Category: English

The giant baby intern in HR accidentally sent a termination email to the entire company. The whole department panicked and packed up to leave. Afterward, she cried her heart out, blaming herself. Not only was she completely unharmed, but the boss also rewarded her with a seven-day paid vacation and a $10,000 “emotional distress” bonus. Meanwhile, we, who believed the email was real, were marked as “absent without leave.” We were publicly reprimanded, and our performance bonuses were docked! Even worse, our combined year-end bonuses—totaling $100,000—were seized to pay for her compensation! I led the charge to confront the boss, but she immediately played the victim. “Ah! The Wicked Witch is here! So scary! Is she going to eat me? Save me, Daddy CEO!” Before the boss could even speak, my colleagues, desperate to suck up, instantly turned on me. “Exactly! You have zero empathy. Why are you picking on a fresh grad?” “No wonder you’re thirty and single. With a heart that toxic, you deserve to be alone!” In that moment, I became public enemy number one. The boss fired me on the spot for “destroying team unity.” Looking at their ugly faces, I laughed out of pure rage, ripped off my badge, and walked away. Since you all want to protect her so badly, I hope that when the IRS knocks on your door tomorrow… Your “Baby” can explain those dual accounting books. 1 Tuesday, 10:00 AM. The work group chat exploded. An email, bolded and highlighted in red, popped up for every employee. From: HR – Bella “Cutie Pie” Swan Subject: [NOTICE OF TERMINATION] The content was simple and brutal: [Because my computer screen keeps flickering and bullying me, Baby has decided to send you all home! Effective immediately, all employment contracts are terminated. Hmph! Don’t come back!] The office fell into a deathly silence, followed by an eruption of screams. “Holy sh*t? Did the company go under?” “The reason is her computer bullied her? What kind of insane excuse is that?” “Why are you just standing there? Grab your stuff! If you’re late, you won’t even get your laptop!” Someone shouted, and chaos ensued. As the CFO, my first reaction was to rush to the CEO, Simon Vance’s office. Empty. I went to find Bella. Her desk was empty too. I called Simon a dozen times. Straight to voicemail. Now even I was panicking. I manage the money. I knew the books were… flexible… but not “sudden death” flexible. But the boss is missing, and HR sent a termination letter. Isn’t this the standard procedure for a rug pull? Panic is contagious. Swept up by the crowd, I packed my personal items and went home in defeat. That night, the main group chat was chaos. Some were cursing, some crying about mortgages, others were already contacting lawyers for a class-action lawsuit. Then, early the next morning, a message from Simon popped up. [Everyone, get your asses back to work immediately!] [Anyone one minute late loses their entire month’s bonus!] Not bankrupt? Confused, we rushed back to the office. Pushing open the conference room doors, we saw Bella curled up in Simon’s lap. She actually had a pacifier in her mouth! “Daddy Simon, I really didn’t mean to.” “I wanted to send the Afternoon Tea notification, but my hand slipped, and the mouse was being naughty! Bad mouse!” I stood at the door, my brain trembling. Afternoon Tea notification and Termination Letter. One is under “Admin,” the other under “HR.” They are miles apart in the system, and you need a admin password to confirm sending the latter. And you “slipped”? Suppressing my rage, I walked in. “Mr. Vance, since it’s a misunderstanding, everyone can just get back to work. No need for such anger.” Simon looked up, his eyes ready to devour me. While gently patting Bella, he pointed at me and roared: “Joanna! Do you have no shame?” “You are the CFO! A senior executive! Yet you have zero composure!” “Bella is just a child! She made a small mistake, and instead of fixing it, you led the charge to loot company assets and skipped work!” I laughed in disbelief. “Mr. Vance, that was a termination letter with the official company seal, not a game of house.” “And Bella, as HR, made a low-level error that shut down the entire company. Shouldn’t she be held accountable?” Before I finished, Bella suddenly wailed. She spat out the pacifier and kicked her legs wildly on the chair: “Waaaah! The big sister is so mean! She’s going to eat me!” “I want to go home! I don’t want to work! There are monsters here! Boohoo!” Heartbroken, Simon hugged her tight and screamed at me: “Joanna! Shut up! Look how scared you’ve made Bella!” “She’s still an intern! Can she be compared to old veterans like you?” Then, Simon announced a decision that blew everyone’s mind. “Given that Bella made a mistake, her attitude is sincere, and she has been traumatized.” “I am approving a special seven-day paid leave, fully covered by the company, plus a $10,000 emotional distress bonus.” “As for you!” He glared around the room. “Yesterday’s collective absence without leave warrants a public reprimand for everyone!” “This month’s performance bonuses are forfeited! Any losses caused will be deducted from your salaries!” “Additionally, everyone’s year-end bonus will be docked to pay for Bella’s compensation!” My eyes widened in disbelief. “Excuse me? She made the mistake, why are you deducting our money?!” Before I could argue further, my colleagues—who were calling the boss a son of a b*tch in the group chat yesterday—suddenly changed their tune. Old Tom from Sales jumped out first, fawning: “Director Joanna, Bella is young, it’s her first job. Mistakes are normal.” Then, the Admin lady chimed in: “Yeah, this is just tough love for Bella.” Even Emily, the apprentice I trained for three years, lowered her head and whispered: “Master, just stop talking. Don’t make Mr. Vance angry and drag us all down…” Looking at these spineless cowards, I felt sick to my stomach. Bella peeked out from Simon’s embrace, picked up the drool-covered pacifier, and stuck it back in her mouth. She gave me a provocative smirk: “Bad woman! I’ll beat you up! Neener neener!” 2 During Bella’s seven-day leave, the company turned into chaos. Before she left, to prevent another “slip,” she changed the entire company system font to “Comic Sans.” Looking at that font made my eyes bleed. Even more ridiculous, she locked everyone’s system permissions. Her reason: “What if someone secretly changes data to bully me while I’m gone? Baby needs to protect herself.” New hires couldn’t be onboarded. Payroll couldn’t be processed. I went to Simon. He was busy liking Bella’s Instagram posts. Without looking up, he said: “Don’t bother me with trifles. Wait until Bella comes back.” “She is in her emotional healing period. No one is allowed to disturb her!” Fine. I swallowed my disgust, returned to the finance office, looked at the mountain of unprocessed invoices, and sneered. Seven days later, Bella finally returned. She came in with bags of plushies and merch. She fluttered around the office like a butterfly. “Tom, here’s a keychain. Hope you won’t be so mean in the future.” “Linda, here’s a sticker for your laptop. It’ll make you happy!” Holding these cheap trinkets, everyone acted like they were moved to tears. Bella walked up to me and tossed a squashed candy on my desk. “Sister Joanna, I saved this specially for you.” She blinked her big eyes, looking innocent. Colleagues immediately chimed in: “Director, aren’t you going to thank Bella?” “Bella repays evil with kindness. Learn from her!” I looked at the crushed candy and swept it into the trash. “No thanks. It’s work hours.” “The HR system isn’t restored. We can’t do payroll this month. Do you want everyone to starve?” Mentioning payroll, Bella suddenly laughed through her tears, as if remembering something fun. “Oh, Daddy Simon! I was just going to tell you!” “I invented a new way to calculate wages called the Mood Performance Method!” She pulled out a pink notebook covered in drawings of smiley and crying faces. “From now on, everyone’s salary will be based on how I feel when I see them!” “If you make me happy, you get a bonus! If you make me unhappy, I deduct money!” “This way, everyone will be more loving and united! Right, Daddy Simon?” I was trembling with rage. This was the biggest joke in the world! But Simon slapped his thigh in approval: “Great! What a brilliant idea!” “It’s human-centric and lively! Breaks the rigid financial system!” “Do as Bella says! Bella is in charge of payroll this month!” I immediately objected: “Mr. Vance, this violates audit procedures. If the IRS checks…” “Shut up!” Simon cut me off rudely. “Laws, taxes… Joanna, you’re annoying.” “I opened this company. I pay how I want!” I looked around. The colleagues who usually fought over every cent on their pay stubs didn’t say a word. They knew that in this company, sucking up to the giant baby was more effective than working hard. Under Bella’s Mood Performance Management, the company became a giant kindergarten. Every morning, instead of clocking in, we had to do a “Good Morning Dance” for Bella. Old Tom, a burly man, pinched his fingers and meowed like a cat for that extra $100. I almost vomited my breakfast. Because I refused to participate in this idiocy, not only did I lose my attendance bonus, but I became the source of “negative energy” in Bella’s eyes. “Sister Joanna, why aren’t you smiling?” Bella stood at my desk with her pink notebook. I ignored her and continued checking the messy manual ledgers. Since the reform, all reimbursement forms became her coloring book. On a $2,000 dining invoice, she drew a giant pig head and wrote: [This place tastes bad. Denied!] On a request for office supplies, she put stickers and wrote: [This notebook is ugly. I’ll approve if it’s pink~] I couldn’t take it anymore. I stormed into Simon’s office with the receipts. “Mr. Vance, I can’t do these accounts!” “Bella is blocking legitimate business expenses and approving nonsense!” I slammed the receipts on his desk. “Look at this. ‘Emotional Healing Boba Tea’, $300? Is she drinking gold?” “And this. ‘Aesthetic Improvement JK Uniform’. This is an office expense?” Simon was gaming with headphones on. He looked annoyed. “Isn’t this good? It shows Bella treats the company like home.” “Joanna, as CFO, you need to open your mind.” “But…” “Enough ‘buts’!” Simon threw his headphones. “If you can’t do it, just say so. Stop complaining.” “Bella is learning finance fast. If you keep this attitude, she can have your job!” Give it to her? To a giant baby who doesn’t know debit from credit and only draws smiley faces? Before I could retort, Bella pushed the door open. “Daddy Simon, is Sister Joanna badmouthing me again?” “Why is she so insensible? She doesn’t understand my good intentions. I’m saving money for the company.” Simon instantly switched to a smile: “Of course not. Baby is the best.” “It’s Joanna who is narrow-minded and jealous of your excellence.” Bella leaned into him, blinking at me. Her eyes held zero innocence and 100% malice. “Daddy Simon, since Sister Joanna is so unhappy, let her handle the IRS inspection tomorrow.” My heart skipped a beat. The IRS was coming for a routine check tomorrow. If they saw these books… we’d be fined into oblivion! “No!” I refused flatly. “The current accounts cannot be seen!” Simon’s face darkened. “Why not? I think Bella’s accounts are cute and creative!” “Joanna, if you can’t handle this small thing, don’t bother coming in tomorrow!” Bella fanned the flames: “Yeah, isn’t Sister Joanna a top university grad? Can’t even handle this?” “If you’re scared, beg me. Maybe if I’m in a good mood, I’ll act cute for the IRS officer and make it go away.” Beg her? I looked at the delusional couple. My anger cooled into icy resolve. Since you want to die, don’t blame me for handing you the knife. 3 The next morning, before the IRS arrived, the company exploded. It was payday. According to Bella’s Mood Performance Method, pay slips were distributed. “WTF? Why is my salary only $50?” Old Tom, the sales champ, was shaking. “I ran my legs off last month. My commission alone should be $2,000. How is it $50?” Everyone went mad, surrounding the finance office with red eyes. “Joanna! Get out here!” “Did you embezzle our money? You black-hearted accountant!” Of course, the blame fell on me. I calmly sipped my coffee and pointed to a pink poster on the door. Bella’s crooked handwriting read: [Love Salary Ranking]. “Don’t blame me.” “The payroll was drawn by Bella and signed by Simon.” “She said you guys performed well but looked too old, affecting her ‘Baby Aura’, so she deducted an ‘Ugly Tax’.” Hearing this, they almost fainted from rage. Just then, Bella arrived on Simon’s arm. “Anyone who dares to make trouble is disobeying management! Fired immediately! No severance!” Simon roared with a dark face. Threatened with unemployment, the mob deflated instantly. Old Tom gritted his teeth and forced a smile uglier than crying: “We… we accept it.” “Miss Bella is right. We aren’t pretty enough. We will improve.” Bella lifted her chin proudly, looking down at me: “See, Joanna?” “This is charisma.” She suddenly pulled a stack of papers from her bag and threw them in my face. “What is this?” I picked it up. A termination notice. Reason: [Destroying team unity, bullying newcomers, evil intentions.] “You’re fired.” Bella smiled sweetly. Simon added from behind: “Not only are you fired, but the $10,000 emotional distress fee will be deducted from your final pay!” The colleagues, eager to please the crazy couple, kicked me while I was down. “Yeah, Joanna, just leave. Don’t drag us down.” “Hated your stinking face anyway.” “You bullied Bella, you deserve it!” Looking at these clowns, I suddenly found it funny. I took off my badge and placed it on the desk. “Fine. I’ll go.” As I walked to the door, someone knocked. Bella shouted impatiently: “Who is it? Can’t you see Baby is giving a lecture?” She pulled the door open. Standing there were four or five men in uniforms, looking stern. The leader held up a badge. Bella looked at their uniforms and burst out laughing. “Daddy Simon! Look at this old witch Joanna!” “She hired extras to scare me! Wearing costumes and everything.” In that moment, I clearly saw the officer’s face turn black as coal. Simon came over, looking at them with disdain: “Joanna, how childish are you? Get out with your circus troupe! Or I’ll call the police!” I stepped into the elevator and pressed the down button. “Mr. Vance, Bella, you misunderstand.” “That is Section Chief Liu from the IRS and Captain Zhao from Economic Crimes.” “They aren’t actors. They are here to audit the books after I reported you with my real name.” “Here is all the evidence of dual accounting, tax evasion, and embezzlement.” The elevator doors closed slowly. In the last sliver, I saw Bella’s face twist in horror and the glint of handcuffs in Chief Liu’s hand. “Good luck.” 4 The doors were about to shut. Bella screamed and pried them open. “You can’t leave! Bad woman!” She bit Chief Liu’s wrist, drawing blood. “Daddy Simon! Beat these bad guys! They’re bullying Baby!” Chief Liu grimaced and slammed her onto the floor with a takedown. Bella’s face pressed against the tiles, legs kicking wildly. “Waaah! Murder! Help!” Simon charged like a madman but was handcuffed instantly by Captain Zhao. “Assaulting an officer, resisting tax investigation, obstruction of justice. Take them away!” The office was chaos. I watched coldly, but felt uneasy. Simon was too calm. Even in cuffs, his eyes were full of contempt and madness. “Joanna, you think this will kill me?” “Bella is my lucky charm. If you touch her, heaven will punish you!” I ignored his ravings and cooperated with the police. However, less than 24 hours later. I had just finished organizing evidence at a cafe when my phone rang. It was Emily, crying. “Sister Joanna, look at the group… Mr. Vance and Bella are back!” How? Assaulting police plus tax evasion—ironclad evidence. How could they be out? I opened the group chat. Simon sent ten $200 red envelopes. Note: [Celebrating Baby’s Survival of the Ordeal!] Bella posted a selfie. She was wearing a pink tutu, sitting on Simon’s desk, holding scissors. Background: shredded paper—copies of the tax records sealed by the IRS. Caption: [Hmph! Police station day trip is over! The police uncle said Baby is too cute to lock up! Die mad, bad woman! Neener neener!] I called Captain Zhao immediately. His tone was helpless: “Ms. Joanna, Simon took all the blame. He said he ordered everything and Bella is mentally challenged and was manipulated.” “Also, Simon used connections and paid bail. He’s applying for a review. We had to release them for now.” “But don’t worry, they are restricted from leaving the country.” I took a deep breath. Mentally challenged? What a way to escape. Before I could think, another @All popped up. Simon: [Notice: Due to Joanna’s malicious reporting damaging the company’s magnetic field. To soothe Bella’s wounded soul, effective immediately, the company initiates the “Baby Guardian Plan”.] [All employees must surrender their ID cards and passports to prevent betrayal!] [Those who refuse will be fired and must pay 10 times the breach of contract fee!] This wasn’t management; it was imprisonment and extortion. Terrifyingly, the chat filled with “Received.” Those colleagues with mortgages were completely trapped. I gripped my phone. If the law is slow, don’t blame me for using commercial means. I called Mr. Zhou, head of the investment firm that was Simon’s biggest backer—and my current new boss. “Mr. Zhou, the VAM agreement is triggered.” “Simon’s behavior constitutes a severe threat to asset safety.” “I apply for a hostile takeover.” Silence for two seconds. “Granted. Joanna, take the security team and close the net.” With a team of black-clad bodyguards, I returned to the company. The scene that greeted me shattered my worldview. The fingerprint scanner was smashed. In its place was a giant pink bouncy castle. The receptionist wore an oversized bib and a pacifier, scrubbing the floor on her knees. Seeing me, she dropped the pacifier, teary-eyed. “Joanna… sister…” “Shh! No talking!” Bella’s voice came from inside. “Daddy Simon said Baby’s world must be pure!” “Everyone must make baby noises! Anyone who doesn’t sound like a baby can’t go to the bathroom!” I kicked open the bouncy castle door and marched in. In the office, dozens of adults, men and women, wore pink baby bonnets. Old Tom, the balding man in his forties, was crawling at Bella’s feet, shaking a rattle. “Goo goo gaga…” Bella sat in the boss’s chair, feet resting on Tom’s back. “Good boy! Have a candy!” Old Tom swallowed his humiliation and the candy with a smile. “Enough!” I shouted. My bodyguards swarmed in, securing the scene instantly. Bella jumped up, startled. “Wah! The Wicked Witch brought the Black Magic Fairies!” “Daddy Simon! Save me! Baby is scared!” Simon rushed out from the inner room. Dark circles under his eyes, looking like he hadn’t slept in days. “Joanna! You dare come back!” I looked at him coldly and pulled out the termination letter and takeover notice. “Simon, according to the investment agreement, you have been removed by the board for gross misconduct.” “Now, pack your sh*t and get out.” Simon froze. Then he laughed maniacally. “Remove me? Hahaha! You dare? I have Bella! She is the Chosen One!” “The Master said, the more she acts out in my company, the more prosperous I become!” “This is destruction before creation! You know nothing!” Just as I suspected. This was the real reason he indulged her. Not lust, but cult-like superstition. “I think your brain is flooded.” I waved my hand. “Clear the room! Everyone unrelated, out!” Bodyguards moved to evict the employees in bibs. Seeing this, Bella screamed and ran toward the server room. “Don’t touch my house! I’ll burn your house down!” She held a lighter. “Bella! Don’t!” Simon panicked, trying to stop her. But Bella was fast. She kicked open the server room door and threw the lit lighter onto a pile of paper archives near the server vents. Flames shot up instantly. Alarms blared. I was stunned. She actually set the fire! “Fire! Put out the fire!” I roared and rushed forward. But Bella stood before the flames, clapping and laughing. “So warm! Bonfire party!” “Burn the Wicked Witch! Burn the Black Fairies!” Simon stood by, watching the fire, a look of twisted obsession on his face. “Fire… fire creates earth, earth creates gold…” “Prosperity! It’s coming!” “Bella really brings me luck! This fire is good!” Lunatics. All of them. The fire spread fast. Smoke filled the hallway. The bodyguards grabbed me, abandoning the arrest. “Ms. Joanna! The fire is too big! Go!” I was pushed into the stairwell. Looking back one last time, I saw Bella riding on Simon’s shoulders, dancing in front of the inferno.

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“1 I was born sun-allergic—even a short exposure burned my skin. Overwhelmed, my father left. My mother divorced him at once, threw herself into work to pay for my treatments and became a powerful businesswoman, traveling the world with me to find a cure. At five, a psychic said a second child could be my spiritual shield. The next day, she brought home an orphan girl named Pearl. “Your job is to protect your sister,” Mom told her. Pearl smiled sweetly: “I’ll keep Mary safe for life.” Charming and Mom’s favorite, she was put in full charge of me. But Pearl hated me—she shone flashlights at me in the dark and lied to Mom about my misdeeds, acting perfect when Mom was home. I cried to tell the truth, only to be scolded: “Your sister is lovely, Mary. Be grateful.” Mom’s eyes grew colder, so I stopped speaking up, even hiding my blistered, bleeding wounds. On my eighth birthday, Pearl tricked me into staying in the sun all day. I knew I was dying. That night, two strange men came to my bed. “Before I die,” I whispered, “could I feel Mom’s love one last time?” The man in white sighed: “Swap souls with your sister for a day.” The man in black objected: “That’s against the rules.” Amid their argument, something went wrong—Mom’s soul entered my body instead of Pearl’s. … The white-suited man’s face, once pale, flushed a deep red. His impossibly long tongue shot out and wrapped around his partner’s neck. “Look what you’ve done! Now there are two souls in one body!” The man in black casually unwound the tongue with one hand and placed the other on my head. He smiled. “Technically, it’s one and a half.” “Half of her soul remains in her own body, and the other half will stay with you for a day. Are you willing, little one?” Feeling my mother inside me… it was the warmest I had ever felt. I smiled at them and nodded vigorously. Before they vanished, they spoke in unison. “We will return for you tomorrow.” 2 After they left, I tiptoed into my mother’s bedroom. The men had said she wouldn’t wake for another day. I tucked the blankets around her, making sure she wouldn’t get cold. She looked so peaceful. Content, I returned to my own bed, waiting for my mother’s half-soul to wake up and talk to me. But it wasn’t Mom I was met with. It was Pearl. She entered my room carrying a brand-new lamp. I dreaded those lamps. This one had a symbol on it: UVC MAX. I didn’t know what the letters meant, but I knew that light made my skin burn with a pain that was beyond words. This was the 99th lamp Pearl had brought home. She was always finding new ways to make me cry, to make me suffer. Instinctively, I pulled on my sun-protective hoodie and mask. Pearl ripped the hoodie off me, her voice sharp with anger. “What are you hiding for, Mary? You made a mistake. Don’t you know how to atone for your sins?” I stared at the lamp in her hand, trembling. I dropped to my knees, begging. “Pearl, I didn’t do anything today! I came straight home and went to my room. I didn’t even eat dinner.” She didn’t believe me. She ground her foot onto my hand, pressing down, her weight a crushing force. “You little liar! Fraud! Mom barely has time to come home, and you used it to tattle on me again, didn’t you?!” I tore my hand free from under her shoe, the sudden movement sending me sprawling backward onto the floor. I was terrified of her. I could only curl into a ball, protecting my head. “I didn’t, Pearl,” I whimpered. Her teeth were clenched. “You didn’t? Then why didn’t Mom hug me when she got home today?” I shook my head frantically. “She must have been tired from work. Pearl, I’m really not lying.” Her eyes were bloodshot in the moonlight, her mouth opening and closing like the witch from a fairy tale. “You spent the whole day in the sun. Why aren’t you dead yet?!” Without another word, she flicked the switch on the lamp. She aimed the harsh beam directly at my exposed face and arms. Agonizing pain spread like fire across my skin. The sores, already raw, began to bleed again. “Aah! Pearl, it hurts! Please, I’m begging you, please stop!” Perhaps it was the searing pain that did it, but at that moment, my mother’s soul woke up inside me. She was stunned, a silent observer to the horror. Pearl’s face was a twisted, ferocious mask in the pale light. It took Mom a moment to process it. Pearl, what are you doing?! Where did you get a lamp like that? You know your sister can’t be exposed to this light! But the girl before us didn’t flinch. She moved the lamp even closer. Mom panicked, using my small hands to push it away. Put it down! It’s me, Mom, do you hear me? Pearl looked at me as if I were insane. “Mary, you’ve really lost your mind!” Mom began to fight her, using my own small body. But even though we were the same age, my frail, weakened frame was no match for Pearl’s healthy one. After a brief struggle, Pearl shoved me hard to the ground. She loomed over me, her voice a low growl. “You’ve really gone too far this time, Mary!” The next second, she cranked the lamp to its highest setting. The intense light hit my arm, and the weeping, open sores were instantly scorched black. Blood and pus seeped through the fabric of my sleeve, spreading into a dark, crimson stain. “Aah! It hurts… It hurts so much!” I heard the screams, thin and desperate. That wasn’t my voice. It was my mother’s. For years, the burning, blistering pain had been a constant companion. I was numb to it. But my mother was not. This was the first time she had ever felt it. The agony made her groan inside my body, her every breath a shudder. A tight, sharp pain bloomed in my own chest, choking me, leaving me unable to speak. It was my fault. I was the one making my mother hurt like this. I glared at Pearl, my hand fumbling for something on the nightstand. With all the strength I had left, I threw it at the lamp. It shattered, sending shards of glass flying. One of them sliced Pearl’s cheek. She clutched her face, glanced nervously toward Mom’s room, and then turned back to me, her eyes filled with hatred. “Just you wait, Mary. I’ll deal with you tomorrow!” I looked down at what I had thrown. It was my favorite photograph. My heart ached as I picked it up. It was from before Pearl came, a picture of Mom holding me at Disneyland. We were both smiling so brightly then. I gently wiped a smudge off my mother’s face in the photo. After a long silence, she finally spoke inside my head. Mary, how am I in your body? And… has Pearl always been like this? I bit my lip, saying nothing. I was afraid that if I said the wrong thing, she would get angry with me again, just like before. When I didn’t answer, she asked again. Why didn’t you tell me? Then, she answered her own question. It’s my fault. You did tell me. It was me… it was me who didn’t believe you. Yes. I had told her three years ago. The first time was right after Pearl arrived. She “”fell”” down the stairs and blamed me. “Mary doesn’t like me,” she’d sobbed. “She thinks I’m stealing her mommy.” Back then, Mom had held Pearl in her arms and given me a look I had never seen before. The second time was shortly after we started elementary school. She hid my protective face mask during lunch. It was the summer solstice, and the sun was brutal. I was sick all over by the time I got home. “Pearl hid my mask,” I told Mom. But Mom found the mask in my bedroom. “Mary, you forgot it yourself. Why would you blame your sister?” She punished me by sending me to bed without dinner. When Pearl brought a tray of food to my room, my mouth watered. But just as I reached for it, she knocked it to the floor. Then she ran to Mom, crying, “Mary said she’d rather starve than see my face! Maybe I should just go back to the orphanage.” Mom stopped her, then turned to me, her voice furious. “Mary, if you bully your sister one more time, I’m sending you to the orphanage!” Pearl leaned against my mother’s shoulder, her body shaking with fake sobs, a triumphant smirk hidden on her face. That was when I understood. No matter what I said, my mother would never believe me again. I didn’t want to go to the orphanage. I wanted to stay with my mom forever. So there was a third time, and a fourth, and countless more after that. No matter how Pearl hurt me, no matter how much pain I was in, I never told my mother again. And now, I only had one day left to live. “It’s not your fault, Mommy,” I told her. “It’s my fault for being sick.” “Don’t be scared, Mommy. After tomorrow, you’ll be okay again. Just stay with me for one day, okay?” Her voice in my head was choked with tears. Mary, for these past three years, I was wrong… I’m so sorry. It was my fault. I promise, from now on, I will be with you for the rest of our lives. I desperately wanted to hug her, to tell her it was okay. But I couldn’t. And we didn’t have a lifetime. Still, to feel her this close to me… it filled me with a peace and happiness I couldn’t describe. That night felt like when I was very little. My mother and I talked for a long, long time. So long that I started to believe tomorrow would never come. 3 I woke early the next morning. Out of habit, I went to the kitchen trash can, picked out yesterday’s leftovers, and began stuffing them into my mouth. Mom’s voice was shocked. Mary, why are you eating out of the garbage? My mouth was full. “I didn’t eat at all yesterday,” I mumbled. “I’m so hungry I could faint.” “It’s okay, Mommy.” I peeled a hard-boiled egg I’d found. “See? This one is still clean.” This was my last day with her. I needed my strength. Where is your breakfast? she asked. Doesn’t anyone make you breakfast? I lowered my head, not answering. From the dining table, I could hear laughter. It was our housekeeper, Mrs. Gable, scrolling through videos on her phone. Mom’s anger flared. Where is Mary’s breakfast? Mrs. Gable stared at me, a puzzled look on her face as if she’d never seen me before. “Pearl is the young lady of this house. Who do you think you are, shouting orders?” Mom was incredulous. Even the help treated me this way. She was about to lash out again, but I grabbed my backpack and fled the house. I knew that if I talked back to Mrs. Gable, she would punish me too. Once, when Mom was away, I had simply said, “Ma’am, I’m hungry.” She and Pearl locked me in my room for three days without food. When they finally let me out, they told me to eat with Sunny. Sunny was our guard dog. I was so hungry back then that even the dog food tasted good. So, for me, leftovers from the trash were a feast. Outside, Pearl was already in the car. As I put one foot inside, the door slammed shut. BANG. My fingers were caught in the jamb. The pain was so sharp it brought tears to my eyes. “Do you really think you deserve to ride in a car, Mary?” Pearl sneered. She turned to our driver. “Let’s go!” The car sped away, leaving me in a cloud of dust. I stood there, clutching my throbbing fingers. “Mommy,” I whispered. “I have to walk to school today. I’m going to be late. Are… are you mad at me?” Her voice was tight. So this is why you were always late? I nodded slightly. Halfway there, it started to rain. Luckily, I had an umbrella. But when I opened it, it was riddled with holes, big and small. This was the umbrella Mom had bought me at Disneyland when I was five. I loved it. But now it was ruined. Inside, scrawled in big red letters, were five words: MARY IS A PIG! I knew it was Pearl’s doing. Mom’s voice was a low growl. When I get back in my own body tomorrow, I’m going to make that girl pay! “It’s okay, Mommy,” I said, trying to soothe her. “Let’s just go to school.” I folded the broken umbrella and put it in my bag, walking on through the downpour. The rain got heavier, soaking my clothes through. The cold water seeped onto my skin, and a thousand tiny needles of pain pricked at me. Mom must have been hurting even more. Suddenly, I felt so stupid. I couldn’t even protect an umbrella. I was making my mother suffer with me. I was so sorry. The rain fell harder. My eyes felt wet, but I hadn’t cried in a very, very long time. It was my mother. She was crying. She didn’t speak for the rest of the walk. But I could feel her sadness, heavy and silent inside me. “

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I was having Christmas Eve dinner with my parents when my wife’s assistant, Brendan Cole, suddenly called and unleashed a torrent of abuse. “Arthur Reid, have you been washing your brain along with the laundry all day? I warned you repeatedly, Ms. Clarke is working overtime on a project this holiday, and no one is to disturb her! You act like you don’t understand basic English, sending your parents to cause trouble, almost ruining months of company effort! Can you bear the consequences of that?” “If you can’t control those two senile old fools, I don’t mind giving them a proper lesson myself!” Completely bewildered, I looked at my parents sitting across from me. “Brendan, aren’t you mistaken? My parents are clearly…” Brendan scoffed. From the other end of the line, I suddenly heard familiar cries and pleas. “Stop, what right do you have to hit us? We were just worried about Sophia working over Christmas, trying to bring her some homemade pot pies…” I snapped back to reality, gritting my teeth as I roared. “Brendan, are you insane? They’re Sophia Clarke’s parents!” Brendan let out a mocking laugh. “Still won’t admit your mistake? Pulling the ‘respected elder’ card won’t work on me! Get them! Beat the old fools senseless! I want to see how tough their mouths really are!” … The horrific screams from the phone line turned my mind to ice. “You’re mad, you’ve completely lost it! I’m warning you, tell Sophia immediately to get them to a hospital! Otherwise, you’re finished!” Sophia had worked overtime every Christmas for the past three years. My in-laws must have wanted to surprise her, traveling all the way from their hometown. While I was a little surprised, there was no mistaking their voices. This bastard Brendan dared to abuse his power, acting like a complete tyrant! Sophia would never let him get away with this! Yet, in response to my warning, Brendan’s laughter grew louder, laced with heavy derision. “You’re a useless kept man, lying around at home, and you’re threatening me now? Do you really think just because you got lucky and married Ms. Clarke, your whole family can get away with bullying everyone?” “Without Ms. Clarke, you’re nothing!” As he spoke, another scream echoed from the other end. Brendan cackled, “I’ve got your old man under my boot right now! Come on, let me see how you plan to kill me!” My temper flared. “You’ve gone too far!” I knew Brendan always looked down on me. Constantly hinting that I was a freeloader. But Sophia always advised me not to stoop to the level of a young hothead like Brendan. “If others knew that besides our office tower, your family owns three other buildings collecting rent, people would get jealous! Don’t flash your wealth. Society is so volatile these days; I don’t want you to be targeted or get into any danger.” I wondered if Sophia would regret it when she learned Brendan had mistaken her parents for mine, subjecting them to such unrestrained brutality and humiliation. For the sake of my in-laws’ safety, I forced myself to calm down, squeezing out a reply through clenched teeth. “Brendan, I advise you not to make things worse! Tell Sophia about this immediately, there’s still a chance to salvage the situation…” Brendan, however, sighed. “What a spineless wretch. I was waiting for you to come kill me, but you’ve chickened out? After all that talk, you still have to use Ms. Clarke to pressure me?” “You want me to let your parents go? Simple. Kneel all night outside the corporate tower, admit your mistake, and confess you’re a useless kept man!” Amidst a burst of laughter from the other side, the call disconnected. My heart pounded with anxiety. I immediately stood up from the table, mumbled an excuse to my aging parents, and rushed to my car, speeding towards the office. Along the way, I floored the accelerator. First, I called the police, then tried Sophia’s number again and again. After more than a dozen calls, she finally picked up. “Arthur, what is it? I’m really busy here.” I rarely lost my temper with her. “What’s so busy about a lousy company? Don’t you know, your parents are being beaten half to death by Brendan!” Sophia’s own temper flared. “Arthur, what do you mean? Is it just because I didn’t come back to spend the holidays with you? Why are you being so sarcastic? Are all your promises to support my work just lies?” “And what did Brendan ever do to you? You can’t just slander him like this because you’re jealous of his success, can you?” I was almost laughing from pure exasperation. What was there to be jealous of Brendan for? “No, do you think I’m joking? Go check right now what Brendan has done! Those are your parents, don’t you care if they live or die? What’s wrong with them wanting to bring you a warm pot pie because they felt you were working too hard on Christmas? How dare Brendan—” Before I could finish, Sophia cut me off impatiently. “Enough! I’m really busy right now, I don’t have time for your made-up stories! If you really can’t stand Brendan, I’ll fire him once this project is done, alright? Are you satisfied now?” The dial tone that followed left me utterly numb. I called back, but she had blocked my number. Arriving at the corporate tower, I immediately spotted the scattered, trampled pot pies on the ground. And the horrifying bloodstains! My heart clenched. “Mom, Dad… where are you?!” I slammed the car door shut and rushed inside, only to be surrounded by several security guards. “What do you want? Stop! No unauthorized personnel allowed!” I scanned them; they looked unfamiliar. “I’m your Ms. Clarke’s husband, Arthur Reid!” However, as soon as I spoke, the guards’ eyes lit up. “So this is the guy Mr. Cole told us to teach a lesson? What a pathetic loser, trying to steal Mr. Cole’s woman!” Before I could react, the lead guard slammed a baton squarely on my head. My vision went black, and I tumbled to the ground. “What are you… what are you doing? Stop it! Have you gone mad, hitting me too?” But they showed no mercy. They rushed forward, kicking and punching me. “Heh, you deserve it, you shameless piece of trash! Why don’t you take a good look at yourself? Do you really think you’re worthy of Ms. Clarke? And you have the audacity to pester her, claiming to be her husband?” “Mr. Cole and Ms. Clarke are the real couple! They’re having Christmas Eve dinner upstairs with his parents and relatives right now, and your deadbeat parents came to cause trouble. How unlucky!” My heart lurched. My eyes widened in disbelief. “What nonsense are you talking about? Stop it, stop it… I’m warning you, I’ve already called the police, they’ll be here any minute!” Just then, a siren wailed in the distance. The guards’ movements paused briefly. But then, Brendan’s voice echoed. “Damn it, the bastard really called the police? What are you all standing around for? Drag him inside and clean up the mess on the floor!” I struggled desperately but couldn’t break free. They forcibly gagged me and dragged me like a dead dog into the security room. Powerless, I heard the police car pull up outside the corporate tower. The officers conducted their routine inquiry. But Brendan smoothly gave them an excuse. The police, still uneasy, contacted Sophia. Over the phone, Sophia chuckled softly. “My apologies, I’ll apologize on Brendan’s behalf! He was just playing a prank! He was upset that I had to work over Christmas, so he deliberately tried to mess with me. I deeply regret his waste of police resources!” “My parents? That scoundrel, how dare he curse my parents? Don’t worry, they’re safe back home…” My heart sank into the deepest abyss. In desperation, I fumbled for my phone in my pocket, trying to smash the security room window to create a commotion. The security guard holding me down glared, his eyes menacing. “What are you doing? Trying to get yourself killed?” He slammed his baton on my head. The pain made me writhe on the floor. The hand gripping my phone was exposed. Another guard, his face grim, stomped on my hand. Crunch! I convulsed in pain, unable to tell if it was my fingers snapping or the phone screen shattering. Bang! Suddenly, the security room door was violently thrown open. A final flicker of hope ignited in my chest, and I quickly looked up. But I only saw Brendan’s sneering face. “You damn dog, haven’t you caused Ms. Clarke enough trouble already? I was only planning to give you a small lesson. But it seems you still haven’t realized your mistake!” “Or do you think I’m all talk?” With that, he snapped his fingers. Two elderly figures, tightly bound, covered in blood, their bodies limp like rag dolls, were roughly thrown to the ground. Seeing those two familiar forms, my mind reeled, and I trembled uncontrollably. The moment the guards released me, I lunged forward like a madman. “Mom, Dad, are you alright? Don’t scare me like this, wake up!” “Brendan, you monster! Get them to a hospital, now!” Brendan roared with laughter, seemingly enjoying my pathetic state. “I really thought you didn’t care if these old fools lived or died! So where did you get the nerve not to just kneel and beg for mercy, but to actually call the police and go against me?” I was beyond arguing with him. As I tried to shake my father-in-law’s shoulder, he remained unresponsive. Blood steadily gushed from his mouth and nose. My mother-in-law was no better, her face a bloody mess, gasping for every breath. I suddenly looked up, staring fiercely at Brendan. I wanted to demand, Why? Whether these were Sophia’s parents or my own, how could he be so cruel to two innocent elderly people? But I didn’t dare provoke his brutality further. Gritting my teeth, I bowed my head and pleaded. “Their lives are on the line, they really can’t hold on! You don’t want to be a murderer, do you?” “Brendan, you just want me to kneel and admit I’m a useless kept man, right? I’ll kneel, alright?” Brendan raised an eyebrow, scoffing. “Oh, finally giving up the tough act? You wouldn’t admit your mistake earlier, you wouldn’t admit it later. Now that you’re at your wits’ end, you suddenly ‘realize’ your mistake? You haven’t realized your mistake, you’re just scared!” I was desperate. “What do you want, then? What will it take for you to let them go?” Brendan snapped his fingers again. The guards behind him rushed forward, pinning me down. Thud! My knees slammed hard against the ground. Brendan lightly patted my face, full of humiliation. “If you truly understand your mistake, you’d know what I want. Show me sufficient sincerity!”

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The day my daughter’s father sacrificed himself in the line of duty, I gleefully married the Mob boss who ordered his death. My daughter hated me for my heartlessness and cut all ties. I hated her for being a nuisance who blocked my path to riches. She sent me to the countryside for a “Ghost Marriage,” and I turned around and sold her to human traffickers. Twelve years later, she became a journalist. Her first story was to expose me, the villain, to the world. “Vivian Lane, you didn’t expect me to be alive, did you? I’m going to settle every debt—my father’s and mine—one by one!” “You aren’t my mother. You’re an animal.” “Didn’t you always want me dead? If you have the guts, show yourself!” But despite a billion netizens doxxing me for two whole days, they couldn’t find a single trace of me. I whispered in her ear, giggling. “Stupid girl, hahaha. Even if I die, I won’t let you find my body.” She didn’t know. Five years ago, someone paid a fortune to beg her to collect a few broken bone fragments from an incinerator. Those bones were mine. 1 Lily stared coldly into the camera, her eyes filled with rolling hatred. I hadn’t seen her in twelve years. She had grown from a noisy little brat into a steady young woman. Those eyes, righteous and awe-inspiring just like her father’s, looked particularly annoying. I reached out to pinch her ear, but naturally, my hand grasped nothing but air. “Vivian Lane, today I will make all the evidence public. I want to watch you lose everything you gained through illicit means.” “I will make sure you rot in prison, cursed by thousands!” The livestream, with over a hundred thousand viewers, exploded with comments. I sneered and slapped her through the air. Twelve years ago, this damn girl looked at me with that same hate when the traffickers dragged her into the van. I was so mad I slapped her several times. I didn’t expect her to still not learn her lesson. If I had known, I would have slapped her to death back then. I sat indifferently on the table, watching her pull the first piece of evidence from a chipped box beside her: my ledger. Stained with brown splotches, the paper yellowed with age, displayed calmly to the netizens. [October 2nd, 200X: Received Mark’s death pension $2,000. Got a perm, bought two hair clips. Useless trash, even his death is only worth this much.] [November 4th, 2002: Received $10,000 from Boss Huo. Sent that damn girl to entertain some VIP clients. The little bitch actually injured someone. Tsk, next time I’ll drug her so she behaves.] [November 25th, 2002: Spent $500 hiring someone to dig up a grave. Boss Huo bought a new car and wanted to take me for a spin. The damn girl hugged her dead dad’s spirit tablet and called me cheap. In a rage, I dug up his bones and threw them in a cesspit.] … The comments scrolled violently, cursing my eighteen generations of ancestors. Netizens wished they could dig me up and tear me apart right now. But neither Lily nor I reacted. She calmly flipped the ledger to the last page. There were no words on that page, just an old receipt. [September 9th, 2002: Received $3,000 from Brother Meng. Sold daughter, Lily Lane.] It was stamped with my bright red fingerprint. The barrage of comments receded like a tide, the chaotic screen suddenly becoming clean. Silence reigned for several minutes before someone spoke again. [WTF, is this something a human does?] [Even if she couldn’t afford to raise her daughter, she can’t sell her! Is this something a mother does?] [If she couldn’t afford it, she could have started a GoFundMe; plenty of people would want to help.] [Wait, Lily was only 4 years old then?] I sneered. What do they know? Lily glanced coldly at the screen and took out the next piece of evidence. An item that made my pupils constrict instantly. 2 It was a bullet casing, obviously well-preserved. It was taken from her father’s heart. Back then, I wanted to throw away such bad luck, but she held a kitchen knife to my neck and snatched it back. Lily held up the casing, her face etched with obvious hatred. “My father had over a hundred wounds on his body, but the fatal one was this bullet. I spent six hours cleaning his body just to make him look human. But the next day, Vivian Lane married the culprit who killed my father.” “I suspect they colluded long ago… to kill my dad.” The netizens’ emotions surged again. [This animal! Letting her live free for one day is a failure of society.] [I’ll pay a million dollars to whoever finds this Vivian Lane!] [I’ll pay $30,000 for her location!] [Me too!] I leaned against the screen, scoffing. Want to find me? Maybe in the next life. Daughter, I want you to live with hatred for the rest of your life. But unexpectedly, the next day, netizens doxxed my address. It was a dilapidated resettlement housing complex, mostly abandoned. Lily tilted her head slightly, exposing a scar stretching from her cheek to her neck. She cut it herself with a knife because people said she looked like me. It wasn’t originally that long. I grabbed her hair and added another cut. Lily’s best friend covered her nose, looking at the peeling stairwell with unease. “Vivian Lane, who loves wealth and despises poverty, actually lives in a place like this?” “Did her sugar daddy dump her?” The door was locked tight. Lily took an axe from her bag and smashed the door, denting it. The day I married Huo Zheng, she used an axe just like this to shred my wedding dress. But I didn’t spare her either. I used a box of matches to burn her backpack and her dad’s portrait. Another swing, and the door crashed down. Inside was a very ordinary renovation, but the moment Lily saw it, she went mad. Her pupils dilated. She opened every door like a maniac, smashing tables in a frenzy. “Who allowed you to decorate this like the home Dad and I had? Who allowed you?” “Vivian, what gives you the right? What right?!” Watching those fragments, my heart ached. Every table and bowl here was made by my own hands. That damn girl. She smashed the wedding photo on the wall with a hammer, and broke my favorite jewelry in two. “Vivian Lane, get out here!” I giggled in her ear. “Little kid, you’re still too green! I knew you’d come. I even prepared a big gift for you.” “Want to check the storage room?” As if hearing me, she rushed to the corner storage room. The next moment, she convulsed and collapsed to the floor. Her best friend rushed over, holding her. But confusingly, there was nothing strange in the storage room, just a giant plush rabbit. Lily trembled violently, staring at the rabbit as if seeing something terrifying. I sewed that rabbit myself. I leaned in to touch it. However, maybe because I had been away from the place of death for too long, my movement caused my body to fall apart. After spending half a day piecing myself back together, I approached the rabbit. Lily loved rabbits when she was little. Her thirteenth birthday wish was for a big plush rabbit. Unfortunately, on that birthday, she only received Mark’s corpse. Since then, she’s been terrified of rabbits. I touched the rabbit’s nose heartache, sitting on its shoulder, watching Lily pull out a pair of scissors from a drawer. Just as I thought she would cut my rabbit, a woman suddenly walked in from outside. Lily’s emotions instantly stabilized. “Mom.” She threw herself into the woman’s arms like a wronged little girl. However, the woman suddenly looked up, staring straight at me. “Vivian Lane.” Did she see me? 3 However, the next moment I realized I was mistaken. Susan walked towards the rabbit, gently examining the stitching. “Vivian made this.” “It should be a gift for you.” Unexpectedly, the one who understood me best in the end was my love rival. Yes, before I married Mark, she chased him for three years, but Mark chose me. I was smug back then, but thinking about it now, it feels like bad luck. Lily retched, as if hearing something disgusting. “I don’t want it. It’s dirty.” She took the scissors and stabbed the rabbit. The scissors passed through my body and tore the rabbit’s back. Large clumps of cotton flew out. She leaned into Susan’s arms, staring at the cotton with red eyes. So these years, she was adopted by Susan. That day, Susan somehow found out I was selling Lily. She drove after us, chasing for over two hundred miles, and bought Lily back. Hearing Lily call her “Mom,” I curled my lips. Damn girl, I should have sold her further away. She threw down the scissors, and they supported each other out of the messy room. For the rest of the time, I was forced to follow Lily, watching their mother-daughter act, listening to netizens’ curses, and occasionally cursing them back. Until the seventh day, someone found my grave. At first, Lily clearly didn’t believe it. But standing in front of the tombstone, she laughed until she cried. The grave was obviously a few years old. It had my photo and my name carved on it. Lily touched the tombstone. Maybe from excitement, her hand trembled slightly. “Hahaha, karma is real.” “Vivian Lane, retribution finally found you!” She laughed for a while, then started looking for an axe, clearly wanting to smash my grave to vent her anger. Unfortunately, cemeteries don’t have such things. She strode out to buy an axe. Netizens also found out the location of my grave. To vent for Lily, some threw rotten eggs, some brought red paint. Soon, the originally just old tombstone became a mess. Lily got a small excavator. She walked to my tombstone, eyes full of satisfaction mixed with a complexity I didn’t understand. “Vivian, how you treated my dad back then, I’ll treat you now.” I also smiled widely, expecting the reaction of that damn girl when she sees the urn inside is the one she personally collected years ago. I waited for her to get on the excavator and dig up this grave herself. She walked halfway, then suddenly turned back, squatting down hugging her knees, trembling violently. She stared at my tombstone for two minutes, then suddenly picked up a rag and started wiping it. I scoffed. “Damn girl.” After a while, she wiped her tears, threw down the rag, and walked firmly to the excavator. “Vivian, you deserve it. You were heartless, you wronged my dad.” “Today I’m smashing your tombstone to avenge my dad!” With the rumble of the machine starting, the yellow claw smashed towards my tombstone. Everyone’s eyes were filled with satisfaction. A woman like me, who abandoned her husband and sold her daughter, deserved such an end. But amidst the cheers, frantic footsteps ran from the distance. “Stop!” “Lily, your mom never betrayed anyone.”

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I am a calico cat that has gained human consciousness. Scraping by in the entertainment industry for cat treats. One day, I transformed back into my original form and fell asleep in the snow. When I woke up, I found I had been shipped to Miami! The whole world was posting missing person notices. My agent: [Where is my precious artist!] My handful of fans: [Where is my sweet daughter!] The A-list actor: [Where is my huge wife!] A random netizen mixed in: [Found a stray cat on the prairie today, so pitiful! The North is too cold, so I sent her to Miami!] Accompanied by a beautiful photo of yours truly. When the A-list actor saw it, he gave a devastating reply: [She’s not spayed, is she?] Me??? 1 Who can understand the despair of doing absolutely nothing, waking up from a nap, and finding yourself transported from the prairie to Miami!!! The striking snowscape had turned into blue skies, white clouds, and blooming flowers. In the baking heat, I comfortably rolled over to expose my belly. The airport staff member stroked me while confirming over the phone. “Mr. Smith, your kitten has been at Miami International Airport for two days now. Please come and claim her as soon as possible.” I stretched my cat neck to eavesdrop. Judging by the voice, the person on the other end was a young man. Upon receiving the call, his first concern was: “Have you fed the cat?” The staff member affirmed. “Yes, she’s doing very well right now. When can Mr. Smith come to pick up the cat?” The young man on the other end breathed a sigh of relief. “Find a good spot and let her go. She’s just a stray. “I was afraid the North was too cold and she wouldn’t adapt, so I sent her to stray in Miami. “Sorry for the trouble.” Stray cat??? Who are you calling a stray cat??? Besides, a stray cat doesn’t necessarily want to change locations to stray! But the call was hung up early. Leaving me and the airport staff member staring at each other in confusion. 2 After feeding me, the staff member released me into the university district. This place is terrifying. I am a calico cat with unparalleled beauty. Everyone who sees me has to pet me a few times. Can’t hide. Being kissed all over by a pretty girl leaving lipstick marks—positive review. Being lifted high by a handsome college boy—positive review. Being fed cat treats and canned food—positive review. Being chased for mating by an unneutered orange tabby on campus—negative review! An eighty-thousand-word negative review! He’s not even a tenth as handsome as Scarface! I finally found a place without security cameras to transform into human form and buy a phone. It took a herculean effort, but I just couldn’t log into my social media. I’m crying, why does logging into a new device require a verification code! I haven’t memorized my agent’s phone number yet. Fortunately, I managed to call my old phone and explain the whole situation. My agent, Lily, clucked with laughter. “Little kitty, is Miami nice? “Suitable for straying?” I have manners, I don’t swear, I just repeatedly questioned, “Do you not love me anymore?” After laughing, Lily slowly spoke: “Wait for me to find someone to pick you up.” During the long wait, how could I not play on my phone? I registered a new account and went surfing the web. Clicking in, I occupied three of the top five trending topics. Mom! I made it! The first one was: #D-list Actress Mia Goes Missing.# At this level, they really didn’t need to specify that clearly. The second one: #Mia’s Agent Offers Hefty Reward for Information.# Boo hoo hoo, I knew Lily was the best, she was actually willing to empty her savings for me. Clicking in, it’s only two thousand bucks. Pretend I didn’t say anything. Who started the rumor about a hefty reward? It’s not even as much as the “Generous Reward for Lost Dog” flyers on telephone poles. The third one was: #Mia’s Acting Explosion Highlights.# Boo hoo hoo hoo, Mom, even a nobody like me has personal edit videos now. I secretly liked all the posts praising me. When I backed out, I finally had time to notice the exploding number one trending topic. #A-List Actor Searching for Wife.# When did the A-list actor get a wife? Hiss, let’s watch the drama. But clicking in. The A-list actor posted twenty tweets in three days. Every single one revealed the despair and heartbreak of losing his wife. [Where is my huge wife? Why did she disappear!] [Hefty reward for my wife! One million for clues!] [Wife! My wife! How can I live without my wife?] … A very sad story, if only the attached picture wasn’t a photo of me. When did I start dating the A-list actor, how come I didn’t know? Slapping my forehead, I got it. I’ve read short stories; there are many like this. They take my photo to date the A-list actor online. The subsequent plot: the A-list actor finds me. We accidentally fall in love. Hiss, I didn’t expect the A-list actor to have these thoughts about me. I told you everyone loves a little kitty. However, I already have a man. A handsome sugar baby who isn’t stupid but has lots of money. A 6’1″ rich kid who would use a massive mansion just to dry fish for me. Young people have great stamina; they can really toss you around in the middle of the night. Why would a cat look for a human? Then I have to mention my ex, a tabby cat who looks exactly like Brad Pitt— Scarface. We dated for half a year; touched little paws, rubbed little cheeks. But one day, Scarface ran off with a tortoiseshell cat prettier than me. Survival of the fittest, judging cats by their looks. Nature is truly cruel. From then on, I sealed my heart, deciding not to touch tomcats anymore. Instead, I’d touch men who have reproductive isolation from me. No babies; can pick it up and put it down. If I don’t love him, I’ll leave. 3 The A-list actor kept calling me his wife. With such certainty. So there were a bunch of inexplicable leaks on Twitter. Digging for clues about me and the A-list actor. Digging and digging, and there wasn’t a single photo of us together. Nor any clues. Netizens explained: [This is called avoiding suspicion.] Me: You can do that??? Among them, I saw a very interesting tweet. From a helpful netizen: [Found a stray cat on the prairie today, so pitiful! The North is too cold, so I sent her to Miami!] Accompanied by a super gorgeous photo of yours truly. Kind person, even if you attach a beautiful photo of me. I still can’t forgive you for banishing me to the frontier! But the food in Miami is pretty good. Chew chew chew. Eating an empanada. Then a bowl of ceviche. Eating while clicking open the comment section. Listening to a chorus of “hahahahaha”. But the most striking was the A-list actor’s comment: [She’s not spayed, is she?] What are you doing??? The helpful netizen who shipped the cat: [Oh my, if you didn’t remind me, I would have forgotten. I’ll find someone to catch the cat back and get her spayed right now.] Motherf***er??? I shivered. Good thing I ran fast. My premium genes just don’t want to breed. If I did, they would definitely be the most beautiful kittens in the world. I absolutely cannot be spayed. Suddenly I really miss Scarface. If he hadn’t run away. I should have had a litter of kittens by now! Fickle dog of a tomcat!!! Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo! Tears rolled into the soup one by one. It’s salty, doesn’t taste good. Someone took away the ceviche in front of me. I looked up, ready to scold. And realized it was the subject of my gossip, the A-list actor. He held a tissue, trying hard to be gentle, but his hand still wiped my tears heavily. “Why are you crying?” The tears were absorbed by the tissue, a damp patch. I pouted, feeling wronged. “Why are you here? “Also, I didn’t date you online. “They must have stolen my photos.” The A-list actor’s handsome face froze, and he only spoke half a minute later. “Do you not recognize me anymore? Daisy?” Daisy? My name when I was still a cat. I looked up and saw a trace of familiarity on the A-list actor’s face. My mouth was faster than my brain. “Scarface?” I didn’t wait for the A-list actor’s reply. A familiar voice exploded behind me. “Sister, so this is the person you were thinking about even in my bed?” Ah!!! Why is my sugar baby here too!!! Also! When did I ever call out “Scarface” in his bed? My life is over! Terrified! Trembling! There was the sound of someone taking a seat beside me. My sugar baby stretched out a long arm, and I was completely enveloped in a warm embrace. Breath fell on my ear. My sugar baby’s words continued. “I don’t know what kind of centuries-old grudge Mr. A-list actor has with my sister? “But right now, the one she chose is me. “I suggest you stop posting those misleading tweets, Mr. A-list actor.” A trace of loneliness flashed through Scarface’s eyes. But quickly, Scarface reined in his emotions, tilted his head forty-five degrees, revealing his most impeccable profile angle, lowered his voice, and spoke slowly with his most charming vocal cords. “Don’t speak too soon. “Some things aren’t as simple as you think. “I believe my wife Daisy must love me; we just had a little misunderstanding. “When we clear up the misunderstanding, you’ll be kicked to the curb. “You can only watch my wife and me be affectionate. “Just you wait and see.” Still handsome. But slightly greasy. Sure enough, lingering attachment to an ex is like a pile of loose sand. You don’t even need the wind to blow. Look a few more times and it all scatters. Younger guys are still more refreshing. So, I left with Leo, my sugar baby. Leaving nothing behind. Just like when Scarface left me with that tortoiseshell cat. Back then, two pairs of cat paw prints in the snow, walking very far away. Now, there is no snow, no paw prints. And no heartbreak either. 4 Leo didn’t ask me why I was here. Nor did he ask about Scarface. The villa in Miami, not for long-term living, had no nanny. Leo remained silent, just focused on deveining the shrimp. Preparing to make my favorite spicy braised shrimp. Remembering that sentence, “Sister, so this is the person you were thinking about even in my bed?” I felt anxious and uneasy, leaning over to rub against Leo. “Baby, have you finished your senior thesis?” Leo’s hand trembled, and he was pricked by the shrimp head, drawing blood. A bead of blood seeped out, but Leo didn’t care, just looked up and stared into my eyes. “Sister, I’m a junior this year.” A junior? Then what nonsense was I just spouting? Who will save a little kitty who only likes to sleep in the sun, but is now about to shatter. If I had known, I would have just played dead in the living room. The cold villa had nothing. I could only suck on Leo’s injured finger, drawing away the surface blood. Then went out to buy iodine swabs and Band-Aids. A cartoon cat head Band-Aid, sticking it on, was like my original form protecting my little sugar daddy. “No pain, no pain.” “Blow on it and it won’t hurt anymore.” Coaxing a man too seriously makes it easy to get yourself wrapped up in it. At noon the next day, rubbing my waist that had been tormented by the younger guy last night, I opened Twitter. I was preparing to DM my favorite celebrities, recording Leo’s preferences, to be the most qualified canary. No, canary is food. Then, I’ll be the most qualified little sweetheart. Humming a little tune, preparing to surf the web. Then, my heart tightened. Sure enough, Twitter had my legend again. #A-List Actor and College Boy, Mia Two-Timing.# #Miami Diner, Mia One Woman Battles Two Men.# I told them not to act like paparazzi. Clicking in, it was a photo of me held in Leo’s arms, talking to Scarface. Great angle, even better timing. Looking like a pair of flaunting adulterers and a pitiful, abandoned man. The comment section was full of heartache for Scarface. [Boo hoo hoo hoo, the A-list actor is too pitiful. Finally found this bad woman, and the bad woman cheated.] [No wonder Mia isn’t popular.] [Those who betray true love should swallow a hundred needles.] There were even some unbearable ones. … Soon, Scarface came out to explain. [I’m sorry, when she went missing, I was just too anxious and didn’t think it through. Mia and I had already broken up, and I didn’t know she had a current boyfriend. It was my lack of consideration, please don’t scold her anymore.] The comment section ached even more. Calling me an ungrateful woman. The words got uglier and uglier. My heart felt stuffy and uncomfortable. But I also knew netizens were furious right now. Even with sensible netizens around, replying now wasn’t the best choice. Finally, I just threw my phone aside and admired the flowers in the wind on the balcony. When Leo came back, I was hugging a pot of flowers, crying a river. My face flushed red from crying. Leo noticed my phone screen, looked away, then pulled me into his arms, coaxing me softly. “Sister, don’t cry. “He’s not worth you being so sad over.” It’s not for Scarface. What I’m sad about is why I didn’t do anything, yet these humans hate me so much. I’ve always been a law-abiding good cat, even helping old ladies cross the street. It’s not like I helped an old lady jaywalk. Crying and choking, unable to explain, I cried myself to sleep in Leo’s arms. In my daze, someone was gently patting my back, saying something about love or not. Right, love. I want lots and lots of love.

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After redeeming the villain with love and preventing his descent into darkness, I was joyfully preparing for retirement. But when I woke up, the blackened villain from another timeline was standing by my bed. And the villain I had saved just happened to push open the door and walk in. They stared at each other. I clutched my head in agony: “System!! Fix the bug quickly! Ahhh!” Later, my retirement plan was completely scrapped. The little villain hugged my waist with teary eyes, begging me not to leave. The big villain pressed against my neck, leaving a circle of teeth marks. 1 I am the older brother of the male lead, Caleb. Three years older, no blood relation. I’ve been by his side since I was one. He was afraid of thunder, I held him to sleep. He was beaten, I fought back for him. He was abandoned, I took him in. I taught him, shaped his worldview, and set his moral standards. Why go to such lengths? All of this was for my own grand plan. I have a secret. I am an employee of the World Administration Bureau. The System detected that the villain in this world was too powerful and would exterminate the male and female leads in the future. So it sent me to save the villain, Caleb. As long as his blackening value reaches zero, not only can I receive a huge sum of money, but I can also welcome my retirement! A retirement life where I get paid every month for doing nothing! I worked diligently without any negligence. Finally, on Caleb’s 18th birthday. As Caleb made a wish and blew out the candles, a mechanical system voice also came: [Congratulations Host, the villain Caleb’s blackening value has been cleared.] Finally!!!! I was ecstatic, wishing I could dance on the spot. But on the surface, I still calmly patted Caleb’s head, fulfilling my duty as an adopted brother. “Caleb, you’re an adult now. You can’t always cry, you have to be independent.” “Big brother can’t be by your side every moment.” Caleb nodded obediently. “Thank you, brother.” Suddenly he asked: “Will brother stay with me forever?” I hesitated for a moment, but still answered: “Of course, brother promises you.” Ate some cake as a gesture. I pulled up the quilt happily, my mind full of thoughts about retirement life. I should be able to return to the main world tomorrow. My identity will be replaced by someone from another department. Although I do have feelings for this child. I can still come back to see him with another identity. After all, having raised him for so long, I really treat him as a younger brother. The cold wind of the winter night raged, but I slept soundly with the heater on. Suddenly felt a chill on my stomach in the middle of the night. I struggled groggily to wake up. Just opened my eyelids a crack, vaguely seeing a shadow. Moving around on my chest. Sleepiness pulled me down again. I didn’t see clearly. 2 The next day, I opened my eyes with satisfaction. A dreamless night, I was just about to ask the System when I could go back. But found something wrong. A figure was standing by my bed. I turned my head blankly. The features were basically identical to Caleb’s, just more mature. I called out dumbly: “Caleb?” The man didn’t respond, just hooked the corner of his mouth slightly, a hint of interest surfacing in his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, the door was pushed open. Eighteen-year-old Caleb pushed open the door, face full of smiles: “Brother! Wake…” I clearly saw the smile on his face drop rapidly, running over with a wary look. Blocking between me and the mature Caleb. “Who are you?” Cold as ice. That man was taller, his temperament more composed. He stepped back slightly in his leather shoes. “I am Caleb. And you? Little Caleb?” Little Caleb’s face showed a bit of disillusionment. He turned to look at me, looking a bit fragile. “Brother, what’s going on?” Watching him grow up since childhood, I felt his expression was a bit strange. But I didn’t think too much about it. I was also freaking out right now, frantically pinging the System. [System!! What’s going on ahhh, where did this male lead come from ahhh!] [Looks so scary! This is not the kid I can control at all!] Half a moment later, the System’s mechanical voice came: [Host, this is the Caleb who ruined the male and female leads’ families.] [A bug appeared in the main world, bringing Caleb from another timeline over.] [Be careful, this Caleb is very dangerous.] I sat up immediately, reaching out to hold Little Caleb’s hand. Cold wind poured into my quilt, I shivered subconsciously. Little Caleb immediately took a coat and draped it over me, staring covetously at the Blackened Version Caleb. Blackened Caleb raised an eyebrow, looking at me strangely. Suddenly bent down and touched my face. “Where did you come from? I’ve never seen you.” Little Caleb slapped away the hand touching me like a wolf cub. “Get lost, you’re the one who came from nowhere.” The other Caleb wasn’t in a hurry either, dragged a chair and sat down. Watching Little Caleb dress me and put on my socks, he finally spoke: “So… you haven’t mastered the Helios network yet?” Little Caleb paused. This was originally the inevitable path for the blackened Caleb. But I have been preventing him from contacting these dark things. Caleb understands himself so well, he knew just by looking at his own expression. “You mastered it… What? Don’t want him to know?” Saying this, he cast his gaze towards me. I widened my eyes. Looked at Little Caleb. “Caleb! Didn’t I say?” Little Caleb lowered his eyes aggrievedly. “You believe whatever he says.” The angry words I wanted to say got stuck in my throat, took a deep breath. “So, did you do it or not, no lying.” Little Caleb didn’t speak for a long time. My chest felt tight with anger. And Blackened Caleb was watching the show on the stool. His expression was a bit strange yet amused. “Caleb… let me talk to him. I am you, there are many things I think he doesn’t want to know, right?” Little Caleb was like an enraged lion. “Impossible!” “I’ll talk to you.” I glared at him, stepped out the door, and said coldly to Little Caleb: “Stay put obediently.” Then waved to the other Caleb. “You come over.” I was also freaking out inside. My grand retirement plan, ruined just like that. Caleb followed behind me at a leisurely pace. I could feel him sizing me up. From top to bottom. Like looking at some rare toy. I turned around unhappily to meet his eyes. Dark and deep, completely different from Little Caleb. Twenty-six-year-old Caleb was already so tall, very oppressive. I glared at him with a cold face, leading the way again. Blackened Caleb touched his nose and smiled slightly. Only then did I feel the gaze wasn’t so obvious anymore. I pushed open the study door and sat down. Blackened Caleb sat opposite me with legs slightly apart. “Kitten, what’s your name?” I ignored his teasing words, answering flatly: “Adrian.” His finger tapped lightly on the table a few times, suddenly said: “Adrian, let’s play a game, okay?” “I ask a question, then you ask one, how about it?” “You go first.” I nodded in agreement; I came with the purpose of investigating him anyway. 3 I looked straight into his eyes and asked: “How did you come to this world?” Blackened Caleb hooked his lips and smiled: “This world? Adrian, you aren’t a person of this world, are you?” My heart tightened. Indeed hard to deal with, I said angrily: “Answer my question first!” He hooked my hand as if surrendering: “Okay, I woke up and was here, lying on the floor.” “Watched you for half a day, didn’t expect Adrian to love sleeping so much.” I didn’t respond. Blackened Caleb widened his eyes, looking a bit expectant: “So… Adrian, have you done it with that kid yet?” Who? When I realized it was Little Caleb, my face exploded red instantly. “What are you saying?! I’m just his brother.” Blackened Caleb chuckled lightly, with schadenfreude and a bit of “wishing iron could turn into steel”. “Haven’t even eaten that yet.” I darkened my face and asked again: “Can you go back on your own?” Blackened Caleb shrugged: “Brother, I was forced to come here, how can I go back.” Saying this, he lowered his eyebrows making a pitiful look. Looked a bit like Little Caleb. But how could I be confused by his appearance. In the original plot, he was a villain who killed without blinking an eye. Caleb raised a question again: “Brother, how long have you lived with the me of this world?” I answered calmly: “17 years.” That person muttered again: “Why weren’t you by my side?” Saying this he showed a smile again. “Do you really understand me?” Suddenly, he leaned his face close to me forcefully, as if wanting to kiss me. “Brother, believe it or not, your real brother will burst in any second.” “Do you know how many surveillance cameras are in this house?” My whole body stiffened, just wanted to resist. Suddenly, the door was flung open forcefully. Little Caleb stood at the door pursing his lips. He looked coldly at our actions. Took a big step forward and pulled Blackened Caleb away. Face looked calm, but actions were ruthless. Raised hand and punched the other Caleb hard. I heard the sound of fist hitting cheek flesh. Blackened Caleb naturally wouldn’t show weakness either. Raised foot and kicked. Watching the two punch each other several times, Little Caleb fell into a disadvantage. After all, he was still young. In chaos, I smashed the vase on the table forcefully. A tiny fragment grazed my cheek. Leaving a thin blood trail. The huge bang brought the sanity of these two guys back. I looked at these two coldly. “What are you doing?! Huh?” Little Caleb’s cheekbone and mouth corner were all bruised. The two seemed to hate each other to death. Specially aiming for the face. Little Caleb’s eyes filled with tears, walked to my side pitifully. “Brother, it hurts.” Blackened Caleb also had a few bruises on his face. He narrowed his eyes watching Little Caleb act spoiled to me. Fingers stretched slowly. Raised eyes sweeping over the fragments, spoke lightly: “Your brother is injured.” Little Caleb raised his tear-filled eyes. Saw the tiny wound on my face. Let a tear roll down from his eye. While nervously saying: “Brother sorry…” While taking out a band-aid from the study drawer. “Brother, does it hurt?” I soothingly touched the wound on his face. “You go out first, okay? I’ll apply medicine for you later.” Little Caleb shook his head. I deepened my tone. “Be obedient.” Little Caleb stiffened, could only leave looking back every three steps. Didn’t forget to glance at Blackened Caleb. Mouth instructing me: “Don’t forget to apply medicine for me later.” When Little Caleb left, Blackened Caleb gave a light tsk. Thoughtfully closed the door again. Crossed legs leaning against the table. “I also want you to apply medicine for me.” I tensed up. This wasn’t the child I could control. So I nodded slightly, said lightly: “Sure, exchange with something you think is valuable.” Blackened Caleb was slightly silent, as if weighing the item’s value. Finally spoke: “The day I came, a monk tried to scam me.” “Asked me for three hundred bucks, I was too lazy to deal with it, threw a pile of money over.” Hearing this. I quickly called the System out: [System! Is this monk related to this matter?!] System replied: [Still investigating, Host needs to stabilize this Caleb.] Blackened Caleb looked at me lightly, suddenly spoke: “Who are you talking to?” My heart tightened, this battle-hardened smelly pervert is sensitive. “Nothing.” I nonchalantly called Little Caleb in too. Blackened Caleb chuckled lightly, as if letting me off. 4 I pulled out the medical kit from under the table. Two Calebs sat on either side of me. Little Caleb looked at me with teary eyes: “Brother, I hurt so much.” Blackened Caleb chuckled, teasingly said: “Brother~ I hurt too.” Little Caleb’s wolf cub eyes instantly fixed on Blackened Caleb. “You aren’t allowed to call him brother.” I was silent, pressed the cotton swab dipped in iodine hard on both their faces. Little Caleb was used to acting spoiled and cute in the past. If it were before, he would probably ask me for a hug. But now seeing Blackened Caleb not making a sound, he also endured the pain. Little Caleb looked at me pitifully, while saying: “Brother, don’t know where this person came from! Hurry kick him out, okay?” I felt bitter inside. If I could kick him out, would Caleb need to ask? I would have done it immediately. I asked the System in my heart: [Can I just drop this world and retire directly?] The System rejected me. [Still troubleshooting the cause, persistence is victory.] I could only shake my head at Little Caleb. Blackened Caleb put away his smile, swept a glance at the childish version of himself. Spoke with schadenfreude: “Adrian, I remember I wasn’t this well-behaved at 18.” “This little cub is hiding quite a few things from you.” “Want me to say a few? Like the house full of surveillance.” “Probably even in Adrian’s bathroom.” I paused, almost fooled by Little Caleb! The surveillance matter mentioned before almost turned the page again. I put down the cotton swab, frowning at Caleb. “Caleb, speak for yourself.” Little Caleb glared at Blackened Caleb, stuttering. “I… I, I did put some cameras.” “But Brother, I just want to ensure your safety!” “Didn’t think anything else.” I narrowed my eyes slightly, Blackened Caleb beside added fuel to the fire: “There’s also Scarlett and Chase, why don’t you mention them.” Scarlett and Chase are the female and male leads of this world. Also the objects I protect in this world. Looks like Caleb still did something. But wasn’t his blackening value already cleared?! Little Caleb looked at me uneasily. Drooped his shoulders miserably, begging for mercy: “Can you not ask anymore Brother?” I sneered, swept a glance at him. “Fine, I won’t ask, I’ll go see for myself.” In the original plot, Caleb made a move on the male lead’s company because he didn’t like him. And finally succeeded! And now, under my guidance. Caleb didn’t make a move, but carefully managed his own business. I turned on the computer, the password was always my birthday. Previously I trusted Caleb, and the System background also kept showing his blackening value dropping. But now, I opened the computer folder, saw the information of the male and female leads inside. And personality analysis of each person. Caleb investigated them privately. Looks like a prelude to doing bad things no matter how you look at it! I secretly asked the System in disbelief: [Is your detection machine really okay???] System responded quite seriously: [Of course no problem! This was created by our great Main God!] Blackened Caleb suddenly laughed, I glared at him. Saw Little Caleb beside with eyes already full of tears. Pitifully about to fall. Raising him for years, every time he made a mistake he looked like this. I hardened my heart. Kicked him into the room to reflect. Before leaving, Little Caleb stared tightly at Blackened Caleb with resentful eyes. Like a venomous snake wanting to pounce and bite off his neck in an instant. Blackened Caleb swept over lightly with a faint smile. Sneered nonchalantly, walked away slowly. I never locked Caleb up. But this time the situation was too serious. And I also must deal with the bug of this world. Which is this Blackened Caleb in front of me.

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When my husband gave his entire fifty-thousand-dollar bonus to the girl from the spa for her heart surgery, I lost it. I smashed everything in our apartment to pieces, screaming the most vicious things I could think of. “Get out. I don’t want to catch whatever disease you picked up from her.” “If you and that woman die in the street, I won’t even spit on your graves.” “You pathetic bastard! A leopard can’t change its spots, can it? You’re just trash!” Alexander heard me, then slowly, deliberately, crushed his cigarette out with his bare hand. A cold smirk twisted his lips. “Right. You’re the saint here.” “Forgetting who stripped naked and climbed into my bed at eighteen? Who walked around campus with a baby bump under her sweatshirt?” The trust I had given him for years transformed into a blade, and he plunged it straight into my heart. What Alexander didn’t know was that in the instant those words left his mouth, I gave up on our marriage. And on our second child. … The room fell into a dead silence. The friends who had come to play peacemaker stared, their hands clapped over their mouths in shock. Only the people closest to you know exactly where to stick the knife to make it hurt the most. I can still remember that baby, dissolving into a pool of blood on a dirty bathroom floor. We were just two broke students, unable to scrape together even the few hundred dollars for a proper procedure. All we could afford were some pills from a back-alley clinic. In that foul-smelling restroom, a tearing pain ripped through my stomach, a pain that felt like it would never end. An eighteen-year-old Alexander held me, his own tears spent as he sobbed. “I’m sorry, Ava. It’s all my fault. I’m an animal, it’s all my fault…” And now, thirty-year-old Alexander was using that same horrific memory to call me cheap. All for that girl from the spa. My face was ashen. I felt like I was about to collapse. I couldn’t form a single word. Alexander rubbed his brow, a flicker of regret in his eyes. Our friends rushed to his defense. “Ava, it’s not really Alex’s fault this time. That girl, Hailey, she ambushed him outside his office.” “Yeah, she was on her knees, begging, saying she couldn’t go on. Alex just felt sorry for her.” “Come on, it’s the holidays! There’s nothing a married couple can’t get through.” A long time ago, I might have believed that. That he just felt sorry for Hailey. A spa worker who hadn’t even finished high school—I never imagined he could actually fall in love with her. Not until he started moving heaven and earth to find specialists for her heart condition, year after year. Not until she mentioned she wanted to see the world, and he brought her as his date to the company’s annual gala. Not until she complained about her dysfunctional family, and he personally took her to an amusement park to make up for her lost childhood. They kissed at the top of the Ferris wheel. I only found out because a photo from the park’s security camera ended up on social media. The man who never had time for dinner with me had become someone else’s shoulder to lean on. We had our first explosive fight. Alexander swore she kissed him, that he was just too stunned to push her away when she started crying. The argument ended with him writing a letter, promising he’d never come home late again. I never imagined that would be the beginning of an endless cycle: fights, silent treatments, reconciliations. Sometimes it was over a tube of lipstick in the passenger seat. Other times, the scent of another woman’s perfume on his suit. He grew more impatient, colder. I became more and more hysterical. Now, I was just tired. Alexander had given Hailey so much. Money, love, time. He might as well give her my title, too. I managed a weak, hollow smile. “We won’t be a married couple for much longer.” Alexander stared at me in disbelief. “You’re going to divorce me? Over fifty thousand dollars?” “Ava, there’s a limit to this drama!” After all this time, after he had pushed my boundaries for her again and again, he still thought our marriage was indestructible. How absurd. As we stood there, deadlocked, his phone rang. I knew from the ringtone who it was, and a fresh wave of rage washed over me. For countless nights, that sound was my signal to stare at the ceiling alone until sleep finally came. After a few brief words, he grabbed his coat. “Where do you think you’re going? You are not leaving!” I blocked his path, incredulous. We were in the middle of this, and he was running to her. “We’ll talk when I get back.” “If you walk out that door, we’re getting a divorce!” “Alex, man, just say something!” one of his friends pleaded. “Bro, maybe you should stay with Ava for a bit. She’s not in a good place…” Everyone could see I was on the verge of a breakdown. Everyone but him. He didn’t see it, or he didn’t care. Alexander’s voice was laced with impatience. “We’ve said everything there is to say. She’ll cool down in a few days and see sense.” “We’ve been together for over a decade. You think we’re going to break up over something so small?” A bitter laugh escaped my lips as the front door slammed shut. In the living room, our huge wedding portrait lay shattered on the floor, a casualty of the fight. My tears hit the cold hardwood. For years, I had made excuses for him, tolerated and forgiven him time and again. But Alexander was no longer the boy who used to sneak out to buy me a greasy bag of takeout. I was the only one left clinging to the dying embers of a memory, fooling myself day after day. But now, even I couldn’t keep up the lie. I went straight to the hospital. The doctor told me that because of the first abortion, my uterine lining was already severely damaged. Another one could leave me unable to ever conceive again. I listened with my head down, completely numb. I signed the forms, took the anesthesia, and lay down on the operating table. I didn’t cry when the cold instruments entered my body. I just stared at the stark white light overhead, remembering that sweltering afternoon when I was eighteen. That dim, filthy bathroom stall, Alexander holding me tight, his palms slick with sweat, his eyes full of tears. The pain and fear were real then. And the love in his eyes was real, too. It’s just a shame that his love was now reserved for someone else. After the procedure, a nurse helped me off the table, murmuring post-op instructions. I steadied myself against the wall, each step a dizzying effort. The sharp, antiseptic smell of the hallway stung my nostrils. And there, in my most vulnerable moment, I saw my husband. He had his arm around another woman, his face wearing that familiar, gentle expression. I watched them talk, my heart a placid, dead sea. Hailey, dressed in a hospital gown, leaned weakly against Alexander’s chest. He must have been going to handle her admission paperwork because he left her for a moment. Hailey saw me. She froze, then her voice turned timid. “Ava? What are you doing here? Did you follow us?” “Alex is just being nice and keeping me company since I have no one. Please don’t misunderstand.” The words “no one” were spoken with deliberate, heavy emphasis. The pain in my abdomen was intense. I had no energy to play her games. But just as I turned to leave, Hailey bit her lip and rushed toward me. “Ava, that fifty thousand dollars is just the price of a few of your handbags, but it’s my life! The doctor said if I don’t have this surgery now, it’ll be too late! Please, don’t take this money from a dying woman! When I’m better, I’ll work like a dog to pay you back, I swear.” Without warning, she dropped to her knees, clutching at my pants, tears streaming down her face on command. “I’m begging you, please don’t take my life-saving money! I just want to live!” Her desperate cries echoed through the waiting room. All eyes turned to us, brows furrowed in judgment. “What kind of person is she, trying to take a sick woman’s money?” “She looks well-dressed, but her heart is made of stone!” “The poor girl is on her knees! Have some compassion…” A cold sweat broke out on my forehead from the pain. I tried to pull my leg away, but Hailey collapsed to the floor, her body trembling. Just then, Alexander pushed through the crowd and saw the scene. His face turned to thunder. He yanked Hailey to her feet and glared at me, his eyes blazing with undisguised disappointment and fury. “You followed me to the hospital? Are you so relentless that you’d chase her down for the money for her surgery? Do you have any compassion at all?” It was the same accusation he’d thrown at me on our anniversary when Hailey had called him away. “She’s so pitiful, don’t you feel anything as a woman?” “How can you be so cold-hearted?” I was so tired of hearing those words. Whatever. But maybe it was because we had fought so much lately. Maybe his anger had blinded him. Alexander took a step forward and shoved me, hard. “Say something! What the hell do you want?” The push sent me staggering backward. I lost my balance and fell, my tailbone cracking against the hard, cold tile. A tearing, explosive pain ripped through my lower abdomen. The crowd gasped. My face contorted in agony. Alexander froze. He had no idea why a single push could topple me, a woman who had always been so healthy. Just as he had no idea that in the hours he had spent fussing over Hailey, the last thread connecting us had finally snapped. He instinctively bent down to help me up, but I flinched away.

“1 When I learned that the IVF embryo I carried was actually a mix of my husband’s and his mistress’s DNA, I didn’t react violently like before. Instead, I calmly carried it to term and gave birth. From then on, I became the talk of high society, feeding gossip columns. Millionaires envied Ethan for having such a “magnanimous” wife, mistresses prayed to trap him, and other wives saw me as a disgrace. Ten months later, I safely delivered the baby. As I left the delivery room, Ethan kissed my forehead gently. “Clara can’t handle pain and you’re infertile, so you were perfect to carry our child,” he said. “Don’t worry—she only wants to be a mother. Your status as Mrs. Sterling is safe. You’re still the one I love most.” Everyone thought I was too in love with Ethan to fight the mistress, so I went along. But only I knew the truth: this child was forced on me by the Sterling matriarch, who repaid a past favor. Now that the heir was born, the promised divorce agreement should finally take effect. … The anesthesia wore off, and the pain jolted me awake from unconsciousness. The moment my eyes opened, Ethan Sterling, beaming with joy, held the baby. “Darling, Grandma has already named our child. Just sign here, and he can be officially registered.” He handed me the birth certificate. Seeing the name Arthur Sterling, my groggy mind instantly cleared. Arthur. A name meaning “noble strength,” or perhaps for me, “to engrave the beginning.” It was the beautiful aspiration I held for my unborn biological son. It represented our hopes for love. And it was the name given to the thirteenth generation’s firstborn in the Sterling family lineage. To rescue Ethan Sterling from kidnappers years ago, I had taken a knife for him, injuring my body, making it impossible to conceive again. Later, our first IVF child was tragically lost due to a miscarriage from excessive bleeding after he pushed me, having caught him cheating on our marital bed with my stepsister, Clara Berthelsen. That had been a fully formed boy. After my recovery, I planned to erect a memorial for him, a cenotaph, to be placed in the family cemetery. But a fortune teller had said the child hadn’t reached full term, the timing wasn’t right, and it had to wait. That wait lasted over a year. During my current pregnancy, he had whispered in my ear countless times, wanting to give the name Arthur Sterling to this illegitimate child. I had always refused. But now, looking at his expectant eyes, I only felt disgust at my past tears and misery. I knew Grandma would never choose that name. It was just Clara Berthelsen, who loved to claim everything of mine, whispering in Ethan Sterling’s ear. Anyway, divorce was a certainty. I didn’t care for the name of a heartless father. “Whatever. Call him whatever you want.” “I only have one request: don’t list me as the child’s mother. My biological son in heaven wouldn’t be happy.” Ethan Sterling paused, a flicker of guilt in his eyes. “Elara, don’t worry, I’m only using her for half of your bloodline. Her and I…” Before he could finish, a loud crash suddenly came from outside the door. “You little hussy, who gave you permission to be here!” Clara Berthelsen fell to the ground, sobbing. “I just wanted to see the baby.” Grandma Sterling, leaning on her cane, repeatedly struck her. “Get out!” In that instant, Ethan Sterling was like a startled bird. Without even handing the baby to the nurse, he roughly tossed him onto me and rushed out. The freshly stitched incision ripped open under the pressure, and a searing pain made me cry out. But he seemed not to hear, leaving me. His unwavering action of shielding Clara Berthelsen, standing defiantly between her and Grandma’s cane, made his earlier comforting words to me seem utterly ridiculous. “Grandma! It was my idea, and I did it for the Sterling family! Don’t hurt innocent people!” Grandma Sterling paused, unconsciously looking at me. Seeing the white bedsheet stained with blood, she struck Ethan Sterling with her cane. “You beast! Her wound isn’t healed, how can she hold a baby!” Ethan Sterling’s eyes filled with panic and regret. He was about to rush over to me. But Clara Berthelsen suddenly collapsed behind him. He panicked, scooped her up, and started to leave. Grandma Sterling stood firmly in his path. “You’re not going anywhere! Your wife is still in there! Do you still want this family or not!” 2 Ethan Sterling’s eyes were filled with hesitation. “Yes! But she was hurt by you! I can’t abandon her! Elara… she’s with you, she’ll be fine!” Once upon a time, he shielded me from every storm. Once upon a time, he would never make me the one to be abandoned. I endured the pain and gave him a faint glance. “Grandma, let him go.” He seemed surprised by my magnanimity. After all, in the past, to keep him from leaving, I had thrown tantrums, rolled on the floor, abandoning all dignity. His eyes were complex. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he strode away. The nurse and maternity assistant helped me re-dress my wound. The baby was also settled to sleep. My phone suddenly pinged with a message from him. “I forgot about your wound, I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to cause a scene in the hospital and affect the Sterling family’s reputation.” “Clara is unconscious and can’t be left alone, so I won’t be coming back for now. You rest well.” I stared at the screen for a long time, stunned. I remembered how he once, upon hearing I was injured in another city, flew for eleven hours, canceling all work just to be with me for a check-up, staying by my side every moment. Seeing me sigh, Grandma Sterling snatched my phone. She read the cold words on the screen and snorted. “That scoundrel! I’ll deal with him when he comes back. Elara, don’t worry, Grandma…” Hearing this, I suddenly chuckled, looking at her with calm eyes. “You condoned all of this, didn’t you?” “I no longer care what he does. You promised me that once I gave birth to this child, you would help me divorce. I hope you keep your word.” Her expression froze, her eyes filled with deep guilt. “Grandma is sorry.” “I’ve already tricked him into signing the divorce agreement. Rest peacefully for your thirty days of confinement, then you can leave.” Grandma kept the baby with her, personally arranging for his care. Meanwhile, I stayed at a maternity center under the guise of an early confinement, avoiding gossip. But that night, the scandal of the Sterling heir’s fury for his mistress, abandoning his wife after childbirth, and defying the matriarch to protect his sister-in-law, spread throughout the business circle. Sterling Group’s stock continued to plummet, leaving Ethan Sterling frantic. Clara Berthelsen’s social media influencer account was overrun by angry netizens. The past incident, when I had exposed her for seducing my husband only for Ethan Sterling to suppress it, was resurrected. The platform was filled with curses. If not for Ethan Sterling’s help, her account would likely have been deactivated, and she’d owe breach-of-contract fees. I didn’t see him again until seven days later. The first time he saw me, he looked at me with disappointment. “Elara Bennett, are you happy now, getting your revenge on us like this?” I paused, then quickly realized he was blaming me for the spread of the gossip. Of course. After all, I used to work in media, and I was an expert at fanning the flames. Unfortunately, the first time I, in a fit of madness, exposed his and Clara Berthelsen’s scandal, he blackmailed my company with claims of privacy invasion and defamation, forcing them to fire me. Now, finding someone to help would truly be difficult. I gave him a sidelong glance, no longer feeling the sting of being misunderstood. I continued to work on the anniversary gift I was knitting for Arthur. “You should know that your scandals aren’t just the ones visible on the surface. If I wanted to expose them, you’d probably suffer another major blow.” He stood at the doorway for a long time, stunned. He spoke, almost helplessly. “After this, I’ll break it off with her. But promise me, we’ll live our lives well together, okay? With a child, we’ll be a happy family.” He had spoken words like this almost every day during my pregnancy. Yet, it hadn’t stopped him from continuing to be entangled with Clara Berthelsen. He either felt pity for her status as an illegitimate child or believed she was lonely without family support. In short, he had a thousand reasons for his irresistible attraction to her and his desire to protect her every whim. He stood by the door, refusing to leave, as if he wouldn’t budge until I answered. Seeing him blocking the sunlight, I perfunctorily agreed. It wasn’t until the next morning, when explicit photos and videos of my alleged affair went viral online, that I understood what he meant by “after this.” Ethan Sterling released a clarification video. In the video, he tearfully told the media that I had spitefully spread false gossip about him because my sister had discovered my affair during pregnancy. 3 Clara Berthelsen, weeping profusely, claimed she had merely advised me not to hurt Ethan Sterling’s feelings, but I, believing she was about to expose my adultery, sought revenge. Everyone urged Ethan Sterling to divorce me, this “”loose woman,”” immediately. But he, instead, put on a show of deep affection. “No matter what mistakes Elara makes in this life, I cannot stop loving her.” Watching his hypocritical performance, I couldn’t help but throw up. Ethan Sterling, hearing this from outside the door, rushed in. “What’s wrong?” I frowned, looking at Clara Berthelsen who had followed him in, and pulled my hand away from his. “Nothing, just that you disgust me. To protect a mistress’s transgressions, you’d go to any length to defame your wife’s reputation. Ethan Sterling, your love is truly magnificent.” His face paled, and he opened his mouth to explain. But Clara Berthelsen suddenly knelt, weeping, her face streaked with tears. “I’m sorry, Elara. It’s all my fault! Julian only made you a scapegoat because of me.” Ethan Sterling instantly felt deeply pained, his eyes turning to me in a reproving gaze. “I came here to tell you about this. Those images were all AI-generated by me. Ultimately, she’s your sister, and it’s only right for you to sacrifice yourself to help her maintain family ties. Why do you have to be so aggressive towards her?” “Besides, you’re a housewife; reputation means nothing to you. What outsiders say won’t affect my feelings for you. It’s enough that I know it’s fake. But she’s different. She has no one to rely on and depends on the media for her livelihood. If her image and reputation are ruined, everything is over for her.” Listening to his high-sounding justifications, I felt nothing but disgust. Being a housewife was his doing, after all. Not only did he force the company to fire me, but he also spread the word throughout the media industry that anyone who hired me would be going against him. My interviews repeatedly hit dead ends. When I finally found a private studio, he maliciously reported us. Ultimately, all my media practitioner certificates were revoked, making me an outcast in the industry, scorned by everyone. I couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. The maternity nurse had said to keep a pleasant mood during confinement, and in any case, in another half a month, I would be completely free. Grandma also promised me that she would clear my name then. What they did no longer mattered. I looked at him expressionlessly, let out a long breath, and turned over into bed. “Do as you please. Whatever you want to do, do it.” He thought I was going to hit Clara Berthelsen as I had in the past, and he became incredibly nervous, standing firmly in front of her. But seeing me turn my back and lie down, all his emotions came to a halt. After a long moment, he asked me in a disbelieving tone, “You… you’re not angry?” My voice was flat. “Didn’t you always wish for me and her to get along harmoniously?” He sighed in relief and smiled. “You’ve finally learned. I knew you weren’t such a heartless person. I’ll definitely make it up to you later.” I didn’t reply, and I didn’t look at him until they left. After a long while, I touched my chest, feeling no stirrings. So this was what it felt like to let go. In the following days, perhaps out of guilt, he came to see me every few days. He was met with resistance and coldness but remained unperturbed, simply telling me about the wonderful life we would have together. It wasn’t until he brought up the baby’s one-month celebration that he spoke with difficulty. “Clara can never acknowledge her biological child in this life, so I was thinking, before the child is old enough to understand, she could openly attend the baby’s one-month party as his mother.” “It would complete her regret, don’t you think?” My knitting needles didn’t stop, and I didn’t even look up. “I told you, do as you please. This isn’t my child to begin with. Whatever you want to do has nothing to do with me.” He stiffened, his eyes reddening with a hint of anger. He snatched away the memorial items I was knitting for Arthur. “Why are you always like this these days! Do you know what her attending represents? It means implicitly acknowledging her as the mistress of the Sterling family. You used to be completely against it.” I paused, then looked at him with a bored expression. “Isn’t this good? Last month, when you two were in bed, didn’t you say it was a shame you couldn’t give her a proper status in this lifetime?” He stood there, frozen and pale like a statue. I retrieved my items, my emotions stable as if nothing had happened. His incessant, nauseating attempts to explain that he didn’t love her, that he was merely drugged and compelled to sleep with her, wanting to take responsibility, were defeated by my silence. 4 After that day, he didn’t come to see me again. But I often saw Clara Berthelsen posting pictures on her social media, showing them taking family portraits in various styles with the child. On the day I finished my confinement, the entire Sterling family was celebrating the illegitimate child’s one-month party. Grandma said the divorce papers would be finalized the next day. When I returned home to pack my things, our cozy marital bedroom had been completely redecorated to Clara Berthelsen’s taste. Even the photo of him cradling my pregnant belly, which used to sit by the living room TV, had been replaced with a family portrait of him, Clara Berthelsen, and the baby. In the photo, Ethan Sterling was smiling genuinely. Even more beautifully than the day he successfully confessed his love to me. I went back to the bedroom, intending to take some clothes I had before our marriage. But when I searched through the closet, I couldn’t find the purely handmade embroidered qipao my mother had personally sewn for me before she passed away. I was about to call to ask when I saw a photo on social media of Clara Berthelsen wearing it at the one-month party. A wave of fury boiled over. I hailed a cab and rushed to the banquet hall, watching her, arm-in-arm with Ethan Sterling, smiling and accepting everyone’s compliments. Seeing me, Ethan Sterling had a hint of guilt on his face, but also a predictable smugness. He released Clara Berthelsen and walked towards me. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist coming, but today is an important occasion for the child, don’t…” I didn’t give him a chance to finish. I rushed to Clara Berthelsen and slapped her across the face. “Remember your place as a mistress. Don’t be like your mother, that old hussy, always stealing other people’s things.” With that, I pulled out a pair of scissors and tore through the qipao she was wearing. With a ripping sound, accompanied by her piercing shriek, I shredded the dress. “If you have no clothes, go naked. This is a dress my mother made for me. You, a mistress, I’d rather destroy it than let you wear it!” The scene erupted into chaos. Grandma Sterling, usually so concerned with family reputation, uncharacteristically stood still, not intervening. Ethan Sterling threw a coat over Clara Berthelsen, glaring furiously at me. “How can you be so vicious? With so many people here, where will she put her face? It was just a borrowed dress. Do you really have to be so petty?” Seeing his inability to distinguish right from wrong, I sneered, and with a swift motion of my scissors, cut all the buttons off the couple’s formal shirt that my mother had made for him. “You forgot the vow you made to my mother, to be good to me for life. That’s alright, I won’t forget. Our relationship is like this gown now, severed and broken!” “I wish your family a hundred years of happiness.” With those words, I left amidst everyone’s shock. That one-month party ended badly. Clara Berthelsen, overcome with emotion, fainted, and Ethan Sterling took her to the hospital. Grandma Sterling presided over the rest of the banquet alone with the child. The next morning, I successfully obtained my divorce certificate. My phone still held a message from Ethan Sterling demanding an apology. I blocked and deleted him, then took my divorce certificate to the cemetery to visit my Arthur. Two weeks earlier, I had already arranged for a headstone to be placed for him. Looking at the words “Beloved Son Arthur Bennett,” my heart ached endlessly. I opened my mouth, about to say something. Ethan Sterling’s voice came from behind me. “I knew you’d come here. You always used to come see the child whenever you felt wronged. But yesterday, you went too far, in public…” Before he could finish, Clara Berthelsen gasped. “Julian, Elara actually named that child the same name as our child!” “Elara, no matter how much you dislike that child, you will always be his mother. Why would you use the same name to curse him to an early death?” Ethan Sterling frowned, stepping closer and seeing the name Arthur Bennett. His gaze swept down, seeing only “Mother Elara Bennett” listed as the monument setter, and no mention of him. The maternal surname filled him with a strange and uneasy feeling. But quickly, this uneasiness dissipated amidst Clara Berthelsen’s crying. He glared at me. “The child’s death is also a regret in my heart, but why did you act on your own? Are you trying to curse your own nephew to an early death?” “I haven’t even confronted you about shaming Clara in public yesterday. Do you think I love you so much that I’ll indulge your every whim?” “I’m giving you ten minutes. Immediately tell the cemetery to smash this headstone. I’ll reconsider a name and have a new one put up!” I coldly stared at this man who had once cried inconsolably after our son’s death. “What if I refuse?” He froze, looking at me in astonishment. After a long moment, his eyes filled with deep disappointment. He raised his hand, and three bodyguards emerged from a car. “Elara Bennett, he is my child, but Clara’s child is also my child. If you insist on doing this, then I will have no choice but to dig up his grave!” “I’m sure his spirit in heaven will not blame me, knowing it’s to protect his younger brother.” Even though I already knew his ugly face, hearing him threaten to dig up his own child’s grave for the sake of a mistress, for the sake of a name, my heart still ached. Seeing his confident expression, certain that I would back down for the sake of my child’s peace, I smiled. Calmly, I pulled out the divorce certificate from my bag and tossed it in front of him. “My apologies, Mr. Sterling. I don’t think you have the right to dictate what I name my child.” “Because an hour ago, we ceased to be husband and wife.” “

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They call me the glass doll of the apocalypse. My skin is so fragile, a harsh wind feels like a slap. Everyone in Redemption Base knows I’m good for nothing but tears, a hothouse flower kept safe and sound by Silas. That was, until she arrived. The so-called War Goddess. She couldn’t stand the way Silas protected me. The moment he led his team out on a scavenger run to clear the Dead Zones, she stormed into my room and dragged me toward the hordes of the infected. “The Commander is out there fighting for his life, and you’re in here living like a queen? What gives you the right, you useless leech?” she sneered. “There’s no room for parasites in this world! Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson on his behalf!” I stumbled and fell, the gravel bit into my elbow, drawing blood. I curled into a ball, trembling. “Please… don’t hurt me,” I sobbed, my voice thin and reedy. “Silas and I… we’re linked. We have a pain-sympathy bond. If you hurt me, he’ll feel it… he’ll be furious.” The War Goddess, Jocelyn, just laughed, a cruel, sharp sound. She grabbed a fistful of my hair. “Still playing games? Silas is neck-deep in a tide of Rotters. You think he has time to notice a little scratch on you? I’m going to make you understand the rules of this new world, once and for all!” … The pain from my scalp was searing as Jocelyn dragged me out of my room, my bare feet stumbling over the rubble-strewn training grounds. “It hurts… please, it hurts so much…” I cried, reaching for her hand, only to be met with a vicious slap across the face. The impact sent me sprawling. My knee crashed against a sharp stone, the skin tearing, and beads of blood welled up instantly. The pain was blinding. I was the girl Silas had sheltered with the best of everything. A slightly-too-hot bath could leave my skin red and stinging. I had never known suffering like this. Tears streamed down my face as I hugged my knees, my whole body shaking uncontrollably. Miles away, in the heart of the Dead Zone in Sector S. A ten-foot-tall Tyrant roared, swinging a colossal axe down at the man standing atop a ruined skyscraper. Silas, clad in black combat gear, his expression cold as ice, should have dodged the blow with ease. But in that split second, an agonizing, shattering pain exploded in his knee. His left leg gave out, and he dropped to the ground, landing hard on one knee. “Commander!” his lieutenant screamed in terror. The axe blade whistled past, slicing off a lock of Silas’s dark hair. The veins on Silas’s hand bulged as he pushed himself up, gasping for air, his forehead drenched in a cold sweat. Rosie… Someone was hurting Rosie! Silas’s head snapped up. His dark eyes instantly flooded with crimson, a murderous rage blazed within him. He was out here risking his life, and someone back at the base dared to touch his girl? … Back at Redemption Base, the central plaza was bustling. It was ration distribution day, and thousands of survivors were gathered. Jocelyn dragged me onto the high platform and stomped her steel-toed boot onto my shin. “Agh!” I screamed, a pain like splintering bone shooting up my leg. Jocelyn looked down at the crowd, her voice booming. “Look, everyone! This is the parasite Silas has been protecting!” “While we risk our lives for half a slice of moldy bread, she hides in her villa, bathing in purified water and eating canned meat!” The crowd erupted. A thousand pairs of eyes, filled with hunger and resentment, locked onto me. “Why her?” “We barely have enough water to drink, and that bitch uses it for baths?” “Kill her! Make her give back the supplies!” A wicked smile played on Jocelyn’s lips. She leaned down, her breath hot against my ear. “Did you hear that, Rosie? That’s the will of the people.” “So what if Silas protects you? He’s not here now. I’m in charge.” “No… I didn’t…” I sobbed, struggling to breathe. I wanted to explain, but my voice was swallowed by the sea of curses. “Still talking back?” Jocelyn’s eyes went cold, and she ground her heel into my leg. “Tell me, everyone,” she yelled to the crowd, “does a parasite like this deserve to die?” “Yes! Kill her! Kill her!” Someone in the crowd threw the first stone. It struck me squarely on the temple. Warm liquid streamed down, blurring my left eye. My world dissolved into a smear of crimson. The pain was so intense I nearly passed out. I clutched my head, curling into a helpless ball, crying out the only name I could think of. “Silas… Silas, it hurts…” A hundred miles away. A storm of black, volatile energy erupted from Silas, shredding the dozens of Rotters swarming him into a paste of flesh and bone. He clutched his head, the world spinning as a phantom pain exploded behind his eyes. “Commander! Your head…” his lieutenant stammered, his face pale with shock. The Commander hadn’t been hit, yet a bloody welt was forming on his temple out of thin air. Silas’s eyes were bloodshot. He grabbed his lieutenant by the collar, his voice a raw rasp. “Back to base! Now!” The lieutenant glanced at the horde. “But Commander, we haven’t taken down the Tyrant yet. If we pull back now, everything we’ve done will be for nothing…” “I said get us back to the base!” Silas roared, slamming his fist into the armored truck’s door. The reinforced steel dented under the force. He could feel it. He could feel Rosie crying. She was in pain. Suddenly, a crushing agony shot through his left palm, as if every bone was being ground to dust. In the plaza, Jocelyn was stomping on my hand with her steel-plated boot. “Go on, scream! Keep screaming!” she taunted, twisting her foot viciously. “Your precious Silas is too busy playing savior of the world to care about a little tramp like you.” The pain was so intense I couldn’t even scream anymore, only broken whimpers escaped my throat. The pain in my fingers was directly connected to his heart. If I screamed, the feedback would be ten times worse for him. I couldn’t scream. I was afraid the pain would kill him out there on the battlefield. I bit down hard on my lip, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth, refusing to make another sound. Seeing me silent, Jocelyn spat on my face. “Useless. Gone mute, have you?” She turned to the survivors below. “Since you all hate her so much, I’ll do you a favor today. Anyone who can ‘teach this little princess a lesson’ gets a whole sausage!” A single sausage. In these times, it was enough to make someone sell their soul. A forest of hands reached for me. Stones and rotting vegetables rained down on my body. All I could do was cover my head and curl up tighter. Just as I thought I was going to be beaten to death, a woman pushed her way through the crowd. “Everyone, stop!” The voice was familiar. I struggled to open my blood-crusted eyes, peering through the gaps in my fingers. I saw a face I knew. My cousin, Sarah. Before the world fell apart, she was the only family I had left. A flicker of hope ignited in my chest. I reached out a trembling hand. “Sarah… help me…” Sarah strode onto the platform. She looked down at my broken form on the ground, a flicker of pure satisfaction in her eyes. She kicked my hand away. “Don’t call me that. Who’s your cousin?”

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The seven-year itch. The number of women my husband, Ethan Vance, has slept with—I can’t even count them on my fingers and toes. The reason I always turned a blind eye. Was because he always threw money at me. If he cheated with an influencer, he’d give me a penthouse downtown. If he took a young model to a yacht party, he’d transfer an identical yacht to my name. He used money to buy off my breakdowns, my questioning, and my tears. Until I was eight months pregnant, and the fetus accidentally stopped developing, resulting in an induced labor. Supported by the nanny, I walked weakly out of my hospital room. Only to see Ethan in the next room, carefully doting on a woman who had just given birth. Our eyes met. A flash of panic crossed his eyes before he returned to his usual coldness. He walked over and handed me a blank check. “Fill in whatever amount you want.” I tore the check into pieces. I looked at him and smiled. “Ethan, this time I don’t want money…” I raised my trembling hand and pointed to the faint crying sound coming from the hospital room behind him. “I want that child.” … 01 “Chloe, are you crazy?!” Ethan’s face was written all over with disbelief. I repeated again, “I want that child.” The weakness from the induced labor made every word I spoke feel like it was draining my life force. “What nonsense are you talking about!” He lowered his voice. “That is not your child!” “Your child is already gone!” Right, my child is gone, dead… “Isn’t your child my child?” I asked softly in return. “Or do you want the eldest grandson of the Vance family to bear the title of an illegitimate child from birth?” Ethan choked instantly. He and I were childhood sweethearts; our families have been close friends for generations. Both the Vance and Sterling families are top-tier wealthy families that care about face and value rules above all else. He could play around, he could be a playboy, but he absolutely could not allow any fundamental stain to appear. The woman in the hospital bed, Mia Lin, finally reacted. She struggled to sit up, her voice shrill: “Ethan Vance! You can’t give my child to her! This is my only…” This was her only weapon to climb the social ladder. For a woman with such an ordinary background to think she could secure her status through a child is nothing but a pipe dream. Watching Ethan’s conflicted expression, I suddenly found it incredibly ironic. Using the last of my strength, I pushed him aside and walked step-by-step into the hospital room. Mia’s body shrank back, her arms holding the swaddled baby tightening. “Miss Lin, hello. I am Ethan’s wife, Chloe Sterling.” I forced a stiff smile, enunciating every word to tell her a cruel fact. “From today on, I am this child’s mother.” I paused, admiring her instantly pale face, and then delivered the final blow: “Remember, it was your child that was lost during the induced labor… Understand?” Those words “induced labor,” I said them very lightly, yet it hurt so much I could barely breathe. “Ah!” Mia screamed, breaking down, grabbing the pillow from the headboard and throwing it at me. “You’re talking nonsense! This is my child! Mine!” Ethan followed me in, looking troubled. “Ethan, you can’t let her take our child away!” Mia cried, seeking his help. Ethan looked at me, his face showing a difficult position. “Chloe…” I softly whispered a sentence in his ear: “The land development project in the West End… Grandpa values it very much, and it just so happens to be in my brother’s hands.” Ethan’s body stiffened abruptly. The West End land was the most important strategic layout for the Vance family in the next ten years, and also the key for him to prove his capability to the old patriarch of the Vance family. He whipped his head around to look at me, with anger, unwillingness, and a trace of apprehension. He took a deep breath and said to Mia: “Be good, let Chloe… raise the child. It will make his status legitimate.” I turned to my nanny and instructed: “Go, bring that child to my hospital room.” I walked out of the room and dialed my assistant’s number. “Go bribe the hospital staff. I don’t want anyone other than us to know about this. On the child’s birth certificate, the mother’s name can only be Chloe Sterling.” Soon, more intense arguing, the sound of things smashing, and Mia’s heart-wrenching crying came from next door. I looked down at the little boy in the crib. He was sleeping soundly, his little mouth opening and closing. A cold smile curled at the corner of my mouth. 2 Ethan would come to my room for a while every day, but while his body was here, his heart was next door. His phone screen was always lighting up with various messages from Mia. [Ethan, I miss the baby so much. Can you ask her to give the child back to me?] [I don’t want anything else, I just want my child.] [Ethan, I bled a lot. The doctor said I have severe postpartum hemorrhage. Am I going to die?] Mia knew exactly how to manipulate Ethan. She never attacked me directly, just repeatedly emphasized her pain and her longing for the child. Using this to highlight my “viciousness” and “unreasonableness.” Every time he read them, his frown would deepen, and then he would find an excuse to leave in a hurry. Early one morning, Ethan wasn’t there, and the child had been taken by the nurse and nanny for a checkup. Mia stood by my bed like a ghost, her eyes venomous. “Chloe, don’t think you’ve won.” “That unlucky child of yours, I was the one who made Ethan get rid of it.” “That night, Ethan drank too much and kept calling me.” “I just whined on the phone, saying the child in your belly would be an obstacle for me in the future…” “I told him to spend more time with me, not to always hover around you.” “I didn’t expect that after he hung up, he would really go back to find you. As for what happened next…” “It’s your own fault you couldn’t keep your child. You can’t blame anyone else.” “You’re just raising a child for me, don’t be happy too early!” After she finished, she turned and left. Every word was like a red-hot branding iron, searing fiercely into my heart. So that’s how it was… I closed my eyes, the hand under the blanket trembling violently. The blood backing up in the IV tube quickly dyed a section of the transparent tube red. I bit my lip so hard that a heavy, metallic taste of blood spread in my mouth. I didn’t cry, nor did I make a fuss. I just silently pulled out the IV needle from my hand. Beads of blood slid down the back of my hand, dripping onto the pure white bedsheets like a stark, tragic plum blossom. At that moment, the hospital room door was pushed open. Ethan walked in. He saw the blood on my hand, froze for a moment, then quickly stepped forward and grabbed my wrist. “Why did you pull out the needle? Are you crazy?!” He picked up a cotton swab from the nightstand, pressing down hard on my wound, his brows furrowed tightly, actually showing a bit of genuine concern. I was trembling all over. I wanted to scream, to interrogate him, to pounce and tear him to shreds. But I had no strength. “You can go. Go be with Mia.” “Martha will be back soon; I don’t need you here.” A cry came from next door. Mia was acting crazy again. Ethan ran over without hesitation. I called my assistant and told her to process an early discharge for me immediately. “Back to the main estate!” Back to throw my weight around. When I appeared at the door of the Vance family’s main estate holding that child, the whole family was in an uproar. Grandpa and Grandma, maternal grandparents, uncles, aunts… everyone crowded around. “Oh my, my precious grandson!” Grandma carefully took the child from my arms, grinning from ear to ear. Grandpa was even more excited, his hands trembling. He looked at me, his eyes full of approval. “Chloe, good job! You are a great contributor to our Vance family!” I became the hero of the entire family. Because I brought the first male heir of the fifth generation to the four-generation Vance family. No one knew that my heart had already died in that cold hospital, along with my unborn child. My father-in-law watched the nanny van drive straight into the garage and asked, puzzled, “Where is Ethan?” “Busy, probably. I didn’t even see him at the hospital.” 3 The rewards from the elders were almost staggering. Grandpa gave me an ocean-view villa located on the coast; the keys were placed directly on my nightstand. Grandma brought out all the jade jewelry she had kept at the bottom of her trunk, set after set, dazzlingly green. My father-in-law directly transferred five percent of the Vance Group’s shares to my name, making me the youngest member of the group’s board of directors overnight. My mother-in-law was even more considerate, giving me a private island in the Maldives, saying I could go there to relax once I recovered. I smiled and accepted it all. These were all what I deserved. What I exchanged for my child’s life. No one knew that in the deepest part of that luxurious walk-in closet, I hid a tiny corner. There were no expensive bags or fine clothes there. Only a small, uncarved memorial tablet made of rosewood. With no words written on it. In front of the tablet, I placed a pair of small, knitted booties I made myself that could never be given, and a few pitifully small baby clothes. Every night, when all was quiet, I would lock myself in the closet. I hugged that small tablet, stroking it over and over again. “Baby, Mommy’s here.” “Baby, today Grandpa and Grandma bought a lot of toys. If you were here, you would have them too.” “Baby, do you blame Mommy? It’s Mommy’s fault, failing to protect you…” I never cried out loud, just let the tears slide down silently, soaking the wooden tablet in my arms. Where my heart was, it felt like a hole had been torn open that could never heal. The cold wind blew in, hurting so much I couldn’t breathe. That was a secret belonging only to me and my departed child. Ethan also returned to the main estate, but he didn’t dare approach me. Grandpa pointed his cane at him in front of everyone, calling him a bastard, saying I had just “given birth,” and instead of staying with me, he was making me angry. He was punished by being made to kneel in the family shrine all night. He probably couldn’t understand how the Chloe who once loved him more than life itself, who was completely under his control, could suddenly become like this. He would occasionally come to the bedroom to keep me company, but more often, he came to see that child. He would awkwardly hold him, feed him, his eyes revealing an unfamiliar thing called “fatherly love.” He stood behind me, silent for a long time, and suddenly spoke. “Chloe, about what happened that night, I was wrong. I drank too much.” “Mia… she’s just too dependent on me. Don’t hold it against her,” he added. I slowly raised my head, looking at the two of us reflected in the mirror. He was tall and handsome; I was thin and haggard. “Hold it against her?” I chuckled lightly. “What right do I have to hold anything against her? I couldn’t even protect my own child.” His face instantly became very ugly, as if stung by my words. “That was an accident!” He raised his voice. “Why must you keep harping on it! I’ve already tried my best to compensate you!” Compensate? I was born into a wealthy family; money is the most useless thing to me. I didn’t want to argue with him anymore and pushed him out the door. “Chloe, what exactly do you want?” “What do I want?” I looked at him, my words sarcastic. “I want you to stay away from me.” Eventually, he let go of my hand. From that day on, he rarely set foot in my room again. We didn’t even bother to maintain that paper-thin disguise between us anymore. 4 When the child was a hundred days old, the Vance family held an extremely grand hundred-day banquet. The banquet took place on the lawn of the main estate. Guests gathered; almost all the prominent figures in the city were present. I wore a custom-made red gown, holding the child wrapped in a silk swaddle, standing beside Grandpa and Grandma, receiving everyone’s blessings and envy. The child was named Oliver Vance by Grandpa, hoping his life would be clear and bright, and the rivers and seas peaceful. Halfway through the banquet, Grandpa walked onto the stage leaning on his cane and picked up the microphone. The entire venue instantly quieted down. “Today, taking the opportunity of my great-grandson Oliver’s hundred-day banquet, I want to announce something.” The old man’s voice was loud and full of vigor. “Under the Vance Group, a new subsidiary specializing in high-end infant and toddler products has been established. Currently, the estimated market value has reached a billion dollars.” “Today, I give this company, as a gift, to my granddaughter-in-law, Chloe.” Thunderous applause erupted. I held Oliver, bowing slightly to express my thanks, wearing a proper smile on my face. Applause and gasps of amazement echoed from the audience. Everyone looked at me with envy and jealousy. Giving away a billion-dollar company just like that—what an incredible honor! Holding Oliver, I was about to go on stage to give my thanks. Suddenly, the doors to the banquet hall were forcefully pushed open. A woman in a white dress, ignoring the security guards’ attempts to stop her, rushed in like a madwoman. It was Mia Lin. She pushed through the crowd like a lunatic, charging straight toward the main stage. “Wait!” Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events, and the scene instantly went quiet. Ethan’s face changed, and he immediately stepped forward to stop her. “Mia! What are you doing here! Stop making a scene!” Mia threw off his hand. She raised a document in her hand, glaring at me with bloodshot eyes, her voice shrill. “Me, making a scene? Ethan Vance, look at her! She’s holding my child, accepting the wealth and glory that should belong to me! She’s the one making a scene!” Mia laughed shrilly. She shook off Ethan, pulled a document from her bag, and held it high. “Today, I’m going to let everyone see how your Vance family bullies people!” She rushed onto the stage and snatched the microphone from the emcee. “Everyone, look closely! This is a paternity test report!” Her voice carried through the speakers, spreading across the entire venue. “The report clearly states that Oliver and my DNA have a 99.9% biological relationship!” “I am his biological mother!” The entire audience was in an uproar! Everyone’s gaze hit me like a searchlight. Questioning, disdainful, gloating… My parents-in-law’s faces also turned extremely ugly. They looked at me, their eyes full of questioning. Ethan rushed onto the stage, trying to snatch the report from Mia’s hand, while still trying to coax her. “Stop making a scene, let’s go home and talk about it, okay?” But Mia ignored him. With bloodshot eyes, she glared at me fixedly. “Chloe Sterling! You robber! You stole my child and are acting so hypocritically here. You are shameless!” She pointed at me, questioning me hoarsely. The scene devolved into chaos. Ethan rushed over to cover Mia’s mouth but was bitten hard by her. “Ethan Vance, now you only have one choice: divorce her and marry me!” My assistant quietly walked up beside me and placed an antique, black-lacquered wooden box at my feet. I took a deep breath, holding Oliver—who had started to cry—and slowly walked onto the stage. I calmly took the paternity test report from Mia’s hand, not even glancing at it. Then, I picked up the microphone and looked at the guests below with their varying expressions. “That’s right.” I responded generously, even with a hint of a smile on my face. “Everything she said is true.” The chaos at the scene reached its peak at this moment. Just then, my assistant quietly walked onto the stage and handed me the heavy sandalwood box. I opened the box, spoke into the microphone, looking at the shocked faces below, and slowly began to speak. “Everyone, please stay calm.” “Because today, I also have a surprise for everyone…”

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