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The year of purest love, just because of my husband’s low sperm count and one sentence, I gave up the opportunity to study abroad, agreed to adopt the abandoned baby he picked up by the roadside. From that day on, exhausted my heart and blood to take care of this home, raise this child. Suffered for thirty years, finally waited until son married and started career, thought I could relax a bit, but I was diagnosed with terminal illness. Facing sky-high treatment costs, just wanted to comfort husband and son saying I have money. But they got angry. “What your money? That’s all this family’s money, this illness is a bottomless pit, throwing money in won’t even hear a sound!” “Mom, Dad is right, I have plenty of places need money later, don’t be so selfish.” So they combined forces forcibly took me home, fed me painkillers for ten years, watched me take last breath. After I died, husband happily welcomed his First Love into the door. Son also hugged her crying bitterly saying regretted not being able to serve her, this biological mother, these years. I then realized my whole life actually lived in lies, made wedding dress for others. Opened eyes again, I returned to the day boyfriend holding an abandoned baby asked me if could adopt. Chapter 1 I glanced at him and directly closed the door, “Send to CPS (Child Protective Services).” Lucas Snyder was anxious, “How can we do that?!” I looked at Lucas’s righteous look and laughed, “What can’t be done, is it more ridiculous than me, an unmarried girl, adopting a child?” Lucas frowned tight, seeing my tough attitude, softened first, “Fiona, this is also a life, look how pitiful he is, abandoned so small, anyway we are getting married soon, treat as raising a child in advance, isn’t it good?” Lucas spoke with deep feeling, these words I heard in my past life long ago. Now listening so disgusting, but unfortunately in past life I believed. That time parents hoped I go abroad for further study, but for Lucas and this child, I tore up plane ticket, insisted adopting this child, married Lucas without any ceremony. From then on, started long dedication. Finally after I died, they inherited my family’s huge fortune, lived happily with his lover and illegitimate son. “This is indeed a life, also pitiful, so more reason to send to CPS, there are professional caregivers, I have no childcare experience, how to take care of him?” Lucas stunned. This probably is first time I refuted him. We are childhood sweethearts, I was obedient to him, always soft-hearted to him, forgot myself. “But…” He seemed to think of something, sighed relief, “My mom can help you.” I sneered in heart, help? Past life mother-in-law indeed helped a few days. But not long after had a stroke paralyzed, I took care of child while serving mother-in-law. Until mother-in-law died I checked medical records then knew she simply wasn’t paralyzed! Just wanted lie down let me serve! I took deep breath, “Lucas Snyder, I think I need to reconsider our relationship.” “You know, my parents always hoped I go abroad.” Finished I wanted close door. Lucas seeing this kicked door to hold, face full anxiety wanted say more. At this time hurried footsteps came from doorway. A young man ran over, “Lucas! Quick, company has matter find you!” Colleague glanced at me, then looked at swaddle in Lucas’s arms, expression subtle. I saw in eyes, sneered in heart. Again like this. Lucas moved rescue, probably waiting for me soft-hearted actively say give child to me first, you go busy first. Then can logically send child into my home and himself easily escape. This time I didn’t speak, just quietly looked at him, hands behind back, refusal gesture clear. Colleague still urging. Lucas finally made up mind, fiercely turned to me, face pleading, stuffed swaddle into my arms, “Fiona! Beg you! You most soft-hearted, wait I finish busy I will come back take care of this child with you!” Weight with baby milk scent caught off guard hit into my arms. Next second, Lucas already ran no shadow. Familiar yet strange touch made me tremble all over. Countless fragments surged up. Midnight holding feverish him running to hospital, first time called me mom I wept with joy. And when Lucas snatched my life-saving medicine, he coldly said, “Mom, don’t toss anymore, go peacefully, you delayed my parents’ lifetime, don’t delay my son.” I gave up many opportunities to stay home take care of him. Saying this child grew up sucking my heart blood is not exaggerated. Finally, raised a white-eyed wolf. I looked at empty everything in front, only left me and baby crying weakly in arms standing lonely at door. Parents’ doubtful voices came from behind, I looked down at child, gritted teeth, made a decision. Chapter 2 Next morning, urgent knocking woke me up. Parents also woke up. Outside door sure enough was Lucas. “Uncle Auntie, good morning.” “Lucas, so early?” My mom although dissatisfied with Lucas, but after all neighbors for years, still enthusiastically greeted him, “Haven’t eaten breakfast right, just right, come eat some?” More enthusiastic they were, more unnatural Lucas was. He had no mind to eat, full heart on his own child, barely coping, “No no, Uncle Auntie, I ate, I come find Fiona… see child.” He saying, gaze crossed my parents looking at me. “Child?” My mom this time really confused, “Lucas, what child you talking about, where come child?” Lucas stunned, tone anxious, “Just that little boy I brought yesterday! I gave to Fiona!” I slowly sat at dining table peeling egg, eyelids didn’t lift. Lucas seeing this rushed over to drag my arm: “Fiona! Where is child!” His action rough, my dad immediately sank face, “Talk just talk! Do what moving hands!” “Uncle Auntie! I really gave her a child!” Lucas anxious voice shaking, turning to me almost roared, “Fiona, child!” I chuckled, “You so anxious, could it be child is yours?” Living room instantly quiet. Lucas expression stiff, “What nonsense you talking, that was I picked from roadside…” “So, I put him on roadside again.” “Is it?” I stood up, calmly said, “Since picked, then I of course sent him to place he should go.” Lucas pupils fierce shrank, “Where you sent him???” “Roadside.” I tone relaxed, “Didn’t you pick from roadside? I put on roadside, in case parents who abandoned him found conscience, came back find child?” “What you said!” Lucas fiercely grabbed my wrist, strength incomparable big, pinched my bones crackling sound, “Fiona! Don’t joke with me!” My dad immediately stepped forward drag him, “Lucas Snyder! Let go!” I threw off his hand, rubbed red wrist, “I no time joke with you, I still have to pack luggage for studying abroad!” “What studying abroad?” Lucas blankly said, “How can you go abroad, you go abroad who take care of child?” My mom listened head fog, “What child, what you guys talking about, also, Fiona school abroad starts next month, this is matter we agreed long ago.” Lucas took deep breath, barely squeezed smile to my mom, “Auntie, this matter I explain to you later.” He turned head grabbed my arm again, tone begging, “Fiona, you tell me first, where is child, that is a life.” I looked at his righteous look calculating me, whole body blood rolling, just about raise hand give him a slap when——! Chapter 3 “Oh my, terrible!” Opposite Auntie Wang suddenly poked head out, face full anxiety, “Morning found an abandoned baby in our community garden, that little face burned red, all confused, ambulance just pulled away, pitiful oh~” Lucas’s face turned white instantly. He stared dead at me, eyes full of bloodshot, “You really threw him?” I also heard words stunned. I clearly threw child to Serena’s door. How could appear in community garden? But before I thought clear, Lucas fiercely dragged me rushing out. “Lucas Snyder! What you doing!” My dad shouted sternly. Lucas turned deaf ear, “Go hospital! Go now!” My mom wanted stop, but roughly pushed away by Lucas. I was half dragged half pulled by Lucas stuffed into taxi, he tremblingly shouted to driver go Children’s Hospital. In car his mouth non-stop muttering won’t have matter won’t have matter. I coldly watched his lost soul look. Past life I cancer pain in bed, fever to 104 degrees, begged him send me hospital, he only coldly perfunctory me drink some hot water fine. Now for his own child, anxious like ant on hot pot. Really ironic. Sure enough board not hit on self body won’t feel pain. Arrived hospital emergency department, Lucas like crazy grabbed nurse asked child whereabouts. He dragged me stumbling rushed into ward. Just at door, heard woman sobbing sound. Pushed door, saw Serena holding flush faced rapid breathing baby in arms, cheek sticking his forehead, tears falling one by one. “Baby, no fear no fear.” She voice choked, anyone look knew how anxious she was for this child. Lucas rushed in, eyes instantly red, fiercely turned head, stared dead at me, resentment in eyes almost overflowing. “Fiona! You satisfied! Child burned like this now, pneumonia, convulsion, almost just…” He voice hoarse, “He only how big, how you so cruel heart!” I looked at this fragile little life, heart no wave. Past life they sucked dry my youth and health, relied on my family resources step by step high promotion. Finally coldly watched me stop breathing. His life death, I don’t care. “I cruel?” My gaze turned to Serena, “Lucas Snyder, yesterday I personally put this child at Serena’s door, also left a note, how…” I paused, tone doubtful, “This child would freeze outside whole night, until morning discovered by people in community garden?” Serena looked at me with full eyes shock, “Fiona, what nonsense you talking? I first time see this pitiful child today, I am nurse here transferred to pediatrics help, see this child sick so serious no one care I just…” She saying tears rolled down again, “If… if you really put this child at my door, how could I let him stay outside overnight?” “If is me first saw this child, I definitely will take good care of him!” “We three grew up together since small, what person I am you know clearly in heart!” I heard words frown. Before I also thought Serena kind innocent, so that time I gave up quota going abroad, let my dad use connection coordinate, gave to Serena. Watching good friend replace self complete unfinished dream. I was willing. Just later didn’t expect, Serena turned into my son’s biological mom. Became Lucas’s white moonlight. Those years lingering on sickbed, I then knew, how stupid I was. I coldly watched. And Lucas looking at Serena pear blossom bathed in rain look, eyes complex flickered few times. He took deep breath, eyes firm, step forward blocked in front of Serena and child, facing me. “Serena, you no need say more, I believe you.” Then Lucas took out a document from bag carried with him. Brand new cover, eye-catching title. 《Adoption Registration Certificate》 He flipped open inner page, faced certificate to me. That above impressively printed my name. Chapter 4 Fiona Lin, and adopter name column, already neatly filled, Leo. My blood instantly rushed to top of head, limbs ice cold. I remembered! A while ago I prepared an important qualification exam, registration needed on-site confirmation, coincidentally those days I had other things, was Lucas volunteered say help me handle, took away my ID card. I that time completely no defense, even moved by his considerateness. Turns out he planned everything long ago, utilized my trust, under circumstance I knew nothing, privately handled adoption procedures. “Leo…” I looked at this name, pain suffered humiliation in past life instantly surged up, almost unstable standing. This name like a cage! Want bind me and this white-eyed wolf and this pair scum man bitch woman together again! Lucas looked at my pale face, actually held my hand comforting me. I threw him off he also not angry. Lucas stretched brows, “Fiona, I know you momentarily can’t accept, I don’t want force you, but I also unwilling see you become a cold person, this child too pitiful, I made this decision for you, we recognize him.” He paused, “Adoption certificate already done, legally, you are his mom, if you insist oppose…” “Then I can only publicly declare this is child of us two, anyway we originally going to marry, others also won’t feel strange.” “I can’t watch helpless this little life, because our adults’ indifference selfishness, sent to welfare home, become an orphan without home.” Lucas spoke righteously. And I looked at his extremely hypocritical face, and Serena holding child beside, faintly proud. Maybe anger reached extreme, instead I strangely calmed down. I slowly curved mouth corner, smiled. “Lucas Snyder, you right, with this this child counts as settled.” Lucas obviously sighed relief, face gratified. Serena also relaxed, lowered head rubbed child cheek. I changed tone, “But I next month going abroad study, school side procedures all done, tuition also paid, if I not go, this quota wasted.” Lucas almost immediately took words, “What difficult in this, how could waste!” He looked at Serena, “Let Serena go not fine? You both study clinical, major matches, she is our best friend again.” “Fiona, look, this how good, Serena replaced you go, equals still our person realized your dream, fertile water not flow outsider field, you stay peace mind take care child and family, best of both worlds!” Serena tear light flashing, “Fiona, you believe me, I will study well, not disappoint you and Lucas expectation.” I looked at two people singing together, cooperating tacitly. Past life sucked dry value by them joined hands, two old peeling bodies hooking up at my funeral picture flashed again. I lightly laughed out sound, Lucas and Serena both stunned, looking at me puzzled. “Good, Lucas Snyder, you don’t regret.” “Later I am this child’s Legal Guardian.” I looked at their instantly relaxed expression, coldness spread in heart. Faintly excited again! Just then, ward door pushed open with a bang. A young nurse holding report sheet, look anxious, “Child test result out, quick send ICU!” “This is abandoned baby right, no family can sign, directly transfer!” Nurse saying wanted hold child onto moving bed. I reached hand pressed nurse, “Who said this child no family?”

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My husband’s little mistress broke up with him again. He drank until he perforated his stomach and ended up in the hospital. Half-dead, he mumbled, “Only she dares to treat me like this.” Then he grabbed my hand and asked, “Serena, you’re a woman too. Tell me, how do I win her back this time?” True. He had cheated so many times, but only this Ivy girl made him lose his mind. My phone vibrated. A text from Ivy. “Mrs. Sterling! Control your husband!” “As a woman, do you have no dignity? Tell him to stop harassing me!” I smiled mockingly and gave no response, as usual. On the fifth day of his hospitalization, Julian blew up my phone, questioning me angrily: “I’m in the hospital! Why haven’t you visited me?” “Do you even care about your husband anymore?” I said calmly, “I’m afraid if I go, you’ll fall in love with me again.” Chapter 1 A scoff came from the other end. He seemed surprised by my sudden humor. I hung up. A notification popped up on my phone. The three-year “merger clause” in our prenuptial agreement had expired. According to the contract between the Vance and Sterling families, I could finally file for divorce. Just as I finished instructing my lawyer, I saw Ivy’s post on Instagram. A photo of Julian in a hospital gown, IV drip in arm, kneeling on one knee to massage her calf. She sat on the hospital bed, smiling blissfully. Caption: Finally understood what they mean by ‘Rich men are the biggest simps.’ The man in high places was just a dog I couldn’t chase away no matter how hard I tried. I scrolled past it without a ripple of emotion. My lawyer was surprised by my calm demeanor. “Clients as composed as you are rare, Mrs. Sterling.” I smiled faintly. She didn’t know that I used to scream, fight, suffer from depression, and attempt suicide because of Julian’s affairs. The Serena standing here today was resurrected from a dead heart. Chapter 2 Julian came home a month later, in the early hours of the morning. Seeing me asleep, he moved lightly, like a thief. But he didn’t know I was a light sleeper. Any noise would wake me. Suddenly having another person in the bed felt foreign. I couldn’t remember the last time Julian slept in my bed. The next morning, a jewelry necklace worth 30 million dollars appeared on my nightstand. I was used to it. Sure enough, I received a provocative text from Ivy: “Mrs. Sterling received another 30-million-dollar necklace because of me. Shouldn’t you say thank you?” Every time Julian tried to win Ivy back, he bought luxury goods. But Ivy never accepted a single one. In Julian’s heart, Ivy was the purest woman who viewed money as dirt. They had been together for three years. She never spent a dime of his money. They went “Dutch.” Julian, born with a silver spoon, willingly lived a commoner’s life with her. So in Julian’s mind, Ivy’s love was the purest. Untainted. Only I knew Ivy was playing the long game to catch the big fish. Usually, I treated her like air. I never replied. But today, I typed: Thank you. A rational woman never turns down money. She replied instantly, shocked as if the sun rose from the west. “Wow, you’re alive today? You actually replied.” Her mouth was venomous. Julian woke up and glanced at my chat with Ivy. He smiled, his tone full of doting affection for her. “Ivy has such a sharp tongue. She’s interesting.” As he spoke, he patted my head naturally. “My Serena is generous now. You finally act like a big sister.” Like praising a dog. Nausea rose in my chest. I used to turn the city upside down because of his affairs. I flipped tables in public. I smashed a wine bottle over his head—he went to the ER fifteen times because of me. The media exposed everything. He lost face countless times. But he never stopped. He would only say: “Look around this circle! Which man doesn’t have a few women?” “I play around, but I’m not leaving you!” He also said many times: “No matter how many women I have, you are the boss. You are their big sister.” Until the day my father died, I finally woke up. I played “blind” and “deaf” for three years! In exchange for his praise: “My Serena finally acts like a big sister.” For three years, I didn’t interfere. My existence was like air to him. He didn’t even know that our son was two years old. The day I almost died giving birth, he was with Ivy, selling hot dogs at a street cart. He said he loved Ivy’s independence and grit! I sneered silently and said nothing. In my heart, he was already dead. Chapter 3 On the day of my mother-in-law’s birthday banquet, I planned to make an appearance and play the filial daughter-in-law. But when I walked in with gifts, I saw Julian and Ivy standing on either side of his mother. My mother-in-law was chatting happily with guests. “Mrs. Sterling, your hair looks beautiful today. It matches your Qipao perfectly.” Her hair was indeed elegant, pinned up with a vintage hairpin. She smiled gently and patted Ivy’s hand approvingly. “My daughter-in-law styled it. She has clever hands.” So, even his mother had accepted Ivy. Ivy smiled gracefully. “Mom, I’m glad you like it.” Julian added, “Mom likes you the most. She told me many times.” “Having you as the Sterling family’s daughter-in-law is our blessing.” I sneered internally, not wanting to stay a second longer. As I turned to leave, Ivy’s voice called out: “Sister Serena.” Her tone was light, pretending we were close. I paused, turned around calmly, and smiled. Surprise flashed in her eyes. She expected me to make a face. Or have a breakdown and storm off. Not this calm, collected demeanor. “Sister, you look beautiful today,” she said, feigning warmth. “Thank you.” I accepted the compliment with a smile. I didn’t care about her anymore. Her petty hostilities were wasted on me. My mother-in-law said naturally: “You two sisters help me entertain the guests.” I suddenly remembered what she told me before: “You are my own daughter now. I will treat you like one.” “If Julian dares to cheat, I’ll be the first to break his legs for you.” Those words felt like yesterday. But now, she was the one humiliating me. She patted my hand gently and whispered: “Serena, Ivy is a good girl. She’s different from the others.” I smiled faintly and lied, “Mom, you’re right.” I was leaving anyway. Nothing here mattered. My mother-in-law smiled with relief. “It’s good you figured it out.” She looked at Julian. “See? I told you Serena is reasonable.” Julian looked at me with pride. “I trained her well.” Treating me like a pet. In the past, I would have smashed every table at this banquet. Now, I wouldn’t waste a single emotion on unworthy people. I stood beside my mother-in-law, flanking her with Ivy. Everyone looked at me strangely. Whispers floated around. “Serena changed so much. This isn’t like her.” “She would have flipped the table by now. Why is she so docile?” Amidst the surprise, my mother-in-law announced happily: “I have good news to share.” “My daughter-in-law Ivy is three months pregnant.” “The doctor says it’s a boy.” “This is a double blessing for the Sterling family.” Guests offered their flatteries. This was common in our circle. But slapping the original wife’s face like this? Only the Sterlings. Ivy smiled shyly. Julian hugged her happily. I was the clown, adding entertainment to the party. Finally, I spoke. “I wanted to wait until after Mom’s birthday to discuss the divorce.” “But since Ivy is pregnant, we can’t let her child be a nameless bastard.” “So, discussing divorce here seems appropriate.” I signaled my lawyer. She handed the divorce papers to Julian. Julian froze, frowning at me. “Are you making a scene again?” I smiled calmly. “I’m serious. Do you love Ivy by making her a mistress for life?” He was shocked by the calmness in my eyes. For a moment, disbelief filled his gaze. The person he thought would never leave him… was calmly proposing divorce. My words choked him. He loved Ivy so much; he couldn’t say anything to hurt her. The room fell silent, waiting for Julian’s reaction. Ivy stared at him. Julian hesitated for two seconds. Ivy couldn’t take it. She acted the victim: “Julian, don’t be torn.” “I know I’m not good enough for you.” “I’ll abort the baby. I can be a mistress.” “But honestly, I don’t want my child to be called a bastard.” “So I’ll get rid of it.” Julian panicked. “No! This is our love child. My first child.” “Who dares call him a bastard? I’ll give him a legitimate status.” I said approvingly, “That’s a man! Sign it!” Under pressure from both sides, Julian picked up the pen. He signed without looking. He leaned in and whispered so only I could hear: “After Ivy gives birth, I’ll remarry you.” “Just endure it. I won’t abandon you.” I remained calm, a heavy weight lifting from my heart. Julian, I don’t want you anymore. Never again. Ivy gave me a victor’s smile. I smiled back, feeling liberated. Chapter 4 I returned to the house I shared with Julian. The movers had already taken my valuables. My two-year-old son was still sleeping. I didn’t have the heart to wake him. My lawyer got injured by a falling cabinet, so I rushed her to the hospital. I hurried back to pick up my son when he would be waking up. Before I reached the house, I saw thick black smoke billowing into the sky. My heart tightened. I floored the gas pedal. The closer I got, the stronger the dread. My hands shook on the steering wheel. Please, not my house. But when I got out of the car, I saw the villa being swallowed by fire. My world collapsed. Ivy was nestled in Julian’s arms, crying delicately. “Julian, I’m sorry. I didn’t know lighting fireworks to celebrate would burn the house down.” “What do we do? Boohoo…” She looked like a frightened bunny. Julian didn’t care about the house. He smiled and comforted her. “It’s okay, don’t cry. It’s just a house.” “I have plenty of houses. This loss is nothing.” “Don’t cry, silly girl.” My legs went weak. I screamed and ran toward the fire. “My son is inside! Save him!” “Fire! Help!” I ran like a madwoman. Julian grabbed me from behind. “Serena! Calm down!” “We don’t have a child! What child?!” “If you care about the house, I’ll give you another one!” Ivy chimed in sarcastically: “Sister Serena, what act is this?” “Where’s the child? Are you hallucinating?” I broke free and slapped Julian hard. I trembled and roared: “It’s your son! Two years old! He’s sleeping inside!” I lost my mind and tried to rush into the fire again. The house was engulfed. The crackling was deafening. Sirens wailed in the distance. Julian blocked me again, shouting: “Are you crazy?!” “Are you trying to manipulate me with this?” “Serena, it’s your life!” “If you go in there, you’ll die.” “Son? When did you have a son? Why didn’t I know?” “I think you’re mentally unstable!” Ivy added: “I think so too. Sister, you can’t force love. Why do this?” I looked like a lioness ready to kill. I grabbed Ivy’s hair and dragged her toward the fire. “Ivy! If my son dies! You burn with him!” She screamed in pain. Julian rushed over, blocked me, and slapped me. “Serena, stop it!” He ordered his bodyguards: “Take her to the psych ward!” Two huge men grabbed me. In total despair, I was ready to die in the fire looking for my son. Suddenly, a familiar, terrified voice came from behind: “Mommy, I’m here…” Hope ignited in my heart. I turned and saw my son, face covered in soot, clothes burned. I ran over and hugged him tight. Julian was thunderstruck. He stared at the mini version of himself in disbelief. Annoyance flashed in Ivy’s eyes. She feigned shock. “This…” Julian walked over quickly, grabbing my arm. “Is this my son?” “Our son?” I shook off his hand in disgust. “No!” “He is my son!” From the day Leo was born, I considered Julian dead. He was never worthy of being a father! So the child was registered under my name. His surname is Vance. Leo Vance. Leo had never met Julian. He thought I was being bullied. He pushed Julian with his dirty little hands angrily. “Don’t bully my mommy!” He glared, his angry face a carbon copy of Julian’s. Julian froze, his brain short-circuiting. Ivy held his arm, sowing discord: “No wonder she divorced so easily. She cheated long ago and had a child.” Julian stared at Leo for a long time. Still unsure, he asked urgently: “Is Leo my son?!” I glared at him coldly. Ivy asked deliberately: “Have you touched her in the last three years?” “No,” Julian blurted out. Realization hit him. His face darkened. He grabbed my collar, looking hurt. “You really cheated!” “Who is he?” “I’m asking you, whose bastard is this?!” Leo rushed over and bit Julian’s leg. “Don’t bully mommy!” Thud! Julian lost control and kicked my son aside. Leo wailed in pain. I slapped Julian with fury. “Touch my son again and I’ll kill you!” “His dad is dead! Are you happy?!” I stared at him with murderous eyes and slapped him again! Suddenly, I was pushed back. A loud slap landed on my face. Ivy protected Julian angrily: “Serena! Are you crazy?!” “Julian is my man now. Dare touch him again!” All the rage in my chest channeled into my arm. I slapped her back hard. “Ivy! You will pay for this!” “I can give you the man, but if you take my son’s life, I’ll take yours!” She was scared by my vicious look. “Crazy woman!” “I didn’t try to kill your son!” Firefighters and police arrived. The fire was huge. I held my son and told the police: “She set the fire intentionally.” I pointed at Ivy. Ivy denied it in panic. “I didn’t! I didn’t know she had a son. Why would I hurt a child?” The police said reasonably: “We will investigate. Let’s check the surveillance.” “Mommy, it hurts… it hurts…” My son slumped against my neck. He passed out while talking to me. “Mommy is taking you to the hospital now.” I shook his shoulder and saw his shoulder was burned raw. Bloody. My heart was cut into pieces. I ignored the police and rushed him to the hospital. The doctor said the burn was infected and almost reached his heart. He was saved, but critical. He needed to be in the ICU. My heart was in my throat again. I looked at my tiny son through the glass. I wished I could take his pain. “Seems like you love that wild man very much.” Julian’s cold voice came from behind. Instantly, hate filled my chest. I turned around. We locked eyes. His gaze was cold, mixed with the anger of being cuckolded. And I only had pure hate for him! “Who is that man!” Julian stepped closer, demanding an answer. “Speak! Who is he!” He grabbed my chin. Suddenly, his eyes turned red. I admired his broken look. He didn’t love me, so why this act? I slapped his hand away. “What right do you have to question me?” “You can’t handle it when I treat you the way you treated me?” Julian took this as confirmation. I cheated. His eyes trembled, as if heartbroken. Tears welled up. He turned around for three seconds, then turned back. He spoke in a tone that allowed no refusal: “You said that man is dead, right?” “Fine. I’ll give you one last chance.” “I’ll accept this bastard!” “But you better behave from now on!” I laughed in anger! He thought he was being generous! He thought loving me this much was a gift! My cold laugh bruised his ego. Julian frowned. “What’s funny?” “Haha! Your patheticness!” He frowned deeper. Footsteps approached. The police arrived. I walked over quickly. “Officer, is Ivy arrested?” The officer said: “The person who set off the fireworks wasn’t Ivy.” “It was the nanny serving her. She confessed.” I was thunderstruck. She found a scapegoat. My anger flared. I grabbed the officer’s arm. “The nanny is just a fall guy! Ivy lit it!” “I heard it! Did you check the cameras?” The officer patted my arm. “The fire destroyed the cameras.” “The homeowner, Mr. Sterling, said he won’t press charges.” “They will cover your child’s medical bills.” “It looks like an accident. The nanny didn’t know a child was inside.” “Luckily, the child crawled out.” I couldn’t accept this. Julian shook the officer’s hand. “Thank you, Officer Liu.” The officer left. I slapped Julian in rage. “You covered for her!” He sneered coldly. “It’s just a bastard! He didn’t die!” “Even if he died, I’d give you another one!” “I won’t let you hurt Ivy over this!” I laughed at myself. Hard to imagine this was the man I once loved with all my heart! Freshman year, he fell for me at first sight. He chased me for four years. I agreed because senior year, a fire broke out in the dorms. He thought I was inside. He rushed in, risking his life. I didn’t expect him to love me that much. My heart was conquered. He spoiled me rotten. But one year after marriage, he started cheating. He became the person I hated most. Now, a human life meant nothing to him! “Julian! For my son, I will see you in court!” He laughed. He pointed at Leo in the ICU. “For that bastard?!” He scoffed, looking at me like I was brain-dead. His phone rang. Contact: Wifey. He answered in front of me. “Wifey, I just finished with the police.” “Don’t worry. It’s over.” Ivy’s pitiful voice came through: “Hubby, I’m so scared. Thank goodness you believe me.” “Come back, please? Your son is kicking.” “Okay, I’m coming. Be good. Wait for me.” He hung up and looked at me coldly. “Stop making trouble. You know I love Ivy, but I love you too.” “As long as you don’t fuss, we can grow old together.” I wanted to spit in his face! My phone rang. My new lawyer. “Yes. Make this big. As big as possible.” While talking, I remembered the drone in the big sycamore tree. It had a camera pointed at the villa. I lost it there while playing with Leo. I rushed back. I found the drone. I watched the footage in my car. My fists clenched tighter and tighter! Hatred tried to jump out of my body! My phone vibrated. Ivy. “Sister Serena, don’t worry. If your son survives this…” “I’ll pay for you to adopt one from the orphanage. How’s that?” “Honestly, how could you raise a bastard openly in the Sterling house?” My knuckles turned white. I ground my teeth. Ivy, I will make you rot in prison! The hospital called. Leo was stabilizing. I rushed back. My son smiled at me sensibly. “Mommy, it doesn’t hurt. Don’t worry.” The more sensible he was, the guiltier I felt. Choosing a bad father was my lifelong debt to him. I stroked his hand. “Baby, you’re so brave.” “Mommy will get justice for you.”

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My stepbrother has split personalities. During the day, he’s the epitome of a gentleman. At night, he’s dangerously intimate. One night, when the distance between us was negative, his primary personality suddenly woke up. Seeing my body covered in bite marks, his eyes widened in disbelief. “Shawn?” he called out hesitantly. But the lust in his voice was like a wildfire, paralyzing him with fear. The gentle, clear-headed brother who wouldn’t bear to say a harsh word to me in daily life… He had no idea that the person bullying me most ruthlessly was him. 01 While heating milk, I stared blankly at the bubbling foam. Caleb’s arm reached over my head to grab cereal from the top shelf. He’s my stepfather’s son, but after our parents passed away, it was just the two of us. “Good morning, Shawn,” he said nonchalantly, picking at the wet ends of my hair. “Back from your morning run?” “Yeah, just showered.” I stared at him unblinkingly, not wanting to miss a single micro-expression. Caleb smiled refreshingly as usual. “Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?” I looked away in disappointment. “No.” He really didn’t remember. I pulled my collar up to cover the red marks on my collarbone, even though Caleb hadn’t noticed them at all. I turned off the stove, and the bubbles burst mercilessly. Just like my fantasies. 02 Before leaving, I tied Caleb’s tie in the entryway. He lowered his eyes, seemingly deep in thought. “Shawn, something’s on your mind.” It was a statement. “Worried about my group project,” I paused, making up a random excuse. Of course, Caleb could tell I was lying. He ruffled my hair. “If you need my help, just ask.” I stepped back subtly, brushing his hand away. “I have to go.” “Be safe. See you tonight.” Caleb’s smile didn’t change. But in my blind spot, his hand quietly clenched into a fist. 03 I stayed in the library until midnight, deliberately taking my time packing my bag. When I got home, Caleb wasn’t back yet. My heart felt empty, but also relieved. Not having to try so hard to hide things from him made me relax. But before I could sit down, there was a racket outside the door. Supporting Caleb was a despairing-looking Ryan. “Phew! Is this ridiculous or what? Knows he’s a lightweight but still drinks like a fish? When your brother wakes up, tell him to pay me overtime.” He pushed Caleb onto me like throwing a sandbag and rotated his wrist. “But seeing our little Shawn after so long isn’t a loss.” Ryan tried to pat my shoulder, but was blocked by the drunk Caleb. “Don’t touch him!” Caleb leaned into my arms, his fierce expression like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Then he hugged my waist tight, giggling foolishly. “Mine.” As if showing off. My heart tightened. Afraid Ryan would notice something strange, I turned away to hide my burning ears and let Caleb lean on the sofa. “Thanks for bringing my brother home.” “Something definitely happened between you two,” Ryan propped his chin up, looking ready for a show. “Caleb, this kid, really knows how to act. Usually, he doesn’t touch a drop of alcohol just to be your model brother. Do you have any idea why he insisted on getting drunk today?” The reason… I knew all too well. But I couldn’t say. 04 After sending Ryan off, I looked distressingly at Caleb, who had somehow ended up lying on the sofa. “Bro, go sleep in your room.” He was sleeping soundly, defenseless, cheeks flushed, wearing a happy smile, dreaming of who knows what. Like a ghost possessing me, I reached out my fingertips to trace his brow and eyes in the air. But my wrist was suddenly grabbed. “Come here, Shawn.” Caleb’s eyes curved into crescents. “Come closer to me.” Such a sweet command, I couldn’t refuse. But the next moment, a smooth touch sobered me up. Caleb bound my hands tight, using the tie I had tied for him that morning. Then he patted my cheek with his palm. “So easy to trick.” “Bro?” Guessing a certain possibility, my voice was unconsciously tinged with terror. “Shh, your brother is asleep.” The cruel angel in front of me revealed a triumphant smile. “The one playing with you now is me.” To others, his words might be as incomprehensible as the Oracle of Delphi. But I knew this was the signal that the monster lurking within Caleb had awakened. “Let go.” I felt my heart pounding wildly, like a pigeon struggling desperately, longing to break out of its cage. He turned a deaf ear, straddling my legs, unhurriedly unbuttoning my shirt. “Shawn, Bro’s hands are so cold. Warm them up for me.” “Don’t talk like my brother!” “Strange, how did it become me and him? I’m the primary personality. The hypocrite you see during the day is the fake.” I couldn’t bear it anymore. “Shut up!” My brother could never have such a vile personality. I finally struggled free from the tie, grabbing the hair of the person groping me and yanking his head up. But just as I was about to punch, he lifted his face, a look of victory. “If you hurt me, how will you explain it to your brother?” An instant spell that made my fist soft. Seeing me close my eyes in defeat, Caleb sneered lowly. “Stop pretending to be a gentleman. You’ve fantasized about this too.” The shame and embarrassment of being pried into overwhelmed me. “Nonsense.” My rebuttal lacked confidence. My body suddenly felt light. Opening my eyes, I saw him kneeling on the floor, pressing down my knees, deftly undoing my belt. I panicked and tried to dodge, but he caught me first. Caleb raised an eyebrow. “Running away?” He picked up the tie I had just thrown aside. “If you don’t like your hands tied, let me tie somewhere else.” 05 He tortured me. Tortured me with waves of pleasure. When I clung to his shoulders, my brain was battered by the waves of desire. The spark of reason was too weak, easily extinguished. Somewhere bound by the tie throbbed painfully, as if a wound-up toy soldier inside was desperately spinning and beating a drum, persistently shouting: “Release me! Release me now!!” Caleb’s satin-like hair swayed rhythmically in front of me, carrying a certain lyrical quality, like willow in early spring. I wanted to touch it, but as soon as I reached out, the motion was shattered. Hot steam rose around us, fogging up the originally clear windows. In the reflection, two intertwined figures became hazy. Whether I begged for mercy, cursed, or bit him fiercely in anger, he remained unmoved. He would only wait until I was crying hard, then cup my face and kiss me teasingly. Entangled with Caleb to the death, as if tomorrow would never come. 06 I woke up with a start. I only calmed down when I realized I was in my own room. Checking my body, I gritted my teeth in anger. Psycho! He didn’t stop even after I passed out last night. At least he had the conscience to clean me up and send me back to my room. Otherwise, waking up in Caleb’s bed would have been another terrifying scene. While I was still scared, Caleb poked his head in from the door. “Breakfast is ready, Shawn.” Wearing an apron, he was back to being that gentle brother. The domineering and paranoid man from a few hours ago had vanished without a trace. “Okay.” Rubbing my sore waist, I sorrowfully confirmed one thing again: Daytime Caleb doesn’t remember a thing about the night. 07 After the torment of the previous night, I couldn’t act as if nothing happened and tie Caleb’s tie, so he could only go to work wearing a crooked tie. One day, two days, three days. I allowed myself to deliberately delay the time for mental preparation. Caleb couldn’t figure out the reason. He was a bit sad but wouldn’t force me, just waiting eagerly at the entryway every day. When I looked back after fleeing out the door, his expression was like a puppy sunbathing happily at the door, only to have its food bowl kicked over for no reason. Quite pitiful. “Wait, Shawn, did I make you angry?” He chased after me uneasily and took my hand. “You’ve been so cold lately, and you always come home late.” Coming home late was to avoid him. But I couldn’t tell the truth. “Don’t overthink it, I’m not mad at you, Bro,” my gaze drifted. “Just a bit busy lately. Group project requires a lot of research.” I’ve never been good at lying. Caleb knew this about me. Lies are the tombstones of trust. Once suspicion starts, it becomes endless. An irreparable rift appeared between Caleb and me. Trying to fill it with clumsy lies was as fanciful as trying to sew a canyon shut with a needle and thread. “Shawn has secrets he can’t tell Bro now.” He listened quietly to my defense, a bitter smile curving his lips. “I shouldn’t interfere too much. I’m sorry.” I opened my mouth but couldn’t speak. I didn’t want to see him look so lonely… Guilt and shame were turning me into a bitter lemon. 08 Night fell. Caleb opened my bedroom door with the spare key. He skillfully climbed onto the bed and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. Inciting kisses fell like fine rain on my neck. I weakly blocked his lips. “I’m not in the mood… What are you doing?!” Rustling sounds. Caleb crawled under the covers, conducting a secret and sinful exploration on his own. “Please, don’t do this with my brother’s face.” I pushed him in panic but failed to intercept. “Don’t you like it?” He spoke slurringly. “Haa, stop.” My voice trembled along with my legs. Attempts to push him away only backfired. Caleb let out a muffled laugh and lifted my waist high. The visual impact was too intense. “Ah, slower, a bit slower.” I gripped the sheets tightly. Before reaching the peak of pleasure, my brain went blank for a moment, my body like a taut string. The player, however, didn’t intend to let me go. The rhythm of plucking became more urgent. “Move away!” Tears of bliss blurred my vision. Caleb straightened up, fluids sliding down his jaw. He licked the corner of his lips nonchalantly. “Your brother got wronged, so you vent on me? Wayward enough.” That nasty smile again. “Then it’s only fair I do as I please too.” With that, he lifted me onto his lap. “Shawn, Bro is so sad,” he said while moving, the corners of his eyes red with excitement. “Come comfort Bro.” “Wait! I just…” He didn’t give me a chance to finish. The world was smashed into pieces again.

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The neighbor’s girl had scratched my car thirteen times with her bicycle. She always looked the part: scrubbed face, faded jeans, weeping those heartbreaking, pearly tears. Before this, I’d always melted. Always waved her off. But this time, she just looked me in the eye. “So what? It’s just a scratch,” she sneered, wiping a tear. “Someone as rich as you wouldn’t bother harassing a broke college kid over something this small, would you?” The weariness hit me like a physical blow. The emotional theater of it all—the calculated poverty—had finally curdled into disgust. “Let’s go the legal route,” I said, my voice flat. She blinked. “Original cost for repair, plus damages. I’m including the previous nine times I let slide. Total liability: three million dollars.” She froze, then her face crumpled, transitioning back to the victim in a flicker. “Three million? You’re only doing this because I’m poor, aren’t you? To bully me?” she wailed. “My boyfriend is a lawyer. I’m not afraid of you.” I truly hadn’t taken the threat seriously. Not until the day of the preliminary hearing. A striking man, immaculate in a bespoke charcoal suit, pulled her close, comforting her as she leaned into his chest. “My little crybaby,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “Finally ready to announce who your boyfriend is?” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “As a reward, how about I not only win this for you, but I make sure we get the plaintiff and her lawyer sanctioned? Get you the justice you deserve.” The man speaking was my husband, Spencer Hale—the undefeated litigation shark, the top-tier attorney who, at that very moment, was supposed to be finishing up a major deal in London. … 1. “But really? She has so much money, and she’s so arrogant,” Phoebe Carter sniffled, burying her face deeper into Spencer’s lapel. “I’m just a struggling student. How can I possibly win against her?” Spencer Hale gently wiped a tear from her cheek. “You doubt everyone else, but you doubt me?” He tilted her chin up. “Your boyfriend? I’m the best litigator in the country, Phoebe. The best. I’ll make her crawl for forgiveness. How about that?” Phoebe’s tears instantly dissolved into a dazzling, childish smile. “Yes,” she cheered. “Make that old hag pay.” “Anything you want, little rebel,” Spencer laughed, kissing her again. I watched them from a distance, my gaze fixed on their entwined silhouettes. Then I lifted my phone. Spencer saw the screen light up and instinctively frowned, pulling slightly away from Phoebe. He paused for a long moment before excusing himself, stepping into a quieter corner to answer. Spencer’s voice, artificially bright and laced with practiced affection, hit my ear immediately. “Missing me already? I just left, darling.” “Where are you?” I cut straight to the chase. A fractional hesitation. Just a beat too long. “In London, of course. I text you my itinerary every day, don’t I?” He let out an exasperated sigh. “I’ve got to go. My client’s about to throw a tantrum.” I watched the smile drop from his face the moment he hung up, a chilling, instant transformation. Phoebe rushed over, her arms looping around his neck. “Who was that on the phone?” Spencer quickly pressed a kiss to her lips. “No one important. Just a nuisance. What, are you jealous?” My heart gave a heavy, leaden thump as I stood watching their tableau—two lovers oblivious to the world. I didn’t show up for the hearing. My assistant went in my place. When I got home that evening, I sat on the sofa, scrolling through old photos of Spencer and me. Seven years of birthdays, holidays, and inside jokes. My chest was utterly numb. Spencer had graduated at the top of his class and quickly rose to the elite of the legal world. Everyone always called us the perfect couple—the golden pair. I had believed it. I truly had. I let out a short, self-mocking laugh. The vibration of my phone startled me. A text message from Phoebe. “What’s the use of all that money if no one loves you, you old woman?” she gloated. “My boyfriend loves me.” Attached were a dozen intimate photos: hands intertwined, faces pressed together, goofy selfies. The final image was the court document detailing her victory. The judgment was a stinging mockery. Before I could even process a reply, Spencer’s name flashed on my screen. “Audra Sinclair, what in God’s name were you thinking?” His voice was sharp, laced with righteous fury. “You’re nearly thirty, harassing a nineteen-year-old kid! How could you be so cruel as to demand three million dollars from a student?” I smiled, a cold, empty gesture. So he knew it was me. He knew the whole truth, yet he still used his reputation, his genius, to crush me and hand her the victory. The undefeated Spencer Hale. I hung up without speaking. Then I dialed my corporate lawyer, Mr. Alistair Cole. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Sinclair. We simply couldn’t stand up to your husband.” “It’s fine.” “I do have one more lawsuit I need your help with, Mr. Cole.” He paused. “A lawsuit? Why wouldn’t you just use Mr. Hale?” I spoke slowly, deliberately. “A divorce case.” “He’s the defendant.” 2. Spencer finally came home three days later. I gave him a brief, frigid glance, and turned to walk away. “Audra. Honey, are you still mad?” He grabbed my hand. “Look, I apologize for my tone the other day. I was too harsh.” “When I saw Phoebe, I just flashed back to my own college days. I was poor then, too. Scrounging for meal money. It was just a moment of pity.” He didn’t once mention his actual relationship with Phoebe. “We don’t need the money, Audra. Think of it as a charitable donation, an act of grace.” I kept my gaze fixed on him, unmoving. He sighed, pulling me toward the door. “Come on. As an apology, I’m taking you to pick out a new bag. Any bag you want.” I was reluctant, but I had been cooped up inside for too long. As soon as we walked into the high-end boutique, a sales associate rushed over. “Ms. Sinclair, Mr. Hale! So good to see you both!” She enthusiastically showed me the newest arrivals. Spencer beamed, pulling me closer. “Pick out whatever you like, darling. Consider it my apology for my bad temper.” The sales associate and her colleagues began whispering, their voices a sympathetic hum. “Mr. Hale is so devoted to you.” “You two are still number one on the city’s ‘Model Couples’ list.” Model couple. I let out a dry, scornful puff of air. My desire to shop evaporated. I simply grabbed a generic clutch off a shelf. Just then, Phoebe Carter burst in, a squeal escaping her lips as she flung herself onto Spencer’s arm. “Spencer! What are you doing here?” She spotted the bag in my hand. “Wow, that purse is gorgeous, Audra. Is that the new Vanderbilt?” The store associates froze, exchanging uneasy glances. I looked at Phoebe’s expression. She clearly knew I was Spencer’s wife now, but she didn’t look one bit ashamed. No, she’d probably known all along. I lowered my eyes, then extended the bag toward her. “It is nice, isn’t it? Two hundred thousand dollars. You won’t earn that working ten years of minimum wage.” Phoebe’s face immediately stiffened. Then the tears started to fall, right on cue. She said nothing, just fixed her wide, innocent eyes on Spencer, waiting. Finally, she broke into a fresh round of sobs. “It’s true, I can’t afford it,” she choked out. “But Mrs. Hale, you don’t have to look down on me like that. I’m poor. So what? Do I not deserve to live because I’m poor?” She snatched her arm away from Spencer. “I’m leaving! I’ll never show my face in front of you rich, privileged people again!” Spencer’s brow furrowed as he looked at me, all the patience he’d displayed moments before completely gone. “Who said she can’t afford it? I’ll buy it for her.” He then pulled a cheap, ten-dollar canvas tote from somewhere and threw it at me. “Here. You carry this today.” His voice was cold, laced with contempt. “Go home and think about when you became so shallow and judgmental. All you’ve ever been is a parasite, Audra, coasting on your family’s name since childhood. In ten years, Phoebe will eclipse you.” He then turned and chased after Phoebe, leaving me alone, stranded in the silent store. The sales associates stared, their pitying eyes watching me. I looked at Spencer’s retreating back, and my heart gave a sudden, sharp contraction. It was a searing, needle-like pain that radiated through my chest. I lowered my eyes to mask the flood of emotion, pulled out my phone, and took a picture of the bag’s payment receipt. Then, I walked to the window and snapped a photo of Spencer and Phoebe outside, locked in a tight embrace. “Mr. Cole,” I typed. “Adultery evidence.” 3. “Received,” Mr. Cole’s text popped up instantly. I put my phone away and sighed. A store associate nervously approached me. “Ms. Sinclair, that was the last one of those bags—and your picture with Mr. Hale… should we still display it?” I looked over at the glass shelf. There, tucked between two new bags, was a framed photo of Spencer and me, taken right after college graduation. Spencer had just started as a junior paralegal, a complete nobody. He’d saved three months of ramen-noodle money to buy me the cheapest clutch in this very store. When he gave it to me, he held me close and whispered, “I don’t have much now, Audra, but I promise you. We are going to have the brightest, most beautiful future.” That cheap clutch is still in my closet. It’s my favorite. Every time I see it, I remember that promise, that future he mapped out for us. Now he was successful, famous, and rich. That photo felt like a brutal slap across the face. “Ms. Sinclair?” the associate prompted. I looked at my younger self in the photo, smiling so innocently, never imagining this day. “Throw it out,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “It’s irrelevant.” Irrelevant memories. Irrelevant people. I didn’t want either anymore. I turned, walked out of the store, and headed straight for the ocean. I spent three hours by the water, watching the relentless churn of the waves. Seven years—from college sweethearts to married life—tumbled through my mind. The raw, jagged pain I felt when Spencer walked away had finally settled into a dull ache. The storm had passed. I sent him a text. “Tomorrow is our seventh anniversary. I think we need to talk.” Spencer didn’t reply. But Phoebe posted a picture on her social media. It was a close-up of the designer bag Spencer had just bought her. The caption read: “The one who truly loves you will cross any obstacle to be by your side. In love, the only other woman is the one who isn’t truly loved.” A moment later, Spencer Hale had ‘liked’ the post. I laughed, a harsh, brittle sound. Time to like her social media posts, but not time to reply to his wife. It didn’t matter. I no longer cared. My phone buzzed again, this time a video call. Phoebe. “Hey, Audra! Guess where I am?” Her tone was chirpy, manic. “You know, it’s true you rich people have it all. Even your dog eats better than me. An animal gets to live in a mansion. How is that fair?” In the video, she was in my living room, my dog, Gus, clutched tightly in her arms. I had raised Gus from a puppy; he was family. He was frantic, struggling in her grip. “What are you doing? Let him go!” I shouted. Gus was fiercely protective of me. He thrashed harder, perhaps hearing my distress. Phoebe squeezed his head tighter, and Gus instinctively bit her hand. Phoebe’s face, which had been smiling in her moment of triumph, twisted into something dark and ugly. “You little bastard!” “The old woman bullies me, and now her mutt attacks me, too?” Phoebe, still wearing the ridiculously expensive heels Spencer bought her, violently kicked Gus’s small body. I screamed, dropping my phone, scrambling to pick it up as I started to run. “Don’t touch him!” The ten-minute drive from the beach to the house took me five. I was still too late. I shoved the door open. Gus was lying on the marble floor. His eyes were wide with a film of tears, and he let out the smallest, weakest whimper—the sound he made only when he was in excruciating pain. My heart shattered. “Phoebe! Get away from him! Get away!” Phoebe looked up and smiled. “Oh, hi, Audra. You’re back. Your house is amazing, but your dog is so naughty.” She looked down at Gus, her eyes turning cold and malevolent. “You came back for this dog, didn’t you? Just wait. I’ll send him down to you.” A primal, suffocating dread closed in on me. “No—!” 4. I was still on the first floor, but it was too late. Phoebe was standing on the upstairs landing, and in front of my horrified eyes, she flung Gus over the railing. Thud. My companion, my little fur-family, the only unconditional love I’d known for years, hit the ground and went still. I let out a shriek of absolute devastation. “Gus!” I watched his eyes. They glazed over, fading away. His tiny paw was extended towards me, as if he needed one last hug. He was too far. I couldn’t reach him. And then, he slowly closed his eyes. A massive, overwhelming wave of pain and pure, white-hot hatred washed over me. Phoebe looked from Gus’s body to my broken face and started laughing. “Dead? Good, he deserved it. Why should an animal live better than me? I didn’t mean to kill him, but that bite—” I scrambled up the stairs like a madwoman, my hand raised, ready to strike her. “Who told you to touch him? Who gave you the right to be here?” The palm of my hand never made contact. A powerful force grabbed my wrist and stopped me dead. Spencer’s eyes, normally composed, were shadowed and dark. In seven years, I had never seen him look at me with such cold fury. For another woman. “Audra Sinclair, what the hell are you doing?” I grit my teeth, pointing a trembling finger at Gus’s motionless body below. “Who let this woman into my home? She just killed my dog!” Phoebe, naturally, was weeping against Spencer’s chest. She shook her head violently. “I’m sorry, Spencer! The dog just went crazy and bit me, and then it jumped off the balcony itself!” She pulled back her sleeve, revealing the superficial bite mark. Spencer’s eyes hardened. He violently flung my arm away. I lost my balance and crashed hard to the floor. “This is what you call a loyal pet? If anything happens to Phoebe, I swear, you will regret it.” A corner of the coat rack dug into my stomach. The pain was so sharp I couldn’t speak. Spencer didn’t even glance at me. He was focused solely on examining Phoebe’s hand. “Are you okay?” Phoebe shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, Spencer. I was just looking around this huge house—it’s so big—and then Audra’s dog just lunged at me. I—I…” She dissolved into sobs, and Spencer swept her up into his arms. I gripped the hem of his trousers, fighting the churning sickness in my stomach, clinging to one last sliver of hope. Maybe Gus could still be saved. “The hospital. Spencer, please. Take Gus to the hospital. Now.” He didn’t look down at me. His voice was calm, a desolate, cold whisper. “It’s just an animal. It’s dead. It got what it deserved.” I watched their backs disappear, and the tears finally came. They weren’t for Spencer. They were for my Gus. And for the seven years of my life I had given to this man. Cradled in Spencer’s arms, Phoebe looked over his shoulder. She caught my eye, a smug, victorious smile on her face. Then, she mouthed two silent words at me. Other woman. The one who isn’t truly loved. 5. I woke up in the hospital on the third day. My assistant, pale and exhausted, was sitting by my bedside. He looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t. “Boss—” Two full days. Spencer hadn’t come to the hospital. Not once. I closed my eyes, then opened them. My voice was raspy. “Call the police. File a report.” “Yes, Ms. Sinclair.” Not long after the police left, Spencer walked into my room. His face was grim, his eyes burning with irritation. His opening line was a demand. “Phoebe hasn’t even graduated. You called the police? What about her future?” I looked at him, my expression blank. “The moment she killed my dog, she decided her future. I want her to face the consequences for what she did.” Spencer glared at me. “I can’t believe you’ve become this person. You rich people are all heartless. But you can’t touch Phoebe while I’m here.” He stood taller, the undefeated lawyer. “You know my power, Audra. With me on her side, no case is unwinnable. I won’t let her lose.” Then, he turned and left. One day later, I received the notice. Spencer, on behalf of Phoebe, was suing me for willfully allowing my aggressive pet to injure her. Against any other attorney, the case was laughably weak. But this was Spencer Hale. His record of zero losses was the gold standard of the industry. People used to envy me for having such a brilliant husband. It never occurred to me that he would use that brilliance to destroy me. The verdict came down a week later. I lost. Thoroughly. The court ruled that I owed Phoebe one million dollars for emotional distress, medical expenses, and pain and suffering. Furthermore, for allowing a pet to maliciously injure a person, I could face a fifteen-day jail sentence if the plaintiff declined to drop the charge. I stared at the ruling. I had already convinced myself I was done with him, but still, my heart gave an involuntary, painful wrench. I never thought Spencer would be this cruel. He was so terrified of a negative impact on her future that he didn’t care about destroying mine. Fine. Spencer Hale. I never want to be associated with you again. I called Mr. Cole, forwarding the last, damning pieces of evidence of Spencer’s infidelity. … Spencer smiled when Mr. Cole showed up at his office. “Audra finally realized she was wrong, didn’t she? This whole thing was just to teach her a lesson. I would never let her actually go to jail.” He checked his watch. “Tell her I’m coming home tonight. All the previous drama—” Mr. Cole interrupted him. “Mr. Hale, this is from Ms. Sinclair. I suggest you look at it.” Spencer’s smile widened. “Did she get me a surprise? Audra is always so predictable. If she’d just been more cooperative sooner…” His voice trailed off as he fanned the papers. He looked down at the documents on the floor, the color draining from his face.

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Winning eight million dollars in the lottery, the first thing I did was rush to the hospital to pay for my son’s surgery and treatment. But then, a call came from my colleague. “There’s an emergency at the office. You need to get back here right now and handle it!” My wife took the card from my hand, her voice dripping with false understanding. “Just give me the PIN. I’ll go pay for our son’s surgery. You go take care of work.” In my past life, I trusted her without a second thought and hurried back to the office. I never saw my son get his surgery. Instead, I got a summons from the police. It turned out my wife and my colleague had conspired to frame me, pinning his embezzlement of company funds on me. My son died in the hospital, unable to afford treatment. My parents, overwhelmed by grief, both died of heart attacks. And I, consumed by hatred, killed myself in prison. After death, my soul drifted to the Maldives where my wife was vacationing. I heard her say to my colleague with my own ears: “That idiot won all that money and the only thing he could think to do was waste it on that pathetic little weakling. He was just dragging me down into a life of misery!” “But now, the deaths of his entire family have bought us a lifetime of luxury. Consider it compensation from that fool, hahaha!” When I opened my eyes again, I was back at that exact moment—my wife taking the bank card from my hand. This time, I still gave her the PIN. 1 “Honey, you can leave things at the hospital to me. Hurry to the office, don’t let work be delayed.” My wife, Jenna, clutched the bank card containing the eight million dollars. Her words were a perfect mask of support, but her eyes gleamed with the thrill of a successfully laid trap. In my last life, I had given her my absolute trust. It never occurred to me that she would take the money meant to save our son’s life and conspire with my colleague, Mike, to frame me for embezzling company funds. I was sentenced to ten years in prison. My son, without the money for his surgery, died in the hospital. Even my parents, crushed by the series of blows, suffered fatal heart attacks and were left to die on the street like stray dogs. Freshly reborn, a storm of hatred raged within me, a primal urge to strangle the life out of this venomous woman who would sacrifice her own husband and child. But that would just land me back in prison, a tragedy I wouldn’t repeat. It wasn’t worth it. I would find another way. I would make Jenna and Mike, that treacherous pair, pay the price they deserved. I squeezed her wrist, my voice laced with meaning. “Then I’ll leave this to you. This is for our son’s life. Make sure you don’t transfer it to the wrong account.” After all, in my last life, Jenna hadn’t transferred the money to the hospital. She’d sent it to a separate account Mike had set up. A flicker of unease crossed her face. “Don’t worry,” she said, her voice a little too quick. “I won’t be that careless.” I smiled. “Good.” I turned and left, the smile vanishing from my face the second my back was to her. Once outside the hospital, I let out a cold laugh and dialed 911. “Officer, I need to report a crime!” “Just two minutes ago, I was the victim of fraud. Eight million dollars was just transferred out of my account. I need your help to track the funds immediately!” “What? Eight million dollars!?” The officer on the other end heard the amount, and his tone became instantly serious. He began filing a report. “The transfer just happened. It’s good you called so quickly. We’ll do everything we can to recover the funds. If you have any new information, you must let us know immediately!” My voice was thick with manufactured panic. “Yes, of course! That money was for my son’s life-saving surgery. Please, you have to help me!” Hanging up, a slow, grim smile spread across my face. I wasn’t worried about getting the money back. I knew that in a short while, it would be transferred right back into one of my own accounts. This was the very trap they had set for me in my last life. But this time, they were the ones about to learn what it means to be too clever for your own good. My phone buzzed violently. Mike’s name flashed on the screen. 2 I let it ring. I knew exactly why he was calling. He was rushing me back to the office, eager for the lamb to walk into the slaughter. With a cold smirk, I hailed a cab. But I wasn’t going to the office. I was heading to the State Lottery Commission. “Hello, I’m the winner of this morning’s eight-million-dollar prize. I need to have my win officially certified.” In my previous life, I was in such a rush to pay for my son’s surgery that I never bothered to get the win authenticated. Later, after I was framed, I tried to get proof, but Jenna and Mike had already bribed someone at the commission. They had altered the winner’s information, making it impossible for me to prove the eight million was legitimate lottery winnings. After getting the official certification, I also had the staff print out a detailed statement showing the eight-million-dollar deposit into my account. This time, I would leave Jenna and Mike no loopholes, no openings, no chance to succeed. My phone rang again. Mike. I swiped to answer. “Alex, where are you? Don’t you know something huge has happened at the office? It’s… it’s about you. The general manager wants you back here, now!” Mike’s voice was urgent, but he was deliberately vague, trying to keep me in the dark about the details. I knew his game. He wanted me confused and anxious, to walk into his trap completely unprepared. “Alright,” I said, my voice deliberately slow. “I’m on my way.” I arrived at the office at my own pace. Mike greeted me with a look of profound disappointment, his brow furrowed. “Alex, how could you do something like this? What were you thinking?” I met his gaze evenly. “Stop playing games, Mike. Just say what you have to say.” He fought to suppress a triumphant grin, raising his voice for the benefit of the entire office. “There’s no use pretending, Alex. The company knows you’ve been embezzling tens of millions of dollars!” His words dropped like a bomb. Heads popped up over cubicle walls. The office, once humming with work, fell silent, then erupted in shocked whispers. “Oh my god, Alex? He always seemed so quiet and hardworking. He has that kind of nerve!?” “The company found discrepancies last week, didn’t they? I can’t believe it was him!” “Goes to show you never really know someone. He looks so honest on the outside, but he’s a greedy bastard in secret!” “What would he even do with that much money? Is he supporting a second family behind his wife’s back?” “Who knows? I heard his son is really sick, needs an expensive surgery. Maybe he got desperate.” “A surgery doesn’t cost tens of millions. This is pure greed, plain and simple.” “Whatever the reason, embezzling company funds is a crime. People like him deserve to rot in jail. We’ll just wait and see him get what’s coming to him.” The scornful glances of my colleagues felt like needles. Their whispers buzzed in my ears. Mike’s lips curled into a subtle, smug smile. My expression remained unchanged. “It wasn’t me,” I said calmly. “I didn’t do it.” “The evidence is right here, Alex, and you still have the nerve to lie!” The general manager, Mr. Henderson, stormed out of his office, his face purple with rage. He slammed a thick file onto my desk. “I trusted you! I was going to promote you next week! Is this how you repay the company!?” I picked up the papers. They were records from the company’s financial system, showing a series of abnormal fund transfers. The operator was listed under my name and employee ID. And the most recent entry, dated just ten minutes ago, showed a transfer of eight million dollars from the company’s system to a bank account in my name. I pulled out my phone and logged into my banking app. Sure enough, one of my accounts had received an eight-million-dollar deposit ten minutes prior. 3 “Well, Alex?” Mr. Henderson roared. “What do you have to say for yourself now!” The looks from my coworkers turned from suspicion to outright contempt. “The proof is right there in black and white! How’s he going to talk his way out of this? Just call the police and have them drag him away!” “We bust our asses here for a fixed salary, and this guy just helps himself to millions? What gives him the right!” The anger in the room was palpable. We were all just working stiffs, and the idea that one of us had cheated the system to get rich quick was infuriating. Seeing this, Mike’s eyes filled with the undisguised glee of a successful schemer. I looked at him, a long, meaningful stare, but my words were for Mr. Henderson. “Sir, don’t you find the timing a little too convenient?” “I arrived at the office building ten minutes ago, and at that exact moment, eight million dollars lands in my account? I’m guessing it was Mike who brought this ‘evidence’ to you, wasn’t it?” Mike’s face tightened. “So what if I did? We may be colleagues, but I won’t stand by and watch a scumbag like you destroy this company. I reported you to Mr. Henderson for the good of everyone here!” I let out a cold laugh. “I’m not the only one with access to the financial system. And my password? You made a point of leaning over my shoulder the last time I logged in. I’m sure you saw it.” “How do I know you didn’t log in as me, transfer the money to my account, and frame me for all of this?” Mr. Henderson seemed to consider this. The situation was indeed too coincidental. The investigation into the missing funds had started last week, and my name had never come up. Yet today, suddenly, all roads led to me. He frowned, turning his gaze toward Mike. Mike’s composure faltered, a flicker of panic in his eyes before he quickly masked it. “Sir, don’t listen to his excuses! It’s not just the system records. I have a witness!” “That’s right. I can testify!” A collective gasp filled the office. Everyone turned, stunned, to see my wife, Jenna, standing at the entrance. “Isn’t that Alex’s wife? Oh my god!” “If even his wife is saying it, it must be true!” Mike beamed. “Well, Alex? Your own wife is here to report you. What’s your explanation now?” I wasn’t surprised to see her. In my past life, it was Jenna who appeared at my darkest moment, when the entire company had turned against me, and delivered the final, fatal blow. She was a brilliant actress. Her eyes reddened in an instant. “Alex, I didn’t want to expose you, but my conscience won’t let me stay silent!” A cold smirk touched my lips. “Jenna, if you had a conscience, you’d be at the hospital with our son right now, not here conspiring with Mike to slander me.” A guilty flash crossed her eyes, but she quickly recovered, her voice rising with righteous indignation. “I’m doing this for our son! I don’t want to see you make a mistake you can’t take back!” “Having a criminal for a father will only bring him shame in front of his friends! If you continue down this path, you’ll ruin our son’s future!” Her words were sharp and self-righteous. “Alex, it’s not too late to confess. You’ll just go to prison. That’s the punishment you deserve for breaking the law!” Mike chimed in. “Your wife is right, Alex. You should just turn yourself in. You might even get a reduced sentence.” “Yeah, the cat’s out of the bag. Being stubborn won’t help. Just confess.” “If you take what isn’t yours, you have to be ready to pay the price. Go on, Alex, turn yourself in!” In an instant, everyone was convinced of my guilt. Their voices swirled around me, a chorus urging me to admit my crime. 4 The triumphant excitement in Jenna and Mike’s eyes was impossible to hide. But there wasn’t a trace of panic on my face. I just spoke calmly. “You’re lying, Jenna. If I had been secretly embezzling money, our son would have had his surgery and been cured long ago.” “I won eight million dollars today. I handed you the card myself and told you to go pay for his surgery.” “And the first thing you do is come here and claim that eight million is stolen money? Jenna, how can you face our son, who’s lying in a hospital bed right now?” Even at the mention of our son, her expression didn’t soften. She shot back, her voice ringing with conviction. “I’m not lying! What good would lying do me?” “Yes, our son needs that money to live, but we can’t use your dirty money! It would only bring him shame and contempt from others!” I stared her down, speaking each word with deliberate weight. “Jenna, Jamie is your only son. To frame me, are you really willing to abandon him to die?” Her eyes were cold and empty, but her words were a performance of motherly concern. “Alex, I’m doing this for our son!” “Stop being so stubborn and turn yourself in. I’ll find another way to pay for the surgery. Our son and I will wait for you. When you get out of prison, we can be a family again!” Her heartfelt performance won over the crowd. “It sounds like his wife is telling the truth. What mother would risk her own son’s life just to frame her husband?” “Exactly. I heard they only have the one son. She wouldn’t want him to go without the surgery, but she can’t use stolen money, no matter what.” “She’s being rational. If they can’t afford it, starting an online fundraiser would be better than embezzlement!” “Besides, the company is missing tens of millions. The surgery doesn’t cost that much. Alex was just using his son’s illness as an excuse to embezzle money for himself!” Jenna and Mike stood together, looking at me with smug satisfaction. I stood there, expressionless, but a question churned in my mind. Jenna had always resented our son for being sick, for draining the money that she felt should be spent on her own lifestyle. But now, I had eight million dollars. With that money, Jamie could be cured instantly, with plenty left over. I was also on the verge of a promotion and a raise. Our lives were about to get better. So why was she so determined to betray me with Mike? Mike was already married, for God’s sake. What made Jenna think she could win against his wife and build a life with him? Seeing my silence, Jenna must have thought I was out of options. She subconsciously touched her stomach, her voice softening into a mask of reason. “Alex, you’ve already broken the law. There’s no escaping it.” “Just think of it as setting a good example for our son. Turn yourself in. I promise you, I’ll make sure Jamie gets his treatment. Okay?” My eyes locked onto hers, and in a flash of terrible insight, I understood. There was another reason, besides the money, that she had to betray me. Just then, Mr. Henderson’s patience snapped. “That’s it! Call the police!” I glanced at my phone and a small smile played on my lips. “No need. The police are already on their way up.” As the words left my mouth, several police officers walked into the office. Jenna and Mike’s faces lit up with manic joy. They pointed at me. “Officers, that’s him! That’s Alex! Cuff him and take him away!” The officers glanced at me, gave a slight nod, and then turned to the room. “Which one of you is Mike?” 5 Jenna and Mike froze. A nervous tremor entered Mike’s voice. “I’m Mike. Do you need me to act as a witness against Alex for the embezzlement?” The officer shook his head. “No.” “Mike, you are a person of interest in a bank card fraud and theft case. You need to come with us to the station for questioning.” The color drained from Mike’s face. Jenna rushed forward, frantic. “That’s impossible! You’ve made a mistake! The person you should be arresting is Alex!” The entire office was in shock. Even Mr. Henderson spoke up. “Officers, are you sure you haven’t made a mistake?” “The person who illegally embezzled our company’s funds is Alex. Just a short while ago, eight million dollars was transferred from our company account to his personal account. We have the records right here.” He handed the transaction record to the police. The lead officer looked at it, his expression grim. “We received a report from Mr. Alex earlier today, stating that eight million dollars was fraudulently transferred from his bank card. We have been tracking the movement of these funds in real-time.” “Our investigation shows the money was first transferred from Mr. Alex’s account to an account belonging to Mike. It was then routed through your company’s financial system before being deposited back into a different account belonging to Mr. Alex.” Mr. Henderson stood stunned for a moment before the pieces clicked into place. He whirled on Mike, his face contorted with fury. “The investigative team we set up initially identified you as the prime suspect, Mike. How is it that today, all the evidence suddenly points to Alex?” “So it was you all along! You embezzled the money and then orchestrated this entire charade to frame him! Were you playing me, playing this entire company, for a fool?” Mike’s face was ashen, but he continued to deny it. “It wasn’t me, it was Alex! He’s the one who staged this whole thing! He’s trying to frame me!” He glared at me, grinding his teeth, refusing to admit his guilt. I just looked at him calmly. “What possible motive would I have to frame you out of the blue?” Mike blurted out desperately, “How should I know? Maybe you’re jealous of me! Maybe you’re just a psycho who gets a kick out of ruining people’s lives!” I scoffed. “What would I have to be jealous of? You’re second-best to me in every aspect of our job. I’m the one getting the promotion next week. Sounds to me like you’re the one who’s jealous.” Mike’s face went from white to red with rage. I could see some of my colleagues still looked skeptical. So I pulled out the official lottery certification and the bank statements from that morning, showing the eight-million-dollar prize deposit. “See for yourselves. That eight million dollars is from a lottery ticket I bought. It’s my legitimate winnings! The person embezzling from the company has always been Mike!” “He knew the investigation was closing in on him, so he used my lottery winnings as a tool. He laundered the money through the company system and back into my account.” “He was planning to use this one transaction record to pin all the previous embezzlements on me, to make me his scapegoat!” I shot Mike a cold, predatory smile. “Once I was out of the way, you’d be free to spend the tens of millions you already stole, and you’d even snatch my promotion. Kill two birds with one stone. Not a bad plan, Mike. You’re quite the strategist.” Mike’s legs gave out. He stood there, trembling, his lips moving but no sound coming out except for a weak denial. “No… I didn’t… you’re framing me!” I smiled. “We’ll see about that. Once the police get you down to the station, the truth will come out.” “Did you really think you could embezzle tens of millions of dollars over time and not leave a single trace?” The last of the color drained from Mike’s face. He was shaking uncontrollably, barely able to stand. Anyone looking at him now could see the truth. “So it was Mike all along! What a snake!” “I was wondering why he was so eager to report Alex this morning. It was all a setup!” “Officers, get this greedy scumbag out of here!” As the police moved toward a defeated and terrified Mike, ready to take him away, my voice cut through the silence. “Wait. He has an accomplice.”

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After Stella Xu once again tacitly allowed others to call her sister’s boyfriend “Brother-in-law” in the name of work. I didn’t go crazy. I didn’t make a scene. I even raised my glass generously, echoing the compliments others showered on them. “Yes, they are a perfect match.” Stella looked up sharply, shock unhidden in her eyes. “What did you call him?” I looked at her pale face and smiled faintly. “Brother-in-law.” Chapter 1 Stella’s shock lasted only a second. In a blink, she was cold and indifferent again. “Shawn, do you have to talk like that?” She frowned slightly, her tone impatient. “The day after tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. Tyler and I are going to New York to meet clients.” “Stay home and behave. Don’t try to ruin anything. We are just…” She paused, as if waiting for me to explode. But I just nodded. “Mmhmm. I know. You guys are together just for work.” She narrowed her eyes, scanning my calm face, trying to find a crack. “He’s also the brand ambassador for the company’s new line,” she added tentatively. “You know…” I curled my lips again to show understanding. “I know. Helping Tyler build his career was Nora’s dying wish.” “As her sister, you should fulfill it for her.” She froze again. Hesitating to speak, “Shawn, you…” I smiled calmly. “Don’t worry.” “I won’t disturb you anymore.” Chapter 2 Stella seemed to want to say more, but was cut off by Tyler’s warm, magnetic voice. “Stella, come quickly! Time to cut the cake—” On stage, Tyler acted like the host. He waved at her openly. Under the spotlight, he was tall and handsome, like a well-nourished pine tree. The next second, an intimate photo of them appeared on the big screen. Cheers erupted from the crowd. “Perfect match!” “The boss’s husband is insanely handsome!!” A company gala was turned into something resembling their wedding. The company expanded fast. Few knew I was the real husband of the boss. A few old employees cast sympathetic glances at me. Stella didn’t move, just glanced at me lazily. She was waiting. Waiting for me to lose control, roar, and smash the cake into Tyler’s smug face like before. But I just calmly took out the gold gift box I had prepared for a long time from my pocket. Handed it to her. “A belated gift for the IPO. Congratulations, President Xu.” She was visibly stunned, then her mouth curled into her habitual lazy arc. “How long has it been since the IPO? You just remembered now?” She took the box, fingertips accidentally grazing my skin. “Finally learned some sense.” Under the glittering gold packaging, a divorce agreement lay quietly inside. Thinking about it now. We started with a gift, and ended with a gift. A beginning and an end. “Shawn,” her voice suddenly softened, the warm light plating her with a gentle illusion. “Come up with me.” Is she asking for peace? No, it’s charity. Giving me a little sweetness in public to keep me leashed. I shook my head. “No need.” After all, last time, I presumptuously stood by her side. And was mercilessly pushed away by employees who didn’t know me. “This is Mr. Tyler’s spot. Who are you to steal the spotlight?” At that time, Stella acted as if she heard nothing, indifferently letting me embarrass myself. Then she intimately pulled Tyler to her side. The past is unbearable to recall. I immediately stopped the memory. Her eyes turned cold instantly. She stepped closer, lowering her voice so only we could hear. “Pretending to be generous? What new trick is this?” Her breath hit my face. “Who was kneeling on the ground begging me not to leave half a month ago? Shawn, who are you performing for?” I looked up, looking at her clearly. “Not pretending.” I said. It’s just that the tsunami in my heart has long subsided. After all the pain, madness, and unwillingness evaporated. I have no reason to stay here. Chapter 3 She turned and went on stage with a tense face, the spotlight chasing her. That graceful back suddenly overlapped with old memories. I almost forgot, she was once the person who held the whole world in front of me. One evening without warning, the doorbell rang. I opened the door, and a distraught figure stumbled, exclaiming, and fell right onto Stella who was about to go out. She supported his arm almost instinctively. I still remember his tearful face, saying something ridiculously unbelievable. “Stella, Nora is gone…” “The things she promised, haven’t been done yet…” “She said you would complete them for her, is it true?” He held the so-called Nora’s long “Bucket List” in his hand. Kissing by Erhai Lake, a wedding on a cliff… Asking my wife to romance her dead sister’s boyfriend? But such an absurd request made Stella silent. Silence like ice, creeping over my chest inch by inch. “You won’t… really date for your sister, will you?” I asked hoarsely, my voice shaking a little. She met my eyes, the coldness on her face disappearing immediately, hugging me gently. “What are you thinking?” “If I chase a husband for Nora, who will spoil my husband?” My suspended heart settled immediately. But later. She flew to Tibet on our wedding anniversary to accompany Tyler on a “pilgrimage hike.” New Year’s Eve, she went diving with him in the equatorial waters. When I realized it later. The simple silver ring on her ring finger had been replaced by a sky-high priced diamond matching Tyler’s. Facing my breakdown and questioning, she said lightly, “Respect the dead.” “It’s just a list. Nora owed him, I have to pay it back.” She started taking him around in the name of work. VP title, million-dollar salary, always together. That moment I understood, there was no dying wish. It was just a woman’s long-planned change of heart, and another man’s justified plunder. And I became the most pathetic joke in this game. Chapter 4 Arguments, questioning, screaming. I tore the upbringing accumulated over twenty years into shreds. Hysterically shouting at the phone screen late at night, “The list says a wedding, are you going to marry him too?!” She didn’t answer. Leaving me with longer silences and later returns. The last breakdown happened at her financing celebration banquet. The champagne tower refracted blinding light. Tyler held her, accepting compliments about being a talented man and beautiful woman. I stared at them dead on. “Homewrecker.” My voice wasn’t loud, but it made the whole venue dead silent instantly. The look Stella turned to me was cold enough to freeze my blood instantly. A week later, I received a dismissal letter from the university and a notification that my platform account was permanently banned. The professional image built over ten years turned to nothing overnight. I rushed into her office like a madman, smashing the documents on her desk. “Clarify! Stella, go tell them clearly—” She leaned back in her chair leisurely, her gaze sweeping over my tear-stained face. As if examining a failed defective product. “Look at yourself,” she curled her lips. “Don’t you look like a lunatic?” “Aren’t you supposed to understand psychology best?” She leaned forward, word by word. “With your behavior, how can you counsel others?” “I told you long ago, Tyler follows me for work.” She sneered, picking up the dismissal letter and tossing it lightly back to my feet. “You insisted on making a scene. Shawn, you deserve this bitterness.”

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At my adoptive sister’s celebration party, a post caught my eye. “What’s it like to pull a god down from his pedestal?” A comment with ten thousand likes was pinned to the top. “The god I pulled down was my adoptive sister’s boyfriend of ten years.” “The moment I entered their home, I was drawn to his aloof, untouchable aura. I played the part of the temptress from a novel, and with a flick of my finger, he was mine.” “He was always so righteous, so principled. But for me, he secretly changed my exam scores. For me, he waived the entrance test to his top-tier law firm. For me, he became my private tutor, preparing me for the bar exam.” “And my dear sister? She spent five miserable years choking down instant noodles in a cramped study room and still couldn’t pass.” The replies were a chorus of condemnation. “Have you no shame? What about your adoptive parents?” She quickly posted a photo from the party. There I was, in the corner, bloated and puffy from a diet of cheap ramen. My hair, a dry, frizzy mess, framed a face of dull resignation. “What makes you think…” she added, her words dripping with condescension, “that they don’t know?” “My parents were worried I’d be too stressed. So, to make sure I had company, they’d drug my food before every exam. I’d fall asleep during the test and think it was my own weakness.” “But now that I’ve passed, I’ll be merciful. I’ll ask them to stop.” … My hand, clutching the phone, began to tremble. I looked up and saw my adoptive sister, Chloe, gesturing wildly, a triumphant look on her face. And next to her, my boyfriend, Damien, listened intently, his eyes filled with a tenderness I had never seen directed at me. I walked over and shoved the phone in his face. “Is this true?” I asked, my voice a raw whisper. His eyes scanned the screen, and his pupils dilated for a fraction of a second. His silence was my answer. “Why?” My voice was sharp with rage. “Damien, you knew how badly I wanted to get into Sterling & Vance! It was my dream to stand in the same courtroom as you, to fight by your side! I worked so hard for so many years…” He finally spoke. “But you’re my girlfriend.” “Audrey, everyone knows about us. There was only one spot this year. If you got in, what would people think? They’d say I pulled strings for you. How would that look for either of us?” “You’re a law student. You should understand the need to avoid the appearance of impropriety.” “Impropriety?” A bitter laugh escaped me, but tears were already streaming down my face. “My final year of university, I interviewed for an internship at your firm. You were so afraid of being accused of nepotism that you tore up my resume in front of everyone and threw it in the trash. You belittled my accomplishments, made me feel worthless.” “But I was top of my class for four years! I won every national scholarship available! I earned my place in grad school, published papers in prestigious journals! What did I have to be afraid of?” “But her!” I spun around and pointed at Chloe. “She failed her exams every year! In moot court, she couldn’t even handle a basic cross-examination! But for her, you threw your principles out the window. You changed her scores, opened doors for her, coddled her, taught her everything yourself! Damien, were your principles designed specifically to be used against me?” Chloe shrank behind him, a picture of innocence. “Audrey! What are you doing, yelling at your sister like that?” A roar from behind me, and then a hand grabbed my arm, yanking me away. My mother rushed to Chloe’s side, wrapping her in a protective embrace. “It’s okay, Chloe, Mommy’s here. This is your special day. Don’t cry.” She wiped Chloe’s tears, then shot me a look of pure disappointment. “Audrey, are you here just to cause trouble? Can’t you let your sister have one happy moment? Why do you have to humiliate her in front of everyone?” “I humiliated her?” My voice was hoarse with disbelief. “You… you didn’t even ask what happened. You just saw her crying and assumed I was the one bullying her, right?” My father waved his hand dismissively. “What else could it be? Your sister has always been a sweet, gentle girl. It must be you, acting out again.” I sighed, a wave of exhaustion washing over me. I looked straight at him. “Dad, before every exam, Mom would bring me a special scallion pancake. She said it was a taste of home, for good luck. Was there something else in those pancakes?” The anger on my father’s face froze. He looked away, unable to meet my eyes. My mother, still holding Chloe, went rigid, her face turning a ghastly white. So it was true… Tears rolled down my cheeks. “And I thought… I thought it was me. That I was weak, that I wasn’t good enough…” My mother suddenly broke down. She tried to grab my hand, but I pulled away. “Audrey, we didn’t want to!” she sobbed. “But Chloe… she’s so sensitive, not strong like you… If she failed and you passed, what if she did something drastic? I promise, next year, we won’t put anything in your food…” Damien’s voice, now soft and placating, chimed in. “She’s right. If it means that much to you, I can help you study next year. It’s just one more year. You have a strong foundation. You can do it.” “‘Just one more year’?” “I’m twenty-nine! I’ve been trying to pass this exam since I was twenty-four! Five years! The best, most valuable five years of my career, all wasted in a cold study room with moldy instant noodles! I slept four hours a night, studied until I threw up, my hands were covered in chilblains…” “Do you know what it’s like to watch people years younger than you walk past with their law licenses? I thought I was stupid, that I wasn’t working hard enough, that I was mentally weak! I doubted myself, broke down in tears, then forced myself to get up and keep going!” “And now you’re telling me that none of it had to happen?” “My five years… do they mean so little to you?” The dam of my pent-up grief and frustration finally burst. My whole body was shaking. “Audrey! Let me explain…” “We… we…” My mother was crying too, unable to form a coherent sentence. She knew. She knew what they had done. I had had enough. I turned to leave, but my father’s voice, sharp with anger, stopped me. “You stop right there! If you walk out that door today, I’ll disown you!” I turned back slowly, my face numb. “The day you started drugging me, I stopped being your daughter.” I walked out and didn’t look back. I stopped studying and started looking for a job. I thought my university transcripts, my published papers, my awards, would mean something. I was wrong. Twenty-nine years old. Female. No work experience. No law license. Each one a fatal blow. I was less valuable than the office printer. Then, I saw another post from Chloe. A nine-photo grid from the party. Everyone was smiling. As if nothing had happened. A message from Damien popped up. “Audrey, I’ve given Chloe a new case. She’s still inexperienced, and there’s a lot of paperwork. You could come and help with the filing, some basic tasks. It would be good practical experience for you. Once we win the case, I can bring you in as an intern. It would be a legitimate way in.” The condescending, charitable tone of his message made me sick. Did he really think I would come crawling back, tail between my legs, for this insulting scrap of a chance? At the same time, another message appeared, from an unknown number. It was short. “Interested in a collaboration?” At the pre-trial meeting a few days later, my presence didn’t seem to surprise Damien. He was still the same arrogant, self-assured man. “So you’ve come to your senses. Good. Pay attention. You’ll be taking the minutes for Chloe. It’s a great learning opportunity for you.” I met his gaze and sat down across from him. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Mr. Thorne.” His brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?” “Because today, I am the lead counsel for the plaintiff.” The air in the room went still. Damien was the first to break the silence, with a short, sharp laugh. “What nonsense are you talking about? You don’t even have a law license. What firm would hire you? Who would be foolish enough to take that risk?” Just then, the conference room door opened again. A man walked in and sat down beside me. “Hans Vance!” Chloe gasped. The color drained from Damien’s face. “You went to him? Do you have any idea who he is?” Of course I knew. Hans Vance was Damien’s fiercest rival. His reputation was… mixed. Some said he was ruthless, that he would do anything to win. Others said he was brilliant, a master strategist who took on the cases no one else would touch. Most importantly, he and Damien were sworn enemies. I met Damien’s furious gaze, my own voice calm. “Damien, when I needed a chance, when I needed a platform to prove myself, you were the one who pushed me away, time and time again, to ‘avoid impropriety.’” “I lost five years of my life. No firm would even look at me. When I had nowhere else to turn, he was the one who gave me a chance, who believed in my abilities. As for what kind of person he is…” “I don’t care.” “You!” Damien looked like he was about to choke. “I was trying to help you! After this case, I was going to get you into Sterling & Vance, let you start from the bottom…” “Ha!” I cut him off. “Mr. Thorne, you were going to pull strings for me? Bend the rules? I couldn’t possibly let you do that.” He was speechless. Hans tapped the table. “If you two are quite finished, perhaps we could discuss the case?” Damien’s chest heaved with suppressed rage. He shot me one last venomous look and sat down. Hours later, he and Chloe left the meeting with thunderous expressions. Hans turned to me. “So? How did it go?” I let out a long breath, my tense muscles finally relaxing. “She’s no match for me.” He raised an eyebrow, a slow smile spreading across his face. “It seems my investment was a wise one.”

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The day I took Victoria Sullivan’s money—a cold, sickening million dollars—to save my dying father, I knew I had signed away my entire future. When I told Rhys Sullivan I was leaving him, I didn’t just shatter our decade-long love story; I shattered him. He didn’t argue. He didn’t yell. He just found the silver letter opener on his mahogany desk and, in one swift, brutal movement, drew it across his wrist. The sight of his blood, bright against the pale skin of his hand, stunned the air from my lungs. He looked at me, his face bleached white from shock and blood loss, but his eyes were filled with a terrifying, absolute devotion. “Jas,” he whispered, his voice dangerously soft. “Jasmine Moore, you are it for me. If I can’t marry you, I don’t want to be here.” He used his own life as a weapon, and his mother, Victoria, finally had to back down. But the moment he had me, he began his long, calculated revenge. On our wedding day, standing before a hundred shocked faces, he replaced the five-carat cushion-cut diamond with a cheap, plastic toy ring. “You’re a transaction, Jasmine,” he sneered, loud enough for the front rows to hear. “A deal made in an office. This ring—this piece of plastic—is the only fidelity you’ve ever earned.” After the ceremony, his life became an endless parade of beautiful women. He’d spend fortunes on them—designer bags, watches, sports cars. On me, his legal wife, the request to buy groceries required a formal, written application and an endless wait for approval. Years later, when my father’s condition worsened and I needed fifty thousand for emergency surgery, I begged Rhys for the money. I got on my knees and debased myself, sacrificing every shred of dignity left to me. For my father’s life, I was only rewarded with five hundred dollars and a cold, chilling laugh. “A good little lapdog only gets kibble,” he said. I picked up the crumpled bills, my vision blurring with tears, and rushed to the hospital. By the time I arrived, my father was gone. While I was collapsed in anguish at his bedside, Rhys was out buying out an entire luxury boutique for his latest flavor-of-the-month. Five days later, I was dead inside. I went to his office, the signed divorce papers clutched in my hand. He laughed then, too. “Seriously? All this drama over fifty thousand dollars?” … I arrived at Rhys’s office suite, the divorce agreement feeling heavy and final in my hand, and was stopped by his assistant, just like always. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Sullivan, but Mr. Sullivan requires all meetings to be scheduled. You must have an appointment to enter the CEO’s office.” I stared at the heavy mahogany door, a bitter smile twisting my lips. Seven years of marriage. Seven years of being barred from his office, always forced to wait for permission, for a notice, for the honor of his time. I stopped counting the hours I’d spent waiting years ago. Five days ago, when I received the emergency call about my father, I had tried to storm in. The assistant and two bodyguards wrestled me to the ground. I fought like an animal, clawing at the door, the skin on my fingertips tearing and bleeding, but I wouldn’t let go. Rhys finally opened the door, a scowl of annoyance on his face, after his assistant called him. He looked down at me, a dishevelled, desperate wreck on his pristine carpet, and gave a cruel, cold laugh. “Here for another handout, Jasmine? You never cease to amaze me with how low you’ll sink for cash.” He stepped closer, his voice dropping to an arctic whisper. “How much this time? Five thousand? Fifty thousand? A hundred?” “The money comes with a price,” he continued, slow and deliberate. “I need a… a lapdog today. Kneel right there. Bark for me. I’ll give you a hundred dollars for every sound you make.” The raw, stark humiliation of the command caused my whole body to shake. But the image of my father, pale and barely breathing in a hospital bed, was enough. I slowly bent my knees. Under the cynical, mocking gazes of the staff, I sank to the floor and whispered the one-syllable sound. “Woof.” Rhys threw his head back and roared with laughter. He gleefully called his latest paramour, Savannah Locke, over and led her, his arm around her waist, into his office. I couldn’t remember how many times I had to bark that day. I couldn’t remember how many sickening sweet words I heard him utter to Savannah from behind that closed door. The next morning, he opened the door, gifting Savannah his ten-thousand-dollar custom watch. He didn’t even look at me when he dropped five hundred-dollar bills onto the floor. “A good little dog only gets kibble,” he mocked, then swept Savannah away, not sparing a glance for me, even as my tears streamed down my face and I begged him to save my father. I gathered the five hundred dollars and rushed to the hospital, but it was too late. Dad was gone. His eyes had been open when the nurses found him, still calling my name. I held his cold body and cried until the darkness took me. When I woke up, the nurses were gossiping about Rhys Sullivan clearing out a major luxury store for his girlfriend. They murmured about the ten thousand dollars he’d given the sales clerk as a tip. They didn’t know that his legitimate wife had been pushed to the edge of the abyss, unable to find fifty thousand dollars to see her father one last time. My heart was a lump of cold ash. I called him, requesting the divorce, and was met with a dismissive grunt. “What, you’re throwing a fit now? Didn’t get the cash so you’re trying to use manipulative tactics? Threatening me with divorce?” “Jasmine, you’re pathetic! You couldn’t even be a good dog! Even dogs are more obedient than you are!” “What right do you have to demand a divorce? Your father’s medical bills, that apartment you live in—it all comes from me!” “You spend my money, so you follow my rules. I tell you to take it, you take it!” Before he could finish, I heard a rustling sound—Savannah, no doubt—and he abruptly hung up. I hadn’t even had the chance to tell him Dad was dead. My heart shriveled. For seven years, I’d retreated, swallowed his insults, and endured his cruel demands. Standing before that heavy, always-closed door, I finally snapped. I grabbed a glass vase from the side table and hurled it against the wall. The sound of shattering glass was deafening. I grabbed a jagged shard, held it to my throat, and screamed. “I need to see Rhys Sullivan now! If you don’t let me in, I swear I’ll bleed out right here, right now!” The assistant finally gave way, frantically punching the code. The door opened, revealing a scene that stabbed me like a thousand knives. Rhys and Savannah were tangled together on the sofa. Savannah shrieked in shock when she saw me. Rhys’s face went thunderous. He snatched a heavy crystal ashtray from the coffee table and launched it at me. “Get out! Who the hell let you in?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!” The ashtray struck my forehead hard. My temple split open and warm blood immediately poured down my face, but the agonizing tear in my heart overshadowed the pain of the wound. A hysterical, furious laugh escaped me. I fixed a cold stare on the two of them, barely dressed and utterly shameless. “I don’t care what games you’re playing. Rhys, I’m here for one reason only. Divorce.” Rhys snatched the papers from my hand and ripped them into snowdrifts without a single glance. “Don’t use divorce to manipulate me, Jasmine! That trick doesn’t work on me anymore!” Savannah was stroking his chest, a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. “Mrs. Sullivan will do anything for attention, won’t she, honey?” She leaned in, whispering in his ear. “Rhys, don’t let her ruin our mood. Just throw her some cash and send her away. A hundred thousand isn’t worth your time.” Rhys gave a smug chuckle, then turned his icy gaze back to me. He opened a drawer, pulled out a stack of hundred-dollar bills, and slammed them onto my face. “Seriously? All this drama over fifty thousand dollars? You’re always making a scene for money, and it disgusts me!” “Take the money and get lost! I don’t want to look at you!” The bills scattered across the carpet. I ignored them, my eyes locked on his. “I told you. One purpose. Rhys, divorce.” His patience snapped. “Divorce? You’re nothing but a dog I bought for money! You don’t get to make demands!” He walked up to me, pretending to gently wipe the blood from my face, then suddenly clamped his hand around my throat. “You think I don’t know your little games? The push-and-pull?” “I’m telling you now, Jasmine. You will never leave me. Not unless you’re dead!” Just as I felt myself choking, he abruptly released me and crushed his lips to mine. The ultimate violation. I struggled wildly, desperate to push him away. “Get off me! Don’t touch me!” He grinned, a terrifying, savage look. “Stop pretending. You’re my dog, so play the part.” “Serve me well, and I’ll reward you with scraps.” Pure, blinding rage surged through me. I didn’t care about the consequences; I sank my teeth into his cheek, hard, until I tasted blood. He cried out and shoved me away. I hit the ground hard. Staring at the blood streaming down half of his face, I had a sudden, terrible flash of memory from when I was seventeen. I had been jumped by a group of thugs, and Rhys had rushed in, fighting them off. He’d smiled at me then, too, with his own face covered in blood. How did we get here? It didn’t matter. The misunderstandings, the pain, the betrayals—they could all be buried with my father. I was finally free of obligation. I could leave this prison. A sharp, dizzying pain brought me back. Rhys was dragging me up by my hair and slamming my head against the wall. His face was a mask of pure, distorted fury. “Ungrateful bitch! Get out!” With my temple still bleeding and my clothes ripped, he physically kicked me out of the office. This time, my frantic pounding and hysterical sobs at the door only earned me a final, frustrated roar from inside. “Jasmine, for the love of God, go away! Stop bothering me!” Employees hurried past in the corridor, their eyes filled with thinly veiled scorn. The feeling of being exposed was unbearable. I had to leave. I stumbled out onto the street, humiliated and disoriented, enduring the stares of passersby. The early winter chill was a physical assault, but my heart was colder. I was shaken from my daze when a group of men blocked my path. They were rough-looking, reeking of alcohol. I hugged my torn clothes tighter, but it didn’t deter their leering eyes. They closed in, forcing me into a deserted alleyway. I had nowhere to run. Their hands were immediately all over me, their actions growing bolder and more aggressive. I was sickened and in pain, but the harder I fought, the more they seemed emboldened. In that moment of absolute despair, I remembered our first encounter again. Seventeen. Working multiple jobs to support my ailing father. Cornered on the way home late at night. Rhys, my white knight, bloody but smiling, dispatching my attackers. He’d promised me, so earnestly and nervously, on the day he proposed, that I would never suffer another moment of pain or shame. Yet, for seven years, every humiliation I’d endured had been because of him. I gave a bitter, exhausted smile and lost the will to struggle. Suddenly, a piercing screech of tires echoed from the alley entrance. Rhys. He charged in like a man possessed, kicking the man on top of me clear across the alley. “Don’t you dare touch her! Are you trying to die?!” He ripped off his expensive jacket and threw it over me, shrouding me completely. I must have been delirious, because for a fleeting second, I saw tenderness and fierce protection in his eyes. The warmth was a mirage. The next second, his expression was back to his usual look of repulsion and disgust. “Jasmine, your sickness is beyond my comprehension!” “You set this up for attention? You think this cheap stunt will make me notice you? You have no shame!” His anger flared, and he planted the heel of his designer shoe on my chest, pressing down hard. “Then again. The woman who sells ten years of love for a million dollars has no shame to lose.” I bit down on my tongue, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a defense. Years ago, Rhys’s mother, Victoria, had approached me repeatedly, offering increasingly obscene amounts of money to leave her son. I refused every time. I don’t want your money, Mrs. Sullivan. I just want to be with him. But then, Rhys was away on a business trip, and the hospital called. Heart attack. My father needed a million-dollar bypass surgery, immediately. The mountain of debt was insurmountable. I called and messaged Rhys, but my calls went unanswered, my messages unread. Desperate, I went to Victoria. She didn’t even offer a chair. She simply slid the breakup agreement and a cashier’s check for a million dollars across the table. I had no choice. I signed. I rushed to the hospital with the money, only to be told the diagnosis was a mistake. My father was stable. The doctor, avoiding my eyes, sighed. “Ms. Moore, Mrs. Sullivan asked me to tell you this. Today was a mistake. Next time, it won’t be. Please keep your agreement and remain silent.” The words stole all the strength from my legs. My father’s life was now a direct variable of my cooperation. I had to break up with Rhys. He wouldn’t accept it. He cut his wrist in front of me. I thought it was love then. It wasn’t until the public humiliation at the altar that I realized it was hatred. The marriage was a meticulously planned act of revenge. He was determined to break my spirit, step by step, piece by piece. My father’s life was the chain that bound me to his cruelty. But Dad was gone now. The chain was broken. I was finally free. I struggled to my feet, throwing his jacket off. I didn’t look at him, simply walked toward the exit. He grabbed me from behind, his arms locking around my waist, his voice thick with fury. “Where do you think you’re going? Look at the state of you! Stop your pathetic games and come home!” I let out a bitter, cold laugh—and then coughed violently, bringing up a mouthful of blood. The darkness returned. When I woke up again, I was in a hospital bed. Gauze covered every part of me. I tried to sit up, but Rhys was there, his eyes red and swollen, gently pushing me back down. He looked at me with an odd, almost childlike vulnerability. “Jas,” he whispered, his voice trembling. “Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?” I froze, instinctively looking down at my flat abdomen. We had talked about wanting a family, years ago, when we were in love. But the years of torture had killed that wish. Now, just as I was finally leaving, a new life had arrived. Rhys’s tears streamed down his face. He gripped my hand. “Since we have a child, let’s forget all the ugliness. I forgive you.” The word meant nothing to me. I had waited so long for his forgiveness, but it was too late. I remembered the first time I found out he was with another woman. I had sobbed, clinging to him. Rhys, please believe me, I had no choice! Forgive me! Let’s stop this cycle of torture and just be a family! I had been crawling in the dust for him, but he’d shoved me away with a cold, cutting laugh. What kind of ‘choice’ makes you sell me out for a million dollars? How am I supposed to forgive you? I can’t force myself to believe you! I had no evidence. The initial misdiagnosis papers were gone. And my father’s life was still held hostage by his mother’s word. All my sacrifice hadn’t even bought my father a long life. My heart was a twisted knot of pain. I wanted to tell him the truth now, to finally unload the burden. But Rhys continued, blissfully unaware. “Jasmine, just focus on the baby now. Don’t worry about your father; I’ll cover all the medical expenses.” His absurdity made me laugh out loud. The doctor, who had just entered for rounds, looked confused. “Mr. Sullivan, you haven’t heard? Ms. Moore’s father passed away five days ago.” Rhys’s eyes widened, the shock of the lightning strike evident on his face. I stopped laughing. My voice was unnaturally calm. “I’ll say it one more time. I have only one purpose. Divorce.” Rhys’s face turned frantic. He shook his head violently. “No, nothing but death will separate us now! Jas, please, just rest. We’ll talk about this in a few days.” I watched his desperate escape, my gaze cold and empty. When I talked to the social worker about my father’s final arrangements, I discovered I couldn’t even claim his body. I was too poor to pay the eight hundred dollars for cremation. It was laughable. The wife of Rhys Sullivan was too broke to bury her own father. As I was leaving the hospital, I bumped right into Savannah. She smiled, blocking my path, her eyes gleaming with malicious triumph. “Mrs. Sullivan, I hear you’re pregnant. Funny, isn’t it? I’m pregnant with Rhys’s baby, too.” I looked down, unwilling to engage. She became bolder. “Just heard the nurse say you don’t even have money for your father’s funeral? You’re certainly the most pathetic socialite I’ve ever seen.” I sighed. Socialite, high society wife—I didn’t want any of it. I pushed past her and walked away. To earn the money for the funeral, I managed to get a job as a server at a luxury hotel. That very evening, the hotel was hosting a huge gala. Rhys arrived with Savannah, making a grand entrance, intimate and happy. I hid behind the velvet curtains, watching them. The event was their One Hundred Day Anniversary—a commemoration Rhys had organized to feel like a full-blown wedding reception. As the party peaked, Rhys held Savannah’s hand to cut a massive four-tiered cake. I, the legitimate Mrs. Sullivan, was weaving through the tables, serving champagne to the guests. I tried to avoid their eyes, but Rhys spotted me. His face contorted with revulsion and displeasure at my server uniform. Savannah gasped dramatically. “Mrs. Sullivan! What are you doing dressed like that?!” “Showing up here in that outfit—are you trying to humiliate Rhys? You really have no shame, begging for money this way!” I tried to hurry past, but Rhys grabbed my wrist. His eyes were blazing with fury. “Have you had enough, Jasmine?! I told you to stay home and rest!” I yanked my arm away, my voice flat and icy. “Mr. Sullivan, I’m just trying to earn money to bury my father. It has nothing to do with you.” Rhys sighed, shaking his head. He waved his hand, and an assistant rushed over, holding a small, ornate wooden box. “You’re acting like such a victim,” Rhys said, disappointment etched on his face. “I told the assistant to inform you I would handle your father’s arrangements. What is this performance for?” As he finished speaking, Savannah stepped forward and took the box. She walked toward me, then theatrically “tripped” on a small step, sending the box hurtling to the floor. My breath hitched. I screamed, diving forward, but I was too late. The urn shattered. My father’s ashes scattered across the polished ballroom floor. I frantically tried to gather the fine gray powder, but the harder I tried, the more it slipped through my fingers. My heart was a vortex of white-hot agony. I stared up at Savannah, my eyes red and burning. “You! You did this on purpose! You won’t even let my father rest!” Savannah feigned shock, her voice falsely sweet. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Sullivan. I truly didn’t mean to.” A surge of blind rage propelled me toward her. I raised my hand to strike. A hand clamped down on my wrist, hard. I looked up into Rhys’s cold, lethal gaze. He drew back his arm and slapped me across the face with brutal force. “Enough! Stop this hysteria, Jasmine!” “Your father is dead! It’s just a pile of dust! What difference does it make?!” “Savannah apologized! Can’t you let it go?! You’re turning into a monster, what’s the point?!” He shoved me to the floor and barked orders at his security detail. “Lock her up somewhere to cool down. Don’t release her without my explicit command!” He didn’t spare me another glance as he wrapped his arm around Savannah and walked away. My head was spinning. The guards dragged me to the service elevator. The wound on my forehead, still not healed, bled freely, staining the pristine carpet. Two days later, Rhys finally remembered me. He rubbed his temples, his face etched with impatience. “Where is Jasmine? Two days is enough time to cool off, isn’t it? Where is she?” “She’s pregnant, take her home.” His assistant dropped to his knees in front of Rhys. “Mr. Sullivan, she… she can’t go home. Two days ago, she jumped.”

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On Valentine’s Day, Lucas bought two gifts again. One for me, one for his sister, Luna. The siblings were famously close. We always spent Valentine’s Day as a trio. The passenger seat belonged to Luna. They shared the same straw for their milkshakes. I cried, I fought, but every time Lucas would say: “Luna is divorced. Raising a kid alone is hard. As her brother, I should take care of her.” “As a sister-in-law, you shouldn’t be so petty with her!” Later, Luna got sick and needed a kidney transplant. I was the only match in the family. “Wifey, please save my sister. Living with one kidney won’t affect your life. I’ll take good care of you forever.” Lucas knelt in front of everyone, begging me. “Okay,” I smiled and agreed. But he regretted it. Chapter 1 “Happy Valentine’s Day, honey.” When Lucas came home from work, he was holding two bouquets and two gift bags. “Change your clothes quickly. We’re picking up Luna. I booked the restaurant.” He went to the bathroom, leaving his phone and gifts together. Ping. [Brother, is it the restaurant I like? If not, I’m not going!] A message from Luna. “Why are you still standing there? Luna will be waiting.” Seeing I hadn’t changed, Lucas looked displeased. “You guys go. I don’t want to go.” This was the third Valentine’s Day we spent as a trio. I’d had enough. “Look at you, jealous of my sister again?” “She’s my biological sister. What is there to be jealous of? Be good, change your clothes. Don’t make Luna wait.” He pushed me into the bedroom. “I don’t feel well!” I shook him off. Lucas touched my forehead, then his own. “Hmm, a bit hot. Then rest at home. I’ll bring you something back.” He picked up the flowers and gift bags as he spoke. The moment the door closed, he Venmoed me $5,200. Note: Wifey, I love you. Chapter 2 Lucas and I were college sweethearts. We dated for two years after graduation before getting married. Our married life was stable. We didn’t live with in-laws. It was sweet. I thought life would go on like this. I was even preparing for pregnancy. Until Lucas’s sister, Luna, appeared. Before this, I only heard about Luna from my husband. I knew she dropped out of college to marry abroad. I knew Lucas loved his sister. They video-called a dozen times a day, saying good morning and good night. “Brother, what did you have for breakfast? What do you want for lunch?” “Come to my place for dinner tonight. Leo misses you, he asks for Uncle every day.” With Luna around, the passenger seat was always hers. I sat in the back. “Luna gets carsick. She can’t sit in the back.” At first, Lucas would explain apologetically. Later, it became natural. Even when Luna wasn’t there, he felt weird if I sat in the passenger seat. When we went shopping, Luna always tagged along. “Brother, try mine, it’s so good. Let me taste yours!” They shared drinks naturally. I stood aside like an outsider. “Luna is divorced. It’s not easy raising a kid. I don’t want her to feel her brother abandoned her after getting married.” “After all, we are the couple. You understand me, right?” Occasionally, noticing my unhappiness, Lucas would coax me. At first, I sympathized with Luna. As a woman, being a single mom is hard. But over time, I realized I was a fool. But even fools wake up one day. Once awake, they won’t be foolish again. Chapter 3 Lucas didn’t come home that night. He called me the next evening. “Wifey, feeling better? Luna felt bad about yesterday.” “She bought a lot of groceries to cook for you. Come over quickly.” “No need. I have no appetite.” My appetite really hadn’t been good lately. Lucas got anxious. “Don’t be like this. Luna went to the supermarket early in the morning. It’s rude if you don’t come.” “And Mom and Dad are here too. They want you to come. You can’t ignore them, right?” I was raised by my grandfather. My parents died early. My in-laws treated me well. They paid for Grandpa’s medical bills and gave him a decent funeral. I couldn’t refuse them. “Sister-in-law, why are you so late? I’m almost done cooking!” Seeing me, Luna pouted, unhappy. Lucas teased, “Didn’t you say you wanted to cook for your sister-in-law? Why the temper now?” “Brother, you always side with your wife.” Luna was even more unhappy. I ignored their sibling act, greeted my in-laws, and sat down to eat. After dinner, while cleaning up, my mother-in-law touched my hand and joked: “Jill’s hands are so white and tender. Youth is good. Unlike our tree bark skin.” “Hmph~ White and tender now. Wait till she has a kid and raises it for two years. See if she’s still tender.” Luna extended her right hand to Lucas. “Brother, is my hand tender?” “Your sister-in-law’s is more tender.” Lucas laughed. Luna got anxious. She grabbed Lucas’s hand, interlacing their fingers: “Whose is tender? Mine or hers?” Lucas was amused by her. He nodded repeatedly. “Yours. Yours.” My in-laws were used to it. “They’ve been like this since childhood. Always playing.” I smiled silently and took the dishes to the kitchen. “Brother, you’re biased. You sent her $5,200, but only sent me $520.” When I came out, Luna was crying. Seeing me, she cried harder. “Why? Why does she get ten times more? I’m your biological sister. We are the closest family.” I asked my mother-in-law and found out Luna saw the notification of the returned transfer on Lucas’s phone. “Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, not Family Day. Legally and morally, your brother and I are the closest.” I looked at Luna and said. “What do you mean?” “Are you saying I’m extra? Yes, I am extra. I shouldn’t have come back with my child. I’m leaving now!” She rushed into the bedroom, picked up the sleeping child, and ran out. Lucas hugged her tight. “This is your home. Forever your home. Where are you going?” “Jill! Apologize! Apologize to my sister now!” Lucas glared at me, neck stiff. Chapter 4 “Did I say anything wrong? Lucas, I am your wife. Do you think we look like a couple now?” “Or do you look more like a couple with her?” I pointed at Luna. I wanted to ask this for a long time. Might as well say it all. “Jill, you’re overthinking. Luna, stop it! Look how angry your sister-in-law is.” My mother-in-law tried to persuade me. “Fine. Looks like I’m the outsider. Even my own mother sides with the outsider. I’m leaving!” “I should just die with Leo. We don’t deserve to live.” Luna twisted in Lucas’s arms, hysterical, like a madwoman. The child woke up, scared pale by her movements and screaming, too terrified to cry. “Will you apologize?” Lucas suddenly let go of his sister, walking towards me with a dark face. “Dream on!” Slap! Before I could finish, his slap landed heavily. I was stunned, staring at him blankly. My in-laws took Luna into the room, and my father-in-law pulled Lucas’s ear: “Are you crazy? Apologize to Jill!” “I… I…” Lucas looked at his hand, panicked. Tears rushed out. I ran out the door. Without a phone or money, I walked aimlessly on the street. Lucas never hit me. This was the first time, for his sister. Last Valentine’s Day, he scolded me for the first time, also for his sister. I didn’t know how long I walked. The streets emptied. I got colder. Inside and out. “Wifey! Where did you go? Do you know I’m going crazy looking for you!” At dawn, Lucas and two police officers found me on the roadside. “Wifey, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have hit you. I was too impulsive!” “I deserve to die. I’ll hit myself. Wifey, forgive me, okay?” Lucas slapped himself all the way home. He even grabbed my hand to hit him. I didn’t speak. Let him take me home. [Okay, seeing your sincerity, I forgive you.] While Lucas showered, his phone lit up again. I unlocked it and saw his transfer to Luna. $13,142.10. Note: Love you for a lifetime! Time: 3:30 AM. When I was wandering the streets.

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In the tenth year of my secret marriage, I handled the ninety-ninth girlfriend for him. The one-hundredth was me. When I decided to divorce, I handed the signed papers to Julian Sterling. He paused, then smirked. “Nora, even you use this trick to get my attention? We are different from the others.” Ten years. He had said that too many times. Until three days ago, when I dealt with his ninety-ninth fling. She didn’t look at the contract. Instead, she looked at me with pity. “I didn’t expect the person by his side to still be you after all these years.” “If he really loved you, how could he let you clean up his mess time and time again? Mrs. Sterling, you’re not a wife. You’re a glorified fixer.” My heart clenched. At that moment, I realized this was a decade-long scam. Just as Julian threw a lavish gala to finally introduce me as his wife… He received my divorce papers. Julian, we will never meet again in this life. Chapter 1 When Julian walked into the walk-in closet, he naturally stood beside me in front of the mirror. “Nora, this one is tricky.” His voice was low as he adjusted my shawl. “You have to meet her personally.” I looked at his confident reflection and said nothing. This scenario had repeated countless times over ten years. Every time, I handled it to his satisfaction. I thought this time would be no exception. But when I saw the girl, I understood what “tricky” meant. She was different. A Chanel suit hugged her curves. A diamond ring sparkled on her finger. She smiled and pushed a cup of Blue Mountain coffee toward me—my usual order. “Miss Nora, ten years, and you’re still cleaning up his mess.” She wasn’t like Julian’s previous women. She knew exactly why I was there. She didn’t cry or scream about not being able to live without him. I composed myself, sat opposite her, and put on my professional face. “I won’t beat around the bush. Leave Julian Sterling. Name your price.” “Shares, jewelry, or that castle in Europe…” She laughed suddenly, saying something completely unexpected. “I don’t want anything.” I looked at her firm eyes and smiled. “Julian doesn’t love you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be seeing me. I’m the one he calls to get rid of you.” She smiled elegantly. “Do you think no one but you can enter his heart?” “That’s why none of his women stay as long as you.” My knuckles turned white. Suddenly, I felt exhausted. “Is staying by his side a good thing?” I had asked myself this question too many times. I looked out the window, remembering the first time I caught Julian cheating. I smashed every porcelain vase in his study. Amidst the shards, I cried and asked him why. Julian flicked the ash from his cigarette, calm as ever. “Nora, you are the legitimate Mrs. Sterling. How many people beg for this title?” “Since you sit in this seat, you should know your place.” He spoke like he was teaching a child. “Don’t act like those cheap women, throwing tantrums in front of me.” The light in my eyes went out. We were different. They only needed to sign a breakup contract. I needed to sign divorce papers. From that day on, I knew he chose to marry me secretly because I was sensible. Because I could handle the private matters he didn’t want to face. I couldn’t delude myself into thinking I was special just because I stayed longer. I pushed the document forward, business as usual. “Sign it. It’s better for everyone.” She signed quickly and pushed the blank check back to me, pity in her eyes. “Keep it. But remember, even if I sign, one day, Julian will make you bring me back personally.” She stood up, her skirt swaying. “Don’t believe me? Wait and see.” I looked at her name. Nia. So we were both named similarly to Nora. No wonder she looked familiar. She looked like me at twenty. The me who loved Julian with all my heart. A familiar black SUV pulled up outside. Julian was here. But this time, I didn’t rush out. I took another document from my bag and slowly signed my name. It was printed on the same paper, from the same printer as the ninety-nine breakup contracts before. Only this time, I wasn’t asking a young girl to sign. I signed it myself. Julian, I don’t want to be your fixer anymore. Chapter 2 I packed everything quietly, walked out the revolving door, and got into his car. The sweet perfume in the car was identical to Nia’s. I rolled down the window, letting the wind rush in. The late autumn wind felt like dull knives on my face, but I felt no pain. Julian rested his eyes in the back seat, his tone lazy and intimate. “Done? As expected, no trouble you can’t solve.” I laughed low. After a long time, I looked at the café seat where I had sat for ten years. Then, I spoke softly, my voice devoid of emotion. “Julian, let’s get a divorce.” This was the first time in ten years I called him by his full name. Usually, I called him Julian. In public, Mr. Sterling. Since we were parting ways, I should be formal. He froze, then smiled, tapping his finger on the file. “Nora, stop it. The Gala is in three days. I plan to introduce you formally.” His voice was full of indulgent confidence. “Is that sincere enough? We aren’t like those flings.” Actually, the first time Julian said he would make me public, I believed him. The second time, I hesitated. But love pushed me to keep hoping. I lost count of when I stopped believing him. I turned and met his beautiful eyes. Eyes I drowned in for ten years. No wonder so many girls fell for them. But this time, I just smiled. “I can’t wait anymore. Ten years is too long.” I placed the two copies of the divorce agreement on his lap. This time, I didn’t look back. Pain shot through my ankle. I stumbled. My four-inch heels twisted, and I fell onto the cold ground. My tight cashmere dress restricted me, making it hard to get up. Rip. The hem tore. I hissed and kicked off the torture devices. Ten years. Julian said he liked elegance, so I learned deportment and wore heels everywhere. He liked clean hands, so I maintained my manicure while cooking for him. He liked my hair up, so I never wore it down. Ten years. 120 months. 3650 days. I swallowed my grievances, thinking I was the exception. The miracle who made the prodigal son return. I walked barefoot, memories flooding back. It was the darkest winter of my life. My father went bankrupt. Debt collectors blocked our door. Mom was in the hospital. Medical bills crushed me. I worked days, studied nights in the hospital hallway, thin as paper. The collectors found the hospital. They pushed me, demanding money, spitting in my face. That was when I met Julian. He stood before me in a tailored coat. “How much does she owe?” His aura silenced them. They named a figure. Julian didn’t bargain. He gestured to his assistant. The assistant paid them off calmly. He shielded me. In that moment, the noise and despair were muted. I looked at his back like it was the only light in the dark. So when he said, “Nora, stay with me,” I grabbed him like a lifeline. I stayed for ten years. I thought I found a safe harbor. I didn’t know the storms of the next decade would come from him. A familiar voice interrupted me. “I knew you were here.” I turned. Julian stood under the streetlight. He didn’t speak. He picked me up and grabbed my shoes. I froze, forgetting to struggle. “We are divorced.” I whispered, reminding him, or myself. “I know.” He put me in the car. “But you are still my employee. I need you to handle something.” “Nia is pregnant. Two months. The breakup contract is void.” As the engine started, he added, like ordering a secretary. “Prepare a room. Pick her up next week.” I stared at the city lights blurring past. When sadness hits its peak, you lose your voice. Pressure crushed my chest. Breathing was hard. He never took anyone to the penthouse by the river. He said that was our home. My nails dug into my palm. I remembered being pregnant at twenty-five. Shaking holding the test. He glanced at it and said, “Get rid of it.” He said we weren’t ready. It wasn’t that he didn’t like kids. He just didn’t like my kids. Cold wind blew in. I closed my eyes. Nia was right. I really had to bring her back personally. Chapter 3 I drove Nia to the penthouse and rolled her luggage in. She stood by the sofa, touching a cushion, and said softly to Julian: “This color is too dark. Bad for the baby’s eyes.” Julian looked at her with a tenderness I hadn’t seen in ten years. “Whatever you want. The designer will come tomorrow. Pick that lotus pink you like, okay?” When he turned to me, his face was cold business. “Note it down. Change the living room to light colors tomorrow.” Nia leaned into him, smiling at me. A smile of victory. She tugged Julian’s sleeve. “Julian, I’m thirsty.” Before he spoke, I went to the kitchen. When I handed her the water, her fingers slipped. Scalding water splashed on my hand. The glass shattered. Pain seared my skin. Red marks appeared instantly. “Oops, sorry Sister.” Her voice was light. “Slipped.” Julian rushed over, frowning. He looked at the mess, then at me, accusingly. “Nora!” He shouted my name. “You were never this clumsy. What if you burned Nia? Can you afford the consequences?” I stared at his anger, feeling strange. In ten years, he was always gentle, detached. He never spoke to me like this. My hand burned. Blisters were forming. But he turned to check Nia’s shoulder, asking if she was hurt. At that moment, the pain in my hand vanished. Only a chill remained in my heart. Nia ate grapes on the sofa, smiling. Sunlight hit her face. Warm. My hand was numb. My heart was dead. I called the maid to clean up and left that suffocating place. Back at the company, HR looked troubled. “Nora, for your level, Julian must sign the resignation personally.” I nodded. “Call him.” She dialed nervously. “Mr. Sterling, Nora wants…” “Give her whatever she wants.” Julian interrupted impatiently. Nia’s laughter was audible in the background. “But sir, we need your signature. Can you come in?” “Go to my office and get the stamp!” He was annoyed. “Just do what she says. Don’t bother me.” HR hung up and looked at me. “Nora, the Gala is tomorrow. Julian said he’d introduce his wife. Everyone is waiting.” “It’s a pity you’re leaving now.” I smiled bleakly. “Stamp it.” The CEO’s wife bought the earliest flight out tomorrow. Not just you, but Julian himself, will never see her again. Chapter 4 When I returned to pack, Julian came out of the study. He saw my bandaged hand and frowned. “When did you learn this bitter meat trick?” Seeing my suitcase, he looked nervous. “Where are you going?” “Business trip.” I handed him the divorce papers disguised as a project contract. “Mr. Sterling, sign this.” He took it, about to flip through. He was sharp. But Nia called from the garden, voice dripping with honey. “Julian! Look! A cat! Its eyes look just like the emeralds you gave me!” He paused, signed his name quickly, and handed it back. I had fed that cat for three years. He never noticed. He walked away, adding: “Be back before the Gala tomorrow. I’ll introduce you formally.” Before, I would have been ecstatic. Now, I put away the papers calmly. It was the most useless promise in the world. He noticed my lack of reaction and stopped. But Nia called again. He didn’t look back. I watched him walk away to another person. And I let go of everything. The night of the Gala. Lights blazing. VIPs everywhere. Julian stood on stage, confident, in control. He scanned the crowd for me. His voice was solemn. “Today, I want to introduce my wife of ten years, Nora.” The crowd gasped. “Nora the assistant? Mrs. Sterling?” “No wonder he never showed her! She was right there!” Applause and whispers. The spotlight searched the crowd but found nothing. Cheers faded. Silence fell. Julian’s smile vanished. He signaled his assistant. Five minutes. Ten minutes… He checked his phone constantly. Calling. Only voicemail. He loosened his tie, sweating. He lost his composure. He roared at his assistant. “Where is she?! Go find her!” Three hours later, the assistant ran on stage with a file. “We couldn’t find her. Only this on her desk. The divorce papers you signed.”

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