, I smiled gently. Albert didn’t understand what I meant. I’m pregnant, but he’s not the father of my child. ***** Albert’s eyes no longer held their usual gentleness, only impatience remained. It’s like I’m some kind of troublesome burden. Seeing me stand still, he seemed to realize his words were a bit too harsh. He coughed and adjusted his tone. Albert said, “You know, if I don’t have a stable career, how can I give you a good life? Be reasonable. We can’t keep this child. Besides, your health isn’t great to begin with. Maybe if you jump around, run a bit, or take a cold shower, the child will be gone.” I stood there in disbelief. I knew he was heartless, but I never thought he could be this cruel. This is a life. How can it sound like trash he can throw away anytime? I asked, “Can you spare some time to go to the hospital with me?” My heart ached deeply, but I still held on to a glimmer of hope. He impatiently slammed the files on the table. Albert said, “Violet, I think I’ve made myself clear. I’m very busy. Handle this trivial matter on your own, and don’t come to me again.” Saying that, he picked up the phone on the table and transferred some money to me. Albert said, “This is for nutrition.” I stared blankly at the five-figure amount on my phone. The bag he casually bought for Esme Black cost far more than this amount. So, in his heart, my child is just this worthless. At this moment, a woman’s voice rang out. “Albert, why are you so angry?” While we were at a stalemate, Esme pushed the door open and walked in. She walked behind Albert and gently squeezed his shoulders. The two of them completely treated me, the legitimate girlfriend, as part of their flirting. All the changes started two years ago. That day, Albert was in a meeting when he suddenly took a call and left in a hurry. Later, I found out that day, Esme, whom he had always kept in his heart, returned to the country. Of course, he had to drop everything to pick her up. At first, I didn’t take it to heart until Esme became the company’s vice president. I went crazy questioning Albert about their relationship, but he just impatiently explained that they were only friends. I believed him. However, a week later, they walked into a hotel hand in hand under the pretense of a business trip. Since then, Albert rarely stayed at home. At the company, they were even more blatant, going to and leaving work together every day. Everyone at the company thought they were the real couple. I coldly said, “I didn’t expect Ms. Black’s habit of getting cozy with other men hasn’t changed.” Esme’s face instantly turned red, and tears welled up in her eyes. It was as if she had been wronged. Sure enough, Albert’s face turned grim. Albert said, “How can you talk like that? This company owes a lot to Esme’s help. Otherwise, how could you afford such a good life? Instead of thanking her, you dare to talk back to her?” I couldn’t help but laugh, thinking, “Thanks to her?” Did Albert forget how, in the early days of starting the business, I stayed with him working overtime at the company every day, running around for deals, and drinking so much at dinners that I ended up with a stomach bleed?” A deep sadness welled up in my heart as I slowly looked up at him. I asked, “Albert, who is more important, her or me?” Albert didn’t even glance at me. He said, “Since when did you become so unreasonable?” I knew there was no point in continuing the conversation, so I grabbed my bag and walked away. Behind me, Albert was still comforting Esme. He said, “Don’t take it to heart. She’s just like that. What kind of upbringing can an orphan have?” Esme wiped away her tears bravely, then smiled and shook her head. She said, “It’s okay. I know Violet just has a bit of a misunderstanding about me. I just need to work hard to get along with her. She’s your girlfriend. I don’t want to make things difficult for you.” Albert let out a long sigh. He said, “You’re just too considerate.” I really couldn’t listen anymore, so I left without looking back.

On the way home in the car, after hesitating for a long time, I still took out my phone and called my mother, Harper Brown. The international call was a bit unstable, so it took three tries before Harper answered. I said, “Mom, it’s me.” Harper on the other end clearly paused for a moment, her voice tinged with sobs. She said, “How could you be so heartless? I only stopped you from being with that poor boy back then, and you haven’t contacted me for so many years. You really broke my heart.” After I got together with Albert, my parents already didn’t think highly of him. After they investigated him, they were shocked to find out he had hidden the truth from me and that his family actually had hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. My father, Grayson Brown, immediately objected, saying that a man like him was very scheming and I was no match for him. But at that time, I was blinded by love and, despite their objections, resolutely cut off all contact with my family. To this day, Albert still thinks I’m an orphan with no parents. I stayed with him from scratch, step by step helping him pay off the debt. Later, he became a respected CEO, and I became the burden he wanted to discard. I said, “Mom, I’m pregnant.” Hearing what I said, there was a loud crash from Harper’s side, probably from falling to the ground. After a long silence, Harper finally sighed. She said, “Since you’ve decided, come back to Paris in three days. Just let me take care of you.” After hanging up the phone, I felt really upset. I thought, “In this world, being a daughter to my parents is truly the easiest.” I thought, “Albert, since you don’t cherish me, I’m leaving.” When I got home, the house was indeed still empty and cold. Albert’s last visit seemed to be half a month ago. I gave a bitter smile, then put down what I was holding. Just as I was about to freshen up, I suddenly received a message from a friend: [Esme is so shameless, posting something like that on Instagram.] Curiously, I opened Esme’s Instagram, only to be hit directly by a photo. In the photo, she was taking a selfie in the hotel mirror, almost topless. And the man facing away from the camera was holding her tightly. If they were a couple, it would at most be considered a little romance between lovers. But through the scar on the man’s shoulder, I recognized it was Albert, who was supposed to be working overtime. Back when we were in the honeymoon phase, Albert had no money. Our only entertainment was hiking the free mountain next to the cheap rental house. But once, I encountered falling rocks while hiking. At the critical moment when the rock was about to hit my head, Albert forcefully pushed me away. In the end, the rock hit him, leaving this scar. At that time, I was so moved that I cried and secretly vowed to stay with Albert forever. But I never expected a man’s heart to change so quickly. Through blurry tears, I saw the text Esme wrote: [I said this scar was ugly, and he said he’d tattoo it with my name tomorrow.] I suddenly laughed. So, it turns out that what I called love was just me deceiving myself.

The next day, I was the first to arrive at the company. It wasn’t because I loved my job, but because I needed to handle my resignation. Standing in the hallway, I took countless deep breaths to prepare myself mentally. The final step of resignation required the president, Albert, to sign. How should I come up with a reasonable excuse to get his approval? I thought and thought, but still couldn’t figure it out. After pacing around the doorway several times, the office door suddenly opened. Esme said, “This is all your fault. If you hadn’t been so rough last night, how would my back hurt?” Her voice, tinged with laughter, reached my ears. I froze, then looked in the direction of the voice. Albert had a smile on his face, one hand gently resting on Esme’s waist. The gentle expression on his face was something I had never received. However, the moment they saw me, a trace of panic flashed in both their eyes. Esme quickly coughed. She said, “Violet, don’t get the wrong idea. We played badminton together last night, and I twisted my waist.” Although she said that, the blush on her face still made people overthink. I knew she was deliberately provoking me, but I didn’t want to pay attention to them. I just handed the document to Albert. Then, I said, “Sign it.” Albert frowned and looked at me. He said, “Haven’t I already signed all the documents? What new business do you have now?” As he spoke, he was about to flip through the document. My heart instantly tensed up, and my mind was racing. I was thinking about how to answer his question later. But I didn’t expect Esme to snatch the document away the next second. Esme said, “I remember this. It seems like business that should’ve been handled long ago. It’s just that the other partner kept delaying. Now, we can finally get rid of her. Albert, go ahead and sign it.” I immediately realized she was insulting me. Yes, I should have parted ways with Albert long ago. It was always me who didn’t want to leave. Albert said, “So that’s how it is. Then I’m relieved. You’re always reliable.” At this moment, his eyes were filled with affection. He no longer wanted to delve into the contents of the document and simply signed his name. The weight in my heart suddenly lifted. I let out a deep breath. I am finally free. Seeing how relaxed I was, Albert looked a bit puzzled. He asked, “Is this document important to you? Why do you have that expression?” I looked down at the ground. Then, I said, “Of course, it’s very important.” Albert glanced again at the document in my hand. But out of trust for Esme, he didn’t ask anything. Esme clutched her waist in pain, while Albert glanced at me. He asked me tentatively, “Violet, Esme is already in pain. It shouldn’t be a problem if I massage her, right? After all, she still has to negotiate business for the company this afternoon.” I said, “Of course, no problem. You’re good partners, helping each other is the right thing to do.” I smiled very innocently. My goal was achieved. Who would still bother with him? Albert had long been prepared for me to throw a tantrum like before. So seeing me so sensible, he was actually a bit surprised. Albert asked, “Is what you said true?” I nodded generously. Then, I said, “Of course. After all, like you said, without Esme’s hard work, how could I have a good life? I should be grateful.” Albert felt something was off about my words, but he couldn’t figure it out. He just stared at me blankly. I waved my bag and said, “Take good care of Esme. I’m heading home.” Perhaps feeling he went a bit too far, Albert coughed and tried to grab my arm. He said, “I’ll come home tonight to have dinner with you.” I said, “No need. I have plans with friends tonight.” Then, I smiled and pulled my hand away. Then, under Albert’s surprised gaze, I left without looking back.

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My boyfriend Caleb Hamilton is the target I must complete. The System stipulates that as long as he agrees to marry me before my 25th birthday, my mission is considered successful. But he doesn’t love me. Caleb only sees me as a substitute for the woman he loves, Phoebe Hunter. The position of wife in his heart is forever reserved for Phoebe. I know the whole truth, so I’m afraid of making him angry. I just casually mention marriage and don’t dare say more. Until my 25th birthday, this is my last chance. I knelt on the ground covered with roses, trembling as I handed the ring to Caleb. I begged him, “Caleb, will you marry me? Even if it’s fake, even if you’re lying to me, please marry me.” “I’m begging you. Otherwise, I’ll die.” But Caleb just sneered, then picked up a bouquet nearby and slammed it to the ground. He said, “Know your place! You’re just a stand-in, how dare you have such thoughts?” “Listen up. Phoebe is coming back today. Pack your things and get out of here.” “Even if you want to die, do it far away. Don’t let me see it.” Watching Caleb’s resolute departing figure, I slowly revealed a smile. I thought, “Alright. Then I’ll do as you wish.” The System anxiously said in my mind, “Host, hurry and chase after him. This is your last chance.” “If Caleb doesn’t accept your proposal, you really will be erased.” But I just stood there numbly, staring at the door Caleb had slammed shut. I smiled faintly and said in a hoarse voice, “Chase? What’s the point of catching up?” The System said, “But…” I interrupted it, “No buts. He won’t agree. From start to finish, his heart has only ever had Phoebe.” I know this all too well. Caleb’s phone wallpaper is a photo of Phoebe, and his lock screen is a picture of him with Phoebe. All his passwords contain Phoebe’s initials and birthday. Sometimes, even in intimate moments, Caleb holds me and murmurs the name “Phoebe.” I, the official girlfriend, live completely like a shadow. I bent down and picked up the ring buried under the rose petals. The cold touch of the ring feels just like my heart right now. Caleb must be on his way to pick up Phoebe right now. Sure enough, not long after, my phone screen lit up with a breaking news alert: [Billionaire CEO Caleb spotted at the airport, intimately picking up his first love!] Another headline read: [Caleb’s romance revealed, the two share a kiss at the airport. Caleb openly admits, “She is the love of my life!”] The news included a high-definition photo and a short video. Caleb, dressed in a sharp suit, wore a gentle smile I had never seen before, tightly holding a woman with a great figure. That woman was Phoebe. Caleb openly admitted it in front of the reporters’ cameras without any hesitation. He said, “That’s right, she is the woman I’ve loved for ten years.” “Years ago, we had to part ways due to reality. Now, I will never let go of her hand again.” Looking at their tightly held hands in the photo, the comment section completely exploded. [They are such a perfect match! Only such an outstanding woman deserves Mr. Hamilton.] [I heard Ms. Hunter is Mr. Hamilton’s true love. He stayed unmarried for so many years because of her. After waiting so long, he’s finally with her.] Some questioned: [But, how do I remember there was a woman by Mr. Hamilton’s side before, seemed like his girlfriend?] Someone immediately refuted his statement: [What nonsense are you talking about? Everyone knows Mr. Hamilton is devoted and loyal. Even if there were women, they must have been the ones pestering him. They’re disgusting.] This skeptical comment was quickly deleted amid numerous rebuttals. Looking at those harsh words and images, my heart ached deeply. I remembered before, I had cautiously asked him, “Caleb, can we post something on Instagram to let others know we’re together?” Caleb immediately frowned, his tone full of irritation. Caleb said, “Isabella, are you being childish? What’s the point of posting this? My social circle doesn’t need to know about these private matters.” Isabella Ferguson is my name. I tried to explain, “But…” Caleb interrupted me, “Alright, stop. I don’t like this. Don’t bring it up again.” Turns out, it wasn’t that he disliked making the relationship public; he just disliked the fact that the person was me. Turns out, the difference between loving someone and not loving them can be so cruel, so obvious. Caleb could stand in front of the camera without hesitation for Phoebe, declaring his love to the whole world. But he wouldn’t even spare me a tiny, insignificant corner. The System is still trying to make a final effort. It said, “Host, maybe there’s still a chance.” I closed my eyes wearily. Then I said, “Forget it. Let it be.” I thought, “I’m tired. I’m really tired.”

Caleb hosted a grand welcome dinner for Phoebe. At night, fireworks lit up the entire city, almost painting half the sky red. Next, a swarm of drones rose, forming a giant heart and the words “Phoebe, welcome back” in the sky. I thought, “What a grand scene.” “For Phoebe, Caleb really spared no expense or effort.” I quietly looked away, then turned to the small, lonely birthday cake on the table. I bought it, with a single “25” numeral candle on top. I picked up a spoon, scooped a small piece, and put it in my mouth. It tasted so sweet, overly sweet, so much that it left a bitter feeling in my heart. The System said, “Host.” Its voice sounded somewhat weak. I swallowed the bite of cake and stood up. I said, “It’s fine. I’m used to it.” I didn’t want Caleb to feel I was in the way, so I quickly started packing. Luckily, I don’t have much stuff. In this house, I’ve always felt like a temporary guest, afraid to leave too many traces of myself. I didn’t take anything Caleb bought for me, only packed a few old clothes I brought and some small items. By the time I was almost done packing, the clock on the wall had passed midnight. My twenty-fifth birthday had passed. Almost at the same moment, an indescribable weakness suddenly overwhelmed me. My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the cold floor. Immediately after, a crushing pain erupted throughout my bones, as if they were being shattered. The System’s purge mechanism began. It’s a rare genetic collapse syndrome, lasting three days, with the pain intensifying each day until I finally succumb in utter agony. I clenched my teeth, trying to prop myself up, but it was useless. The pain engulfed me like a tide, and my vision began to blur. At that moment, the sound of a key turning came from the door. The next second, the door opened. Phoebe walked in, arm in arm with Caleb, smiling. Seeing me slumped on the ground, they both froze for a moment. Phoebe slightly raised her eyebrows, her tone tinged with curiosity. She asked, “Caleb, who is this?” Caleb’s smile instantly vanished, replaced by undisguised disgust and irritation. He frowned deeply, his voice as cold as ice. Caleb asked, “Isabella, why are you still here? Didn’t I tell you to pack up and leave immediately?” Before I could say anything, he immediately turned to Phoebe. The coldness on his face melted instantly, and his tone became very gentle. Caleb said, “It’s nothing. She’s just an ignorant servant. I’ll have her leave right now.” Servant? My heart felt like it was pierced by a knife, numbing even the pain in my body for a moment. I opened my mouth, wanting to explain that I didn’t stay on purpose. But the intense pain only let me make broken sounds. Seeing me like this, Caleb seemed a bit puzzled. He asked, “What’s wrong with you? Are you sick?” Maybe because I had never been this miserable, Caleb looked at me with a hint of pity in his eyes. He instinctively took half a step toward me. But the next second, Phoebe’s sudden words interrupted his movement. She said, “Are you feeling unwell and want to stay here to rest?” “Caleb, she’s feeling so awful, how can you kick her out?” Just two sentences made Caleb change his mind, thinking all this was just an act for me to stay here. He stepped back to his original spot, slowly revealing a mocking cold smile. Caleb said, “I really underestimated you. Are you acting in front of me? Who are you pretending to be pitiful for?” “You think this will make me soften and let you stay? Isabella, don’t overestimate yourself.” “I’ll count to three, and you leave willingly. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being rude.” The intense pain left me unable to argue, not even having the strength to shake my head, only gasping in agony. My silence and misery seemed to anger Caleb even more. He completely lost his patience and directly took out his phone to call his driver. Caleb said, “Come up here and clear out the trash in the guest room along with the person refusing to leave.” Soon, his driver came up. He glanced at me and said, “Sorry, Ms. Ferguson.” Then, he propped up my nearly immobile body with one hand, grabbed my shabby-looking suitcase with the other, and almost dragged me out the door. The suitcase landed by my feet. The door behind me slammed shut, cutting off the bright lights inside and the faint laughter of Caleb and Phoebe. I took one last look at the place I once called “home.” Then, I humbly dragged my suitcase, limping into the dark night.

That night, I tossed and turned in pain on the bed of a cheap motel, unable to sleep. Finally, I made it to dawn and practically crawled out to hail a taxi, heading straight to the hospital. However, the medical level of this world couldn’t identify the cause of genetic collapse syndrome, let alone treat it. The doctor could only prescribe me some painkillers to ease the symptoms. I carried the medicine bag to complete the hospitalization procedures. Every step felt like walking on a knife’s edge, and I looked utterly miserable. Suddenly, a mocking voice came through. “Isn’t this Ms. Ferguson?” I turned around and saw two former colleagues exchange a glance before walking toward me. I remembered them. They were two employees from the neighboring department, always holding a grudge against me. One of them asked hypocritically, “Why are you at the hospital alone? Where’s Mr. Hamilton? Didn’t he come with you?” The other sneered and said, “With her? What are you thinking? Haven’t you seen the news? Mr. Hamilton’s lover is back. Who would care about this impostor?” The first person added, “Exactly. She used connections to get into the company before. Now that her support is gone, shouldn’t she get lost?” I clenched the medicine bag in my hand, my nails almost digging into my palm. When I joined the company, I worked tirelessly to prove my abilities, and everyone could see the results I achieved. But in their eyes, I will always just be someone who “relied on a man to climb up.” On top of that, Caleb never publicly acknowledged me, which only reinforced my “unrecognized” status in their eyes. Before, out of respect for Caleb, these people only dared to talk about me behind my back. Now, they openly insult me to my face without hesitation. But the intense pain made it hard for me to even stand straight, let alone argue back. I could only lower my head and try to walk around them. One of them said, “Why aren’t you talking? Did we hit the mark?” The two of them deliberately blocked my way, speaking in an even harsher tone. The other said, “Without Mr. Hamilton, what are you? Did you really think you were somebody?” “Does she need to report to you?” Suddenly, a cold male voice interrupted. The three of us were stunned at the same time. Turning my head, I saw Caleb standing not far away, frowning tightly with a very unpleasant expression. The two colleagues instantly changed their expressions and didn’t dare to speak anymore. Caleb walked over, his gaze coldly sweeping over the two of them. He said, “Is the company’s project finished? You’re so free to come to the hospital and gossip about others? Do you need me to call your supervisor for a chat?” The two turned pale with fright, and one of them quickly said, “No need, Mr. Hamilton, we’ll leave right away.” Immediately, they almost fled. Caleb’s gaze returned to me. However, his gaze showed no hint of softness, instead filled with even more impatience. Caleb asked me, “Isabella, was I not clear enough yesterday? I told you to get lost and not appear in front of me again. What do you mean by this now?” I wanted to explain that this was just a coincidence, but my throat was so dry I couldn’t make a clear sound. His gaze shifted downward. When he caught sight of the medicine bag in my hand, he frowned deeply. Caleb asked, “What medicine are you holding? Are you really sick?” In that moment, I almost had an absurd illusion. Maybe he still cared about me a little. I struggled to lift my hand, wanting to pass him some of the painkillers I was holding. But my movement was interrupted by an urgent voice. “Caleb.” Phoebe walked out of the nearby consultation room, her face slightly pale. She was holding her chest with one hand, coughing softly twice. Seeing this, Caleb’s attention was instantly drawn completely to her. He immediately turned to her and asked with concern, “Phoebe, how are you? What did the doctor say? Are you still feeling unwell?” Phoebe said weakly, “It’s nothing. I just caught a bit of a cold.” As she spoke, she coughed weakly a few more times. However, her gaze passed over Caleb’s shoulder and landed precisely on me. Phoebe smiled ever so faintly. It was a fleeting, almost imperceptible smile, filled with extreme mockery and smugness. She seemed to be saying, “See? The one he cares about will always be me.” Caleb said with concern, “You’re coughing and still saying you’re fine? Come on. I’ll take you to the ward to rest first.” After saying that, he hurriedly left with Phoebe, without looking back at me or asking me anything. Once again, I was completely left behind, like a ridiculous backdrop. Even though I already knew what choice Caleb would make, I couldn’t help but hold onto hope every time. In the end, I deserve it.

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Arabella Walker and Charles Clark are the most enviable loving couple in the entire military base’s family area. Charles is a famously cold-looking colonel, but all his tenderness is reserved for Arabella. When Arabella had her period, Charles would make her honey water. When Arabella had a high fever in the middle of the night, Charles would carry her through the snow to the hospital. Even when Arabella had a severe hemorrhage during the difficult birth of their daughter, Bonnie Clark, Charles ignored everyone’s advice and insisted the nurse take half his blood to transfuse to her. Arabella originally thought they would live happily like this forever. Until three years ago, Charles’s brother, James Clark, unexpectedly passed away, leaving behind his wife, Emilia Kelly, and their one-year-old son, Arlo Clark. Charles had a close bond with James since childhood. From then on, he took caring for Emilia and Arlo as his responsibility. At first, Charles only delivered some daily necessities and food to them from time to time. But later, at some point, the relationship between Charles, Emilia, and Arlo slowly changed. Emilia said she hadn’t worn new clothes in a long time, so Charles used all his salary to take Emilia and Arlo to the department store, buying new clothes from head to toe. Emilia mentioned that Arlo had never had a photo taken since birth, so Charles took them to a studio for a “family portrait.” Once, even when Arlo and Bonnie both caught a virus, Charles gave the hospital’s only dose of special medicine to Arlo. Arabella and Charles had argued, but every time after she lost control, Charles would hold her in his arms and repeat the explanation she had heard countless times. Charles said, “Emilia and Arlo were the people James loved most in his life. Now that James is gone, as his brother, of course, I have to take good care of them. Otherwise, how could I face James after I die?” “Don’t worry. I’ll only take care of them until Arlo becomes an adult.” “Arabella, you’re my wife. You should understand me. For my sake, can you bear with it, please?” Looking into Charles’s familiar gentle eyes, Arabella chose to trust and endure again and again. She naively thought Charles was just too responsible, which is why he treated Emilia and Arlo so well. She thought that once Arlo grew up, Charles would naturally return to being the considerate husband and father he once was. Until a month ago, Arlo suddenly had a nosebleed and was sent to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant. Everyone eligible for matching was tested, but no one was a match. That night, Charles stayed alone in the study and didn’t come out all night. The next morning, Charles grabbed Arabella, who was about to make breakfast, his voice hoarse but firm. Charles said, “Arabella, I want to have another child with Emilia.” With a bang, the plate in Arabella’s hand slipped and shattered. She looked at Charles in disbelief, her voice slightly trembling. Arabella asked, “What did you say?” A hint of pain flashed in Charles’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by urgency. He said, “The doctor said that if there’s no matching donor, a sibling’s cord blood can save Arlo. James and I are brothers, sharing the same blood. So, the cord blood from a child Emilia and I have can also be used. That way, Arlo can be saved.” Arabella’s nails dug into her palms, leaving bloody marks. She struggled to steady her nearly collapsing body, her gaze slowly scanning Charles’s face, trying to find a hint of joking in his expression. But no. The urgency and seriousness in Charles’s eyes were completely genuine. Arabella staggered back two steps, forcing a smile that looked worse than crying. She never imagined her husband would suggest having a child with another woman. Arabella said, “Charles, for the past three years, you’ve left Bonnie and me time and again to be with Emilia and Arlo. I’ve endured it all because you said you’d only take care of them until Arlo came of age. “But now? You want to have a child with Emilia. “What about Bonnie and me? What do we mean to you?” By the end, Arabella’s tears were falling heavily to the ground. Seeing her tears, Charles felt a twinge of guilt, but Arlo’s frail figure and Emilia’s devastated expression kept flashing in his mind. He turned away, avoiding Arabella’s eyes, afraid he might waver. Charles said, “You and Bonnie are the ones I love most in this life. That will never change. Having a child with Emilia is only to save Arlo.” “Besides, with IVF technology now, Emilia and I can have a child without being intimate. That way, I wouldn’t be betraying you.” Arabella thought bitterly, “What does it matter if there’s no intimacy?” That child, once born, will share a blood relationship with him. At that time, should I tell Bonnie that her dad and her Aunt Emilia had a baby brother for her?” Arabella couldn’t do it. She wasn’t generous enough to tolerate her husband having a child with another woman. Arabella closed her eyes, her voice unusually calm. She asked, “Charles, what if I say I disagree?” After being refused several times, Charles was a bit angry. He didn’t understand why Arabella was unwilling. He was doing it to save Arlo, and nothing would actually happen between him and Emilia. He looked at Arabella with disappointment in his eyes. Charles said, “Arlo is James’s only descendant left in the world. No matter what, I have to save him.” These resolute words were like a sharp sword, piercing deeply into Arabella’s heart. It turned out Charles wasn’t discussing it with her; he had already made the decision and was merely informing her. Seeing Arabella unresponsive, Charles gave her a deep look. He said, “I’m going to the hospital to see Arlo. Arabella, I hope you can think it through.” After speaking, he strode away. Arabella stood there, watching Charles’s figure gradually disappear. Her eyes, always filled with love, were now only numb. She knew that from today, it was over between her and Charles. “Mom.” Bonnie’s voice pulled Arabella’s thoughts back. Bonnie asked, “Is Dad going to have a baby with Aunt Emilia? Will he no longer be just my dad?” She threw herself into Arabella’s arms, her voice trembling with sobs. Arabella hadn’t expected Bonnie to wake up and hear their conversation. Looking into Bonnie’s tear-filled eyes, Arabella couldn’t bring herself to lie to her. Arabella nodded reluctantly. Bonnie’s body stiffened for a moment, and the next second, tears streamed down her face. She asked, “Mom, is it because I did something wrong that made Dad angry, so he wants to have another child with Aunt Emilia?” Bonnie was too young to understand that Charles talked about having a child with Emilia to save Arlo. She only knew that her dad was going to have another child. Hearing Bonnie’s self-blaming cries, Arabella felt as if her heart was being stabbed. She crouched down and wiped away the tears on Bonnie’s face. Arabella said, “Bonnie, you did nothing wrong. “How about I get you a new dad? A dad who belongs only to you.” Bonnie hugged Arabella’s neck tightly and buried her head in her shoulder. She said, “Okay. Since Dad wants other kids, then I don’t want him anymore.”

The next morning, after dropping Bonnie off at kindergarten, Arabella rode her bike to the Courthouse and handed the prepared documents to the staff. Arabella said, “Hello, I want to apply for a forced divorce.” The staff member looked up at her in surprise, their tone very serious. He said, “Have you thought it through? Divorce is no small matter. Conflicts between spouses are inevitable. Don’t act impulsively.” Arabella nodded silently, her expression resolute. The thought of divorce had already taken root in her mind during these three years when Charles repeatedly “took care” of Emilia and Arlo. But thinking of young Bonnie and their past feelings, she kept persuading herself to endure. Until yesterday, when Charles suggested having a child with Emilia. This seed finally sprouted. Seeing her completely unwavering, the staff sighed. He said, “Forced divorce requires a one-month process. During this period, if you don’t withdraw the application, the marriage will be automatically dissolved.” Hearing this, Arabella felt relieved. A month later, she could leave with Bonnie. It was late at night when Charles, who hadn’t been home all day, finally returned. Arabella lay on the bed with her back to him, no longer throwing herself into his arms like before. Charles stared deeply at her back, his voice tinged with restraint and pain. “Arabella, the longer Arlo’s illness drags on, the more dangerous it becomes, so…” Arabella’s heart skipped a beat. The next second, Charles’s slow and clear voice echoed in the quiet room. He said, “Emilia and I started IVF today. In a week, the doctor can transfer the embryo into Emilia’s womb.” Even though she had decided to divorce Charles, hearing that he and Emilia had already started conceiving their child still tore Arabella’s heart apart. The man who vowed to love her for a lifetime when they married now had a child with another woman. How could she not feel heartbroken? But luckily, she had already decided to leave him. This pain will only be temporary. Arabella closed her eyes tightly, held back the ache in her chest, and nodded gently. Charles thought she would lose control like yesterday. He had his words of persuasion ready but didn’t expect her to be so calm. He looked at the unresponsive Arabella in front of him with a complicated expression. Charles asked, “Arabella, you agreed?” For some reason, knowing that Arabella agreed to him having a child with Emilia, he should have been happy, but he felt a bit uneasy. Noticing the trace of unease in his voice, Arabella gave a sarcastic smile. She said, “Even if I don’t agree, you and Emilia would still go for IVF, wouldn’t you?” Charles opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. After all, he had indeed decided to go through with IVF no matter what. He carefully observed Arabella’s reaction and only breathed a sigh of relief after noticing she showed no signs of displeasure, then gently pulled her into his arms. Charles said, “Arabella, thank you for understanding. Everything I do is just to fulfill James’s wish to take care of Emilia and Arlo.” Arabella had heard the exact same explanation from him too many times, so she no longer held any expectations for his words. “Alright. I’m going to sleep. Bonnie’s kindergarten is hosting a parent-child fair tomorrow, so I need to get up early.” Thinking of young Bonnie, Charles’s eyes showed a hint of guilt. He said, “I’ve been busy looking for a match for Arlo lately and haven’t spent much time with Bonnie. I’ll go with you tomorrow.”

The next morning, Arabella dressed Bonnie in her favorite little dress. She twirled around excitedly, holding up her skirt. Bonnie said, “Mom, today I’m going to be the prettiest kid in kindergarten.” Arabella smiled and pinched her cheek. She said, “In my eyes, you’ve always been the prettiest kid.” Bonnie shyly threw herself into her arms. Charles just came out of the bedroom and saw Arabella and Bonnie laughing, feeling very tender inside. He picked up Bonnie in one swoop, then took Arabella’s hand, his voice full of joy. Charles said, “I’ll go with you too.” Bonnie hugged Charles’s neck and tentatively asked, “Dad, are you really not going to Arlo’s place today?” Although she had said she didn’t want Charles as her dad, Bonnie was still a child and secretly hoped to attend the parent-child fair with her mom and dad. After all, for the past three years, every time there was a parent-child activity at the kindergarten, Charles would choose to accompany Arlo. Over time, some classmates teased her for not having a dad. Bonnie’s words made Arabella’s nose sting, almost bringing her to tears. Charles felt a tinge of guilt in his heart. Since James passed away, he didn’t want Arlo to be teased for not having a dad, so he attended every event with Arlo, neglecting Bonnie in the process. If Arlo weren’t hospitalized now, this fair might have been… He stopped thinking further. Anyway, he would stay with Bonnie today. That was enough. Charles said, “Of course. I’ll play with you all day today.” A simple promise made Bonnie temporarily forget yesterday’s unhappiness and excitedly hug Charles around the neck. Bonnie said, “I want to introduce Dad to all my classmates.” She wanted to tell them that she also had a dad. However, just as they arrived at the entrance of the military base’s family area, they saw Emilia’s anxious figure. Emilia said, “Charles, Arlo doesn’t want to stay in the hospital and insists on pulling out the IV to run outside. He usually listens to you the most. Can you go to the hospital and help me persuade him?” She grabbed Charles’s sleeve, her tone extremely anxious. Hearing her words, Charles immediately frowned. He said, “How can he be so reckless? Emilia, don’t worry. I’ll go to the hospital with you right now.” Hearing him agree, Arabella was almost amused with anger. He had just promised to accompany Bonnie, and now he forgot. Arabella said, “Charles, today is Bonnie’s parent-child outing. You promised to accompany her.” Charles realized it too, his face stiffened, and he looked hesitant. Emilia let go of her hand and started sobbing into her palms. She said, “Charles, it’s me and Arlo who have delayed you too much. Go accompany Bonnie. I’ll go persuade Arlo alone. If he really doesn’t listen to me, then I won’t treat his illness anymore.” Saying that, she turned and left. Charles panicked instantly, then put Bonnie down and ran after Emilia. He said, “Emilia, how could that be? Bonnie’s matter isn’t important. Arlo is the priority right now.” After speaking, he turned around, his eyes filled with a deeply familiar guilt. Charles said, “I’m sorry, Bonnie. How about letting your mom go with you today?” Arabella’s nails dug deep into her palms as she trembled with anger. She thought angrily, “Why does he make promises he can’t keep?” As a mother, she couldn’t accept her daughter’s emotions plummeting from heaven to hell. This is too cruel for a child. Arabella was about to step forward to call Charles back when a small hand tugged at her sleeve. Bonnie’s face showed a calmness beyond her age. “Mom, let’s go. Having you by my side is enough. Anyway, I’m already used to days without a dad.” Even though Bonnie spoke nonchalantly, Arabella still noticed a hint of hurt in her eyes and a trace of sobbing in her voice. Arabella hugged Bonnie tightly with a heart full of ache, trying hard to hold back the sting in her eyes. She said, “I promise you, once we leave here, I’ll find you a dad who only cares about you.”

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My husband, Ethan Vance, lost everything and his family was gone, and I just walked away. After he’d rebuilt his empire, I’d come knocking every year. The first year, I held our daughter. He threw fifty thousand dollars at me and told me to get lost. The second year, I brought him my late-stage cancer diagnosis report. He didn’t even glance at it, gave me a hundred thousand, and told me to disappear forever. The third and fourth years, I vanished from this world, just as he’d wished. Until the fifth year, he received a call from our daughter. “Mommy, when are you bringing food? I’m hungry.” “Mommy, I’m so hungry.” I watched our daughter, Grace, sneak back home from the orphanage. She found my old phone, charged it, and started calling, just like I used to. When I was terminally ill, I often ordered takeout, and the delivery riders would always deliver my order last. When Grace was hungry, I’d call to rush the rider. So Grace thought if she just made a call, her little tummy would be full. Now, she dialed, just like me, but she called the emergency contact—Ethan Vance. She called again and again. The dimly lit screen illuminated her innocent face. I wanted to stop her, but my hand passed right through her body. A wave of frustration washed over me. It had been three years. How could I keep forgetting I was just a spirit? “Grace, don’t call him. He won’t answer.” He probably still thought I was just some gold-digger. “Go open the small box on the table. There’s money I left for you in there.” Most of the money I got from Ethan, I put into a trust fund for Grace’s future education and living expenses. I left a thousand dollars in the box for any unexpected needs she might have. As if by some sixth sense, Grace picked up that little box. But then, a crisp, cold voice came from the other end of the phone. “Aurora?” I froze, realizing the call had been going on for a minute already. “Didn’t I tell you to go die somewhere?” His tone was calm, emotionless, just as cruel as ever. I twisted my fingers, feeling a pang of shame to be cursed at by her father, right in front of our daughter. Even if they didn’t know each other. His voice was mocking: “Want more money? Fine, come beg me.” Grace stared at the phone, her eyes shining with delight. Her tiny, sweet voice piped up: “Uncle! When are you bringing me food? I’m hungry!” Silence on the other end for a moment. “Let Aurora answer the phone.” “You mean Mommy?” Grace’s face instantly fell: “But she can’t answer the phone anymore.” Ethan’s voice deepened: “What happened to her?” “Mommy said she’s sleeping.” A four-and-a-half-year-old child had no concept of life and death. A scoff echoed from the other end, clearly not buying such a lame excuse. “Is that so? I’d like to see what new scheme she’s cooking up.” I wanted to smile, but I couldn’t. What new scheme could I possibly be cooking up? Even trying to float over and scare him felt beyond my power. After hanging up, Grace curled up in the corner of the sofa, waiting patiently, a slight curve on her lips. But I was pacing frantically. Ethan hated me so much. What would he do to my daughter? An hour later, there was a knock at the door. My heart lurched: “Don’t open the door, Grace!” Grace had already opened it. Outside, there was no food as she’d expected, only a few security guards in suits. They surveyed the room, found no one else, and took Grace away. “No!” I was helpless, forced to watch my daughter being taken. When Ethan opened his door, he saw Grace, tears streaming down her face. He glanced behind her. “Where’s that woman?”

He was talking about me. I lowered my eyes. I didn’t even deserve a name from him anymore. A security guard reported truthfully: “When we arrived, only the little girl was in the house.” Grace broke free from their grasp and hugged Ethan’s leg. “Uncle, bad guys caught me.” I was shocked. Grace had only met Ethan twice before. She didn’t know Ethan was the father who refused to acknowledge her. But blood ran deep, making her instinctively trust him. Ethan seemed uncomfortable with her hug, frowning as he scoffed: “She’s so cruel, pushing her own bastard child out to face my anger.” I shook my head frantically: “No, Grace isn’t a bastard!” She’s our child. He wouldn’t believe it. After Grace was born, I found out she had the Vance family’s hereditary heart condition, and I had sought him out then. Ethan’s words still echoed in my ears. “Aurora, do you think I’m the same Ethan as before? You fooled me once, do you think you can fool me twice?” “Trying to pin a child you had with some other guy on me?” “Get lost. Here’s twenty thousand. Consider it a buy-out for our five years together.” I said, “It’s not enough.” He didn’t want our daughter, but she needed money for her surgery. Ethan gnashed his teeth in anger: “You really are obsessed with money. Fine, here’s fifty thousand. Because that’s all you’re worth.” Five years of love, reduced to a mere transaction. I knew this would make Ethan despise me even more, but it didn’t matter. Grace had her surgery with that money. She would live a healthy life now, and it was worth it. Now, Ethan asked Grace coldly, “Tell me, where is your mother hiding?” Grace looked up, teary-eyed. Her features were strikingly similar to mine. Ethan seemed a little lost in thought. “Mommy sleeps during the day, and at night, she turns into a star.” At her words, Ethan’s expression hardened, and he pulled his leg away. “Now she’s resorting to playing the victim?” Grace tumbled to the floor. I floated over, using all my strength, but I couldn’t catch her, watching her fall right through my embrace. The little box she clutched tightly also fell. Grace, who hadn’t eaten for two days, struggled twice before finally getting back up. A sharp pang twisted in my chest. Ethan watched coldly from the side, his fists inexplicably clenched. Grace hugged the little box, pretending to be brave, and patted her bottom: “Mommy, it doesn’t hurt.” I was startled, thinking she could see me. Then I remembered I was paralyzed in bed with late-stage stomach cancer. She learned to take care of me when she was two, even picking up plastic bottles while I slept. One day, she got into a fight with a stray dog and came back covered in bruises. I was so worried I coughed up blood. She, instead, smiled and comforted me. Saying it didn’t hurt. Hearing her words, Ethan looked around: “Aurora, come out!” The house was dead silent. I was standing right in front of him, but he couldn’t see me. Ethan waited a moment, found no sign of me. He sneered: “How cruel. To even use a child this big.” “Just send her away.” Ethan left those words and walked into his house. The security guards left Grace on the curb of the busy street. It was already dark. Grace stood there for a moment, lost, in the unfamiliar street. She looked bewildered, asking the little box: “Mommy, which way should I go?” My heart ached so much I couldn’t breathe. I could only pray the orphanage would quickly realize Grace was missing. Grace looked at the moon in the sky. “Mommy, can I find you by following the moon?” She was too hungry to walk and fell twice. She stumbled and found a trash can, discovering half a leftover cake. Her eyes lit up. She picked up the stale, sour-smelling piece of cake and eagerly put it into her mouth. I cried, trying to stop her: “Grace, don’t eat that, you’ll get sick!” She couldn’t hear me, but the cake in her hand was suddenly knocked away.

It was Ethan, who had appeared out of nowhere. I hadn’t even noticed him. He looked at the grubby Grace, gritting his teeth: “Aurora, this is how you treat your daughter, huh?” He led Grace into a car parked nearby. Grace cried and screamed, all affection for him gone: “Why won’t you let me eat? You’re a bad guy!” Then, she tried to lick the crumbs from her fingers. Ethan grabbed her hand, wiping her tiny hand clean with a wet wipe, his face a mix of disgust and gentleness: “Didn’t your mother teach you not to pick up things from the ground and eat them?” His movements were gentle yet meticulous. When we were dating, he always took care of me so attentively. My friends used to call him my ‘dad’ boyfriend—so mature and stable. But Grace was as stubborn as I was. When she pushed him away, her little hand slapped him across the face: “I don’t want you, bad guy, to tell me what to do!” I gasped in fright, looking anxiously at Ethan. I saw that he wasn’t angry. He lowered his eyelashes, threw away the wet wipe, and turned his head to the window, avoiding looking at Grace, whose profile was identical to mine. His tone was mocking: “Just as stubborn as your mother, isn’t she? Good thing she’s not mine.” I smiled bitterly. I’m sorry to disappoint you, then. The little box slipped from Grace’s embrace. He bent down to pick it up. He glanced at the dirty wooden box, finding it vaguely familiar. I instinctively wanted to stop him. If he opened it, he would discover the truth from all those years ago. He would live a lifetime of guilt. Better for him to hate me than to feel guilty. But then I looked at Grace, and I hoped she could live under her father’s protection. I was conflicted and nervous. To my surprise, he tossed the wooden box back into Grace’s arms: “What a piece of junk to pick up.” For a moment, I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. Ethan took Grace home. He told Martha, the housekeeper, to cook something for her. He glanced at Grace’s bony frame and added, “Make it something easy to digest.” “I don’t know how that woman raised a child. Thin as a rail. Good thing I never married someone like her.” I nodded. I really was an inadequate mother. Ethan sat at the dining table, watching Grace pick out the carrots. He frowned and instinctively said, “Aurora Hayes, no picky eating.” Both he and I froze. “I’ll keep her right here, under my watch. I don’t believe Aurora won’t come to get you.” With those words, Ethan stood up and went upstairs, his back retreating, as if in a hasty retreat. Grace’s eyes lit up: “Really? Will Mommy come get me?” As night fell, Grace refused to sleep in the guest room, insisting on sleeping on the sofa. Martha tried to persuade her, but it was no use. Ethan seemed a little impatient: “Kids are such a bother. Let her be, she can sleep wherever she wants.” Grace slept on the sofa for three days. Ethan, seeing her curled up in a tiny ball, frowned deeply: “Is your mother that cruel to you? Doesn’t she ever let you sleep in a bed?” Grace shook her head: “No way. Mommy’s on the sofa.” Ethan looked bewildered, but I was crying uncontrollably. Because we only had one sofa at home. When I was gravely ill, I often lay on the sofa, drifting in and out of consciousness. Grace thought I was just sleeping. She would quietly crawl into my arms and hug me. Even at the orphanage, Grace liked to stay on the sofa in the reception area, as if sleeping in my arms. Ethan had been working from home lately, often staring blankly at the door. He watched Grace, who was also looking at the door, and asked: “Hey, what’s your name?” “Grace Hayes.” “Grace, your mother abandoned you too.” Grace instantly became a stubborn little beast: “No way! My mommy would never abandon me!” “Is that so? Then why hasn’t she come to pick you up after a whole week?” Just as he finished speaking. The doorbell rang. Ethan immediately stood up, a knowing smile appearing on his face. “Your mother’s here.” Grace scrambled up from the floor, looking expectantly at the door. The door opened. Both of them froze.

Grace pouted: “Liar, it’s not Mommy at all.” The newcomer was a striking girl in a red dress. I had seen her once before, the second time Grace and Ethan met. That was at the women’s health clinic, right after Grace’s surgery. Ethan had emerged with her, looking very intimate. The girl glanced at Grace, confused: “Where did this child come from?” Ethan replied casually: “Just picked her up off the street.” The girl’s eyes widened: “You’re picking up kids now?” She suddenly remembered something, pointing at the flower bed in the yard, furious: “Who pulled up my roses!” My heart ached inexplicably. So, they were already living together. Ethan glanced at Grace, who barely reached his knee. Grace guiltily averted her gaze and went back to the sofa. Ethan sounded disinterested: “It’s just flowers, we can plant more.” Seeing him say that, the girl didn’t press the issue. She followed Ethan into the house. As soon as she sat on the sofa, she covered her nose with her hand: “What’s that strange smell? Ever since I got pregnant, I’ve been really sensitive to smells.” I looked at her, shocked, at her still flat stomach. Watching Ethan and Grace’s interactions these past few days, I had still hoped that once he discovered Grace was his child, he would treat her well. But now that he had a child with another woman, what would become of my daughter? Ethan also noticed an unusual smell in the air. He looked at Grace on the sofa. He walked over, lifted Grace, and pulled back the sofa cushion. A pile of food wrapped in plastic bags and seven withered flowers were scattered all over the floor. Both of them were dumbfounded. Ethan’s veins throbbed: “Grace, what are you doing?” Grace cried out: “Don’t touch my things! These are all for Mommy!” I remembered my tiny daughter picking through trash outside. Some kind-hearted people, pitying her, would buy her food. She wouldn’t eat a single bite, always bringing it home for me. At the orphanage, the director caught her a few times and taught her. She learned to eat first herself, then save the best things for me. The other children often avoided Grace because of her smell, not wanting to play with her. Ethan’s gaze was complicated: “Why would you do this?” Grace cried sadly: “Mommy never got to eat any of these good things, and you said Mommy would come to pick me up, so I wanted to save them for when I see her.” Ethan tried to sneer, but couldn’t: “Didn’t she go off to live a good life with some rich guy? What hasn’t she eaten?” Grace shook her head: “No way. Mommy always said she wasn’t hungry.” At first, I said I wasn’t hungry so Grace would eat more. Later, when my illness worsened, I truly couldn’t eat. The girl beside Ethan asked: “Why is there an urn on the floor?” It was the little wooden box that had fallen. Ethan stared blankly: “An urn?” No wonder it looked familiar, like he’d seen it somewhere before. A stack of money and a letter fell out of the box. This letter felt like a thousand pounds. Ethan’s trembling hand tried several times before he finally picked it up. On the envelope was his all-too-familiar handwriting: [To my sweet daughter, Grace]. He opened the envelope. In an instant, his eyes turned red.

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In the seventh year of my marriage to Alexander, the poor student we sponsored came to me with a swollen belly. Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered timidly: “Chloe, since you can’t have children, I’ll do it for you. I have cancer and don’t have long to live. My biggest wish is to give Alexander a child, to repay your kindness.” Her logic stunned me. I turned to Alexander and asked: “Are you sure the baby is yours?” Alexander showed no guilt for his betrayal, answering matter-of-factly: “I know this is hard to accept, but Luna is sacrificing her last days to fulfill your duty. Don’t be ungrateful!” Before I could speak, Luna burst into tears, sobbing dramatically: “Alexander, please don’t fight because of me. If Chloe doesn’t agree, I’ll go get an abortion right now…” “Don’t say that! You and the baby are what matter most now. Even Chloe has to prioritize you!” Watching Alexander hold Luna with a tenderness I hadn’t seen in years, I laughed bitterly. If he wanted to play daddy to someone else’s kid, that was his business. But I wasn’t taking the blame for this.

I went to the bedroom and dug out that old medical report I’d kept hidden for years, shoving it in Alexander’s face. “Alexander, look carefully! Which one of us is infertile?” He glanced at it, his face turning dark, then tore the report to shreds and threw the pieces at me. He pointed a finger in my face, his voice shaking with rage: “Chloe! How dare you forge a report saying I have azoospermia, just to stop Luna from having my child? You’re disgusting!” In seven years of marriage, Alexander had never yelled at me like this. My nose stung with unshed tears as memories flooded back. After two years of trying for a baby, tests showed Alexander had azoospermia. As we left the hospital, I was struggling to find the right words to tell him. Suddenly, we were attacked by a business rival. I pushed Alexander aside and took a knife for him. That knife pierced my uterus. After emergency surgery, I asked the doctor to tell Alexander that my uterus was damaged and I couldn’t have children. Back then, our love was strong, and I’d just risked my life for him. Alexander held me like a precious treasure, sobbing uncontrollably. He vowed that we didn’t need children—having me was enough. He promised to love me forever. How laughable that after just seven years, he’d forgotten those vows. “I’m not lying! If you don’t believe me, go get tested again!” Luna’s expression shifted slightly, her fingers tightening unconsciously. But Alexander acted as if he’d been deeply insulted, veins bulging on his forehead: “Chloe! I always thought you were kind and pure, but now you’re blaming me to cover up your own infertility!” “Doesn’t Luna’s pregnancy prove you wrong?” Luna chose that moment to grab my hand, her eyes red and voice trembling: “Chloe, I understand the pain of not being able to have a child as a woman.” “Don’t be too sad. After I’m gone, my baby will call you Mom. Treat him well, like your own, okay?” Her audacity made me laugh coldly: “You think you’re worthy of stealing my life?” I tried to pull my hand away, not using much force, but she let out a sharp cry. She fell back onto the couch, clutching her stomach and wailing: “Alexander, my baby! Is my baby going to be okay?” Seeing this, Alexander snapped. He slapped me hard across the face. I stumbled and hit the coffee table, a sharp pain shooting through my lower back. He knelt down immediately, cradling Luna and comforting her gently. Then he turned to me, his eyes full of hatred: “You vicious woman! Apologize to Luna! Now, right this second!” I bit my lip, refusing to yield. “Are you blind, Alexander? Can’t you see she faked that fall?” “Luna is pure and kind! She’d never risk her unborn child!” “You’re the one who’s been hostile to her and the baby since you found out!” Alexander stormed over, grabbed my shoulders, and forced me to my knees in front of Luna: “From today, you’re not allowed to go to the office. You’ll stay home and serve Luna.” “Wash her clothes, cook her meals, fetch whatever she wants. If she’s even slightly unhappy, I’ll cut off your brother’s medical payments!” Looking at the man I’d loved for ten years, I felt a chill run through me. “Alexander, I want a divorce!” Meeting my red-rimmed eyes, Alexander gritted his teeth: “I won’t divorce you. Don’t make me say it again. Apologize!”

I clenched my fists, the taste of blood filling my mouth. Thinking of my brother, whose health had just improved, I finally lowered my head. “I’m sorry.” Luna deliberately rubbed her stomach: “What did you say, Chloe? I didn’t hear you.” Alexander glared at me: “Louder!” “I’m sorry!” I shouted, tears of humiliation welling in my eyes. Luna nodded with satisfaction, then said in a sugary voice: “Alexander, I’m hungry. I want grilled lamb chops and pigeon soup.” “You heard her. Go cook.” I hurried into the kitchen, tears streaming down my face. The next day, while shopping at the import grocery store, my phone buzzed incessantly. My team members flooded me with messages: “Chloe, Mr. Alexander said you’re not coming in. What’s going on?” “Chloe, you weren’t at the project meeting today. Mr. Alexander let Mr. Wang take over. What happened?” I stared at the screen, unsure how to respond. Then, a notification popped up in the work WhatsApp group. It was from Alexander: “After investigation, Chloe has been found guilty of embezzling company funds. She is hereby terminated.” A wave of shocked question marks followed the announcement. “Is this for real? Did Mr. Alexander make a mistake?” “Chloe would never do something like this!” Reading those words, I felt frozen to the core. Alexander was framing me. He was trying to destroy my career! He wanted to cut off all my escape routes, force me to stay in this house, serve Luna like a slave, and raise her child. As I started typing a response, I was abruptly kicked out of the group. Rage and resentment burned through my mind. After calming down, I called Mr. David, who had always wanted to work with me. I agreed to join him, but asked for a favor. “Excellent, Chloe! With you on board, I’ll dominate the market!” I had to get out of this disgusting house. I would make them pay for what they’d done. But when I got home, the scene stunned me. The living room was cluttered with luggage. A man sat on the couch, legs crossed, picking at his feet and spitting sunflower seed shells everywhere. A woman next to him was wearing my clothes, eagerly trying on my necklaces and bracelets. Frowning, I suppressed my anger. “Who are you? Why are you in my house?” The foot-picking man looked me up and down, his tone dismissive: “Oh, you’re Alexander’s barren wife?” The woman put down the jewelry box, hands on her hips: “We’re Luna’s parents, here to enjoy life with our daughter!” Luna emerged from the bedroom, pretending to be sweet as she took my hand: “Chloe, don’t mind them. My parents worked hard all their lives in the countryside and haven’t seen much.” “Since I’m pregnant and you’re taking care of me anyway, I thought I might as well bring them here. It’s just two more people.” I shook off her hand coldly: “I agreed to take care of you for Alexander, not your parents!” Her mother strutted over, sneering: “What? A barren woman like you dares to be picky?” “Don’t you know who’s in charge here? My daughter is the lady of this house!” Luna’s father sprawled on the couch, wiping his foot-picking hand on the cushions, and pointed at me: “Stop yapping and get me some tea! I’m thirsty. And bring out all the fancy food rich people eat—I want to try everything!” Luna dropped her act, a nasty smile spreading across her face: “Chloe, my parents are old. Cut them some slack.” “If you don’t take good care of them, I can’t promise Alexander won’t get angry again…” Until David helped me with my plan, I couldn’t afford more trouble. Gritting my teeth, I stormed into the kitchen. But then I heard Luna’s mother’s loud, poorly hushed voice from the living room: “You stupid girl! Why are you so slow?” “If Alexander won’t divorce her, why not make her mess up so he hates her for good?”

“Once they’re divorced, Alexander’s money and house will all be yours! You’ll be the rightful Mrs. Alexander, and your dad and I can live in luxury!” “Ugh, you’re too dumb to pull it off. I’ll call your aunt and have your cousin Bobby come help.” Hearing their blatant scheming, I dug my nails into my palms until they nearly bled. But what confused me more: didn’t Luna have cancer and limited time? Why did they not seem concerned at all? Suspicion coiled in my mind like vines. I immediately took out my phone and contacted a private investigator online. Just as I put my phone away, Luna’s mother yelled again: “Hey, Barren! Why isn’t food ready yet? Trying to starve us?” I swallowed my anger and started cooking. But when I served the meal, Luna’s father threw his fork down: “What is this crap? No flavor at all! Are you messing with us?” I said it was standard nutritious meals for pregnant women. But Luna frowned: “Chloe, my parents are here for once. Can’t you make something they like?” When Alexander came home, he saw this scene. Without asking, he yelled at me: “Useless! Can’t even take care of Luna and her parents properly! What good are you?” With Alexander’s backing, Luna’s parents grew bolder: “Alexander, I really like that big master bedroom. Let your dad and me have it.” Alexander agreed without hesitation: “Fine, the master suite is spacious. You two take it. Chloe, move to the servant’s room tonight.” Looking at his cold face, the last flicker of hope in my heart died. In the following days, Luna’s family ordered me around, making unreasonable demands. To avoid complications, I endured the disgust and complied. One evening, Luna nestled in Alexander’s arms, her eyes suddenly tearing up: “Alexander, I’ve never had a proper birthday my whole life. With my time running out, I really want to celebrate one before I go.” Alexander held her tightly, his heart aching: “I’ll arrange it. You’ll have a grand birthday party.” Luna’s birthday was set for the weekend. I thought I could finally rest. But near midnight that day, Alexander called. When I answered, it was Luna’s voice: “Chloe, I’m suddenly craving the sour plum drink from that old shop in the south district. Go buy it for me now.” I rubbed my temples irritably: “It’s almost midnight. The night market will be closed by the time I get there.” “No! I want it now!” Luna’s voice sharpened: “Alexander, I really want something sour right now! Sour means it’s a boy! If Chloe refuses, does she hate our son?” Before I could respond, Alexander took the phone: “Chloe, if Luna wants it, you go buy it! Deliver it within an hour!” I hung up, looked at the divorce papers I’d prepared on the nightstand, and felt resolve harden inside me. I jumped out of bed, grabbed the papers, and ran out.

The shop in the south district was closed, but I had the owner’s contact from before. After much pleading, he agreed to get up and make a batch for me. When I delivered the sour plum drink to Luna, she was playing games with friends and said she didn’t want it anymore. Suppressing my anger, I handed Alexander a resignation document: “My resignation papers. You need to sign them.” He gave me a suspicious look. I said expressionlessly: “It’s company procedure. Your signature makes the resignation official.” Just then, Luna called out: “Alexander, I lost the game! Come help me!” He frowned, took the pen, and signed quickly. He didn’t notice the divorce papers hidden underneath. I picked up the documents and let out a long breath. Step one, finally succeeded. But as I turned to leave, Luna stopped me: “Chloe, wait. My jacket is in the lounge. Go get it for me.” Seeing her sly expression, I felt a twinge of alarm. Luna softened her tone, even sounding “considerate”: “Chloe, once you get my jacket, you can go home and rest.” I glanced at the lounge—it was just across from the living room, with Alexander and Luna playing games nearby. It should be safe. “Fine.” Pushing down my unease, I walked to the lounge. The room was dark. In the dim light, I could make out a tall, bulky man lying on the bed. The jacket was draped over a chair behind him. I reached for it. Suddenly, the man opened his eyes. A rough hand grabbed my wrist, and he grinned stupidly at me: “Cousin was right! Pretty lady is here! Bobby wants kisses…” I froze in shock, trying to pull away, but his grip was iron-tight. He dragged me toward the bed, puckering his lips. “Let me go!” I slapped him across the face, but he seemed unfazed, still grinning. He tore at my clothes with more force. In that moment, I understood what Luna and her mother meant by “make her mess up.” I struggled desperately, screaming for help. But the noise from the living room drowned out my cries. In desperation, I kneed him hard between the legs. “Ah!” He cried out in pain, finally releasing me. I scrambled up, my clothes disheveled, and burst out of the room. I saw Luna nestled in Alexander’s arms, a triumphant smile on her face. “Luna! You bitch! You’ll pay for this!” Eyes red, I charged over and slapped her across the face. The sharp crack cut through the party noise. Alexander jumped up, shoving me away: “Chloe! Are you fucking crazy?!” He held Luna protectively, his eyes filled with hatred. Just then, my phone vibrated. A message from David: “Done.” Good. I didn’t have to put up with these two anymore!

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On the second day of my wife Elsie Snyder’s business trip, I, James Stewart, was cleaning while casually telling the smart speaker at home, “Play some music.” A deep, unfamiliar male voice came from the speaker. “Alright, I’m your Sunshine. Also, a reminder for Elsie not to forget Leonel’s birthday surprise tonight.” I froze, the music suddenly piercing. I thought, “My wife is Elsie, so who is Leonel?” I immediately called Elsie. “Did you mess with the smart speaker at home?” There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by her casual laugh. “Oh, a friend came over a few days ago, maybe she connected her account. What’s up?” I laughed it off, said it was nothing, then hung up. Afterward, I pulled up the speaker’s login records and took a cab straight to the company address linked to that unfamiliar account. The taxi stopped below Solar Design. I looked up, the glass facade shimmering in the sunlight, dizzying, much like its overwhelming momentum in the industry over the past two years. Solar Design is the biggest competitor of Dream Builder Design Studio, which I founded. The receptionist was very professional, showing no discourtesy despite knowing I was the boss of a rival company. She simply handled it formally and dialed the internal line. A few minutes later, a man in a casual shirt hurried out of the elevator, looking clean and innocent. He is Leonel Mason. The moment he saw me, his eyes clearly showed a flash of panic, but he quickly composed himself and forced a very fake smile. He asked, “Hello, may I know who you are?” “The smart speaker issue,” I got straight to the point, looking at him calmly. “The login record shows it’s your account.” “Ah! That speaker!” He suddenly realized and then scratched his head awkwardly, saying, “That’s my roommate’s. A few days ago, he used my phone to log in, said his membership expired and wanted to borrow an account for a couple of days. Did it cause you any trouble? I’m really sorry!” His words were flawless, both distancing himself and appearing innocent. If I didn’t know Elsie, I might have actually believed it. She’s arrogant and sensitive; there’s no way she’d allow an unrelated intern to log into her home devices with a personal account. My gaze slowly shifted from his innocent-looking face to his wrist. He was wearing a silver bracelet. Two irregular rings intertwined, with one engraved with a tiny letter E. That was last year’s wedding anniversary gift I designed myself and had a craftsman friend make for Elsie. E is the first letter of Elsie. It’s one of a kind. Leonel noticed my gaze and instinctively tried to hide his hand behind his back. I smiled, took a step forward, and spoke gently. “That bracelet is quite special. Did your girlfriend give it to you? Nice taste.” His face turned pale instantly, his lips trembled slightly, and he couldn’t say a word. That’s enough. I stopped looking at him and turned to leave. Sitting in the taxi on the way back, I called my friend Alex Wood. He’s the best divorce lawyer in the business. As soon as the phone rang, his loud voice came through. “Yo, Mr. Stewart? You finally remembered me?” “Do me a favor.” I stared at the city streets rapidly retreating outside the window, my voice unnervingly calm. “Look into someone, an intern at Solar Design, Leonel Mason. Also, dig out all of Elsie’s financial transactions and hotel records from the past six months. Don’t miss a single detail.” Alex was silent for two seconds, then dropped the joking tone. “Did they cross you?” “Something worse,” I said. The call ended, and the car fell into dead silence. It wasn’t long before Elsie called. On the screen, the word “Honey” felt particularly ironic. I took a deep breath and answered. “James, what’s wrong?” Her gentle voice came through the receiver, as considerate as ever, with just the right amount of concern. “I heard from Alex that you asked him to look into something. Are you having trouble at work?” See, she even planted her informants this quickly. I suppressed the surge of emotions in my heart and replied in the most casual tone, “No, I just suddenly missed you.” On the other end, there seemed to be a sigh of relief, followed by a soft laugh. “Honey, I miss you too. Once I finish this project, I’ll fly back to be with you right away, my Sunshine.” The word “Sunshine” clearly drilled into my ears. My grip on the phone suddenly tightened. So, I wasn’t her only sunshine. Or maybe, I never was.

Alex’s efficiency was astonishing; in less than half an hour, I received a message. He sent a link along with a comment: [Performance of the year by the best actor, with such a complete chain of evidence that I feel bad charging you full price. Enjoy.] I clicked it open; it was Leonel’s social media account, set to public. The latest post was a close-up of a wrist wearing that oh-so-familiar bracelet, captioned: [Sunshine coming your way, Ms. S.] My “Sunshine” nickname, my bracelet, have now become another man’s trophies. I scrolled down expressionlessly. A photo’s background was our home study. Leonel held his face, smiling innocently, with the rare architectural books I brought back from Italy behind him. Caption: [Soaking up knowledge in Ms. S’s study, I feel like I’m getting smarter too!] In one photo, he held a pen sketching on a blueprint—that was the limited-edition pen I gave Elsie for her 30th birthday. Caption: [The pen Ms. S gave me is amazing. She said my hand deserves the best pen.] Another photo was taken at the private kitchen we often visited, featuring my favorite dishes. Caption: [At Ms. S’s secret spot, she said I’m the only harbor where she can completely relax.] Every photo, every word, felt like a precise scalpel, cutting into the softest parts of my memories. Until I came across the post updated three days ago. In the photo, Leonel held a printed design blueprint, smiling boldly and proudly. Caption: [Ms. S stayed up late helping me revise the design. She said I’m the most talented designer she’s ever met and will definitely win the Summit Center project. Go for it!] Summit Center is the project Dream Builder poured its heart into and prepared for six months, marking the most important milestone in my career. I suddenly jumped up from the sofa, grabbed my car keys, and rushed out the door. The company was empty late at night. I unlocked the door with my fingerprint and headed straight to Elsie’s office. Her computer screen was still lit with a screensaver—it was a photo from our wedding day, where she smiled gently and tenderly. I just felt a wave of nausea. I tapped on the keyboard, the screen lit up, and a password input box popped up. I tried my birthday—wrong. Tried our wedding anniversary—still wrong. I let out a cold laugh and entered Leonel’s birthday. The password was correct. The desktop was clean and tidy, and I immediately spotted the encrypted folder. I opened it, and inside was the final plan for “Summit Center,” with every detail embodying countless days and nights of hard work and inspiration from my team and me. Next to it lay another folder, quietly named with just one letter, “L.” I opened it and found that the plan was almost identical to ours, with only a few key load-bearing structures and design highlights slightly adjusted to avoid core patents while retaining the essence of the plan. The plan was signed under Leonel’s name. So it turns out Elsie not only cheated but also planned to steal my hard work and our company’s future to pave the way for her lover. My stomach churned violently, and I gripped the cold desk tightly to keep myself from collapsing. Turns out, jealousy and betrayal can truly change a woman beyond recognition.

The Summit Center project bidding event was bustling with noise and excitement. I found an inconspicuous corner to sit in, my eyes fixed on the figure of Solar Design’s representative walking onto the stage. It’s Leonel. He’s wearing a sharply tailored business suit today, with polished leather shoes and his hair neatly slicked back, shedding his previous innocence and exuding the sharpness of a corporate elite. He took a deep breath and began explaining the design concept. “My inspiration comes from ‘The Eye of the City.’ We hope it’s not just a cold building but a living entity that breathes with the city and witnesses the pulse of the times…” Every single word of this was what I had once told Elsie, night after night, over countless cups of coffee, with bloodshot eyes. I once thought it was the deepest soul connection between us as a couple. Now I realize it was just a one-man show, and she was the most patient thief. What’s more ironic is that Elsie is sitting in the guest seat on the judges’ panel. Her long hair is neatly tied up, her face adorned with delicate makeup—exactly the elite look I know so well. She listens intently, nodding frequently, and when her gaze falls on Leonel, it sparkles with a light I’ve never seen before—a glow that treasures him and longs to show him off to the world. She completely ignores me in the corner of the audience, as if I’m just an insignificant backdrop. The phone buzzed in my palm—it was a message from Alex: [Need me to drop in with a baseball bat?] I looked at the screen, and the corners of my tense mouth curved slightly as I replied: [Wait.] On stage, Leonel’s speech reached its climax, and the final render appeared on the PPT—the very one stolen from my computer. The room filled with low murmurs of astonishment. The speech ended with thunderous applause. The host took the stage. “Thank you, Mr. Mason, for the wonderful presentation. Next, let’s welcome the special judge of this competition, the highly respected industry veteran, Ms. Snyder from Dream Builder Design, to give a brief review of this proposal.” The microphone was gently handed to Elsie. She nodded slightly, cleared her throat, and her gentle gaze fell on Leonel as she slowly began, “To be honest, I’m quite surprised. “Mr. Mason’s design perfectly combines artistic aesthetics with practical functionality. Especially the subtle adjustments in several key load-bearing structures—very bold, very ingenious.” She used “ingenious,” the word she used to describe Leonel, the word she used to hurt me. She paused, her gaze calmly sweeping across the room. “I believe this piece is undoubtedly the best today.” Applause erupted again, even more enthusiastic than before. At that moment, my world fell silent, leaving only the dull thud of my heart pounding in my chest. The host smiled and took over, saying, “Thank you, Ms. Snyder, for such high praise! It seems Solar Design is determined to win this time. So, is there any guest or judge here who would like to ask Mr. Mason a question?” The venue fell silent. After Elsie’s “authoritative” high praise, it seemed there was nothing left to ask. Leonel stood on stage, bowed deeply, his face unable to hide the pride and joy. I put away my phone and slowly stood up just as everyone was about to applaud again. My movement was subtle, yet it instantly drew everyone’s attention. The host was slightly stunned and asked, “Sir, may I ask who you are?” Elsie’s smile froze.

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When I, Amber Lynch, returned from a business trip and just stepped into my home, I found the water was out. After contacting the property management, the repair personnel quickly came to check. But as soon as he walked in, he looked at me with a puzzled expression. “The owner’s group sent a notice yesterday saying there would be a water outage today, and you even replied. Don’t you remember?” My heart skipped a beat, and an inexplicable unease quietly arose. Because we found it troublesome, my husband Leon Burton and I never joined the owner’s group. After the repair personnel left, I immediately joined the owner’s group, opened the chat history, and found a woman claiming to be the owner of unit 1206 constantly speaking in the group. But 1206 is my home, how could she possibly be the owner of 1206? I immediately called Leon. He sounded relaxed. “It’s probably just a mistake. With so many buildings in the neighborhood, mixing up unit numbers is normal. Want me to remind her to correct it?” I smiled slightly and told him not to bother, it wasn’t a big deal. After hanging up, I immediately used another phone number to send a friend request to that 1206 owner. It’s only 8 p.m., and shortly after I sent the request, the other party accepted it. She sent a message: [Who are you? Do you need something from me?] My fingers quickly tapped the screen, sending a message: [Hi, I’m your downstairs neighbor. There’s been noise from your place, like someone walking around. Could it be a break-in?] The other party quickly replied: [I’ll go check right away.] I put away my phone, walked to the door, entered the password skillfully, and pushed the door open. This apartment is near the airport. Leon and I don’t stay here often; it’s just a temporary stopover when we’re in a rush during business trips. At this moment, Leon is in the downtown penthouse, and this place should be empty. A few minutes later, the crisp sound of high heels echoed in the hallway. I quietly looked over and saw a young woman standing at the door, naturally entering the password and pushing the door open. Now I’m finally sure she didn’t make a mistake with the note; my guess was right. The phone vibrated, and her message came: [Did you mishear? The water’s out today, there’s no one at our place, and the sound didn’t come from our house.] I replied perfunctorily with a couple of sentences, said nothing more, and walked out through the fire escape, re-entering my home. “Who are you? Why are you in my house?” I spoke first before the woman could react. Her face instantly turned red, her lips trembling slightly. “You must be Leon’s wife, right? I’m Ariana Roberts, his hometown friend.” “He said this house is vacant for a long time and was worried about thieves breaking in. Since I work nearby, he asked me to drop by occasionally to check and do some cleaning.” I don’t stay in this house often, but I specifically hired a cleaning service to come regularly. There’s no need to trouble anyone else. However, I didn’t expose her. Instead, I patted her shoulder, smiled, and said, “Thank you so much. It’s getting late today, so you should head back. I need to rest now.” Ariana nodded and dashed out quickly, as if something was really chasing her.

After she left, I sat on the sofa and scrolled through her Instagram. She had three pinned posts. The first was of her slender wrist wearing a men’s watch, captioned: [Let me play with it.] I instantly recognized the watch on her wrist as the gift I gave to Leon. Looking at the post’s date, I remembered tidying up the closet at home that day and noticing the watch was missing. Leon said he left it at the office, but turns out he used it to please another woman. Her second post was tagged in another city, captioned: [The hotel’s soundproofing is terrible, I don’t dare sleep alone.] That day was my birthday. Leon and I were having a candlelight dinner when he suddenly got up and told me the company had arranged a business trip, and he had to leave immediately. I was a bit upset and asked if he could leave tomorrow instead. He frowned at me and said he was working, telling me not to be unreasonable. The third post was a huge bouquet made of cash, almost engulfing Ariana entirely. If I’m not mistaken, this bouquet must have cost a total of $520,000. This money was withdrawn from my supplementary card. He really went all out, giving his lover a $520,000 bouquet, while all I got was a cheap bunch of roses. I couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh, lamenting how blind I was to have liked that idiot Leon. He even dared to let his lover live in the house under my name, not fearing I’d find out. I just feel like my intelligence has been insulted. Thinking of this, I immediately contacted my good friend Ella Stone. She’s a lawyer, specializing in divorce cases. After hearing my story, Ella angrily said, “Leon, that freeloader living off your family, actually dared to cheat?” “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he leaves with nothing.” I nodded with satisfaction. This is exactly what I want. I don’t want a tainted man, and more than that, I’ll make him pay. I had just hung up Ella’s call when Leon’s call came through. He said, “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back? I could’ve driven to pick you up. The house near the airport has no water, so it’s inconvenient for you to stay there tonight.” “Also, you’ve met Ariana, right? She’s from the same place as me, and her parents know mine. She’s working hard here alone, so her parents asked me to look after her.” He brought it up on his own to ease my doubts, not knowing their little secret was already exposed. I pretended to be casual and said, “Yeah, I met her. I’ve been really busy lately, and I have an early flight tomorrow. I’ll just make do here for the night. You should get some rest too.” As I said this, the tablet in my hand was streaming the live surveillance of the downtown flat. I didn’t expect Ariana to be so bold. She had just met me and then turned around to go to the flat to act coy with Leon. Leon sat on the sofa, holding her in his arms, one hand playing with her hair, looking like a loving couple. On the other end of the phone, Leon clearly let out a sigh of relief upon hearing my words. “Alright then, it’s getting late. You should rest early.” “Next time you come back from a business trip, let me know in advance. No matter how late, I’ll drive to pick you up. Nothing is more important than you.” If I were still in the dark at this moment, I might feel touched hearing these words. But now, looking at the scene before me, all I feel is mockery.

After hanging up the phone, Ariana immediately gave Leon a kiss on the cheek. “I was so scared today, I thought we were going to get caught.” Leon pinched her cheek with a smile and said dotingly, “What are you afraid of? I’m here. Even if we get caught, so what? I’ll protect you.” “In a couple of days, there’s an auction. I’ll take you there for some fun. Buy whatever you like.” Ariana’s eyes lit up instantly. “Thank you, you’re really the best!” I contacted the assistant to freeze Leon’s supplementary card, ensuring he couldn’t spend a single cent. I want to see how he’ll “buy whatever” without my money. Ella is always efficient; before dawn, a complete timeline was sent to my inbox. Leon didn’t lie; Ariana is indeed his childhood friend, and they grew up together. A year ago, after Ariana came to this city, the two started getting close. He treated her extremely well, providing the best in food, clothing, and essentials. The spending records alone filled a fifty-page PPT. I roughly calculated, and the amount reached tens of millions of dollars. What’s more ironic is that many of those items are familiar to me. For example, the sapphire necklace he gave me on our wedding anniversary, which he claimed was bought for a fortune at an auction. Because the necklace was too extravagant, I mostly kept it in the cabinet and rarely wore it. But I just realized that everything he gave me was fake, and the real ones are all around Ariana’s neck. Looking at the pages of spending records, I was so angry that I laughed. Thinking about how touched I felt when I received those gifts before, I now feel nauseous. And Ariana, who owns the real ones, has built a “rich wife” persona online, showing off her jewelry, designer clothes, and bags every day. With these things, she’s gained hundreds of thousands of followers online. I clicked into her account and found her latest post, where she filmed me and Leon’s downtown marital home. Not only that, she even went into my walk-in closet, casually picked up my clothes, and said to the camera, “I have too many clothes at home, let’s pick a few lucky followers to give them away.” “Don’t worry, these clothes have never been worn, some even still have tags. I’ll give them away for free in a raffle. For those who don’t win, don’t be upset, there will be more of these events in the future.” The screen was flooded with pop-up likes, filled with envy and praise. Some even asked her why she was so wealthy. She replied, “It’s all my husband’s money. We grew up together, and he always gives me the best.” “In a couple of days, he’s taking me to an auction. I’ll make a video for you when we’re back.” I left a comment with my new account: [Can you livestream the auction tomorrow? We ordinary people have never seen what a real auction looks like.] Many people liked my comment, asking Ariana to livestream and let the fans broaden their horizons. Ariana quickly replied, “Alright, I’ll livestream tomorrow and let everyone join the auction immersively.” Seeing this, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Leon wants to use my card to let her buy whatever she wants; it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t show up.

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