Category: English

To buy my younger brother a house, my parents constantly squeezed me dry, even going so far as to send me to Africa to make money. It eventually led to me contracting malaria and dying in a foreign land. Even after my death, they refused to claim my ashes, only wanting the fifty grand I’d worked so hard to save. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day my parents were forcing me to either go work in Africa or get married. This time, I ripped up the plane ticket right in front of their faces. I’d make a hard choice to get married. 1 As soon as the words left my mouth, my brother, Mark, stared at me with a mix of surprise and disbelief. “Sis, are you sure you want to marry that disabled guy, Hank Sullivan?” “From what I hear, he’s a man who can’t even take care of himself. Sure, the Sullivans are offering fifty grand for the dowry, but this is about your happiness for the rest of your life.” Hearing Mark’s words, Mom and Dad fell silent, their eyes fixed on me, as if testing the sincerity of my words. After all, I’d vehemently opposed the idea of marrying him before. They could be excused for questioning my sudden change of heart. In my past life, they’d forced me to choose between working in Africa and getting married. I hadn’t hesitated to choose Africa; back then, I thought it would be a better option to get away from them and have my own free life. But just a month later, I contracted malaria in Africa and eventually died. And my parents, upon hearing the news of my death, didn’t shed a single tear and even refused to attend my memorial service. They refused to accept my ashes. In the end, my ashes were scattered in the Congo River, never to return home. They even said, “We don’t want anything that belonged to her; just send back her bank cards and valuables.” My soul floated in the air, watching Mom say those cold words to my boss. At that moment, even though I was already dead, I felt a sharp pain in my heart. I was heartbroken that my parents had never loved me, that in their hearts, I was just a money-making machine. Reborn, I no longer had any affection for them. This time, I would repay them in kind. “Alright, since you’ve made up your mind, we’ll respect your decision,” Dad said, quickly sealing the deal after a moment of silence, afraid I’d change my mind. 2 With Dad’s approval, Mark naturally didn’t say anything more. But Mom still harbored some suspicion about my sudden change. “Amy, haven’t you always prioritized your career? How come you suddenly had a change of heart and decided to get married?” “Besides, you were very much against getting married when you found out about this.” Mom’s sharp words and piercing gaze were fixed on me. “You’re not up to something, are you?!” Her words made Dad frown and look at me with suspicion. “Amy, I’m telling you, you better behave yourself, or I’ll lock you up in the house until your wedding day.” Even though I already knew how ruthless my parents were, experiencing it firsthand still made me feel cold. I was still Mom’s flesh and blood, carried for ten months, so why couldn’t they give me just a little bit of love? From a young age, they had always taught me to give everything good to Mark. Just because I was the older sister. And in my past life, I had done just that; after college, I worked hard to give all the money I earned to Mark. When he wanted an iPhone, I bought it for him with the money I earned tutoring. When he wanted Air Jordans, I subsidized him with my scholarship money. I was like Mark’s endless ATM, providing him with all kinds of financial convenience. Even my parents told me to spend all the money I earned on Mark. In such a twisted family environment, I eventually died in a foreign land to earn money to buy him a house. Seeing my silence and the somewhat ugly look on my face, Mom breathed a sigh of relief and spoke to me. “Amy, don’t blame us. Your parents aren’t capable, so your brother can only rely on you. You’re the older sister in the family, so it’s only natural for you to shoulder this responsibility.” “Think about it, you’re not getting any younger, and it’s time for you to start thinking about marriage. Marrying Hank Sullivan will give you fifty grand in dowry money, which you definitely wouldn’t get marrying someone else; you might even have to pay them.” “But if you really don’t want to get married and want to go to Africa, we won’t stop you. Whatever path you choose, your dad and I will respect your decision.” What beautiful words. On the surface, they were pretending to be concerned for me, but in reality, they were only thinking about Mark. As long as Mark needed something, they would always choose to sacrifice me to fulfill him. Having experienced that cold affection in my past life, I had seen through them. But I knew that now wasn’t the time to show my hand, so I could only hide my emotions and then look up at my parents and speak, catering to their words. “Mom and Dad, I’ve thought a lot about it these past few days. After all, Africa is a foreign country, and I don’t know anyone there. I still want to stay by your side. Besides, what Mom said is true; sooner or later, I’ll have to get married anyway, so I might as well marry Hank Sullivan. That way, we can have fifty grand in dowry money to buy a house for my brother and ease the burden on the family, don’t you think?” Hearing these words, the suspicion in Dad’s eyes faded a little. Even Mark, who was sitting on the side, took the initiative to stand up and agree with my words. “Sis, I’m so glad you see it that way. I knew you were still the sister who loves me the most.” Of course, Mark would be excited, but I knew it wasn’t because he was moved by my sacrifice, but because he was excited to have fifty grand in cash soon. After all, I had always been regarded as his ATM by my family. Even if they blatantly sold me for money, I’m afraid he wouldn’t have any objections. “Amy, it’s great that you can think that way.” “We raised you to be so outstanding because we wanted you to be a good role model for your brother and to lend a helping hand when he needed it. Now it seems you’ve done a great job.” After saying this, Dad turned to Mom and told her to prepare my dowry properly. “Even though our family isn’t wealthy, what Amy said is right; we still need to have the necessary things, so that our whole family won’t be looked down upon after we marry her off.” That’s right, after I finished saying that I agreed to get married, I told Dad that I hoped the family could give me a grand wedding, since marrying off a daughter was, in a way, a matter of pride for the whole family. If my dowry was poor, people who came to watch the show would say that the Zhangs were selling their daughter instead of marrying her off. Dad, a man who cared so much about his reputation, fell silent after hearing my words, but I knew that he was starting to waver. So, hearing his words, I smiled slightly. And this was just the beginning. 4 After Dad and Mark left, Mom walked up to me. “Amy, what are you planning by suddenly deciding to get married?” I knew that Mom wasn’t someone who could be easily fooled. She had been sitting silently all this time not because she really believed me, but because she was trying to figure out how much truth there was in my words. After all, I was her child, and she knew my personality and temper too well; she knew that I wouldn’t easily fall for a disabled man. But they didn’t know that just a week after I married him, Hank Sullivan’s family became millionaires because of the redevelopment of their land. The Sullivan family of four, although they now lived in a ninety-square-meter house in the city, also owned a lot of land in the countryside. Because of government renovations and development, all of the Sullivan family’s land was requisitioned. In this way, a large sum of demolition money fell into their hands, and they became millionaires overnight. And Hank, although disabled, was smart enough to seize the opportunity and start a company, taking advantage of the foreign trade boom. In just half a year, the company went public, and at the same time, his net worth soared. When this news reached my parents’ ears, they were filled with regret. “It’s such a pity. If we had let Amy marry that disabled man, maybe we would have gotten a share of the wealth.” “And you don’t know, that Hank Sullivan went abroad after he got rich, and the leg that was crippled was actually cured, and now he can walk just like a normal person.” “Now that he has money and power, many young girls are eager to marry him, but he doesn’t even look at any of them.” “After all, he’s rich now; what kind of girl can’t he have?” These words from Mom in my past life were still echoing in my mind. Now that fate had given me another chance to be reborn, I had to seize this opportunity. In my past life, I stubbornly wanted to rely on my own efforts to get rid of a family like the Zhangs, but I didn’t know that relying on others might be faster. So, marrying Hank was the best choice for me right now. Although I hadn’t met Hank in my past life, I had met his parents and sister at the wedding. Hank’s sister was fair-skinned, and even though her family wasn’t well-off at the time, her parents were very gentle with her, even speaking in soft voices. It was clear that their family was very warm. And that warmth was exactly what I longed for and pursued. Snapping back to reality, I looked at Mom standing in front of me and smiled slightly. “Mom, what could I be planning? After all, this money is going into the Zhang family’s pocket, isn’t it?” 5 The wedding day arrived quickly. Hank’s parents were very satisfied with me, after all, I wasn’t bad-looking to begin with. Fifty grand in cash was displayed in front of my parents, and I knew that this money could be considered a lifetime’s savings for the Sullivans at the moment. After all, they knew that their son had physical defects, and ordinary girls wouldn’t want to marry someone like that. But I had volunteered to marry and take care of Hank, so they must have felt somewhat guilty towards me. Mark and Mom, seeing the pile of money, rushed over and began counting it. And Dad urged me from the side. “Don’t be so slow, hurry up and serve tea to your in-laws!” I glanced at him, and then respectfully handed the brewed tea to Hank’s parents, who quickly accepted it and happily responded. Actually, it wasn’t just them who should be grateful to me. I should be grateful to them for giving me a home. Even if they hadn’t gotten the demolition money, Hank hadn’t started a company, and hadn’t gone abroad to treat his disability, I wouldn’t have any complaints. As Hank’s wife, I would take care of him wholeheartedly for the rest of my life. After the wedding ceremony, I was sent to the bridal chamber. This was the first time I had seen Hank’s true face, and he was lying quietly in bed as I walked over slowly. With just one glance, I was stunned by his looks, after all, this was the first time I had seen his face. I had always thought that because he had a physical defect, he wouldn’t be very good-looking, but I didn’t expect that his appearance was very cold, with a high nose and a hard face, and even the skin exposed on his arms was somewhat fair. No wonder so many girls were eager to show him favor when they found out he was rich in my past life. When he met my gaze, his earlobes turned slightly red, and then he coughed softly. “It’s getting late, let’s rest.” I nodded, then went to the bathroom to tidy myself up and changed into a set of pajamas. Before leaving, I used a basin of warm water to wash my face and then took a clean towel. Under Hank’s surprised gaze, I directly unbuttoned his clothes and helped him wipe himself down. “I’ll help you wipe down, anyway, I’ll have to take care of you in the future.” He was about to reach out to stop me, but I stopped him directly. Seeing his red neck and earlobes, I couldn’t help but chuckle softly. I didn’t expect him to be so innocent. A week later, everything from my past life happened as scheduled. As soon as the government’s demolition money arrived, I proposed to go abroad to treat Hank, and my in-laws naturally had no objection, and Hank nodded in agreement. Just as we were about to leave, I saw Mom rushing over. The shrewdness in her eyes made me frown.

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The hospital called, saying an elderly family member had been in a car wreck. My husband, thinking it was my mom, tried to talk me out of rushing to the rescue. “Hospitals are just scams, you know? They’ll drag a dead body into the ICU and run up the bill.” “Mom’s getting up there in years. Even if they save her, who’s going to take care of her? It’s better this way; we’ll get a bigger settlement.” “Ashley, baby, life and death are fate. Maybe we should just let it go?” I agreed with a straight face, “Yeah, you’re right! Fate is fate. Let’s not.” Little did he know, thanks to a twist of fate and a do-over, I knew the one lying in that hospital bed wasn’t my mom, Susan… it was his! 1 “Hello, is this Ashley Miller?” “Your mother-in-law has been in a car accident and is being rushed to County General. You need to get here right away.” The phone was on speaker. The doctor’s urgent voice filled the air, hitting both my husband, Kevin, and me. It was below freezing outside, but I was ready to bolt out the door without even grabbing a coat. Kevin was still planted in place. I yelled at him in exasperation, “Kevin, what are you waiting for? Your mom’s at the hospital, waiting for us to save her!” He didn’t budge, even fished a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it. “Ash, it’s after midnight. I’ve got work in the morning.” “Why don’t we just skip the hospital? We’re not doctors, we can’t do anything there anyway.” This was life or death. Kevin’s attitude ignited a fury in my gut, and I exploded, “Kevin, what the hell are you talking about? That’s your mom who’s been hurt!” He slouched even further. “Your mom? She’s your mother-in-law, not my responsibility!” My blood ran cold. A flood of memories slammed into me, the sheer weight of the information making me freeze. Kevin, seeing I wasn’t reacting, got a cunning look in his eyes. “Hospitals are rip-offs, Ash. They’ll drag a dead body into the ICU and run up the bill.” “Mom’s getting old. Even if they save her, who’s going to take care of her? If she dies, we get a bigger payout.” I hesitated, “But… she’s still your mom, Kevin. People will talk if we don’t at least try.” Kevin puffed out his chest, “Just say I made you give up on treatment. Who’s gonna blame you?” “Ash, baby, life and death are fate. Maybe we should just let her go?” I feigned agreement, “Okay, sure. Fate is fate. Let’s not.” I slipped my phone, recording everything, behind my back. Little did he know, thanks to a do-over from some cosmic twist, I knew the one lying in that hospital bed wasn’t my mom, Susan… it was his! 2 Last time, that’s exactly how it went down. The hospital called with the news about what they assumed was my mom. Kevin’s mom was listed as “Daughter-in-law” in my contacts, so he automatically assumed it was my mom, Susan, that was in the accident. I frantically tried to drag Kevin out the door, but he was convinced it was my mom who was hurt, and he flat-out refused to go to the hospital. I explained, again and again, that his mom used “Daughter-in-law” in my contacts as an endearing pet name. I reminded him about how at our wedding, she announced to everyone she’d treat me like her own daughter. Kevin dismissed it, claiming I was just making excuses to drag him to the hospital. He wouldn’t believe a word. Finally, I had to rush to the hospital alone, dealing with all the arrangements and racking up insane medical bills to keep his mom alive. She barely made it, but the delay left her paralyzed. Kevin sauntered into the hospital the next afternoon. And then the performance began, he gave the teary-eyed paralyzed woman the show of a lifetime. “Ash, why did you keep this from me? The doctor said if they’d started the machines half an hour earlier, Mom wouldn’t be paralyzed!” “Just because you don’t like my mom doesn’t mean you can condemn her to a wheelchair.” My explanations fell on deaf ears. Her eyes locked on me with pure venom, like I was the one who crippled her. If I didn’t do exactly as she wanted, she’d go to my mom’s workplace and blab the whole story. I had no choice but to quit my job and become her full-time caregiver. Before the paralysis, Kevin’s mom was a textbook bad mother-in-law; afterward, she became a monster. Three square meals a day, four courses each, water at precisely 115 degrees Fahrenheit, massage and bathing every single day. I slaved away, catering to her every whim, while Kevin became the neighborhood saint, the dutiful son everyone gushed over. When I complained to Kevin about her demands, she overheard. She smothered me in my sleep. And then I woke up. I was back in the present, listening to Kevin trying to talk me out of getting his mom help. If fate was giving me another chance, I was going to make Kevin and his mom pay. 3 Kevin was still trying to dissuade me from rushing to the rescue. “Honey, I saw on the news that Mom got messed up bad. Better to die quick than be stuck as a vegetable.” “She’d be stuck in a bed, needing help with everything, even going to the bathroom. It’s just not dignified.” “Mom was always a proud woman, Ash. Don’t let her die without her dignity.” Humph, I snorted inwardly. Pretending to be so concerned, and he’s really afraid of taking care of a paralyzed old woman. I smirked on the inside, keeping my face calm and trusting. “You’re right, baby!” Kevin wrapped an arm around my waist, blowing smoke in my face. “I heard the trucker was drunk, so we’ll get a big payday, right?” “Our place is way too small. Let’s get a bigger place with the settlement money.” “I got my car when we got married; I’ll spend the rest on a new ride.” “…” He was lost in the planning of how to spend the settlement money, and the thought of the windfall made him grin like a fool. Even knowing that it wasn’t my mom, Susan, in the hospital, I couldn’t help the scowl that formed on my face. Kevin realized he had gone too far, so he made a rare attempt to make it up to me. “Baby, and with what’s left, I’ll buy you a gold bracelet.” “You can show it off to everyone.” 4 I stared at Kevin, asking, “Are you sure you want to let this go?” “Even if it was your mom lying in that hospital bed?” Kevin’s face turned red, slamming his hand on the table. “My mom isn’t that unlucky.” “She called me an hour ago, said she found a car battery, and sold it for two hundred bucks.” He pointed his finger at my nose, shouting, “Ash, I just told you all that, and you still didn’t listen, did you?” “Mom had a good life, so let her go out with dignity. Don’t fight it.” I locked eyes with him. “Even if it was your mom in the hospital, we shouldn’t help?” “Nope, nope, nope! I’d say it a hundred times, we are not helping!” Great. After his mom died, I’d blast this recording right in front of her tombstone. “Hey, Old Hag, your son doesn’t want you.” Last time, the doctor said that even though Kevin’s mom’s injuries were severe, if she got help half an hour earlier, she wouldn’t have ended up paralyzed. I was ready to run to the hospital. Kevin knew I’d help, so he froze all our credit cards. I called my Mom, Susan, and she coughed up what we needed for the medical bills. Not this time. I wouldn’t waste my time on Kevin’s mom. I wanted to see how Kevin would put the paralysis on my head without my help. Of course, his mom needed to survive first. 5 Kevin was still happily planning how to spend the settlement money. He even spent a dollar to ask a lawyer how much he would get in the settlement. When he heard that the settlement could be $1.2 million, he asked the lawyer the key question: “If I’m the kid of the dead person, can I get settlement money?” “Yep, you sure can.” News posted about the accident with a picture of the scene. Kevin’s mom was passed out with blood everywhere. It was tough to see her features. Even her shirt was covered in blood. Underneath were the comments: [“I heard the accident was by the bridge, where a lot of old people live.”] [“I know the victim; she lives in Happy Acres neighborhood.”] Kevin’s mom came to visit us a while back from back home. I didn’t want her to live with us, so I told Kevin we could rent her a place in my mom’s, Susan’s, neighborhood. My mom and Kevin’s mom could hang out, and we could visit my mom and his mom in one trip. Kevin looked at the picture of the bloody woman, and his voice shook. “Ash, does that look like my mom?” “Was my mom in an accident?!” He freaked out, spamming the comments, asking what clothes the person was wearing. Someone responded with a picture of her back. Kevin’s mom was wearing my mom’s, Susan’s, white shirt while shopping. The shirt had my mom’s initials on the sleeve. I looked at the bloody shirt and knew the truth. Kevin’s mom loved to steal, so she was always at my mom’s house. The shirt was one of those things she stole. 6 Kevin breathed a sigh of relief. He was almost smug. “Ash, you tried to trick me into thinking my mom was hurt to help your mom, Susan? I almost fell for it.” “The woman in the accident picture had your mom’s shirt. Are you sure it’s not your mom?” “I told you not to fight it. We need to let her go with dignity.” I couldn’t believe Kevin. He treated my mom and his mom completely different, and he still wanted a settlement? Kevin looked at me with an air of superiority. “Ash, you might lose your mom, Susan, but I’ll let you think of my mom as your mom.” Ha! Who says who’s losing a mom? My phone started to ring, and it was my mom. I showed Kevin the contact and said, “It’s Mom calling.” Kevin couldn’t hide his happiness, his eyes filled with the hope of big bucks. “The doctor can’t do anything. Your mom’s calling to say goodbye.” “Baby, make sure you get the bank information and passwords. Once she’s gone, it’ll be tough to get the money.” My face showed my anger, but I answered the phone and put it on speaker. 7 Before I could talk, Kevin started yelling. “Mom, don’t say anything. Just tell us where all your banks are and what the passwords are.” “Once the bank knows you’re gone, it’ll be tough to get the money. We need to grab the money before the bank knows.” Mom was confused, and it took her three seconds to respond. “Kevin, are you okay? I don’t understand what you’re saying.” “Mom, tell us the bank passwords! Don’t make things tough before you go.” “You are…” I grabbed the phone from Kevin and heard my mom’s familiar voice. I was almost crying. I started to sniffle and said, “Mom.” Mom thought I was sad because of Kevin’s mom. She tried to calm me down. “Ash, I heard Kevin’s mom was in an accident. How is she?” “If you need the money, tell me. I want to make sure everyone is okay.” “Where are you? I’m coming to see you.” Kevin was snickering when my mom said it was his mom in the accident. “Where else would we be except at home?” “Mom, I heard it was you in the accident. Ashley and I talked and we want you to die with dignity, so we said no to the rescue.” “Don’t pretend it was Ashley’s mom. We are not helping.” “Kevin, is this… Okay, I’m coming over right now!” Mom knew that Kevin had gone crazy. Ten minutes later, she showed up at our door. “Kevin, your mom’s in the hospital. Why are you here?” 8 Kevin was shocked. “Mom, why are you here? Aren’t you in the hospital?” Mom was confused. “Who said I was in an accident?” Kevin dropped his cigarette on the couch. The red-hot ember left a hole in the fabric. He ran to my mom, Susan, and grabbed her shirt. “The accident picture showed the victim in a white shirt with your initials. Who else would it be?” “Why are you here and not at the hospital?” Kevin was yelling and I watched him clench his fists. He was pinching his thigh, trying to prove that it was my mom, not his mom, that was hurt. Mom knew Kevin was out of his mind, so she grabbed my hand to take me to the hospital. I didn’t budge and helped my mom, Susan, to the couch. “Mom, Kevin and I have talked. We want you to go out with dignity, so we said no to the rescue.” “What?!” I told my mom what Kevin said to me earlier. Mom started to suspect something wasn’t right. She grabbed my sleeve and said Kevin was up to no good. Kevin panicked and grabbed his car keys. He ran to the hospital. I watched him leave, without even a jacket in below-freezing weather. Ha! He’s running now. I hoped he would get to see his mom before it was too late. 9 When we arrived at the hospital, Kevin’s mom was still in the ER. “Mom, I’m Kevin! How are you?” “Mom… Mom… Mom!” Kevin screamed and screamed. His mom was in a hospital bed, and she didn’t move an inch. Her breathing was shallow. Doctors were surrounding her, and the head doctor was on the phone. A nurse noticed us and ran over. “Are you the family of Eleanor Johnson?” Kevin nodded and the nurse explained the situation. His mom was in danger, and they needed a $20,000 piece of equipment. Kevin started to run over to pay, but I stopped him. “Baby, didn’t you say we needed to let her die with dignity? Now we need to start planning her funeral so she has a good sendoff.” Kevin turned mean. “Are you trying to curse my mom to die?” “Ashley, I’m telling you right now. If something happens to my mom, I’m divorcing you!” I put my hands on my hips and said, “Didn’t you say not to help? Is your mom’s life worth more than my mom’s?” The nurse got angry. “The patient is in danger! You need to pay!” She left us to talk to the doctor. “Where’s Dr. Miller? Only he can do the surgery!”

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It took everything I had, but I finally married her. She could be sweet as pie one minute and fierce as a mama bear the next, but I loved every bit of her. Then one night, I found my wife, eyes glowing red, gulping down a bowl of… goat blood? 1 “I don’t care! You don’t cough up sixteen grand for the bride price today, you can forget about marrying my daughter!” Watching my future mother-in-law practically spit nails, I felt cornered. My relatives who came with me to pop the question were all shifting uncomfortably. Ashley just kept her head down, silent. She couldn’t help me here; she’d warned me it wouldn’t be pretty today. We’d secretly agreed on $8,800 before. I never expected her mom to double it today and basically block the door. “She’s my only daughter! And you won’t even move in with us, so why shouldn’t I ask for more money?” I’m the only son in my family; moving in with her family was out of the question. Things were getting messy. I tried to smooth things over with her mom. “Ma’am, look, all our relatives are here. Let’s just stick to what we agreed on. I promise I’ll take good care of you and your husband, and I’ll always treat Ashley right. You don’t have to worry.” I’m just a regular working guy. I couldn’t pull that kind of cash out of thin air, especially after already putting a down payment on a house. “I don’t care! Money talks!” The old woman wouldn’t budge. That’s when Ashley, usually so gentle and shy, suddenly dropped to her knees. “Mom, I’m pregnant. We have to get married. Or else.” Ashley pulled out a pair of scissors and, looking dead serious, aimed them at her own arm. I lunged forward, grabbed her, wrestled the scissors away. Gasps rippled through the crowd. Her mom’s face barely flickered. Then, cold as ice, she said— “Buy one, get one free. All the more reason you should pay up, Kevin! Fine. Twelve thousand. Not a penny less. Otherwise, you don’t get either of them!” “Deal!” I was set on building a life with Ashley. Her mom only cared about money; we could just keep our distance later. “And one more thing,” her mom added. “You two are paying for the wedding reception yourselves. I don’t have any money for that.” Looking at Ashley beside me, I gritted my teeth and agreed. Half an hour later, a buddy brought the cash over from the bank. Seeing the greenbacks, my mother-in-law beamed and welcomed us in. Everything went smoothly after that. The wedding was set for a month later. Even though it was more of a country wedding, my family made sure it was respectable. We each invited our own friends and family, plus booked thirty tables at a hotel in the city. That day, Ashley walked towards me in a pure white gown, her eyes shimmering with tears. I was a bundle of nerves myself. But for a split second, the woman walking down the aisle looked uncannily familiar. Like someone else. Someone who should have been at the wedding, but wasn’t. An old friend I’d lost touch with. Married life was mostly peaceful. My parents weren’t thrilled that Ashley didn’t have much book smarts, but they didn’t give her a hard time. While she wasn’t educated in the traditional sense, she was sharp when it came to managing money and making deals. “Kevin,” Ashley said one day, “we bought the house in town, but Mom and Dad are still out here. Why don’t we build them a new house here so they can retire comfortably?” I was surprised. I hadn’t even thought of that. My folks would definitely stay in the countryside, and our place would be too small when we eventually had kids and came back to visit. Soon, we started construction. I bought a used pickup truck for two grand to haul materials. We hired a crew for the main construction; we just handled the supply runs and support stuff. But before the first floor was even finished, weird problems started popping up. First, a main water pipe joint cracked. Then, workers started calling in sick one after another. The project ground to a halt. We were scratching our heads, wondering what was going on, when the culprits basically showed up on our doorstep. 2 The cement delivery guy called, saying the road was blocked. He couldn’t get through. My whole family rushed out to check. There they were: the Miller family, lounging by the side of the road like they owned the place. They’d hammered seven or eight wooden stakes into the ground, blocking the driver’s path. My family and the Millers had bad blood going way back. I couldn’t believe they’d stoop this low. They must’ve been behind the busted pipe and the workers skipping out, too. The Millers had a bit of money and some connections in town hall. “Mike Miller! This isn’t your road! What gives you the right to block us?” I yelled. As soon as the words left my mouth, his whole family burst out laughing. “Kevin, this used to be our land right here. Sure, other folks can pass, but you definitely can’t!” “You pull this crap, you think I won’t make a bigger stink?” It had to come to this eventually. We needed to settle things with them before the house was finished. I moved to pull out the stakes, but Mike and his brothers immediately rushed me, shoving hard. They were built like linebackers and knocked me flat. Forget keeping cool; I started swinging back, and we were all rolling in the dirt. Suddenly, I heard the piercing honk of a car horn. I looked up – Ashley was flooring it in my beat-up pickup, heading straight for us! I scrambled out of the way. The Millers, terrified, jumped back, screaming. CRUNCH! The truck slammed into the stakes, shattering them all. My jaw dropped. Ashley had never driven before, only watched me from the passenger seat. Silence fell over the crowd. Everyone was stunned by my wife’s insane, bold move. Ashley opened the truck door, got out, and flung a gleaming butcher knife. It landed point-down in the dirt right in front of the Millers. “Wanna see who’s crazier? You keep messing with us, and Ashley Carter doesn’t mind doing some jail time!” Everyone froze, shocked by Ashley. The Millers just stared at each other, speechless. I scrambled to my feet and stood beside Ashley, pulling the hunting knife I kept clipped to my belt and flashing the blade. “Mike, the Hayes family isn’t some pushover you can just bully! If you’re gonna act like this when you know you’re wrong, I’ll fight you to the end!” Might as well fight fire with fire. God knows how they hassled my parents when I wasn’t around. It was time I stood up like a man. Before I could react, Ashley snatched the knife from my hand, rushed forward, and quick as lightning, held the blade to Mike Miller’s throat. “You gonna try anything else?” I held my breath. The Millers were in chaos. “Crazy bitch! Crazy bitch! Let’s go!” The Millers scrambled away, looking pathetic. We got back to work. After that incident, the Millers didn’t dare bother us again. Sometimes, you learn the hard way: nice guys finish last, and you have to get tough with bullies. Ashley became notorious in the village. Most people whispered about the fiery temper of this outsider wife, someone you didn’t want to cross. My parents, though? They actually liked Ashley more after this. Only I felt this strange, unsettling feeling whenever I looked at Ashley. When I first met her working out of state, she was shy, quiet, hardly spoke. But she was gentle, always spoke softly, rarely got emotional. We fell in love, and I adored her calm, soothing nature. After we got married, she seemed different. I couldn’t pinpoint it. Her temper flared hot and cold. And sometimes, I’d catch this look in her eyes… it wasn’t the same Ashley I knew. 3 Six months later, the house back home was finally finished. Mom and Dad moved in. Ashley and I went back to our place in town. She kept her job as a front desk clerk at a hotel, and I used the wedding gift money to start a small business. One night, I woke up needing to pee. There was a faint light coming from the kitchen. I tiptoed over, peeked around the corner. There was Ashley, gulping down… something. In an instant, bright red liquid trickled down her neck. She looked like she was savoring it. Suddenly, she whipped her head around to look at me. Her eyes glowed red, blood smeared around her mouth. Like a vampire. “What are you doing?” She had just chugged a bowl of goat blood. Just like that, Ashley seemed to snap back to herself, dropping the bowl in panic. “I was thirsty, just getting some water. Go back to sleep, honey.” I didn’t sleep a wink that night. The next day, Saturday, I followed Ashley on her grocery run, all the way to the farmer’s market. She chatted and laughed with the vendors along the way, totally normal. Until she reached the butcher stall selling live poultry. What I saw next, I couldn’t believe. Ashley grabbed the butcher’s cleaver, and with a swift chop, killed a chicken. Then she immediately held a large bowl under it, collecting the gushing blood, and drank it down in one go. Then a second chicken, a third. Bowl after bowl of chicken blood, she drank like she couldn’t get enough. People in the market stared, mouths open, speechless. They slowly backed away, whispering among themselves. Soon, Ashley had the butcher pack up some more blood to go, and walked away calmly, ignoring the stares. Back home, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Honey, have you been feeling sick lately?” “Nope! Healthy as a horse! Eating great!” Ashley looked so innocent, didn’t seem like she was lying. “Do you have… maybe a weird craving? Like, for drinking blood?” I watched her closely, but couldn’t find anything off. She was acting completely natural. “Oh, that? Yeah, just been feeling really thirsty lately. Goat blood and stuff seems to quench it better.” The conversation died there. I went to see a therapist myself. The doctor said I was probably just overworked and stressed, letting my imagination run wild. He prescribed some meds to help me relax. Less than two weeks later, Ashley started acting jumpy, looking worried all the time. I asked her again and again what was wrong, but she wouldn’t say. And then there was the fridge – it was filling up with containers of different kinds of animal blood. Her need for blood was growing, like a bottomless red pit. I even got a call from a guy at a pig farm, saying my wife had made an appointment to buy a pig… for slaughter. I secretly followed her there once. Again, Ashley wielded the knife herself, collecting basin after basin of pig blood. She drank her fill, then packed the rest to take home. The guys at the pig farm were seriously freaked out. They refused to sell her any more pigs. But what about all the times I didn’t see her? How much animal blood had she really drunk? Or maybe… maybe it wasn’t just animal blood? The thought terrified me, sent shivers down my spine. To test my horrifying suspicion, one afternoon when Ashley came home from work, I poured her a glass of watermelon juice. She took it happily, but the moment it touched her lips, she spat it out violently, then ran to the bathroom and threw up. She poured the rest of the juice down the drain. Mixed into that juice was blood from a small cut I’d made on my own wrist. Thank God. She didn’t drink human blood. But what was happening to her? What would she become? I felt like I was losing my mind

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After I got wasted, someone dragged me off to take the fall for them in their car, and I ended up getting hauled in by the cops for questioning. Luckily, they figured out I hadn’t done anything wrong, but the embarrassing part is, I was so out of it, I latched onto the female officer’s leg and refused to let go. Turns out, that cop was my buddy’s sister. And she was into me. Like, really into me, for a long, long time. 1 I got dumped. One drink, and I completely fell apart. “A drink that’s only thirty-seven percent alcohol? Seriously?” The bartender placed a freshly mixed drink in front of me. The liquid shimmered under the pale blue light, like crystal. Me, the guy who never used to touch a drop, had ordered several drinks I’d never dream of trying before. I picked up the glass and downed it in one go. The burn and bitterness exploded on my tongue, and then the damn tears started streaming down my face. Three years. Over a thousand days and nights. Thirty thousand-plus hours. Over three million seconds. All down the drain! I slammed back the last drop in my glass and slammed the glass down hard on the bar, making a dull thud. The alcohol was hitting me. I grabbed my phone and made a call. “Alex, what’s up?” My best friend’s voice came through the phone. “Jake, tell me, what the hell is wrong with her?” “She’s the one who ditched me for some rich kid, cheated first, and she has the nerve to blame me? Saying I won’t find a job, won’t make money, can’t give her a happy life?” I took another huge gulp of my drink, fueled by the booze, and started ranting about my ex. “At the police academy, I aced everything, awards up the wazoo, even did a few heroic things, you know? What right does she have to look down on me?” “Ha! Plenty of girls are into me… what’s she got to be so stuck-up about?” “Yeah, yeah, totally,” Jake agreed. “Alex, you’re a great guy. She doesn’t appreciate you, that’s her loss!” “Exactly!” I slammed my hand on the table. “She’s not worth it!” I was drunk, my head was spinning, not making much sense. After hanging up, I couldn’t even remember what I’d said. I just stared at the bottle. Why am I torturing myself? Why hang myself up over one girl? Thinking this, I took another big swig. It’s just a breakup. What’s the big deal? I stumbled out of the bar. It was already dark. The cold air hit me. My head started to ache, but mostly I felt dizzy. The world seemed to be spinning. I couldn’t tell which way was up, staggering down the street. Just as I was lurching along, someone suddenly grabbed me. “Hey buddy, do me a favor.” A rough, low voice. I turned my head. The guy reeked of booze, his face was flushed red, and his eyes were glazed over. I scoffed. Lightweight. But before I could say anything, he yanked me into a car. What the hell is this guy doing? I tried to fight back, but I was totally limp, no strength at all. He shoved me into the driver’s seat, tossed a couple hundred bucks on me, then took off running, stumbling, nearly face-planting. I was still confused when a cop walked up. He waved at me, signaling me to stop, then tapped on the window. “Can I see your ID, please?” I automatically reached for my wallet, but just then, the alcohol really hit me. My head spun harder and harder… I passed out. … I woke up… in the police station. Blue and white walls, neat lockers, warning signs on the walls came into view. As awareness slowly returned, my blood ran cold. Damn it. I was set up! “You’re awake?” The person talking was in uniform. Tall, fair skin, sharp features, almond eyes, a high ponytail, looking sharp and capable. “Officer, I wasn’t drunk driving! Someone dragged me into the car!” I explained frantically. If I got booked for a DUI, I’d be screwed. “Relax. My colleagues already found the car’s owner.” She handed me some breakfast and sat down beside me. “Eat something first. Get something in your stomach.” Seeing I was still panicking, she opened her laptop, pulled up a video, and put it in front of me. In the video, I was drunkenly walking and singing, even helping an old lady cross the street. Then, just as I reached the intersection, a big guy with a red face dragged me into the car. Then the cop showed up. The woman smiled. “My colleagues pulled the surveillance footage last night. We were going to send you home, but you were clinging to my leg for dear life, wouldn’t leave. We had no choice but to let you sleep it off here.” 2 My face flushed hot. So embarrassing. I never knew I was such a messy drunk! “Officer, uh, what should I call you?” “My last name is Miller.” Miller? “Officer Miller, I was totally out of line last night, I’m really sorry, and for wasting your time, look…” She smiled gently. “It’s okay, understandable. Just finish eating and head home. Your family’s probably worried.” I paused, saw Officer Miller really didn’t seem bothered, nodded, finished my food, and left quickly. I got home late morning. Jake Miller was squatting on my doorstep, playing games on his phone. As soon as he saw me, he jumped up. “Alex! You’re finally back!” “You were gone all night, didn’t answer your phone… I thought something happened to you!” I pulled out my phone, only to realize it was dead. I scratched my head awkwardly. “Uh… spent the night at the police station.” “What?” Jake looked shocked. “What’d you do?” “It wasn’t me! I got dragged into a car last night by some drunk guy trying to get me to take the fall for his DUI. I was so wasted, I passed out. Woke up at the station. I’m worried if this will mess anything up for me.” I sighed, feeling anxious. “Which station were you at?” “The one in the West End Precinct.” Jake started laughing. “No way! My sister works at the West End Precinct. You want me to ask her about it?” “Yeah? Awesome. Thanks, man.” My eyes lit up. “No problem.” Jake dialed a number. “Hey, Sis? My buddy got picked up yesterday, Alex Reed… Yeah, can you see…” That evening, I got a friend request on my phone. I checked the name, saw it was Jake’s sister, and accepted. 【I asked around for you. The car owner was plastered too last night and came up with that stupid plan. He turned himself in this morning.】 【So don’t worry about it affecting anything. But since you’re an academy student, you should probably be more careful in the future.】 I paused, wondering how she knew I was in the academy… figured Jake must’ve told her. 【Okay, got it. Thanks so much.】 Jake’s sister replied quickly. 【No problem. Just buy me dinner sometime when you’re free.】 【Okay, deal.】 I didn’t think much of it, figuring she was probably just being polite. Then I thought about Officer Miller again. Her striking face popped into my head. Maybe I should get her a thank-you gift too? 3 A week later, I got a call from Jake’s sister, Claire. I rushed to the station. Jake was sitting there, cheek swollen, bruised lip, clothes torn up. “Alex!” He ran over as soon as he saw me. “Finally!” I frowned. “What happened to you?” “Got mugged! But I won the fight!” Jake said, flexing his fist. I mentally facepalmed. This idiot. Still so upbeat even like this. “Are you okay? Need to get checked out at the hospital?” “Nah, Alex, just scrapes and bruises. No big deal. But you should see the other guy!” Jake patted my shoulder, looking proud. Just then, Officer Miller—Claire—and two other cops appeared, escorting someone. The person had a hoodie pulled low, clothes ripped, face and arms covered in cuts and bruises. Clearly the mugger. Seeing the guy, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Jake really did a number on him. He wouldn’t be looking normal for weeks. Claire saw me and gave me a small smile. My heart hammered. “That’s him!” Jake, completely oblivious to my reaction, pointed at the man, gritting his teeth. “Little punk! Serves you right for trying to rob me!” “Alright, that’s enough,” Claire cut him off coolly. “Go give your statement.” “Okay,” Jake mumbled, looking put out, and followed the other officers. I waited in the lobby, awkwardly greeted her. “Officer Miller. We meet again. Uh, thanks for your help with this.” Claire looked a little surprised, so I quickly introduced myself. “We met last week, remember? The drunk guy? I’m Alex Reed. R-E-E-D.” No idea why, but I suddenly really wanted her to remember my name. “Alex Reed… Got it.”

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My college roommate, the one who spread slut-shaming rumors about me, sent me an e-vite. “I’m marrying the richest man in the country! Soon, I’ll be the kind of wealthy wife you could only dream of associating with.” “Consider it a favor, since we were classmates. I’m graciously letting you be a bridesmaid. Don’t miss this chance to latch onto someone important, okay? ;)” I frowned. What the hell was Jessica Lee on about? I was the wealthiest woman in the country. Had some new richest man suddenly popped up? Just as I was about to delete her contact, my finger slipped and opened the invitation. I froze when I saw the photo of the groom. Wasn’t that my husband, Kevin Grant, who was supposedly away on a business trip? A cold smile touched my lips as I typed back through gritted teeth. “I’ll be there. And I’ll even bring a surprise for you.” 1 Right after I sent the message, a shipping notification popped up. It was from my husband – a local wine specialty from where he was supposedly traveling. And the delivery address? Coincidentally, it was the exact hotel where Jessica was holding her wedding reception. Just last night, Kevin had been cooing sweet nothings to me over the phone. “Honey~ It’s only been three days, and I miss you like crazy. The hotel food is awful, I hate it. Nothing compares to your home cooking~” “Ugh~ This business trip is going to take half a month, it’s so long. Without me there, you have to take good care of yourself, okay? Don’t make me worry~” Staring at the familiar features of the groom in the photo, I almost doubted my eyes. Maybe he just looked like my husband. I couldn’t bring myself to believe Kevin would betray me. Especially not by secretly marrying the very person who led the bullying against me in college, the one who started those vile rumors. But the watch, clearly visible on his left wrist in the picture, told me the truth. It was him. I had personally designed that watch for him, sketching it myself. Our names were engraved on the dial. It was one of a kind, something money couldn’t buy. A wedding reception like that must cost a fortune. I immediately checked the activity on his supplementary credit card. Sure enough, there was a massive charge at that very hotel. The wedding was the day after tomorrow. If I booked a flight now, I could still make it. I packed my bags immediately and headed to the airport that night. The entire journey, I kept hoping it was all just some terrible misunderstanding. When I arrived at the hotel, the first thing I saw were promotional displays plastered with sickeningly sweet photos of the bride and groom. I couldn’t find Kevin anywhere, and his phone went straight to voicemail. After searching around, I bumped into Jessica Lee in the hallway, already decked out in her wedding dress, surrounded by her posse. “Jess, isn’t that gold-digging tramp who loves sleeping with old rich guys coming yet?” “She used to bully you back in school, Jess. Now that she knows you’re marrying the richest man, she’s probably too scared to show her face!” “Good riddance if she doesn’t come. If she does, I’ll definitely help you teach her a lesson later.” Hearing their chatter, my brow furrowed. So, this was clearly a setup aimed at me. But I was the actual billionaire heiress. Why would I be scared of them? I composed myself and walked forward. “Jessica Lee, congratulations on the wedding!” My voice drew everyone’s attention. “Is that her? She’s kinda pretty, I guess, in that slutty way.” “Look at her clothes. Definitely knockoffs from head to toe.” I could only laugh inwardly. Jessica’s friends were just as clueless as she was. Carrying fake designer bags themselves, they assumed everyone else’s luxury items were fake too. Seeing me approach, a calculating glint flashed in Jessica’s eyes. “Ava! I didn’t think you’d actually come! We were just waiting for you, the last bridesmaid. Quick, come get changed.” I raised an eyebrow, glancing at the women around her. “You already have three bridesmaids. You don’t really need me, do you?” Jessica stepped forward, grabbing my hand with fake warmth. “Ava, we were roommates for four years! You have to be my bridesmaid.” “Besides, the groomsmen are my husband’s friends, all incredibly rich and powerful. You should really treasure this opportunity.” My gaze dropped, and I noticed her slightly rounded belly. That definitely wasn’t just weight gain. Kevin and I had been married for five years, childless. And here was his mistress, already pregnant. A wave of bitterness washed over me. Curious to see what she was plotting, I nodded in agreement. But the moment I stepped into the dressing room, Jessica’s expression changed completely. She looked down her nose at me, sneering. “I can’t believe you actually showed up, Ava Miller. You’re still the same desperate bitch as always, jumping at any chance to suck up to the rich.” “Girls, strip her clothes off!” As the three women lunged at me, I reacted instantly. A quick punch for the first, a side kick felling the next two. Thank goodness for those kickboxing classes I took; handling these skinny women was manageable. I pulled out my phone. “Jessica Lee, what do you think you’re doing? Keep this up, and I’m calling the police.” Jessica laughed coldly. “Ava Miller, don’t you forget, my husband is the richest man in the country.” “Even if I beat you half to death today, nothing will happen to me.” With that, she waved over four bodyguards. “You guys, hold her down.” The uniforms on these bodyguards looked familiar. As the actual wealthy one, I had my own security team. But I’d left in such a rush today, I hadn’t brought them. And these men… these were the bodyguards assigned to protect my husband. I smoothed down my clothes, my voice turning icy. “Take a good look. Do you know who I am? Are you sure you want to lay a hand on me?” The four bodyguards exchanged confused glances. As they started moving towards me menacingly, a chill ran down my spine. “Aren’t you the billionaire’s bodyguards? How could you not recognize me?” 2 Hearing my confused question, Jessica scoffed derisively. “These are my husband’s bodyguards. Who the hell do you think you are, you bitch? Why would they need to know you?” “Get her! Strip this bitch naked!” I was no match for their combined strength. Within a minute, I was pinned to the floor. A bodyguard snatched my phone and handed it respectfully to Jessica. She pressed the side button, and the screen lit up. Jessica’s friends gasped, staring at the phone’s wallpaper. “Jess, why does the man holding this trash look so much like your husband?” “That’s definitely AI-generated! There’s no way Mr. Grant would even know this bitch.” Furious, Jessica smashed my phone onto the floor. “Ava Miller, you’re shameless! You found out my husband is rich and decided to latch onto him?” “How dare you use AI to create intimate photos with him! You make me sick.” Hearing Jessica, everyone else stared at me with contempt. A couple of them even spat in my direction. I looked at Jessica defiantly. “Do you dare call Kevin Grant here and have him confront me face-to-face?” The words were barely out of my mouth when Jessica marched forward, her face dark, and slapped me hard across the face, twice. “No wonder you’ve been acting so high and mighty since you walked in. So you’re the sly fox who’s been secretly seducing my husband.” “He protected you well, didn’t he? I searched for ages and couldn’t find you. Well, today, you’re not leaving this hotel alive.” Jessica ordered her people to tie me to a pillar near the hotel entrance and hung a cardboard sign around my neck. “HOMEWRECKER SLUT – FAIR GAME!” Jessica loudly announced to the people passing by: “This shameless woman tried to seduce my billionaire husband on our wedding day, trying to ruin everything!” “The grand finale of today’s wedding celebration will be a live broadcast of beating the mistress!” Bound and unable to move, I could only try to explain to the surrounding crowd. “I am the wealthy one! Kevin Grant’s wife is ME!” Before I could finish, Jessica slapped me several more times. “Are you delusional? Since when is the richest person a woman?” “I’ve been with Kevin for four years! You think some pathetic homewrecker like you can step over me to take my place? Dream on!” Jessica’s words shocked me. Kevin was truly skilled at hiding things. Married to me for five years, yet cheating on me for four of them. And now, secretly holding a wedding ceremony with his mistress. The hotel staff all recognized Jessica and knew her as Kevin Grant’s new wife-to-be. Not a single person believed me. They all sided with her, pointing and whispering. “Young women these days just want shortcuts. Always scheming to land a rich man. Now she’s claiming she’s the rich one? Utterly ridiculous.” “Pah! A woman like that? She could strip naked in front of me, and I wouldn’t bat an eye. And she dares to seduce Mr. Grant?” Jessica lifted her high-heeled foot and, with the help of her bridesmaids holding her steady, kicked me hard several times. The moment the sharp impact hit my abdomen, my instinct was to curl up. But the ropes held me fast, leaving me gasping for breath. Each kick from Jessica felt like a boulder crashing onto my stomach. Pain radiated from my gut, engulfing my entire body. Sweat beaded on my forehead and trickled down my face. “Ava Miller, you bitch! How dare you seduce my husband! Today, I’ll show you who the real wife is!” When Jessica got tired, she had her makeup artist touch up her face, leaving me tied there. A stout woman, wanting to curry favor with Jessica, stepped forward. “Miss Lee, beating this bitch like this might tarnish your image.” “We all know how sensitive fingertips are. Just using fine needles to prick under her fingernails will make her scream in agony.” Jessica looked at her approvingly. “Then you do it. A hundred bucks per needle. Prick more if you want to earn more.” Immediately, the stout woman untied me, had others hold me down on the ground, exposing my hands. She produced a bundle of fine needles, lifted my index finger, and jammed one in. I squeezed my eyes shut, biting down hard, trying to endure the pain. After several continuous jabs, the dense, sharp agony in my fingers became unbearable, and I couldn’t stop myself from crying out. Just then, Jessica’s phone rang. It was Kevin. Jessica quickly had the stout woman stuff a sock in my mouth. Smugly, she squatted in front of me and put the call on speaker. Kevin’s voice filled the air next to my ear. “Momo, my wedding car convoy is almost there. Are you ready on your end? Don’t embarrass me.” 3 Jessica immediately switched her tone, speaking coyly. “Honey, don’t worry. There won’t be any silly door-blocking games to trouble you today.” “I’ll have the bridesmaids and myself kneeling at the hotel entrance to welcome you properly. I guarantee your friends will be so envious.” On the phone, Kevin’s voice was arrogant and commanding, completely different from the gentle, almost needy way he usually spoke to me. I struggled against my bonds, trying desperately to make a sound through the gag. Seeing this, Jessica continued, “Honey, that little tramp you keep on the side tried to ruin our wedding. If I beat her up a bit, would you be angry with me?” Kevin’s indifferent voice came through the speaker. “Do whatever you want. As long as you’re happy. Besides, you’re the only one I love. I don’t have any other women. She must be lying.” “If you’re really pissed off, you can just kill her. You’ve got me to protect you, you don’t have to be afraid of anything.” Jessica looked down at me with contempt. “Honey, you’re the best! Love you~” I sneered inwardly. Kevin clearly had no idea it was me tied up here. Otherwise, he’d probably be on his knees begging right now. I truly regretted being so blind, ignoring my father’s warnings back then, insisting on marrying for ‘true love’. Thankfully, before boarding the plane, I had informed my house manager of my destination. He should be arriving with reinforcements soon. Jessica hung up the phone and stepped on my hand. “Ava Miller, did you hear that? I am the love of Kevin Grant’s life. Trash like you? I can get rid of you whenever I want.” Looking at Jessica’s smug face, I regretted letting her off the hook back when she spread those rumors about me. Instead, I had secretly arranged for my family’s corporation to fund her entire university education. Back in college, wanting to experience normal student life, I chose to live in the dorms instead of my family’s apartment. When I moved in, Jessica noticed my high-end cosmetics and tearfully told me her sob story. Her parents were divorced, and her grandmother supported her education by running a small street stall. She could never afford meat in the cafeteria, let alone makeup. Her tearful, snotty display tugged at my heartstrings. I discreetly had someone check her background, and it confirmed her story. Feeling sorry for her, I arranged for the corporation to sponsor her tuition and living expenses. In our daily interactions, I often gave her beauty products and taught her about skincare and makeup. But somewhere along the line, rumors started spreading around campus that I was a gold digger. Whispers claimed I left in luxury cars every weekend for paid dates. My assistant investigated and found out Jessica was the source of the rumors. Furious, I confronted her, but she just burst into tears, accusing me of bullying her because my family was rich. The issue escalated to our academic advisor. But the advisor didn’t bother with the facts and immediately blamed me. “Ava Miller, assaulting a roommate can lead to serious consequences, even jail time! Apologize to Jessica Lee right now.” “I know your family has some money, but you could try being less flashy. Driving off in fancy cars every weekend, it’s no wonder classmates misunderstand you.” The truth was, I went to the corporation headquarters every weekend to handle business matters. To get back to the dorms before curfew, my house manager drove me. Yet, even though I was the victim, the advisor was completely biased and unfair. Later, when my father found out I’d been wronged, he had the university fire that unprofessional advisor. Jessica wrote me an apology letter, promising never to fabricate stories again. Seeing her looking genuinely pitiful, I decided not to pursue it further and let the corporation continue funding her. “Beep beep beep…” The sound of numerous luxury car horns interrupted my thoughts. Jessica hastily had someone shove me aside. Supported by her bridesmaids, she knelt primly at the hotel entrance. I glanced up. Surrounded by an entourage, Kevin Grant stepped onto the red carpet, looking impeccably distinguished. The dark, high-end suit he wore enhanced his already handsome features. Kevin was undeniably good-looking; that’s what had attracted me in the first place. It led me to defy my father’s wishes, insisting I wouldn’t marry anyone else. Looking at the bowing crowd, Kevin smirked faintly. He clearly relished this feeling of being admired, of being above everyone else. He walked up the steps, took Jessica’s outstretched hands, and pulled her into an embrace. As they turned, Kevin noticed me lying on the ground. He frowned in disgust, clearly displeased. “Momo, why is there some crazy woman lying behind you?” “It’ll look terrible if she ends up in our arrival video.” Jessica chuckled lightly and pointed at me. “Honey, don’t you recognize her? She’s that mistress you were keeping on the side~” “Today, I want everyone to see what happens when someone tries to destroy my marriage and covet my husband!” Kevin spoke with revulsion, “I’m the richest man in the country. Would I really be interested in this kind of trash?” “Bodyguards, chop her up and feed her to the fish.” Hearing this, everyone looked towards Kevin in fear. Indeed, crossing the richest man meant disappearing without a trace. Ignoring the throbbing pain in my fingers, I struggled to push myself up. “Hmph! Kevin Grant, quite the big shot, aren’t you?”

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Seven years with Liam Miller, and he finally agreed to get married. But there was one condition: the wedding planner had to be his old college friend, Sophia Bell. I agreed. And just like that, my wedding became all about Sophia. The venue was decorated according to her taste. Liam held her hand during the rehearsal. Even the house I’d spent ages preparing, our dream home, Liam just gave it to her. I bought his excuse that they were “just friends,” biting my tongue again and again. But on the wedding day itself… Liam, wearing the designer suit I’d picked out, holding the custom ring I’d had made, got down on one knee in front of Sophia. “Sophia, this wedding… I planned it all for you.” “I know now, it’s always been you I loved.” “So, before I marry Claire, I have to marry you first!” “Just wait for me. Wait until I’ve secured my position with the Ashfords. I swear I’ll make it right, have you standing by my side properly.” I watched them, clinging together tearfully, my eyes cold. Instantly, I snapped a picture and sent it to my assistant. “Get this photo out everywhere. By tomorrow, I want him out of the Ashford family, penniless.” 1 After Liam and I got the marriage license, he was suddenly desperate to have the wedding ceremony. A complete turnaround from his usual dismissive, reluctant attitude. I thought he was finally changing for me. I quickly agreed. I was so happy, I barely registered him saying he wanted Sophia to plan the wedding. Liam was in a rush. The same day we got the license, he dragged me to the wedding planning agency. The second we walked in, Liam, who’d just been complaining about me getting lipstick on his shirt, completely changed his demeanor. His expression softened, his voice became gentle. “Sophia.” My heart dropped. I looked up quickly. And there she was, Sophia, pouting playfully. She practically launched herself into Liam’s arms, deliberately shouldering me aside. “Liam, you bad boy!” “How long has it been? Aren’t I still your favorite girl from college?!” Caught off guard, I stumbled back, hitting the corner of a table before steadying myself. Instinctively, like always, I reached out my hand. Before, whenever I stumbled or got bumped, Liam’s hand would instantly be there to catch me. It was almost a reflex. But this time, I waited. Nothing. Confused, I looked up. Liam hadn’t even glanced my way. His arms were wrapped around a bouncing Sophia, his gaze fixed on her, eyes overflowing with an affection he didn’t even try to hide. Seeing that look on his face, oblivious, my heart sank. I wanted to pull Liam away, but thinking about him… Pushing down the complicated feelings, I cut in first. “Hi, we’d like to book a wedding.” My voice was quiet, but Sophia reacted as if startled, her eyes instantly turning red-rimmed. “Wh-what?” “You… you two are getting married?” Her gaze darted between Liam and me. Finally, it locked onto Liam. Liam just cleared his throat, unable to meet her eyes. I stared at him, lips pressed tightly together, my nails digging into my palms without realizing it. I thought planning a wedding would take time, but surprisingly, they had a setup ready to go. Sophia quickly composed herself, professionally leading us to a mock setup. She explained everything detail by detail. Though her eyes were on Liam the entire time. I gave the setup a quick scan. Flooded with deep red roses, draped in gaudy, extravagant gold. It screamed expensive, but had zero aesthetic appeal to me. “No roses, I don’t like them.” “And I don’t like this style either. It’s too flashy.” “Do you have any other options?” Before Sophia could say anything, Liam jumped in. “No, we can’t change it!” “If you don’t know anything about design, don’t make random demands. Sophia worked hard on this. I trust her taste.” “Claire, stop acting like a spoiled princess. Just go with it.” I didn’t understand how expressing my opinion made me a spoiled princess. I opened my mouth to argue, but he pushed me towards the dressing room. “Don’t embarrass yourself. Hurry up and try on the dress.” “We’ll talk when you get back.” Before I could finish a sentence, Liam shoved me into the adjacent dressing room. He even closed the door behind him before leaving. Liam left quickly, his back view radiating an excitement he couldn’t quite hide. Staring at the firmly shut door, I put down the dress he’d forced into my hands and tried the knob. It was locked from the outside. My eyes instantly dimmed. The ache in my lower back where I’d hit the table flared up. I didn’t make a sound. I didn’t call Liam. I just dialed the number posted on the wall inside the room. Ten minutes later, the door opened. Without pausing, I walked straight back to the wedding venue area. As I stepped through the entrance, my body froze. My gaze locked onto the center of the display stage. Up there stood Liam and Sophia. Under the bright white lights, they slowly moved closer. Shy smiles on their faces, a charged look in their eyes. Holding hands, confessing feelings, leaning in for a kiss… Just as their lips were about to touch, I grabbed a glass from a nearby table and smashed it down. CRASH! The sound jolted Liam back to reality. A flicker of regret crossed his eyes as he reluctantly pushed Sophia away. No guilt, just irritation. “Claire, what took you so long?” “Because you were taking forever, I had Sophia help me run through the rehearsal.” “We’ve pretty much got it down. Let’s go home.” I looked at Liam’s calm face, then at his hand still unconsciously tangled with Sophia’s. His eyes never once settled on me. I searched his face for any sign of deception, any hint he was faking it. But he was good. Too good. As if locking the door was really an accident. As if nearly kissing Sophia was truly just a rehearsal. As if there was no history, no lingering feelings for his old college crush. 2 Sophia was Liam’s old college crush, the “one that got away.” I only knew she existed because he’d occasionally let her name slip out. Sophia likes peaches. Sophia loves rose-scented things. Sophia is allergic to eggs. He remembered every detail of her life, her habits, her preferences. When we first started dating, Liam swore they were just friends. He said he was just grateful for how she’d looked out for him back then. I believed him. And I was confident that, eventually, I would mean more to him than she did. But seven years passed, and Liam remained lukewarm towards me. The moment Sophia appeared, it was like he had blinders on. He couldn’t see me at all. His eyes and heart were only for Sophia. I didn’t even have the right to choose the flowers I liked for my own wedding. He even locked me in a room so he could rehearse the ceremony with her. In that moment, doubt crept in. This relationship I’d held onto for seven years… was it really worth it? If seven years couldn’t change his feelings, would marriage make any difference? On the way back, a gloomy rain started to fall. As we stepped outside, Liam, normally obsessed with cleanliness, instinctively took off his jacket and draped it over Sophia. “Sophia’s always been delicate. Getting wet could make her sick for ages.” “I’ll get her to the car first. You wait here.” Before I could react, he snatched the umbrella from my hand, put his arm around Sophia, and hurried her towards the car. Leaving me standing alone, getting soaked by the downpour. I stared in shock at his retreating back. My already unsteady heart felt like it was being drenched in ice water. “Liam…” He didn’t look back. He carefully settled Sophia in the car, meticulously arranging her clothes. The man so fussy about cleanliness didn’t seem to mind Sophia getting his car wet now. A bitter taste spread through my mouth. I stood frozen. Letting the heavy rain soak me until I was chilled to the bone. After a long while, Liam came back. He shoved the umbrella into my hand, gesturing for me to walk. “You’re already wet anyway. Why didn’t you just walk over instead of making me come back?” “Claire, your clothes are soaked. Get in the back seat later, and put something down first.” The cold made my voice tremble, but I forced the words out through gritted teeth. “Liam, abandoning your fiancée to take care of another woman… do you think that’s appropriate?” “You chose this wedding company for Sophia, didn’t you?” Liam’s face went blank for a second, then annoyance took over. “Claire, stop inventing things and jumping to conclusions about me.” “I was just being a gentleman, taking care of the guest first.” “Besides, we’re basically married now. What on earth are you so worried about?!” Liam was furious. His face dark, he once again took the umbrella, leaving me in the rain. “Claire, as punishment for doubting me, you can find your own way back.” “I’ve never done anything to wrong you, yet you refuse to trust me.” “Claire, this time, I’m truly disappointed.” My eyes stung as I watched Liam walk away again. Suddenly, everything felt so absurd, so laughable. Was it really me who didn’t trust him, or had his heart already strayed? 3 Liam showed zero concern for me. Ten o’clock at night, pitch black with pouring rain, and he left me to get home alone. From the moment he turned his back, I called his name countless times. After he left, I dialed his number over and over. Every single call went unanswered. The early winter air made me shiver uncontrollably. Feeling my body temperature rise, I finally called my assistant. Half an hour later, I was picked up. By the time I got home, my skin was flushed hot with fever. Meanwhile, Liam, who had left before me, still wasn’t home. I randomly swallowed a couple of pills and tried calling Liam again. This time, he answered. “Liam, I have a fever. Can you please come home and stay with me?” Maybe it was the sickness, but I suddenly felt incredibly vulnerable. I didn’t care that he’d ditched me for Sophia, didn’t care that he was unreachable. I just wanted him here with me, now. I thought he wouldn’t refuse. But after a long pause, all I got was a sigh. “Claire, I’m not a doctor. Me coming back won’t help.” “I’ll call the family doctor for you. Get some rest.” “I’m really busy lately, working late. I won’t be back tonight.” And then, he just hung up. Listening to the cold dial tone, the emotional dam I’d been holding back finally broke. Hot tears streamed down my face, hitting the duvet and spreading into dark patches. Liam… he really didn’t care about me… That night, I drifted in and out of a restless sleep. Waking up countless times, my hand habitually reached for the empty space beside me, only to find cold sheets. I checked my phone repeatedly. Not a single message. Not one missed call. The family doctor he promised to call? Forgotten the moment he hung up. The next morning, just as I was finally falling into a heavy sleep, my phone rang. It was my mom. Her call vaguely reminded me that today was the day I was supposed to show them the new house via video call. Their flight had issues, so they couldn’t come in person yet. I couldn’t let them see I was sick. Pretending everything was fine, I took them on a virtual tour of the nearby house we were supposed to live in. Through the screen, I kept making excuses for Liam. “Liam’s great, he’s just incredibly busy.” “Once things calm down, we’ll have the wedding.” “Don’t worry, Mom, he wouldn’t mistreat me…” Just as the words left my mouth, a familiar, coy voice interrupted. “Liam, you little devil, your cooking is still the best.” “I told you to be gentle! Now I need you to feed me.” “You’re terrible!” Following the sound, I stared blankly. The voice was coming from inside our house. Suddenly, my already pounding head felt heavier. A thousand suspicions exploded in my mind. Biting my lip, I walked towards the house, step by step. The front door was wide open, revealing everything inside without obstruction. The house I had meticulously planned, poured my heart into preparing… was now filled with the signs of someone else’s life. Matching clothes drying on the balcony, cozy, lived-in decor, two pairs of slippers by the door. Everything screamed that someone was living here. And Liam, who I’d been telling my parents was so busy, was right there, wearing an apron, carefully feeding soup to Sophia, who was lounging in bed. They were close together, faces flushed. It was only in that moment I realized Liam could cook. That he could be caring. All those times I’d had stomach pains, hoping he’d make me a simple bowl of porridge… What was his response then? He said he didn’t know how. Told me to call the housekeeper. In an instant, I felt my blood run cold. My legs buckled, and I almost collapsed. That slight noise caught the attention of the intimately close pair inside. When Liam’s eyes met mine, the tenderness in them hadn’t faded yet before freezing on his face. “Claire? What are you doing here?” I fumbled to hang up the video call before looking up numbly to meet his gaze. It took a long moment to find my voice. “Weren’t you working late?” “Weren’t you too busy? Why are you here?” “Why is Sophia living in my house?” The fever made my voice hoarse, but it didn’t dull the sharp edge. Liam frowned, a flicker of unease in his eyes. “Sophia got sick. She got sick because of our wedding planning stress, so I had to take care of her.” “As for the house, I already signed it over to her.” “Sophia’s trying to make it on her own here, working so hard planning our wedding. The Ashfords are loaded, what’s giving her one house?” “Claire, you’re not usually this petty. We can just find another house.”

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My own father sold me off, sent me packing to the middle of nowhere, deep in the sticks. I was stuck there for over ten years. Meanwhile, his illegitimate daughter, her, she got brought into the family home like she belonged there all along. When they finally found me and brought me back, my “sister” pointed at the table loaded with food. “Eat up. Bet you never had anything like this, right?” I put on my best pitiful look. “My foster parents… they didn’t feed me much. My stomach’s shrunk, I think. Thanks, sis, but I’m already full.” Mom’s eyes welled up, full of pity. My sister just glared daggers at me. Getting mad already, sis? Just wait till I take back everything that’s mine. You’ll probably keel over from pure rage. 1. I’d just been whipped, again. I was lying there in the dusty shed, barely breathing, when the cops busted in and hauled my foster parents away. Listening to their useless, angry shouting as they were dragged off, I actually smiled. That sound was music to my ears. Next thing I knew, a cop kicked open the shed door, and paramedics were loading me onto a stretcher. Everything hurt so bad. So bad I couldn’t take it, and I passed out. When I came to, I saw a middle-aged man gently patting the shoulder of a striking woman with tear-streaked eyes. Beside them, a bored-looking teenage girl noticed I was awake. A small smirk played on her lips, but she pretended not to see, turning instead to comfort the crying woman with soft words. Watching this cozy little scene, I sneered inwardly. Great. Just jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. When the woman finally looked up, she saw I was awake and immediately called for a doctor. Seeing my confused and panicked expression, she sobbed, “Oh, my baby girl, you’ve suffered so much.” “Those monsters who took you, they’ll rot in jail for this.” “I’m your real mother. We’re your real family!” I feigned shock and helplessness. Under their expectant gazes, I whispered softly, “Mom?” Just as I expected, the woman answered immediately, calling me her precious darling, overcome with emotion. My father, though, looked uncomfortable. He just smiled weakly and said nothing. My eyes shifted past them. The girl left behind, Ashley, rolled her eyes and pursed her lips. Yeah, this family definitely wasn’t as perfect as it looked on the surface. After the check-up, the doctor said I was out of immediate danger, but my wounds were still bad and needed time to heal properly. Rest was essential. Mom immediately said, “We’re going home! We’ll take care of you at home!” Ashley piped up quickly, “But Mom, her injuries are so severe. Moving her around might not be good. Maybe she should stay here in the hospital to recover.” Seeing Mom hesitate, I spoke up softly, weakly, “Maybe it’s better if I don’t go home and disrupt Dad and Mom’s lives. I can manage on my own.” “Then stay in the hospital. I’ll hire a couple of private nurses for you,” Dad said, glancing at Ashley with what looked like relief. “You be quiet!” Mom shot Dad a cold glare. He immediately clammed up. “Don’t be silly, honey. What disruption?” “We’re going home! My darling girl, we’re going home right now!” Mom made the final decision. Ashley forced a smile and agreed, but I could see her fidgeting, practically shredding the edge of her clothes. In the car, Mom put her arm around me, gently stroking my hair. I leaned against her shoulder, soaking in the rare moment of peace. Suddenly, Ashley spoke up. “Mom, do you smell something… kind of gross?” Mom’s arm around me stiffened. She looked a bit awkward. I lowered my head, acting embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Ashley. The doctor said the dressing for my wounds smells like this. It’s supposed to help them heal faster and prevent scarring.” “Once we’re home, I promise I won’t leave my room for a while, so I won’t bother you.” “Exactly. The doctor said you need rest. Best stay put for now,” Dad quickly agreed. Seeing Mom was about to lose her temper again, Dad tried to smooth things over. “Hey, your birthdays are coming up soon, right? What gifts do you two want?” Ashley lit up. “Dad, you promised! I want that pink Cadillac Escalade! I want to take my friends cruising!” “No problem! Anything for my little princess, you know I’ll make it happen!” Dad agreed readily. Then Ashley turned to me, a smug look on her face. “I guess you don’t need a car yet, sis. You’re not even eighteen until next year.” “Mom, I want a car too,” I said, looking pleadingly at Mom. “Paige, honey, let’s not get competitive. You can’t even drive yet. Anywhere you need to go, we have drivers to take you,” Mom said, still stroking my hair gently, but the warmth in her eyes had cooled noticeably. “Yeah, what would you even do with a car now? Besides showing off or letting it collect dust in the garage? It’s pointless,” Dad added. Biological parents. Not so different after all. 2 Seeing Ashley’s smug “See? Told you so” expression, I reached out and squeezed Mom’s hand, my face falling, my voice barely a whisper. “Mom, that’s not what I meant.” “I don’t want an Escalade. I just… I want a shopping cart.” As soon as the words left my mouth, Ashley burst out laughing. “Oh, Paige, just say what you mean. You want Dad’s credit card with no limit, right? That’s a bit greedy, don’t you think? People might think you see Mom and Dad as walking ATMs.” Dad chimed in, “Paige, don’t push it. Ashley’s being more reasonable here.” Mom’s face grew darker and darker with their words. Seeing the time was right, I quickly shook my head. “Ashley, you misunderstood.” “Unlike you, I didn’t grow up surrounded by Mom and Dad’s love.” “The shopping cart I’m talking about… it’s really just the kind you find at the supermarket.” “When I was little, I’d see other kids riding in the carts, whining and cuddling with their parents. But me? I had to push the cart, trailing behind my foster parents.” “If I pushed too slow, I got hit. If I pushed too fast and bumped into them, I got hit too.” “But those carts… they always wobbled, went crooked. I was so small back then, I really couldn’t control it.” “So,” I paused, looking hopefully at Mom, “I just want a shopping cart. For you guys to push me in.” “Even just once.” Mom’s eyes widened slowly, filling with pain and guilt until tears overflowed, splashing down her cheeks. “My poor baby… what kind of life did you have? You suffered so much.” “Here,” she pulled out a card. “This is my supplementary card. Use it for whatever you want.” I took the card. Might as well. But then, I immediately hugged her, gently patting her back. “Thank you, Mom. But that’s all in the past now.” “From now on, I have you and Dad to love me.” Dad nodded awkwardly, speechless. Mom held me even tighter. I glanced in the rearview mirror. Sure enough, Ashley was staring daggers at me, her eyes red with fury. If looks could kill, I’d be ashes right now. I tilted my head slightly and gave her a small smile. My dear sister, this is just the beginning. If you’re looking at me like that now, what’s going to happen when I take back everything that belongs to me? Your eyes might just pop right out of your head. 3 At dinner that evening, Mom kept piling food onto my plate. “Paige, Mrs. Davison is a wonderful cook. Eat more.” Ashley chimed in with a smile, “Yeah, Paige, you’ve probably never eaten food this good before. Have as much as you want, there’s plenty more.” Her tone was exactly like a hostess showing off to a poor relative. I ignored her and looked apologetically at Mom. “Thanks, Mom, but I really can’t eat any more.” “My foster parents… they often skipped feeding me. My stomach must have shrunk. I’m afraid if I eat too much all at once, I won’t be able to handle it.” The guilt and remorse deepened in Mom’s eyes. Ashley suddenly cut in, interrupting the mother-daughter moment. “You really had it rough, Paige. Couldn’t even get enough to eat before. Was it because the place you lived was really poor?” “Yeah, just some backwards town in the middle of nowhere. Didn’t have enough food when I was little. When I got older, they just stopped feeding me regularly.” “Paige,” Ashley suddenly smiled, a knowing glint in her eye, “stop joking around. How could a poor, backwards town have a supermarket with shopping carts?” The table fell silent. “So, you wouldn’t happen to be… playing the victim, would you?” I could practically feel Mom’s sharp gaze on me. “Huh? Ashley, why would you think that of me?” I said, sounding wounded. “Actually, you know, we have the government to thank for that.” “There were programs, rural development initiatives… they helped the area I lived in develop some local industries.” “The place I was, they started selling medicinal herbs, things like ginseng, and gradually got better off. The town eventually got a couple of small supermarkets.” “When I was really young, the whole family went hungry. Later, they had a bit more money, but then it was just me who didn’t get enough to eat. And I had to work constantly. If I did anything wrong, slightest little thing, they’d whip me with the same switch they used for the sheep.” “I’m not playing the victim.” “They just… they didn’t treat me like a human being…” My head drooped, my voice fading. Mom shot Ashley a furious glare, then took a deep breath. “Sweetheart, are you done eating? Let Mom show you to your room.” Well, well. Guess she’s letting her precious daughter, the one she raised for over a decade, off the hook just like that. Looks like this fire isn’t burning hot enough yet. Back in my room, after a shower, I opened the closet. I stared at the clothes packed inside and paused. The Johnsons seemed pretty well-off. But the clothes in here, aside from the underwear, were all hand-me-downs. Old clothes someone else had worn. And whose old clothes they were? Didn’t take a genius to figure that out. Hmph. I picked out the rattiest-looking pair of pajamas I could find and put them on. Then I went and knocked on Mom’s door. Mom opened it. I heard the shower running in the bathroom – Dad, probably. Good. He wouldn’t be in the way. “Mom, sorry to bother you so late.” “I can’t sleep. I wanted to find some books to read. I’m worried about falling behind when school starts.” “But I don’t know where the study is.” Mom smiled and agreed, but as her eyes fell on my pajamas, the smile froze. I saw her barely contain her anger. She went to the study, grabbed a few books for me, told me to read them there, then turned and walked straight to my room. Less than half a minute later, she marched to Ashley’s room. Who could possibly study at a time like this? Obviously, I followed to watch the show. 4 “Ashley Johnson, it’s your sister’s first day home, and this is how you treat her?” “What’s wrong, Mom?” “Don’t play dumb with me. Those old clothes in her closet, aren’t those the ones you were going to throw out last week?” “I’m sorry, Mom, it’s all my fault. Paige came back so suddenly, I didn’t have time to get her anything new.” Ashley started sniffling, ostensibly taking the blame but subtly shifting it. It’s not her fault, it’s mine for coming back too soon. My dear, dumb sister. “What do you mean, ‘Paige came back too suddenly’?” “I think it’s not that she came back too suddenly, it’s that her coming back made you suddenly anxious, didn’t it?” “She hasn’t had a single day of comfort here, and you’re already tripping her up at every turn.” “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking. You think having her wear your ill-fitting hand-me-downs makes you look superior? Makes people think you’ve got her under your thumb?” “Let me tell you, plenty of people are just waiting to laugh at this family!” “They’ll wonder if we’ve gone bankrupt and can’t even afford clothes! They’ll think Olivia Harrison’s daughters are constantly fighting, that this house is chaos!” “They’re waiting for a scandal, for our stock to drop, so they can swoop in like vultures and tear me apart!” “I’ve taught you for so many years, and you haven’t learned a thing about family honor! All you care about is your own petty little world!” “You disappoint me. Greatly.” So, it wasn’t just my imagination. Mom really was the one calling the shots in this house. “Mom, I’m sorry. I’ll never do it again.” Ashley just stood there crying. “The person you should be apologizing to is your sister.” Mom went back to her room. The show was pretty much over. I was about to head back to the study when I heard a knock on Ashley’s door again. I immediately ducked back down. “Ashley, it’s Dad.” After Dad went in, they kept their voices low. I couldn’t quite hear, so I crept closer. And what I heard was one hell of a secret. Ashley’s previous meekness vanished. Her words were sharp, vicious. “Dad! It’s all because of that brat! That crazy woman yelled at me again! Why isn’t she dead yet?!” “You said getting rid of that brat would solve everything, so why is she back?!” “We should have broken her legs, or just finished her off back then.” “You told me I could take her place, that once you got control of that crazy woman’s shares, we’d have a good life!” I clenched my fists, listening to that scumbag comfort his little monster. “Sweetheart, just be patient a little longer. Dad doesn’t have enough power yet to openly confront that crazy woman.” “Give it some time. Dad will find a chance to get Olivia committed, locked up in a mental hospital, and then everything will be ours.” “As for the other brat… she’s nothing to worry about.” Ashley laughed. “If that little bitch dares to compete with me, I swear I’ll slash her face! I’ll sell her off somewhere horrible, make her life a living hell!” That was enough. I stopped the recording on my phone and went back to my room. So that’s why Ashley always targeted me. That’s why Dad only ever defended Ashley. The truth… it was sickening. Absolutely, gut-wrenchingly sickening. 5 The next morning, I pretended to feel unwell and sweetly asked Mom to stay home with me. Ashley and Dad put on a show of concern, asked how I was doing, then left for school and work. Lying in bed, watching Mom tuck me in, I said weakly, “Mom, I didn’t sleep well last night.” Mom looked worried. “Is the pain really bad? I’ll call the family doctor right away.” I grabbed her hand, hesitated for a moment, then whispered in her ear, “Mom… there aren’t any cameras or listening devices in my room, are there?” Mom’s expression changed instantly. She immediately called Mr. Davies, her secretary, and had him come sweep the room. After confirming it was clean, Mom sent him to check the other rooms and gestured for me to speak. I took out my phone and played last night’s recording. Mom’s expression shifted from confusion to fury, then settled into a cold calm. When the recording finished, Mom was silent for a moment, then said, “I knew Mark was ambitious. And I knew Ashley only nice to me for my money.” “That’s why I make sure to put them in their place now and then, remind them not to get too greedy.” So, last night, Mom was using me to assert her authority. Huh. Just as I thought. No way there was that much deep mother-daughter bonding on day one. “But I never imagined Ashley was his illegitimate daughter. Or that Mark planned to drive me crazy and lock me away in an asylum.” As she said this, I could faintly hear the grinding of her teeth. “So, Mom, what’s the plan?” “Let’s not tip them off yet. Play along. You pretend to keep competing with Ashley for attention. I want to see exactly how Mark plans to ‘drive me crazy’.” “Okay, Mom.” I saw a flicker of hesitation in Mom’s eyes. “Is there something else?” I asked, puzzled. “About… your past. Is there anything you want to ask?” I smiled sweetly at her. “As long as I’m your daughter, Mom, nothing else matters to me.” Mom suddenly pulled me into a tight hug. After a moment, I felt a warm dampness on my shoulder. I knew, right then, there was no turning back for me. Whether it was genuine affection or just using each other, I had to climb. I had to fight my way up. I would absolutely not go back to that life of being treated like an animal, always hungry, always covered in bruises. “Over the next little while, you need to pay close attention and learn everything I teach you.” “Okay, Mom.” Thanks to that night, over the next two months, Dad would occasionally ask about my health. I just smiled politely and brushed him off each time. Honestly, spending even a second longer than necessary around him made my skin crawl. Ashley also toned it down quite a bit, even making small talk with me at dinner sometimes, though it was clearly fake. Once my injuries were mostly healed, Mom made an announcement at dinner. “Grandpa’s birthday is in a week. Everyone get ready. Don’t embarrass me.” “No problem,” Ashley said, beaming. “And Paige, since you’re feeling better, you should come too. Grandpa will be thrilled to see you.” “It’ll be crowded, so stick close to me, okay? Don’t be scared. If anything happens, I’ll help you.” Help me? Yeah, right. If you manage not to pour gasoline on the fire, I’ll call you a saint. Despite my thoughts, I put on a look of pleased surprise. “Thanks, Ashley.” Mom smiled at Ashley too. “Ashley, you’ve really grown up.” Ashley’s smile widened even more. Stop smiling. I can practically hear the evil schemes bubbling in your stomach from across the table. After dinner, Mom came to my room. She carefully went over things I should say at Grandpa’s party and things to watch out for. “I understand, Mom,” I nodded. “You’re my daughter. I know you can do this,” Mom said, gently stroking my head.

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My mom was a hardcore shipper, obsessed with M/M romance. To get a front-row seat to her favorite kind of OTP, Mom introduced me to Jason Miller. I was kept completely in the dark, forced into being his beard. Jason’s boyfriend, Ethan, had kidney failure. To get him a transplant, Jason planned to carve my kidney out himself, knife stroke by knife stroke. In my final moments, I placed my last hope in my mother and sister. But Mom took a step back, feigning heartbreak, and shook her head at me. “Chloe, honey, someone always has to sacrifice for true love. It just happens to be you this time.” My sister, Stella, was in the operating room, frantically punching numbers on a calculator, greedily eyeing my remaining organs. “Why not just take the rest of her organs too? They’re worth a lot of money.” I died tortured, leaving only an empty shell, my body dumped in the river by their combined efforts. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Mom introduced me to Jason. 1 The memory of the pain was still vivid. But the harsh sunlight streaming through the window told me I’d been reborn. My gaze fell on Mom, beaming as she introduced the sharply dressed Jason Miller standing beside her. “Chloe, honey, you’re not getting any younger. You know what they say about women over thirty! Look at this young man, so handsome, great job.” Meeting their probing, appraising gazes, I fought down the hatred threatening to erupt inside me. Last time, I’d believed Mom was looking out for me, carefully choosing a good man. I didn’t realize until I was dying that it was all to satisfy her own obsession—shipping real-life gay couples. As my eyes closed for the last time, I’d asked her in disbelief, why? Why push your own daughter into the abyss? My words seemed to tear open an old wound. Her eyes bloodshot, she brandished a knife, slashing at me viciously. “What do you understand? Only same-sex love is real love! Straight relationships are just… wrong. Someone has to sacrifice for pure love! It just happens to be you!” “I had a true love once, but your grandmother ruined everything! She tore us apart! She forced me to get married and have children, making me lose my true love forever!” Hatred flared in Mom’s eyes. Amidst my terror, she plunged the knife down, gouging out my eyes. After I was dead, she cradled my body, sobbing. “Don’t blame Mom, please don’t blame Mom. Your eyes… they’re just like your grandmother’s. I hate her, I hate her!” Snapping back from the memory, I calmly picked up my coffee cup and took a sip. Mom’s smile froze, a hint of anger creeping in. “Chloe Davis, are you even listening to me?” I looked Jason up and down. He seemed like a decent guy, almost too perfect. “He doesn’t look like he’s hurting for female company,” I said lightly. “Or male company, for that matter.” Jason blinked, then awkwardly offered, “You can check my phone anytime. I have nothing to hide.” Right on cue, his phone rang. The caller ID read “Delivery.” Same old trick. Whenever I was with Jason, he’d get calls from “Delivery,” but he never actually received any packages. Once, when he was showering, I tried to answer it for him. He burst out, barely bothering with pants, snatched the phone, and yelled at me. Clearly, his little boyfriend getting jealous. But this time, I snatched the phone first and quickly hit speakerphone. Ethan’s slightly coquettish voice came through. “Baby J, why aren’t you answering my calls?” I feigned surprise. “Wow, delivery services are getting really personal these days, huh?” Jason’s face went pale as he lunged for the phone. “I’m working. Be professional.” The voice on the other end immediately switched tones, calling him “Mr. Miller.” Mom jumped in, trying to cover for him. “Oh, you know how young guys are, always joking around. Don’t be so sensitive.” 2 I nodded slowly, pretending to finally understand. Jason breathed a sigh of relief and immediately asked, “Ms. Davis, would you consider—” I held up a hand, cutting him off, and rushed towards the restroom. I stayed there for a good ten minutes. “Sorry,” I said upon returning. “My old job as a hotel manager… it was so busy, I never had time for bathroom breaks. I got used to holding it in. Now that I’m older, my kidneys aren’t what they used to be.” “My last check-up wasn’t great. Tried to take better care of myself, but it didn’t really help.” Jason visibly tensed but managed a polite smile, seemingly unsure if I was serious. “You’re too impressive, Chloe. I’m worried I’m not good enough for you. But if you’re interested, of course, we could give it a try.” Mom clapped her hands together and leaned back, grinning like an idiot. Jason offered me his contact info, asking me to add him. My eyes flickered, and I waved my hand apologetically again. “Sorry, gotta use the restroom again.” I repeated this charade four or five times, really selling the “bad kidneys” story. When I returned the final time, Jason’s face was dark, arms crossed, looking impatiently at Mom. I glanced down at the barrage of texts from Stella on my phone – mostly variations of “Where the hell are you?” and “Why didn’t you clean up my makeup disaster?” I snapped a picture of Jason and sent it back. “Sorry, sis. Mom set me up on a blind date. Bit busy today. Actually, I’ll probably be busy a lot from now on… busy dating.” Sure enough, Stella unleashed a flood of sixty-second angry voice messages, demanding to know why Mom found me such a hot guy and demanding my location. A smile touched my lips. I generously sent her the address. I remembered vividly how, as I lay dying, Stella had been in the operating room punching numbers on a calculator, figuring out how much my organs would fetch. She had conspired with Jason, personally forcing the drugged milk down my throat. Afterward, she’d stood over me like a victor. “My dear sister, who told you to be so stupid? Can’t even keep a man interested. If you had any charm, he wouldn’t have cheated with a guy. This is all your fault, your incompetence. You deserve to die.” Since she was so capable, this “blessing” was hers for the taking. Mom was desperately trying to make conversation between Jason and me. Jason just leaned back in his chair, ignoring her, scrolling through his phone. Mom shot me frantic looks. I pretended not to notice, patiently waiting for Stella to storm in. 3 Soon enough, the star arrived. Stella, wearing dramatic makeup, her eyes lighting up the second she saw Jason, plopped down right next to him. She tossed her hair, feigning shyness. “Hi, I’m Stella Davis, her sister. Younger and prettier.” Jason looked her up and down, unable to hide the smirk in his eyes. Mom shot me a furious glare, panicking, and yanked Stella away. “Who told you to come here? You brat, get back home right now! This isn’t the place for you.” Stella stomped her foot, pouting. “Why does she get introduced to such a great guy? You always favor her! I don’t care, I like him too.” I watched, amused, as Mom stammered, unable to explain, and Stella fought tooth and nail to take something—anything—from me. Stella lived by a simple motto since childhood: “What’s mine is mine, and what’s hers is mine.” She’d throw a fit if I got something she didn’t, even something trivial. So, I knew she’d fight me for Jason. In my past life, she’d actually cried and screamed at home, demanding to marry him. That was the one time I’d held onto something I thought was mine. Turns out, I was holding onto trash. Mom’s face flushed red. She couldn’t very well reveal Jason was gay—why would she introduce a gay man to her daughter then? Jason stood up and smoothly pulled Mom aside into the nearby stairwell. Clutching my stomach, pretending to have another urgent need, I slipped away towards the restroom. Then I quietly doubled back, held my breath in the stairwell, and listened to their conversation. Jason’s tone was firm, leaving no room for argument. “I want Stella. Her kidney is a better match. Ethan can’t wait much longer. Don’t make trouble.” Mom, teary-eyed, clutched his sleeve. “No, no, go mess with Chloe! Do whatever you want to Chloe! Stella… I raised her since she was little. I can’t bear it.” Jason grabbed Mom’s throat, squeezing until her face turned purple. “So what if you raised her? Forgot whose blood runs in her veins? That man’s blood. Admit it, after all these years, he tamed you. You fell for him.” Mom’s eyes turned bloodshot, hatred spewing out with her yell. “I didn’t! I hate them! Only same-sex love is real! My heart only has room for her!” Satisfied, Jason helped her up. “That’s right. Only same-sex love is real. Someone has to give something up for pure love, right? You wouldn’t want to see me and Ethan end up separated like you were, right?” Mom’s eyes hardened slightly, but she still hesitated. Then Jason played his final card. “I’ve found the woman you loved back then. She’s overseas now. After she left you, she lost her appetite, couldn’t sleep, fell into a deep depression. I’ve already arranged for her treatment. If you help me, I’ll bring her back to you.” Mom shed her last trace of sadness, her voice urgent, as if afraid he’d change his mind. “Okay, okay, I’ll help you! You have to make sure she gets the best treatment. I want to see her.” Just like that, in less than ten minutes, Mom traded Stella away like a bargaining chip, just as she had done with me in my past life. I quickly and silently slipped away, returning to my seat across from Stella, acting as if nothing had happened. Stella shot me a venomous look, her challenge obvious. When Mom returned, she wore the mask of a loving mother again, beaming as she told Stella that Jason found her very unique and felt more connected to her. I nearly choked on my coffee. Unique? If wearing lingerie as outerwear counted as unique, then sure. Stella shrieked with delight, linking her arm happily through Mom’s. Before leaving, she looked down at me with pure mockery. “Sister, I win again. You’re still useless. What was yours is mine now.” A genuine smile spread across my face. “You can have him. Trash belongs in the trash can, after all.” Watching her swagger off triumphantly, I knew the seeds of my revenge were already sprouting. My dear sister, your good fortune is just beginning.

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My daughter’s personality completely changed after she was in a car accident. Then I started hearing her inner thoughts. “That old hag. Wish she’d just die already, save me the trouble of taking care of her later.” Soon after, a girl I’d been sponsoring showed up nervously at my door, saying she wanted to take care of me in my old age. And looking at her… it was like seeing a shadow of the daughter I used to know. Which one was my real daughter? 1. “Mom, how could you just donate money to those people? That money was supposed to be…” My daughter, Jessica, had seen the news first thing in the morning and stormed in, demanding answers. “And? Do I need your permission to spend my own money?” I sat at the dining table, casually eating my breakfast. “No, it’s just…” She looked down, then came over, grabbing my arm and trying to charm me. “Mommy, I’m just worried you’ll get scammed, you know? I heard those donation things are all frauds. You could’ve just bought me a couple of designer bags with that money.” Old hag. All your money is going to be mine eventually anyway, right? How dare you give MY money to those broke losers. That was what she was really thinking. I looked up at her. I’d raised her for twenty years, and right now, she felt like a complete stranger. Whether those underprivileged girls in rural areas would scam me, I didn’t know. But I knew the biggest scam I’d ever fallen for was believing my daughter was a kind, innocent person. Until a week ago. She got into a car accident. When she woke up, it was like she was someone else entirely. I could hear her thoughts. Cursing me, wishing me dead, just because she couldn’t wait to get her hands on my inheritance. “Whether they scam me or not is my business,” I said coolly. “But you should understand, you have no right to tell me what to do with my life or my money.” Just then, Maria, our housekeeper, came in to say a young woman was at the door. She claimed I’d sponsored her education and wanted to thank me in person. Normally, I’d brush it off. But today was different. I wanted to teach Jessica a lesson, show her I wasn’t just making empty threats. I waved a hand. “Let her in.” The girl who entered was painfully thin, looking like she might collapse any second. Her face was pale, completely devoid of color. The way she looked at me, though… it wasn’t like she was seeing a stranger. And I felt like I recognized her somehow. “Hello, Ma’am. My name is Claire Miller. If it wasn’t for your support, I never would have had the chance to go to school. I came specially to thank you.” I motioned for her to come closer so I could get a better look. Her expression grew more intense, like she had something important to tell me, but just as she opened her mouth, she fainted, collapsing onto the floor. My heart gave an involuntary lurch. Then I heard that familiar voice again, but this time it wasn’t her inner thoughts, it was Jessica speaking aloud. “Mom, she’s trouble. She’s definitely faking it. Maria, get her out of here! Throw her out!” I looked at Jessica. Her face was twisted in an ugly glare directed at the unconscious girl. “Do you know her?” I asked sharply. “If not, why would you jump to such conclusions?” “No… I mean…” Jessica faltered, suddenly cautious. I called for a doctor to check on the girl. The doctor said it was severe malnutrition from long-term neglect. She just needed rest and proper food. I looked at the girl’s face. So unfamiliar. I was sure I’d never met her before. And yet… so familiar. Jessica was still cursing her out in her head. I couldn’t hear everything, just snippets, but the sheer vulgarity was shocking. The daughter I’d raised for twenty years had always been sweet and well-behaved. How could she change into this overnight? The crude language spilling from her mind was something I’d never heard from her before. Since Jessica seemed to hate Claire so much, I made a decision. I would take Claire in, treat her like a daughter. “No way! I won’t allow it! You can only have me as your daughter!” Jessica threw a massive tantrum right there in the house. 2. The more Jessica objected, the more determined I was not to give her what she wanted. I contacted Claire’s parents. After all, if I was going to take their daughter under my wing, I should at least consult them. Meeting Claire’s parents in person, I finally understood why she was in such poor health. Her mother walked right up to Claire and slapped her hard across the face. “You stupid girl! How dare you pay your tuition behind my back? You got a death wish? That money’s for your brother!” The slap sent Claire staggering to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She couldn’t even get up. I had my security guys step in to restrain the parents while I helped Claire to her feet. Claire just shook her head weakly. “I’m okay, don’t worry.” My heart ached for her. How could she possibly be okay after a blow like that? “If you lay another hand on her, I’m calling the police,” I warned them sternly. Claire’s father started shoving at me and the security guys. “Who the hell do you think you are? I need your permission to discipline my own daughter?” I was about to retort when Claire’s mother suddenly leaned in and whispered something to her husband. His face changed instantly. “Oh! You’re the wealthy benefactor! So sorry, Ma’am, didn’t realize.” He then spat on the ground near Claire. “Ungrateful brat. Didn’t even tell us who was coming. Trying to make me look bad, huh?” I pulled Claire behind me. “I asked you here today to discuss the possibility of me adopting Claire.” Initially, I’d only thought of treating her like a daughter, but seeing this… if she didn’t get away from this family, her future looked bleak. “Adopt her? What’s the point of raising some useless girl?” Mrs. Miller scoffed. Then she pushed a little boy forward from behind her. “This is my son, Kevin. Why don’t you adopt him instead?” She sounded incredibly proud. I looked down at the boy. Maybe eight or nine, chubby, clutching a bag of chips, his eyes squeezed into slits by his cheeks. “We’re not asking for much,” Mr. Miller chimed in. “Just, say, $50,000 a month. Plus two houses and a car. Oh, and of course, he’ll still need to support us in our old age. He is our kid, after all.” I stared at them, speechless. Did they even hear themselves? “Mom, why don’t you just agree?” Jessica piped up, startling me. It was the first remotely positive thing I’d heard her say in days, but she was saying it in defense of these awful people. “We’ve got the money, right? And raising a boy is always better than a girl.” Suddenly, Claire’s little brother, Kevin, lunged forward, yelling, “Sister! Give me a piggyback ride!” But he was yelling at Jessica. Jessica jumped back, startled and panicked. Mrs. Miller quickly pulled Kevin away. “Oh, look at that! Isn’t that something? First time meeting, and our Kevin already knows to call her sister!” Phew, that was close. Almost got found out. Jessica’s inner voice again. Almost found out what? I cleared my throat. “I think you’ve misunderstood. I am only interested in adopting Claire. Nothing else concerns me.” Faster than I could react, Mr. Miller lunged forward and kicked Claire viciously. “You little tramp! Did you tell her something? Why else would she want you instead of your brother?” My security team tackled Mr. Miller. I immediately called the police and took Claire to the hospital to document her injuries. “Have they always treated you like this?” I asked gently. Claire nodded silently. She lifted her shirt slightly. Beneath it, her skin was a horrifying canvas of bruises and welts, old and new. I gasped. There was hardly an inch of undamaged skin visible. “Don’t worry,” I promised her, my voice tight with anger. “You have me now. I’ll make sure they pay for this.” I hired the best lawyers. With the hospital report and security footage as evidence, winning the case wasn’t hard. The challenge was ensuring they completely severed legal ties with Claire. Jessica, for some reason I couldn’t fathom, kept insisting on coming with me to the police station and court proceedings. I was suspicious, but then I thought, maybe she’d finally come to her senses and wanted to support Claire. So, I agreed. At the police station, Mr. Miller was still ranting. “It’s my God-given right to discipline my own daughter! You people are just bullying us ’cause you’re rich and we’re poor! Is there any justice left in this world?” A police officer tried explaining the law to him, but Mr. Miller just stared blankly, then stubbornly declared, “I don’t know anything about the law! None of you can tell me what to do!” My lawyers helped Claire file for emancipation and a restraining order, severing ties with her parents. With the evidence of abuse and Claire being legally an adult, it was relatively straightforward. I also refused to sign any agreement that might lessen Mr. Miller’s sentence. I wanted him to face consequences, even if it meant just a few months in jail. But Jessica became frantic. “Mom, just forgive them! I’m sure they didn’t mean it! If he goes to jail, what will happen to their family?” “Do you think abusing his own daughter is okay?” I asked her, my gaze sharp. “What’s wrong with disciplining his own kid? Mom, please, just forgive them. Don’t let them send him to jail!” This was beyond strange. It was almost as if Jessica was their daughter. I shook my head, dismissing the absurd thought. Of course, I didn’t listen to Jessica. Mr. Miller was sentenced to a few months in jail. A lesson learned, hopefully. 3. With Mr. Miller locked up, Mrs. Miller started showing up at the house with Kevin, causing scenes. “I don’t care! You have to support me and my son now! Or else give Claire back, and you owe us at least two million dollars!” If assault wasn’t illegal, I swear I would have punched her. “I had your finances investigated,” I stated coldly. “Over the past twenty years, you’ve spent maybe two thousand dollars on Claire, if that. Not to mention you took all the money she earned from part-time jobs and the funds I sent for her sponsorship. If anything, you owe Claire money.” “Tch! Rich people are all so stingy!” she spat. “This world is full of trash. People from the sticks like us are more generous.” Rage boiled inside me, but Jessica pulled me towards the car. “Mom, let’s just go. Don’t stoop to their level.” Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw Claire subtly signaling something to Mrs. Miller. In the car. I asked Jessica, “Why are you defending them? I remember you used to hate people like that.” Before, when Jessica saw stories on TV about abused children, she’d burst into tears. “That’s horrible! How could parents be like that?” Could a person really change that drastically? I refused to believe that the Jessica I knew before had been faking it all along. “I… I just feel sorry for them…” Jessica stammered. “If they had a choice, they wouldn’t treat her like that…” I didn’t reply. I suddenly felt like I didn’t understand this daughter of mine at all anymore. I decided to throw a party, specifically to announce to everyone that I had gained another daughter. Jessica was furious, grinding her teeth. That bitch better not think she can steal my inheritance. I picked out several beautiful dresses for Claire, but she was so thin, practically skeletal, that everything hung off her. We had to have a dress custom-made. I held her hand, my heart aching. “From now on, whatever you want, I can give it to you. The hard times are over.” She just stared at me blankly. Sometimes I wondered if she was mute. “Thank you… Mom… I mean, Ma’am.” I covered my mouth to hide a smile. “What? Don’t you want to be my daughter?” “Of course not… I mean, yes! I just…” She scrambled to explain. “It’s alright,” I soothed. “There will be a lot of people tonight, but don’t be scared. No one will give you a hard time.” That evening, I was busy mingling with guests when suddenly the music changed. Everyone’s attention snapped to the grand staircase. There stood Jessica, wearing the custom-made dress meant for Claire, making a dramatic entrance. My face hardened, but I couldn’t make a scene. Jessica, however, addressed the crowd. “Hello everyone. I am the only daughter of this family, and the sole heir to the family fortune.” A stunned silence fell over the room. Awkwardness hung thick in the air. Everyone understood the implication – this party was supposed to welcome my adopted daughter, and here was Jessica claiming exclusivity. But since I hadn’t spoken, no one dared react. “Apologies, everyone,” I said, forcing a smile. “My daughter just loves to joke around. Jessica, dear, quickly bring your sister out.” I shot her a warning look, hoping she wasn’t completely foolish. “I’m not joking! This family fortune is mine! No one is going to take it from me!” “Your daughter certainly has spirit!” a guest nearby quickly tried to smooth things over. “Just protective of her mommy, I suppose.” Just then, Claire appeared, gracefully linking her arm through Jessica’s. “My sister was just worried I might be nervous, that’s why she said that. She’s usually very kind to me,” Claire said smoothly. She was wearing an ill-fitting, oversized gown, but she carried herself with dignity. I nodded in satisfaction. But the next second, Jessica violently shoved Claire’s arm away. Claire lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs! Gasps echoed through the hall. I was furious. Jessica couldn’t possibly be this immature! I rushed over and helped Claire up. “My apologies, everyone. We seem to have had a small accident. Let’s conclude the party for tonight. I’ll make it up to you all another time.” After the guests left, I personally tended to Claire’s scrapes, applying antiseptic. She bit her lip tightly, not daring to utter a sound of pain. Jessica was still raging nearby. “She faked it! I didn’t push her! I told you from the start that bitch was no good!” Maria went over to try and calm her down, but before she could say a word, Jessica snatched a glass from the table and hurled it at her. “Who do you think you are, talking to me? You’re just a servant! You want me to throw you out of my house?” “Who do you think you’re throwing out? Is this your house to run?” I slapped Jessica across the face. “Claire fell, and you claim she did it on purpose. Did this glass decide to fly at Maria all by itself too?” Jessica’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You hit me? For a maid? I’m your daughter! Aren’t you supposed to love me unconditionally?” Claire helped Maria to a chair. Maria had been with me for twenty years, hired right after Jessica was born because I was too busy. She’d watched Jessica grow up, practically a second mother to her. “Ma’am, I’m fine, really,” Maria insisted, still defending Jessica. “Jess didn’t mean it, I’m sure. It was my fault for not being careful.” I rubbed my temples. This was absolutely not the Jessica I knew. She had always treated Maria like family. How could she suddenly be calling her a servant? “Yes! I did mean it!” Jessica shrieked, losing control. “So what? You just don’t like me anymore! It’s all her fault, that bitch!” She lunged forward like a maniac and shoved Claire hard, knocking her down again. Looking at her then, I suddenly saw a disturbing resemblance to Mr. Miller.

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Everyone in our social circle knew how much Ethan Hayes adored me. For five years, he was considerate, gentle, incredibly attentive. He ditched all his bad habits for me, transforming himself from a notorious playboy into the perfect boyfriend. But he didn’t know I’d already seen his chat history. “I’m just messing around with her. Are you jealous?” “You’re the only one I’ve ever really loved.” 1. Hearing the bedroom door softly pushed open, I closed my eyes. His footsteps were light, as if afraid to wake me. Ethan was back. He approached cautiously, pulling the comforter higher to cover my exposed shoulder. Even with my eyes closed, I could feel his heavy gaze on my face. I didn’t know what he was thinking right then, but I could smell the faint hint of perfume in the air. It wasn’t strong, yet it made me feel sick to my stomach. I lazily rolled over, burying my face in the blankets, and mumbled sleepily, “You’re back?” “Yeah, did I wake you?” He rubbed his palms together to warm them, then slipped a hand under the covers to check the temperature. His warm fingertips accidentally brushed against my cold calf, and I flinched back. Ethan immediately grasped my leg, his brow furrowing. “You know you get cold easily, why isn’t the heat on?” He grabbed the thermostat remote and adjusted the temperature. Looking back at me, curled up and shivering, he sounded a bit exasperated. “What would you do without me, honestly?” It was a question, but it sounded like he was absolutely convinced I couldn’t live without him. Back in college, Ethan pursued me relentlessly, completely changing his wild ways to focus solely on me. It’s been five years, and supposedly, his love hadn’t faded. His actions had silenced all those who initially doubted and mocked me. Yeah, what would I do without him? Even I had never considered that possibility. So why make me so dependent on him, only to throw me away so cruelly? 2. It took us five years to go from being the couple nobody believed in to the universally acknowledged model pair. I was an orphan with no money or connections; he was the heir to a well-known, wealthy family. Everyone objected to us being together back then, but he insisted, clearing every obstacle in our path before making me his fiancée. He even risked falling out with his family for me, giving up his privileged life to start over from scratch. Even when the Hayes family pushed us into the tightest corner, he never let me suffer in the slightest. He was hitting roadblocks everywhere back then but still refused to listen to his parents and break up with me. So, the Hayes family turned their attention to me. They found me, wanting me to give up voluntarily. Ethan had already shouldered so much; how could I possibly give up? As long as I could be with the man I loved, I figured we could get through anything, even if it meant living like that forever. That’s what I thought at the time. The Hayes family got desperate. If Ethan hadn’t found me in time that afternoon, I might not be alive today. The blows landed on him with dull thuds, like relentless rain. He gritted his teeth and smiled at me. “It’s okay, doesn’t hurt at all… Don’t cry.” He held me securely in his arms, shielding me with his own body, creating a safe space for me. Later, he succeeded, and was accepted back into the family fold. Even though his schedule filled up with endless social obligations and frequent business trips lasting ten days to half a month, he’d thoughtfully bring back gifts and handwritten letters for me. All his social media profiles were filled with pictures of me, loudly and proudly declaring our relationship to the world. That’s when people started to change their tune, started to look at me with respect. They realized Ethan wasn’t just playing around; he genuinely wanted to marry me. I had wondered, too, why Ethan Hayes would single me out. “When you like someone, you just do. Does there have to be a reason?” He had just washed his hair, and beneath the damp strands, his eyes were full of laughter. Later, things got heated in bed, and I forgot about the fleeting hesitation on his face when he answered. Actually, the signs were all there, I just instinctively ignored them. There aren’t that many real-life Cinderella stories. I was just a replacement. The pillowcase wiped away the tear stains from my face. My nose tingled. “Hurry up and shower, let’s get some sleep.” “Yes, ma’am!” 3. The next morning, Ethan was home, which was rare. He was wearing grey loungewear, his long legs stretched out casually, holding a magazine. When I saw the name of the magazine, my expression dimmed slightly. Usually, when we traveled, I was the one who planned everything – time, place, itinerary. He wasn’t the type to leisurely browse through travel guides. Seeing me, he casually flipped the magazine face down. “Why not sleep in a bit longer?” He had an indulgent smile on his face as he sighed and pulled me into his arms. “Have you been unhappy because I haven’t spent much time with you lately? I sensed it last night.” “It’s been really busy. How about I take you on vacation when things calm down?” After five years together, Ethan was still very perceptive about my moods. “No, not at all.” I pretended to be casual, picking up the magazine and pointing to the page he’d been staring at the longest. “Let’s go here then. The scenery looks nice.” It was a quiet island abroad, the picture dominated by shades of blue. It certainly looked like the perfect place for a couple’s getaway. His expression didn’t change as he smiled and ruffled my hair. “Of course, we can. But not right now, it’s just too busy.” Just as he finished speaking, a message alert came through on his phone. Ethan glanced at me before opening it. I gripped the corner of the magazine tightly, my voice almost pleading. “Work will never end. Just spend the next few days with me.” Whatever the news was, he couldn’t suppress the grin spreading across his face as he looked at his phone. “Hmm? What did you say?” It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head. I let go of the magazine, my voice calm now. “I said, let’s wait until you’re done with work then.” Ethan stood up and kissed me, his eyes filled with barely restrained joy. “We landed the Waterfront deal. I have to step out for a bit.” He knew me well, and I knew him just as well. When it came to company business, he usually kept his emotions in check. Landing a property deal wouldn’t make him this happy. I was sure his joy wasn’t about the deal. I watched his retreating back, lost in thought. It turns out you can tell someone’s mood just by looking at their back. Ethan must be really happy right now. Watching him turn out of the villa’s garden, I grabbed my car keys and followed him. I’d never done anything like tailing someone before; I wasn’t exactly skilled at it. But he, usually so cautious, didn’t notice a thing. The destination wasn’t far: a high-end gourmet grocery store. Standing near the entrance was a girl, constantly looking around, holding two large bags of groceries. Through my car window, I saw Ethan quickly get out of his car and expertly take the bags from her hands. The girl pouted, giving him a playful “what took you so long?” look. That expression… it felt strangely familiar. I stared intently at them, a bitter taste in my mouth. I watched as Ethan freed one hand to hold hers, being incredibly attentive as they crossed the street. In short, he treated her exactly the way he treated me. Their figures disappeared from sight long before I finally drove away. It was only on the way back that it dawned on me: the girl looked so much like I used to. No, it should be: I look like her. 4. In five years together, I could count the times I’d looked at his phone on one hand. Because we loved each other, we gave each other complete trust. But that one time, it felt like even fate couldn’t stand it anymore and decided to give me a hint. He came home very late that night, reeking of alcohol, but unable to hide the excitement in his eyes. Infected by his mood, I smiled and asked him what was up. Ethan froze for a second, then hastily muttered, “Nothing.” While he was showering, his phone, left on the nightstand, buzzed a few times. I hadn’t intended to pay attention, but listening to the running water in the bathroom, possessed by some impulse, I unlocked it. After all these years, the password was still my birthday. The sweetness of that realization hadn’t even settled in before irony slapped me in the face. The sender was listed in his contacts as “Sophia.” “Are you getting serious about that Chloe?” “I’m just messing around with her. Are you jealous?” Then Ethan sent an emoji: a little bunny asking for a hug. It was one I often sent to him. Now he was sending it to another woman. “I’m just worried, you know.” “Don’t worry. You’re the only one I’ve ever really loved.” … Reading that last sentence, I felt like I’d been struck by lightning, completely frozen. They were all words I knew, but put together, they looked like blurry black dots. Fighting the sharp pain in my chest, my hand rapidly scrolled up the screen. Their chat history started a month ago. Ethan’s first message was: “You finally decided to unblock me?” “Yeah. Giving you one chance to come see me now. Offer expires soon.” June 8th, 5:45 PM. I remembered that time. I was just about to leave work. A nepo hire in my department had publicly mocked me, saying I was only with Ethan for his money, her words dripping with contempt. I was feeling down and wanted to ask him if he had plans that evening, if he could come home and be with me. But Ethan said he had an emergency business trip and wouldn’t be back until the next morning. When he returned, he brought a huge bouquet of yellow roses and a diamond bracelet, and then spent the next three whole days with me. For the following half-month, he became incredibly busy again; I barely saw him except late at night. Ethan held me close, apologizing over and over. He said it was company dinners, heavy workload, and blamed himself for not being able to spend time with me. I comforted him, understood him, tried to be his calm harbor. But now I know, I wasn’t the harbor; I was part of the “business” that needed entertaining. My fingers ached from scrolling. Over that month, they chatted far more frequently than I’d imagined. From ‘good morning’ to ‘good night,’ detailing every meal, interspersed with memories unique to their past. They were like a couple madly in love, sharing every little detail of their lives. From their chats, I pieced together their history. They were high school sweethearts; Sophia was Ethan’s first love. The Hayes family wouldn’t allow a girl with no beneficial family connections to marry in, so they used some tactics to send Sophia abroad. Without outstanding skills, Sophia struggled overseas and ended up marrying quickly. And the time she got married coincided exactly with when Ethan began his intense pursuit of me. Later, Sophia came back. Ethan specifically chose a condo for her, very close to that gourmet grocery store. They even got a cat and a dog together. He would deliberately make time to take them for vaccinations. Even though he was allergic to cat and dog fur. Matching the dates, my heart sank like a stone. The sound of the shower stopped. I marked the messages as unread and put the phone back where it was. The last message from Sophia was about having period cramps and asking if Ethan could come over and keep her company. I wanted to see what he would do.

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