Category: English

My mom favors my brother’s wife, Vivian, and forced my sick daughter to donate bone marrow to her son. I was furious and posted online a video of them dragging my daughter to the hospital, exposing them to massive cyberbullying. Mom cried and grabbed my hand, apologizing: “I’m sorry, we were wrong!” “Vivian was just worried about her son. Please don’t hold it against her.” As a mother myself, I understood Vivian’s feelings. I even posted a video online to clear her name and bought gifts for her and my nephew as an apology. Just as I was about to visit them in person, my daughter’s kindergarten teacher called. “Hello, two women claiming to be your family picked up your daughter.” “They said you asked them to take her to the hospital for a checkup.” My body went rigid, and all the blood in my veins turned ice cold. The teacher on the other end was still seeking confirmation: “These two seemed really urgent. Lily’s mom, do you know them?” The teacher sent me a video. Mom was standing at the kindergarten entrance, arguing with the security guard. “I’m here to pick up my granddaughter from school. What gives you the right to stop me?” “Why do you need to notify my daughter? We wouldn’t hurt the child, would we?” Vivian was on her tiptoes, peering into the kindergarten, her face full of barely concealed urgency. I suppressed the unease churning in my gut. “Mrs. Carter, please don’t let them take the child. I’m coming right now.” I slammed on the gas, calling Mom over and over while driving. Every time, all I got was the busy tone of an unanswered call. Anxiety consumed me. I could only rush toward the kindergarten at top speed. But just as I was about to reach the kindergarten entrance. A pitch-black car shot out from a corner and slammed directly into my front end. When I saw the license plate, my heart went completely cold. My brother Jackson opened his door and walked over to tap on my window. “Rachel, get out and let’s handle this accident.” “I’ve already called the police and the insurance company. We’ll follow the proper procedures.” My body froze, my entire heart clenching tight. He did this on purpose. He hit my car and insisted on going through the accident claim procedures. By the time everything was processed, it would be hours later. That much time was more than enough for Mom and Vivian to take my daughter. I bit down hard, my eyes burning with unshed tears. “Did you do this on purpose?” “Lily is your niece!” Jackson lit a cigarette and exhaled a puff of smoke. “My son is still lying in a hospital bed.” “Rachel, your daughter is a son of a bitch who doesn’t even know who her father is. What’s the point of caring about her so much?” My ears rang. I stared at my brother in disbelief. I knew Vivian hated me. I knew she spread divisive rumors. The rumor that I slept around with dozens of men and gave birth to a daughter came from her mouth. But I never imagined my own brother—born from the same mother—would believe it so easily. And now he was humiliating me and my daughter in broad daylight. I clenched my teeth until my eyes turned red with rage. “Jackson, you think blocking me here means they can take my daughter?” “You’re dreaming.” The moment I finished speaking, Jackson’s phone rang. His expression changed, and his sharp gaze pierced straight through me. “Rachel, you’re a bastard!” “You sent people after your own mother and Vivian. If anything happens to them, I’ll never forgive you!” With that, he turned, yanked open his car door, slammed on the gas, and sped away. Seeing his reaction, I breathed a sigh of relief. My daughter’s kindergarten was the best I could find after extensive research. Without my permission, there was no way anyone could take the child. After arranging for my car to be towed, I hailed a cab to the kindergarten. It was exactly dismissal time. I pushed through the crowd and rushed to my daughter’s teacher. “Mrs. Carter, I’m here to pick up Lily.” The teacher unconsciously avoided my eyes, speaking haltingly. “Lily? Lily… your mother just picked her up.”

I froze in place, the blood in my veins turning to ice. Rage shot straight to my head. “Didn’t I say no one could pick up my child without my permission?” The teacher looked away guiltily and hurriedly pointed in a direction. “The principal approved it. There was nothing I could do.” “But they just left. They’re over there.” I whipped my head around just in time to see Mom and Vivian shoving my daughter into a car. As the car door was about to close, my eyes blazed with fury: “Someone’s kidnapping a child! Stop them!” Hearing my voice, they moved even faster. But this was a kindergarten—the one place that couldn’t tolerate child abduction. A swarm of people rushed forward and surrounded the car. Mom and Vivian got out holding Lily. Before I could say anything, the two of them dropped to their knees in front of me. Mom hunched over, tears streaming down her face: “Rachel, you can’t be this heartless. Your nephew is dying. How can you refuse to save him?” Vivian’s eyes were also red as she explained to the onlookers: “We’re not kidnapping a child. My son is dying. We just wanted her daughter to do a compatibility test.” “But she’s never liked me and refuses to save my son. I had no other choice!” Mom took Vivian’s hand, and the two of them stood united against me, intimate and aligned. As if I, the biological daughter, was the complete outsider. I trembled with rage, my voice shaking terribly as I questioned her. “Mom, is Vivian’s child precious while mine is worthless?” I lunged forward and pulled my daughter into my arms. My voice was hoarse with desperation: “She’s so young, and you know her condition. You’re trying to kill her!” Mom straightened up, her eyes filled with disappointment as she looked at me. “Rachel, how did I raise a daughter like you?” “You slept around with men and had this child at twenty. We helped you raise her!” “Now your nephew is sick, and to let him die, you’re even making up lies about Lily being ill!” The parents who had just helped me stop the car now began to lecture me. “Miss, it’s just a compatibility test. It’s not a big deal.” “Who knows, maybe one day you or your daughter will need their help.” Listening to their remarks, I was so angry I wanted to laugh. My daughter was diagnosed with a bleeding disorder at birth. Even a tiny cut could be fatal for her. All these years I’ve been so careful, never letting her get hurt or bleed. But now my own mother was conspiring with Vivian to twist the truth, trying to force me to let my daughter save their grandson and son. I held my daughter tight and backed away step by step. “Impossible. I will never let you harm my daughter.” Just as I was about to break through the crowd, Jackson jumped out of his car. His eyes were bloodshot as he grabbed my arm and tried to shove me into the vehicle. I was too weak to break free no matter how hard I struggled. The people around just watched coldly. No one was willing to help. My daughter clung to my neck, crying hysterically in terror. My eyes reddened, my voice shaking violently. “Don’t do this!” “Lily really can’t save Dylan!” “If you really do something to Lily, her father will never let you go!”

My brother Jackson fell silent for a moment, then burst into mocking laughter. His contemptuous gaze swept over me as he sneered: “Rachel, you’ll say anything to avoid saving my son.” “When you were twenty and got knocked up, we kept asking who the father was and you refused to say. Now suddenly the father appears?” I panicked. Just as he was about to pull me into the car, I suddenly remembered—Lily’s father had given her a cross necklace to prove her identity. I quickly pulled the necklace out from around my daughter’s neck. “This is what her father left for Lily! Every child in their family has one. Her father is—” Before I could finish, Mom rushed forward and slapped me hard across the face. “What nonsense are you spouting! That thing is clearly mine!” “You’re nothing but a thief!” Vivian also rushed to my side and grabbed the cross necklace. Her shrill scolding exploded in my ears. “This necklace was clearly left to me by my parents!” “Rachel, you even dared to steal this. I’ll never forgive you!” She began punching and kicking me like she was venting her rage. Fists and slaps rained down on my face like hail. I held my daughter in my arms, gritting my teeth and enduring, not daring to relax for even a moment, terrified she might hurt my daughter. While dodging, I caught sight of the corners of Vivian’s mouth curling up in a sly smirk. Mom and Jackson watched coldly. They made no move to stop Vivian. “Rachel, get on your knees right now and apologize to Vivian, then take Lily to the hospital for the compatibility test.” “Otherwise, you and your son of a bitch daughter can never set foot in our house again! Without us taking care of you, you two can just wait to die outside!” My body went rigid. I stared at Jackson in disbelief. He grew up with me. He was one of my closest family members. But now, for the sake of a scheming outsider, he was insulting me and threatening to kick me and my daughter out of the family. My heart went completely cold. “Kick us out? Fine.” “Jackson, believe it or not, the moment we leave, your family will be destroyed!” Lily’s biological father wielded tremendous power. It was only because of internal family conflicts over the years that he couldn’t appear openly by our side. To compensate us mother and daughter, he continuously invested in Jackson’s company and sent order after order to Jackson’s business. Otherwise, with Jackson’s abilities, there’s no way he could have run the company so successfully. Three days ago, Lily’s father sent me a message saying the family conflicts had been resolved and he would come meet my family as soon as possible and take Lily and me home. I had even specifically asked him to help find someone who might successfully match with my nephew. But now, none of that mattered anymore. Jackson suddenly broke into laughter, tears streaming from his eyes. “Rachel, have you lost your mind?” “Who the hell do you think you are to destroy my family? I should send you to a hospital to get your brain checked!” Mom grabbed my arm. “Jackson, don’t waste words on her.” “Today Lily must do the compatibility test with my grandson!” The three of them worked together to push me into the car. Jackson slammed on the gas and raced toward the hospital. I curled up in the back seat holding my daughter, my heart filled with terror. What could I do to stop all this? Just as I was at a loss, my daughter sobbed and tugged at my sleeve. She pointed at the GPS watch on her wrist. “Mommy, Daddy’s almost here.”

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My wife’s investment went bankrupt, and she begged me to fake my death to clear her debts. But on the day of the funeral, I watched in horror through the coffin’s viewing hole. My wife’s first love, Derek, was attending my funeral wearing my face. The priest’s prayer echoed in my ears: “Derek, may you rest in peace!” My blood froze, and a chill swept through my entire body. That’s when I realized—my wife actually wanted me dead! And she was replacing me with Derek. I tried to struggle, but the coffin had been nailed shut, and my mouth was sealed with tape. In my horror and despair, Derek mocked me through the viewing hole: “Gabriel, Rachel never went bankrupt at all. She deliberately set you up to die in my place!” I was buried alive and suffocated to death, the coffin lid covered with my desperate, bloody scratch marks. Meanwhile, Derek assumed my identity, took all my assets, and married my wife. When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn—back to the night before the funeral.

“What are you standing there for? Get in the coffin!” My wife Rachel’s impatient voice suddenly rang in my ears. Looking at that familiar coffin, I suddenly realized—I had been reborn. In my previous life, my wife’s investment had failed. Even after I spent my entire fortune, I couldn’t fill that hole. With no other options, my wife had me sign a debt assumption agreement, trying to get me to fake my death to clear the debt. But on the day of the funeral, I discovered the truth. My wife was actually making me die under her first love Derek’s name! Remembering the painful despair of being buried alive in my previous life… I suppressed my rage and answered, “Okay.” Rachel’s face lit up with barely concealed joy, though her tone remained ice-cold. “Get used to it first. I made some chicken soup—I’ll go to the kitchen and bring it to you!” Rachel turned and left. I didn’t obediently lie down waiting to die like last time. Instead, I immediately covered my nose and mouth and sat up. I had thought that in my previous life, my wife had drugged me with the chicken soup. But having just lain in the coffin, I discovered something else. The coffin had been sprayed with high-purity ether. If I had stayed lying down for just another minute or two, I would have fallen into irreversible doom just like in my previous life! What vicious scheming. But I had seen through it. I followed my wife all the way to the kitchen. I originally planned to see what my wife was plotting. But I discovered that shortly after my wife went inside, increasingly loud moaning came from within. My expression instantly darkened. I quietly pushed open a corner of the window and discovered My wife was having an affair with her white moonlight! “Did that loser Gabriel get in the coffin?” “How could he not listen to me? He got in ages ago!” Derek laughed triumphantly. “That’s great, babe. He still stupidly thinks you’re really in debt. Little does he know you’re doing all this to help me get revenge on him!” As Derek’s movements intensified, my wife’s voice grew increasingly tremulous and coquettish. “You shouldn’t blame me for what happened back then.” “He caught us making love in bed.” “At the time, he had money and power. I had no choice but to say you raped me.” “But I never expected he’d refuse to let it go and make you spend so many years in prison.” “I sprayed the coffin with ether. He’s already unconscious.” “Go tie him up and nail the coffin shut.” “Tomorrow when he dies, everything he has will be yours!” As my wife reached her climax, Derek looked up with an evil smile. The moonlight’s cold glow fell on his face—and he looked exactly like me! I was burning with rage, filled with grief and indignation! So the rape case from years ago was just an excuse my wife made up after I caught them in bed! But for these three years, My wife had used the excuse that she was severely psychologically traumatized by this. She forbade me from sleeping with her, beat and cursed me constantly, and bankrupted my company. I was tormented physically and mentally, but I always endured it silently because I felt sorry for her. Even when she told me she owed massive debts and begged me to fake my death to clear them… I still agreed to sacrifice everything I had, agreeing without hesitation! But I never imagined— My sincerity! My devotion! My wealth! Everything was just a tool for my wife to get revenge for her white moonlight! Watching Derek’s figure heading toward the memorial hall, My eyes turned cold as I followed him. You want to escape through deception? Then I’ll make Derek’s funeral come true!

Derek entered the memorial hall. He didn’t immediately open the coffin. Instead, he stood beside it, mocking with hatred. “Gabriel, in court that year, I got down on my knees begging you to let the judge give me a lighter sentence.” “But you insisted the judge give me the maximum penalty, making me waste so many years of my youth!” “Now that I’ve gotten you killed, it’s exactly what you deserve!” He threw his head back laughing, his expression sinister and mocking. “Since I pity you, I’ll tell you something.” “That one time Rachel let you touch her in these three years—I ordered her to do it.” “You were so lucky—you got her pregnant with a baby boy right away.” “But guess why the baby ended up miscarried?” “Of course it’s because when I was out on parole, Rachel aborted it just to make me happy!” Hiding in the shadows, I bit down hard on my teeth, my eyes filled with vicious bloodshot veins. So this was the truth about the miscarriage! How hateful that I always thought it was because I didn’t take good care of her, and I’d felt guilty for years! But even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs! Why were you so vicious?! “Too bad you’ll never hear this truth. You’re about to die!” Derek lifted the coffin lid with a mocking sneer. But the coffin was empty! His pupils contracted sharply, his expression instantly tense. “Where… where is he?” The surroundings were deathly quiet, terrifyingly silent. He unconsciously swallowed, then suddenly turned around. And came face to face with my violent, bloodshot eyes. He stumbled back a step in fear, terror filling his eyes. “Gabriel… why… why aren’t you in the coffin?” The rage I’d been holding back for so long exploded like a volcano in my chest! I grabbed his hair and brutally slammed his nose against the coffin! A crisp sound of breaking bone rang out. Blood gushed from Derek’s face. I didn’t give him a chance to speak. As he stared at me in shock—

I wrapped tape around his mouth, tied up his hands and body, and locked him directly in the coffin. Derek struggled desperately, making muffled shouts. The coffin lid couldn’t hold him down for a moment. In the midst of the struggle, my wife’s scolding suddenly came from behind me. “Gabriel?!” I turned to look. My wife stood at the door holding a hammer, her face cold as frost. Derek was incredibly agitated, his eyes filled with venomous hatred as he stared at me. As if to say he was saved, and I was finished! But I didn’t even glance at him. Instead, I slapped him with my backhand and said with a calculated tone, “I’m Derek!” My wife paused, then suddenly approached and took my arm. “I made you look so much like him, I didn’t recognize you for a moment!” Derek’s body stiffened, staring at me in disbelief! His muffled sounds became even more frantic! But my wife, extremely annoyed, struck him with the hammer! “Shut up!” The sound of cracking bone rang out. Derek curled up in the coffin like a shrimp thrown into boiling water, writhing in pain. My wife looked at him coldly, speaking without emotion. “Gabriel, I was going to use ether to knock you out so you could leave without suffering. Why didn’t you understand my good intentions?” My lips were smiling, but my heart grew colder. I knew perfectly well— My wife mistook Derek for me, which is why she directly smashed his jaw with the hammer! My wife expressionlessly pulled out a tissue and pressed it against Derek’s face. Derek, who had been struggling, instantly calmed down. My wife turned and smiled at me. “Close the coffin lid so I can nail Gabriel in!” Watching my wife unhesitatingly hammer nail after nail, sealing Derek inside the coffin— My eyes grew increasingly cold. In my previous life, this is how she did it—tricking me into lying in the coffin, sealing off all my escape routes, burying me alive. But in this life, she didn’t know she was sealing in her beloved white moonlight. I very much looked forward to seeing just how wonderful my wife’s expression would be when she discovered the truth!

The funeral was held in the memorial hall next to the crematorium. When Rachel and I arrived, The memorial service was nearly over. There wasn’t much sad atmosphere at the scene. The few relatives who came to pay their respects to Derek clearly knew the inside story. When they saw Rachel and me, they even smiled and greeted us. “After today, you two will be a real married couple!” “That bastard Gabriel really delayed you for so long!” Rachel looked at me happily, unconsciously tightening her grip on my hand. “We can finally be together. Aren’t you happy?” I fell silent, then suddenly smiled and asked. “Have you ever thought there’s really no need to be so extreme?” “If you just told Gabriel you wanted a divorce, he wouldn’t refuse.” Rachel frowned. “Come on, stop being angry.” “Are you still holding a grudge about me accusing you back then?” “I didn’t divorce him precisely to help plan to give you everything he has as compensation!” As Rachel spoke, she pulled out a gold card from her bag and handed it to me. “Here, take this. This is what I’ve secretly transferred from Gabriel’s account over these three years.” “Happy now?” I took the card with trembling hands. I smiled and smiled until a tear slid down from the corner of my eye. So happy, Rachel! These three years, I’m so happy about my own stupidity! Stupid enough to believe in love, never once suspecting why you, Rachel, spent so much money. I just assumed you were engaging in revenge spending because you felt psychologically uncomfortable after being raped. I even sold my family’s ancestral home for your so-called debt scam. But do you know? Before my grandfather died, he warned me over and over again, Saying that ancestral home was the root of our family, and I must never sell it no matter what. But for you, Rachel, I’d rather bear the reputation of being unfilial, yet I still chose to sell it without hesitation! But what did I get in return? Your naked betrayal and humiliation! My chest burned with rage as I stared at Derek in the coffin and said, “I forgive him.” “We won’t bury him alive. Let’s throw him in the cremation furnace!” Violent trembling suddenly came from inside the coffin. The people around exchanged glances but chose to act as if they hadn’t noticed. A loud response suddenly came from behind. “Burning him is right! A rapist deserves this kind of punishment!” I turned around in surprise. My father-in-law had actually come too. He walked alone to the coffin and said, “This animal caused my daughter so much harm. Dying this easily is too good for him!” Although my father-in-law was cursing Derek, From the way he was winking at me, I could tell he was also an accomplice! He was actually cursing me, Gabriel! But I didn’t understand why he hated me?! I’d never offended him before. In fact, I’d been good to him, treating him like my own father! Just then, my father-in-law unconsciously pushed the coffin. His angry expression turned startled, and he pushed again uncertainly. “Why does the weight of this coffin seem a bit off?!” Hearing this, the coffin began trembling violently, as if a great injustice had been revealed and someone was extremely agitated. My father-in-law’s expression was filled with doubt and uncertainty. He looked at me, then at the coffin, and suddenly asked a shocking question. “Could the person in this coffin not be Gabriel?” Everyone present was startled and unconsciously looked at me. Rachel anxiously whispered, “Dad, what are you talking about? I personally locked him in last night. How could there be a mistake?!” “You know Derek is my savior. If I really locked him in a coffin and killed him, how could I go on living?!” But the doubt in my father-in-law’s eyes didn’t diminish at all. “I made this coffin myself. I tricked Gabriel into lying in it before to test it, and now the weight is clearly wrong…” My father-in-law’s gaze hardened, insisting on opening the coffin to verify the body.

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On the anniversary of my mom’s death, I was at the cemetery placing flowers on her grave when my husband’s newly hired housekeeper called me: “Ma’am, your mother is here. Sir isn’t home, so I’ve arranged for her to wait in the doghouse in the yard.” “Don’t worry, I fried her some of the premium Wagyu beef the dog usually eats—$800 a pound. It’s much more expensive than what she normally eats.” I snapped at her coldly: “You wouldn’t dare!” Then I heard the housekeeper slap my husband’s mother twice: “Shut up! I’m younger and prettier than you. Once I seduce Sir, you won’t even get dog food!” It turned out the housekeeper had mistaken my husband’s mother, Alice, for my mom. Didn’t she know my mom was already dead? The moment I burst through the villa gates, a wave of blood and the stench of dog food hit me. In the center of the yard, inside the luxury doghouse Xander had custom-built for his dog, a figure was curled up. Alice’s usually immaculately styled hair was now a tangled mess, dripping with oily soup. Two bright red handprints swelled on her face, shockingly vivid. “Xander! You bastard! Get out here!” My husband’s father, Thomas, was pinned to the ground by two burly men. His gold-rimmed glasses lay shattered on the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His whole body trembled as he strained to lift his head and curse. “Xander, that bastard—who does he think got him where he is today? How dare he let some housekeeper humiliate us!” Vivian White stood on the steps in my silk robe, arms crossed, looking down at them imperiously. Hearing the cursing, she snorted contemptuously: “Go ahead and curse, you uncultured country trash.” “Coming into someone else’s home and making a scene—who do you think you are?” She kicked the dog chain at her feet and jerked her chin at the bodyguards. “Go on, put these two old dogs on leashes. Tie them to the utility pole outside so everyone in the neighborhood can see what happens to people with no class.” My mind exploded. I rushed over like a madwoman, shoved away the bodyguard reaching for the chain, and blocked Thomas. “Vivian! Are you insane? Open your damn eyes and look—these are Xander’s parents!” Vivian jumped at my shout, then covered her mouth and let out a shrill laugh. “I know you married Sir, so technically your parents could be considered his parents too.” “But don’t get too full of yourself.” “Look at how shabby your parents are—everything they’re wearing probably doesn’t add up to $200, right?” Thomas’s chest heaved violently with rage, his pointing finger trembling. He and Alice had worked their way up from poverty to wealth. They didn’t like extravagance, but now they were “shabby” in Vivian’s eyes. “Ignorant!” Thomas spat out the words through gritted teeth. Vivian’s expression changed. She raised her hand to strike. “Still got a mouth on you!” I grabbed her wrist and flung it aside. “I’m calling Xander right now. A housekeeper like you deserves to die a thousand times over!” I turned to unlock the electronic doghouse door. “Stop her!” Vivian shrieked. Two bodyguards immediately rushed forward, pinning my arms behind my back and pressing me to the ground. Vivian smugly pulled out her phone and shoved the screen in my face. “Look closely—Sir himself gave this order.” The screen clearly showed a message from Xander: [Deal with those trashy relatives at the house however you see fit. Don’t bother me.] Vivian pulled back her phone, saying triumphantly: “See? I’m just solving problems for Sir.” “If Sir found out these two old beggars dirtied his beloved dog’s house, he’d be even harsher than me.” Alice made a weak whimpering sound from inside the doghouse: “We really are…” “Shut up!” Vivian kicked the doghouse bars. “Since you insist you’re elders, then enjoy the meal properly.” Vivian picked up a plate of bloody raw beef from nearby. “This is imported Australian Wagyu. Only Duke gets to eat this normally. You should feel lucky.” Duke was our family dog. She glanced at the bodyguards. “Feed her.” 2 The bodyguard roughly grabbed Alice’s hair and forced her jaw open. The cold, slimy raw meat was crammed into Alice’s mouth. Alice instinctively gagged, her stomach churning. The meat she’d just been forced to swallow came back up mixed with bile, splattering on the ground. Vivian recoiled in disgust. “Refusing a gift, are you?” She grabbed a large bag of hard dog food from nearby. “Lowlife who’s never had anything good—today I’ll make sure you get your fill!” She aimed the bag’s opening at Alice’s open mouth and poured. The hard pellets went straight down her windpipe. Alice choked violently, her whole face turning the color of liver. Vivian didn’t stop, still pouring frantically. “Eat! Swallow it!” Thomas roared like a madman but couldn’t break free from the bodyguards’ hold. Alice’s coughing grew weaker, her eyes beginning to roll back. If this continued, she would die! In desperation, I suddenly lowered my head and bit down hard on the bodyguard’s arm. When he loosened his grip in pain, I rolled on the ground and grabbed the large iron shears used for trimming bushes from the flower bed. “Nobody move!” The bodyguards instinctively started forward. I didn’t point the scissors at them—I pressed the sharp point firmly against my own carotid artery. The tip punctured my skin, blood instantly streaming down my neck. “I’m Xander’s wife!” “If I die here, you’ll all be murderers! None of you will escape!” The bodyguards froze, exchanging glances. They were just doing a job—they didn’t want to face murder charges. Vivian panicked too: “Don’t listen to her! She wouldn’t dare…” “Try me!” I pressed harder, the blood flowing faster. The bodyguards finally backed off. Holding the scissors, I rushed to the doghouse and used all my strength to smash the electronic lock. Once. Twice. Sparks flew, my palm splitting open. With a click, the lock opened. I dropped the scissors, trembling as I pulled open the iron door and dragged Alice out. She slumped limply in my arms, her face a terrifying purple-blue, her chest completely still. In that moment, the whole world fell silent. I need to call for help! That was my first thought. The call had just connected, before I could get the words out, when someone snatched the phone from my hand. Vivian’s usually arrogant face immediately switched to a pitiful expression. Tears came on command, streaming down her cheeks. “Sir! Please save me! Your wife brought her crazy parents to attack me!” “They not only smashed things in the house, they hit me too!” “That old woman was obviously as strong as an ox, but as soon as she heard you were coming home, she lay on the ground playing dead, insisting I’d hurt her.” “I was kind enough to make them food, but instead of eating it, they threw it all over me…” “Sir, I’m so scared. Are they going to beat me to death before they’re satisfied?” Shaking with rage, I rushed forward to grab the phone back. “Vivian! Stop lying! That’s clearly not…” Vivian twisted away, hiding behind a bodyguard, crying even harder into the phone. “You hear that? Your wife is still yelling at me! Does she think that because I’m a servant, I deserve to be bullied by her family?” From the phone came Xander’s furious roar, loud enough for Thomas to hear from several meters away. “Parents? Nina, who did you bring home? Isn’t your mom dead?” Xander didn’t give me a chance to explain, launching into a tirade. “Oh, I get it. When your mom died, I said one word—disgusting!” “And you’re still holding a grudge?” “I already explained—I didn’t go to the funeral because I was afraid people would say you were marrying up.” “Such a small thing, and you’re still mad about it?” “My mom’s funeral is a small thing? Xander, do you have any conscience!” 3 “Conscience? Then you tell me who that old woman is first.” “Bringing all kinds of weird relatives home and letting them run wild in my house—you think you’re in the right?” “Let me tell you, Vivian has a PhD in management. I hired her specifically to run the household properly.” “Do you know how many people want to hire her and can’t? You couldn’t match her abilities in eight lifetimes!” “I think you’ve gone too long without looking in a mirror and forgotten who you are!” “I’ll have someone sign you up for etiquette classes so you can learn what it means to be refined! Otherwise I’ll be embarrassed taking you anywhere!” His absurd speech made me laugh through my tears. “Xander, listen carefully! The person lying on the ground is your mother! The one being beaten by bodyguards is your father!” “Do you have to wait until someone dies before you’ll believe me?” The phone went silent for half a second, then erupted in an even more piercing cold laugh. “Lie! Keep lying! You think I’m stupid?” “Two hours ago, I talked to my parents on the phone!” “They said they’re skiing in Switzerland and won’t be back for New Year! They even sent me photos of the snow!” “You’d stoop to such a clumsy excuse to cover your lies?” “Are you using my parents as an excuse thinking I won’t dare touch you?” Thomas listened nearby, tears streaming down his old face, his lips trembling as he tried to speak, but the bodyguard kept his mouth covered. How could Xander know that his parents had deliberately hidden the truth to surprise him, wanting to secretly come back and cook him a meal? This heavy parental love had now become a blade stabbing them. “Enough, I don’t have time to listen to your nonsense!” Xander’s impatience had reached its limit. Even through the screen, his disgust was palpable. “I’m heading back now. If you’re smart, take your ‘parents’ and get lost!” “If they’re still there when I get home, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” “I’ll break their legs and throw them out—you’ll have brought it on yourselves!” Click—he hung up mercilessly. Alice’s breathing grew weaker and weaker. Her face had turned from pale to purple-blue. Any more delay and she might really die. “Dad! Forget that crazy woman, we need to save Mom!” Gritting through the pain, Thomas and I lifted Alice together. Alice’s body was frighteningly heavy. Every step felt like dragging a thousand-pound weight. We stumbled getting Alice into the back seat. Thomas’s hands shook so badly he couldn’t get the key in the ignition. Just as we started the car, a black Range Rover suddenly came barreling over, blocking the gate exit. Vivian stood on the steps, toying with the phone she’d just used, wearing a victor’s smile. “Oh, trying to run already?” She jerked her chin at the bodyguards. The bodyguards exchanged glances, then surrounded us. Watching Alice convulsing in pain in the back seat, the last line of defense in my heart completely collapsed. The commotion at the gate was so loud that before long, it attracted neighbors. Vivian reacted quickly. Before I could speak, she started crying first.

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New Year’s—right in front of all my relatives—I opened the gift the spoiled brat had prepared for me. But I never expected that inside was a hungry carnivorous plant. The moment I lifted the lid, it lunged at my face. My entire face was corroded by the strong acid, my features melting away completely. Yet my relatives pulled out my oxygen tube. “My child is just mischievous. You’re an adult—did you really have to open a gift from a child?” “You deserve to be disfigured!” “Women are just money pits anyway. Your mother should thank me for saving her money!” The spoiled brat made faces at me, watching as I died from suffocation. When I opened my eyes again, I shoved the gift into the child’s mother’s arms. “Something this wonderful should obviously go to his own mother!” After being blown to pieces by the carnivorous plant gift box the spoiled brat sent me, I could only lie in the ICU ward, breathing only through a hole cut in my face. But the culprit was singing and dancing in front of me, celebrating. “Ugly freak! Your face is even uglier now!” “I knew this gift was perfect for you!” The child’s parent glared at me. “How did our family end up with such an unlucky relative like you?” “It’s just a superficial injury, isn’t it? You had to cry and come to the hospital—you’ve ruined my child’s reputation with all this drama!” From her tone, it was as if I were the one who’d done something wrong. But I’d been blown up by her child to the point where I couldn’t even take care of myself, yet not only did this family refuse to apologize or compensate me, they actually came to blame me! “My child is just mischievous, and you’re an adult. Didn’t you know not to open a gift from a child?” My father’s sister, Gwen, nagged endlessly, then reached out and yanked off my oxygen tube. “Bad luck. You deserve to be disfigured!” “Women are just money pits. Your mother should thank me for saving her money!” Instantly, I lost consciousness. But when I opened my eyes again, I’d returned to the night of New Year’s Eve dinner. The burning sensation on my face was completely gone. In my hands I held a heavy box. “This is a gift I specially prepared for you.” “I’ve wanted to give it to you for so long. Perfect timing with the New Year.” The spoiled brat wore a cunning smile, urging me: “Hurry up and open it!” My heart sank. “No need. You can keep it for yourselves.” “Maya, how can you be so rude?” Gwen immediately lost her temper. “This is the child’s sincere gift. Don’t be ungrateful!” She pointed right at my nose, her tone growing increasingly bitter. “Today you’re accepting this gift whether you like it or not!” I couldn’t help but laugh coldly to myself. Accept it and my head would get blown off, wouldn’t it? This was a gift I couldn’t afford to accept. Before I could speak, my cousin Victoria spoke up for me. “It’s just a gift. If Maya doesn’t want to accept it, why are you forcing her?” “Who the hell do you think you are?” Gwen went off like a lit firecracker, furious. “This is a gift my son carefully prepared. Not accepting it means disrespecting our family!” “Especially my son—if you dare look down on what he makes, believe me, I’ll make you pay!” After being cursed out by her, I wasn’t angry at all. Instead, I laughed it off. “Since it’s your son’s precious gift, of course it should go to his closest family member. You should keep it for yourselves.” I shoved the box into Gwen’s arms. The spoiled brat immediately stomped his feet in anger and slammed the box back into my arms. “I’m giving it to YOU!”

I was so angry I had to laugh. This kid wasn’t very old, but his mind was quite malicious. He just wanted to harm me specifically, not his own mother. “You’re just looking down on our family!” Gwen was beside herself with rage. “You think just because you’re a college student, you can look down on us for being uneducated!” Victoria sighed helplessly. “Maya would never be that kind of person.” “She’s usually so polite. How could she possibly look down on relatives?” “Didn’t she already say? Good things should be given to children to honor their parents.” But Gwen wasn’t grateful at all. Instead, she raised her voice even higher. “It’s just a gift. Why won’t you accept it?!” “We came to visit in the freezing cold. This is our goodwill!” “Are you helping her talk back? Do all of you look down on my family?” “Let me tell you, the way you’re treating my family today—when my son makes something of himself, even if you come crawling and begging for his help, we won’t help you!” I felt utterly exhausted. A spoiled brat this young already had murderous intentions, and his mother just indulged him endlessly. Fat chance he’d amount to anything. He probably wouldn’t even finish school before ending up in prison for reform. Victoria tried hard to smooth things over. “Really, that’s not it. Please calm down. Let’s talk this through nicely.” “It’s New Year’s. Let’s not hurt our relationship.” But Gwen got even more worked up and shoved her aside. “You’re just another shallow social climber. You really think Maya will be more successful than my son just because she went to college?” “You women without dicks are just stupid. My son will succeed at everything he does.” She glared at us two sisters with contempt. “Not like you two women—just money pits! Going to college gave you a superiority complex? You dare look down on people? Just wait and see how my son makes you die of envy!” “In the end, you’ll just be toys for men anyway, spreading your legs to give men children!” Victoria was completely stunned hearing this. “What kind of talk is that? I treated you like relatives, welcomed you properly, prepared gifts, and now you’re not here to visit but to cause trouble…” I quickly covered Victoria’s mouth. “Forget it, forget it. We’re all relatives. Let’s keep things peaceful.” Victoria was still quite upset, but seeing me smile broadly, acting completely unbothered by the insults, she could only let it go. Of course I didn’t care. Because just now, while they were arguing, I’d already placed that special gift in the pile of presents the brat had received. But this was a matter of life and death, after all. In my previous life, the carnivorous plant had blown me up so badly I’d lost my nose and eyeballs. If it were Gwen, she definitely couldn’t handle it even worse. Plus their family had no money and couldn’t afford medical expenses. Once the accident happened, they could only wait to die. Should I give them one more chance and kindly warn them not to open it? I was still hesitating when suddenly the spoiled brat pulled a syringe from his clothes. “You dare insult my mom—you’re looking down on our family!” “You ugly freaks, I’ve had enough of you all. Watch me stab you to death!” Like a rabid dog, he gripped the needle and lunged at me. Fortunately, Victoria and I reacted quickly and immediately dodged to either side, barely avoiding him. The spoiled brat couldn’t stop his momentum and crashed straight into the wall. The needle stuck into it too. The syringe held dozens of milliliters, filled to the brim with red liquid. A chill ran through me.

“What’s going on?” The relatives who’d been watching, thinking this was just kids playing around, all stood up. “What’s in there? The more I look at it, the more it looks like blood.” “Kids shouldn’t play with things like that. Throw it away quickly before someone gets hurt!” But the spoiled brat got even more excited. “It IS blood—HIV-positive blood! I worked so hard to get it!” “Just one injection and you ugly freaks will all get AIDS!” As soon as he finished speaking, everyone gasped in unison. My mom was terrified. “How can you, a child, get something like this? Injuring someone with this is no joke!” But the spoiled brat didn’t care at all and straightened his back even more. Fortunately, the needle was embedded in the wall and couldn’t be pulled out easily. Everyone finally relaxed a bit. Mom said earnestly, “You really need to control your child. This thing is dangerous!” But Gwen just snorted coldly. “My son likes to tinker with inventions. That shows he has the potential to be a great inventor! As long as he doesn’t mess with me, it’s fine.” Everyone became even more anxious. I couldn’t help but recall my own miserable state from my previous life. The strong acid liquid corroded my skin instantly. I convulsed in pain, but mother and son just gloated. “My son is amazing! So young and already able to create weapons like this. He’ll definitely have a great future!” My expression darkened as I spoke coldly. “So you don’t care if I get hurt?” Gwen’s mouth twisted as she said through clenched teeth, “What’s the big deal about getting poked with a needle?” “You went to college and now you think you’re some rich young lady? So dramatic.” She looked me up and down. “Who knows if you’re actually studying at college or hooking up with men? You dress so slutty every day—maybe you already have AIDS! Would one more poke make a difference?” “Besides, you looked down on our family. You’d deserve to die!” I was so angry I had to laugh. I’d just been thinking about putting the gift back and giving them one more chance. Now it seemed like it was a complete waste of my concern. These evil people wouldn’t be afraid unless they suffered the consequences themselves. Since heaven gave me a chance to be reborn, I’d make sure they got exactly what they deserved. But Gwen didn’t realize disaster was about to strike her. “My son is still young. Whatever he does is reasonable. Even if he hurts you, what can you do to our family?” She helped the spoiled brat pull out the needle with all her strength. “My son chose you for his experiment. He’s honoring you!” The spoiled brat slowly walked toward me, smiling evilly as he stared at me. “My mom said it—I’m an inventive genius, and you all have to cooperate with me!” He raised the syringe in his hand and lunged at me again. Mom instinctively shielded me. “This is such a dangerous thing. Even for a child, this is too much!” “Call the police quickly. This isn’t a family matter anymore!” I nodded vigorously and quickly grabbed my phone. But before I could dial 911, Gwen rushed forward and grabbed at my phone. “You have the nerve to call the police?” She jabbed her fat belly forward, immediately knocking my mom onto the couch. “Give me that phone. If you dare call the police today, I’ll make you pay!” “My son has lots of inventions!”

I couldn’t resist at all. I stumbled and fell backward. The relatives were also panicking, scrambling to hold Gwen back. But she did rough work year-round and had extraordinary strength. With just one slap to my face, my head went fuzzy and my grip loosened. She seized the opportunity to snatch my phone and smashed it hard on the ground. With a bang, the screen instantly shattered into pieces. But Gwen wasn’t satisfied yet. She pinned me firmly to the ground. “He hasn’t even stabbed you yet. Why are you calling the police?” “I think you’re really sick!” “Get off…” I roared, struggling with all my might, but Gwen pressed down even harder, as if trying to crush my bones. It took both Mom and Victoria working together to pull her off me. “I knew you were looking down on me!” “Your whole family are bastards. You just can’t stand that I have such a genius son. You want to ruin his path to success!” She gave the spoiled brat a look. “Baby, quick, teach them a lesson!” Before I could catch my breath, I looked up to see the spoiled brat holding the dark red syringe, lunging straight at me. “Maya, run!” Mom shouted anxiously and pushed me to the side. But the brat was cunning. He knew the living room wasn’t big and I couldn’t dodge far even if I tried. Taking advantage of his small stature, he ducked right between Mom’s legs. I steeled myself and slapped him across the face. Fortunately, he was just a kid. One slap left him dizzy. I didn’t dare relax for a moment. Quick as lightning, I picked up the syringe and threw it far out the window. “You dare hit my son? I’ll hit you back!!” “You’ve offended me tonight. When my son makes something of himself, just wait and see how he uses you for experiments!” Gwen erupted in fury, directly breaking free from everyone’s restraint and grabbing my hair. The spoiled brat also got up from the ground, clenching his fists and angrily pounding me. He was tiny but surprisingly strong. Just the two of them, and in moments they’d beaten me breathless. “Just take the pain. If you’d accepted the gift, would I need to get physical?” “And you wouldn’t let my son inject you, broke his precious invention—I think you’re tired of living!” “You dare hit him today? Tomorrow will you try to walk all over me? Let me teach you a lesson!” Her hands were covered in calluses. Just scraping her palm across my face left bloody scratches. Mom and Victoria couldn’t stop her in time before she grabbed my face and clawed several more marks. “This is bad, bad! Quickly save her!” Mom was like an ant on a hot pan, stamping her feet anxiously. But they simply didn’t have Gwen’s ruthless heart. No matter what they tried, they could only pull mother and son apart. I scrambled up from the ground, still shaken, gasping for breath. “Spoiling a child like this, no manners at all!” Gwen was furious, spit flying everywhere. “My son is the best. What right do you have to criticize him?” I carefully covered my wounds, forcing words through gritted teeth. “I’m not just criticizing him. I’m criticizing you too. You’re an accomplice to murder, enabling your child to commit crimes!” Gwen immediately seethed. “You bitch!” Her eyes landed on a vase. Without a word, she picked it up and smashed it at my head. Everyone couldn’t react in time. My whole body went limp—I wanted to dodge but couldn’t. With a loud crash, everything went black before my eyes. Mom’s voice sounded like it was behind glass. “Maya!” She rushed forward in a panic, but I was covered in blood. For a moment, she didn’t know where to start. Gwen also seemed to have exhausted her strength, surrounded by everyone. She snorted coldly and gave the spoiled brat a look. “Don’t stoop to these bitches’ level. Come on, let’s go open the gifts.” “Let’s unwrap the boxes first, so we don’t have to clean up garbage when we get home.” Without any hesitation, she picked up a large box from the top of the pile. But the moment she tore off the tape, a black shadow lunged at her face. The carnivorous plant wrapped tightly around her face. The air filled with the pungent smell of acid. “Ahhh—”

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When I picked up the housekeeping order, the customer send me a message asking me to bring a box of ultra-thin condoms. When I opened the door, I discovered it was my ex-husband. The moment he saw me, his eyes reddened. “Zara, why did you run away from home all those years ago?” Then, after noticing the cleaning supplies behind me, he lowered his head in shame. “It’s all my fault. I’m the reason you became a cleaning lady.” I didn’t respond. I simply handed him the condoms. “That’ll be thirty-six dollars. How would you like to pay?” He took them awkwardly, fumbling for an explanation. “These are for a buddy of mine. Don’t overthink it.” I knew all of Lucas’s buddies. The only one who liked this brand was his female friend, Veronica. Three years ago, I caught Veronica and Lucas naked and tangled together in bed. I wanted to post the photos online, to let everyone see what these two scumbags really were. But Lucas snatched my phone and threw me—pregnant at the time—into the basement. In the end, I lost my second child, and it cost my son’s life. He had a rare disease. Now, it’s all in the past. I didn’t answer. I just bent down to put on my disposable shoe covers and asked politely. “Mr. Harrington, you ordered a six-hour deep cleaning service with dinner. May I begin?”

He stood frozen in the doorway, his eyes fixed on me. The home I’d lived in for nearly ten years had transformed from a warm cream aesthetic to a punk style. Of course, punk was Veronica’s favorite. Years of housekeeping experience taught me never to overlook any cleaning blind spot. From between the couch cushions, I pulled out a pair of underwear stained with questionable fluids. Lucas snatched them away, his fingertips trembling. “Zara, don’t misunderstand. Yesterday the guys came over for a gathering. Veronica’s period suddenly started, and she forgot to take these with her when she left.” Afraid I wouldn’t believe him, he reached for his phone to pull up security footage. I shook my head politely, stopping him. “Mr. Harrington, you don’t need to explain anything to me.” I didn’t even care about him anymore. How could I possibly care about whose underwear it was? “You’re not angry?” He stared at me intently, trying to find some trace that I cared. After all, three years ago when I first found Veronica’s underwear at home, I’d gone hysterical with rage. I’d scratched his face like a madwoman, forcing him to promise he’d cut ties with Veronica. What a shame. He made that promise, all right. But their relationship never actually ended. Still, that was then. Now, I didn’t feel even the slightest emotional ripple. I put on disposable gloves and took the underwear from his hand. “Mr. Harrington, if it’s stained from menstruation, I’ll disinfect it separately.” I turned and walked into the bathroom, only to find it piled with packages. Familiar account name. Familiar discreet shipping. I knew what they were—lingerie. Out of professional courtesy, I asked. “Will dinner need to be for two people?” “Or if it’s inconvenient, you can cancel. I’ll refund the difference.” Lucas’s expression changed. Three years ago, he’d abandoned me twice to help Veronica pick out lingerie. The first time, our son had just been diagnosed with a rare disease. One phone call from Veronica, and he was gone all night. When he returned, his explanation was casual. “Veronica asked me to help her pick out clothes. It got late, so I just crashed on her couch.” I wanted to confront him, but our son’s illness left me too exhausted. Still, that thorn lodged deep in my heart. The second time was three months later. I’d just found out I was pregnant. I clutched the pregnancy test result excitedly, wanting to tell him we had cord blood now—our son’s disease could be cured. But Lucas interrupted me impatiently. “Veronica’s package got delivered to the wrong address. I’m taking it over, and I’ll help her choose some stuff while I’m there.” “If it gets too late, I won’t be coming back.” He picked up the package naturally, ready to leave. That time, my emotions completely shattered. I slammed the door shut and frantically tore open the package, only to discover it was all lingerie. I didn’t understand what kind of friendship required helping someone pick out lingerie. I especially didn’t understand who a single woman would wear lingerie to seduce! That day, I cursed them with every filthy word I could think of. When I finally exhausted myself, he just gave me a cold glance. “Done with your tantrum?” “Zara, your mind is filthy, so you see filth in everything.” “So what if it’s lingerie? We have a pure friendship.” In that moment, I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. I clutched the pregnancy test result I’d never managed to show him, crying until I broke down completely. And Lucas never once looked back. Now. Seeing Lucas remain silent, I spoke calmly. “If you’re not sure, I’ll continue cooking. Two servings.” “If there’s leftovers, you can pack some for her.” Perhaps my composure completely infuriated Lucas. His eyes reddened instantly. “Zara, can you stop acting like you don’t care!” “Veronica and I really are just friends! Why didn’t you believe me three years ago, and why won’t you believe me now?” He looked as if he’d suffered the greatest injustice. But I didn’t feel even a trace of sympathy anymore. I only cared about when I could finish cleaning and move on to the next job. I pushed past him and headed into the kitchen. But just as I pulled cilantro from my basket, he spoke up. “Zara, I’m allergic to cilantro. Did you… forget?”

I looked up and thought about it. I suppose he was. Years ago when he’d accidentally eaten cilantro, I’d taken care of him for three days and nights. After that, even though I loved cilantro, it never appeared in our home again. But so what? Ancient history. I removed the cilantro and suggested calmly. “Mr. Harrington, there’s a lot of cooking fumes in the kitchen. You can wait outside.” But he stubbornly stayed by my side, as if trying to prove something. Suddenly, his phone rang. The lock screen showed a photo of Lucas and Veronica kissing deeply by the ocean. He declined the call and explained frantically. “Veronica doesn’t believe in marriage, but she… wanted to take wedding photos. As a good friend, I helped her out.” I said nothing, just stared at the photo in a daze. When Lucas and I got married, he was poor. Back then, we couldn’t afford wedding photos at all. Later, I emptied my savings to support his startup, and gradually our life improved. I’d mentioned more than once that we should take wedding photos. But every time, his face would turn cold, his tone full of impatience and mockery. “Can’t you be more sensible? I’m busy from morning to night, and you want to waste time on this useless stuff!” “Can a stupid photo feed us? Can it guarantee stability? Stop being unreasonable.” I thought he was just a straight guy who didn’t understand romance. Now I realize his romance simply never belonged to me. I felt sorry for myself, but also grateful this wasn’t three years ago. Otherwise, I’d be spiraling into sleepless nights of overthinking again. Lucas, seeing my silence, was about to say something. Just then, the sound of the door opening rang out. Veronica walked in brazenly. “Why didn’t you answer your phone?” When her eyes swept over me, she covered her mouth dramatically, feigning shock. “Is this… Zara? Oh my God, how did you age into this?” She looked me over with disgust, finally fixing on my sweatshirt with a derisive snort. “Zara, even if you can’t afford designer clothes, you don’t have to wear such obvious knockoffs, do you?” I glanced down at the T-shirt. It was indeed a terrible fake. But this was a birthday gift from my son, saved from half a month’s allowance. That gesture was more precious than anything. I had no interest in arguing with her and prepared to bring out the food to finish this job. But she followed me into the kitchen. “How about you pick out some of my clothes?” “He’s got plenty of mine here.” “You don’t know this, but these past few years when he’s been lonely, I’ve been the one keeping him company.” I knew she was provoking me. And Lucas said nothing, seemingly waiting for my reaction. Three years ago, I would’ve torn into her. But now, I just felt disgusted. I spoke flatly. “You mean that pile of lingerie?” “No thanks. I don’t have the habit of wearing slutty things like that in front of random men.” Veronica turned red with fury, looking ready to fight me. But Lucas held her back. “Eat!” Veronica pouted and picked through the food. The next second, she dumped everything she didn’t like straight onto Lucas’s plate. “I don’t like these. You eat them.” I thought Lucas wouldn’t eat them. After all, he was a germaphobe. In the past, forget about food from my plate—even a single bite left by our son would make him wrinkle his nose in disgust and call it dirty. But right now, he ate every bit of what Veronica had pushed over, bite by bite, without the slightest reluctance. So his so-called germaphobia had always only applied to our son and me. I pulled at the corner of my mouth and brought out the last bowl of soup to the table. From my angle, I could see Veronica sliding her foot onto Lucas’s leg. That foot slowly pressed against the bulge between his legs. And Lucas naturally thrust his hips forward, holding her foot in place. I’d tried that move once before. But Lucas had shoved me away and cursed me for being unhygienic. Now… Noticing my gaze, embarrassment flashed across Lucas’s face. As if remembering something, he pulled her even closer. I lowered my head and smiled. Whether he was testing me or showing off, it meant nothing to me anymore. This time, I spoke first. “Six hours are up. My service ends here.” “Enjoy your meal.” I got up to leave. Lucas suddenly stood, his voice hoarse and expectant. “Zara, tomorrow is our son’s birthday.” “I… I want to celebrate with him. Is that okay?” At the mention of our son, my heart ached. Apparently, he still didn’t know our son had passed away. Seeing my silence, he continued. “Zara, can you stop being so stubborn?” “You left that divorce agreement and disappeared with our son while pregnant. I’m letting that go.” “But I’m still the kids’ father. Do you really plan to hide them forever?” “Let me… let me reunite with my two children.” His words actually calmed me down. He really should kneel before those two children’s graves in repentance. “Fine. Tomorrow at nine AM. Meet me at the cemetery.”

The next day, I arrived at the cemetery early. Two small headstones stood quietly in the corner. One didn’t even have a photo. I couldn’t hold back anymore. My eyes brimmed with tears. Three years ago, I discovered their so-called brotherly friendship again and again. Maybe it was pregnancy hormones, or maybe it was resentment. I became almost like a madwoman, obsessively checking Lucas’s phone, interrogating him about his whereabouts. Whenever he didn’t reply to messages, I’d spiral into paranoid thoughts. My complete breakdown came when Lucas stayed out all night yet again. I rushed to Veronica’s house recklessly and caught them in bed together. Lucas, reeking of alcohol, held naked Veronica in his arms, their bodies intertwined. Seeing me burst in, Lucas hastily pushed Veronica away, apologizing incoherently. “Zara, let me explain. We just drank too much. Nothing happened! Really, you have to believe me!” I’d heard that bullshit countless times over the past few months. I didn’t want to believe it. I couldn’t believe it. Finally, I completely lost my mind. I started a livestream, forcing Lucas to make a choice in front of viewers nationwide. But to protect Veronica, he smashed my phone and locked me in the room. I still remember his cold eyes. “Zara, Veronica isn’t married yet. What you’re doing will ruin her!” “Stay in Veronica’s place and reflect on yourself. When you’ve come to your senses, you can come out.” Extreme anger and humiliation sent sharp pains through my lower abdomen. Warm liquid trickled down my thighs. I couldn’t care about dignity anymore. I pounded desperately on the door, my fingernails scraping until they bled. “Lucas, my stomach hurts so much. Let me out! Please, save this baby!” “I won’t interfere with you two anymore. Please, let me out…” But it was useless. All I heard from outside was Lucas’s gentle coaxing all night long. It wasn’t until they left the next day that a neighbor finally sent me to the hospital. But the baby couldn’t be saved. Due to massive hemorrhaging, I was forced to have a hysterectomy. And without cord blood, my son died half a month later. During all this, Lucas never appeared once. Not even a phone call.

Suddenly, footsteps behind me pulled me from my thoughts. Lucas held a birthday cake in his left hand and the Transformer our son had longed for in his right. Behind him followed Veronica in a red dress. Lucas looked at my swollen eyes, his voice tinged with hoarseness. “Zara…” Before he could finish, Veronica interrupted. “Zara, you spoil your kid too much. Having a birthday in such a creepy place.” “People who don’t know better would think you’re cursing the child.” I didn’t respond, just stared coldly at Veronica. “Leave. Now.” Wearing red before the dead was blatant provocation. Others might not know our son was gone, but how could Veronica not know? After all, when I’d held my son’s cold body in the hospital, crying until I nearly suffocated, she’d stood in the doorway, unable to hide her satisfaction. “A sick kid like that—it’s better off dead.” “With the frequency Lucas and I go at it, I’ll get pregnant eventually. The Harrington family won’t die out.” “But you won’t even have anyone to bury you.” At that moment, I’d wanted nothing more than to die together with her! It was my son’s dying words—”live well”—that held back my last shred of sanity. I looked up. Lucas was gently comforting Veronica. I was too tired to watch their performance anymore. I pointed at the headstone and spoke calmly. “Lucas, our son is gone.” Lucas’s sympathy froze on his face. “The second child you’d been hoping for is also gone.” “The doctor said it was a girl.” “The culprits are you two.” “You owe these two children an apology.” With a crash, the cake fell to the ground. He stared at the photo of our son, shaking his head continuously. “That’s impossible. The doctor said cord blood could save him.” “Zara, stop this. Today is Ryan’s birthday.” I laughed coldly. Just as I was about to present the evidence, Veronica spoke first. “Zara, even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs. Cursing your own children like this is just evil.” “I just went to the school specifically to check. Ryan is fine, and he even got first place in his grade!” As she spoke, she handed her phone to Lucas. The first image was a report card. Ryan’s name was right at the top. The second was a photo taken during recess. The little boy in the photo did look about eighty percent like Ryan. Lucas let out a long breath of relief. The look he gave me carried disappointment and anger. “Zara Richardson, and here I felt sorry for what you’ve been through these three years. I never imagined you’d get even worse!” “Back then you played hard to get by leaving that divorce agreement. Now to force me back, you’ve fabricated lies about our children dying!” “What’s even more disgusting is that you’re deliberately targeting Veronica, an innocent person. You need to apologize!” Innocent? I scoffed. Even cursing them felt like a waste of breath. I continued burning paper money on my own. The flames danced, illuminating our son’s smiling face on the headstone, and also Lucas’s absurdity. My silence completely enraged Lucas. He kicked over the burning basin. “Stop burning! My son isn’t dead!” “I told you to apologize to Veronica. Did you hear me!” I didn’t even bother looking up. I threw the death certificate and miscarriage diagnosis directly at his feet. “Lucas, I’ve said what needed to be said. Believe it or not, that’s up to you.” “Or you can ask your good friend. After all, she knows very well what happened back then.” Lucas flipped through the reports. His fury froze, and he turned to Veronica with confusion. Veronica seemed to have anticipated this. She showed no panic whatsoever. “Zara, I know you don’t like me. Today I brought Ryan here.” “Your schemes need to stop.” Soon, a little boy from the video walked over step by step. The moment he saw me clearly, he rushed into my arms. “I came to see Ryan.” Then he pulled five hundred dollars from his pocket. “Oh, and that lady bribed me. She made me say I was your Ryan.”

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My twin sister Kayla inherited my dad’s asthma. When I was eight, my father died suddenly from an asthma attack, and my mother poured all her attention into Kayla. Mom would always lecture me earnestly: “Kayla is sick. You’re the older sister—you need to take care of her.” But even though I was the older sister, I was only three minutes older than my younger sister. At twenty years old, the moment I got home, Mom slapped me across the face for no reason. Kayla, clutching her chest with a pale face, leaned against the doorframe. Mom pointed at a bouquet of carnations on the table and scolded me harshly. “You know Kayla can’t handle pollen, and you still brought flowers home!” She slapped me again. Then she helped the gasping Kayla walk out the door. I tried to follow them, but suddenly felt my throat constrict and couldn’t breathe. It turned out that during last month’s physical exam, the doctor said I might have asthma too. The cake in my hands fell to the floor. I curled up on the ground in agony, my consciousness gradually fading. Mom, the carnations are paper. The birthday cake is for you. But I don’t want to love you anymore.

Today was a special day. Having finished work early, I rushed home anxiously. Opening the door, I was met with Mom’s unquestioning slap. “Julia Hayes! What did you do to make Kayla sick again!” “How many times do I have to tell you! In this house, Kayla comes first! Don’t you ever understand?” I stood frozen in disbelief, my cheek swelling high, a piercing pain spreading along with an unspeakable suffocation. Mom carefully protected my sister in her arms. My sister’s eyes stared straight at me, carrying emotions I couldn’t understand. “Mom, Mom, I feel terrible! So terrible!” I snapped back to reality and instinctively moved forward to help. Even though she’d never been close to me all these years, there was still some inexplicable hope in my heart. After all, she was my sister. “Are you trying to hurt Kayla again?!” Mom raised her hand to block me. The momentum sent me crashing heavily to the side. I hit the door handle. Blood seeped from my forehead. But Mom only looked at my trembling sister, coaxing her gently. “Don’t be afraid. Mom called an ambulance. We’ll take you to the hospital right away.” Then she hurriedly carried her on her back and rushed out the door without looking at me again. “I’ll settle accounts with you when I get back! Throw out those damn flowers right now!” But Mom, the red carnations on the coffee table weren’t real flowers. They were everlasting flowers I painstakingly folded from tissues. Because of my sister’s asthma, you hadn’t received flowers once in twenty years. I just wanted you to receive a bouquet of your own flowers on your birthday… The pain in my body and the suffocating sensation in my throat surged over me. I sprawled awkwardly on the ground, gasping for air in large gulps. This wasn’t the first time this had happened. Ever since I mysteriously broke out in hives all over my body last month, I’d occasionally have moments when I couldn’t catch my breath. The doctor’s diagnosis wasn’t a simple allergy. He suggested I do specialized tests and didn’t rule out the possibility of asthma. Because I didn’t want to worry my family, I’d planned to wait until the end of the month for the test results before deciding what to do. I never expected… “Mom… don’t…” In the mess of cream on the floor, I reached out with difficulty toward their gradually disappearing backs, my voice weak and hoarse. Don’t go, Mom. Happy birthday.

My heart raced frantically. I felt breathing becoming increasingly difficult. The instinct to survive made me use all my strength to crawl toward the door. “Help… save… save me…” The neighbors across the hall were still there. It was dinnertime—they must be home. But just as I was about to knock on the door, I completely lost my strength. Curled up on the ground, images from the past twenty years in this house suddenly flashed through my mind. Ever since I could remember, I’d noticed that my sister was different from other people’s sisters. Not because of her genetic disease, but because she wasn’t close to me. Other sisters were intimately close and shared everything, but my sister didn’t like me. She even detested me. From childhood, Mom had constantly lectured me to accommodate my sister in everything and take care of her. She always told me, “Julia, you’re the older sister. You’re Mom’s most well-behaved and sensible child. You need to take good care of your sister.” When I was nine, I persisted for a whole month and finally completed the task the teacher assigned of memorizing ancient poems. I excitedly brought home a potted plant as my prize, wanting to tell Mom about it and have her praise me. But she just angrily smashed the plant on the floor, shattering my hopes along with it. “What’s wrong with you, Julia? Plant mold can trigger Kayla’s asthma! Are you doing this on purpose?!” “No, the teacher gave this to me as a reward…” “Still making excuses! Go stand in the corner and think about what you did. You’re not eating until you figure it out!” Mom carried my sister into the bedroom, leaving me alone to clean up the mess on the floor. My tears of grievance dripped into the wet soil. After that, no plants were ever allowed in the house again. Even the dance I’d loved since childhood—just because my sister said: “When my sister dances, my heart races and I can’t breathe.” Mom threw away the red dance shoes Dad had given me. “You can’t dance anymore from now on.” I stared wide-eyed in shock, unable to believe it. Why could my sister play the piano she loved, but I couldn’t dance what I loved? “Piano cultivates temperament and calms the mind. It’s good for stabilizing emotions.” “Julia, you’re the older sister. You need to be understanding. Kayla can’t be stimulated. Give in to her a little!” No! Why?! This isn’t fair! “I’m sorry, Mom. It’s my body that’s not good enough. Don’t blame Julia.” Kayla Hayes cried so hard she could barely breathe, looking utterly pitiful. Mom’s heart ached. She kept patting her back and no longer cared about my reaction. From then on, I was no longer allowed to dance. But Kayla sat on the piano bench in the living room, her fingers flying across the keys, melodious notes pouring out. I sat slumped on the floor, listening in a daze. It was “Canon”—such a happy melody, yet I felt only sadness.

After losing my dream, Mom said I’d grown up and could better take care of my sister. To prevent Kayla from suddenly falling ill, I gradually learned to prepare water at 37 degrees, check her temperature three times daily, turn the air purifier on and off on schedule, carry an inhaler with me at all times… She was like a fragile porcelain doll. If she so much as coughed once, Mom would become tense with nerves. She’d blame me for not taking good care of my sister, for not shouldering my responsibilities as the older sister. Gradually, I became quieter and quieter. But Mom started praising me for becoming more like a proper older sister. Just when I thought my sister’s condition was stabilizing and life would slowly improve— Kayla suddenly said she wanted to take a walk in the nearby park. Mom disagreed, afraid that crowded spaces with bad air would make it hard for her to breathe. “Just let me go, Mom. Julia will come too. Nothing will happen.” Kayla shook Mom’s arm, acting adorably coy. I watched quietly from the side, unsure what she was trying to do. “Besides going to school, I can only stay cooped up at home. It’s so boring. Just let me go out for a walk~” Mom eventually softened and agreed to her request, ordering me to take good care of my sister. I obediently took Kayla out and accompanied her as she walked around the small park. This used to be my little sanctuary. Whenever I felt unhappy, I’d come here and stay for a while. Looking at the tall trees, bright flowers, cheerful birds, and playing children. Kayla wove through the crisscrossing paths, extremely excited. Seeing the upturned corners of her mouth—she was genuinely happy—I felt relieved for the first time in a long while. My sister must just have been cooped up at home too long, which was why she wasn’t close to me. Seeing her walk toward the flower beds, my heart tightened. I quickly caught up with her. “Kayla, don’t go over there!” Before we even reached the flower beds, my sister suddenly collapsed on the ground. I held her as she coughed violently and frantically searched for medicine in my backpack. “Don’t panic, don’t panic. Come on, take a deep breath—” “Kayla?!” Just as I was fumbling to guide my sister through relieving her symptoms, Mom’s shocked voice exploded in my ears. A sharp pain shot through my shoulder. The next second, I was pushed away. “Julia Hayes! Explain to me what’s going on right now!” “Kayla’s condition has been so stable recently. How did she have an attack the moment she went out with you? What did you let her come into contact with?!” Yes, her condition had been under control. I’d been so careful watching her too. What could have caused this? Enduring the pain in my shoulder, I finally found the inhaler. Mom snatched it away and pressed it to Kayla’s face, which was red from coughing. Before long, the ambulance arrived. I wanted to go with them, but Mom pushed me off. “You can’t even watch one person properly. You disappoint me so much.” The vehicle roared away. Where they’d left, I picked up a pink wild rose. Looking at the stem clearly snapped by fingernails, and remembering the triumphant curve of Kayla’s mouth before we left— I couldn’t help but smile bitterly, my heart growing desolate.

My body grew colder and colder. I couldn’t help but shiver. One hand instinctively reached for my neck, but found only emptiness. I remembered then—the longevity lock Dad had given me had long been taken away by Mom because of my sister. When my sister and I were born, Dad specially carved two longevity locks himself, praying for our health and safety. Originally, my sister and I each wore one around our necks. Later, my sister’s went missing somewhere. Mom was afraid she’d throw a tantrum if she saw mine and worsen her condition, so she simply put mine away too. Out of sight, out of mind. Later, while cleaning, I found the longevity lock again. I secretly took it out and hid it under my pillow, only daring to touch it quietly late at night. Mom gave all her attention and focus to my sister. Only this longevity lock Dad left behind belonged completely to me. Whenever I looked at it, it was as if I could feel Dad gently stroking my head, smiling and saying I was the most like him—quiet and steady. Whenever I lost motivation, this longevity lock gave me endless courage, allowing me to grit my teeth and persevere. But even this one thing, Kayla wouldn’t let me have. “What’s this? It’s so pretty.” She held scissors in one hand and hooked the longevity lock’s chain with the other. “Oh? There are words on it? Let me see…” “‘Julia’? Ha, what a pity!” I panicked and rushed over, but was still a step too late. I could only watch helplessly as she cut the lock to pieces and, as if not satisfied, tore apart the chain in a frenzy. I trembled all over as I picked up the pieces one by one. Mom swept into the room like a whirlwind. “What are you doing to provoke Kayla! Go apologize to her right now! Don’t make me…” Her words suddenly died in my breakdown of tears. “It was her! She destroyed the lock Dad left me! This is the only thing that belongs to me! Why should I apologize?!” “Why are you so biased?! I’m your child too…” She had everything I’d sought but never obtained, effortlessly. Why did she have to take away my only keepsake? Why?! I screamed, unable to stop trembling all over. The fragments dug into my clenched palms, drawing blood. A sharp, dense pain rose in my chest. Mom couldn’t believe that her usually obedient daughter would lose control like this. She froze for a moment. “Julia, this… the floor is cold. Get up first.” Just as her heart softened and she bent down to help the distraught me up, Kayla suddenly screamed. “Ah! Mom! Hhh…” I watched her stiffen for an instant, determination flashing in her eyes. Without hesitation, she got up and rushed toward Kayla, who was clutching her throat. I instantly lost all strength and slumped to the floor, an absurd sense of “of course” rising in my heart. Hobbies, dreams, freedom, love… Gone. Everything was gone. I couldn’t even keep this tiny little lock chain! How pitiful, Julia Hayes. What exactly are you still hoping for?! My hand dropped heavily from my empty neck. My vision grew blurrier. Before my consciousness completely faded, I saw Mrs. Smith’s terrified face.

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The movie had been playing for ten minutes, but my boyfriend Julian still hadn’t shown up. I was about to call him when my phone buzzed. I saw his childhood friend Lydia messaging him in their gaming group chat: “Julian, we agreed to play together tonight.” The next second, Julian replied: “Okay! I’m coming right now!” I didn’t argue with him. Instead, I turned off my phone, bought some popcorn, and walked into the theater alone. After the movie ended, I found Julian had called me over a dozen times, along with one text message: “Tonight’s game is really important to Lydia! I promise I’ll go to the movies with you tomorrow, okay?” I didn’t reply. My tomorrow didn’t need him anymore. When Julian came home, I was sitting on the couch playing a game. “I bought you roses. Do you like them?” He half-knelt on the floor, holding out a bouquet to appease me. I barely glanced at him. “Thanks.” Seeing I didn’t seem angry, he let out a long breath and hummed a tune as he turned on the TV to watch entertainment news. I paused my game, cleaned up the takeout containers, stood up and headed toward the kitchen. As I passed the trash can, I casually tossed the flowers in. His face stiffened. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I explained simply: “I’m allergic to pollen.” I’d been hospitalized twice because of pollen allergies. He’d actually forgotten. Before, when we fought, he’d bring me roses and I’d accept them all. Looking back now, I was so stupid. Julian looked a bit embarrassed and tried to recover: “I’ll get you a different gift next time, okay? By the way, I’m hungry.” “There are chips on the table.” I yawned, preparing to head to my room to sleep. Julian froze. His face showed disbelief. “You’re not going to cook me pasta? I want your meat sauce pasta! You used to say chips weren’t healthy.” I stopped in my tracks and said seriously: “Having them once or twice won’t hurt. Besides, your stomach is fine.” Julian was left speechless. He used to be a professional e-sports player, now he’s a coach. Because of training, he often couldn’t eat on time, so naturally his stomach suffered. That’s why I learned to cook and made him good food. But once, when I brought him soup at the training room, I discovered all the food I’d made for him had been given to Lydia. That time I was really angry. I cried and made a scene. Julian just quietly watched me lose it. Only after I’d cried myself out did he pull me into his arms. “Lydia and I are just friends. Scarlett, you’re two years older than me—can’t you be more mature about this? It’s just a lunch box. My stomach is fine, I can eat anything.” Julian frowned, looked me up and down, then suddenly let out a mocking laugh: “I get that you’re upset I didn’t go to the movie. But you left our gaming group without a word—do you know how awkward that made Lydia look as the group admin?” I left a group chat and somehow that made Lydia lose face? I immediately countered: “I don’t know anyone in that group anyway. What’s wrong with leaving?” With that, I headed toward my room. But his expression changed, and he blocked me at the doorway. “When you left the group, Lydia had just asked me to play. People who don’t know better might think she ruined our relationship and made you so angry you left.” Now I really couldn’t help but laugh. So he was afraid Lydia would be labeled as the other woman. “I’ll clarify it.” I said impatiently. “That’s not what I meant…” He tried to explain. But I pushed him out and locked the bedroom door.

Of course Julian wouldn’t sleep on the couch. The last time he slept on the couch was before his retirement. I’d stayed up all night with him during training. I fell asleep on his single bed watching a movie in the middle of the night. Not wanting to wake me, he tiptoed over and squeezed himself onto a single sofa for the whole night. I told him to get a bigger bed. He just smiled and tapped my nose: “Nice try—you’re not managing me twenty-four hours a day.” Now the training room has a king-size bed. When I asked why, he shrugged and said: “Lydia sometimes rests here after hosting competitions. The small bed wasn’t comfortable for her.” His straightforward attitude left me speechless. He didn’t even realize that he’d instinctively started putting Lydia before everything else. Julian hadn’t been home for three days. But his social media was full of his activities. He was back to hanging out at racing tracks and bars, in his element. He’d posted more in three days than in the previous six months combined. Scrolling down, I saw Lydia’s Instagram post. In the photo, Julian wore a racing suit, his arm around Lydia’s waist, smiling as he held up a trophy. The caption read: [Boys will be boys—what a big baby] The two of them looked exactly like a couple in love, sharing their joy. I casually liked the post. Then I took a cab to the office and submitted my resignation. My manager was shocked. “Why are you suddenly quitting?” She knew how hard I’d worked to get where I was. From an industry rookie to somewhat established, I’d built my network and resources through countless late nights. Sometimes I even had to drink with clients. I didn’t actually like this industry. But I persevered, partly because this job helped Julian’s career, and partly because I wanted to save money while I was young. As the manager signed the papers, she teased: “I heard your family all lives abroad. Are you going back to get married?” I shook my head with a smile. “I just miss home.” Back then, I’d ignored my family’s objections and stubbornly chased love to a foreign land. Turns out I’d lost the bet. When my colleagues learned I was leaving, they insisted on a farewell dinner. I couldn’t refuse, so I smiled and said I’d treat them. I just didn’t expect to run into Julian and Lydia at the restaurant. Fortunately, they were leaving just as we arrived. When we passed each other, Julian’s eyes swept over me coldly, then he smiled and put his arm around Lydia’s shoulder. “Come on, let me introduce you to car bombs.” Surprise flashed across Lydia’s face as she looked at me with a challenging expression. She deliberately leaned close to Julian’s ear and laughed sweetly. “Aren’t you afraid Scarlett will get upset again?” Julian sneered. “Like she has any say?” I listened to their footsteps fade away and breathed a sigh of relief. This was for the best—avoiding awkwardness. That night I had a great time chatting with my colleagues. By the time we finished, it was past midnight. I was about to call a cab when a familiar Porsche Panamera stopped in front of me. The window rolled down, revealing Julian’s grim face. “Get in.” I was both surprised and exasperated—drunk driving is illegal! He saw right through my thoughts and yelled irritably: “Out drinking with a bunch of guys until midnight—Scarlett, you’re something else.” “I haven’t been drinking. Just get in the car!” It was indeed hard to get a cab at this hour. I wasn’t going to be stubborn, so I plopped into the back seat. After getting in, I closed my eyes to rest. When I rolled down the window for some air, I realized the car was still parked. I opened my eyes to meet Julian’s very complicated expression. “Scarlett, do you think I’m your chauffeur?” I paused, then spoke without thinking. “Didn’t you say before that I don’t get carsick, so I should just sit in the back?”

I’m not really one to bring up the past, especially since I was planning to break up anyway. But his righteous accusation, as if I was truly rude, made me fire back sarcastically. The passenger seat had briefly belonged to me once. After Lydia moved, Julian started “conveniently” giving her rides to and from work. She got terrible motion sickness. Julian shot me a look: “Scarlett, you don’t get carsick. Go sit in the back.” I felt a lump in my throat, my nose stinging. “Why should I? I’m not going.” From then on, he left early every day to avoid me, afraid I’d try to catch a ride. I took a breath and closed my eyes again. “If you’re not driving, unlock the door. I’ll get a cab.” I heard a helpless sigh, and the car started moving. After we got home, Julian rubbed his temples, looking exhausted. “Scarlett, can we stop this?” All I wanted was a hot bath. I answered absently, “Fine.” But he suddenly became agitated. “Lydia and I really are just friends. She said she’d never tried racing, so I took her.” “I know.” I stood in front of the closet, internally debating whether to use a bath sponge or bath salts this time. He seemed lost. “Then why haven’t you been replying to my messages?” I pretended not to hear and walked into the bathroom. It turned out that after I’d learned from him and muted his notifications, he’d sent me so many messages. [I went to the bar because you locked your bedroom door. I can’t exactly sleep on the floor, can I?] [I’ve decided—I’m never giving up my love of racing for you again] [I was joking, Scarlett, don’t take it seriously] [Not replying to my messages now? That’s real mature] [I’m waiting to pick you up after you’re done. Scarlett, I give up…] Thinking back to the day at the movies, waiting endlessly without a single message from him, I suddenly understood. When he cared about me, he couldn’t bear to miss a single message. He’d watch the chat window all day, just waiting for one reply from me. Julian used to find me annoying and muted my notifications. But he couldn’t bring himself to mute that very active gaming group. No wonder when Lydia messaged him in the group, he could reply instantly. After my bath, I felt a bit awkward. There was only one bedroom with a bed in the apartment. If I broke up with him right now, I’d have nowhere to sleep tonight. Julian seemed even more conflicted than me. He looked at me, opened his mouth, hesitated. His phone rang. It was Lydia calling. He anxiously answered, and the girl’s crying voice came through faintly. After hanging up, he pressed his lips together. “Lydia’s in trouble, right? Don’t waste time—go ahead.” His tense nerves relaxed. “Scarlett, it’s her first car accident. She doesn’t know how to handle it. I’ll just go help out.” “Really, don’t overthink it, please. I’m begging you, okay?” He naturally reached out to hug me. I froze in place, barely stopping myself from pushing him away hard. Fortunately, his mind was entirely on worrying about Lydia. He didn’t notice these small details and left immediately. Before bed, I removed Julian from my pinned conversations. He kept sending messages intermittently. The latest one read: [The hospital won’t let me leave, says I need to be the guardian. I’ll go shopping with you tomorrow…] I didn’t read the rest. I tossed my phone aside and fell asleep.

Julian’s “tomorrow” would never come. After my resignation was smoothly processed, I moved in with my best friend. Late at night, I ordered a bunch of fried chicken, and we curled up on the couch watching a horror movie. Just before the jump scare, I immediately started scrolling on my phone. I saw Lydia’s Instagram post and froze. In the photo, Julian had his sleeves rolled up, offering a peeled apple to a white-haired elderly woman. Lydia was leaning against him. The post’s caption read: [Grandma, I finally found a man who loves me! Look how handsome he is!] What was interesting were the comments below: [If Scarlett finds out Julian is pretending to be Lydia’s boyfriend, won’t she flip out?] [Don’t be jealous, Scarlett—Julian can’t live without you.] These two were his former teammates. They’d always looked down on me, thinking I was too controlling, too old, not good enough for Julian. Julian had let them mock and ridicule me more than once. He always just laughed it off: “They’re just joking. You know I can’t live without you.” Turns out that dismissive comfort had become their inside joke to mock me. “What are you looking at?” Amber tapped my shoulder. Startled, I let her snatch my phone away. She instantly turned red with anger. “Julian, that bastard! I’m going to kill him!” She immediately called Julian. He didn’t answer. “Forget it, forget it. I don’t like him anymore anyway.” I wasn’t heartbroken anymore. My eyes just felt a little sore. Amber sighed and helped me block Julian on both phone and social media. “I just feel like you deserved better.” There was no “deserving” about it. Seeing this relationship clearly now wasn’t too late. Amber’s emotions came and went quickly. When the delivery arrived, she still wanted to play rock-paper-scissors with me to see who’d get the door. “You’re cheating!” I said with a laugh. I pulled open the door, and the smile froze on my face. Outside stood Julian, looking weathered and haggard. I was about to close the door when he braced it open with one hand, his eyes red as he asked hoarsely: “Scarlett, you quit your job secretly and blocked me?”

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After the sexual assault, my husband Adrian Sterling stood by me, urging me to heal and move on. Seven years later, after the miscarriage, he handed me divorce papers. “Laura, Mira is pregnant. Let’s get divorced.” Mira was a poor student he’d sponsored, the same one who’d caused my miscarriage. When I didn’t speak, he went on. “The truth is, for seven years, every night I’ve lain next to you, I’ve seen it. I’ve seen them on you. I can’t control the disgust. Maybe losing the child was…a mercy.” I smiled bitterly. So that’s what he saw. But he didn’t know I’d been “assaulted” to save him. He also didn’t know I’d implanted a memory chip in his brain. In three days, the chip would fail. And when it did, he would remember everything. Then he would die. Adrian spread out the agreement. “I’m leaving you the house and ten million. It’s enough to live on for a lifetime.” I set the papers aside. He hadn’t mentioned Stellar Group-our joint venture. He clearly intended to keep it. “I need time to think about it,” I said. Adrian frowned. “Laura, don’t make this difficult. I’ve been more than fair.” “Don’t worry, I’ll sign.” I forced a smile. “But the day after tomorrow is our tenth wedding anniversary. At least have dinner with me.” Adrian paused, then said helplessly. “Laura, why put yourself through this? I promised Mira I’d take her to the clinic the day after tomorrow. If you really need to make it a condition, I’ll make time to come back.” He thought I was clinging on. Just then, Mira called. “Adrian, my stomach feels a little off. I think the baby misses you too much.” Adrian’s expression softened instantly. “Alright, I’ll come stay with you now.” I watched him leave and remembered when he called me his safe harbor. Now, this home had become a harbor he couldn’t wait to flee. Afterward, I made two phone calls. One to my lawyer, asking him to draft a stock transfer agreement. The other to a moving company. To remove everything belonging to Adrian. That night, he didn’t come home, as expected. Mira sent me a photo of him shirtless, sleeping soundly. Fresh kiss marks on his chest. “See? Only with me can he be uninhibited and show his wild side.” “It’s so hard for him to hold back with you. He wants sex even though I’m pregnant.” Once, seeing these would have made me break down completely. I’d gone crazy cutting up his long-sleeved pajamas. Asking him over and over why he was hiding from me. But now, I just calmly saved the messages and turned off my phone. I understood clearly. Under mine and Adrian’s leadership, Stellar Group now had a market value in the billions. Our joint assets alone were worth nearly a billion, not to mention our status in the business community. Now, my goal was crystal clear. I wanted all the money and power.

The next day, I went to the memory chip laboratory. Ironically, the lab’s director, River, was the poor student Adrian had initially refused to sponsor. Back when our company was just getting on its feet with limited funds. Adrian said he saw his past self in Mira and insisted on sponsoring her, refusing to sponsor River instead. But I privately funded a lab for River. After Adrian’s incident, River worked non-stop for a month to develop that memory chip for me. Meanwhile, Mira chose to climb into Adrian’s bed. “Laura, the chip implanted in Mr. Adrian’s brain will fail in less than 48 hours, but the data isn’t ideal.” River pushed his glasses up, his eyes showing concern. “When we first implanted the chip, I told you that forcibly extending its lifespan would cause irreversible neurological damage to Mr. Adrian.” He thought I was still the person who would do anything to save Adrian’s life. He didn’t realize I’d changed. “Let nature take its course.” I closed the report without asking another question. River froze. “Laura, actually I have a backup plan…” “No need.” I stood up and grabbed my bag. “Just keep the data safe.” Downstairs, Adrian called, asking me to accompany him to our alma mater Riverside University for a ceremony that afternoon. “We’ve attended together every year. I don’t want gossip before we’re officially divorced.” I knew he was protecting Mira’s reputation. After graduating from Riverside University, she’d become a teacher there with Adrian’s help. Rumors about them had been circulating for a while. But I didn’t expose it. After all, I didn’t want complications at this point. At the school, when Mira saw me, she showed none of yesterday’s malice. Instead, she clutched her stomach nervously. “Laura, you came.” In front of Adrian, she always acted cautious and careful. And he fell for it every time. Even when Mira pushed me down and caused my miscarriage, he thought I was the one making things difficult for her. Just like now, he immediately stepped in front of her. “Laura, you’re a rational person. Don’t disappoint me.” He was warning me. I smirked. “Excuse me.” I pushed past him and took my seat. Adrian froze, clearly not expecting me to be so calm. “Laura, you…” Before he could finish, Mira interrupted. “Laura, what happened last time was my fault.” She spoke meaningfully. “To apologize, I’ve prepared a special surprise for you today.” It wasn’t until she went on stage to give graduation guidance to students that I understood what her “surprise” was. She played a video. Claiming it was AI-generated, adapted from a kidnapping case in Seattle years ago. A girl blinded by vanity was lured overseas, tortured, and ultimately became a plaything for men. Every frame focused on that terrified, agonized face. The ragged gasps, the raw screams… Though no explicit skin was shown, the entire venue erupted. Because the face on the screen was mine.

The year Adrian was kidnapped, the company was going public and couldn’t afford any negative news. I could only suppress the information. I spent all my savings to rescue him. But I didn’t expect that under that kind of torture, he’d gone mad. Physical injuries could heal, but psychological trauma couldn’t be cured even with hypnosis. After Adrian’s ninety-ninth suicide attempt failed, River proposed the memory chip to me. It could forcibly alter that memory segment. And wouldn’t be affected by any emotions or events. But that painful experience still needed to be healed, so that when the chip failed, Adrian wouldn’t continue seeking death. So I chose to sacrifice myself. Because I believed love could overcome everything. But facts proved that Adrian not only found it disgusting-he turned it into a knife to stab me with at any time. When the video finished, Mira’s gaze swept toward me meaningfully. “I’m showing this video today hoping women will learn from it, understand how to protect themselves and maintain boundaries.” After the ceremony ended, as Mira approached, Adrian frowned. “Mira, that was too risky.” Mira looked innocent. “Adrian, I admire Laura’s courage, so I wanted to make her an example for the students.” Then she put on a show of concern for me. “Laura, I worked hard on this video to inspire you, to help you move past what happened and stop dragging people down.” Adrian’s eyes filled with affection. “You’re just too kind.” Then he looked at me. “Laura, Mira means well. Be gracious about it.” I looked at him coldly. “Do you know what impact this video will have on me once it gets out?” “What impact could it have?” Adrian suddenly became impatient. “You can’t hide it forever, can you?” “Besides, Mira said the video was computer-generated and didn’t name anyone. Even if people talk, just don’t connect yourself to it. Stop making a scene!” So in his view, this humiliation was self-inflicted. “Fine.” I didn’t continue arguing. Instead, I smiled at Adrian. “But I hope you won’t regret this.” With that, I left under his stunned gaze. The rumors came faster than I’d imagined. As if orchestrated, within an afternoon, various versions spread online. My face was edited into all kinds of obscene videos and turned into memes spread everywhere. With my identity exposed and the video’s deliberately misleading text. I received endless abuse and humiliation. “So the boss lady of Stellar Group was ruined years ago, no wonder she hasn’t had kids all these years” “Poor Adrian, so handsome but the honest guy stuck cleaning up the mess” “She sounded like she was enjoying it, where’s the pain” The group’s stock price fluctuated as a result. The next day, the board of directors suspended my position. Adrian called me, all business. “Laura, Stellar Group didn’t get where it is today easily. We can’t let it be destroyed because of your indiscretions.” He’d completely forgotten this was all Mira’s doing. “Don’t worry, as long as you sign, I’ll give you the compensation you deserve.” I gripped the phone tightly. “Your so-called compensation means stepping on my reputation to kick me out, forcing me to sign the divorce papers.” Adrian was silent for a moment. “Laura, don’t blame me.” He didn’t deny it. “Mira is innocent and insecure. If we continue working together, she won’t be able to handle it.” “I just want to protect my family.” He still didn’t know his so-called family was on a countdown. Only ten hours until the chip failed. And at this moment, media outlets exposed photos of Adrian taking Mira to her prenatal checkup.

That night, Adrian didn’t come home. When the lawyer sent over the drafted stock agreement, he asked if I wanted to pursue legal action for the online harassment from the past few days. “Collect the evidence first. We’ll settle all accounts together later.” Calculating the time, it was almost here. Then the lawyer brought up the child in Mira’s belly. “According to current law, illegitimate children have inheritance rights. Ms. Ye, should we take some measures?” “No need.” I’d never taken the child in Mira’s belly seriously. After all, how could someone who lost their ability to reproduce seven years ago possibly have a child? Adrian’s counterattack came later than I’d expected. Six hours after the photos went viral, he suddenly held a press conference. And had someone bring me to the scene. In front of the live cameras and a barrage of media, he openly held Mira in his arms. Claiming we’d agreed to divorce six months ago. Originally he didn’t want to use public resources for private matters, but he didn’t expect that because of yesterday’s incident, I’d blame Mira and try to have her hurt. “Though Mira is a student I sponsored, she’s excellent. She became an outstanding teacher at Riverside University on her own merit and is very positive, giving me the confidence to find true love again.” “So I can’t let her suffer this kind of injustice.” Mira timely raised her injured face, staring straight at me. “Laura, you know I’m carrying Adrian’s child. Why are you so cruel?” This single statement made me the target of everyone’s criticism. Adrian looked disappointed. “Laura, you clearly understand the pain of being hurt, yet you’re destroying an innocent person because of your own trauma. I can’t let you keep making mistakes.” With that, he released various reports from my years of seeing psychologists. Trying to brand me as mentally unstable. At this point, I finally understood how ruthless his heart could be. And there were only five minutes left until the chip failed. Netizens praised Adrian as a genuine, good man and hailed Mira for her courage. I faced only the bile. The media also turned their cameras on me. “Adrian has stated that you struggle with mental instability. Can you confirm this?” “The divorce was finalized six months ago. Why are you still fixated on him?” “Sources say you attempted to sabotage Mira. Was this a psychotic break, or are you truly that malicious?” To completely nail me to the pillar of shame, Adrian also pulled out a USB drive. Saying it could prove how sick I was. Thinking back to the drive here, River had mentioned the lab was broken into that evening. Though nothing was stolen, the core video file had been copied. I knew Adrian’s plan at once. “You really want to play that here?” Adrian hesitated. Mira took over. “Laura, I know you don’t want the past seen. But sometimes facing it openly is the only way to heal.” That erased Adrian’s last doubt. “Laura, You shouldn’t have pushed me this far.” With that, Adrian had his assistant play it on the big screen. My pain, my humiliation, there for everyone to see. The room froze. Only Adrian stumbled back, clutching his head. “Ah!” His chip had failed.

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Oliver spent twenty minutes searching for Grace in the fire while I was still trapped inside. I didn’t blame him. Her father had died saving his life. But when the firefighters finally pulled me out, my right hand was crushed to pulp by a fallen beam. That was the hand that had performed five hundred delicate neurosurgery procedures. Oliver glanced at it in the hospital, his brow creased. “Grace has a weak heart. She can’t take any shock. They can reattach your hand. Just don’t cry about the pain in front of her.” Later, the hand was reattached, but all the nerves were dead. Oliver said, “Maybe it’s better this way. You can’t be a surgeon anymore. Now you can focus on giving us a baby. Grace needs looking after. You’ll be here for her.” I looked at my useless, trembling hand and calmly slipped the high-risk epidemic relief volunteer application into my bag. “Fine. Whatever you say.” He didn’t know that once the application was approved, I would erase my social security number, change my name, and vanish from this world completely. As for the spouse’s signature? He’d signed it yesterday without a second thought, too busy rushing me to give up the master bedroom for Grace.

Jasmine POV On a stormy day, my right hand felt like thousands of ants were gnawing at the bone. I sat huddled in the corner of the sofa, trying to thread a needle. One of Oliver’s shirt buttons had fallen off. I used to be quick and precise at suturing wounds, but now the needle trembled uncontrollably in my grip. It missed the eye. My hand jerked, knocking over a small vial of dark amber tincture beside me. It was an unlicensed painkiller I’d brewed for myself. The brownish-black liquid spilled across the floor, sharp and chemical. The door opened. Oliver walked in with Grace. The rain outside was heavy. Oliver’s clothes were damp, but Grace was perfectly dry under his shelter, wearing the limited edition silk slip dress I’d been hunting for months. It was my dress. Oliver’s expression tightened the moment he crossed the threshold. His eyes flicked to the mess on the floor. “Jasmine, what’s all this? Keep it down. Grace just got home from the hospital. She can’t take any stress.” Grace shrank behind him, glancing at me timidly, her hand clutching Oliver’s sleeve. “Oliver, don’t blame Jasmine. I’m just too easily scared.” I didn’t look at them. I crouched to pick up the broken glass. My right hand jerked. A sharp edge sliced my fingertip open, and blood welled up instantly. If I’d gotten even a paper cut before, Oliver would have panicked and bought out every first aid kit in the city. Now he just watched coldly, even stepping back to avoid the spilled liquid on the floor. “That hand’s been useless for ages. How can you still be so clumsy?” He yanked at his tie in irritation. “Leave it. The cleaner will deal with it. You smell like a lab. It’s disgusting.” I watched the blood drip from my finger and mix into the black liquid below. Suddenly, it all felt pointless. “My hand hurts,” I said quietly. It was the truth. On rainy days, the broken parts throbbed with pain. Oliver stopped, then his frown deepened. “That excuse again. The physio said it healed months ago. How long are you going to keep up this act?” Grace interjected softly. “Is Jasmine upset that I’m wearing her dress? I’m sorry. My clothes got wet, and Oliver didn’t want me to catch a cold, so he told me to change. I’ll take it off right now and give it back.” She moved to pull at the straps, her eyes instantly reddening. Oliver grabbed her hand and glared at me. “It’s just a dress. Are you really this petty? Jasmine, you used to be so generous. When did you become so calculating?” I used to be generous because I had the confidence to be. I was the youngest lead surgeon at this top-tier hospital. I had my pride. I didn’t need to bother with a charity case like my adopted sister. But now, my hand was ruined. Oliver thought only my hand was ruined. But my value and dignity had been destroyed too. I ignored Grace’s performance, using my good left hand to pick up the glass shards one by one and drop them into the trash. Blood smeared across the floor. It was a shocking sight. Oliver finally seemed unable to stand it anymore. He walked over and kicked the trash can. “Enough. Stop being an eyesore. Go cook. Grace wants beef Wellington.” “I can’t make it.” I stood up, hiding my injured finger in my sleeve. “The pastry needs kneading. My hand doesn’t have the strength.” “Jasmine!” Oliver raised his voice. “How long are you going to keep this up? Grace is someone you watched grow up. You know she’s not well. Will making one meal kill you?” “It’ll hurt,” I said, looking into his eyes calmly. “Using force makes my hand hurt.” Oliver froze, seemingly not expecting me to push back so bluntly. The irritation in his eyes deepened. “Fine. Do whatever you want. If you won’t cook, then starve.” He pulled Grace upstairs and slammed the bedroom door shut with a bang. The world was finally quiet. I looked at the empty living room. This place used to be lively. I loved buying flowers, experimenting with molecular gastronomy, waiting for Oliver to come home. Now it was just a mess and bitterness filling every corner. I went to the bathroom to treat my wound. When I came out, I noticed an express delivery notice stuffed in the mailbox by the door. It was from Geneva headquarters. The sender’s name was a string of codes, but I knew who it was. It was from the global epidemic response team codenamed “Sentinel.” Three months ago, right after my hand was broken, I’d submitted an application. Back then, I hadn’t planned to leave completely. I just wanted to give myself an escape route. Now it seemed that route of escape had become my only path. I clutched the notice in my hand, crushing the paper into a crumpled ball. If there was no place left for me here, I would go where only the dead, or those who are already dead inside, could exist.

Jasmine POV The next morning, I went to the hospital. Even though I’d been suspended, I still wanted to visit, if only to smell the disinfectant. Passing by the neurosurgery clinic, I ran into my attending physician and mentor, Matthew. He looked at my hand and sighed, handing me the latest electromyography report. “Jasmine, nerve damage is irreversible. You’ll be fine for daily life, but holding a scalpel… that’s never going to happen again.” I’d known the outcome for a while, but hearing the verdict pronounced again still hollowed out a part of my chest. I traced the jagged scar and smiled faintly. “It’s okay. I can live without holding a scalpel. I can do pathology research.” Matthew hesitated, then finally just patted my shoulder. “Where’s Oliver? Why didn’t he come with you?” “He’s busy with a merger at the company.” He really was busy. On my way downstairs, I saw Oliver carrying Grace toward the ER. Her face was contorted in pain, hands clutched to her chest. Oliver’s forehead gleamed with sweat, his thousand-dollar custom shirt stained dark. In his rush, he shouldered past me without a glance-his eyes never leaving her. I stood there, watching their figures disappear around the corner. Matthew sighed behind me. “He’s like this again? Jasmine, why do you put yourself through this?” “It’s not suffering.” I tore up the follow-up report and tossed it in the trash. “It’ll be over soon.” When I got home from the hospital, the house was empty. I walked to the balcony, intending to check on the rare black orchid I’d been cultivating. Buried in that orchid’s soil was a targeted medication I’d spent three months extracting. Oliver suffered from severe migraines-the kind that made him bang his head against the wall. After my hand was ruined and I could no longer hold a scalpel, I combed through all my old experimental data and painstakingly extracted plant essences with my left hand, refining them into a concentrated paste. Because I couldn’t exert much force, I often injured myself during the grinding process and had to endure the fumes from chemical reagents. I hadn’t had a chance to give him the medicine yet. I walked onto the balcony and stopped dead in my tracks. The expensive orchid was lying on the ground, the pot shattered, soil scattered everywhere. And the dark brown paste I’d been fermenting on the shelf was now being poured over the orchid’s remains by Grace. The brownish liquid pooled on the floor, releasing a rich herbal fragrance. “Oh, Jasmine’s back?” Grace heard the noise and turned around, still holding the empty bottle. Her face wore a startled expression. “I thought this black stuff in the bottle was spoiled balsamic vinegar, so I was trying to help clean it up.” She’d poured it all out. Not a single drop remained. Three months of hard work. The thing I’d covered my hands in wounds to create. I walked over and took the empty bottle from her hand. I said nothing. “Jasmine, why are you looking at me like that? I really didn’t mean to…” Grace shrank back, tears coming instantly. “The smell was so strong it made me nauseous. I thought it was trash…” Footsteps sounded at the door. Oliver was back. Seeing the scene, he strode over and pulled Grace behind him, frowning at me. “What are you doing now? Grace just had her heart checked. The doctor said she can’t be upset.” I looked at the empty bottle in my hand and suddenly laughed. “Oliver, when your head hurts, don’t ask me for medicine anymore.” Oliver froze, then glanced at the mess on the floor and scoffed. “This black gunk? What weird experiment are you trying now? I told you before-I don’t take uncertified junk like this. It’s better that it’s gone. Saves space.” Was that uncertified junk? That was a specialized medication I’d created after reviewing dozens of top medical journals and consulting countless pharmacists, all to ease his pain. “Yeah. Better that it’s gone.” I released my grip. The empty bottle fell to the floor and shattered with a crack. Grace screamed, covering her ears and burying herself in Oliver’s arms. “Oliver, Jasmine’s so scary. I’m afraid of her…” Oliver patted her back, looking at me with disgust. “Jasmine, why have you become so unreasonable? Just because she spilled a bottle of your condiment, you have to throw a tantrum? Apologize to Grace!” I didn’t move. “Apologize!” He raised his voice, his gaze ice-cold. In the past, I would’ve shoved the molecular formula in his face, told him what it really was, and had a screaming match with him. But now, looking at the black puddle on the floor, it looked like my dead heart. “I’m sorry.” I spoke, my voice so calm it surprised even me. Oliver clearly hadn’t expected me to comply so quickly. He froze, the reprimand on his lips stuck in his throat. I didn’t look at him. I turned to get the mop. “I’ll clean it up.” I bent down, using my ruined hand to clumsily sweep the shards and soil into the dustpan. Oliver stood there watching me. For some reason, he didn’t leave with Grace like usual. Instead, he stood there, his frown deepening. “Jasmine, you…” “The floor’s too dirty. You two should leave so you don’t get your shoes dirty.” I interrupted him without looking up, kneeling on the floor with a rag, wiping away the medicinal liquid bit by bit. Some things couldn’t be cleaned. Once they seeped in, they’d never come out.

Jasmine POV Oliver’s birthday arrived. In previous years, I would start planning a week in advance. I’d take half a day off, reserve premium ingredients, and spend an entire day in the kitchen making a full table of his favorite French cuisine. I’d decorate the house warmly and prepare expensive surprise gifts for him. Even his business friends knew that day was “Chef Jasmine Day,” calling ahead to reserve a spot at dinner. But this year, I did nothing. That morning, Oliver deliberately spent a long time at the mirror, changing into a new custom-tailored suit. He glanced at me several times, seemingly waiting for me to say “Happy birthday.” But I just sat by the window reading. I didn’t even look up. He couldn’t hold back anymore. Before leaving, he cleared his throat. “I have a few partners coming over tonight.” “Oh.” I turned a page. “Get ready.” He tossed out that sentence and slammed the door. At 5 PM, Oliver called. The background was noisy. Someone was heckling. “Where’s Jasmine? I’ve been craving that lobster she makes for a whole year!” Oliver’s voice sounded a bit smug. “She’s busy at home. Just come straight over.” Then he said to me, “Jasmine, make plenty of food. Matthew and the others are coming. Don’t embarrass me.” I held the phone, looking at the gray sky outside. “I didn’t cook.” Silence on the other end for a second. “What did you say?” Oliver’s voice dropped. “I said I didn’t cook. I didn’t order catering either.” I said calmly. “My hand hurts. Prepping ingredients is too exhausting. I can’t do it.” “Jasmine, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” Oliver lowered his voice, anger traveling through the line. “It’s my birthday. My friends are all watching. You’re making me look bad?” Grace’s voice came through. Cloying. “Oliver, is Jasmine still mad at me? How about I cook? Even though I’m not well, I can endure it for you.” Oliver immediately said, “Don’t you dare. Your hands are for painting. How can you let them touch cooking grease?” Hearing that, I couldn’t help but look at my right hand. My hand used to hold a scalpel. It was a hand that could snatch people back from death. Now, in his eyes, it wasn’t even worthy of cooking for Grace. “Since Grace cares about you so much, let her do it.” I hung up. Half an hour later, Oliver came home. With Grace, and that group of awkward-looking friends. They walked in to find cold pots and a cold stove. The open kitchen had no trace of warmth. Oliver’s face was black as soot. “Jasmine, fine. You’re really something.” He ground his teeth, throwing his coat violently onto the sofa. “Are you staging a rebellion?” Friends awkwardly tried to smooth things over. “Jasmine’s hand is injured. It’s normal she can’t cook. Let’s just go to a Michelin restaurant. I’ve been wanting to try that new place anyway.” Grace wiped away tears beside them. “It’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, Jasmine wouldn’t treat Oliver like this…” I ignored the chaos filling the room and turned toward the study. “Where are you going?” Oliver shouted behind me. “To pack.” I walked into the study and pulled out a large cardboard box from the cabinet. Inside were all the medical awards, licenses, and certificates I’d earned since childhood, along with every paper I’d published in core journals over the years. I used to treasure these things. I’d take them out and polish them when I had free time. Oliver used to say I was his pride. He loved seeing me shine as a top surgeon, confident and radiant. Now, to him, these things were probably worth less than one of Grace’s sketches. I started throwing the certificates into the box one by one. My movements were gentle but decisive. “What are you doing?” Oliver appeared in the doorway at some point, freezing when he saw what I was doing. “These things take up space.” I picked up a notebook Oliver had once given me, filled with dense notes from my surgeries. “Do you want it?” Oliver glanced at it. It was a pure leather notebook he’d brought back from a business trip to Italy during our first year of marriage. The flyleaf still read, “To my beloved genius doctor.” His gaze flickered, as if remembering something, but it was quickly replaced by impatience. “What act are you putting on now? Don’t want to stay married anymore?” “Do you want these or not?” I asked persistently. “If not, I’m throwing them out.” Oliver laughed coldly. “Who cares about your junk besides you? Throw it out if you want. Make room for Grace.” “Okay.” I closed the box. That night, they ate out. I lit a fire in the backyard fireplace. Those certificates and awards representing thirty years of my achievements curled, blackened, and finally turned to ash in the flames. The firelight reflected on my face. It felt hot. When I got to the notebook, I hesitated for a moment, then threw it in anyway. Oliver, since you don’t care, I won’t keep it. Along with my love for you, I’ll burn it all clean.

Jasmine POV The next day, Grace predictably set her sights on my study. At the breakfast table, she cradled her oat milk and said casually, “Oliver, my therapist said I’m under a lot of stress lately. She suggested I paint to help. But the guest room lighting is too dim. I noticed Jasmine’s study faces south. The natural light is perfect…” She didn’t finish, just looked at Oliver with those dewy eyes. Oliver set down his coffee cup and glanced at me. “Jasmine, you threw out most of your books anyway. The study’s empty. Why not let Grace use it as a studio?” I was drinking coffee. My hand paused at his words. I’d designed that study myself. Ergonomic chair, shadowless lamp-every shelf height was calibrated for me to easily access reference materials and write papers. It was my last territory in this house. “That’s my study,” I said, looking at him. “You don’t work anymore. What do you need a study for?” Oliver said matter-of-factly. “Grace wants to paint for her health. It’ll help her condition. Can you stop being so selfish?” “Selfish?” I laughed, the smile not reaching my eyes. “Oliver, when we bought this house, I paid half. I decorated that study. I moved every single book in there myself. And now you want to give it to Grace?” Oliver slammed his knife down on the table with a bang. “Jasmine, do you really have to settle accounts with me so clearly? Grace’s health is poor. What’s wrong with you accommodating her? Besides, if it weren’t for you, would Grace’s health be this bad?” Here we go again. The fire was his trump card. Every time he brought it up, I had to shut my mouth. “That day of the fire, if you hadn’t insisted on running back in to save that dog, your hand wouldn’t be broken!” Oliver pointed at my nose, his face full of disappointment. “You were stupid and ruined your own hand. Now you’re taking it out on Grace?” Grace lowered her head, her shoulders shaking. “Oliver, stop. I won’t paint. I shouldn’t have asked…” I watched them play this duet and suddenly felt it was all so absurd. That day of the fire, I did run back in. But not to save a dog. I went back to save the engineering blueprints and confidential data drive Oliver kept in the safe in his study. It was for the multi-billion dollar project he was leading. If it burned, years of his hard work would be gone. He might even face massive compensation claims and jail time. I charged into the flames, found that fireproof box, and held it tightly. When the beam came down, I instinctively raised my right hand to block it. My hand broke. The hard drive was saved. And Oliver? He was outside, holding Grace’s cat, frantic and spinning in circles, shouting Grace’s name. Later, when they rescued me, before I passed out from the pain, I shoved that scorching-hot hard drive into his arms. But he was only concerned with checking if Grace was hurt. He didn’t even notice what I’d given him. That project later landed him on the cover of Forbes. He still thought I’d run in to save a dog that wasn’t even trapped inside. “So that’s what you think,” I said quietly, looking at him. “Isn’t it?” Oliver countered. “Losing a hand over a dog. Jasmine, that’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.” I didn’t explain. What would be the point? Tell him the truth so he’d feel guilty? The Oliver of today didn’t deserve my truth. I stood up and walked to the study door, pushing it open. Half of it was already empty. What remained were rare medical texts I hadn’t had time to deal with yet. I walked over and picked up a first-edition microsurgical atlas-a gift from Matthew. “Fine.” I turned around and, right in front of them, threw the book into the recycling box. “You’re right. I really don’t need it anymore.” I picked up another book. Threw it. One after another. Heavy volumes thudded into the box with dull sounds. Oliver watched me, frowning deeper and deeper. He seemed about to say something but ultimately just snorted. “You should’ve done this earlier. No need to make everything ugly.” Grace ran over happily, hugging Oliver’s arm. “Thank you, Oliver! Jasmine’s so nice!” I threw the last book in and brushed the dust off my hands. “It’s cleared out. You two can use it however you want.” In this house, the space that belonged to me was shrinking. Good. That way, when I left, there’d be nothing to miss.

Jasmine POV Late that night, my phone rang. Oliver was in the shower. I answered. A voice, mechanically altered, came through. “Ms. Jasmine? I’m calling regarding your application to Project ‘Sentinel.’” I glanced toward the bathroom and lowered my own voice. “Speaking.” “We’ve reviewed your profile. Your expertise aligns with our needs. Specifically, your research on viral occlusion pathways is precisely what’s required in the current West African outbreak.” He paused, his tone turning serious. “However, I am obligated to inform you this is a classified, high-risk deployment. Acceptance requires the termination of your current legal identity. For a decade or more, you will have no contact with the outside world. The environment is hostile, the virus volatile, and the mortality rate is significant.” “I understand,” I answered calmly. “I’ve studied the relevant materials. I have new insights into the transmission routes and blockage mechanisms of the R-type virus. If given the opportunity, I’m confident I can crack it.” I recited a string of technical terms fluidly, a kind of confidence I hadn’t felt in years. Silence lingered on the other end for a few seconds. Clearly, they hadn’t expected my grasp of the project to be so thorough. “Excellent. We would be glad to have you.” The recruiter’s voice held a note of respect. “However, due to the project’s sensitive nature, we require one more document beyond your personal application. We need a signed high-risk mission informed consent and liability waiver from your legal spouse. It’s a procedural requirement to prevent any future legal claims from family members.” My fingers tightened around the phone. Spousal signature. It was the biggest hurdle. “Understood. I’ll take care of it.” “Time is critical. Please proceed quickly. A special transport will pass through your city soon. We’ll contact you then.” “Got it.” I hung up. The sound of water in the bathroom had just stopped. Oliver came out drying his hair. Seeing me standing there, he asked offhandedly, “Who was that?” “Insurance telemarketer,” I lied without missing a beat. Oliver scoffed. “Who’d sell you insurance now? Everyone knows your primary earning capacity is gone. No job. No ability to repay.” He walked to the fridge for water, noticing I was still standing there. His gaze darkened. “Still haven’t given up? Still scrambling around like a headless fly looking for work?” He’d clearly overheard a fragment or two. “With your hand like that, what hospital insurance would cover you?” He took a sip of water, his tone cold. “Jasmine, you need to learn to accept reality. Stay home obediently and take care of my and Grace’s daily needs. I won’t treat you badly.” I looked at him, my gaze like I was looking at a complete stranger. This was the man who once vowed before a priest to support my dreams. Now his only dream was to keep me here, in this small world, as his permanent housekeeper. “Yeah,” I smiled faintly. “There really is no place for me here anymore.” Oliver paused and looked back at me, as if searching my words for a hidden meaning. But he quickly interpreted it as me complaining that no one would hire me. “Good that you finally understand.” He set his glass down with a sharp click. “Then stop making trouble. Settle in.” He turned and walked upstairs, leaving me with nothing but the cold line of his back. His “no place” meant the world outside had no use for a damaged woman. My “no place” meant there was no room left for me inside this house, inside this marriage. I needed that signature. I had to get it.

Jasmine POV Three days. Time was tight. God seemed to be helping me make the decision. The rain hadn’t stopped these past few days. On rainy days, my hand hurt terribly-nerve endings shooting with pain, like electric currents running through them. That evening, Oliver sat on the sofa peeling an apple for Grace. He peeled it meticulously, leaving no trace of skin, then sliced it into delicate pieces and fed them to Grace. “Is it sweet?” he asked gently. “Yes.” Grace smiled sweetly. “Oliver’s apples are always the sweetest.” I sat on the single sofa across the room, a cold sweat breaking over me from the pain, my face bleached of color. I wanted water, but the kettle was on the other end of the coffee table, near Oliver. “Pour me some water,” I said, my voice a bit hoarse.Oliver didn’t even look up. “The kettle’s right next to you. Pour it yourself. Can’t you see I’m busy?” Busy feeding Grace apple slices. I gritted my teeth and reached out with my left hand for the kettle. Because my right hand was trembling from pain, half my body was shaking. My hand had just touched the kettle handle when it slipped. The stainless steel kettle tipped over. Scalding water spilled out, pouring directly onto the back of my hand. I gasped. The skin instantly turned bright red over a large area. Oliver was startled by the noise and jumped to his feet. His first instinct was to shield Grace. “Did it get you?” Grace shook her head and pointed at me. “Jasmine got burned.” Only then did Oliver turn to look at me. Seeing my swollen hand, his brow immediately knotted into a tight frown. “What’s wrong with you?” Instead of showing concern, his face was full of reproach. “You can’t even pour water without making a mess. How useless have you become?” I said nothing. I grabbed a few tissues with my left hand and pressed them against the burn. It hurt. A burning, searing pain mixed with nerve pain. It made me clearheaded. “Enough. Stop playing the victim.” Seeing my silence, Oliver assumed I was seeking sympathy. “There’s burn ointment in the medicine cabinet. Put it on yourself. You’re a doctor-do you need someone to teach you this?” With that, he settled back to fussing over Grace. “Don’t be frightened. Jasmine’s just clumsy these days. It’s nothing.” I looked at my swollen hand. The last ember in my heart went cold. I’d thought that if he showed even a shred of care, the smallest amount, I might still waver. But now, there was no need. I stood up. I didn’t reach for the burn cream. I walked to the bedroom and took out the folder I’d prepared long ago. Inside lay a draft of divorce papers. And tucked between them, that informed consent form. I was going to use his impatience, his coldness, to buy my freedom.

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While resuscitating a female patient, I hurriedly cut open her bra. My fiancée, Sophia, actually posted a video of me performing chest compressions online: “I know you were saving her, but doesn’t the patient’s privacy matter? And your hands kept touching her chest.” The incident quickly went viral. The hospital leadership didn’t defend me. Instead, they docked my entire year’s bonus and demoted me. Sophia also quickly climbed into bed with my rival. I threw down my ID badge. Since my dedication to saving lives got me labeled a pervert, I might as well just stop trying. I wouldn’t save anyone anymore. This time, the entire hospital panicked. “Logan, this should be a lesson for you. We’re getting married soon, and even if you’re a doctor, you need to have morals!” I looked at Sophia quietly. “Are you done?” She froze. “What—what kind of attitude is that?” “Whatever.” I rolled my eyes. Sophia’s face instantly flushed red, as if she’d been deeply insulted. “Fine! Logan, we’re breaking up!” After screaming that, she grabbed her phone from the table and ran out. The department director, Dr. Morrison, frowned and tapped the desk. “To settle public opinion, you need to write a thorough self-criticism. You’ll read it publicly next week and admit your behavior was inappropriate. This is an order, and also your chance to make things right.” The next day, the hospital intranet and bulletin board simultaneously posted a disciplinary notice about me. The intern, Kevin, secretly messaged me. “Logan, we all believe you. But just put up with it for now, Dr. Morrison is really angry.” I turned off my phone screen. I knew Morrison was deliberately making things difficult for me. He wanted his nephew Ryan to take my attending physician position. Sophia’s little tantrum had given him the perfect excuse. I returned to my workstation and silently turned on my computer. I printed out all the files for the critical patients I was responsible for. Then I deleted all the data from the computer. A week later, at the hospital conference. Dr. Morrison stood on stage criticizing me. “Given Dr. Logan Mitchell’s unprofessional conduct, the hospital has decided to revoke his attending physician position.” The audience was dead silent. “Now, let’s give a warm round of applause to welcome our new cardiac surgery physician, Dr. Ryan Morrison!” Ryan stood up smugly and nodded to everyone. Dr. Morrison looked at him with satisfaction and announced: “Starting today, Ryan will officially take over Logan’s duties.” I sat in the corner, expressionless.

Ryan walked to my workstation and tapped the desk with his finger. “Hey, you can move your stuff now. Your new spot is in that corner over there. Also, leave your work computer. I need to check it to make sure you didn’t take any core department files.” I looked up at him, said nothing, and started packing my personal belongings. He seemed unsatisfied and added another jab. “Oh, and from now on, your words and actions in the department should reflect our professionalism. Don’t act like some kind of pervert.” I stopped what I was doing and asked him a medical question: “What are the diagnostic criteria and key differentiating factors for Takotsubo cardiomyopathy?” Ryan’s expression visibly stiffened, and he stammered, “Well… that obviously depends on the patient’s specific condition.” I gave him a contemptuous look, scoffed, and walked away. I thought back to three years ago when Director Wang personally came to recruit me to work at this hospital. He shook my hand and said, “Logan, we really need you!” Looking back now, what a joke. After my demotion, my workload became much lighter. I no longer participated in any emergency resuscitations. I left work on time every day. Yesterday, a car accident victim arrived in critical condition. The nurse instinctively called for me. I only glanced over and calmly told her: “Go find Ryan. He’s the attending physician.” The nurse said urgently, “Dr. Ryan is in his office. He said he’s organizing some important academic materials!” I didn’t say another word and walked straight out of the ward. I no longer stayed an extra minute for any critical patient. After work, I went to a fencing club. Putting on the heavy protective gear, the helmet, gripping the cold sword handle. I released all my anger and frustration on the fencing strip. The next day, Ryan posted a file in the department group chat. But the content had nothing to do with medicine—it was a set of medical record templates. Seconds later, I received many messages from colleagues. “Logan, what is Ryan doing? Writing medical records like they’re academic papers?” “Is he crazy? We treat patients with medical knowledge, not record templates!” “Ryan doesn’t know how to treat patients at all!!” I didn’t reply to my colleagues. I just turned off my phone. Before, I was the backbone of the department. No matter how complicated the emergency, everyone felt secure with me there. Now, whenever a critical case came in, the whole department became chaotic. Ryan would just stand to the side, ordering others to do this and that, but never doing anything himself. The resentment among colleagues grew stronger. People started privately reminiscing about my efficiency and reliability.

I submitted my vacation request to Dr. Morrison. A full thirty days. This was vacation time I had accumulated over five years. When he saw the request, his face immediately darkened. “Logan, what’s the meaning of this?” He threw the request in my face. “The hospital is short-staffed right now. Requesting such a long vacation—are you deliberately going against me?” He threatened, “Don’t think I won’t just fire you.” I took out the physical examination report I had done a few days ago and placed it on his desk. “Dr. Morrison, I’ve been having irregular heartbeats lately. I need to rest. Long-term high-pressure work isn’t good for the heart. You’re an expert—you should understand.” He picked up the report, looked at it, and his face turned red with anger. But he couldn’t find a reason to refuse, so he had to sign my request. Just as I was about to turn and leave, Sophia appeared again. She was hanging on Ryan’s arm, mocking me: “Dr. Mitchell, taking a hit and running away already? Ryan is so much better than you. He’s a real elite.” Ryan added smugly, “Some people just don’t have the skills or the mental fortitude. Should’ve been weeded out long ago.” I couldn’t be bothered with them and walked straight out of the office. The head nurse called out to me at the end of the hallway. “Dr. Mitchell. That female patient you saved the other day—do you remember her?” I nodded. The head nurse sighed. “She’s the only daughter of Maxwell Group’s CEO. The CEO sent someone to find you, wanting to thank you personally. Unfortunately, Ryan took credit for your work.” I just nodded and thanked the head nurse. Then I boarded the train heading home. The train had just started moving when Kevin the intern called, his voice so anxious he sounded like he was about to cry. “Logan! This is bad! Something huge happened! The CEO of Maxwell Group had a sudden acute myocardial infarction and was brought to our hospital!” “Ryan is the attending physician now. He looked at the ECG and diagnosed acute MI. But because the patient has a special drug allergy history, he’s afraid to use the standard medications!” “He’s been checking references forever and won’t make a decision! Now he’s actually making the family sign a transfer consent form!” I frowned and listened to Kevin continue: “Logan, this is acute MI! If they don’t operate now, the patient will die any minute!” Just as Kevin finished speaking, my phone rang again. It was Dr. Morrison. Dr. Morrison roared through the phone: “Logan! Get your ass back here right now! If anything happens to the Maxwell Group CEO, I’ll make sure you never work again!” I replied calmly. “Dr. Morrison, first, I’m currently on vacation.” “Second, I’m just a junior assistant now. I don’t have the qualifications or the authority to handle emergency surgeries.” “Isn’t Dr. Ryan Morrison the expert on these difficult cases? Why don’t you ask him?” I hung up directly.

Kevin sent another message, his tone filled with panic. “Logan, the CEO’s condition worsened during the ambulance transfer! His heart stopped once!” “The family has gone crazy. They called the hospital director directly to pressure him, saying our hospital is fully responsible!” “The whole hospital is in an uproar now! The director and several deputy directors are all in an emergency meeting!” Then he sent another message. “Dr. Morrison started spreading rumors in the department, saying you deliberately hid the special case files about Maxwell Group to steal credit. He’s saying you kept a key allergy history report, which is why Ryan couldn’t make the right call in time!” “He’s also saying you knew about the CEO’s special condition all along and just didn’t say anything because you wanted to see Ryan fail!” I looked at my phone screen and laughed coldly. Ryan’s ability to shift blame was truly masterful. Before one crisis ended, another began. Another critical patient in the department who had undergone cardiac bypass surgery suddenly went into ventricular fibrillation post-op. The monitor let out a piercing alarm. Kevin’s live updates continued. One of the cardiac treatment machines broke down. One patient missed the optimal rescue window and was now on the brink of death. Another patient’s ECG was about to flatline. The cries of family members, the cursing, mixed with the monitor alarms—the entire cardiac surgery department had descended into chaos. Dr. Morrison’s face went pale. He nearly fainted on the spot. Despair hung over everyone. Dr. Morrison called the German medical equipment company, begging for help. The German engineer said they didn’t have time to come. Then he added: “Perhaps you could contact Professor Carter’s team. I believe one of his excellent students works at your hospital.” Dr. Morrison’s hand froze in mid-air. He suddenly turned his head and stared at Ryan. He knew better than anyone. Professor Carter’s excellent student was me.

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